we muste nedes beleue that the Churche which is inuisible to vs is to be seen with the eies of God only so are we commaunded to regarde thys Churche whiche is called a Churche in respecte of men and to kepe the communion of it Therefore so muche as behoued vs to knowe it the Lorde hath sette it oute by certayne markes and as it were signes vnto vs. Thys is in dede the singular prerogatiue of God himselfe to knowe who be hys as we haue already alleaged oute of Paule And truelye that the rashenesse of menne shoulde not crepe so farre it is prouided by the verye successe of thynges daylye puttyng vs in mynde howe farre his secrete iudgementes dooe surmounte oure vnderstandyng For euen they that seemed moste desperate and accompted vtterly paste hope are by his goodnesse called backe into the waye and they that seemed to stande fast in comparison of other doo oftentymes fall Therfore according to the secrete predestination of God as Augustine saieth there be many shepe without and many wolues within For he knoweth them and hath them marked that knowe neither hym nor theim selues But of those that openly beare his badge his onely eies doo see who be both holy without faynyng and who will continue euen to the ende whiche is the very chiefe poynt of saluation Yet on the other syde forasmuche as he forsawe it to be somedeale expediente that we should knowe who were to be accompted his children he hath in this parte applied himselfe to our capacitie And because the certaintie of Faith was not necessarie he hath put in place therof a certayne iudgement of charitie wherby we should acknowledge for membres of the Churche those that bothe with confession of Faith and with example of lyfe and with partakyng of sacramentes dooe professe the same God and Christ with vs. But as for the knowledge of the body therof howe much more that he knew it to be necessary for our saluation with so muche the more certayne markes he hath sette it out Loe herevpon groweth and aryseth vnto vs a face of the Church visible to our eyes For where soeuer we see the word of God to be purely preached and hearde and the sacramentes to be ministred accordyng to the institution of Christ there it is in no wise to be douted that there is some Churche of God forasmuche as his promise canne not deceiue Where soeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the middes of theim But that we maie euidently vnderstande the summe of this matter we must procede by these as it were degrees that is to say that the vniuersall churche is a multitude gathered together out of all nations what soeuer they be which beyng sundered and seuerally scattered by distances of places yet doeth agree in one truth of godly doctrine and is bounde together with the bonde of one selfe religion And that so vnder this are comprehended al particular Churches whiche are in all townes and streetes accordyng to the order of meÌ„s necessitie so that euery one of them may rightfully haue the name and authoritie of a Church And that all particular men which by profession of godlinesse are reckened among such Churches although they be in dede straungers from the Churche yet doo after a certain maner belong vnto it tyll by publike iudgement they be banished out of it Howbeit there is somewhat a diuers maner in iudgyng of priuate men and of Churches For it may fall in experience that such men as we shal thynke not to bee altogether woorthy of the company of the godly yet we muste vse like brethren and accompt them among the faithfull for the coÌ„mon consent of the Churche wherby they are suffered and borne withall in the body of Christe We dooe not by oure testimonie allowe suche to be membres of the Churche but we leaue them the place that they haue among the people of God till it be by orderly ryght of lawe taken away from them But of the very multitude we must otherwise thinke which if it hath and honoureth the ministerie of the Worde and the administration of Sacramentes it deserueth without doute to bee estemed and iudged a Churche because it is certain that those thyngs are not without fruit So we do also preserue to the vniuersall Church her vnitie whiche diuelyshe spirites haue alway trauailed to cut in sunder neither doo we defraude of their authoritie those lawful assemblies whiche are disposed accordyng to the fitnesse of places We haue sette for signes to discerne the Churche by the preachyng of the Worde and the obseruyng of the Sacramentes For these can bee no where but they must bryng foorth fruite and be prospered with the blessyng of God I doo not say that wheresoeuer the woorde is preached there by and by springeth vp fruite but I saie that no where it is receiued and hath a staied seate but that it bringeth foorth the effectualnesse therof Where the preachyng of the gospell is reuerently heard and the Sacraments are not neglected howe soeuer it be there for that tyme appeareth a not deceitfull not doutfull face of the Church wherof no man maye vnpunished eyther despise the authoritie or refuse the admonitions or resist the counsels or mocke at the correctioÌ„s much lesse to depart from it and to breake in sunder the vnitie of it For the Lorde so hyely estemeth the Communion of his Churche that he compteth him for a traiterous runne away and forsaker of Religion who soeuer shall stubbornely estraunge hymselfe from any Christian felowshyp so that it be suche a one as hath the true ministerie of the Worde and Sacramentes He so commendeth the Churches authoritie that when it is violate he iudgeth his owne diminished Neither is it of smalle importaunce that the Churche is called the pyller and strong staye of truthe and the house of God By whiche wordes Paule signifieth that to the ende the truthe of God shoulde not decay in the worlde the Churche is a faithfull keper therof because Gods will was to haue the preachyng of his worde kept pure and to shewe hym self vnto vs a Father of housholde by her ministerie and labour while she feedeth vs with spirituall nâ—urishementes and procureth all thyngs that make for our saluation It is also no sclender praise that it is said that she is chosen and seuered by Christ to be his spouse that shoulde be without wrinkle and spot the body and fullnesse of hym Whervpon foloweth that departyng from the Churche is a denyeng of God and of Christ. Therfore so much the more wee muste beware of so wicked disagreement For whyle we goe about so muche as in vs lyeth to procure the ruine of Gods truth we are worthy that he shoulde sende downe his lyghtenyng with the whole violent force of his wrath to destroy vs. Neither can there be imagined any faulte more haynous than with wicked breache of Faith to defile the
people of Israell that such introduction was ordeined for their sakes whiche although the stronger may well want yet they oughte not to neglecte it forasmuche as they see it to be profitable for the weake brethren I answer that we ar not ignorant what we owe to the weakenesse of our brethren but on the other side we take exception and say that this is not the way whereby the weake may bee prouided for that they shold be ouerwhelmed with great heapes of Ceremonies The Lorde did not in vaine put this difference betweene vs and the olde people that his wil was to instruct them like children with signes figures but vs more simply without such outward furniture As saieth Paule a childe is ruled of his scholemaister and kept vnder custodie accordyng to the capacitie of his age so the Iewes are kepte vnder the lawe But we are like vnto full growen men whiche beeyng set at libertie from tutorshyp and gouernement haue no more neede of childishe introductions Truely the Lorde did foresee what maner of common people there shold be in his Chirche and how they shoulde be ruled Yet he did in this maner as we haue said make differēce betwene vs and the Iewes Therfore it is a foolishe way if we will prouide for the ignorant in raising vp Iewishenesse which is abrogate by Christ Christ also touched in his owne woordes this difference of the olde and new people when he said to the woman of Samaria that the time was cōme wherin the true worshippers should worship God in Spirite and truth This verily had alway ben don but the new worshippers differed frō the old in this point that vnder Moses the spiritual worshippyng of God was shadowed and in a maner entāgled with many Ceremonies which being abolished he is now more simply worshipped Therfore thei that confound this difference do ouerthrow the order institute and stablished by Christ. Shal there then wilt thou say no Ceremonies be geuen to the ruder sort to helpe their vnskilfulnesse I say not so for I verily thinke that this kynde of helpe is profitable for them I doe here trauaile only that suche a meane may be vsed as may brightly sette out Christ and not darken hym Therfore there are geuen vs of God few Ceremonies those not laborsome that they should shew Christ being present The Iewes had moe geuen them that they shold be images of him being absent Absent I say he was not in power but in maner of signifying Therfore that meane may be kept it is necessarie to keepe that fewnesse in number easinesse in obseruing and dignitie in signifieng which also cōsisteth in clerenesse What nede I to say that this hath not ben done For the thyng it selfe is in all mens eyes Here I omitt with how pernicious opinions mens myndes are filled in thinking that they be sacrifices wherewith oblation is rightly made to God wherby sinnes are clēsed wherby righteousnesse saluatiō is obteined They wyl deny that good things ar corrupted with such forein errors forasmuch as in this behalf a man may no lesse offende in the very works also cōmaunded of God But this hath more hainousnesse that so much honor is geuē to works rashely fained by the will of mā that they are thought to be things deseruing eternal life For the works cōmaunded of God haue reward therfore because that lawmaker himself in respect of obedience accepteth them Therfore they receiue not their value of their own worthinesse or of their own deseruing but because God so muche estemeth our obediēce toward him I speake here of that perfectiō of works which is commaunded of God and is not performed of mē For therfore the very works of the law which we do haue no thāk but of the fre goodnesse of God because in them our obediēce is weake lame But bicause we do not here dispute of what value works ar without Christ therfore let vs passe ouer the question I come back again to that which proprely belōgeth to this presēt argumēt that whatsoeuer cōmēdation works haue in them they haue it in respect of the obediēce which only the Lord doth loke vpon as he testifieth by the Prophet I gaue not cōmaūdement of sacrifices burnt offringes but only that ye shold with hearing heare my voice But of fained works he speaketh in an other place saying Ye weye your siluer not in bred Againe they worship me in vaine with the precepts of men This therfore they can by no waies excuse that they suffer the silly people to seke in those outward trifles the righteousnesse wherby they may stand against God vphold themselues before the heauenly iugement seate Moreouer is not this a fault worthy to be inueyed against that they shew foorth Ceremonies not vnderstanded as it were a stage play or a magicall enchaūtment ▪ For it is certaine that al Ceremonies are corrupt and hurtfull vnlesse men be by them directed to Christ. But the Ceremonies that are vsed vnder the papacie are seuered from doctrine that they may the more holde men in signes without all signification Finally such a conning craftesman is the belly it appeareth that many of them haue ben inuented by couetous sacrificing prestes to bee snares to catche money But what beginning soeuer they haue they are all so geuen foorth in cōmon for filthy gaine that we must nedes cut of a greate parte of them if we will bring to passe that there be not a prophane market and full of sacrilege vsed in the Chirch Although I seeme not to teach a continuall doctrine concernyng the ordinances of men because this speakyng is altogether applied to our owne tyme yet there is nothyng spoken that shall not be profitable for all tymes For so oft as this superstition crepeth in that men wyl worship God with theyr owne fayned deuises whatsoeuer the lawes bee that ar made to that purpose they do by by degenerate to those grosse abuses For the Lord thretneth not this curse to one or two ages but to al ages of the world that he wil strike them with blyndnesse and amased dullnesse that worshyp him with the doctrines of men This blyndyng continually maketh that they flee from no kynde of absurditie whiche despisyng so many warnyngs of God doe wilfully wrap them selues in those deadly snares But if settyng asyde circumstances you wyl haue simply shewed what be the mens traditions of al ages which it is mete to be reiected of the Chirche and to bee disalowed of all the godly that same shal be a sure and playne definition whiche we haue aboue sette that all lawes without the worde of God are made by men to this end either to prescribe a maner of worshippyng God or to bind consciences with religion as though they gaue cōmaundement of thinges necessary to saluation If to the one or both of these there be adioyned other faultes as that with their multitude they darken the
and corrupcion of nature I will omit also to entreate of the remedy therof Therefore let the readers remember that I do not yet speake of the couenaunt whereby God hath adopted to hymselfe the children of Abraham and of that specyal parte of doctrine wherby the faithful haue alway been peculiarly seuered frō the prophane nations because that doctrine was founded vpon Christ but I speake how we ought to learne by the Scripture that god which is the creator of the world is by certaine markes seuerallye discerned from the counterfait multitude of false gods And thē the order it selfe shal conueniently bring vs to the redemer But although we shal allege may testimonies out of the new testamēt some also out of the law and the Prophetes wherin is expresse menciō made of Christ yet they shall al tende to this ende to proue that in the Scripture is disclosed vnto vs God the creator of the world and in the scripture is set foorth what we ought to thinke of him to the end that we should not seke about the busy for an vncertaine godhead But whether God were knowen to the fathers by oracles and visions or whether by the mean and ministraciō of men he informed them of that which they should from hande to hand deliuer to their posterity yet it is vndoutedly true that in their hartes was engrauen a stedfaste certaintie of doctrin so as they might be perswaded and vnderstand that it which they had learned came from God For God alwaies made vndouted assuraunce for credit of his worde which farre exceaded all vncertaine opinion At length that by continual proceding of doctrine the trueth suruiuing in al ages might stil remaine in the world the same oracles which he had left with the fathers his pleasure was to haue as it were enrolled in publike tables For this entent was the law publyshed wherunto after were added the Prophetes for expositors For though there were diuerse vses of the law as hereafter shal better appeare in place conuenient and specially the principall purpose of Moises and al the Prophetes was to teach the maner of reconciliacion beetwene God and men for which cause also Paule calleth Christ the end of the law yet as I say once againe beside the proper doctrine of faith and repētance which sheweth forth Christe the mediatour the Scripture doth by certaine markes and tokens paint out the onelye and true God in that that he hath created and doeth gouerne the worlde to the ende he should be seuerally knowen and not reckened in the false nomber of fained gods Therefore although it behoueth man earnestlye to bend his eies to consider the workes of God forasmuch as he is set as it were in this gorgeous stage to be a beholder of them yet pryncipally ought he to bende his eares to the word that he may better profit therby And therfore it is no maruel that they which ar borne in darkenesse do more and more waxe hard in their amased dulnesse because verye fewe of them do geue themselues pliable to learne of the word of God whereby to kepe them within their boundes but they rather reioyse in their own vanity Thus then ought we to holde that to the ende true religion may shyne among vs we must take our beginning at the heauenly doctrine And that no man can haue any tast be it neuer so little of true and sounde doctrine vnlesse he haue ben scholer to the Scrypture And from hense groweth the original of true vnderstanding that we reuerently embrace whatsoeuer it pleaseth God therin to testifye of himselfe For not onely the perfect and in al pointes absolute faith but also al right knowledge of God springeth from obedience And truelye in thys behalfe God of his singular prouidence hath prouided for men in and for al ages For if we consider how slipperye an inclinacion mans minde hath to slide into forgetfulnes of God how great a redinesse to fal into al kind of errors how great a lust to forge oftentimes new counterfayt religions we may therby perceiue how necessarie it was to haue the heauenly doctrine so put in writing that it should not either perish by forgetfulnes or grow vaine by errour or be corrupted by boldnes of men Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway vsed the helpe of hys word toward al those whom it pleased him at any time frutefully to instruct because he foresaw that his image emprinted in the most beautifull forme of the world was not sufficiently effectual Therfore it behoueth vs to trauaile this straight way if we earnestly couet to attayne to the true beholding of God We must I say come to his word wherin God is well and liuely set out by his workes when his workes be weyed not after the peruersuesse of our own iudgemēt but according to the rule of the eternall trueth If we swarue from that worde as I saied euen now although we runne neuer so fast yet we shall neuer attaine to the marke because the course of our running is out of the way For thus we must thinke that the brightnesse of the face of God which the Apostle calleth such as cannot be atteined vnto is vnto vs like a maze out of which we cannot vnwrappe our selues vnlesse we be by the line of the word guided into it so that it is much better for vs to halt in this way than to runne neuer so fast in an other And therfore Dauid oftē times when he teacheth that supersticions are to be taken away out of the world that pure religion maye floryshe bringeth in God reigning meaninge by this worde reigning not the power that he hath but the doctryne wherby he chalengeth to himselfe a lawfull gouernement because errors can neuer be rooted out of the hartes of men till the true knowledge of God be planted Therfore the same Prophete after that he hath recited that the heauens declare the glory of God that the firmament sheweth fourth the woorkes of his handes that the orderly succeding course of daies and nightes preacheth his maiestie then descendeth to make mentiō of his worde The law of the Lord saieth he is vndefiled conuerting soules the witnesse of the Lord is faithful geuing wisedome to little ones the righteousnesses of the Lord are vpryght makyng hartes cherefull the commaundemēt of the Lord is bryght geuing light to the eies For although he comprehendeth also the other vses of the law yet in generalitie he meaneth that forasmuch as God doeth in vaine call vnto hym al nations by the beholdyng of the heauen and earth therfore this is the peculiar schole of the children of God The same meanyng hath the xxix Psalme where the Prophet hauing preached of the terrible voice of God whiche in thunder windes showres whirlewindes stormes shaketh the earth maketh the mountains to tremble and breaketh the cedre trees in the ende at last he goeth further and sayth that his praises are
disciples â–ª Althoughe they be vexed with extreme madnesse yet I thynke they are not caryed with suche gyddinesse that they dare so boast But what maner of spirite dyd he speake of in his promise euen that spirite whiche shoulde not speake of it selfe but shulde mynister and inspire into their myndes those thynges whyche he the Lorde hymselfe hadde taught by his woorde It is not therfore the office of the spirite whyche is promised vs to fayne newe and vnhearde of reuelations or to coyne a newe kynde of doctrine wherby we shuld be led from the receiued doctrine of the gospell but to seale in our mindes the selfe same doctrine that is commended vnto vs by the gospell Wherby we playnly vnderstand that we ought right studiously to apply the redyng hearyng of the scripture if we list to take any vse and fruite of the spirite of God As also Peter praiseth their diligence that are hedefull to the doctrine of the Prophetes which yet myght seme to haue geuen place after the risyng of the light of the gospell On the other syde yf any spirite leauynge the wysedome of the worde of God doth thrust vnto vs an other doctrine that the same spirite ought rightfully to be suspected of vanitie and lyenge For what when Sathan transformeth hymselfe into â—n aungell of lyght what credite shall the holy ghoste haue among vs if it be not seuerally knowen by some assured marke And truely it hath been playnly poynted oute vnto vs by the woorde of the Lorde but that these miserable men doo wyllyngly couete to erre to their owne destruction while thei seeke a spirite rather from them selues than from him But say they it is dishonorable that the spirite of God whom all thynges ought to obey should be subiect to the scripture As if this were a dishonour to the holy ghost to be euery where egall and lyke to it selfe to agree with it self in all thynges and no where to varye In deede if it were to be tried by the rule either of men or of angels or any others rule whatsoeuer then it myght well be thought that it were brought into obedience or if ye lyst so to terme it into bondage But when it is compared with it selfe when it is consydered in it selfe who canne therfore say that there is any wrong doone vnto it But thus it is brought to tryall I graunte but suche a triall wherewith it was his owne pleasure to haue his maiestie established It ought to content vs so soone as he entreth into vs. But lest vnder his name the spirite of Sathan shoulde creepe in he wylle haue vs to knowe hym by that image of hym selfe whyche he hathe printed in the scriptures He is the authour of the scriptures he can not be dyuers and vnlyke hym selfe Therefore it muste needes bee that he contynually remayne suche as he hathe shewed hym selfe therein This is no dishonor vnto him vnlesse perhappe we count it honorable to swarue and goe out of kinde from himselfe Wheras they cauil that we rest vpon the letter that sleieth herein they suffer punishment for despising of the Scripture For it is plain enough that Paule there contendeth against the false Apostles which commending the law without Christ did cal away the people from the benefite of the new testament wherin the Lord doth couenant that he will graue his law within the bowels of the faithful and write it in their hartes The letter therfore is dead and the law of the Lord killeth the readers of it when it is seuered from the grace of Christ and not touching the heart only soundeth in the eares But if it be effectually printed in our hartes by the holy gost if it present Christ vnto vs then is it the worde of life conuerting soules geuing wisedome to little ones c. Also in the same place the Apostle calleth his preaching the ministerie of the holy ghost meaning that the holy ghost doth so sticke fast in his truth which he hath expressed in the scriptures that then only he putteth forth and displaieth his force when the Scripture hath her due reuerence and dignitie And it disagreeth not here with which I before said that the woorde it selfe is not much assured vnto vs vnlesse it be coÌ„firmed by the witnesse of the holy ghost For with a certain mutuall knot the Lorde hath coupled together the assuraunce of his worde and of his spirite so that perfecte reuerence to the worde doth then settle in our mindes when the holy ghost shineth vpon vs to make vs therin beholde the face of God and on the other side without al feare of being deceiued we do embrace the holy ghost when we reknowledge him in his own image that is in his worde Thus it is vndoutedly God brought not abrode his worde among men for a sodeine shewe meaning at the comming of his spirit by and by to take it away againe but he after sent the same spirite with whose power he had distributed his word to make an end of his worke with effectual confirmacion of his worde In this sorte Christe opened the mindes of the two disciples not that they shold cast away the Scriptures and waxe wise of themselues but that they should vnderstand the Scriptures Likewise Paule when he exhorteth the ThessaloniaÌ„s not to extinguishe the spirite doth not carry them vp on hie to vaine speculations without the worde but by and by saith further that prophecies are not to be despised wherby without dout is meant that the lighte of the spirite is choked vp so sone as prophecies come to be despised What say these proudely swelling meÌ„ rauished with the spirit to these things which recken this onely to be an excellent illumination when carelesly forsaking and saying farewel to the word of God they both boldly and rashly do take holde of al that they haue coÌ„ceiued in their slepe Truely a farre other sobrietie becommeth the children of God whiche as they see that without the spirite of God they are voide of al light of trueth so do they knowe that the worde is the instrumente wherwith the Lorde distributeth to the faithfull the light of his spirite For they know none other spirite but that which dwelte and spake in the Apostles by whose oracles they are continually called to the hearyng of the worde The .x. Chapter That the Scripture to correct all supersticion doth in comparison set the true God against al the Gods of the gentiles reckening hym for none of them BUt because we haue shewed that the knowledge of God which in the frame of the world and al the creatures is somwhat plainly set forth is yet more familiarly and plainly declared in the worde now is it good to consider whether the Lord shew himselfe suche in the Scripture as it pleased him first to be represented in his workes But I shall at this time be contented only to point vnto it wherby the godly mindes
meaneth to make seuerally knowen the true God from the false gods it chiefelye compareth him with idols not that it doth allowe these inuencyons that are more suttelly and finely taughte by the Philosophers but the plainlier to disclose the folishnesse of the world yea rather their madnesse in sekyng God so long as they cleaue euery one to their own imaginations Therfore that exclusiue definition whych we commonly heare bryngeth to nought all that maner of Godhead that men frame to themselues by their own opinion because God hymselfe is the only conueniente witnesse of hymselfe In the meane tyme sith thys brutysh grossenesse hath possessed the whole world to couet visible shapes of God and so to forge themselues Gods of timber stone golde siluer and other dead and corruptible matter we ought to holde thys prynciple that wyth wycked falshode the glorye of God is corrupted so oft as any shape is fained to represent him Therfore God in the law after he had once chalenged the glory of hys deitie to hymselfe alone meaning to teache vs what manner of worshipping him he aloweth or refuseth addeth immediatly Thou shalt make thee no grauen image nor any similitude in which woordes he restraineth our libertie that we attempt not to represent him with any visible image And there he shortly reckneth vp all the formes wherwith of long time before supersticion had begon to turne his trueth into lyinge For we know that the Persians worshipped the sonne yea and so many starres as the folish nations saw in the skie so many goddes they fained them And scarce was there any liuing creature whiche was not among the Egiptians a figure of God But the Grecians were thought to be wyser than the rest because they worshipped God in the shape of a manne But God compareth not images one with an other as though one wer more and an other lesse mete to be vsed but withoute any exception he reiecteth all images pictures and other signes wherby the superstitious thought to haue God nere vnto them This is easy to be gathered by the reasons whiche he ioyneth to the prohibition First with moses Remember that the Lord hath spoken to thee in the vale of Horeb. Thou heardest a voice but thou saweste no body Therfore take hede to thy selfe least paraduenture thou be deceiued and make to thy selfe any likenesse c. We see how openly God setteth his voice against all counterfaite shapes that we may knowe that they forsake God whosoeuer do couet to haue visible formes of hym Of the Prophetes onely Esay shal be enough whiche speaketh ofte and much herof to teache that the maiestie of god is defiled with vncomlye and folishe counterfaiting when he beeyng without body is likened to bodily mater being inuisible to a visible image being a spirit to a thing without life being incomprehensible to a small lompe of timber stone or golde In like manner reasoneth Paule For asmuch as we are the generacion of god we ought not to thinke that the godhead is lyke vnto golde or siluer or stone grauen by art and the inuention of mā Wherby it certainely appeareth whatsoeuer images are erected or pictures painted to expresse the shape of god they simply displease hym as certaine dishonors of his maiestie And what maruel is it if the holy ghost do thonder out these oracles from heauen sith he compelleth the verye wretched and blinde idolaters themselues to confesse this in earth It is knowen how Seneca complained as it is to reade in Augustine They dedicate saieth he the holy immortall and inuiolable gods in most vile and base stuffe and put vpon them the shapes of men and beastes and some of them with kinde of man and woman mingled together with sondryshapen bodyes and such they call gods whiche if they shoulde receiue breath and mete them would be reckened monsters Whereby agayne plainly appeareth that it is a fonde cauillacion wherewith the defenders of images seke to escape which say that the Iewes were forbidden images because they were inclinable to superstition As thoughe that thyng perteyned to one nation onely which god bryngeth forth of hys eternall beeing and the contynuall order of nature And Paule spake not to the Iewes but to the Athenienses when he confuted theyr error in counterfaytyng a shape of god God in dede I graunt somtyme in certayne sygnes hath geuen a presence of hys godhed so as he was sayed to be beholden face to face but all these sygnes that euer he shewed dyd aptly serue for meanes to teache and wythall dyd playnly admonishe men of an incomprehēsible essence For the cloude and smoke and flame although they wer tokens of the heauenly glory yet did they as it were bridle and restraine the mindes of mē that they should not attempt to passe any further Wherfore not Moses himself to whom God disclosed himselfe most familiarly in comparison of other obteined by prayer to see that face but receyued this answere that man is not able to susteine so great brightnesse The holy ghost appeared vnder the lykenesse of a doue but sith he immediatly vanished away who doeth not see that by that tokē of so short a continuaunce of a moment the faithful are put in minde that they ought to beleue him to be an inuisible spirite that holding them contēted with his vertue grace they should make him no outwarde shape This that God appeared somtimes in forme of a man was a foreshewing of the reueling that was to be made of him in Christ. And therefore it was not lawfull for the Iewes to abuse this pretense to erect to themselues a representacion of the godhead in the shape of man Also the mercy seate wherin God shewed forth the presence of his power in the time of the law was so made as it might teache that the best beholding of the godhead is this when mens mindes are caried beyond them selues with administracion of it For the Cherubins with their winges stretched abrod did couer it the veile did hide it and the place it selfe being set faire inwarde did of it selfe sufficiently kepe it secrete Therefore it is very plaine that they be very mad that goe aboute to defende the images of God of Saintes with the example of these Cherubins For I pray you what meant these litle images but to shewe that images are not mete to represent the misteries of God forasmuch as they were made for this purpose that hiding the mercy seate with their winges they should not onely kepe backe the eies of man but also all his senses from the beholding of God and so to correct his rash hardinesse For this purpose maketh it that the Prophetes described the Seraphins shewed them in vision with their face vncouered wherby they signifie that so great is the brightnesse of the glorye of God that the Angelles themselues are kept from direct beholding it and the smal sparkes therof that
bynd theÌ„ to a certayn rule that euery man should not geue hymselfe leaue to deuise what forme of worshyp he lyst But because it is not expedieÌ„t to loade the readers with heapyng many matters together I will not touche that poynte yet Onely lette it susâ—ise for this tyme to kepe in mynd that euery cariyng away of the dutyefull behauiours of godlynesse to any other than to God alone is not without robbery of God And fyrste superstition deuysed to geue diuine honours to the Sonne or other starres or idols then folowed ambitious pryde whyche garnyshyng mortall men with spoyles taken from God presumed to prophane all that euer was holy And although this principle remayned among theim to honour the soueraigne deitie yet grewe it in vse indifferently to offer sacrifices to spirites lesser gods or dead meÌ„ of honor So slippery is the way to slide into this fault to make common to a number that whiche God seuerely chalengeth to hym selfe alone The .xiii. Chapter That there is taught in the scriptures one offence of God from the very creation whiche essence conteineth in it thre persons THat which is taught in the scriptures concernyng the incomprehensible and spirituall essence of God oughte to suffise not onely to ouerthrowe the foolisshe errours of the common people but also to confute the fine suttelties of prophane philosophie One of the olde writers semed to haue said very wel That God is al that we do see and all that we doo not see But by this meane he hathe imagined the godhead to be powred out into all the partes of the world Although God to the intent to kepe men in sobre mynde speaketh but sparely of his owne essence yet by those twoo names of addition that I haue rehersed he doothe bothe take away all grosse imaginations and also represse the presumptuous boldnesse of mans mynde For surely his immeasurable greatnesse ought to make vs afrayde that we attempt not to measure hym with our sense and his spirituall nature forbiddeth vs to imagine any thyng earthly or fleshely of hym For the same cause he often assigneth his dwellyng place to be in heauen For though as he is incomprehensible he tilleth the earthe also yet because he seeth oure myndes by reason of their dullnesse to lie still in the earthe for good cause he lifteth vs vp aboue the worlde to shake of our slouth and sluggishnesse And here falleth to grounde the errour of the Manichees which in appointyng two originall beginnynges haue made the diuell in a maner egall with god Surely this was as muche as to breake the vnitie of God and restrayne his vnmeasurablenesse For where they haue presumed to abuse certain testimonies that sheweth a fowle ignoraunce as their errour it selfe sheweth a detestable madnesse And the Anthropomorphites are also easily confuted which haue imagined God to consist of a bodye because oftentymes the scripture ascribeth vnto hym a mouthe eares eyes handes and feete For what man yea though he be sclenderly witted dooth not vnderstande that God dooth so with vs speake as it were childishly as nurses doo with their babes Therefore suche maners of speeche doo not so playnely expresse what God is as they do apply the vnderstandyng of him to our sclender capacitie Whiche to do it behoued of necessitie that he descended a great way beneath his owne heyght But he also setteth out hymselfe by an other speciall marke wherby he may be more nerely knowen For he so declareth hymselfe to bee but one that he yet geueth himselfe distinctly to be considered in three persons whiche except we learne a bare and empty name of god without any true God flieth in our braine And that no man should thinke that he is a threfolde God or that the one essence of God is diuided in three persons we must here seke a short and easy definition to deliuer vs froÌ„ all errour But because many doo make muche a doo about this worde Person as a thyng inuented by man howe iustly they doo so it is beste fyrst to see The apostles namyng the sonne the engraued forme of the Hypostasis of his father he vndoubtedly meaneth that the Father hath some beeyng wherin he differeth from the sonne For to take it for Essence as some expositours haue done as if Christ like a piece of waxe printed with a seale didde represent the substaunce of the Father were not onely harde but also an absurditie For sithe the Essence of God is single or one and vndiuisible he that in hym selfe conteineth it all and not by pecemeale or by deriuation but in whole perfection should very vnproprely yea fondly bee called the engraued forme of hym But because the father although he be in his own propretie distinct hath expressed hymselfe wholly in his sonne it is for good cause sayde that he hath geuen his Hypostasis to be seene in hym Wherwith aptely agreeth that which by and by foloweth that he is the brightnesse of his glory Surely by the Apostles wordes we gather â–ª that there is a certayn propre hypostasis in the father that shineth in the sonne whereby also agayne is easily perceiued the Hypostasis of the sonne that distinguisheth him from the Father Like order is in the holy ghost for we shall by and by proue hym to be God and yet he must nedes be other than the father Yet this distinction is not of the essence whiche it is vnlawfull to make manyfolde Therfore if the Apostles testimonie be credited it foloweth that there be in God thre hypostases This terme seyng the Latines haue expressed with the name of Person it were to muche pride and waywardnesse to brawle about so cleere a matter But if we list worde for worde to translate we may call it Subsistence Many in the same sense haue called it substance And the name of Person hath not ben in vse among the Latins onely but also the Grecians perhaps to declare a consente haue taught that there are three prosopa that is to say Persons in God But they whether they be Grekes or Latins that differ one from an other in the worde doo very well agree in the summe of the matter Nowe howesoeuer the heretikes barke at the name of persone or some ouermuch precise men do carpe that thei like not the worde fained by deuise of men sithe they can not get of vs to say that there be three whereof euery one is wholly God nor yet that there be many goddes what vnreasonablenesse is this to myslyke woordes whiche expresse none other thynge but that whiche is testified and approued by the scriptures It were better say they to restraine not only our meanynges but also oure woordes within the boundes of scripture than to deuyse straunge names that may be the begynnynges of disagrement brawlyng so doo we tyer our selues with strife about woordes so the truthe is loste in contending so charitie is broken by odiousely brawlyng together If they call that a straunge
woorde whiche can not be shewed in scripture as it is written in nombre of syllables then they bynde vs to a hard law wherby is condemned all exposition the is not pieâ—ed together with bare laying together of textes of scripture But if they meane that to be straunge whiche beyng curiousely deuised is superstitiousely defended whiche maketh more for contention than edification whiche is either vnaptely or to no profite vsed whiche withdraweth from the simplicitie of the word of God then with all my hart I embrace their sobre minde For I iudge that we ought with no lesse deuout reuerence to talke of God than to thynke of him for as muche as what soeuer we doo of our selues thinke of him is foolishe and what so euer we speake is vnsauorye But there is a certayn measure to be kepte We ought to learne out of the scriptures a rule bothe to thynke and speake wherby to examine all the thoughtes of our mynde and wordes of our mouth But what withstandeth vs but that suche as in scripture are to our capacitie doutfull and entangled we may in plainer woordes expresse theim beynge yet suche wordes as doo reuerently and faithfully serue the truthe of the scripture and be vsed sparely modestly and not without occasion Of whiche sort there are examples enowe And where as it shall by profe appere that the Churche of great necessitie was enforced to vse the names of Trinitie and Persones if any shall then fynde faulte with the newenesse of woordes shall he not be iustly thought to be greeued at the lyght of the truthe as he that blameth onely this that the truthe is made so playne and cleare to discerne Suche newnesse of woordes if it be so to bee called commeth then chiefly in vse when the truthe is to be defended against wranglers that doo mocke it out with cauillations Whiche thyng we haue at this daye to muche in experience who haue great businesse in vanquisshynge the enemies of true and sounde doctrine With suche foldyng and crooked windyng these slippery snakes doo slide away vnlesse they be strongly griped and holden hard when they be taken So the old fathers beyng troubled with contendyng againste false doctrines were compelled to shewe theyr meanynges in exquisite playnnesse least they should leaue any crooked bywayes to the wicked to whom the doutful constructions of woordes were hidyngholes of errours Arrius confessed Christe to be God and the sonne of God because he coulde not agaynsay the euident wordes of God and as if he had ben so sufficiently discharged did fayne a certayne consent with the rest But in the meane while he ceassed not to scatter abroade that Christe was create and had a beginnyng as other creatures But to the ende they myght drawe foorth his windyng sutteltie out of his denne the auncient fathers went further pronouncyng Christ to be the eternall sonne of the father and consubstanciall with the father Hereat wickednesse began to boile when the Arrians began to hate and deteste the name Omoousion consubstanciall But if in the beginnyng they had sincerely and with playn meanynge confessed Christ to be God they would not now haue denyed hym to be consubstantiall with the father Who dare nowe blame these good men as brawlers and contentious bycause for one litle woordes sake they were so whote in disputation and troubled the quiete of the churche But that little worde shewed the difference betwene the true beleuyng Christians and the Arrians that wer robbers of God Afterward rose vp Sabellius whiche accompted in a maner for nothyng the names of the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghost sayeng in disputation that they were not made to shewe any maner of distinction but onely were seuerall additions of God of whiche sorte there are many If he came to disputation he confessed that he beleeued the father God the sonne God the Holy ghost God But afterwarde he would redely slippe away with sayeng that he hadde in no otherwise spoken than as if he had named God a strong God iust God and wise God and so he song another songe that the Father is the Sonne and the Holy ghost is the father without any order without any distinction The good doctours which then had care of godlynesse to subdewe his wickednesse cried oute on the other side that there ought to be acknowleged in one God thre propreties And to the ende to fense themselues againste the crooked writhen suttleties with plaine and simple truthe they affirmed that there did truely subsist in one God or which came all to one effect that there did subsist in the vnitie of God a Trinitie of persons If then the names haue not ben without cause inuented we ought to take hede that in reiectyng them we be not iustly blamed of proude presumptuousnesse I woulde to God they wer buried in dede so that this faith were agreed of all men that the Father and the Sonne and the Holy ghost bee one God and yet that the Father is not the Sonne nor the Holy ghost the SoÌ„ne but distinct by certain propretie Yet am I not so precise that I can fynde in my harte to striue for bare wordes For I note that the olde fathers whiche otherwise spake very religiousely of such matters did not euery wher agree one with an other nor eueryone with himselfe For what formes of speeche vsed by the councels doothe Hilarie excuse â–ª To howe greate libertie doothe Augustine sometyme breake foorth Howe vnlyke are the Grekes to the Latins But of this variance one example shal suffise for this tyme. When the Latins ment to expresse the word Omoousion they called it Consubstancial declaring the substance of the Father and the Sonne to be one so vsyng the word substance for essence Whervpon Hierom to Damasus sayth it is sacrilege to say that there are thre substances in God and yet aboue a hundred tymes you shall fynde in Hilarie that there are three substances in God In the woorde Hypostasis howe is Hierome accombred For he suspecteth that there lurketh poison in namyng thre Hypostases in God And if a man do vse this word in a godly sense yet he plainly saith that is an impropre speeche if he spake vnfainedly and dyd not rather wittyngly and willyngly seeke to charge the bishoppes of the Eastlandes â–ª whome he soughte to charge with an vniuste sclaunder Sure this one thynge he speaketh not very truely that in all prophane schooles ousia essence is nothyng els but hypostasis whyche is proued false by the common and accustomed vse Augustine is more modeste and gentyll whiche although he say that the worde hypostasis in that sense is strange to latine eares yet so farre is it of that he taketh from the Grekes theyr vsuall maner of speakyng that he also gently beareth with the Latins that had folowed the greke phrase And that whiche Socrates writeth in the syxte booke of the Tripartite hystorie tendeth to this ende as though he ment that it hadde
thus He bilded an altare and called the name of it Iehouah my exaltacion But more businesse ariseth by an other place of Hieremie where the same tittle is applyed to Hierusalem in these wordes this is the name whereby they shall call her Iehouah our righteousnesse But thys testimonye is so farre from makyng agaynste the trueth whiche we defende that it rather confirmeth it For wheras he had before testified that Christ is the true Iehouah from whom floweth ryghteousnesse nowe he pronounceth that the churche shall so verely fele the same that she may gloriouslye vse the very name it selfe And so in the firste place is sette the fountayne and cause of ryghteousnesse in the other the effecte Nowe if thys dooe not satisfie the Iewes that Iehouah is so ofte presented in the personne of an Angell I see not wyth what cauillations they canne mocke it oute It is saied that the Angell appeared to the holy fathers and the same Angell chalengeth to hymselfe the name of the eternall God If any take excepcion and say that this is spoken in respecte of the Person that he representeth thys knotte is not thus losed For being a seruaunte he woulde not suffer Sacrifice to be offered to hym and take from God his due honoure But the Angell refusing to eate bread commaundeth Sacrifice to bee offered to Iehouah And then he proueth that hymselfe in dede was the same Iehouah and therefore Manoah and his wife by thys token did gather that they had seen not an only Angel but God And thence came it that he sayed we shall dye because we haue seen God And when hys wyfe answereth if Iehouah woulde haue slayen vs he woulde not haue receaued Sacrifice at oure handes in thys she doeth confesse that he was God whiche before was called the Angell Besyde thys the answere of the Angell hymselfe taketh away all doubte of it saying why doest thou aske me of my name which is maruellous So much the more detestable was the wickednesse of Seruetto when he affirmed that God neuer appeared to Abraham and the other fathers but that an Angell was worshipped in place of him But truely and wisely haue the true teaching doctors of the Churche expounded that the same principall Angell was the worde of God which then as aforehande beganne to execute the office of Mediatoure For thoughe he was not yet clothed with fleshe yet he came down as a meane betwene God and men to come more familiarly to the faithfull Therefore hys nye communicating himselfe made him to be called an Angell yet still in the meane time he reteined that which was his own to be the God of vnspeakable glory Thesame thing meaneth Oseas which after he had recited the wraftlyng of Iacob with the Angell sayeth Iehouah the God of hostes Iehouah worthy of memory is his name Here agayne Seruetto carpeth that God did beare the person of an Angel As thoughe the Prophete did not confirme that whiche Moses had saied why doest thou aske me of my name And the confession of the holye Patriarche doeth sufficiently declare that he was not a created Angell but one in whom the full godhead was residente when he saied I haue seen God face to face And for thys cause Paule sayeth that Chryste was guide of the people in the wyldernesse For thoughe the tyme was not yet come of his abacemente yet that eternall worde shewed a figure of that office to whiche he was appointed Nowe if the seconde Chapter of zacharie be weyed withoute contencion the Angell that sente an other Angell was by and by pronounced to be the God of hostes and to hym is soueraigne power ascribed I omitte innumerable testimonies on the which oure Fayth safelye resteth althoughe they doe not muche moue the Iewes For when it is saied in Esaie Beholde this is our God this is Iehouah we shal waite vpon him and he shall saue vs they that haue eyes may see that herein is meant God which ryseth vp for the saluacion of his people And these vehement demonstracions twise repeted suffer it to be drawen no otherwhere but to Christe And yet plainer and fuller is the place of Malachie where he promyseth that he shall come the Lorde that was the desired to hys owne temple But to none but to the onely soueraigne God was the temple dedicate which temple yet the Prophete doeth claime for Christ. Wher vpon foloweth that Christe is the same God that was euer honored among the Iewes As for the newe testamente it swarueth with innumerable testimonies therfore we must trauayle rather shortly to choose out fewe than largely to heape vp all For thoughe the Apostles speake of him since he was nowe become the Mediatour in fleshe yet all that I shalll bring forth shall aptly serue to proue his godhead Firste this is worthy to be singularly marked that those thinges which were before spoken touching the eternall God the Apostles doe shewe that they are either already performed or hereafter to be performed in Christ. For where Esaie prophecieth that the Lorde of hostes shal be to the Iewes and Israelites a strombling stone and a rocke to fall vpon Paule affirmeth that the same is fulfilled in Christ. Therefore he declareth him to be the Lorde of hostes Likewise in an other place We must al saith he ones be broughte to appeare before the iudgemente throne of Christe For it is written to me shall all knees bowe and to me shall al tonges swere Seing God in Esai speaketh this thing of himselfe and Christe in dede performeth it in himselfe it foloweth that he is the selfe same God whoe 's glory may not be withdrawen to an other And that thing which writing to the Ephesians he allegeth out of the Psalmes is euident that it can be applyed to none but to God alone Ascending on hie he hath caryed captiuitie captiue meaning that such ascending was in shadow shewed when God in notable victory against forein nations did shewe forth his power but he declareth that in Christe it was more fully performed So Ihon testifieth that it was the glory of the Sōne that was reueled to Esaie by a vision wheras in dede the Prophete himselfe writeth that the maiestie of God appeared vnto hym And it is euidente that those thinges whiche the Apostle wryting to the Hebrues applieth to the Sonne are the plaine titles of God as Thou Lorde in the beginning diddest laye the foundacions of heauen and earth c. Agayne worship him all ye his Angels And yet he abuseth not those tittles when he draweth them to Chryst. For al those thinges that are spoken of in those Psalmes he hymselfe alone hath fulfylled For it was he that rose vp and had mercy on Siō It was he that claimed to hymselfe the kingdome of all the nations and ilandes And why shoulde Ihon sticke to apply the maiestie of God to Chryste whiche in hys preface had sayed that
God doo take goodnesse from himselfe I dooe not speake of his humaine nature least perhappes they shuld take exception and say that what soeuer goodnesse was in it it came of free gyft I aske whether the eternall Word of God be good or no If they say nay then we hold their vngodlinesse sufficiētly cōuinced in sayeng yea they cōfound themselues But where as at the first sight Christe semeth to put from hymselfe the name of Good that doothe the more confirme oure meanyng For sithe it is the singular title of God alone forasmuche as he was after the common maner saluted by the name of Good in refusing false honour he did admonish them that the goodnesse wherin he excelled was the goodnesse that God hathe I aske also where Paule affirmeth that only God is immortall wise and true whether by these wordes Christe be brought into the numbre of men mortall foolishe and false Shall not he then be immortall that from the begynnyng was lyfe to geue immortalitie to angels Shall not he bee wise that is the eternall wisedome of God Shall not the trueth it selfe be true I aske furthermore whether they thynke that Christe ought to be worshipped or no For he claimeth this vnto hymselfe to haue all knees bowe before hym it foloweth that he is the God whiche dyd in the lawe forbyd any other to be worshipped but himselfe If they will haue that meant of the Father onely whiche is spoken in Esaie I am and none but I this testimonie I tourne against theim selues for as muche as we see that whatsoeuer pertaineth to God is geuen to Christe And their cauillation hath no place that Christe was exalted in the fleshe wherein he had bene abased and that in respecte of the fleshe all authoritie is geuen hym in heauen and in earthe because althoughe the maiestie of Kyng and Iudge extende to the whole Person of the Mediatour yet if he had not been God openly shewed in fleshe he coulde not haue been auaunced to suche heighth but that God shoulde haue disagreed with himselfe But thys controuersye Paule doeth well take away teaching that he was egall wyth God before that he dyd abase hymselfe vnder the shape of a seruaunte Nowe howe coulde thys equalitie haue stande together vnlesse he hadde been the same God whoe 's name is Iah and Iehouah that rydeth vppon the Cherubin that is kynge of all the earthe and Lorde of the worldes Nowe howesoeuer they babble agaynste it it canne not bee taken from Chryste whiche Esaie sayeth in an other place He he is our GOD for hym we haue wayted whereas in these woordes he describeth the comming of GOD the redemer not onelye that shoulde bryng home the people from the exyle of Babylon but also fullye in all pointes restore the churche And with their other cauillation they nothynge preuayle in sayinge that Chryste was God in hys Father For thoughe we confesse that in respecte of order and degree the begynning of the Godheade is in the Father yet we saye that it is a detestable inuentyon to saye that the essence is onelye proper to the Father as thoughe he were the onelye God-maker of the Sonne For by thys meanes eyther he shoulde haue moe essence than one or ells they call Chryste God onely in tittle and imaginacion If they graunte that Chryste is God but nexte after the Father then shall the essence bee in hym begotten and fashioned whiche in the Father is vnbegotten and vnfashyoned I knowe that many quicke nosed men doe laughe at thys that we gather the distinction of Persons oute of the wordes of Moses where he bryngeth in God speakyng thus Lette vs make manne after oure image But yet the Godly readers doe see howe vaynly and fondely Moses shoulde bryng in thys as a talke of dyuerse together if there were not in God moe Persons than one Nowe certayne is it that they whom the Father spake vnto wer vncreate but nothing is vncreate but God himselfe yea the one onely God Nowe therefore vnlesse they graunte that the power of creating was common and the authoritie of commaunding common to the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste it shall folowe that God did not inwardly thus speake to himselfe but directed his speche to other forein woorke menne Finallie one place shall easilie answere two of their obiections For where as Christe himselfe pronounceth that GOD is a Spirite this were not conueniente to be restrained to the Father onely as if the Woorde himselfe were not of spirituall nature If then the name of Spirite doeth as well agree with the Sonne as with the Father I gather that the Sonne is also comprehended vnder the indefynite name of GOD. But he addeth by and by after that none are allowed for good worshippers of the Father but they that worshyppe hym in Spirite and trueth where vppon foloweth an other thyng because Chryste doeth vnder a hed execute the office of a teacher he doeth geue the name of GOD to the Father not to the entente to destroye his owne Godhead but by degrees to lyfte vs vp vnto it But in this they are deceiued that they dreame of certaine vndiuided singular thinges wherof eche haue a part of the essence But by the Scriptures we teache that there is but one essentially God and therefore that the essence as well of the Sonne as of the Holy ghost is vnbegotten But forsomuch as the Father is in order firste and hath of himselfe begotten his wisedome therfore rightfully as is aboue sayed he is counted the original and fountaine of al the Godhead So God indefinitely spoken is vnbegotten and the Father also in respecte of Person is vnbegotten And foolishly they thinke that they gather that by oure meaning is made a quaternitie because fasly and cauillouslye they ascrybe vnto vs a deuise of their owne brayne as though we dyd faine that by deriuacion there come three Persons out of one essence wheras it is euident by our wrytinges that we do not drawe the Persons out of the essence but although they be abiding in the essence we make a distinction betwene them If the Persons were seuered from the essence then paraduenture their reason were like to be true But by that meane it shoulde be a Trinitie of Goddes and not of Persons which one God conteineth in hym So is their fonde question answered whether the essence doe mete to make vp the Trinitie as thoughe we did imagine that there descende three Goddes oute of it And thys exception groweth of lyke foolyshenesse where they saye that then the Trinitie shoulde be withoute God For though it mete not to make vp the distinction as a parte or a member yet neither are the Persons withoute it nor oute of it Because the Father if he were not God coulde not be the Father and the Sonne is none otherwyse the Sonne but because he is God We saye therefore that the Godheade
done in the world but by his appointmēt sheweth that those things which seme most happening by chāce ar subiect to him For what cā you more ascribe to chāce thā whē a brokē bowe falling frō a tre killeth a wayfaring mā passing bi it But the lord saith far otherwise which cōfesseth that he hath deliuered hī into the hād of the slaier Likewise who doth not leaue the happening of lettes to the blindnesse of fortune ▪ But the Lord suffereth it not which claimeth the iudgement of them to hymselfe for he sayeth that it cōmeth not to passe by a mās own power that stones are cast into the lap and drawen oute agayne but that thyng which onely might be sayed to come of chaunce he testifieth to come from hym selfe For the same purpose maketh that sayeng of Salomon The poore man and the vsurer mete together God lyghteneth both their eyes For although poore men and riche be mīgled together in the world while euery one hath his state assigned him frō God he admonisheth that god which geueth light to al mē is not blind and so he exhorteth the poore to pacience because whosoeuer are not contented with their own state they seke to shake of the burden that god hath laied vpon thē So an other Prophet rebuketh the vngodly mē whiche ascribe to the diligence of men or to Fortune that some lie in misery and some aryse vp to honor To come to preferment is neither from the easte nor from the west nor from the south for God is the iudge he maketh low and he maketh hie Because God can not put of the office of a iudge thervpon the Prophet proueth that by his secret purpose some ar in honor and other some remayne in contempt And also I say that the very particular successes are generally witnesses of gods singular prouidēce God raised in the desert a south wind to bring the people plenty of foules whē his pleasure was to haue Ionas throwen into the sea he sent out a winde to raise vp a tempest But they that thinke that God gouerneth not the world will saye that this chaunced beside common vse But therby I do gather that neuer any wind doth rise or encrese but by the special cōmaundemēt of God For otherwise it shoulde not be true that he maketh the windes his messangers and fiery flame his ministers that he maketh the cloudes his chariots and rideth vpō the winges of the wind vnlesse he did by his will dryue aboute the cloudes and windes and shewe in them the singular presence of his power So in an other place we are taught that so oft the sea swelleth with blast of windes those violences do testifye a singular presence of God He commaūdeth and raiseth vp the stormy wyndes and it lifteth vp the waues thereof and then he turneth the storme to calme so that the waues thereof are still As in an other place he saieth that he scourged the people with burning windes So wheras the power of engendring is naturally geuen to men yet God willeth to it be imputed to his special grace that he leaueth some in barrennesse and vouchsaueth to graunt issue to other some the frute of the wōbe is hys gift Therfore said Iacob to hys wyfe am I as God that I can geue thee children But to make an ende there is nothing more ordinary in nature than that we be fed with bred But the Holy ghost pronounceth that not only the growing of the fruites of the earth is the speciall gift of God but also that men lyue not by onely bread because it is not the very full feding that nourisheth but the secret blessing of God as on the other syde he threteneth that he wil breake the stay of bred Nether could we earnestly pray for our dayly bred vnlesse God did geue vs fode with hys fatherly hande Therfore the Prophet to perswade the faythfull that God in feding thē doth fulfil the office of a good father of household doth put thē in minde that he geueth meate to al fleshe Finally when we haue on the one syde The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous hys eares bent to their praiers on the other side The eie of the Lord is vpon the vngodly to destroy the memory of thē out of the earth let vs know that all creatures both aboue beneth are ready to obedience that he may apply them to what vse soeuer he wil wherupon is gathered that not onely his general prouidēce remaineth in his creatures to cōtinue the order of nature but also by his maruellous counsell is applied to a certayne and proper ende They which would bring this doctrine in hatred doe cauill that this is the learning that the Stoikes teach of fatum or Destenie which also was ones laied for reproch to Augustine As for vs although we be loth to striue about words yet we allow not this word fatum both because it is one of those whoe 's prophane noueltie S. Paul teacheth vs to flee and because some men go about with the odiousnesse therof to bring Gods truth in hatred As for the very opinion of the Stoikes it is wrōgfully laid to our charge For we do not as the Stoikes do imagine a necessitie by a certaine perpetual knot entangled order of causes which is conteyned in nature but we make God the iudge gouernoure of al thinges which according to his wisdom hath euen frō furthest ende of eterntie decreed what he would do now by his power putteth in execution that which he hath decreed Wherupō we affirme that not only the heauē earth and other creatures without life but also the purposes wils of mē are so gouerned by his Prouidence that they be directly caried to the end that it appointeth What then wil one say doth nothing happen by fortune or by chaunce I answere that Basilius magnus hath truly said that fortune and chaunce are heathen mens wordes wyth the signification wherof the mindes of the godly ought not to be occupied For if euery good successe be the blessing of God euery calamitie aduersitie be his curse now is there in mens matters no place left for fortune or chaūce We ought also to be moued with thys saying of Augustine In his bokes against the Academikes he saith It doth displease me that I haue so ofte named fortune albeit my meaning was not to haue any goddesse meant therby but only a chaūceable happening in outward things ether good or euil Of which word Fortune are deriued those words which no religiō forbiddeth vs to vse forte forsan forsitan fortasse fortuito that is parhap paraduenture by fortune by chaunce which yet must al be applied to the Prouidēce of God And that did I not leaue vnspoken when I sayd for parchaunce euen the same that is commonly called Fortune is also ruled by secret order
the same is in suche forte the gouernour of all thynges that sometyme it woorketh by meanes somtyme without meanes and somtyme agaynst all meanes Last of all that it tendeth to this ende that God maye shewe that he hath care of all mankynde but specially that he doeth watche in rulyng of his churche which he vouchesaueth more nerely to loke vnto And this is also to be added that althoughe eyther the fatherly fauoure and bountyfulnesse of God or oftentymes the seueritie of his iudgemente do brightly appere in the whole course of his Prouidence yet somtyme the causes of those thynges that happen are secrete so that this thought crepeth into our myndes that mens matters are tourned and whirled about with the blynde sway of fortune or so that the fleshe stirreth vs to murmure as if God dydde to make him selfe pastyme to tosse menne like tennise balles True it is that if we were with quiet and still myndes ready to learne the very successe it selfe woulde at length playnely shewe that God hath an assured good reason of his purpose either to traine them that be his to pacience or to correct their euill affections tame their wantonnesse or to bryng theym downe to the renouncyng of theim selues or to awake their drowsynesse on the other syde to ouerthrowe the prowde to disappoint the suttletie of the wicked to confounde their deuises But howsoeuer the causes be secrete and vnknowē to vs we must assuredly hold that they ar layd vp in hiddē store with him therefore we ought to crie out with Dauid God thou hast made thy wonderful works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towarde vs. I would declare and speake of them but they are more than I am able to expresse For although alwais in our miseries we ought to thinke vpon our sinnes that the verye punishement maye moue vs to repentance yet doo we see how Christe geueth more power to the secrete purpose of his father than to punishe euery one according to his deseruyng For of hym that was borne blynde he sayth neither hath this man synned nor his parentes but that the glory of God may be shewed in hym For here naturall sense murmureth when calamitie commeth euen before birth as if God did vnmercifully so to punish the sely innocente that had not deserued it But Christe dooth testifie that in this lokyng glasse the glory of his father doeth shyne to our syght if we haue cleere eies to beholde it But we must kepe modestie that we drawe not God to yelde cause of his dooynges but lette vs so reuerence his secrete iudgementes that his wyll be vnto vs a moste iuste cause of all thynges When thicke cloudes doo couer the heauen and a violent tempest aryseth then bycause bothe a heauysome mystynesse is caste before oure eyes and the thunder troubleth oure eares and all oure senses are amased with terrour we thynke that all thynges are confounded and tombled togither and yet all the whyle there remaineth in the heauen the same quietenesse and calmenesse that was before So muste we thynke that whyle the troublesome state of thinges in the worlde taketh from vs abilitie to iudge God by the pure lyghte of his ryghteousnesse and wysedome dooth in well framed order gouerne and dispose euen those very troublesome motions themselues to a ryght ende And surely very monstrous is the rage of many in this behalfe whiche dare more boldly call the workes of God to accompte and examyne his secrete meanynges and to geue vnaduised sentence of thynges vnknowen than they wyll dooe of the deedes of mortall men For what is more vnorderly than to vse such modestie towarde our egals that we had rather suspende our iudgement than to incurre the blame of rashenesse and on the other syde proudely to triumph vpon the darke iudgementes of God whiche it became vs to regarde with reuerence Therfore no man shal wel profitably wey the Prouidēce of God but he that considering that he hath to doo with his creatour and the maker of the worlde dooeth with suche humilitie as he ought submitt himself to feare and reuerēce Hereby it cometh to passe that so many dogs at this day doo with venimed bitynges or at leaste barkynge assaile this doctrine because they will haue no more to be lawfull for God than their own reason informeth them And also they raile at vs with al the spitefulnesse that they are able for that not contented with the commaundementes of the lawe wherin the will of God is comprehended We doo further saie that the worlde is ruled by his secrete counsels As though the thyng that we teache were an inuention of our owne brayn and as though it were not true that the Holy ghost doth euery where expressely say the same and repeteth it with innumerable formes of speeche But because some shame restraineth theim that they dare not vomyte out their blasphemies against the heauen they fayn that they contende with vs to the ende they may the more freely play the madmen But if they do not graunt that what soeuer happeneth in the worlde is gouerned by the incomprehensible purpose of God let them answere to what ende the Scripture sayth that his iudgementes are a depe bottomlesse deapth For where as Moses crieth out that the wyll of God is not to be sought afarre of in the cloudes or in the deapthes because it is familiarly sette foorth in the lawe it foloweth that his other hidden will is compared to a bottomlesse deapth Of the whiche Paule also saith O deapth of the richesse and of the wisedom and of the knowlege of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his waies paste fyndyng out for who hath knowen the mynde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counsellour And it is in dede true that in the gospel and in the law are conteyned mysteries whiche are farre aboue the capacitie of oure sense but for asmuche as God for the comprehendyng of these mysteries whiche he hath vouchesaued to open by his woorde doeth lighten the myndes of them that be his with the Spirite of Understandyng nowe is therin no bottomlesse deapth but a way wherin we muste safe walk a candell to guyde our feete the light of life and the schoole of certayn and plainly discernable trueth But his meruailous order of gouernyng the worlde is worthily called a bottomlesse deapthe bicause while it is hidden from vs we ought reuerently to worshyp it Ryghte well hath Moses expressed theym bothe in fewe woordes The secrete thynges saieth he belong to the Lorde our God but the thyngs reueled belong to vs and to oure children for euer We see howe he byddeth vs not onely to studie in meditation of the lawe but also reuerently to looke vp vnto the secrete Prouidence of God And in the booke of Iob is rehersed one title of this deapth that it humbleth our myndes For after that the author
conueyed from the auncesters into the posteritie For the infection hath not her cause in the substaunce of the flesshe or of the soule but bycause it was so ordeyned of God that suche giftes as he had geuen to the fyrste manne manne shoulde bothe haue them and lose them as well for hym selfe as for his As for this that the Pelagians doe cauill that it is not likely that the chyldren doe take corruption from godly parentes sithe they oughte rather to be sanctified by their cleannesse that is easely confuted For they descende not of their spirituall regeneration but of theyr carâ—all generation Therefore as Augustine sayeth whether the vnbeleuer bee condemned as gilty and the beleuer quitte as innocent they both do begette not innocentes but gilty bycause they beget of the corrupted nature Nowe where as they doe in maner partake of the parentes holinesse that is the speciall blessyng of the people of God whyche proueth not but that the firste and vniuersall curse of mankinde wente before For of nature is giltinesse and sanctification is of supernatural grace And to the ende that these thynges be not spoken of a thynge vncertayne and vnknowen lette vs define Originall sinne But yet I meane not to examine all the definitions that are made by wryters but I will brynge forthe one onely whyche I thynke to bee moste agreable wyth trueth Originall sinne therefore semeth to bee the inheritably descendynge peruersnesse and corruption of our nature poured abroade into all the partes of the soule whyche fyrste maketh vs gilty of the wrath of God and then also bryngeth forth these workes in vs whyche the Scripture calleth the workes of the flesh and that is it properly that Paule oftentimes calleth Sinne. And these workes that arise out of it as are adulteries fornications theftes â–ª hatreds murthers â–ª banketinges after the same manner he calleth the fruites of sinne albeit they are likewise called sinnes both commonly in the Scripture and also by the same Paule hym selfe Therefore these twoo thynges are distinctly to be noted that is that beyng so in all partes of our nature corrupted and peruerted we are nowe euen for such corruption only holden worthily damned and coÌ„uicted before God to whome is nothyng acceptable but righteousnesse innocencie and purenesse And yet is not that bonde in respecte of an others faulte For where it is sayde that by the sinne of Adam we are made subiecte to the iudgement of God it is not so to be taken as if we innocent and vndeseruyng did beare the blame of his faulte But bycause by his offendyng we are all clothed wyth the curse therefore it is sayde that he hath bounde vs. Neuerthelesse from him not the punishment only came vpon vs but also the infection distilled from hym abideth in vs to the whiche the punishment is iustly due Wherefore howe so euer Augustine doeth oftentimes call it an others sinne to shewe the more playnely that it is conueyed into vs by propagation yet doeth he also affirme wythall that it is propre to euery one And the Apostle him selfe expressely witnesseth that therefore death came vpon all menne bycause all men haue sinned and are wrapped in Originall sinne and defiled with the spottes thereof And therefore the very infantes themselues whyle they brynge with them their owne damnation from their mothers wombe are bounde not by an others but by their owne faulte For though they haue not as yet brought forth the fruytes of theyr owne iniâ—â—â—â—ie yet they haue the seede thereof enclosed within them yea theâ—r whole nature is a certayne seede of Sinne therefore it can not be but hatefull and abhominable to God Whereupon followeth thâ—◠〈◊〉 proprely accompted sinne before God for there coulde be no giâ—â—inesse wythout sinne The other pointe is that this peruersenesse neuer cesseth in vs but continually bryngeth forth newe frutes euen the same woorkes of the fleshe that we haue before descrybed lyâ—e as a bâ—rnynge fornace bloweth out flame and sparcles or as a sprynge doeth wythout ceassyng caste out water Therefore they whyche haue defyned Origin all sinne to bee a lackyng of Originall ryghteousenesse whyche ought to haue ben in vs although in deede they comprehende all that is in the thynge it selfe yet they haue not fully enough expressed the force and efficacie thereof For our nature is not only bare and empty of goodnesse but also is so plentuous and fruteful of al euilles that it can not be idle Thei that haue saide that it is a concupiscence haue vsed a worde not very farre from the matter if this were added which is not graunted by the most parte that what so euer is in man euen from the vnderstanding to the wil from the soule to the fleshe is corrupted and stuffed full wyth this concupiscence or to ende it shortelyer that whole man is of hym selfe nothing els but concupiscence Wherfore I haue sayde that al the partes of the soule are possessed of sinne sithe Adam fell awaye from the fountaine of righteousnesse For not onely the inferioure appetite allured him but wicked impietie possessed the very castle of hys minde pride pearced to the innermoste parte of hys hearte So that it ys a fonde and foolyshe thyng to restraine the corruption that proceded from thense onely to the sensuall motions as they call them or to call it a certayne nouriture that allureth styrreth and draweth to synne onely that parte whyche amonge them ys called Sensualitie Wherein Peter Lombarde haâ—he disclosed hys grosse ignoraunce whyche seekynge and sâ—archynge for the place of it saythe that it is in the fleshe as Paule witnesseth not proprely in deede but bicause it more appeareth in the fleshe as though Paule did meane onely a parte of the soule and not the whole nature whyche is in comparison set against supernaturall grace And Paule there taketh away all doubte teachinge that corruption resteth not in one parte alone but that nothinge is pure cleane from the deadly infection thereof For entreatynge of corrupted nature he doothe not onely condemne the inordinate motions of appetites that appeare but specially trauayleth to proue that the vnderstandynge mynde is subiecte to blyndenesse and the heart to peruersnesse And the same thyrde chapter to the Romaines is nothinge els but a description of original synne That appeareth more plainely by the renewinge For the spyrite whyche is compared wyth the olde man and the fleshe dothe not onely signifie the grace wherby the inferioure or sensuall parte of the soule is amended but also conteyneth a full reformation of all the partes And therefore Paule dothe commaund not onely that oure grosse appetites be brought to naught but also that we our selues be renewed in the spirite of oure mynde as lykewyse in an other place hee biddeth vs to be transfourmed in newnesse of minde Whervpon foloweth that the same parte wherin moste of all shineth the excellence noblenesse of the soule is not onely wounded but also
made plaine whether he be altogither depriued of power to do well or whether he haue yet some power althoughe it be but litle weake whyche by it selfe in dede can do nothynge but by helpe of grace dothe also her part While the Master of the Sentences goeth about to make that playne he sayth there are two sortes of grace necessary for vs whereby we may be made mete to do a good worke the one thei call a Working grace wherby we effectually wil to do good the other a Together workinge grace whiche foloweth good will in helpinge it In whiche diuision this I mislike that while he geueth to the grace of God an effectuall desyre of good he secretly sheweth his meaninge that man alredy of his owne nature after a certaine māner desireth good though vneffectually As Bernarde affirminge that good will is in dede the worke of God yet this he graunteth to man that of his own motion hee desireth that good wil. But this is farre frō the meaning of Augustine frō whome yet Lombard wold seeme to haue borowed this divisiō In the seconde part of the divisiō the doubtfulnes of speache offendeth me whiche hathe bredde a wronge exposition For they thought that we do therefore worke togither with the Seconde grace fo God bicause it lieth in our power either to make voide the First grace by refusing it or to confirme it by obedientlye folowinge it Whereas the author of the boke Of the calling of the Gentiles dothe thus expresse it that it is free for them that vse the iudgement of reason to depart frō grace that it may be worthy rewarde not to haue departed that the thing whiche coulde not be done but by the workynge togither of the holly ghoste may be imputed to their merites by whose wyll it was possible to haue not ben done These two things I had will to note by the waye that nowe reader thou maist see how muche I dissent from the soundest forte of the Scholemē For I do much farther differ from the later sophisters euen so muche as they be farther gone from the auncient tyme. But yet somwhat after suche a sorte as it is we perceaue by this diuision after what manner thei haue geuen Free wil to man For at length Lombard sayth that we haue not free will therfore bycause we are alyke able eyther to do or to thynke good and euell but onely that we are free from compulsion whiche freedome is not hindered althoughe we be peruerse and the bondemen of sinne and can doe nothinge but sinne Therfore man shal be saide to haue free will after this sorte not bycause he hath a free choise as well of good as of euell but because he dothe euell by Wyll and not by compulsion That is very well saide but to what purpose was yt to garnyshe so smale a matter wyth so proude a title A goodly libertie forsooth if man be not compelled to serue sinne so is he yet a wyllynge seruaunte that hys wyll is holden fast bounde with the setters of sinne Truely I do abhorre striuinge about woordes wherewith the Churche is vainely wearied but I thinke that suche wordes are with greate religious carefulnes to be taken hede of whiche sounde of any absurditie specially wher the errour is hurtefull How few I praye you are there whyche when they heare that Free wil is assigned to man do not by and by conceaue that he is lorde bothe of his owne mynde and wyll and that he is able of hym selfe to turne hym selfe to whether parte he will But some one wyll saye this perill shal be taken awaye if the people be dylygentlye warned of the meaninge of it But rather forasmuche as the witte of man is naturally bent to falsitie he will soner conceiue an errour out of one little worde than a truth out of a longe tale Of whiche thing we haue a more certaine experience in this very worde than is to be wished For omittinge that exposition of the olde wryters all thei in manner that came after while thei sticke vpon the naturall signification of the woorde haue ben carried into a truste of them selues that bringeth them to distruction But if the authoritie of the fathers do move vs they haue in dede continually the worde in their mouth but thei do withal declare how muche thei esteme y◠vse of it Fyrst of all Augustine whiche sticketh not to call it Bonde wyll In one place he is angry with them that denye free wil but he declareth his chiefe reasō why when he saith onely Let not any man be so bolde to denye the freedome of wyll that he go aboute to excuse sinne But surely in an other place he confesseth that the wyll of manne is not free wythoute the holye ghooste for as muche as yt is subiecte to lustes that doe bynde and conquere yt Agayne that when wyll was ouercome wyth synne whereinto it fell nature begane to wante freedome Agayne that man hauynge yll vsed hys free wyll loste bothe hymselfe and yt Agayne Free wyll is become captiue that it can do nothinge towarde ryghteousnesse Againe that it canne not be free whyche the grace of God hathe not made free Againe that the iustice of God is not fullfylled when the lawe commaundeth and man dothe as of hys owne strength but when the holy ghoste helpeth and mans will not free but made free by God obeyeth And of all these thynges he shortely rendreth a cause when in an other place he writeth that man receiued greate force of free will when he was created but he loste it by sinninge Therfore in an other place after that he had shewed that free will is stablished by grace he sharply inueieth against them that take it vpon them without grace Why therfore sayth he dare wretched men either be proude of freewil before that they be made free or of their owne strength yf they be allready made free And they marke not that in the very name of Freewyll is mention of freedome But where the spirite of the Lorde is there is freedome If then they be the bondemen of sinne why do thei boste them of free wyll For of whome a manne is ouercome to hym hee ys made bonde But yf they bee made free why do they boaste them as of theyr owne woorke Are they so free that they wyll not bee his bondseruauntes whyche sayeth Wythoute me ye canne do nothynge Besyde that also in an other place hee seemeth sportyngly to mocke at the vse of that woorde when hee sayde that wyll was in deede free butte not made free free to righteousnesse but the bondeseruaunt of synne Whyche sayinge in an other place hee repeteth and expoundeth that manne ys not free from ryghteousnesse but by choyse of will and from synne hee ys not free but by grace of the Sauyoure Hee that doothe testifie that the freedome of manne ys nothynge ells but a
in humylytye as in an other place hee declareth Let no manne sayeth hee flatter hym selfe of hys owne he ys a deuell That thynge whereby hee ys blessed hee hathe of God onelye For what haste thou of thyne owne butte synne Take awaye from thee synne whyche ys thyne owne for ryghteousnesse ys Gods Agayne why ys the possybylytye of nature so presumed on yt ys wounded mayned troubled and loste yt needeth a true confession and not a false defense Agayne when euerye manne knoweth that in hymselfe hee ys nothynge and of hymselfe hee hathe no helpe hys weapons in hym selfe are broken the warres are ceassed But yt ys needefull that all the weapons of wyckednesse bee brooken in sunder shyuered in peeces and burnte that thou remaine vnarmed haue no helpe in thy selfe How muche more weake thou arte in thy selfe so muche the more the Lorde receiueth thee So vpon the thre score and tene Psalme hee forbyddeth vs to remembre oure owne ryghteousnesse that wee maye acknowledge the ryghteousnesse of God and hee sheweth that God dooeth so commende hys grace vnto vs that wee maye knowe oure selues to be nothynge that wee stande onely by the mercye of God when of oure selues wee are nothynge but euell Let vs not therefore stryue here with God for oure righte as if that were wythdrawen from oure saluation which is geuen to him For as oure humblenesse ys hys hienesse so the confession of oure humblenesse hathe hys mercye readye for remedye Neyther yet doe I requyre that manâ—e not conuinced shoulde wyllyngely yelde hymselfe nor yf he haue any power that he shoulde tourne hys mynde from yt to bee subdued vnto true humylytye But that layinge awaye the disease of selfeloue and desyre of victorye wherewyth beynge blinded hee thinketh to highely of himselfe hee shoulde well consider hymselfe in the true lookynge glasse of the Scrypture And the common sayinge whyche thei haue borrowed oute of Augustine pleaseth mee well that the naturall gyftes were corrupted in manne by synne and of the supernaturall hee was made emptye For in thys latter parte of supernaturall gyftes they vnderstande as wel the lyghte of faythe as ryghteousnesse whyche were suffycyente to the attaynyge of heauenly lyfe and eternall felycytye Therefore banyshynge hym selfe from the Kyngedome of God hee was also depriued of the spyrytuall gyftes wherewyth hee hadde been furnyshed to the hope of eternall saluation Wherevpon foloweth that hee ys so banished from the Kyngedome of God that all thynges that belonge to the blessed lyfe of the soule are extinguished in hym vntyll by grace of regeneration hee recouer them Of that sorte are fayth the Loue of God charytye towarde oure neyghboures the studye of holynesse and ryghteousnesse All these thynges bycause Christe restoreth them vnto vs are compted thinges comming from an other to vs and besid nature and therefore wee gather that they were ones taken awaye Agayne soundenesse of the vnderstandinge mynde and vpryghtenesse of hearâ—e were then taken awaye together and thys ys the corruption of naturall gyftes For thoughe there remayne somewhat lefte of vnderstandynge and iudgemente together wyth wyll yet canne wee not saye that oure vnderstandynge ys sounde and perfecte whyche is boothe feeble and drowned in many darkenesses And as for oure wyll the peruersenesse therof ys more than sufficâ—ently knowen Syth therefore reason whereby a man discerneth betwene good and euell whereby hee vnderstandeth and iudgeth is a naturall gyste yt coulde not be altogether destroied but it was partly weakened partly corrupted so that foule ruynes thereof appeare In this sense doothe Iohn saye that the lyghte shyneth yet in darkenesse but the darkenesse comprehended yt not In whyche woordes boothe thynges are playnely expressed that in the peruerted and degendred nature of manne there shyne yet some sparkes that shewe that hee ys a creature hauinge reason and that hee differeth from brute beastes bicause he is endued with vnderstanding yet that this light is choked wyth greate thyckenes of ignoraunce that yt canne not effectuallye gette abroade So Dyll bycause yt ys vnseparable from the nature of man peryshed not but was bounde to peruerse desyres that yt can couet no good thynge Thys in deede ys a full definition but yet suche as needeth to be made playne wyth more wordes Therefore that the the ordre of oure talke maye procede accordynge to that fyrste distinction wherein wee diuided the soule of manne into vnderstandyng and wyll let vs fyrste examyne the force of vnderstandynge So to condemne it of perpetuall blyndenesse that a man leaue vnto it no manner of skyll in any kynde of thynges ys not onely agaynste the worde of God but also agaynste the experience of common reason For wee see that there is planted in manne a certayne desire to searche out trueth to whyche hee woulde not aspyre at all but hauinge felte some sauoure thereof before Thys therefore ys some syghte of mans vnderstanding that he ys naturally drawen with loue of trueth the neglectyng whereof in brute beastes proueth a grosse Sense wythout reason all be yt thys lyttle desyre suche as yt is faynteth before yt entre the begynnynge of her race bycause it by and by falleth into vanitie For the wytte of manne canne not for dullnesse keepe the ryghte way to searche oute trueth but straieth in diuerse erroures and as it were groopynge in darkenesse oftentimes stombleth tyll at length yt wander and vanysheth awaye so in seekynge trueth yt doothe bewraye howe vnfytte yt ys to seeke and fynde trueth And then yt ys sore troubled wyth an other vanytye that oftentymes yt dyscerneth not those thynges to the true knoweledge whereof yt were expedyente to bende yt selfe and therefore yt tormenteth yt selfe wyth fonde curyosytye in searchynge oute thinges superfluous and nothing worth and to thynges moste necessarye to bee knowen it eyther taketh noe heede or neglygentlye or seldome tourneth but surelye scarse at any tyme applyeth her studye earnestlye vnto them Of whyche peruersnesse whereas the prophane wryters dooe commonly complayne yt ys founde that all menne haue entangled them selues with it Wherfore Salomon in all hys Ecclesiastes when hee hadde gone throughe all these studyes in whyche men thynke them selues to bee very wyse yet he pronounceth that they are all vaine and tryfelynge Yet do not all trauales of Witte â–ª so alwaye become voyde but that yt attayneth somewhat specyally when yt bendeth yt selfe to these inferioure thinges Yea and it is not so blockyshe but that yt tasteth also some lyttle of the hier thinges how soeuer it more negligently applye the searchynge of them but yet not that wyth lyke power of conceauynge For when yt ys carryed vp aboue the compasse of thys present lyfe then is it pryncipally conuinced of her owne weakenesse Wherefore that wee maye the better see howe farre according to the degrees of her abylytye yt procedeth in euerye thynge yt ys goode that I putte fourthe a dystynction Lette thys therefore bee the distinction that
our workes vnlesse we do embrace by faith the same goodnesse geueÌ„ vs by the Gospel then want they not their effectualnesse yea with their condition annexed For then he doth so freely geue al things vnto vs that he addeth this also to the heape of his bountifulnesse that not refusing our half ful obedience and remitting so much as it wanteth of ful performance he so maketh vs to enioy the frute of the promises of the law as if we our selues had fulfilled the coÌ„dytion But we wil at this preseÌ„t procede no further in this matter bicause it shal be more largely to be entreated of when we shal speake of the IustificatioÌ„ of faith Wheras we sayd that it is impossible to kepe the law that is in few wordes to be both expounded and proued For it is wont among the people commonly to be accompted an opinion of great absurditie so far that Hierome doubted not to pronouÌ„ce it accursed what Hierome thought I doe nothing staye vpon as for vs let vs searche what is truthe I will not here make longe circumstances of diuerse sortes of possibilities I call that impossible which both neuer had ben also is hindered by the ordinance decree of God that it neuer herafter maye be If we recorde from the farthest time of memorie I saye that there hath none of the holy meÌ„ that beyng clothed with the bodie of death hath euer atteyned to that full perfection of loue to loue God with all his heart with al his minde with al his soule with all his power Againe that there hath ben none that hath not ben troubled with concupiscence Who can saye Naye I see in deede what maner holy men foolish superstition doth imagine vnto vs euen such whose purenesse the heauenly angels do scarcely counteruaile but against bothe the Scripture profe of experience I saye also that there shall none herafter be that shall come to the marke of true perfection vnlesse he be loosed from the burden of his bodye For this point there are open testimonies of Scripture Salomon said there is not a righteous maÌ„ vpon the earth that sinneth not And Dauid sayd euery liuing manne shal not be iustified in thy sight Iob in many places affirmeth the same But Paul most plainly of all that the flesh lusteth agaynste the spirit and the Spirit against the flesh And by no other reson he proueth that all that are vnder the law are subject to the curse But bycause it is written that cursed are al they that doe not abide in al the coÌ„maundementes therof meanyng or rather taking it as a thing confessed that no man can abide in them And what soeuer is forespoke by the Scriptures that must be holden for perpetual yea necessarie With such sutteltie did the Pelagians trouble Augustine sayeng that there is wrong done to God to say that he doth coÌ„maund more thaÌ„ the faithful are able by his grace to performe Augustine to auoide their cauillation coÌ„fessed that the lord might in deede if he wold aduauÌ„ce a mortal man to the purenesse of Angels but that he neither hath done so at any time nor wil do bicause he hath otherwise affirmed in the Scriptures And that do I also not denie But I adde further that it is incoÌ„uenieÌ„t to dispute of his power against his truthe and that therfore this sentence is not subiect to cauillations if a man should saye that that thing is impossible to be wherof the Scriptures do pronounce that it shal not be But if thei dispute of the word when the Disciples asked the lord who may be saued he answered with men in deede it is impossible but with God al things are possible Also Augustine with a most stroÌ„g reason stiffly defendeth that in this flesh we neuer yelde to God the due loue that we owe him Loue saith he so foloweth knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God but he that hath first fully knoweÌ„ his goodnesse We while we waÌ„der in this world see by a glasse and in a darke speach it foloweth therfore that our loue is vnperfect Let this therefore remaine out of controuersie that in this flesh it is impossible to fulfil the law if we behold the weakenesse of our owne nature as it shal yet also in an other place be proued by Paule But that the whole mater may be more plainly set forth let vs in a compendious order gather vp together the office and vse of the lawe which they cal Morall Now as far as I vnderstand it is coÌ„teined in these three partes The first is that while it sheweth to euery man the righteousnesse of God the is the righteousnesse which only is acceptable to God it admonish certifie proue gilty yea condemne euery maÌ„ of his owne vnrightousnesse For so is it nedeful that man blinded dronke with loue of himself be driuen both to the knowledge the confession of his own weakenesse vncleannesse for asmuch as if his vanitie be not euidently conuinced he swelleth with mad affiance of his owne strength can neuer be brought to think of the scleÌ„dernesse therof so long as he measureth it by the proportion of his owne wil. But so sone as he beginneth to coÌ„pare his streÌ„gth to the hardnesse of the lawe there he findeth matter to abate his courage For how so euer he before conceiued a great opinion of it yet by and by he feleth it to pante vnder so great a burden then to shake folter at laste euen to fall downe and faint So being taught by the scholing of the lawe he putteth of that arrogaÌ„cie wherwith before he was blinded Likewise he is to be healed of an other disease of pride wherof we haue said that he is sick So long as he is suffred to stand to his own iudgemeÌ„t he deuiseth Hypoâ—â—iâ—e in stede of rightousnesse wherwith beyng coÌ„teÌ„ted he riseth vp in courage by I whote not what forged rightousnesses against the grace of God But so soue as he is coÌ„pelled to trie his life by the balaunce of the law theÌ„ leauing the presumption of that counterfait righteousnesse he seeth himself to be an infinite space distaÌ„t froÌ„ holinesse againe that he floweth full of infinite vices wherof before he seemed cleane For the euels of luste are hidden in so deepe and crooked priuie corners that they easily deceiue the sighte of man And not withoute cause the Apostle saith that he knew not luste except the lawe had saide Thou shalte not luste bicause except it be by the lawe disclosed out of her lurking holes it destroyeth miserable manne so secretly that he feeleth not the deadly darte thereof So the lawe is like a certaine lookinge glasse wherein we beholde fyrste oure weakenesse by that oure wickednesse laste of all by them boothe oure accursednesse euen as a glasse representeth vnto vs the spottes of our face For when power fayleth man to folowe righteousnesse then
shall blesse himself shall blesse in the God of the faythfull and he that shal swere in the land shal swere in the true God Hieremie sayth Yf they shal teach the people to swere in my name as thei haue taught theÌ„ to swere by Baal they shal be buylded vp in the middes of my house And for good cause it is sayde that when we call vpon the name of the Lorde to witnesse we doe witnesse our religion towarde him For so wee confesse that he is the eternall and vnchaungeable truthe whome we call vpon not onely as a moste substantiall witnesse of truthe aboue all other but also as the only defense thereof whiche is able to bryng forth hidden thynges into light then as the knowet of heartes For where testimonies of menne doe â—ayle there we fâ—ee to God for witnesse specially where any thynge is to be proued that lieth secrete in conscience For whyche cause the Lorde is bitterly angry with them that sweare by strange gods and he iudgeth that manner of swearyng to be a manifest of manifest fallyng from his allegeance Thy sonnes haue forsaken me and do swere by them that are no gods And he declareth the haynousnesse of this offense by threatenyng of punishment I will destroye them that sweare by the name of the Lord and swere by Melchan Nowe when we vnderstande that it is the Lordes will that there be in our othes a worshippe of his name so muche the more diligent hede is to be taken that in stede of worshippyng they doe not conteine dishonour contempt or abacement of it For it is no small dishonour when periurie is committed in swearyng by him wherefore it is called in the lawe Profanation For what is lefte to the Lorde when he is spoyled of his truthe he shall then ceasse to be God But truely he is spoyled thereof when he is made an affirmer and approuer of falshod Wherefore when Iosua minded to dryue Alchan to confesse the truthe he sayd My Sonne geue glorie to the Lord of Israell meanyng thereby that the Lorde is greuously dishonored yf a manne sweare falsly by hym And no maruell For we doe as much as in vs lieth in a manner to stayne his holy name with a lye And that this manner of speache was vsed amonge the Iewes so ofte as any was called to take an othe appereth by the like protestation that the Pharisees vse in the Gospell of Iohn To this heedefulnesse the formes of othes that are vsed in the Scriptures doe instructe vs The Lorde lyueth The Lorde doe these thinges vnto me and adde these thynges The Lorde be witnesse vpon my soule Whyche doe proue that we can not call God for witnesse of our sayenges but that we also wishe him to take vengeance of our periurie if we speake deceyptfully The name of the Lorde is made vile and common when it is vsed in superfluous othes although they bee true For in suche case it is also taken in vayne Wherefore it shall not be sufficient to absteyne from 〈◊〉 caring falsly vnlesse we do also remember that swearing was suffred and ordeined not for luste or pleasure but for necessities sake and therfore they goe beyond the lawfull vse thereof that applye it to thinges not necessarie And there can no other necessitie be pretended but where it is to serue eyther religion or charitie wherein at this daye menne doe to muche licentiously offende and so muche the more intolerably for that by very custome it hath cessed to be reckened for any offense af all whiche yet before the iudgement seaâ—e of God is not sâ—lenderly weyed For euery where wythout regarde the name of God ys defiled in triflynge talkes and yt ys not thought that they do euel bicause by long suffred and vnpunished boldenesse they are come to rest as it were in possession of so great wickedneâ—â—e But the coÌ„manndement of the Lord remayneth in â—orce the penaltie abideth in strength and shall one daye haue his effect whereby there is a certayne speciall reuenge proclaymed agaynst them that vse his name in vayne This commaundement is also transgressed in an other poynt that in our othes we put the holy seruantes of God in the place of God with manifest vngodlynesse for so we traÌ„sferre the glorie of his godhed to them Neyther is it without cause that the Lorde hath geuen speciall commaundement to swere by his name and by speciall prohibition forbidden that we should not be heard swere by any strange gods And the Apostle euidently testifieth the same when he writeth that men in swearyng do call vpon a hier than themselues and that God whiche had none greater than his owne glory to swere by did swere by himselfe The Anabaptistes not contented wyth this moderation of swearyng do detest all othes without exceptioÌ„ bycause the prohibition of Christ is generall I saye vnto ye swere not at all but let your tale be yea yea and nay nay what so euer is more than this is of euell But by this meane they do without consideration stumble agaynst Christ while they make him aduersarye to his father and as if he had come downe from heauen to repeale his fathers decrees For the eternall God doth in the lawe not only permit swearyng as a thyng lawfull whiche were enough but also in necessitie doth commaunde it But Christ affirmeth that he is all one with his father that he bringeth no other thyng but that whiche his father commaunded him that his doctrine is not of himself c. What then wil they make God contrarie to himself whiche shal afterwarde forbidde and condemne the same thing â—n mens behauiours whiche he hath before allowed by coÌ„maunding it But bycause there is some difficultie in the wordes of Christ let vs a litle weye them But herein we shall neuer atteyne the truthe vnlesse we bende our eyes vnto the entent of Christ and take heede vnto the purpose that he there goeth about His purpose is not eyther to release or restreyne the lawe but to reduce it to the true and naturall vnderstandyng whiche had ben very muche depraued by the false gloses of the Scribes and Pharisees This â—â— we holde in minde we shall not thinke that Christ dyd vtterly condemne othes but onely those othes whiche doe transgresse the rule of the lawe Thereby it appereth that the people at that time did forbeare no manner of swearyng but periuries whereas the lawe dothe not only forbidde periuries but also all idle and superstitous othes The Lorde therefore the most sure expositour of the lawe doth admonish them that it is not only euell to forswere but also to sweare But howe to sweare in vaine But as for these othes that are commended in the lawe he leaueth them safe and at libertie They seme to fight somewhat more strongly when they take earnest holde of this worde At all whiche yet is not referred to the worde Sweare but to
Wherfore we must fetche the exposition of it farther of And as I think I haue marked yâ— there are three causes to be coÌ„sidered wherupoÌ„ this coÌ„maundement consisteth For first the heauenly lawmaker meant vnder the rest of the seuenth daye to set out in figure to the people of Israel the spirituall rest whereby the faithfull ought to â—esse from their owne workes that they might suffer God to worke in them Secondarily his wil was to haue one apointed daye wherein they should mere together to heare the lawe and execute the ceremonies or at leest bestowe it peculiarly to the meditation of his workes that by such callyng to remembrance they might be exercised to godlinesse Thirdly he thought good to haue a day of rest graunted to seruants and such as liued vnder the gouernement of other wherin theâ— might haue some cessyng from their labour But we are many wayes taught that the same shadoweng of the spiritual rest was the principal point in the Sabbat For yâ— Lorde required the keping of no coÌ„mauÌ„dement in a maner more seuerely than this when his meaning is in the Prophetes to declare that al religioÌ„ is ouerthrowen then he coÌ„plaineth that his Sabbates are polluted defiled not kept not sanctified as though that pece of seruice beyng omitted there remained no more wherin he might be honored He did set forth the obseruing therof with hie praises For whiche cause the faithful did among other oracles maruelously esteme the reuelyng of the Sabbat For in Nehemiah thus spake the Leuites in a solemne coÌ„uocation Thou hast shewed to our fathers thy holy Sabbat hast geuen them the coÌ„maundementes the ceremonies the law by the hand of Moses You see howe it is had in singular estimation among al the coÌ„maundementes of the law All whiche thinges do serue to set forth the dignitie of the misterie which is very wel expressed by Moses and Ezechiel Thus you haue in Exodus See that ye kepe my Sabbat day bicause it is a token betwene me you in your generations that you maye know that I am the Lord that sanctifie you kepe my Sabbat for it is holy vnto you Let the children of Israell kepe the Sabbat and celebrate it in their generations it is an euerlastyng couenaÌ„t betwene me the children of Israel and a perpetual token Yet Ezechiel speaketh more at large But the summe therof cometh to this effect that it is for a token wherby Israell should knowe that God is their sanctifier If our sanctification be the mortifiyng of our owne will then appereth a most apt relation of the outward signe with the inward thing it self we must altogether rest that God may worke in vs we must depart from our owne wil we must resigne vp our heart we must banish all lustes of the â—â—esh Finally we muste cesse from all the doynges of our owne witte that we maye haue God workyng in vs that we maye reste in him as the Apostle also teacheth This perpetual cessyng was represented to the Iewes by the kepyng of one daye among seuen whiche daye to make it be obserued with greater deuotion the Lord commaunded with his owne exaÌ„ple For it auaileth not a litle to stirre vp mans endeuour that he maye know that he tendeth to the folowyng of his creatour If any man searche for a secret signification in the number of seuen For asmuch as that nomber is in the Scripture the nomber of perfection it was not without cause chosen to signifie euerlastyng continuance Wherwith this also agreeth that Moses in the day that he declared that the Lord did rest from his workes maketh an ende of describyng the succeding of dayes nightes There maye be also brought an other probable note of the number that the Lord thereby meant to shewe that the Sabbat should neuer 〈◊〉 perfectly ended til it came to the last day For in it we beginne our blessed rest in it we doe dayly procede in profityng more and more But bicause we haue still a continuall warre with the flesh it shall not be ended vntill that sayeng of Esaye be fulfilled concernyng the continuyng of newe Moone with newe moone of Sabbat with Sabbat euen theâ— when God shal be all in all It may seme therfore that the Lord hath by the .vij. day set forth to his people the perfection to come of his Sabbat at the laste daye that our whole lite might by coÌ„tinuall meditation of the Sabbat aspire to this perfection If any man mislyke this obseruation of the number as a matter to curious I am not agaynst him â–ª but that he maye more simply take it that the Lorde ordeyned one certaine day wherein his people might vnder the scholyng of the lawe bee exercised to the continuall meditation of the spirituall reste And that he assigned the seuenth daye eyther bycause he thought it sufficient or that by settynge forth the likenâ—â—se of his owne example he might the better moue the people to kepe it or at leaste to put them in mynde that the Sabbat tended to no other ende but that they should become like vnto their Creatour For it maketh small matter so that the misterie remayne whiche is therein principally set forth concernynge the perpetuall reste of ouâ— workes To consideration whereof the Prophetes did nowe and thâ—â— call backe the Iewes that they shoulde not thynke themselues 〈◊〉 charged by carnall takyng of their rest Bysâ—de the places alredy â—â—leged you haue thus in Esaye If thou turne awaye thy â—oote from the Sabbat that thou doe not thine owne will in my holy daye and shalt call the Sabbat delicate and holy of the glorious Lorde and shalt glorifie him while thou doest not thyne owne wayes and sekâ—st not thine owne will to speake the worde then shalt thou be deâ—â—ted in the Lord c. But it is no doubte that by the commyng of our Lord Christ so muche as was ceremoniall herein was abrugate For he is the truthe by whose presence all figures do vanish awaye he is the bodie of sight whereof the shadowes are leite He I sâ—ye is the â—rue fulfillyng of the Sabbat we beyng buryed with hym by â—â—ptiâ—me are grafted into the felowship of his death that we beyng made partakers of the resurrection we maye walke in newnesse oâ— life Therfore in an other place the Apostle writeth that the Sabbat was a shadowe of a thing to come and that the true bodie that is to saye the perfect substance of truthe is in Christ whiche in the same place he hath well declared That is not coÌ„teyned in one day but in the whole course of our life vntill that we beyng vtterly dead to our selues be filled with the life of God Therefore superstitious obseruing of daies ought to be far from Christians But for asmuche as the two later causes ought not to be reckened among the olde shadowes but doe belong a like to all ages sins the Sabbat is abrogate
loue To thys exposition Augustine dyd fyrste open mee the waye bycause thou shouldest not thinke that it is without consent of some graue authoritie And though that Lordes purpose was to forbid vs all wrongfull coueting yet in rehersing that same he hath brought forth for example those things that most commonly doe deceyue vs wyth a false image of delyghte bycause hee woulde learne nothynge to concupiscence when he draweth yt from these thinges vpon the whyche yt moste of all rageth and triumpheth Loe here is the seconde Table of the lawe wherein we are taught sufficiently what we owe to men for Gods sake vpon consideration wherof hangeth the whole rule of charitie Wherefore you shall but vaynely call vpon those duetyes that are conteined in thys Table vnlesse your doctrine doe staye vpon the feare and reuerence of God as vpon her foundation As for them whyche seeke for twoo commaundementes in the prohibition of couetinge the wyse reader thoughe I saye nothing wyll iudge that by wronge diuision they teare in sunder that whyche was butte one And it maketh nothinge againste vs that this worde Thou shalt not couet is the seconde time repeted for after that he had fyrste sette the house then hee renteth the partes thereof beginninge at the wyfe whereby it playnely appeareth that as the Hebrues doe very well it ought to bee reade in one whole sentence and that God in effecte commaundeth that all that euery man possesseth shoulde remaine safe and vntouched not onely from wronge and lust to defraude them but also from the very leaste desyre that may moue oure myndes But now to what ende the whole lawe tendeth it shall not be hard to iudge that is to the fulfillinge of ryghteousnesse that yt myghte frame the lyfe of manne after the example of the purenesse of God For God hathe therein so painted oute hys owne nature as if a manne do perfourme in deedes that whiche is there commaunded hee shall in a manner expresse an image of God in hys lyfe Therefore when Moses meante to bring the summe thereof into the myndes of the Israelites hee saide And nowe Israel what dothe the Lorde thy God aske of thee butte that thou feare the Lorde and walke in hys wayes loue hym and serue hym in all thy hearte and in all thy soule and keepe his commaundementes And hee cessed not styll to synge the same songe againe vnto them so ofte as he purposed to shewe the ende of the lawe The doctrine of the lawe hathe suche respect herevnto that it ioyneth man or as Moses in an other place termeth it maketh manne to sticke faste to his God in holynesse of lyfe Nowe the perfection of that holynesse consisteth in the twoo principall pointes allready rehersed That we loue the Lorde God withall oure hearte all oure soule and all oure strengthe and oure neighboure as oure selues And the firste in deede is that oure soule bee in all partes fylled with the loue of God From that by and by of it selfe fourth floweth the loue of oure neighboure Whiche thinge the Apostle sheweth when he wryteth that the ende of the lawe is Loue out of a pure conscience and a farthe not fained You see howe as it were in the heade is set conscience and faith vnfained that is to saye in one worde true Godlynesse and that from thense ys charitie deceyued Therefore hee is deceyued whosoeuer thynketh that in the lawe are taughte onely certayne rudimentes and fyrste Introductions of ryghteousnesse wherewyth menne became to bee taughte theyr fyrste schoolynge butte not yet dyrected to the true marke of good woorkes whereas beyonde that sentence of Moses and thys of Paule youe canne desyre nothynge as wantynge of the hygheste perfection For howe farre I praye youe wyll hee proceede that wyll not bee contented wyth thys institution whereby manne ys instructed to the feare of God to spirituall worshypynge to obeinge of the commaundementes to folowe the vprightnesse of the waye of the Lorde finally to purenesse of conscience syncere faithe and loue Whereby is confirmed that exposition of the lawe whiche searcheth for and findeth out in the commaundementes therof all the dueties of Godlynesse and loue For thei that folow onely the drie and bare principles as if it taught but the one halfe of Gods will know not the ende thereof as the Apostle witnesseth But wheras in rehersing the summe of the law Christ the Apostle do somtime leaue out the first Table many are deceiued therin while thei wold faine draw their wordes to bothe the Tables Christ in Mathew calleth the chiefe pointes of the lawe Mercy Iudgement Faith vnder the worde Faith it is not doubtfull to mee but that he meaneth truth or faithfulnesse towarde men But some that the sentence might be extended to the whole lawe take it for religiousnesse towarde God But thei laboure in vaine For Christe speaketh of those workes wherwith man ought to proue him selfe righteous This reâ—son if we note we will also cesse to maruell why when a yonge man asked hym what be the commaundementes by kepinge wherof we enter into life he answered these thinges onely Thou shalte not kill Thou shalt not committe adulterie Thou shalte not steale Thou shalte beare no false witnesse Honoure thy Father and thy Mother Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe For the obeying of the firste Table consisted in manner all eyther in the affection of the hearte or in ceremonies the affection of the hearte appeared not and as for the ceremonies the hypocrites did continually vse But the workes of charitie are suche as by them we maye declare a perfect righteousnesse But this commeth eche where so ofte in the prophetes that it muste nedes be familiar to a reader but meanly exercised in them For in a manner alwaye when they echorte to repentaunce they leaue oute the firste Table and onely call vpon Faith Iudgment Mercie Equitie And thus thei do not ouerskippe the feare of God but thei require the earnest proofe thereof by the tokens of yt This is wel knowen that when thei speake of the keepinge of the law thei do for the moste parte rest vpon the seconde Table bicause therein the studie of righteousnesse and vprightnesse is most openly seen It ys needlesse to reherse the places bicause euery man will of himselfe easyly marke that whiche I saye But thou wilt say is it then more auailable to the perfection of righteousnesse to liue innocently among men than with true godlynesse to honore God No but bicause a man doth not easilye kepe charitie in all pointes vnlesse he earnestli feare God therfore it is therby proued that he hathe Godlinesse also Biside that for asmuch as the Lord well knoweth that no benifite can come from vs vnto him which thing he doth also testifie by the Prophet therfore he requireth not our dueties to him self but doth exercise vs in good workes toward our neighbour Therfore not wtout cause the
church And we se what a maze thei haue framed with this their hidden implication that any thinge whatsoeuer it be wythoute any choise so that it bee thrust in vnder title of the Church is gredy receiued of the ignorant as it wer an oracle ye sometime also most monsterous erroures Whyche vnaduysed lyghtnesse of beleefe wheras yt is a mooste certayne downefall to ruyne is yet excused by them for that yt beleueth nothynge determynately but wyth this coÌ„dition adioyned yf the faith of the Church be suche So do they faine that truth is holden in erroure light in blindnes true knowledg in ignorance But bicause we wil not tarry long in confuting them we doe only warne the readers to coÌ„pare their doctrine wyth oures For the very pleanesse of the trueth it sefe wil of it selfe minister a confutation ready enough For this ys not the question among them whether fayth be yet wrapped wyth many remnauntes of ignoraunce but they definitiuely say that thei beleue aryght which stande amased in their ignorance yea and doe â—â—atter them selues therein so that they doe agree to the authoritie iudgement of the Churche concerning things vnknowen As though the Scripture did not euerywhere teache that with fayth is ioyned knoweledge But we do graunt that so longe as we wander from home in thys worlde oure faith is not fully expressed not onely bicause many things are yet hidden from vs but bicause being compassed with many mistes of erroures wee atteine not all thinges For the hyghest wysedome of the moste perfect is thys to profite more and proceede on further forwarde with gentill willingnesse to learne Therfore Paule exhorteth the faithfull if vpon any thinge thei differ one from an other to abide for reuelation And truely experience teaceth that till we be vnclothed of oure fleshe we atteine to knowe lesse than were to be wisshed and dayly in reading we light vpon many darke places whiche do conuince vs of ignorance And with this brydle God holdeth vs in modestie assigning to euery one a measure of faith that euen the very best teacher may be ready to learne And notable exaumples of thys vnexpressed faithe we may marke in the Disciples of Christ before that thei hadde obteined to be fully enlightned We see how thei hardly tasted the very fyrste introductions how thei did sticke euen in the smallest pointes howe they hanginge at the mouthe of their maister did not yet muche proceede yea when at the womens information they ranne to the graue the Resurrection of their master was lyke a dreame vnto them Sithe Christe dyd before beare wytnesse of theyr faythe we may not saie that they were vtterly without faith but rather if they dad not been perswaded that Christe shoulde ryse agayne all care of him wold haue perished in them For it was not superstition that dyd drawe the women to embalme with spices the corpes of a deade man of whome ther was no hope of life but although thei beleued his words whome thei knewe to be a speaker of trueth yet the grosnesse that styll possessed their myndes so wrapped theyr faithe in darkenesse that thei were in a manner amased at it Wherevpon it is saide that thei then at the last beleued when thei hadde by tryall of the thinge it selfe proued the truethe of the wordes of Christ not that they then beganne to beleue but bycause the seede of hidden fayth whiche was as it were deade in their heartes then receiuing liuelynesse dyd sprynge vp There was therefore a true fayth in them but an vnexpressed faythe bicause they reuerently embraced Christe for their onely teacher and then beynge taught of him they determined that he was the author of their saluation fynally they beleued that he came from heauen by the grace of his father to gather his Disciples to heauen And we neede not to seke any more familiar poofe hereof than this that in al thinges alway vnbelefe is mingled with faith We may also call it an vnexpressed faithe whiche yet in deede is nothinge but a preparation of faithe The Euangelistes do reherse that many beleued whiche onely beinge rauished to admiration wyth myracles proceded no further but that Christe was the Messias whyche had ben promysed albeit thei tasted not so much as any sclender learning of the Gospell Such obedience which brought them in subiectioÌ„ willingly to submitt them selues to Christe beareth the name of faith where it was in deede but the beginning of faithe So the courtieâ— that beleued Christes promise concerninge the healinge of his sonne when he came home as the Euangelist testifieth beleued againe bycause he receiued as an oracle that whiche he hearde of the mouthe of Christe and then submitted hym selfe to his authoritie to receiue hys doctrine Albeit it is to be knowen that he was so tractable and ready to learne that yet in the fyrste place the woorde of beleninge signifieth a particular beleefe and in the seconde place maketh hym of the numbre of the Disciples that professed to bee the scholers of Christe Alyke exaumple dothe Ihon sette forthe in the Samaritanes whiche so beleued the womans reporte that they ranne earnestly to Christe whiche yet when they hadde hearde hym saide thus Now we beleue not bycause of thy report but we haue hearde him and we know that he is the sauioure of the worlde Hereby appeareth that they whyche are not yet instructed in the fyrste introductions so that they be disposed to obedyence are called faithfull in deede not proprely but in thys respect that God of hys tender kyndenesse voutchesaueth to graunte so greate honoure to that godly affection but this willingnesse to learne with a desire to procede further differeth farr from that grosse ignorâ—â—ce wherein they lye dull that are content wyth the vnexpressed saith suche as the Papistes haue imagined For if Paule seuerely condemneth them whiche alwaie learning yet neuer come to the knowledge of trueth howe muche more greuous reproche do they deserue that of purpose stadie to know nothing This therfore is the true knowledge of Christ if we receiue him such as he is offered of his Father that is to saye clothed with his Gospel For as he is appoynted to be the marke of oure faith so we can not go the right waie to him but by the Gospell going before to guide vs. And truely ther are opened to vs the treasures of grace which being shut vp Christ should litle proâ—ite vs. So Paule ioyneth faithe an vnseparable companion to doctrine wher he saithe Ye haue not so learned Christ for ye haue been taught what is the trueth in Christe Yet do I not so restraine faith to the Gospell but that I confesse that there hath been so much taught by Moses and the Prophetes as suffised to the edification of faith but bicause ther hath ben deliuered in the Gospel a fuller opening of faith therefore it is woorthyly called of Paule the doctrine of saith For which cause also
he saithe in an other place that by the comming of faith the lawe is taken awaie meaning by this word faith yeâ—ewe vnaccustomed manner of teaching wherby Christ sins he appeared our scholemaster hath more plainlâ— set forth the mercy of his father more certainly testified of our saluation Albeit it shal be the more easye more conuenient ordre if we descend by degrees from the generaltie to the specialtie First we must be put in minde that there is a general relation of faith to the word that faith can no more be seuered from the word than the sun beames from the sume froÌ„ whome thei procede Therfore in Esaie God cryeth out Heare me and your soule shall lyue And that the same is the fountaine of faythe Ihon sheweth in these woordes These thinges are written that ye may beleue And the prophete meaninge to exhorte the people to beleefe saythe This daie yiÌ„ ye shall heare hys voyce And to heare is commmonly taken for to Beleue Moreouer God dothe not wythout cause in Esaie sette thys marke of difference betwene the children of the Churche and straungers that he will instructe them all that thei maie be taught of him For if it were a benefite vniuersall to all why shoulde he direct hys woordes to a fewe Wherewith agreeth thys that the Euangelistes do commonly vse the woordes Faithfull and Disciples as seuerall wordes expressing one thing specially Luke very oft in the Actes of the Apostles Yea and he stretcheth that name euen to a woman in the ninthe chapiter of the Actes Wherefore if faith do swerue neuer so little from this marke to which it ought to be directly leuelled it kepeth not her owne nature butte becometh an vncertaine lightnesse of belefe and wandring erroure of mynde The same Worde is the foundation wherwith faith is vpholden susteined from which if it swarue it falleth downe Therfore take awaie the Worde then there shal remaine no faith We do not here dispute whether the ministerie of man be necessarie to sowe the worde of God that faithe may be conceiued thereby which question we will els where entreate of but we saie that the worde it self howesoeuer it be conueied to vs is like a mirroure when faith may beholde God Whether God dothe therein vse the seruice of man or worke it by his owne onely power yet he doth alwaie shewe him selfe by his worde to those whome his will is to drawe vnto him wherevpon Paule defineth faithe to be an obedience that is geuen to the Gospell Rom. i. And in an other place he praiseth the obedience of faithe in the Philippians For this is not the onely purpose in the vnderstanding of faithe that we knowe that there is a God but this also yea this chefely that we vnderstande what wil he beareth toward vs. For it not so muche behoueth vs to knowe what he is in himself but what a one he will be to vs. Nowe therefore we are come to thys point that faithe is a knoweledge of the will of God perceyued by his worde And the foundation hereof is a foreconceiued persuasion of the truthe of God Of the assurednesse whereof so longe as thy minde shal dispute with it selfe the worde shall be but of doubtful and weake credit yea rather no credit at all But also it sufficeth not to beleue that God is a true speaker whiche can neither deceiue nor lie vnlesse thow further holde this for vndoubtedly determined that whatsoeuer procedeth from him is the sacred and inuiolable truthe But bicause not at euery word of God mans hearte is raised vp to faith we must yet further search what this faith in the word hath proprely respecte vnto It was the saieng of God to Adam Thou shalte die the death It was the saienge of God to Cain The bloode of thy brother crieth to me out of the earth Yet these are suche saiengs as of them selues canne doe nothynge butte shake faythe so muche lesse are they able to stablyshe faythe We denye not in the meane season that yt ys the offyce of faythe to agree to the truthe of God howe ofte soeuer what soeuer and in what sorte soeuer yt speaketh butte nowe oure question is onely what faythe fyndeth in the woorde of the Lorde to leane and rest vpon When oure conscience beholdeth onely indignation and vengeance howe canne it butte tremble and quake for feare And howe shoulde yt butte flee God of whome yt is afraide But faythe oughte to seeke God and not to flee from him It is plaine therefore that we haue not yet a full definition of faythe bycause it is not to be accompted for faithe to knowe the wyll of God of what sorte so euer it be But what yf in the place of wyll whereof many tymes the message is sorrowefull and the declaration dreadful we putte kindenesse or mercie Truely so we shal come nerer to the nature of faithe For wee are then allured to seeke God after that wee haue learned that saluation is laied vp in store with him for vs. Whyche thynge is confyrmed vnto vs when he declareth that he hath care and loue of vs. Therefore there needeth a promise of grace whereby he maie testifie that he is oure mercifull father for that otherwise wee canne not approche vnto hym and vpon that alone the hearte of man maie safely rest For thys reason commonly in the Psalmes these two thinges Mercie and Truth do cleaue together bicause neither should it any thynge profite vs to know that God is true vnlesse he did mercifully allure vs vnto him neither were it in our power to embrace his mercie vnlesse he did with his owne mouthe offer it I haue reported thy truth and thy saluation I haue not hidden thy goodnesse and thy truthe Thy goodnesse and thy trueth keepe me In an other place Thy mercie to the heauens thy trueth euen to the cloudes Againe All the wayes of the Lorde are mercie and trueth to them that keepe his couenant Againe His mercie is multiplied vpon vs and the truth of the Lorde abydeth for euer Againe I will singe to thy name vpon thy mercie and trueth I omitte that whiche is in the Prophetes to the same meaninge that God is mercifull and faythfull in hys promyses For wee shall rashly determine that God is merciefull vnto vs vnlesse himselfe do testifie of himselfe and preuent vs wyth his callinge leaste his wil shoulde be doubtful and vnknowen But we haue already seen that Christ is the onely pledge of his loue without whome on euery side appeare the tokens of hatred and wrath Nowe forasmuche as the knoweledge of Gods goodnesse shall not muche preuayle vnlesse he make vs to rest in it therefore suche an vnderstanding is to be banished as is mingled with doubting and doth not soundli agree in it selfe but as it were disputeth with it selfe But mans witte as yt is blinde and darkened is farre from
atteining and climbing vp to perceiue the very will of God and also the hearte of man as it wauereth with perpetuall doubting is farre from resting assured in that persuasion Therefore it behoueth bothe that our witt be lightned and oure heart strengthened by some other meane that the worde of God may be of ful credit with vs. Now we shal haue a perfect definition of fayth if we saie that it is a stedfast assured knowledge of Gods kindnes toward vs which being grounded vpō the trueth of the free promise in Christ is both reueled to our mindes and sealed in our heartes by the holy ghoste But before I procede any further it shal be necessary that I make some preambles to dissolue certain doubts that otherwise might make some stoppe to the readers And first I must confute the distinctiō that flieth about in the scholes betwene faith fourmed and vnformed For thei imagine that such as are touched with no feare of God with no feling of godlinesse do beleue all that is necessarie to saluation As though the holy ghooste in lyghtenyng oure heartes vnto faythe were not a witnesse to vs of oure adoption And yet presumptuously when all the Scripture crieth out againste it they geue the name of faith to suche perswasion voide of the feare of God Wee neede to striue no further with theyr definition but simply to reherse the nature of faith such as it is declared by the worde of God Whereby shall plainely appeare how vnskilfully foolishly thei rather make a noise than speake of it I haue alreadie touched parte the rest I wyll adde hereafter as place shall serue At this present I saie that there can not bee imagined a greater absurditie than this inuention of theires They wyll haue faith to be an assent whereby euery despyser of God maie receiue that whiche is vttered out of the Scripture But fyrste thei should haue seen whether euery manne of hys owne power do brynge faithe to hymselfe or whether the holy ghooste be by it a witnesse of adoption Therefore they do chyldyshly plaie the fooles in demaundinge whether faithe whiche qualitie addeth dothe fourme be the same faithe or an other and a newe faithe Whereby appeareth certainely that in so bablinge they neuer thought of the syngular gyfte of the holy ghooste For the begynning of beleuinge dothe already conteine in it the reconciliation whereby manne approcheth to God But if they dyd weye that sayeng of Paule With the hearte is beleued to righteousnesse thei wold cesse to fayne that same colde qualitie If we hadde but thys one reason it shoulde be sufficient to ende thys contention that the very same assent as I haue already touched and wyll againe more largely repete is rather of the hearte than of the brayne rather of affection than of vnderstandynge For whyche cause it is called the obeydience of faythe whyche is suche as the Lorde preferreth no kynde of obeydience aboue it and that woorthyly forasmuche as nothynge is more precious to hym than hys truthe whyche as Ihon the Baptist wytnesseth the beleuers doe as yt were subscribe and seale vnto Sythe the matter ys not doubtefull we doe in one woorde determinately saie that they speake fondly when they saie that faithe is fourmed by addynge of godly affection vnto assent whereas assent it selfe at least suche assent as ys declared in the Scriptures consisteth of godly affection Butte yet there ys an other playner argument that offereth yt selfe to be alleged For whereas faythe embraceth Christe as hee ys offered vs of the Father and Christe ys offered not onely for ryghteousnesse forgeuenesse of synnes and peace butte also for sanctification and a fountayne of lyuynge water wythoute doubte noe mann ecanne euer truely knowe hym vnlesse he doe therewythall receyue the sanctification of the Spirite Or if any manne desyre to haue it more plainely spoken Faythe consysteth in the knowledge of Christe And Christe canne not bee knowen butte wyth sanctification of hys Spirite therefore it foloweth that fayth can by no meane be seuered from godly affection Whereas they are wonte to laye thys agaynste vs that Paule sayeth If a manne haue all faythe so that hee remoue mountaynes yf he haue not charitie hee ys nothynge whereby they woulde deforme faythe in spoylinge it of charitie they consyder not what the Apostle in that place meaneth by faithe For when in the chapiter next before it he hadde spoken of the diuerse gyftes of the holy ghoste amonge the whyche he had reckened the diuerse kindes of languages power and prophecie and hadde exhorted the Corynthians to folowe the beste of these giftes that is to saie suche gyftes whereby more profit and commoditie myghte come to the whole body of the Churche he streyght waie saide further that he woulde shewe them yet a more excellent waie That all suche gyftes howe excellent soeuer they bee of them selues yet are nothinge to be esteemed vnlesse thei serue charitie For they were geuen to the edyfyeng of the Churche and vnlesse they bee applyed therevnto they loose theyr grace For proofe of thys he particularly reherseth them repetynge the selfe same gyftes that hee hadde spoken of before butte in other names And hee vseth the woordes Powers and Faythe for all one thynge that is for the power to do miracles Sythe therefore thys whether ye call it power or faithe is a particular gyfte of God whyche euery vngodly manne maye boothe haue and abuse as the gyfte of tongnes as prophecie and other gyftes of grace yt ys no maruell yf yt bee seuered from charitie Butte all the erroure of these menne standeth in thys that where thys woorde Faythe hathe dyuerse sygnifcations they not consyderinge the dyuersitie of the thinge sygnifyed dispute as though it were taken for one thynge in all places a lyke The place of Iames whyche they allege for mayntaynance of the same erroure shall bee els where dyscussed Butte althoughe for teachynges sake when wee meane to shewe what manner of knoweledge of God there ys in the wycked wee graunte that there are dyuerse sortes of faythe yet wee acknoweledge and speake of butte one faythe of the godly as the Scripture teacheth Many in deede doe beleue that there ys a God they thynke that the Hystorie of the Gospell and other partes of the Scripture are true as commonly wee are wonte to iudge of suche thynges as eyther are reported beynge done longe agoe or suche as wee oure selues haue beene presente at and seen There bee also some that goe further for bothe they beleue the woorde of God to be a moste assured oracle they do not altogether despyse hys commaundementes and they somewhat after a sorte are moued with hys threatenynges and promyses It is in deede testified that suche haue faythe butte that ys spoken oute by abuse bycause they do not wyth open vngodlynesse fyghte agaynste the woorde of God or refuse or despyse it butte rather pretende a certayne shewe
bee quenched And there is no cause to the contrarie but that he maye lightly ouer washe some and throughly soke other some wyth the knoweledge of hys Gospell This is in the meane tyme to bee holden for truthe that howe small and weake so euer sayth hee in the electe yet bycause it is to them a sure pleadge of the Spyrite of God and a seale of their adoption the prynte thereof canne neuer bee blotted out of theyr heartes as for the reprobate that they are ouer spred wyth such a lyght as afterwarde commeth to nought And yet the Spyrite is not deceyptefull bycause he geueth not lyfe to the seede that he casteth in theyr heartes to make it abyde alwayes incorruptible as he dothe in the elect I goe yet further for whereas it is euident by the teachyng of the Scripture and by dayely experience that the reprobate are sometime touched with the felyng of Gods grace it muste needes be that there is raysed in their heartes a certayne desire of mutuall loue So for a time there lyued in Saul a godly affection to loue God by whome he knew himself to be fatherly handeled and therefore was delited with a certayne swetenesse of his goodnesse But as the persuasion of the fatherly loue of God is not faste rooted in the reprobate so doe they not soundely loue him agayne as his chyldren but are led wyth a certayne affection like hired seruauntes For to Christ only was that Spirite of loue geuen to this ende that he shoulde poure it into his membres And truely that sayeng of Paule extendeth no further but to the elect only The loue of God is poured abrode into our heartes by the holy Spirite that is geuen vs euen the same loue that engendreth the same confidence of callyng vpon him whyche I haue before touched As on the contrarie side we see God to bee maruelously angry with his chyldren whome yet he cesseth not to loue not that in hymselfe he hateth them but bycause his will is to make them afrayde wyth the felynge of his wrath but to the entent to abate theyr pride of fleshe to shake of their drowesinesse and to moue them to repentance And therefore all at one tyme they conceyue hym to bee bothe angry with them or with their sinnes and also mercyfull vnto them bycause they not fainedly doe praye to appease his wrathe to whome yet they flee wyth quiet assured trust Hereby it appereth that it is not true that some doe counterfayte a shewe of fayth whyche yet doe lacke the true faith but while they are caried wyth a sodeyne violent motion of Zele they deceyue themselues wyth false opinion And it is no doubte that sluggishnesse so possesseth them that they doe not well examine their heart as they ought to haue done It is likely that they were suche to whome as Iohn witnesseth Christ dyd not commit himselfe when yet they beleued in hym bycause he knewe them all and knewe what was in manne If many dyd not fall from the common fayth I call it common bicause the fayth that lasteth but a time hath a greate lykenesse and affinitie with the liuely and continuynge fayth Christe woulde not haue sayde to his Disciples If ye abide in my worde then are ye truely my Disciples and ye shall know the truthe and the truthe shall make you free For he speaketh to them that had embraced his doctrine and exhorteth them to the encrease of fayth that they shoulde not by their owne sloughtfulnesse quench the lighte that is geuen them Therefore dothe Paule affirme that fayth peculiarly belongeth to the electe declaryng that many vanish away bycause they haue not taken liuely roote Like as Christ also sayth in Matthew euery tree that my father hath not planted shal be rooted vp In other there is a grosser kinde of lyeng that are not ashamed to mocke bothe God and menne Iames inueyeth agaynst that kinde of menne that wyth deceiptfull pretense doe wickedly abuse fayth Neyther woulde Paule require of the children of God a fayth vnfayned but in respect that many do presumptuously chalenge vnto themselues that whyche they haue not with vayne colored deceyte do beguile other or sometime themselues Therefore he compareth a good conscience to a cheste wherein fayth is kepte bycause many in fallynge from good conscience haue suffred shipwreck of their fayth We must also remember the doutefull signification of the woord fayth For oftentimes fayth signifieth the sounde doctrine of religion as in the place that we nowe alleaged and in the same Epistle where Paule wryteth Deacons to holde faste the misterie of fayth in a pure conscience Againe where he publisheth the fallynge awaye of certayne from the faith But on the other side he sayth that Timothee was nourished vp with the woordes of fayth where he sayth that prophane vanities and oppositions falsly named sciences are the cause that many depart from the faith whome in an other place he calleth reprobate touchyng fayth As agayne he chargeth Titâ—s Agayne sayeng Warne them that they be sounde in the fayth By soundenesse he meaneth nothing els but purenesse of doctrine which is easily corrupted and brought out of kynde by the lightnesse of men Euen bicause in Christ whome faith possesseth are hiddeÌ„ all the treasures of wisedome and knoweledge therefore fayth is worthyly extended to signifie the whole summe of heauenly doctrine from which it can not be seuered Contrariewise sometime it is restrayned to signifie some particular obiect as when Matthew sayth that Christ saw the fayth of them that did let downe the manne sicke of the palsey through the tyles and Chryst himselfe cryeth out that he founde not in Israell so great fayth as the Centurion brought But it is likely that the Centurion was earnestly bente to the healyng of his doughter the care whereof occupied all his minde yet bycause beyng contented with the onely assent and answere of Christ he required not Christes bodyly presence therefore in respecte of this circumstance his fayth was so muche commended And a litle here before we haue shewed that Paule taketh fayth for the gifte of workynge miracles whyche gifte they haue that neyther are regenerate by the Spirite of God nor doe hartyly worshippe him Also in an other place he setteth fayth for the doctrine whereby we are instructed in fayth For where he wryteth that fayth shall bee abolished it is out of question that that is meante by the ministerie of the Church whiche at this 〈◊〉 is profitable for oure weaknesse In these formes of speach standeth a proportionall relation But when the name of fayth is vnproperly remoued to signifie a false profession or a lyeng title of fayth that shoulde seeme to be as harde a figuratiue abuse as when the feare of God is set for a corrupte and wrongefull manner of worshyppynge as when it is oftentymes sayde in the holy Historie that the
vpon the promises of Gods good will toward him conceyueth and vndoubted lokynge for of saluation as the Apostle sheweth in these wordes Yf we keepe sure to the ende our confidence and gloriyng of hope For hereby he meaneth that none hopeth well in the Lorde but he that with confidence glorieth that he is heyre of the kyngdome of heauen There is none I saye faythfull but he that leanyng vpon the assurednesse of his owne saluation doth confidently triumph vpon the deuell and death as we are taught by that notable concluding sentence of Paule I am persuaded sayth he that neyther death nor life nor Angeles nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come shal be able to separate vs froÌ„ the loue of God wherwith he embraceth vs in Christ Iesu. And in like manner the same Apostle thinketh that the eyes of our minde are by no other meane well lightened vnlesse we see what is the hope of the eternall inheritance to whiche we are called And eche where his common manner of teachyng is such that he declareth that no otherwise we do not well comprehend the goodnesse of God vnlesse we gather of it the frute of great assurednesse But some man will say the faithfull doe finde by experience a far other thing within themselues whiche in recordyng the grace of God toward them are not only tempted with vnquietnesse whiche oftentimes chaunceth vnto them but also are sometime shaken with most greuous terrors so great is the vehemencye of temptations to throw downe their mindes which thing semeth not sufficiently wel to agree with that assurednesse of fayth Therefore this doubt must be answered if we will haue our aforesayde doctrine to stande But truely when we teache that fayth ought to be certayne and assured we doe not imagine suche a certaintie as is touched with no doubtynge nor suche an assurednesse as is assayled with no carefulnesse but rather we saye that the faythfull haue a perpetuall stryfe with their owne distrustfulnesse So farre be we from setlynge their consciences in such a peasable quietnesse as maye be interrupted with no troubles at all yet on the other side we saye that in what sorte so euer they bee afflicted they doe neuer fall and departe from that assured confidence whiche they haue conceyued of the mercie of God The Scripture setteth forth no example of fayth more playne or more notable than in Dauid specially if a manne beholde the whole continuall course of his lyfe But yet howe he was not alwaye of quiet minde hymselfe declareth by innumerable complaintes of whiche at this time it shal be sufficient doe choose out a fewe When he reprocheth his owne soule with troublesome motions what is it els but that he is angry with his owne vnbeleuengnesse Why treÌ„blest thou my soule sayth he and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God And truely that same discouragement was a plaine token of destruction euen as if he thought himselfe to be forsaken of God And in an other place we reade a larger confession thereof where he sayth I sayd in my ouerthrow I am cast out from the sight of thy eyes Also in an other place he disputeth with himselfe in carefull and miserable perplexitie yea quareleth of the very nature of God sayeng Hath God forgotten to haue mercie will he caste of for euer And yet harder is that whiche foloweth But I haue sayde To die is mine charges are of the right hande of the hyest For as in despere he condemneth himselfe to destruction and not only confesseth himselfe to be tossed with doutyng but as if he were vaÌ„quished in battel he leaueth nothyng to himself bycause God hath forsaken him and hath turned to destroy him the same hande that was wont to be his helper Wherefore not without cause he exhorteth his soule to returne to her quietnesse bicause he had found by experience that he was tossed amoÌ„g troblesome waues And yet whiche is meruellous in al these assaultes faith vpholdeth the heartes of the godly and is truely like vnto a Date tree to endeuour and rise vpwarde agaynst all burdens howe great soeuer they be as Dauid when he might seme to be vtterly ouerwhelmed yet in rebukyng himselfe cesseth not to rise vp to God And truely he that striuing with his owne weakenesse resorteth to faith in his troubles is alredy in a manner conquerour Whiche maye be gathered by this sentence and other like Waite for the Lord be stronge he shall streÌ„gthen they heart waite for the Lord. He reprocheth himselfe of fearefulnesse and in repetyng the same twise conâ—esseth himself to be somtimes subiect to many troublesome motions And in the meane time he doth not only become displeased with himselfe in these faultes but earnestly endeuoreth to amendement Truely if we will more nerely by good examination compare him with Achaz there shal be founde great difference Esaye was sente to brynge remedie to the carefull griefe of the wicked king and hypocrite and spake vnto him in these wordes Be in sauegarde and be quiet feare not c. But what did Achaz As it was before sayd that his heart was moued as the trees of the woode are shaken with winde though he hearde the promise yet he cessed not to quake for feare This therefore is the propre rewarde punishment of vnbelefe so to tremble for feare that in temptation he turneth himselfe awaye from God that doth not open to himselfe the gate by fayth Contrarywise the faythfull whome the weighty burden of temptations maketh to stoupe and in a maÌ„ner oppresseth do coÌ„stantly rise vp although not without trouble and hardinesse And bicause thei know their owne weakenesse thei pray with the Prophete Take not the worde of truth away from my mouth coÌ„tinually By which wordes we are taught that somtime they become dumme as though their fayth were vtterly ouerthrowen yet they faint not nor turne their backes but procede in their battell with prayer do encourage their slouthfulnesse lest by fauoring themselues they should growe to vnsensible dulnesse For the vnderstaÌ„dyng therof it is needeful to returne to that diuision of the fleshe and the spirit wherof we made mention in an other place which doth in this behalf most clearly appere The godly heart therefore â—eleth a diuisioÌ„ in it self which is partly delited with swetenesse by acknowledging of the goodnesse of God partly greued with bitternesse by felyng of his owne miserie partly resteth vpon the promise of the Gospel and partly trembleth by reason of the testimonie of his owne wickednesse partly reioyseth with conceyuing of life and partly quaketh for feare of death Whyche variation coÌ„meth by imperfection of fayth for as muche as we neuer be in so good case in the course of this present life as beyng healed from all disease of distrustfulnesse to be altogether filled possessed with faith Hereupon procede those battels wheÌ„ the distrustfulnesse
Mediator yet his godlynesse is praised Cornelius a Gentile a Romaine could scarcely vnderstand that which was knowen not to al the Iewes yea that very darkely yet his almes praiers were acceptable to God And the sacrifice of Naaman by the Prophets answer allowed Whych thing neither of them coulde obteine but by faythe Lykewise yt maie be sayde of the Ennuche to whome Philppe was carried why the yf he hadde not had some faythe woulde not haue taken vpon him the trauayle and exspenses of so longe a iourney to worshippe Yet we see when Philippe examined him how he bewrayed his ignorance of the Mediator And truely I graunte that theyr faythe was 〈◊〉 vnexpressed not only concerning Christes person but also concerninge his power and the office committed vnto him of the Father Yet in the meane time it is certaine that thei were instructed in suche principles as gaue them some taste of Christe althoughe but very small Neyther ought this to seeme strange For neither wold the Eunuche haue come in haste to Ierusalem from a farre countrie to worship an vnknowen God neither did Cornelius when he had ones embraced the Iewish religion spende so much time without being acquainted with the first groundes of true doctrine As for Naaman it had ben to fonde an absurditie for Elyzeus when he taught him of small thynges to haue saide nothinge of the principal pointe Therefore although there were among them a darke knoweledge of Christ yet it is not likely that ther was no knowledge bicause thei did vse them selues in the sacrifices of the lawe whiche must haue been discerned by the very ende of them that is Christe from the false sacrifices of the Gentiles But this bare and outward declaration of the word of God ought to haue largely sufficed to make it be beleued if our owne blyndenesse and stubbournesse did not withstande it But oure minde hath suche an inclination to vanitie that it can neuer cleaue faste vnto the trueth of God and hathe suche a dulnesse that it is alwaie blinde and can not see the light thereof Therefore there is nothynge auailably done by the worde without the enlightninge of the holy ghoste Whereby also appeareth that faithe is farre aboue mans vnderstanding Neither shal it be sufficient that the minde be lightned with the spirit of God vnlesse the hearte be also strengthened and stablished with his power Wherein the Schoolemen do altogether erre whiche in considerynge of faithe do onely take holde of a bare and simple assent by knowledg leauinge out the confidence and assurednesse of the heart Therefore faith is both waies a syngular gyfte of God bothe that the mynde of man is cleansed to taste the trueth of God and that his hearte is stablished therein For the holy ghoste not onely is the beginner of faythe but also by degrees encreaseth it vntil by it he bring vs to the heauenly kingdome That good thinge saith Paule whiche was committed to thy keping kepe in the holy ghoste which dwelleth in vs. But howe Paule saithe that the holy ghoste is geuen by the hearing of faythe we may easily dissolue it If there hadde ben but one onely gyfte of the holy ghoste then it had ben an absurditie for him to call the holy ghost the effect of faith whyche is the author and cause of faithe But when he maketh report of the gyftes wherewyth God garnysheth his Churche and by encreasinges of faithe bryngeth it to perfection it is no meruell if he ascribe those thynges to faithe whiche maketh vs fitt to receiue them This is reckened a moste strange conclusion when it is saide that no man but he to whome it is geuen can beleue in Christ. But that is partely bycause they do not consyder either howe secrete and hye the heauenly wysedome is or howe greate mans dulnesse is in conceiuinge the misteries of God and partly bycause they looke not vnto that assured and stedfast constantnesse of hearte that is to saye the cheefe parte of faith But if as Paule preacheth no manne is wytnesse of the wyll of manne but the spirite of manne that is within him then howe shoulde man be sure of the will of God And if the truth of God be vncertaine among vs in those thinges that we presently beholde with our eye how shold it be assured stedfast among vs ther wher the lord promiseth such thinge as neither eye seeth nor witt comprehendeth But herein mans sharpnesse of vnderstanding is so ouerthrowen faileth that the fyrste degrees of profitinge in Gods schoole is to forsake his owne wit For by it as by a veile cast before vs we are hyndred that we can not atteine the misteries of God whiche are not disclosed but to little ones For neither dothe flesh blood disclose nor natural man perceiue those things that are of the Spirit but rather to him the learning of God is foolishnesse bicause it is spiritually to be iudged Therfore herin the helpe of the holy ghost is necessarie or rather herein his force onely reigneth Ther is noman that knoweth the minde of God or hath ben his counseller but the holy Spirit searcheth out all thinges euen the depe secretes of God by whome it is brought to passe that we know the minde of Christ No man saith he can come to me vnlesse my father that sent me drawe hym Euery one therfore that hath heard learned of my father commeth Not that any man hath seen the father but he that is sent to God Euen as therfore we can not come vnto Christ but being drawen by the Spirit of God so when we be drawen we are lifted vp in witt minde aboue our owne vnderstanding For the soule enlightned by hym taketh as it wer a new sharpnes of vnderstanding wherwith it maye beholde heauenly misteries with brightnes wherof it was before daseled in it selfe And so mans vnderstanding receiuing brightnesse by the lighte of the holy ghost doth neuer till then truely beginne to taste of those thinges that belong to the kingdome of God being before altogether vnfauourie and without iudgment of tast to take assay of them Therfore when Christ did notably set out vnto two of hys Disciples the misteries of his kingdome yet he nothing preuailed vntill he opened their senses that they might vnderstand the Scriptures When the Apostles weare so taughte by his Godly mouth yet the Spirit of truth must be sent vnto them to poure into their mindes that same doctrine whiche they had hearde with their eares The worde of God is like vnto the sunne that shineth vnto all them to whome it is preached but to no profit amonge blinde men But we are al in this behalfe blind by nature therfore it can not pearce into our minde but by the inward master the holy ghoste making by his enlightning an entrie for it In an other place when we had to entreat of the corruption of natur we haue
substaÌ„ce for yâ— terme he vseth he meaneth as it wer an vpholding stay wherevpon the godly minde leaneth resteth As if he shold say the faith is a certain assured possession of those things that are promised vs of God vnlesse a man had rather to take Hypostasis for affiance which I mislike not albeit I folowe yâ— which is more coÌ„monly receiued Againe to signifie the euen to the last day when the bokes shal be opened thei are hier than those things that may be perceiued with our senses or seen with our â—ies or handled with our handes that the same are no otherwise possessed by vs but if we go beyond the capacitie of our own witt bend our vnderstanding aboue all things that are in the world yea climbe aboue our selues he hath therfor added that this assurednesse of possessioÌ„ is of things that lie in hope therefore are not seen For plaine appearaÌ„ce as Paule writeth is not hope neither hope we â—or those things yâ— we see And wheÌ„ he calleth it a certaintie or profe or as Augustine hath oft translated it a coÌ„iunction of things not present for in Greke it is Elenchos he saith asmuch as if he did say that it is an euidente shewinge of thinges not appearinge a seeinge of thinges not seen a plainnesse of darke thinges a presence of thynges absente an open shewinge of hidden thinges For the mysteries of God suche as they be that pertaine to oure saluation can not be seen in them selues and in their owne nature as they call yt butte wee beholde them onely in hys worde of whose truthe we oughte to be so fully perswaded that we oughte to holde all that he speaketh as it were already done and fulfylled But howe canne the mynde lyfte vp it selfe to receiue suche a taste of Gods goodnesse but that it must nedes be therewyth wholy kyndled to loue God againe For that flowing plentie of swetenesse whiche God hathe laied vp in store for them that feare him canne not bee truely knowen but that it muste therewythall vehemently moâ—e affection and whose affection it ones moneth it vtterly rauisheth and carrieth hym beyonde himselfe Therefore it is no maruell if into a peruerse crooked hearte neuer entreth this affection by whiche beinge conueyed vp into the very heauen we are suffred to com to thee moste secretly hidden treasures of God and the most sacred priuie places of hys kyngedome whyche maie not be defyled wyth the entrance of an vncleane hearte For that which the Scholemen teache that charitie is before faithe and hope ys a mere madnesse For it is faythe onely that fyrste engendreth charitie in vs. Howe muche more ryghtly dothe Bernarde teache I beleue saythe he that the testimonie of conscience which Paule calleth the glorie of the godly consisteth in three thynges For first of all it is necessarie to beleue that thou canst not haue forgeuenesse of synnes but by the pardon of God then that thow canst haue no good worke at all vnlesse he also geue it last of all that thou canst by noe woorkes deserue eternall life vnlesse it also bee geuen freely A little after he addeth that these thinges suffice not but that ther is a certain beginning of faith bicause in beleuing that sinnes can not be forgeuen but of God we oughte also to beleue that they are not forgeuen vs till also we be perswaded by the testimonie of the holy ghoste that saluation is laied vp in store for vs bicause God forgeueth sinnes he himself geueth merites and he himself also geueth rewards that wee maie not stay styll in this beginninge But these and other thinges shal be to be entreated of in places fit for them Nowe let it onely suffice to knowe what faithe is Now whersoeuer this liuely faith shal be it can not be possible but that it hathe with it that hope of eternal saluation as an vndiuidable coÌ„panioÌ„ or rather the it engendreth or bringeth it forthe out of it self which hope being taken away how eloquently gloriously soeuer we talk of faith yet we are conuicted to haue no faith at all for if faith as is aboue said be an assured persuasioÌ„ of Gods truth that it can not lie vnto vs nor deceiue vs nor become voide then thei that haue conceiued this assurednesse truely do therwithal looke for a tyme to come that God shall performe his promises whiche in their perswasion can not be but true so that brefely hope is nothing els but a loking for those thinges whiche faith hath beleued to be truely promise of God So faith beleueth that God is true hope loketh for the performance of his truth in conueniente time Faithe beleueth that he is oure Father hope looketh for him to shewe himselfe suche a one toward vs. Faith beleueth that eternall life is geuen vs hope looketh that it be one daie reueled Faithe is the foundation wherevpon hope resteth hope nourisheth and susteineth faithe For as no man canne looke for any thynge of Gods hande butte hee that hathe fyrste beleued hys promises so againe the weakenesse of our faythe muste with pacient hope and expectation bee susteined and cherished that it fall not as faintinge for wearines For which reason Paule doth wel place our saluacion in hope For hope while it in silence loketh â—or the lord restraineth faith that it fal not hedlong with to much haste hope strengthneth faithe that it wauer not in Gods promyse nor beginne to doubt of the truth of them hope refresheth faith that yt ware not weary Hope stretcheth faythe to the vttermoste bonde that it fainte not in the midde course or in the very beginning Finally hope by continually renewinge and restoringe it maketh it now and then to ryse vp fressher than it selfe to continuance But howe many wayes the helpes of hope are necessarie to the strengthning of faithe shall better appeare yf we consyder wyth howe many sortes of temptations they are assailed and shaken that haue embraced the worde of God Fyrst the Lorde in differring his promises doth oftentimes hold oure myndes longer in suspense than wee woulde wishe here it is the office of hope to perfourme that whiche the Prophete commaundeth that thoughe hys promises do tarry yet we sholde waite stil for them Sometime he suffereth vs not onely to faint but also seemeth to bee hiely displeased here it is muche more necessarie to haue hope to helpe vs that according to the saieng of an other Prophete we maie stil loke for the Lorde that hath hidden his face from Iacob There rise vppe also scorners as Peter saith that aske where is his promise or hys comming forasmuch as sins the fathers slept all thynges so continew from the beginning of the creation yea the flesh and the world do wisper the same thing in oure eares Here must faith staye with sufferaÌ„ce of hope be holden fast fixed in beholdyng of eternitie that it maye
bicause the Lord hath determined to haue mercie vpoÌ„ men to this ende that they shuld repeÌ„t he teacheth men whether they shall trauaile if they will obteine grace Therfore so long as we shall dwell in the pryson of our body we must continually wrastle with the vices of our corrupt flesh yea with our own naturall soule Plato sayth in certayne places that the life of a Phylosopher is a meditation of death but we may more truely say that the life of a Christian maÌ„ is a perpetuall studie and exercise of mortifieng the fleshe till it beyng vtterly slayue the Spirit of God get the dominion in vs. Therefore I thinke that he hath much profited that hath learned much to mislyke himself not that he should sticke faste in â—hat myre and goe no further but rather that he should haste and long toward God that being graffed into the death life of Christ he should studie vpon a continuall repentance as truely they can not otherwise do that haue a naturall hatred of sinne for no man euer hated sinne vnlesse he were first in loue with righteousnesse This doctrine as it was most simple of all other so I thought it beste to agree with thâ— truthe of the Scripture Nowe that Repentance is a singular gift of God I thinke it be so wel knowen by the doctrine aboue taught that I neede not to repete a long discourse to proue it agayne Therfore the church prayseth and hath in admiratioÌ„ the benefit of God that he hath geuen the Gentiles repentance vnto saluation And Paule commaundyng Timothee to be patieÌ„t and milde toward the vnbeleuers sayth If at any time God geue them repentance that they maye repent from the snares of the Deuel God in deede affirmeth that he willeth the conuersion of al meÌ„ and directeth his exhortations generally to all men but the effectual workyng therof hangeth vpon the Spirit of regeneration Bicause it were more easy to create vs men than of our owne power to put on a better nature Therfore in the whole course of regeneration we are not without cause called the worke of God created to good workes which he hath prepared that we should walke in them Whom soeuer the lordes will is to deliuer from death those he quickeneth with the Spirit of regeneration not that repentance is properly the cause of saluation but bycause it is alredy seen that it is vnseparable froÌ„ fayth and from the mercie of God sithe as Esaye testifieth there is a redemer come to him and to those that in Iacob are returned from their wickednesse This truely standeth stedfastly determined that were so euer liueth the feare of God there the Spirite hath wrought vnto the saluation of man Therfore in Esaie when the faithful complaine and lament that they are forsaken of God they recken this as a token of beyng reprobates that their heartes were hardened by God The Apostle also meanyng to exclude apostataes from hope of saluation apointeth this reason that it is impossible for them to be renewed vnto repentance bicause God in renewyng them whom he wil not haue perish sheweth a tokeÌ„ of his fatherly fauour and in a maÌ„ner draweth them vnto him with the beames of his cherefull and mery contenaÌ„ce on the other side with hardenyng them he thundereth agaynst the reprobate whose wickednesse is vnpardonable Whiche kinde of vengeance the Apostle threateneth to wilfull apostataes whiche when they depart from the faith of the Gospell do make a scorne of God reprochefully despise his grace and defile treade vnder feete the bloud of Christ yea as much as in them is they crucifie him agayne For he doth not as some fondly rigorous men would haue it cut of hope of pardon from all wilfull sinnes but teacheth that apostasie is vnworthy of all excuse so that it is no maruell that God doth punish a contempt of himself so full of sacrilege with vnappeasable rigour For he sayth that it is impossible that they which haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift haue ben made partakers of the holy ghost haue tasted of the good word of God the powers of the world to come yf they fall shuld be renewed to repeÌ„tance crucifiyng againe of newe and makyng a scorne of the sonne of God Againe in an other place If sayth he we willingly sinne after knowledge of the truth receyued there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certayne dreadfull expectation of iudgement c. These also be the places out of the wroÌ„g vnderstandyng wherof the Nouatians in old time haue gathered matter to play the mad men with whose rigorousnesse certaine good meÌ„ beyng offended beleued this to be a counterfait Epistle in the Apostles name whiche yet in all partes doth truely fauour of an Apostolike spirite But bycause we contend with none but with theÌ„ that allowe it it is easy to shewe how these sentences do nothing mainteine their errour Firste it is necessarie that the Apostle agree with his maister whiche affirmeth that all sinne and blasphemie shal be forgeueÌ„ except the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost which is not forgeuen neyther in this world nor in the world to come It is certaine I saye that the Apostle was contented with this exception vnlesse we will make him an aduersarie to the grace of Christ. Whereupon foloweth that pardon is denied to no special offenses but only to one whiche procedyng of a desperate rage can not be ascribed to weakenesse and openly sheweth that a man is possessed of the Deuell But to discusse this it behoueth to enquire what is that same so horrible offense that shall haue no forgeuenesse Whereas Augustine in one place defineth it an obstinate stifnesse euen vnto death with despeire of pardon that doth not well agree with the very wordes of Christ thaâ— it shall not be forgeuen in this world For eyther that is spoken in vaine or it maye be coÌ„mitted in this life But if Augustines definition be true then it is not committed vnlesse it continue euen vnto death Wheras some other saye that he sinneth against the holy ghost that enuieth the grace bestowed vpon his brother I see not froÌ„ whense that is fetched But let vs bring a true definitioÌ„ which beyng ones proued with sure testimonies shall easily by it selâ—e ouerthrowe all the reste I saye therefore that they sinne agaynst the holy ghost which of set purpose resist the truthe of God with brightnesse wherof they are so daseled that they can not pretend ignorance whiche they do only to this ende to resâ—st For Christe meanynge to expounde that whiche he had sayd immediatly addeth He that speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeueÌ„ him but he that blasphemeth agaynst the holy ghost shal not be forgeuen And Matthew for the blasphemie against the holy Spirit putteth the spirit of blasphemie But how can a maÌ„ speake a reproche against the
Sonne but it is also spoken agaynst the holy ghost They that stumble vnware against the truthe of God not knowyng it which do ignorantly speake euell of Christ hauyng yet this minde that they would not extinguish the truth of God disclosed vnto them or ones with one worde offend him whome they had knowen to be the lordes anoynted these men sinne agaynst the father and the sonne So there are many at this day that do most hatefully detest the doctrine of the Gospell whiche if they did know it to be the doctrine of the Gospell they would be redy to worship with all their heart But thei whose conscience is conuinced that it is the worde of God whiche they forfake and fight agaynst and yet cesse not to fight agaynst it they are sayd to blaspheme the holy ghost for asmuch as they wrastle against the enlightening that is the work of the holy ghost Such were many of the Iewes whiche when they could not resist the Spirit that spake by Stephen yet endeuored to resist It is no doubt but that many of them were carried vnto it with zele of the lawe but it appereth that there were some other that of malicious wickednesse dyd rage agaynst God himselfe that is to saye agaynst the doctrine whiche they were not ignoraunt to be of God And such were those Pharisees against whoÌ„ the Lord inueyeth which to ouerthrow the power of the holy ghost defamed him with the name of Beelzebub This therfore is the Spirit of blasphemie when mans boldnesse of 〈◊〉 purpose leapeth forth to reproche of the name of God Which Paule signifieth wheÌ„ he sayth that he obteined mercie bicause he had igâ—oraÌ„tly coÌ„mitted those thinges through vnbelefe for whiche otherwise he had ben vnworthy of Gods fauour If ignoraÌ„ce ioyned with vnbelefe was yâ— cause that he obteined pardoÌ„ therupoÌ„ foloweth that there is no place for pardon where knowlege is ioyned to vnbelefe But if thou marke it wel thou shalt perceiue that the Apostle speaketh not of one or other particular fal but of the vniuersal departyng whereby the reprobate do forsake saluation And it is no maruel that they whom Iohn in his canonical epistle affirmeth not to haue ben of the elect froÌ„ whom they went out do fele God vnappeasable For he directeth his speache against them that imagined that they might reâ—urue to the Christian religion although they had ones departed froÌ„ it and calling them from this false pestilent opinion he sayth that whiche is most true that there is no way of returne open for them to the coÌ„munion of Christ that wittingly willingly haue cast it awaye But they cast it not away that only in dissolute licentiousnesse of lyfe transgresse the word of the lord but thei that of set purpose cast away his whole doctrine Therfore the deceit is in these wordes of fallyng sinning Bicause the Nouatians expound Falling to be if a man beyng taught by the law of the Lord that he ought not to steale or to coÌ„mit fornication absteineth not from stealing or fornication But coÌ„trarywise I affirme that there is a secret comparison of contraries wherein ought to be repeted althinges coÌ„trarie to that which was first spokeÌ„ so that here is expressed not any particular fault but the whole turning away froÌ„ God and as I may so cal it the Apostasie of the whole maÌ„ Therfore when he sayth they which haue fallen after that they haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted the heaueÌ„ly gift ben made partakers of the holy ghost also tasted the good worde of God and the powers of the world to come it is to be vnderstanded of them that with aduised vngodlinesse haue choked the light of the holy spirit haue spit out agayne the tast of the heauenly gift haue enstraÌ„ged themselues from the sanctificatioÌ„ of the holy ghost haue troden vnder foote the word of God the powers of the world to come And the more to expresse that aduised purpose of wickednesse in an other place afterwarde he addeth this worde by name Wilfully For when he sayth that there is left no sacrifice for them that sinne willingly after knowlege of the truthe receiued he doth not denie yâ— Christ is a continual sacrifice to purge the iniquities of the holy ones which he expresly crieth out almost in the whole epistle where he declareth yâ— priesthode of Christ but he sayth that there remaineth no other wheÌ„ that is ones forsaken it is forsaken when the truth of the gospell is of set purpose renounced But whereas some do thinke it to harde and to far from the tender merciefulnesse of God that any are put awaye that flee to beseching the lords mercie that is easily answered For he doth not say that pardon is denied theÌ„ if they turne to the lord but he vtterly denieth that they can rise vnto repentance bycause they are by the iuste iudgement of God striken with eternall blindnesse for their vnthankefulnesse And it maketh nothyng to the contrarie that afterward he applieth to this purpose the example of Esau whiche in vaine attempted with howling and wepyng to recouer his right of the firste begotten And no more doth that threatenyng of the Prophet When they crie I wil not heare For in such phrases of speache is meante neyther the true conuersion nor callyng vpon God but that carefulnesse of the wicked wherewith beyng bouÌ„d they are compelled in extremitie to loke vnto that which before they carelesly neglected that there is no good thing for them but in the Lordes helpe But this they doe not so muche call vpon as they mourne that it is taken from them Therefore the Prophet meaneth nothing els by Cryeng and the Apostle nothing els by Weping but that horrible torment which by desperation fretteth and vexeth the wicked This it is good to marke diligently for els God should disagree with himself which crieth by the Prophet that he wil be merciefull so sone as the sinner turneth And as I haue alredy sayd it is certayne that the minde of man is not turned to better but by Gods grace preuentyng it Also his promise concernyng callynge vpon him will neuer deceyue But that blinde torment wherwith the reprobate are diuersly drawen when they see that they muste needes seeke God that they may finde remedie for their euels and yet do flee from his presence is vnproperly called Conuersion and prayer But a question is moued whereas the Apostle denieth that God is appeased with fained repentance how Achab obteined pardon and turned awaye the punishment pronounced vpon him whom yet it appereth by the reste of the course of his life to haue ben onely striken amased with sodeine feare He did in deede put on sacke cloth scattered ashes vpon him laye vpon the ground and as it is testified of him he was huÌ„bled before God but it was not enough to cut his garmentes when his heart remayned thicke and swollen
more louynge tendernesse Therfore where he mindeth to teache that he is not inmeasurable in takyng punishmentes he reprocheth to the hard hearted obstinate people that beyng striken yet they make not an ende of sinning In this meaning he complaineth that Ephraim was as a â—ake scorched on the one side and rawe on the other bycause the corrections did not pearce into their mindes that the people hauynge their vices boyled out might be made mete to receyue pardon Truely he that so speaketh sheweth that so sone as a man hath repented he wil by and by become appeasable and that by our stifnesse he is enforced to that rigour in chastisyng of faultes which should haue ben preuented with willyng amendement Yet forasmuch as we all are of suche hardnesse and rudenesse as vniuersally needeth chastisemeÌ„t it semed good to him beyng a most wise father to exercise al without exception with a coÌ„mon scourge al their life long But it is maruelous why thei so cast their eyes vpon the only example of Dauid and are noâ— moued with so many examples in which they might haue beholden free forgeuenesse of sinnes It is read that the Publicane weÌ„t out of the temple iustified Their folowed no peyne Peter obteyned pardon of his offence his teares we reade sayth Ambrose his satisâ—actioÌ„ we reade not And the man sicke of the Palsey heard it spoken to him Rise thy sinnes are forgeuen thee There was no peyne layed vpon him Al the absolutions that are rehearsed in the Scripture are set out as geuen freely Out of this great number oâ— examples a rule shoulde rather haue ben gathered than of that only example that conteyneth in it a certaine speciall matter Daniel in his exhortation wherin he counselleth Nebuchadnezer to redeme his sinnes with righteousnesse and his iniquities with pitieng of the poore his meanyng was not to saye that righteousnesse mercie are satisfactorie appeasementes of God redemption of peines for God forbidde that there were euer any redemption sauinge only the bloud of Christ but to referre this word Redeming rather to men than to God as if he had sayd O king thou hast vsed an vnrighteous and violent gouernement thou hast oppressed the humble thou haste spoyled the poore thou haste hardly and vniustly handled thy people for thy vniust exactions for thy violence and oppression nowe render to them mercie and righteousnesse Likewise Salomon sayth that with charitie the multitude of sinnes is couered not before God but among men theÌ„selues For thus is the whole verse Hatred raiseth vp contentions but charitie couereth all iniquities In whiche verse as his manner is he doth by waye of comparison of contraries compare the euels that growe of hatreds with the frutes of charitie in this meanyng they that haâ—e together do one byte barke at reproche and rayle at an other and turne all thinges to the worst but they that loue together doe dissemble many thynges amonge themselues doe wynke at many thinges and pardon many thinges one to the other not that the one alloweth the others faultes but beareth with them and helpeth them with admonishyng rather than galleth them with reprochyng them And it is not to bee doubted that Peter allegeth this place in the same sense vnlesse we will accuse him of deprauyng and wrongfully wrestynge the Scripture But whereas he teacheth that sinne is purged with mercifulnesse and liberalitie he doth not meane that recompense is therewith made for sinne before the face of the Lord so that God beyng appeased by suche satisfaction dothe release the peyne that otherwise he would haue layed vpon them but after the accustomed manner of the Scripture he declareth that they shall finde him merciefull vnto them that leauyng their former vices iniquities do turne to him by godlinesse and truthe as if he should say that the wrath of God doth cesse and his iudgement rest when we cesse from our euell doynges Neither doth he there describe the cause of pardon but rather the manner of true conuersion As many times the Prophetes doe declare that Hypocrites doe in vayne pester God with forged ceremonious vsages in stede of repentaÌ„ce whereas it is vprightnesse of life with the duties of charitie that deliteth him As also the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes coÌ„mending liberalitie gentlenesse teacheth that such sacrifices please God And when Christ tauÌ„ting the Pharisees that geuing hede only to cleansyng of dishes they neglected the cleannesse of the heart coÌ„maunded them to geue almes that all might be cleane he dyd not thereby exhorte them to make satisfaction but only teacheth what manner of cleannesse pleaseth God Of whiche kinde of speach we haue entreated in an other place As touching the place of Luke no maÌ„ that hath with sound iudgement read the parable that the Lord did there recite will make vs any controuersie therupon The Pharisee thought with himselfe that the lord did not know the woman which he had so easily receiued into his presence For he thought that Christ wold not haue receiued her if he had knowen her such a sinner as she was And thereby he gathered that Christ was not a Prophet that might in suche sorte be deceyued The lord to shewe that she was no sinner to whom her sinnes were alredy forgeuen dyd put out this parable There were two dettours to one creditour vpoÌ„ vsurie the one ought fifty the other ought fyue hundred bothe had theyr dettes forgeuen them Whether oweth more thanke the Pharisee answered he to whome moste is forgeuen The Lorde replyed learne hereby that this womaÌ„s sinnes are forgeuen her bycause she hath loued muche In whiche wordes as you see he maketh not her loue the cause but the profe of the forgeuenesse of her sinnes For they are deriued vpoÌ„ a similitude of that â—ettour to whome fyue hundred was forgeuen to whome he dyd not saye that therefore it was forgeuen bycause he had loued muche but therefore loued muche bycause it was forgeuen And hereunto muste that similitude bee applyed in this sorte Thou thynkest this woman to be a sinner but thou oughtest to knowe that she is none suche for asmuch as her sinnes be forgeuen her And that her sinnes be forgeuen her her loue ought to proue vnto thee whereby she rendreth thanke for his benefite It is an argument gathered of the folowyng effect whereby any thinge is proued by signes ensuyng By what meane she obteyned forgeuenesse of sinnes the Lord openly restifieth Thy fayth sayth he hath saued thee Therefore we obteyne forgeuenesse by fayth By charitie we geue thankes and testifie the bountiefulnesse of the Lord. As for those thinges that are commonly founde in the bookes of olde wryters concerning satisfactioÌ„ they litle moue me I see in deede that many of theÌ„ I wil speake plainely in a manner al whose bokes remayne haue eyther erred in this point or spoken to crabbedly and hardely but I will not graunt that
boasted concernyng the merites of workes do ouerthrow as well the praise of God in geuing of righteousnesse as also the assurednesse of saluation NOw we haue declared that which is the chefe point in this matter that bycause yf righteousnesse be vpholden with workes it must needes by by fal downe before the sight of God it is conteined in the only mercie of God the only coÌ„municating of Christ therefore in only faith But let vs diligeÌ„tly mark that this is the chefe stay of the matter least we be entangled with that general error not only of the coÌ„mon people but also of learned meÌ„ For so sone as question is moued of the iustificatioÌ„ of faith workes they flee to those places which seme to geue to workes some merit in the sight of God as though the iustification of workes were fully wonne if it be ones proued that they be of any value with God But we haue aboue plainely shewed that the righteousnesse of workes coÌ„sisteth only in the perfect and ful keping of the law Wherupon foloweth that no maÌ„ is iustified by workes but he that hauyng climbed vp to the hiest top of perfection can not be proued gilty of any offense be it neuer so litle Therefore it is an other a seueral questioÌ„ Howsoeuer workes suffice not to iustifie a man whether yet do they not deserue fauour with God First of the name of merit I must needes say this afore hand yâ— whosoeuer first applied it to workes of meÌ„ coÌ„pared to the iugemeÌ„t of God he did very ill prouide for the purenesse of faith Truely I do by my good wil absteine froÌ„ striues about words but I wold with that this sobrietie bad alway beÌ„ vsed amoÌ„g Christian writers that they wold not haue fouÌ„d in their heartes to vse words strange froÌ„ the Scriptures which engeÌ„dred much offense no frute For whereto I beseche you was it needeful to haue the name of Merit brought in when the price of good workes might be fittly expressed by an other name wtout offense But how much offense the word coÌ„teineth in it is euident with the great hurt of the world Surely as it is most proude it caÌ„ do nothing but darkeÌ„ the grace of God and fill meÌ„ with froward pride The old writers of the Church I grauÌ„t haue coÌ„monly vsed it I wold to God they had not with the abusyng of one litle word geueÌ„ to posteritie matter of error Howbeit they theÌ„selues also do in many places testifie how in no case thei meant to geue any preiudice against the truth For thus sayth Augustine in one place Let Merites of men here hold their peace which haue perished by AdaÌ„ let the grace of God reigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The saintes geue nothing to their owne Merites they will geue al to none but to thy mercie O God In an other place WheÌ„ maÌ„ seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not froÌ„ himself but froÌ„ his God he seeth that al that which is praised in him is not of his own Merites but of the mercie of God You see how taking froÌ„ men the power of doing wel he also throweth downe the dignitie of Merit And Chrysostome sayth Our workes if there be any which folow the free calling of God are repayment det but the gâ—â—tes of God are grace bouÌ„tifulnesse the greatnesse of liberall geuing But leauing the name let vs rather loke vpoÌ„ the thing I haue verily before alledged a sentence out of Bernard â–ª As it sufficeth to Merit not to presume of Merites so to want Merites sufficeth to iudgemeÌ„t But by adding forth with an expositioÌ„ he sufficieÌ„tly mitigateth the hardinesse of the word where he sayth Therfore care thou to haue Merites wheÌ„ thou hast theÌ„ know yâ— thei are geueÌ„ hope for frute the mercie of God so thou hast escaped al daÌ„ger of pouertie vnthaÌ„kfulnesse presumptioÌ„ Happy is the church which neither waÌ„teth Merites without presumptioÌ„ nor presumptioÌ„ without merites And a litle before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of Merites saith he why shold the Church be careful which hath a stedfaster surer cause to glorie of the purpose of God God caÌ„ not denie himself he wil do that which he hath promised If there be no cause why the shuldest aske by what merites may we hope for good thinges specially sith yâ— hearest it sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to Merit to know that Merites suffice not What al our workes deserue the scripture sheweth wheÌ„ it saith that thei can not abide the sight of God bicause thei are ful of vncleannesse then what the perfect obseruing of the law if any such could be found shal deserue wheÌ„ it teacheth that we should think ourselues vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes when we haue done al thinges that are coÌ„maunded vs bicause we shal haue geueÌ„ nothing freely to the Lord but only haue performed our due seruices to whiche there is no thanke to be geuen But those good workes which he himself hath geuen vs the Lord both calleth oures testifieth that thei are not only acceptable to him but also that they shal haue reward It is our duetie againe for our part to be encouraged with so great a promise to gather vp our heartes that we be not weried with wel doyng to yeld true thankfulnesse to so great bouÌ„tifulnesse of God It is vndouted that it is the grace of God what soeuer there is in workes that deserueth prayse that there is not one droppe which we ought properly to ascribe to our selues This if we do truely earnestly acknowlege there vanisheth away not only all affiance but also opinion of Merit We I say do not part the prayse of good workes as the Sophisters do betwene god maÌ„ but we reserue it whole perfect vnminished to the lord Only this we assigne to man that eueÌ„ the self same workes that were good he by his vncleannes corrupteth defileth For nothing coÌ„meth out of maÌ„ how perfect so euer he be that is not defiled with some spot Therefore let the Lord cal into iudgement eueÌ„ these things that are best in the workes of meÌ„ he shal verily espie in them his owne righteousnesse but mans dishonestie shame Good workes therfore do please God are not vnprofitable to the doers of them but rather they receiue for reward the most large benefites of God not bicause thei so deserue but bicause the goodnesse of god hath of it self apointed this price vnto theÌ„ But what spitefulnesse is this that men not contented with that liberalitie of God which geueth vndue rewardes to workes that deserue no such thing do with ambitioÌ„ full of sacrilege endeuor further that that which is wholly of the liberalitie of God maye seme to be reÌ„dred to the merites of meÌ„ Here I appelle to the coÌ„mon iudgement of euery man If any
which hath not walked in the councell of the wicked which beareth temptation Blessed are they which kepe iudgement the vndefiled the poore in Spirit the meeke the mercifull c. they shall not make but that it shall bee true which Paul saith For bicause those thinges that ar ther coÌ„mended are neuer so in man that he is therfore allowed of God it foloweth the man is alwai miserable vnlesse he be deliuered from misery by forgeuenesse of sinnes For asmuch as therfore all the kindes of blessednes which ar extolled in the scriptures do fal down void so the man receiueth frute of none of theÌ„ til he haue obteined blessedness by forgeuenes of sins which mai afterward make place for theÌ„ it foloweth that this is not only the hiest the chefe but also the only blessednes vnlesse paraduenture you will haue that it be weakned of those which consist in it alone Now ther is much lesse reason why the calling of meÌ„ righteous shoulde trouble vs which is coÌ„monli geueÌ„ to the faithful I grauÌ„t verili that thei ar called righteous of the holines of liâ— but for asmuch as thei rather endeuor to the folowiÌ„g of righteousnes than do fulfil righteousnes it self it is mete that this righteousnes suche as it is giue place to the iustification of faith from whence it hath that which it is But thei say that we haue yet more busines with Iames namelye which with opeÌ„ voice fighteth against vs. For he teacheth both that AbrahaÌ„ was iustified by works and also that al we are iustified by workes not by faith only What then wil thei draw Paul to fight with Iames If thei hold Iames for a minister of Christ his saying must be so takeÌ„ that it disagre not froÌ„ Christ speakiÌ„g by the mouth of Paul The holy ghost affirmeth by the mouth of Paul that AbrahaÌ„ obteined righteousnesse by faith not by workes we also do teach that all are iustified by faith without the works of the law The same holy ghost teacheth by Iames that both Abrahams righteousnes and ours consisteth of workes not of only faith It is certain that the holy ghost fighteth not with himselfe What agrement shall ther be therfore of these two It is enough for the aduersaries if thei pluck vp the righteousnes of faith which we wolde haue to be fastened with most depe rootes but to render to consciences their quietnesse thei haue no great care Whereby verily you may see that thei gnaw the iustificatioÌ„ of faith but in the meane tim do apoint no mark of righteousnes wher coÌ„sciences may stay Therfore let them triumph as thei list so that thei may boaste of no other victorie than that thei haue taken away all certainetie of righteousnesse And this wretched victorie thei shal obteine where the light of truth being quenched the lord shal suffer theÌ„ to ouerspred the darknes of lies But whersoeuer the truth of God shal stand thei shall nothing preuaile I deny therefore that the saieng of Iames which thei still coÌ„tinually hold vp against vs as it wer the shelde of Achilles doth any thing at al make for theÌ„ That this may be made plaine first we must loke at the mark that the apostle shooteth at then we must note wher thei be deceiued Bicause there were theÌ„ many whiche mischefe is wont to be continual in the Church which openly bewraied their infidelitie in neglecting omitting al the propre works of the faithful yet cessed not to boaste of the false name of faith Iames doth here mock the folish boldnes of such meÌ„ Therfore it is not his purpose in any point to diminish the force of true faith but to shew how â—ondly those trifles did chalenge so much the vaine image of it that being contented herw t thei carelesly ranne dissolutely abroade into all licentiousnesse of vices This ground being coÌ„ceiued it shal be easy to perceaue where oure aduersaries do misse For thei fal into two deceites in the word the one in the name of faith that other in the word of iustifieng Whereas the Apostle nameth faith a vaine opinion farr distant from the truth of faith it is spokeÌ„ by waie of graunting which is no derogation to the matter whych he sheweth at the beginning in these words What profiteth it my brothreÌ„ If any man say that he hath faith hath no works He doth not say if any haue faith wtout workes but If any man boast More plainely also he speaketh a little after where he in mockerie maketh yt worse than the deuills knowledg last of al when he calleth it dead But by the definition you maye sufficiently perceaue what hee meaneth Thou beleuest saith he that there is a God Truely if nothing be conteined in thys faith but to beleue that there is a God it is now no maruel if it do not iustifie And when this is taken from it let vs not think that any thing is a bared from the Christian faith the nature whereof ys farre otherwise For after what manner doth true faith iustifie vs but when it coÌ„ioyneth vs with Christ that being made one with him we may enioy the partakyng of hys righteousnesse It dothe not therefore iustifie vs by this that it conceiueth a knowledge of the beinge of God but by thys that it resteth vpon the assurednesse of the mercy of God We haue not yet the work vnlesse we examine also the other deceite in the word for asmuche as Iames setteth part of iustificatioÌ„ in works If you wil make Iames agreing both with the rest of the Scriptures in himself you must of necessitie take the word of Iustifieng in an other significatioÌ„ thaÌ„ it is takeÌ„ in Paul For Paul saith that we ar iustified wheÌ„ the remeÌ„brance of our vnrighteousnes being blotted out we ar accoÌ„pted righteous If Iames had ment of that takinge he had wrongefully alleged that out of Moses AbrahaÌ„ beleued God c. For he thus frameth it together AbrahaÌ„ bi works obteined righteousnes bycause he sticked not at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God to offer vp his sonne And so the Scriptur was fulfilled whiche saithe that hee beleued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If it be an absurditie that the effect is before hys cause eyther Moses dothe in that place falsely testifie that faythe was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse or he deserued not righteousnesse by that obedience whiche he shewed in offering vp of Isaac Abraham was iustified by his faith when Ismael was not yet conceiued whych was nowe growen past childehode before that Isaac was borne Now therfore shal we saie that he got to himself righteousnesse by obedience which folowed long afterward Wherefore either Iames did wrongfully misturne the order which it is a wickednesse to thinke or he meant not to say that he was iustified as though he deserued to be accompted righteous How then Truely it appeareth that he speaketh of the declaration of righteousnesse and not the
dealing which he knew to be pleasing to the merciful kindnes of God agaist al euel speaking of meÌ„ whatsoeuer it be For we se what he saith in an other place that he knoweth no euel by himself but the he is not therby iustified namly bicause he knew that the iudgment of god far surmuÌ„teth the bleareyed sight of meÌ„ Howsoeuer therfore the godly do defend their innoceÌ„ce agaist the hypocrisie of the vngodly by the witnessing iudgmeÌ„t of God yet when thei haue to doe wyth God alone they all crye oute wyth one mouthe If thow marke iniquitie Lorde Lorde who shall abide it Entre not into iudgement with thy seruantes bycause euery one that liueth shall not be iustified in thy sight and distrusting their owne workes thei gladly sing Thy goodnesse is better than life There are also other places not vnlyke to these before in which a man may yet tarry Salomon saith that he whiche walketh in his vprightnesse is righteous Againe That in the path of righteousnesse is life and that in the same is not death After whiche manner Ezechiell reporteth that he shal liue life that doth iudgment and righteousnesse None of these do we either denye or darken But let there come forthe one of the sonnes of Adam with such an vprightnesse If ther be none either thei must perishe at the sighte of God or flee to the sanctuarie of mercie Neither do we in the meane time denie but that to the faithfull their vprightnesse though it be but halfe vnperfect is a step towarde immortalitie But whence commeth that but bicause whome the Lord hathe taken into the couenant of grace he searcheth not their works according to their deseruinges but kisseth them with fatherly kindenes Wherby we do not only vnderstand that which the scholemen do teache that works haue their value of the accepting grace For thei meane that workes which are otherwise in sufficient to purchase righteousnesse by the couenant of the law are by the accepting of God auauÌ„ced to the value of equalitie But I saie that thei being defiled bothe with other trespassinges with their owne spottes are of no other value at al than in so muche as the lord tenderly graunteth pardoÌ„ to bothe that is to say geueth free righteousnesse to maÌ„ Neither are here those praiers of the Apostle seasonaly thrust in place wher he wissheth so great perfectioÌ„ to the faithful that thei may be faultlesse vnblamable in the day of the loâ—â— These wordes in deede the Celestines did in olde tune turmoile to affirme a perfectioÌ„ of righteousnes in this life But which we thinke to be sufficient we answer brefely after Augustine that al the godly oughte in dede to endeuoure toward this mark that thei may one day appeare spotlesse faultlesse before the face of God but bicause the best most excellent maÌ„ner of this life is nothing but a going forward we shal then not til then atteine to this mark when being vnclothed of this flesh of sinne we shall fully cleaue to the lord Yet wil I not stiffely striue with him which will geue the title of perfectioÌ„ to the holy ones so that he also limit the same with the words of Augustine himselfe Whan saich he we wil cal the vertue of the holy ones perfect to the same perfectioÌ„ also belongeth the acknowledging of imperfection bothe in trueth and in humilitie The .xviii. Chapter That of the rewarde the righteousnesse of Workes is ill gathered NOw let vs passe ouer to those saiengs which affirme the God wil rendre to euery man according to his workes of whiche sort are these Euery man shal beare away that which he hath done in the body either good or euel Glory honoure to him that worketh good trouble distresse vpoÌ„ euery soule of him that worketh euel And thei whiche haue done good thinges shall goe into the resurrection of life thei which haue done euell into the resurrection of iudgement Come ye blessed of my father I haue hungred ye gaue me meate I haue thirsted ye gaue me drinke c. And with thâ— let vs also ioine these saiengs which cal eternal life the reward of works Of whithe sort ar these The rendring of the handes of a man shal be restored to him He that feareth the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t shal be rewarded Be glad reioise behold your reward is plentiful in heauen Euery man shal receiue reward according to his labore Wher it is said that God shal rendre to euery man according to his works the same is easily assoiled For that manner of speaking doth rather shew the ordre of folowing than the cause But yt is out of dout that the lord doth accoÌ„plish our saluatioÌ„ by these degrees of his mercy wheÌ„ those whom he hath choseÌ„ he calleth to him those whoÌ„e he hath called he iustifieth those whom he hath iustified he glorifieth Although therfore he do by his only mercie receiue them the be his into life yet bicause hee bringeth them into the possession therof by the race of good works that he may fulfil his work in them by such ordre as he hath apointed it is no maruel if it be said that thei be crowned accordig to their works by which wtout doubt they are prepared to receiue the crowne of immortalitie Yea after this manner it is fittly said that thei worke their own saluation when in applieng themselues to good works they practise theÌ„selues toward eternall life namly as in an other place thei are coÌ„maunded to work the meate which perisheth not when bi beleuing in Christ thei get to theÌ„selues life yet it is by by afterwarde added Which that sonne of man shal geue you Wherby appeareth that the word of Working is not set as contrary to grace but is referred to endeuoure therfore it foloweth not that either the faithful artheÌ„selues authors of their own saluatioÌ„ or that the same proceedeth froÌ„ their works How then So sone as thei are taken into the felowship of Christ by the knowledge of the Gospell the enlightning of the holy ghost eternal life is begone in them Now the same good worke which God hath begonne in them must also be made perfect vntil the day of the lord Iesu. And it is made perfect when resembling the heauenly father in righteousnesse holinesse thei proue theÌ„selues to be his children not swarued out of kinde There is no cause why we shold of the name of reward gather an argument that our works ar the cause of saluacioÌ„ First let this be determined in our hearts that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is not a reward of seruants but an inheritance of childreÌ„ which thei only shal enjoy that ar adopted of the lord to be his children for no other cause but for this adoptioÌ„ For the sonne of the bond womaÌ„ shal not be heir but the soÌ„ne of the sre woman And in the
predestinate we ought so to be affectioned that we would al men to be saued So shal it come to passe that whome soeuer we finde we shall trauaile to make him partaker of peace But our peace shal rest vpon the children of peace Therfore for our part we must applie holsome and sharp rebukyng to all men like a medicine that they perish not nor destroye other but it shal be the worke of God to make it profitable to them whome he hath foreknowen and predestinate The .xxiiii. Chapter ¶ That Election is stablished by the callyng of God but that the reprobrate do bryng vpon themselues the iust destruction wherunto they are apoynted BUt that the matter maye more plainely appere we must entreate bothe of the callyng of the elect and of the blinding and hardening of the wicked Of the first of these I haue already spoken somwhat â–ª when I confuted their errour whiche thing that the generalnesse of the promises extendeth egally to all mankinde But this election which otherwise God hath hidden with himselfe he doth not without choyse at length disclose by his callyng which a man maye therefore call the testifieng of it For whome he hath foreknowen them he hath also fore apointed to be fashioned like the image of his sonne whome he hath fore apointed them he hath also called whome he hath called them he hath also iustified that in time to come he maye glorifie them When the Lord hath by electing already adopted his into the number of his children yet we see how they entre not into possession of so great a benefit but when they be called on the other side how beyng called they do nowe enioye a certaine communicatyng of his election For whiche reason Paule calleth the Spirit whiche they receiue bothe the Spirit of adoption and the seale and earnest of the inheritance to come namely bicause it doeth with the testimonie thereof stablish and seale to their heartes the assurednesse of the adoptioÌ„ to come For though the preachyng of the Gospell spryng out of the fountayne of election yet bycause it is also coÌ„mon to the reprobate therfore it could not by it it selfe be a sure profe thereof But God effectually teacheth his elect that he may bryng them to fayth as we haue before alleged out of the wordes of Christ. Whoe so is of God he none other seeth the Father â–ª Againe I haue shewed thy name to the men whome thou haste geuen me Wheras he sayth in an other place No man can come to me vnlesse my Father drawe him Whiche place Augustine wisely weyeth whose wordes are these If as Truthe sayth euery one that hath learned coÌ„met whosoeuer coÌ„meth not certainely neyther hath he learned It doth not therefore folow that he which can come also coÌ„meth vnlesse he haue bothe willed and done it But euery one that hath learned of the father not only can come but also coÌ„meth wheÌ„ now there is present bothe the profit of comming and the affection of willyng and the â—eled with this light that they should refuse to loke vpon electioÌ„ Yet in the meane time I denie not that to the ende we maye be certayne of our saluation we must beginne at the word and that our affiance ought therewith to be contented that we maye call vpon God by the name of Father For some quite contrarie to righte order that they maye be certified of the counsell of God which is nere vnto vs in our mouth and in our heart do couet to flie aboue the cloudes Therefore that rashnesse is to be restrained with sobrietie of faith that it maye suffice vs that God in his outward worde is a witnesse of his hidden grace to that the conduit pipe out of whiche there floweth water largely for vs to drinke doe not hinder but that the springhed maye haue his due honor Therefore as they do wrongfully whiche hang the strength of election vpon the faith of the gospel by which faith we fele that electioÌ„ perteyneth to vs so we shall kepe the beste order if in sekyng the certaintie of our election we sticke fast in these later signes whiche are sure witnessinges of it Satan doâ—â— with no teÌ„tation either more greuously or more dangerously astonish the faithful than when disquieting them with doubt of their election he doth also moue them with a peruerse desire to seke it out of the way I cal it loking out of the way when a wretched man enterpriseth to breake into the hidden secretes of the wisedome of God and to pearce euen to the hiâ—st eternitie to vnderstand what is determined of himself at the iudgemeÌ„t seate of God For then he throweth himselfe hedlong to be swallowed vp into the depth of the vnmeasurable deuouryng pit then he wrappeth himselfe with innumerable snares and such as he caÌ„ not winde out of then he ouerwhelmeth himselfe with the bottoÌ„lesse depth of blinde darknesse For so is it rightfull that the foolishnesse of the wit of maÌ„ be punished with so horrible ruine when he attempteth of his owne force to rise vp to the height of the wisedome of God And so much more deadly is this tentation as there is none to which we are coÌ„monly all more beÌ„t For there is most rarely any man to be fouÌ„d whose minde is not somtime striken with this thought Whensâ— hast thou saluation but of the Election of God And of Election what reuelation hast thou whiche thought if it haue ones taken place in any man eyther perpetually vexeth the miserable man with terrible tormentes or vtterly dismayeth him Truely I would haue no surer argument than this experieÌ„ce to proue howe wrongfully such men imagine of predestination For the minde can be infected with no error more pesâ—ilent thaÌ„ that which plucketh downe and thrusteth the conscience from her peace and quietnesse toward God Therefore if we feare shipwreck we muste diligently beware of this rocke whiche is neuer stryken vpon without destruction And though the disputyng of predestination bee estemed like a dangerous Sea yet in passyng through it there is found a safe and quiet yea and pleasant saylyng vnlesse a man doe wilfully couet to be in danger For as they do drowne themselues in the deadly bottomlesse depth whiche to be certified of their election doe enquire of the secret Counsell of God without his worde so they whyche doe rightly and orderly searche it in suche sorte as it is conteyned in the worde receyue thereof a singular frute of comfort Let this therefore be our way to searche it that we beginne at the calling of God ende in the same Howebeit this withstandeth not but that the faithfull may thinke that the benefites whiche they dayly receiue at the hande of God doe descend from that secret adoption as they saye in Esaye Thou haste done maruels thy thoughtes are olde true and faithfull for asmuch as by that adoption as by a token the Lordes will is to coÌ„firme so much
himsefe do plainely teach Secondly ther is alleged a place of Paul wher he saith that God willeth al meÌ„ to be saued which although it haue a diuerse meaning from the other yet in somthing thei agre together I answer first that by the rest of the texte it is made plaine howe he willeth For Paul coupleth together that he willeth theÌ„ to be saued to come to the acknowledginge of the trueth If they will haue this to bee determined by the eternal counsel of God that thei receaue the doctrine of saluacioÌ„ what meaneth that sayenge of Moses What nation is so noble that God commeth neare to it as hee dothe to thee Howe came it to passe that God restrained from many people 's the lyghte of the Gospell whiche order enioyed How came it to passe that the pure knowledg of godlynesse neuer came to some and some scarscely tasted so muche as any darke prynciples of it Hereof yt shall nowe be easye to gather whereto Paule tendeth He hadde commaunded Timothee to make solemne prayers in the Churche for kinges and prynces But when it seemed somewhat an absurditie that prayers shoulde bee made to God for a kynde of menne in a manner despeired bycause they were not onely strangers froÌ„ the body of Christe but also endeuored with al theyr forces to expresse his kingdom he added that the same is acceptable to God which willeth al meÌ„ to be saued Wherbi verily he signifieth nothig els but that he hath stopped vp that way vnto saluation to no degree of meÌ„ but rather that he hath so powred out his mercie that he willeth no man to be voide of it The other senteÌ„ces do not declare what God hath by his secret iudgement determined of al men but do shewe that there is pardon redy for al sinners which do only turne themselues to require it For if they more stifly stande vpon this that it is sayd that he will haue mercie vpon all I will on the contrarie side answer them with that whiche is written in an other place That our God is in heauen where he doeth whatsoeuer he wil. This word therfore must so be expounded that it may agree with the other I wil haue mercie vpoÌ„ whom I wil haue mercie and I wil shew mercie to whom I wil shew mercie He that chooseth out them whoÌ„ he will haue mercie on doth not geue it to all But sithe it clearely appereth that in that place is spoken not of all particular men but of degrees of men we will make no longer disputing about it Howbeit it is also to be noted that Paule doth not affirme what God doth alway and euery where in all men but leaueth it to him at his libertie at length to make Kinges magistrates partakers of the heaueÌ„ly doctrine although by reason of their blindenesse they do now rage against it They seme to presse vs more stroÌ„gly with obiecting the place of Peter that God willeth none to perish but receyueth al to repentance But the vndoyng of this knot doth by by offer selfe in the second worde bycause the will to receyue can not be vnderstaÌ„ded to be any other than that which is euery where taught Truely the turning is in the hand of God whether he wil turne all or no let himselfe be asked when he promiseth that he will geue to a certayne fewe men a fleshly heart leauyng to other some a stony heart It is true in deede that vnlesse he were ready to receyue them whiche call vpon his mercie this sayeng should be false Turne to me and I wil turne to you But I saye that none of all mortal men doth come to God but he that is preuented of God And if repentance were in the will of man Paule would not say If paraduenture he geue them repentance Yea vnlesse the same God which with word exhorteth al meÌ„ to repentance did with secret mouyng of his spirit bryng the chosen to it Ieremie would not say Turne me Lorde and I shal be turned for when thou hast turned me I haue repented But thou wilt say yf it be so there shal be smal truthe in the promises of the gospel which when they testifie of the wil of God affirme that he willeth that which is against his inuiolable decree Not so For howesoeuer the promises of saluation be vniuersall yet they nothyng disagree with the predestination of the reprobate so that we direct our myndes to the effect of them We knowe that then and not till then the promises are effectuall to vs when we receyue them by fayth on the other side when fayth is made voyde the promyse is therewithall abolished If this be the nature of them let vs then see whether these thynges disagree together that it is sayde that God hath from eternitie ordeyned whome he will embrace with loue and vpon whome he will exercise wrath and that he promiseth saluation to al without difference Truely I say that they agree very well For in so promisyng he meaneth nothing els than that his mercie is set open for al which do couet craue it which thing none do but they whoÌ„ he hath enlightned And them he enlightueth whom he hath predestinat to saluacioÌ„ Thei I saie haue the truth of the promises sure vnshaken so as it can not be said that there is any disagreement betwene the eternal election of God the testimonie of his grace which he offereth to the 〈◊〉 But why nameth he Al verily that the coÌ„sciences of the godly may the more saâ—ely rest when thei vnderstand that ther is no dyfference of synuers so 〈◊〉 be preseÌ„t that the wicked may not cauil for their excuse that thei 〈◊〉 saÌ„ctuary whervnto thei may wtdrawe themselues from the bondage of sinne when with their owne vnthankfulnesse thei refuse yt being offred theÌ„ Therfore when the mercie of God is by the Gospel offred to both sortes it is faith that is to say the enlightniÌ„g of god which maketh difference betwene the godly vngodly so as the one sort feleth the effectualnesse of the gospel the other sort obteine no frut therof The enlightning it self also hath the eternal electioÌ„ of God for the rule thereof The coÌ„plaint of Christ which thei allege IerusaleÌ„ Ierusalem howe oft haue I willed to gather together thy chickens but the woldest not maketh nothing for theÌ„ I grant the Christ ther speaketh not only in the person of maÌ„ but also reprocheth them that in al ages thei haue refused his grace But we must define the wil of God which is entreated of For neither is it vnknowen how diligently God endeuored to kepe stil that people with how great stifenesse thei euen from the first to the last being geuen to theyr waÌ„dering desires refused to be gathered together but it foloweth not therof that the counsel of God was made voide by the malice of meÌ„ They answer say that
God denyeth that he is bounde to wycked Pryestes by thys that he couenanted with their Father Leui that he should be his Angel or interpreter yea he turneth agaynst themselues their false bostyng wherewyth they were wonte to rise vp against the Prophetes that the dignitie of Priesthode was to be had in singular estimation Thys he wyllyngly admitteth and wyth the same condition he debateth wyth thē because he is ready to keepe hys couenaunt but when they doe not mutually performe their parte to hym they deserue to be reiected Loe what succession auayleth vnlesse therewithal be also ioyned an inuitation and euenly continuing course euen to thys effect that the successors so sone as they be proued to haue swarued from theyr originall be depryued of all honor Unlesse parhappes because Caiphas succeded many Godlye byshops yea there was euen from Aaron to hym a continuall vnbrokē course of succession therefore that same mischeuous assemblie was worthy the name of the Churche But this were not tolerable euen in earthly dominions that the tyranny of Caligula Nero Heliogabalus and suche other should be called a true state of Common weale for that they succeded the Brutes Scipions and Camilles But specially in the gouernement of the Churche there is nothyng more fonde than leauyng the Doctrine to sette the succession in the Persons only but neyther did the holy doctours whom they falsely thruste in vnto vs meane any thyng lesse then to praie that precisely as it were by ryght of inheritance Churches be there where byshops are successiuely placed one after an other But where as it was then out of controuersie that from the very begynnyng to that age nothyng was chaunged in Doctrine they alledged that whiche myght suffise to make an ende of all newe errours that is that by those was that doctrine oppugned which had ben euen from the Apostles constantly and with one agreing consent reteined There is therfore no cause why they shold any longer go forward to deceiue by pretending a false colour vnder the name of the Churche which we do reuerently esteme as becometh vs but when they come to the definition of it not only water as the common sayeng is cleaueth vnto them but they stick fast in their own myre because they put a stinkyng harlo◠in place of the holy spouse of Christe That this puttyng in of a changelyng should not deceiue vs beside other admonitions let vs remēbre this also of Augustin For speaking of the Church he saith It is it that is sometime darkned and couered with multitude of offences as with a cloude sometime caulmnesse of time appeareth quiete and free sometime is hidden and troubled with waue of tribulations and temptations He bringeth forth examples that oftētimes the strongest pillers either valiantly suffred banishment for the faith or were hidden in the whole worlde In like maner the Romanistes do vexe vs and make afraide the ignoraunt wyth the name of the Church whereas they be the deadly enemies of Christe Therfore althoug they pretende the temple the priesthode and the other suche outward shewes this vayne glistring wherwyth the eyes of the simple bee daseled oughte nothyng to moue vs to graunt that ther is a Church where the Word of God doth not appere For this is the perpetual marke wherewith God hath marked thē that be his He that is of the truth saith he heareth my voyce Agayne I am that good shepeherd and I knowe my shepe and am knowen of them My shepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me And a little before he had sayd that the shepe follow their shepherde because they know his voyce but they follow not a straunger but runne away from him because they know not the voyce of straungers Why are we therfore wilfully madde in iudgyng the Churche wheras Christ hath marked it with an vndoutefull signe which wheresoeuer it is seene can not deceiue but that it certainly sheweth the Churche to bee there but where it is not there remayneth nothing that can geue a true signification of the Church For Paule rehearseth that the church was builded not vpon the iudgementes of men not vpon priesthodes but vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes But rather Hierusalem is to be seuerally knowen from Babylon and the Church of Christ from the conspiracie of Satan by that difference wherewyth Chryste hath made them differēt one from the other He that is of God saith he heareth the Words of God Ye therfore heare not because ye ar not of God In a summe forasmuche as the Chirche is the kingdom of Christ and he reigneth not but by his word can it be now doutfull to any man but that those be the wordes of lyeng by whiche Christes kyngdom is fayned to be without his scepter that is to say without his holy worde But now where as they accuse vs of Schisme and heresie because we bothe preach a contrary doctrine to them and obey not their lawes and haue our assemblies to Praiers to Baptisme to the ministration of the Supper and other holy doinges seuerally from them it is in dede a very sore accusation but suche as needeth not a long or laboursome defence They are called heretikes and schismatikes which makyng a diuision doo breake in sunder the communion of the Chirche And this cōmunion is holden together with true bondes that is to say the agrement of true Doctrine and brotherly charitie Whervppon Augustine putteth this difference betwene heretikes and schismatikes that heretikes in dede do with false doctrines corrupt the purenesse of Faith but the Schismatikes somtime euē where there is like Faith do breake the bond of felowship But this is also to be noted that this conioinyng of charitie so hangeth vpon the vnitie of Faith that Faith ought to be the beginnyng therof the ende and finally the onely rule Let vs therfore remembre that so oft as the vnitie of the Chirch is commended vnto vs this is required that while our myndes agree in Christ our willes also may be ioyned together with mutual well willing in Christ. Therefore Paule when he exhorteth vs to that wel willing taketh for his foundation that there is one God one Faith and one Baptisme Yea where so euer he teacheth vs to be of one mynde of one wil he by by addeth in Christ or according to Christ meanyng that it is a factious cōpanie of the wicked and not agreement of the faithfull whiche is wythout the woorde of the Lorde Cyprian also folowyng Paule deriueth the whole fountaine of the agreement of the Chirch from the onely bishoprike of Christ. He afterward addeth the Chirch is but one which spredeth abrode more largely into a multitude with encrease of frutefulnesse like as there bee many sunne beames but one light and many braūches of a tree but one body grounded vpon a fast roote And when many streames doo flowe from one fountayne althoughe the nomber
aduaunced than it was when he sayde He that heareth you heareth me He that despiseth you despiseth me But there is no place more playne than in Paule in his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians where he as it were of purpose entreateth of this matter He affirmeth therefore that there is nothyng in the Chirche more excellent or glorious than the ministerie of the Gospell forasmuche as it is the administration of the Spirite and of righteousnesse and of eternal life These and like sayenges serue to this purpose that that order of gouerning and preseruing the Chirch by ministers which the Lord hath stablished for euer should not growe oute of estimation among vs and so at length by very contempt grow out of vse And howe greate is the necessitie therof he hath declared not onely by wordes but also by examples When his wil was to shine more fully to Cornelius with the light of his trueth he sente an Angell from heauen to sende Peter vnto him When his will was to call Paule to the knowlege of himselfe and to engraffe him into the Chirch he spake not to him with his own voice but sente him to a man of whom he shoulde receiue both the doctrine of saluation and the sanctification of Baptisme If it be not done without cause that an Angell which is the interpreter of God doe himselfe absteine from declaring the wil of God but commaundeth that a man be sente for to declare it and not withoute cause that Christ the onely scholemaister of the faithfull commytteth Paule to the schooling of a man yea euen that same Paule whom he had determined to take vp into the thirde heauen and to vouchsaue to graunt him miraculous reuelation of thinges vnspeakable whoe is there now that dare despise that ministerie or passe it ouer as a thyng superfluous the vse wherof it hath pleased God to make approued by such examples They that haue rule of the gouernement of the Chirche according to the institution of Christ are named of Paule first Apostles then Prophetes thirdly Euangelistes fourthly Pastors laste of all Teachers Of which the twoo last alone haue ordinarie office in the Chirche the other three the Lord raised vp at the beginning of hys kingdome and sometime yet also rayseth vp as the necessitie of times requireth What is the Apostles office appeareth by that commaundemente go preache the Gospell to euery creature There are not certaine boundes appointed vnto them but the whole worlde is assigned them to be brought into the obedience of Christe that in spreading the Gospell among all nations whersoeuer they shall be able they maye eche where raise vp his kingdome Therefore Paule when he wente aboute to proue his Apostleship rehearseth that he hath gotten to Christ not some one citie but hath farre and wide spred abrode the Gospell and that he hath not layed his handes to an other mans fundation but planted Chirches where the name of the Lorde had neuer ben heard of Therfore the Apostles were sente to bring backe the world from falling awaye vnto true obedience of God and eche where to stablish his kingdome by preaching of the Gospell or if you like that better as the first bilders of the Chirche to laye the fundations therof in all the worlde Prophetes he calleth not all expositors of Gods will whatsoeuer they be but those that by singular reuelation excelled suche as at this tyme either be none or are lesse notable By Euangelistes I vnderstande those whiche when in dignitie they were lesse than the Apostles yet in office were nexte vnto them yea and occupied their roomes Suche were Luke Timothee Titus and other lyke and paraduenture also the seuentie Disciples whom Christ appointed in the seconde place after the Apostles According to this exposition which semeth to me agreable both with the woordes and meaning of Paule those three offices were not ordeined in the Chirche to this ende that they should be perpetuall but onely to serue for that tyme wherein Chirches were to be erected where were none before or at least to be remoued from Moses to Chryst. Albeit I denie not but the afterwarde also the Lord hath somtyme raysed vp Apostles or at least in their places Euangelistes as it hath ben done in our time For it was nedefull to haue such to bryng backe the Chirche from the falling away of Antichrist Yet the office it selfe I do neuerthelesse call extraordinarie because it hath no place in the Chirches already well set in order Next after these are Pastors and Teachers whom the Chirche may neuer lacke betwene whom I thynke that there is thys difference that the Teachers are not appoynted to beare rule of discipline nor for the ministration of Sacramentes nor admonishmentes or exhortations but onely to expounde the Scripture that pure and sounde doctrine may be kept among the faithfull But the office of Pastor conteineth al these thynges within it Now we haue which were those ministeries in the Chirch that continued but for a tyme and which were those that were ordeined to endure perpetually If we ioyne the Euangelistes with the Apostles we shall haue remayning two couples after a certayne maner answeryng the one to the other For as oure Teachers are lyke to the olde Prophetes in such sort are our Pastors lyke to the Apostles The office of Prophetes was more excellent by reson of the singular gifte that they had of reuelation but the office of Teachers hath in a manner lyke order and altogether the same ende So those .xii. whom the Lorde dyd choose that they should publish abrode to the world the new preaching of the Gospel in degre and dignitie went before the rest For although by the meanyng and propertie of the worde all the ministers of the Chirche maye be ryghtly called Apostles because they are sente of the Lorde and are hys messengers yet because it was muche behouefull that there should be a certayne knowledge had of the sendyng of them that should bring a thing new and vnheard of it was necessarie that those xii to whoe 's number Paule was afterwarde added should be garnished with some peculiar title aboue the rest Paule hymselfe in dede in â—â—e place geueth thys name to Andronicus and Iunias whom he saieth to haue been notable among the Apostles but when he meaneth to speake properly he referreth it to none other but to that principal degree And this is the common vse of the Scripture Yet the Pastors sauing that eche of them do gouerne seueral Chirches appointed to them haue al one charge with the Apostles Now what maner of thing that is let vs yet heare it more playnly The Lord when he sent the Apostles gaue them commaundemente as we sayd euen now to preache the Gospell and to baptise them that beleue vnto forgeuenesse of synnes He had before commaunded that they should distribute the holy signes of his body and bloud as
than eche one seuerally neither is it my meaning that thys is so spoken in common to the faithful as though they were al alike endued with the Spirite of vnderstanding and doctrine but because it is not to be graunted to the aduersaries of Christ that they should for the defense of an euill cause wrest the Scripture to a wrong sense But omitting this I simply cōfesse that which is true that the lord is perpetually presēt with his ruleth them with his Spirite And that this Spirite is not the Spirite of error ignorance lyeng or darkenesse but of sure reuelation wisedome trueth light of whō they not deceitfully may learne those thinges that are geuē them that is to say what is the hope of their calling what be the richesse of the glory of the inheritaunce of God in the saintes But wheras the faythful euen they that are endued with more excellent giftes aboue the rest do in thys fleshe receiue onely the firste frutes a certaine tast of that Spirite there remaineth nothing leeuer to them thā knowing their own weakenesse to hold themselues carefully within the boundes of the worde of God least if they wander farr after their own sense they by by stray out of the right waie in so much as they be yet voide of that Spirite by whoe 's only teaching truth is discerned from falshode For all men do confesse with Paule that they haue not yet atteined to the marke Therfore they more endeuor to daily profiting than glory of perfection But they wil take exception say that whatsoeuer is particularly attributed to euery one of the holy ones the same doth throughly fully belong to the Chirche it selfe Although this hath some seming of truth yet I deney it to be true God doth in dede so distribute to euery one of the members the giftes of his Spirite by measure that the whole body wanteth nothing necessarie whē the giftes are geuē in cōmon But the richesse of the Chirche are alway such that there euer wāteth much of that hiest perfection which our aduersaries do bost of Yet the Chirche is not therefore so lefte destitute in any behalf but that she alway hath so much as is enough For the Lord knoweth what her necessitie requireth But to holde her vnder humilitie and godly modestie he geueth her no more than he knoweth to be expedient I know what here also they are wont to obiecte that is that the Chirche is clensed with the washing of water in the worde of life that it might be without wrincle and spot and that therfore in an other place it is called the piller and stay of truth But in the first of these two places is rather taught what Christ daily worketh in it than what he hath allredy done For if he daily sanctifieth purgeth polysheth wypeth from spottes all them that be his truely it is certayne that they are yet besprinkled with some spottes and wrincles and that there wanteth somwhat of their sanctificatiō But how vayne and fabulous is it to iudge the Chirch alredy in euery part holy and spottlesse wherof all the members are spotty and very vncleane It is true therefore that the Chirche is sanctified of Christe But onely the beginning of that sanctifieng is here seen but the ende and full accomplishment shall be when Christe the holiest of holy ones shall truely and fully fill it with his holinesse It is true also that the spottes and wrincles of it are wiped awaye but so that they be daily in wiping awaye vntill Christe with his comming dooe vtterlye take awaye all that remaineth For vnlesse we graunt this we must of necessitie affirme with the Pelagians that the righteousnesse of the faithfull is perfect in this life and with the Cathani and Donatistes we muste suffer no infirmitie in the Chirch The other place as we haue ells where seen hath a sense vtterly differing from that which they pretende For when Paule hath instructed Timothee and framed him to the true office of a Bishop he sayeth that he did it to this purpose that he should knowe how he ought to be haue himselfe in the Chirch And that he should with the greater religiousnesse and endeuor bend himselfe thereunto he addeth that the Chirch is the very piller stay of truth For what ells do these wordes meane but that the truth of God is preserued in the Chirch namely by the ministerie of preaching As in an other place he teacheth that Christ gaue Apostles Pastors and Teachers that we should no more be caried about with euery winde of doctrine or be morked of men but that being enlightened with the true knowledge of the Sonne of God we should altogether mete in vnitie of Faith Wheras therfore the truth is not extinguished in the world but remayneth safe that same cōmeth to passe because it hath the Chirche a faithful keper of it by whoe 's helpe ministerie it is susteined But if this keping standeth in the ministerie of the Prophetes and Apostles it foloweth that it hangeth wholy herupō if the word of the Lord be faithfully preserued doe kepe hys puritie But that the reders may better vnderstande vpon what pointe thys question chefely standeth I wil in fewe wordes declare what our aduersaries require and wherin we stande against them Where they say that the Chirche can not erre it tendeth herunto thus they expounde it that forasmuch as it is gouerned by the Spirite of God it may goe safely without the worde that whether soeuer it goeth it can not thinke nor speake any thing but truth that therfore if it determine any thing wtout or beside Gods worde the same is no otherwise to be estemed than as a certaine Oracle of God If we graūt that first point that the Chirche can not erre in thinges necessarie to saluation this is our meaning that this is therfore because forsaking al her own wisdome she suffreth her selfe to be taught of the Holy ghost by the word of God This therfore is the difference They set the authoritie of the Chirch without the worde of God but we wil that it be annexed to the worde and suffer it not to be seuered from it And what maruel is it if the spouse and scholar of Christ be subiect to her husbande scholemaister that the cōtinually and ernestly hāgeth of his mouth For this is the order of a wel gouerned house that the wife should obey the authoritie of the husbande thys is the rule of a wel ordered schoole that the teaching of the scholemaster alone should there be heard Wherfore let the Chirche not be wise of her selfe not thinke any thing of her selfe but determine the ende of her wisdōe where he hath made an ende of speaking After thys maner she shal also distruste all the inuentions of her owne reason but in those thinges wherin it stādeth vpō the word of God she shall wauer
In disputations sayeth he of diuine maters there is a prescribed doctrine of the Holy ghost the bokes of the Gospels and of the Apostles with the Oracles of the Prophetes do fully shewe vs the meanyng of God Therefore layeng away discorde let vs take the discussinges of questions out of the wordes of the Spirite There was at that tyme no man that spake agaynst these holy monitions No man toke exception that the Chirche might adde somwhat of her own that the Spirite reueled not all thynges to the Apostles or at least vttered them not to those that came after or any suche thyng If it be true whiche oure aduersaries would haue fyrste Constantine did euil that toke from the Chirche her authoritie then whereas none of the Bishops at that time rose vp to defend it this was not without breach of their faith for so they were betraiers of the right of the Chirche But sith Theodorite reherseth that they willingly embraced that which the Emperor saied it is certaine that this newe doctrine was then vtterly vnknowen The .ix. Chapter Of Councels and of their authoritie NOw although I graunt them al thinges concerning the Chirch yet they shal therby not much preuaile for their intent For whatsoeuer is said of the Chirch the same they by and by geue to the Councels forasmuche as in their opiniō those represent the Chirch Yea where they so stiffly contend for the power of the Chirche they doe it of no other purpose but to geue all that they can gett to the Bishop of Rome and his gard But ere I begin to discusse this question I must nedes here make protestation of twoo thinges aforehande First that where I shall in thys point be somwhat roughe it is not because I lesse esteme the olde Councels than I ought to doe For I reuerence them from my hart and wishe them to be had in their due honor with all men But herein is some meane that is that there bee nothing withdrawen from Christ. Now this is the right of Christe to be the hed in all Councells and to haue no man felow with him in this dignitie But I say that then only he is the hed when he gouerneth the whole assemblie with his worde and Spirite Secondly whereas I geue lesse to Councells thā the aduersaries require I do it not for this cause that I am afrayed of the Councells as though they dyd make for their side and wer against ours For as we are aboundantly furnished with the worde of the Lord to the full profe of our owne doctrine fully and to the ouerthrowe of the whole Papistrie that we nede not muche to desire any other thing beside it so if the mater require the old Councells do for a great part minister vnto vs so much as may suffice for both Now let vs speake of the thing it selfe If it be soughte of the Scriptures what is the authoritie of Councells there is no playner promise thā in this saying of Christ Where twoo or three shal be gathered together in my name there I am in the middest of them But that doeth no lesse belong to euery particular assemblie than to a generall Councell But the dout of the question standeth not therin but because there is a condition added that God wil so only be in the middest of the Councel if it be gathered together in hys name Therfore although oure aduersaries doe a thousande tymes name Councells of Bishops they shal litle preuail neither shal they make vs to beleue that which they affirme that is that they be gouerned of the Holy ghost vntil they haue proued that they are gathered together in the name of Christ. For it is as possible that wicked and euil Bishops may conspire against Christ as good and honest Bishops may come together in hys name For a very clere profe herof are many decrees that haue proceded from suche Councells But this shal be sene hereafter Nowe I do but aunswer in one worde that Christe promiseth nothing but to them that are gathered to gether in his name Let vs therfore define what that is I denye that they be gathered together in the name of Christ which casting awaye the commaundement of God wherein he forbiddeth any thing to bee added to his worde or taken from it do decree euery thyng after their owne wil which beyng not contented with the Oracles of the Scripture that is to saye the onely rule of perfecte wisedome do imagine some new thing of their owned hed Surelye sithe Christ hath not promised that he wyll be present at all Councels but hath adioyned a peculiar marke wherby to make true and lawfull Councells differente from other it is mete that we should not neglect this difference This is the couenant which in old tyme God made with the Leuitical Priests that they shold teach out of his mouth This he alway required of the Prophetes this lawe also we see to haue ben laid vpon the Apostles Who so breake this couenāt God doeth not vouchsafe to let them haue the honor of Presthode nor any authoritie Lette the aduersaries vndoe me this knotte if they wyl make my fayth bonde to the decrees of men beside the worde of God For wheras they think not that truth remaineth in the Chirch vnlesse it be among the Pastors and that the Chirch it self standeth not vnlesse it appere in generall Councells that is farre from hauyng ben alwaye true if the Prophetes haue left vnto vs true testimonies of their owne tymes There was in the tyme of Esaie a Chirch at Hierusalem which God had not yet forsaken But of the pastors he saith thus The watchmen are all blynde neither knowe they any thyng They are all dumme dogges neither are they able to barke They lye along and slepe and loue sleping and the Pastors themselues knowe nothyng nor do vnderstande and they do altogether loke backe vnto their owne waies After the same maner Osee saieth The watcheman of Ephraim with God the snare of the fouler hatred in the house of God Where ioyning them with God by waye of mockage he teacheth that their pretense of the presthod is vaine The Chirche also endured vnto the tyme of Hieremie Let vs heare what he saieth of the Pastors From the Prophet euen to the preste euery one foloweth lying Agayne The Prophetes doo prophecie a lye in my name when I haue not sent theim nor commaunded them And least we should be to long in recityng his wordes let those thynges be red that he hath written in the whole .xxiii. and .xl. chapiters At that time on the other side Ezechiel did no more gently inueye against the same men The conspiracie saieth he of the Prophetes in the middes of her as a roaryng lyon and that violentlye taketh his praie Her prestes haue broken my lawe and haue defiled my holy thynges and haue made no difference betwene holy and prophane and the
rest that he adioyneth to the same effect Like complaintes are euery where in the Prophetes so that nothyng is ofter found in them But perhappes it might be that that was so among the Iewes but our age is free from so great an euill I would to God in deed it wer so but the Holy ghost hath geuen warnyng that it shal be farre otherwise The wordes of Peter are plaine As saieth he there were in the olde people false Prophets so shall there also bee among you false teachers slyly bryngyng in sectes of perdition See you not how he saieth that there is daunger to come not by men of the cōmon people but by them that shal boste themselues with the title of Teachers Pastors Moreouer how oft hath it ben forespoken by Christ his Apostles that there should very great daungers hang ouer the Chirch by the Pastors Yea Paule plainly sheweth that Antichrist shal sit in no other place than in the temple of God Wherby he signifieth that the horrible calamitie of whiche he there speaketh shall come from no where els but from them that shall sitte in stede of Pastors in the Chirch And in an other place he sheweth that the beginnyngs of so great a mischief are euen alredy nere at hand For when he speaketh to the bishops of Ephesus I know saieth he that after my departure there shall enter in to you rauenyng wolues not sparing the flocke And they shal be of your own selues that shall speake peruerse thynges to leade away disciples after them How muche corruption might a long course of yeares bryng amōg Pastors when they coulde so farre goe out of kynde in so small a space of tyme And not to fyll muche paper with rehersyng them by name we are admonished by the examples in a maner of al ages that neither the truth is alway nourished in the bosome of the pastors nor the safetie of the Chirch doeth hang vpon their state They ought in dede to haue bene the gouernours and kepers of the peace and safetie of the Chirche for preseruation wherof they are ordeined but it is one thyng for a man to performe that whiche he ought and an other thyng to owe that whiche he performeth not Yet lette no man take these our wordes in suche part as thoughe I woulde euery where and rashely without any choise diminishe the authoritie of Pastors I do but onely admonishe that euen among Pastors them selues there is a choise to bee had that we should not immediatly thinke them to be pastors that are so called But the Pope with all his flocke of Bishops vpon none other reason but because they are called pastors shaking away the obedience of the word of God do tumble and tosse all things after their owne lust and in the meane tyme thei trauaile to persuade that they can not be destitute of the light of truth that the spirite of God perpetually abideth in them that the Chirche cōsisteth in them dieth with them As though there be now no iugementes of the Lorde wherby he may punishe the worlde at this daye with the same kynde of punishement wherwith somtyme he toke vengeance of the vnthankfulnesse of the olde people that is to strike the Pastors with blindnesse and amased dullnesse Neither do they most foolish mē vnderstande that they syng the same song whiche those in old time did syng that warred against the worde of God For the enemies of Hieremie did thus prepare them selues against the truthe Come and we will imagine imaginations against Ieremie forasmuche as the lawe shall not perishe from the Preste nor counsell from the wyse man nor the worde from the Prophete Hereby it is easy to answer to that other obiectiō concerning general Councells It can not be denied but that the Iewes had a true Chirch in the time of the Prophetes But if ther had then ben a general Coūcell gathered together of the Prestes what maner face of the Chirche had there appered We heare what God saith not to one or two of them but to the whole order The prestes shal be astonied and the prophetes shal be made afraide Againe The law shall perishe from the prest and counsell from the Elders Againe Night shal be to you in steede of a vision and darknesse in stede of prophecieng the sunne shall fall downe vpon the Prophetes and be darkened vpon these daies c. Well if all suche had then ben gathered together in one what Spirit should haue gouerned in that assemblie of that thyng we haue a notable example in that Councel which Achab called together Ther were present fower hundred Prophetes But because they were come togither of no other mynde but to flatter the wicked kyng therfore Satan was sent of the Lorde to be a lying spirite in the mouth of them all There by all their voices the truthe was condemned Micha was condemned for an heretike striken and cast in prison So was done to Hieremie so to the other Prophetes But let one example suffice for all whiche is more notable then the rest In that Councell which the Bishops and Pharisees gathered at Hierusalem against Christ what can a man say that there wanted in so muche as pertained to the outwarde shewe For if there had not then ben a Chirch at Hierusalem Christ would neuer haue cōmunicate with their sacrifices and other ceremonies There was made a solemne summoning of them together the hie Bishop sat as chief ▪ the whole order of prestes sate by hym yet Christ was there condemned and his doctrine driuen away This doyng is a profe that the Chirche was not enclosed in that Councell But there is no perill that any such thyng should happen to vs. Who hath geuē vs assurāce therof For it is not without fault of sluggishnesse to be to carelesse in so great a mater But wher the Holy ghost doeth with expresse wordes prophecie by the mouth of Paule that there shall come a departyng which can not come but that the Pastors must be the first that shall forsake God why are we herin wilfully blynde to our owne destruction Wherfore it is in no wise to be graunted that the Chirch consisteth in the companie of Pastors for whom the Lord hath no where vndertaken that they shall perpetually bee good but he hath pronounced that they shall sometime be euill But when he warneth vs of the daunger he doeth it to this entente to make vs the warer What then wilt thou saye Shall the Councells haue no authoritie in determinyng Yes forsoothe For neither doo I here argue that all Councels are to be condemned or all their actes to be repelled or as the saying is to be defaced with one blotte But thou wilte say to me thou bryngest them all into subiection that it maye bee free for euery man to receiue or refuse that whiche the Councells haue determined Not so But so oft as the
it was drawen to those signes whiche had a reuerende representation of hie and spiritual thinges Which Augustine also noteth in one place It were long sayth he to dispute of the diuersitie of signes which when they perteine to diuine thinges are called Sacramentes Now of this definitioÌ„ which we haue set we vnderstande that a Sacrament is neuer without a promise going before it but rather is adioined as a certaine addition hanging to it to this ende that it should confirme and seale the promise it selfe and make it more approued vnto vs yea after a certaine maner ratified Which meane the Lord foreseeth to be nedefull first for our ignorance and dullnesse and theÌ„ for our weaknesse and yet to speake properly not so much to coÌ„firme his holy word as to stablish vs in the Faith therof For the truth of God is by it selfe sounde and certaine enough and can not froÌ„ any other where receiue better confirmation than from it selfe But our Faith as it is smal and weake vnlesse it be stayed on euery side and be by al meanes vpholden is by and by shaken wauereth staggereth yea and fainteth And herein verily the mercifull Lorde according to his great tender kindnesse tempereth himselfe to our capacitie that whereas we be naturall men which alway creping vpon the grounde and sticking fast in the flesh dooe not thinke nor so much as coÌ„ceiue any spiritual thing he vouchesaueth euen by these earthly elementes to guide vs vnto himselfe and in the fleshe it selfe to set fourth a mirror of spirituall good thinges For if we were vnbodily as Chrysostome sayth he would haue geuen vs the very same thinges naked and vnbodily Now because we haue soules putte within bodies he geueth spirituall thinges vnder visible thinges Not because there are suche giftes planted in the natures of the thinges which are set fourth to vs in the Sacramentes but because they were signed by God to this signification And this is it which they coÌ„monly say that a SacrameÌ„t coÌ„sisteth of the word the outward signe For we must vnderstande the worde to be not that which being whispered wtout meaning Faith with onely noise as it were with a magical enchauntment hath power to coÌ„secrate the element but which being preached maketh vs to vnderstande what the visible signe meaneth Therfore that which was vsually done vnder the tyraÌ„nie of the Pope was not without a great profaning of the mysteries For they thought it inough if the Prest while the people stode amasedly gazing at it without vnderstanding did mumble vp the forme of consecration Yea they of set purpose prouided this that no whit of doctrine shoulde thereof come to the people for they spake all thinges in Latine before vnlearned men Afterwarde superstitioÌ„ brake out so farr that they beleued that the consecration was not formally made vnlesse it were with a hoarse whispering sounde which fewe might heare But Augustine teacheth farr otherwise of the Sacramental worde Let the word sayth he be added to the element and there shal be made a SacrameÌ„t For whense cometh this so great strength to the water to touch the body and washe the soule but by the word making it not because it is spoken but because it is beleued For in the very worde it selfe the sounde which passeth is one thing and the power whiche abideth is an other This is the worde of Faith which we preach sayth the Apostle Wherevpon in the Actes of the Apostles it is said by Faith cleansing their hartes And Peter the Apostle sayth So Baptisme also saueth vs not the putting away of the filthinesse of the flesh but the examination of a good coÌ„science This is the worde of Faith which we preach by which without dout that it may be able to cleanse Baptisme also is halowed You se how it riquireth preaching wherupoÌ„ Faith may growe And we nede not to trauaile much in profe hereof forasmuch as it is clere what Christ did what he commaunded vs to do what the Apostles folowed what the purer Chirch obserued Yea euen from the beginning of the world it is knowen that so oft as God offred any signe to the holy Fathers there was added an vnseparable knot of doctrine without which our senses should be made amased with bare beholding Therfore wheÌ„ we heare mention made of the Sacramental worde let vs vnderstand the promise which being with a loude voice preached of the minister may leade the people thether as it were by the hande whether the signe tendeth and directeth vs. Neither are some to be heard which trauail to fight against this with a doble horned argument rather suttle than sounde Either say they we know or we knowe not that the worde of God which goeth before the Sacrament is the true will of God If we knowe it then we learne no new thing of the Sacrament which foloweth after If we know it not then neither wil the Sacramente teach it whoe 's whole force standeth in the worde Wherunto let this brefely be for an answere that the seales which are hanged at patentes and other publike instrumentes takeÌ„ by themselues are nothing forasmuche as they shoulde be hanged in vaine if the parchemente had nothing written in it yet they doe not therefore not confirme and seale that which is written when they be added to writinges Neither can they say that this similitude is lately fayned by vs whiche Paule himselfe vsed calling CircumcisioÌ„ a seale where he purposely trauaileth to proue that Circumcision was not righteousnesse to Abraham but a sealyng of that couenaunte by faith whereof he had alredy ben iustified before And what I beseche you is there that may muche offende any man if we teache that the promise is sealed with Sacramentes when of the promises themselues it is euidente that one is confirmed with an other For as euery one is manifester so is it more fit to vpholde faith But the SacrameÌ„tes do both bring most clere promises and haue this peculiar more than the worde that they liuely represent them to vs as it wer painted out in a table Neither ought that distinction any thing to moue vs which is wont to be obiected betwene Sacramentes and seales of patentes that wheras both consist of carnall elementes of this world those can not suffice or be mete to seale the promises of God which are spirituall and euerlasting as these are wont to be haÌ„ged to for sealing of the grauntes of Princes concerning fading and fraile thinges For a faithfull man when the Sacramentes are prâ—sente before his eyes sticketh not in that fleshly sighte but by those degrees of proportion whiche I haue spoken of he riseth vp with godly consideration to the hie mysteries which lie hidden in the Sacramentes And sith the Lord calleth his promises couenantes and his Sacramentes seales of couenantes a similitude may wel be brought froÌ„ the couenantes of men What can a sowe killed worke if wordes were not vsed
to admonishe them of what force the worde of God is of it self being preached by man he compareth the ministers themselues to husbandemen which when they haue bestowed their labor and trauaile in tillyng the earth haue no more to do But what shold tillyng and sowing and wateryng profit vnlesse that whiche is sowen should receiue liuetynesse by heauenly benefite Therfore he concludeth that bothe he that planteth and he that watereth are nothyng but that all thynges are to be ascribed to God whiche alone geueth the encrease Therefore the Apostles do in their preachyng vtter the power of the Spirite so farre as God vseth the instrumentes ordeined by hymselfe to the settyng foorth of his spirituall grace Yet we must kepe still that distinction that we remembre what man is able to do by hymselfe and what is propre to God Sacramentes are so confirmations of our Faith that many tymes when the Lorde meaneth to take away the confidence of the very thynges that are by hym promysed in the Sacramentes he taketh away the sacramentes themselues When he spoyleth and thrusteth away Adam from the gifte of immortalitie he sayth Let him not eate of the fruite of lyfe least he lyue for euer What sayth he Coulde that fruite restore to Adam his vncorruption from which he was nowe fallen No. But this is all one as if he had said Least he should enioy a vaine confidēce if he kepe still the signe of my promise let that bee shaken awaye from hym whiche myght bryng hym some hope of immortalitie After this maner when the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to remēbre that they were forein gestes of the testamentes strangers from the felowship of Israell without God without Christ he saith that they were not partakers of Circumcision Whereby he doth by figure of transnomination signifie that they were excluded from the promise it self which had not receiued the signe of the promise To their other obiection that the glorie of God is conueyed to creatures to whome so muche power is ascribed and that therby it is so farre diminished we haue in redynesse to answere that we set no power in creatures Onely this we say that God vseth meanes and instrumentes whiche he hymselfe seeth to be expedient that all thynges may serue his glorie forasmuch as he is Lorde and iudge of all Therfore as by bread and other nourishementes he feedeth our body as by the sunne he enlightneth the world as by fire he warmeth yet neither bread nor the sunne nor fyre are any thing but so farre as by those instrumentes he dothe distribute his blessynges vnto vs so spiritually he nourisheth Faith by the Sacramentes whose onely office is to sett his promises before our eies to be loked vpon yea to be pledges vnto vs of them And as it is our duetie to fasten none of our affiance in other creatures which by the liberalitie and bountifulnesse of God are ordeined to our vses and by the ministerie wherof he geueth vs his giftes nor to haue them in admiration praise them as causes of our good so neither ought our confidence to sticke fast in the Sacramentes nor the glorie of God to be remoued vnto them but leauyng all thynges both our Faith and confession ought to rise vp to him the author bothe of the sacramentes and of all thyngs Wheras some bring an argument out of the very name of a Sacrament it is nothyng strong A Sacrament saye they whereas it hath among allowed authors many significations yet it hath but one which agreeth with the signes that is wherby it signifieth that solemne othe whych the soldior maketh to his capitaine when he entreth into profession of a soldior For as by that othe of warfare newe soldiors do bynde their faith to the capitain and professe to be his soldiors so by our signes we professe Christ our capitaine and do testifie that we serue vnder his banner They adde similitudes to make therby the mater more playne As a gowne made the Romains seuerally knowen frō the Grekes which dyd weare clokes as the very degrees of men at Rome were discerned by their seueral signes the degree of Senators from the degree of knightes by purple cote and piked shooes againe a knyghte from a cōmoner by a ryng so we beare our signes that may make vs seuerally knowen from prophane men But by the thynges aboue said it is euident enough that the olde writers whyche gaue to the signes the name of Sacramentes hadde no regarde howe this woorde was vsed among Latine writers but for theyr owne purpose fayned this newe signification wherby they signified onely holy Signes But if wee will searche the mater more depely it maye seme that they haue with the same relation applied this woorde to suche a signification wherewith they haue remoued the name of Faith to that sense wherin it is nowe vsed For wheras Faith is a truthe in performyng promises yet they haue called Faith an assurednesse or sure persuasion whiche is had of the truth it selfe Likewise wheras a Sacrament is the soldiors part wherby he voweth hymselfe to his capitayne they haue made it the capitaynes parte whereby he receyueth soldiors into roomes of seruice For by the Sacramente the Lorde doothe promise that he will be oure God and that we shall bee his people But we passe ouer suche suttleties forasmuche as I thynke I haue proued with argumentes playne enoughe that they hadde respecte to nothyng ells but to signifie that these are Signes of holye and spirituall thynges We receyue in deede the similitudes whyche they bryng of outwarde tokens but we allowe not that that whyche is the last poynte in the Sacramentes is by them set fo◠the chiefe yea and onely thyng But this is the fyrste poynte that they should serue our Faith before GOD the later poynt that they should testifie our confession before men Accordyng to this later consideration those similitudes haue place But in the meane tyme lette that first point remaine because otherwise as we haue already proued the mysteries should be but colde vnlesse they were helpes to our faith and additions to doctrine ordeined to the same vse and ende Agayne we must be warned that as these men doo weaken the force and vtterly ouerthrowe the vse of Sacramentes so on the contrarie syde there be some which faine to Sacramentes I wote note what secrete vertues whiche are no where red to be putt in them by God By which error the simple and vnskilfull are dangerously deceiued while they are bothe taught to seke the giftes of God where they can not bee founde and are by little and little drawen away from God to embrace mere vanitie in stede of his veritie For the Sophisticall schooles haue taught with great consent that the Sacramentes of the new law that is to say those which are nowe in vse in the Christian Chirch do iustifie and geue grace so that we do not laie a stoppe of deadly
sinne It can not be expressed howe pernicious and pestilent this opinion is and so muche the more because in many ages heretofore to the great losse of the Chirch it hath preuailed in a great part of the world Truely it is vtterly deuelishe For when it promiseth righteousnesse without Faith it driueth soules hedlong into destruction then because it fetcheth the cause of righteousnesse from the Sacramentes it byndeth the miserable myndes of men already of their owne accorde to muche bendyng to the earth with this superstition that they rather reste in the sighte of a bodily thyng than of God himselfe Which two thyngs I wold to God we had not so proued in experience so little nede they any long proofe But what is a Sacrament taken without Faith but the moste certaine destruction of the Chirch For wheras nothyng is to be loked for therof without the promise and the promise dothe no lesse threaten wrathe to the vnfaithfull than it offreth grace to the faithfull he is deceyued that thinketh that there is any more geuen to him by the Sacraments than that which beyng offred by the word of God he receiueth by Faith Wherupon an other thyng also is gathered that the affiance of saluation hangeth not vpon the partakyng of the Sacrament as though Iustification consisted therin which we knowe to be reposed in Christ onely and to be coÌ„municated vnto vs no lesse by the preachyng of the Gospell than by the sealyng of the Sacramente and that withoute that it can not wholly stande So true is that which Augustine also writeth that inuisible sanctification may be without a visible signe and agaynâ— that a visible signe may be without true sanctification For as he also writeth in an other place men do put on Christ somtyme vntill the receyuyng of a sacrament sometyme euen vntil the sanctification of life And that firste poynt may be coÌ„mon both to good and to euill but this other is propre to the good and godly Herupon cometh that distinction if it be well vnderstanded whiche the same Augustine hath often noted betwene a Sacrament and the thyng of the Sacrament For it not only signifieth that the figure and truthe are there conteined but that they doo not so hang together but that they may be seuered and that eueÌ„ in the very conioyning the thyng muste alwaye be discerned from the signe that we geue not to the one that which belongeth to the other He speaketh of the seperation when he writeth that the Sacramentes do worke in the only elect that which they figure Agayne when he writeth thus of the Iewes When the sacramentes were common to all the graâ—â—â—as not common which is the power of the Sacramentes So noâ—â—â— also the washing of regeneration is common to all but the grace it selfe whereby the membres of Christ are regenerate with their hed is not common to all Agayne in an other place of the Supper of the Lord We also at this daye receyue visible meate But the Sacrament is one thyng and the power of the Sacramente an other thyng What is this that many receiue of the altar and dye and in receyuyng do die For the Lordes morsell was poyson to Iudas not because he receiued an euell thing but because he beyng euell receiued a good thyng euelly A little after The sacrameÌ„t of this thyng that is of the vnitie of the body and blood of Christe is somewhere prepared on the Lordes table dayly somewhere by certaine distances of dayes and therof is receyued vnto life to some and vnto destruction to some But the thyng it selfe wherof it is a Sacrament is receiued vnto life to all meÌ„ but vnto destruction tomo maÌ„ whosoeuer is partaker of it And a little before he had sayd He shall not dye whych eateth but he which perteineth to the power of the sacrament not to the visible SacrameÌ„t which eateth within not without whiche eateth with hart not he which presseth with toothe Thus you heare euery where that a Sacrament is so seuered from his owne truthe by the vnworthinesse of the receiuer that there remaineth nothing but a vaine and vnprofitable figure But that thou mayst haue not a signe voide of truth but the thyng with the signe thou muste conceyue by Faith the woorde which is there enclosed So how muche thou shalt by the Sacraments profite in communicatyng of Christ so muche profyte shalte thou take of them If this be somewhat darke because of the shortenesse I will sette it out in mo wordes I say that Christ is the mater or if thou wilte the substance of all sacramentes forasmuche as in hym they haue all their perfectnesse and do promise nothyng without hym So muche lesse tolerable is the error of Peter Lombard which doth expresly make them causes of righteousnesse and saluation wherof they be parts Therfore biddyng all causes farwell whiche mans witt dothe faine to it selfe we ought to stay in this one cause Therfore how muche we be by their ministerie holpen to the nourishyng confirmyng and encreasyng of the true knowlege of Christ in vs and to the possessyng of hym more fully and to the enioyeng of his richesse so muche effectualnesse they haue with vs. But that is don when we do with true faith receiue that which is there offred Do the wicked then wilte thou saye bryng to passe by their vnthankfulnesse that the ordinance of God be voide and turne to nothyng I answer that that which I haue said is not so to be takeÌ„ as though to force and truthe of the Sacrament dyd hang vppon the state or will of hym that receiueth it For that whiche God hath ordeyned remaineth stedfast and kepeth still his nature howsoeuer men doo varie But sith it is one thyng to offre an other to receiue nothyng withstandeth but that the signe halowed by the worde of God may be in dede that which it is called and kepe his owne force and yet that there come thereby no profite to an euell doer and wicked man But Augustine dothe in fewe woordes well assoyle this question If saythe he thou receauest carnally it ceasseth not to be spirituall but it is not to thee But as Augustine hath in the aforesayde places shewed that a SacrameÌ„t is a thyng nothyng worth if it be seuered froÌ„ the truth therof so in an other place he geueth warnyng that euen in the very conioynyng nedeth a distinction least we sticke to much in the outward signe As sayth he to folowe the letter and to take the signes in stede of the thinges is a point of a seruile weakenesse so to expounde the signes vnprofitably is a poynte of euell wandryng error He nameth twoo faultes whyche are here to be auoyded The one when we so take the signes as thoughe they were geuen in vayne and when with abacyng or diminyshyng theyr secrete significations by oure enuiousnesse we bryng to passe that they bryng vs no profite at all The other
examples when he shewed to Abraham a lighte in a smoking ouen when he watered the flece with dew the earth remayning dry againe he watered the earth the flece being vntouched to promise victory to Gedeon when he drew the shadowe of the diall .ix. lynes backeward to promise safetie to Ezethias These thinges when they were done to relieue and stablishe the weakenesse of their Faith were then also Sacramentes But our presente purpose is to discourse peculiarly of those Sacramentes whiche the Lord willed to be ordinarie in his Chirch to nourishe his worshippers and seruantes into one Faith and the confession of one Faith For to vse the wordes of Augustine men can be congeled together into no name of religion either true or false vnlesse they be bounde together with some felowship of visible signes and Sacramentes Sithe therefore the moste good Father foresawe thys necessitie he did from the beginning ordeine certayne exercises of godlinesse for his seruantes whiche afterwarde Satan by turning them to wicked and superstitious worshippinges hath many wayes depraued and corrupted Hereupon came those solemne professions of the Gentiles into their holy orders and other bastarde vsages which although they were full of error and superstition yet they also were therewith a profe that men could not in profession of religion be without suche outwarde signes But because they neyther were grounded vppon the worde of God nor were referred to that trueth whereunto all signes oughte to be directed they are vnworthy to be rehearsed where mention is made of the holy signes whiche are ordeined of God and haue not swarued from their fundation that is that they should be helpes of true godlinesse They consist not of bare signes as were the boaw and the tree but vpon Ceremonies or rather the signes that be here geuen are Ceremonies But as it is aboue sayd that they be on the Lordes behalfe testimonies of grace and saluatiō so they be againe on our behalfe markes of profession by which we openly sweare to the name of God for our partes bynding our Faith vnto him Therefore Chrysostome in one place fittly calleth them couenātinges wherby God byndeth hymselfe in league with vs and we be bounde to purenesse and holinesse of life because here is made a mutuall forme of couenanting betwene God and vs. For as the Lorde therin promiseth that he will cancell and blot out whatsoeuer giltinesse penaltie we haue gathered by offending and doth reconcile vs to himselfe in his only begotten Sonne so we againe on our behalfes do by thys profession bynde oure selues vnto hym to the folowing of Godlinesse and innocence so that a man may rightly say that such Sacramētes are Ceremonies by which God wil exercise his people first to the nourishing stirring vp and strēgthening of Faith inwardly then to the testifieng of religion before men And euen these Sacramentes also were diuerse after the diuerse order of tyme according to the distribution whereby it pleased the Lorde to shewe hymselfe after thys or that manner to men For to Abraham and his posteritie Circumcision was commaunded wherunto afterwarde purifienges and Sacrifices and other Ceremonies were added out of the law of Moses These were the Sacramentes of the Iewes vntil the comming of Christ at which comming those being abrogate twoo Sacramentes were ordeined whiche nowe the Christian Chirch vseth Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. I speake of those that were ordeined for the vse of the whole Chirch For as for the layeng on of handes whereby the ministers of the Chirch are entred into their office as I do not vnwillingly suffer it to be called a Sacrament so I doe not recken it among the ordinarie Sacramentes As for the rest which are commonly called Sacramentes what they are to be accompted we shal se by and by Howbeit the olde Sacramentes also had respect to the same marke wherunto ours doe tende that is to directe and in a maner leade by the hande to Christ or rather as images to represent hym and shewe hym fourth to be knowē For wheras we haue alredy taught that they are certayne seales wherwith the promises of God are sealed and where it is most certaine that there was neuer offred any promise of God to men but in Christ that they may teache vs of some promyse of God they must nedes shewe Christ. Wherunto perteineth that heauenly paterne of the tabernacle and of the worshipping in the law which was geuen to Moses in the mount One only differēce there is that those did shadowe out Christe being promised when he was yet loked for these doe testifie him alredy geuen and deliuered When these thinges shall all be particularly and eche one seuerally declared they shal be made much playner Circumcision was to the Iewes a signe whereby they were putt in mynde that whatsoeuer commeth of the sede of man that is to saye the whole nature of man is corrupte and hath nede of proyning Moreouer it was a teaching and token of remembrance whereby they should confirme themselues in the promyse geuen to Abraham concerning that blessed sede in whome all the nations of the earth were to be blessed from whome they had their owne blessing to be looked for Nowe that healthfull sede as we are taughte of Paule was Chirst in whome alone they hoped that they shoulde recouer that whiche they had loste in Adam Wherefore Circumcision was to them the same thyng whiche Paule sayth that it was to Abraham namely the seale of the righteousnesse of Fayth that is to saye the seale whereby they shoulde be more certainly assured that their Fayth wherewith they loked for that sede shoulde be accompted to them of GOD for righteousnesse But we shall vppon a better occasion in an other place gooe throughe with the comparison of Circumcision and Baptisme Baptisinges and purifienges did sette before their eies their owne vncleannesse filthinesses and pollution wherwith they were defiled in their owne nature but they promised an other washing wherby al their filthinesses should be wiped and washed away And this washing was Christ with whoe 's blood we beeing washed do bryng hys cleannesse into the sight of God that it maye hyde all our defilinges Their Sacrifices did accuse them of their owne wickednesse and therewithall did teache that it was necessarie that there shoulde be some satisfaction whiche shoulde be payed to the iugement of God That therefore there shoulde be some one chefe Bishop a mediator betwene God and men which should satisfie God by sheding of blood and by offring of a Sacrifice whiche should suffice for the forgeuenesse of synnes This chefe Prest was Christ he himselfe shed hys owne blood he himselfe was the Sacrifice for he offred himselfe obediente to hys Father vnto death by which obedience he toke awaye the disobedience of man whiche had prouoked the displeasure of God As for oure Sacramentes they doe so muche more clerely presente Christe vnto vs as he
comming diminished or cut short the grace of his Father Which sayeng is not wtout abhominable blasphemie Wherfore as euen the children of the Iewes wer called a holy sede because beyng made heires of the same couenant they were made differing from the children of the vngodly for the same reson euen yet also the children of Christians are accompted holy yea although they be the issue but of one parent faythfull and as the Apostle witnesseth they differ from the vncleane sede of idolatrers Now when the Lord immediatly after the couenant made with Abraham commaunded the same to be sealed in infantes with an outwarde Sacrament what cause will Christians allege why they should not at this day testifie and seale thesame in their children Neither let any maÌ„ obiecte against me that the Lorde commaunded hys couenante to be confirmed with no other signe than of circumcision which is long agoe taken away For we haue in redinesse to answere that for the tyme of the olde testamente he ordeined circumcision to confirme his couenant but circumcision being taken away yet alway remaineth the same maner of confirming whiche we haue common with the Iewes Wherfore we must alway diligently consider what is common to bothe and what they haue seuerall from vs. The couenant is common the cause of confirming it is common Onely the manner of confirming is diuerse because circumcision was that to them in place whereof Baptisme hath succeded among vs. Otherwise if the testimonie whereby the Iewes were assured of the saluation of their sede be taken away from vs it shoulde be broughte to passe by the comming of Christ that the grace of God should be darker and lesse approued by testimonies to vs than it was before to the Iewes If that can not be sayd wtout extreme sclaunder of Christ by whom the infinite goodnesse of the Father hath more clerely and liberally than euer heretofore ben poured fourth vpon the earth and declared to men we must nedes graunt that it is at the least not more pinchingly to be suppressed nor to be sett fourth with lesse testimonie than it was vnder the darke shadowes of the lawe Wherefore the Lorde Iesus mynding to shewe a token whereby the worlde mighte vnderstande that he was come rather to enlarge than to limit the mercy of God gently embraced children offred vnto hym rebuking the disciples which went about to forbid them to come to hym forasmuche as they did leade those to whome the kingdome of heauen belongeth away from him by whome alone the entrie is open into heauen But will some man say what like thing hath Baptisme with this embracing of Christ. For neither is it reported that he Baptized them but that he receiued them embraced them and wished them well Therefore if we lift to folowe his example let vs helpe infantes with prayer but not Baptise them But let vs weye the doinges of Christe somwhat more hedefully than suche kinde of men doe For neither is this to be lightly passed ouer that Christ commaundeth infantes to be brought vnto him adding a reasoÌ„ why because of such is the kingdome of heauen And afterwarde he witnesseth hys wil with dede when embracing them he commendeth them to his Father with his praier and blessing If it be mete that infantes be brought to Christ why is it not also mete that they be receiued to Baptisme the signe of our communion and felowship with Christ If the kingdome of heaueÌ„ be theirs why shall the signe be denied them wherby there is as it were an entrie opened into the Chirch that being admitted into it they may be adnoÌ„bred among the hetres of the heauenly kingdome Howe vninst shall we be if we dryue away them whome Christ calleth vnto hym if we spoyle them whome he garnisheth with his gyftes if we shutt out them whoÌ„ he willingly receiueth But if we will examine howe muche that which Christe there did differeth from Baptisme yet of howe muche greater pryce shall we haue Baptisme whereby we testifie that infantes are conteined in the couenant of God than receiuing embracing layeng on of handes and prayer whereby Christe himselfe being presente declareth that they bothe are hys and are sanctified of hym By the other cauillations whereby they labor to mocke out thys place they doe nothing but bewraye their owne ignorance For they gather an argument of this which Christ sayth Let litle ones come to me that they were in age good bigg ones whiche were allredy able to goe But they are called of the Euangelistes brephe and paidia by which wordes the Grekes doe signifie babes yet hanging on the brestes Therefore thys woorde to come is simply sette for to haue accesse Loe what snares they are compelled to make which are growen hard againste the truthe Nowe where they saye that the kingdome of heauen is not geuen to them but to suche as be lyke them because it is saied to be of suche not of them that is no sounder than the rest For if that be graunted what maner of reason shal the reason of Christ be wherby he meaneth to shewe that infantes in age are not strangers from hym When he commaundeth that infantes be suffered to haue accesse vnto him nothyng is plainer than that very infancie in dede is there spoken of And that this should not seme an absurditie he by and by addeth of suche is the kingdome of heauen But if it muste nedes be that infantes be comprehended herein it muste be plaine that by this worde Suche are meant very infantes themselues and suche as be like them Now there is no man that seeth not that Baptisme of infantes was not framed by man which is vpholden by so great approuyng of Scripture Neither doo they colorably enough play the fooles which obiect that it is no where found that any one infant was baptised by the handes of the Apostles For although it be not expressly by name rehearsed of the Euangelistes yet because agayne they are not excluded so ofte as mention happeneth to be made of the baptisyng of any householde who vnlesse he be madde can reason therupon that they were not baptised If such argumentes were of any force women should be forbidden to partake of the Lordes supper whome we reade not to haue ben receiued vnto it in the tyme of the Apostles But here we bee contente with the rule of faith For when we consider what the institution of the Sâ—pper requireth therby also we maye easily iudge to whom the vse therof ought to be communicated Which we obserue also in Baptisme For when we marke to what ende it was ordeined we euidently espye that it belongeth no lesse to infants than to elder folkes Therefore they can not be depriued of it but that the will of the author muste be manifestly defrauded But wheras they spred abrode among the simple people that there passed a long roawe of yeares after the resurrection of Christ in which the Baptisme of
infantes was unknowen therin they most fowly doo lye For there is no writer so olde that doth not certainly referre the beginnyng therof to the tyme of the Apostles Nowe remaineth that we breefely shewe what fruite commeth of this obseruation bothe to the faithfull whiche present theyr chyldren to the Chirche to be baptised and also to the infantes themselues that be baptised with the holy water that no man shold despise it as vnprofitable or idle But if it come in any mans minde vpon this pretence to mocke at the Baptisme of infantes he scorneth the commaundemente of Circumcision geuen by the Lorde For what will they bryng foorth to impugne the Baptisme of infantes which may not also be throwen backe against Circumcision So the Lorde taketh vengeance of their arrogance whiche do by and by condemne that which they comprehend not with the sense of their owne fleshe But God furnisheth vs with other armures wherby their foolishnesse may be beaten flatt For neither this his holy institution by whiche we feele out faith to be holpen with singular comfort deserueth to be called superfluous For Gods signe communicated to a childe doth as it wer by an emprinted seale confirme the promise geuen to the godly parente and declareth that it is ratified that the Lorde will be God not onely to hym but also to his seede â—nd will continually shewe his good will and grace not to hym onely but also to his posteritie euen to the thousandth generation Where when the great kindnesse of God vttereth it selfe firste it yeldeth moste large mater to aduauÌ„ce his glorie and ouerspreadeth godly hartes with singular gladnesse because they are therwithall more earnestly moued to loue agayne so godly a Father whom they see to haue care of their posteritie for their sakes Neither do I regarde if any man take exception and say that the promise ought to suffise to confirme the saluation of our children forasmuche as it hath pleased God otherwise whoe as he knoweth our weaknesse willed in this behalfe so much to beare tenderly with it Therfore let them that embrace the promise of Gods mercy to be extended to their children thynke that it is theyr duetie to offer them to the Chirche to be signed with the signe of mercy and therby to encourage themselues to a more assured coÌ„fidence because they do with present eye beholde the couenant of the Lorde grauen in the bodies of their children Agayne the children receyue some commoditie of their Baptisme that beyng engraffed into the bodye of the Chirche they bee somewhat the more coÌ„mended to the other meÌ„bres Then when they are growen to riper age they be therby not sclenderly stirred vp to earnest endeuor to worshyp God of whom they haue ben receiued into his children by a solemne signe of adoption before that they coulde by age acknowe hym for their Father Finally that same condemnation oughte greatly to make vs afrayde that God will take vengeance of it if any man despise to marke his sonne with the signe of the couenant because by suche contempt the grace offred is refused and as it were forsworne Now let vs examine the argumentes wherby certaine furious beastes do not cesse to assaile this holy institution of God Fyrst because thei see that they be excedyngly nere driuen and hard strained with the likenesse of Baptisme and Circumcision they labor to pluck in sonder these two signes with great difference that the one shoulde not some to haue any thyng common with the other For they say that both diuers thinges are signified and that the couenant is altogether diuers and that the namyng of the children is not all one But while they go aboute to proue that first point they allege that circumcision was a figure of mortification and not of Baptisme Whiche verily we do moste willynglye graunt them For it maketh very well for our syde Neither doo we vse any other profe of our sentence than that Baptisme and Circumcision are signes of mortification Hereupon we determine that Baptisme is set in the place of Circumcision that it shoulde represente vnto vs the same thyng whiche in old tyme it signified to the Iewes In affirming the difference of the couenant with howe barbarous boldnesse do they turmoyle and corrupt the Scripture and that not in one place alone but so as they leaue nothyng safe or whole For they depainte vnto vs the Iewes so to be carnal that they be lyker beasts than men with whoÌ„ forsooth the couenant made procedeth not beyonde the temporall lyfe to whome the promyses geuen doe reste in presente and bodyly good thynges If this doctrine take place what remayneth but that the nation of the Iewes were for a tyme fylled with the benefites of God none otherwise than as they fatte a hearde of swyne in a stye that at lengthe they shoulde perishe with eternall damnation For so soone as we allege Circumcision and the promises annexed vnto it they answer that Circumcision was a litterall sygne and the promyses thereof were carnall Truely if circumcision was a literall signe there is no otherwise to be thought of Baptisme For the Apostle in the seconde Chapter to the Colossians maketh the one no more spirituall than the other For he sayth that we are circumcised in Christe with a circumcision not made with hande puttyng away the body of sinne that dwelled in our fleshe which he calleth the circumcision of Christ. Afterward for declaration of that sayeng he adioineth that we be buried with Christ by Baptisme What meaneth he by these wordes but that the fulfillyng and truth of Baptisme is also the truthe and fulfillyng of circumcision because they figure bothe one thyng For he trauaileth to shewe that Baptisme is the same to ChristiaÌ„s which circumcision had ben before to the Iewes But forasmuch as we haue now euidently declared that the promises of bothe the signes and the mysteries that are represented in them doo agree together we wil for this present tary no longer vpon them Only I will put the faithfull in mynde that though I holde my peace they should weye with themselues whether it be taken for an earthly and literall signe vnder whiche nothyng is conteyned but spirituall and heauenly But that they should not sell their smokes to the simple we will by the way confute one obiection wherwith they color this most shamelesse lye It is most certaine that the principall promises wherin was conteyned the couenant whiche in the Olde testamente God stablished with the Israelites were spriritual and tended to eternall life and then agayne that they were receiued of the fathers spirituallye as it was mete that they myght therof receiue affiance of the life to come wherunto they loÌ„ged with the whole affectioÌ„ of their hart But in the meane tyme we denie not but that he witnessed his good will towarde them with earthly and carnall benefites by which also we say that the same promise of spiritual things was confirmed
As when he promised euerlastyng blessednesse to his seruant Abraham that he myght sett before his eies a manifest token of his fauor he addeth an other promise concernyng the possession of the lande of Chanaan After this maner we ought to vnderstande al the earthly promises that are geuen to the Iewiche nation that the spirituall promise as the hed wherunto they are directed shold alway haue the chefe place But sithe I haue more largely entreated of these thynges in the difference of the newe and olde testament therfore nowe I do the more slightly knitte it vp In the namyng of the children they finde this diuersitie that in the olde testament they were called the children of Abraham whiche issued of his sede but that nowe they are called by that name whiche follow his faith And that therfore that carnall infantie which was by circuÌ„cision graffed into the felowship of the couenant figured the infantes of the newe testament whyche are regenerate by the worde of God to immortall lyfe In whych woordes we beholde in dede a smalle sparcle of truthe but herin these lyghte spirites greuously offende that when they catche holde of that whyche fyrste commeth to theyr hande when they should go further and compare many thynges together they stand slytly vpon one worde Wherby it can not otherwyse bee but that they must somtyme be deceiued whych rest vpon the sounde knowlege of nothyng We graunt in dede that the carnall seede of Abraham did for a tyme holde the place of the spirituall sede whiche is by faith graffed into hym For we be called his children howsoever there is no naturall kinred betwene hym and vs. But if they meane as they playnly shew that they doo that there was neuer spirituall blessing promised to the carnal sede of Abraham herein they are muche deceiued Wherfore we muste leuell to a better marke whereunto we are directed by the moste certaine guidyng of the Scripture The Lorde therefore promised to Abraham that he shoulde haue a seede wherein all nations of the earthe shall be blessed and therwithall assureth hym that he would be a God to hym and his sede Whosoeuer do by Faith receiue Christe the author of blessyng are heires of this promise and therefore are called the children of Abraham But althoughe sins the resurrection of Christe the boundes of the kingdome of God haue begonne to be farre and wide enlarged into all nations without difference that according to the saying of Christ faithfull ones should be gathered from euery part to sit downe in the heaueÌ„ly glorie with Abraham Isaac and Iacob yet he had many ages before extended that same so great mercie to the Iewes And because passing ouer all other he had chosen out that only nation in which he wold restraine his grace for a tyme called them his peculiar possessioÌ„ his purchased people For testifiyng of suche liberalitie Circumcision was geuen by the signe wherof the Iewes might be taught that God is to them the author of saluation by which knowledge their myndes were raised into hope of eternal life For what shal he want whoÌ„ God hath ons receiued into his charge Wherfore the Apostle meaning to proue that the Gentiles were the children of Abraham as well as the Iewes speaketh in this maner Abraham saith he was iustified by faith in vncircuÌ„cision Afterward he receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of the righteousnesse of faith that he should be the father of all the faithfull both of vncircumcision and of circumcision not of them that glorie of only circumcision but of them that folow the fâ—â—th which our father Abraham had in vncircumcision Do not we see that both sortes are made egall in dignitie â–ª For during the tyme appointed by the decree of God he was the father of circumcision When the wall being plucked downe as the Apostle writeth in an other place by which the Iewes wer seuered from the Gentiles the entrie was made open to them also into the kingdome of God he was made their father and that without the signe of circumcision because they haue Baptisme in stede of circumcision But wher he expresly by name denyeth that Abraham is father to them which are of circumcision only that same was spoken to abate the pride of certaine which omittyng the care of godlynesse did bost themselues of only Ceremonies After which maner at this day also their vanitie may be confuted which seke in Baptisme nothyng but water But an other place of the Apostle out of the .ix. Chapiter of the Epistle to the Romaines shal be alleged to the contrary where he teacheth that they whiche are of the fleshe are not the children of Abraham but they onely are compted his sede whiche are the children of promise For he seemeth to signifie that the carnall kynred of Abraham is nothyng which yet we do set in some degre But it is more diligeÌ„tly to be marked what mater the Apostle there entreateth of For meaning to shew to the Iewes how much the goodnesse of god was not bouÌ„d to the sede of AbrahaÌ„ yea howe it nothyng auayleth of it selfe he bringeth forth Ismael and Esau for example proue it whome beeyng refused as if they were strangers although they were accordyng to the fleshe the naturall ofspryng of Abraham the blessing rested in Isaac and Iacob Wherupon is gathered that which he afterwarde affirmeth that saluation hangeth of the mercie of God whiche he extendeth to whome it pleaseth hym and that there is no cause why the Iewes shold stand in their own conceite or boast vpon the name of the couenaÌ„t vnlesse they kepe the law of the couenant that is to say do obey the worde Agayne when he hath throwen them downe from vaine confidence of their kinred yet because on the other side he sawe that the couenant which was ones made of God with the posteritie of Abraham coulde in no wyse be made voyd in the xi chapiter he argueth that the carnall kinred is not to be spoyled of his due dignitie by the beneficiall meane wherof he teacheth that the Iewes are the first and naturall heires of the Gospell but in respecte that by their vnthankfulnesse they were forsaken as vnworthy yet so that the heuenly blessyng is not vtterly remoued from their nation For whiche reason howe muche soeuer they were stubborne and couenant breakers neuerthelesse he calleth them holye so muche honor he geueth to the holy generation with whom God had vouchsaued to make his holy couenant but calleth vs if we be compared with them as it were after borne yea or the vntimely borne children of Abraham and that by adoption not by nature as if a twigg broken of from his naturall tree should be graffed into a strange stocke Therefore that they should not be defrauded of their prerogatiue it behoued that the Gospel should be first preached to them for they be in the household of God as it were the first begotten children
elementes or to imagyne it present euery where we accompt it to be vtterly vnlawfull Neyther verily is it so nedefull to this that we may enioy the partaking of it for as much as the Lord geueth vs thys benefit by his Spirite that we be made one with him in body Spirite and soule The bonde therefore of thys conioynyng is the Spirite of Christ by the knitting wherof we be coupled together and as it were a certaine conduit by whiche whatsoeuer Christ himselfe bothe is and hath is conueyed to vs. For if we beholde the sunne shyning fourth with hys beames vpon the earth after a certaine maner to cast fourth his substance vnto it to engender nourishe and quicken the frutes thereof why should the extending of beames of the Spirite of Christ be inferior to conuey the communion of his flesh and blood into vs Wherfore the Scripture when it speaketh of our partaking with Christ referreth the whole force therof to the Spirite Yet in stede of many one place shal be sufficient For Paule in the viii chapter to the Romaines sayth that Christ dwelleth in vs none otherwise than by hys Spirite wherby yet he taketh not away that cōmuniō of his flesh and blood of which we now speake but teacheth that the Spirite alone worketh that we possesse whole Christ and haue him dwelling in vs. The Scholemen thought more shamfastly which were withholdē with horror of so barbarous vngodlinesse Yet thei also thēselues do nothing but mocke with sutteler deceites They graunt that Christ is not cōteined there by way of circumscription nor after a bodily maner but afterward they inuent away which neither them selues do vnderstande nor they can declare to other yet it is such as falleth to this point that Christ must be sought in the forme of bred as they call it For what is it When they say that the substance of bred is turned into Christe doe they not fasten hym to the whytenesse which they there leaue But saye they he is so conteined in the Sacrament that he abideth in heauen and we determyne no other presence but of habitude But whatsoeuer woordes they bryng in to cloke it with a deceitfull color thys is the ende of all that that is by consecration made Christ which before was bred that from thense fourth Christ lieth hid vnder that color of bred Which also they are not ashamed in playne wordes to expresse For these be the wordes of Lombarde that the body of Christ which in it selfe is visible whē the consecration is ended lyeth hydden and is couered vnder the forme of bred So the forme of that bred is nothyng ells but a visor that taketh away the sight of the fleshe from the eyes Neither nede we many coniectures to fynde what snares they mynded to lay with these wordes sithe the thing itselfe plainly speaketh it For it is to be seen with howe great superstition in certaine ages past not onely the common sorte of men but also the very chefe of them haue ben holden at thys daye be holdē in popish Chirches For hauing litle care of true Fayth by which alone we both come into the felowship of Christ and do cleaue together with hym so that they haue a carnall presence of hym which they haue framed besyde the worde they thynke that they haue hym presente enough Therefore in a summe we see that thys hath ben gotten by thys witty sutteltie that bred was taken for God Frō hense proceded that same fayned transubstātiatiō for which at thys day they fyght more earnestly thā for al the other articles of their faith For the first bilders of that local presence could not vnwynde themselues from thys doute how the body of Christ should be mingled with the substance of bread but that by and by many absurdities did thrust themselues in place Therfore they were driuen of necessitie to flee to thys inuention that there is made a turning of bred into the body not that the body is properly made of bred but because Christ that he mighte hide himselfe vnder the forme bringeth the substance to nothing But it is maruellous that they fel to so great ignorāce yea senslesse dulnesse that not only the Scripture but also the consent of the old Chirch fighting against it they brought abrode that monster I graunt in dede that some of the olde writers somtyme vsed the name of turning not for that they would destroy the substance in the outwarde signes but that they might teache that the bred dedicate to the mysterie differeth farre from common bred and is now other But ech where they al plainly declare that the holy Supper consisteth of twoo partes an earthly parte and a heauenly and the earthly part they do without controuersie expounde to be bred and wyne Truely whatsoever they babble it is plain that in confirming of this doctrine they want the defense of antiquitie whiche they oftentymes presume to set against the euident worde of God For it is not so long agoe sins it was inuēted it was verily vnknowen not only to those better ages in which the purer doctrine of religiō yet florished but also euen whē that same purenesse was much defiled There is none of the olde writers that doth not in expresse wordes cōfesse that the holy signes in the Supper are bred and wyne although as we haue sayd they somtime set it out with diuerse titles to aduaunce the dignitie of the mysterie For wheras they say that in the cōsecration is made a secrete turning that now it is an other thing than bred and wyne I haue euen now geuen warning that they do not therby meane that the thinges themselues are brought to nought but that they are now to be otherwise estemed than common meates which are appointed onely to fede the belly forasmuch as in them is deliuered to vs the spiritual meate and drinke of the soule This we also deny not If say these men there be a turning it must nedes be that there is of one thing made an other thing If they meane that there is some thing made which before was not I agree with them If they wil draw it to that their own imagination let them answere me what change they thinke to be made in Baptisme For herein the Fathers also do determine a maruellous turning when they say that of a corruptible elemēt is made a spiritual washing of the soule yet none of them denyeth that water remayneth But saye they there is no such thing in Baptisme as is that in the Supper This is my body As though the question were of those wordes which haue a meaning plaine enough and not rather of that word of turning which ought to signifie no more in the Supper than in Baptisme Therefore farewel they with these snares of syllables wherby they do nothing els but bewray their own hungrinesse For otherwise the significatiō would not agree together vnlesse the trueth which is there figured
to haue made distinction of the maner of presence And verily some had rather with great shame to vtter their ignorance than to yelde neuer so litle of their error I speake not of the Papistes whoe 's doctrine is more tolerable or at the least more shamefast But contentiousnesse so carrieth some away that they say that by reson of the natures vnited in Christ wheresoeuer the Godhed of Christ is there is also his fleshe which can not be seuered from hys Godhed As though that same vniting haue compounded of those twoo natures I wote not what meane thing which was neither God nor man So in dede did Eutyches and after hym Seruettus But it is plainly gathered out of the Scripture that the only one person of Christ doth so consist of twoo natures that either of them hath still her owne propertie remayning safe And that Eutyches was rightfully condemned they wil be ashamed to deny it is maruel that they marke not the cause of hys condemning that takyng away the difference betwene the natures enforcing the vnitie of persō he made of God man and of man God What madnesse therefore is it rather to mingle heauen and earth together than not to draw the body of Christ out of the heauenly Sancturarie For wheras they bring for themselues these testimonies None is gone vp to heauen but he that is come down the Sonne of man which is in heauen Againe The sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he shall declare them it is a poynt of like senslesse dullnesse to despise the communicating of properties which was in olde tyme not without cause inuēted of the holy Fathers Truely when the Lord of glory is said to be crucified Paule doth not meane that he suffred any thīg in his godhed but because the same Christ which being an abiect and despised in the flesh did suffer was both God and Lord of glory After thys manner also the Sonne of man was in heauen because the selfe same Christ which according to the fleshe did dwel the Sonne of man in earth was God in heauen In which sorte he is sayd to haue descended from the sayd place according to hys Godhed not that the Godhed did forsake heauen to hide it selfe in the prison of the body but because although it fylled all thynges yet in the verye māhode of Christ it dwelled corporally that is to say naturally and after a certaine vnspeakable maner It is a cōmon distinction in scholes which I am not ashamed to reherse that although whole Christ be euery where yet not the whole that is in hym is euery where And I wold to God the Scholemen themselues had wel weyed the pith of thys sayeng for so should the vnsauorie inuention of the fleshly presēce of Christ haue ben met withall Therefore our mediator sithe he is whole euery where is alway at hande with his and in the Supper after a speciall maner geueth himselfe present but yet so that whole he is present not the whole that he is because as it is said in his fleshe he is conteined in heauen till he appeare to iudgement But they are farre deceiued which conceiue no presence of the fleshe of Christ in the Supper vnlesse it be made present in bread For so they leaue nothyng to the secrete workyng of the Spirite whiche vniteth Christ hymself vnto vs. They thinke not Christ present vnlesse he come downe to vs. As though if he did lift vs vp to hym we should not aswel enioy his presence Therfore the question is only of the maner because they place Christ in the bread but we think it not lawful for vs to pluck hym out of heauen Let the readers iudge whether is the righter Only let this cauillation be driuen away that Christe is taken awaye from his Supper vnlesse he be hidden vnder the couer of bread For sith this mysterie is heauenly it is no nede to drawe Christ into the earth that he may be ioyned to vs. Nowe if any man do aske me of the maner I will not be ashamed to confesse that it is a hyer secrete than that it can be eyther cōprehended with my witt or vttered with my woordes and to speake it more plainly I rather fele it than I can vnderstand it Therfore I do herein without controuersie embrace the truthe of God in whiche I maye safely rest He pronounceth that his fleshe is the meate of my soule and his blood is the drinke With suche foode I offre my soule to hym to bee fedde In his holy Supper he commaundeth me vnder the signes of bread and wyne to take eate and drinke his body and blood I nothing dout that bothe he dothe truely deliuer them and I doo receiue them Onely I refuse the absurdities whiche appeare to be either vnworthy of the heauenly maiestie of Christ or disagreyng from the truth of his nature of manhode forasmuche as they must also fight with the word of God which also teacheth that Christ was so taken vp into the glorie of the heauenly kyngdome that it lyfteth hym vp aboue all estate of the worlde and no lesse diligently setteth forth in his nature of man those thynges that are proprely belongyng to his true manhode Neither ought this to seme incredible or not consonant to reason because as the whole kyngdome of Christ is spirituall so whatsoeuer he doth with his Chirch ought not to be reduced to the reason of this worlde Or that I may vse the wordes of Augustine this mysterie as other are is done by men but from God in earth but from heauen Such I say is the presence of the body as the nature of the Sacrament requireth which we say here to excell with so great force and so great effectualnesse that it not only bryngeth to our myndes vndouted trust of eternall lyfe but also assureth vs of the immortalitie of our fleshe For it is nowe quickned of his immortall fleshe and after a certaine manner communicateth of his immortalitie They whyche are caried aboue this with their excessiue speches do nothyng but with suche entanglementes darken the simple and playne truthe If any be not yet satisfied I wold haue hym here a whyle to consider with me that we now speake of a Sacrament all the partes wherof ought to be referred to Faith But we do no lesse deintyly and plentifully feede Faith with this partakyng of the bodye which we haue declared than they that plucke Christe hymselfe oute of heauen In the meane tyme I plainly confesse that I refuse that mixture of the fleshe of Christ with our soule or the pouryng out of it suche as they teache because it suffiseth vs that Christ dothe out of the substance of his fleshe breathe life into our soules yea doth poure into vs his owne lyfe although the very flesh of Christ doth not entre into vs. Moreouer it is no doute that the proportion of Faith whereby Paule willeth vs to examine all
mater Also in an other place entreating of the eatyng and the frute therof he concludeth thus Then shall the body and blood of Christ be life to euery man if that which in the Sacrament is visibly receiued be in the truth it selfe spiritually eaten spiritually drōk Therfore whoso make vnbeleuers partakers of the fleshe and blood of Christ that they may agree with Augustine let them shewe vs the visible body of Christ forasmuche as by his iudgement the whole truthe is spirituall And it is certainly gathered out of his wordes that the Sacramentall eatyng when vnbelefe closeth vp the entrie to truthe is as much in effect as visible or outward eatyng If the body of Christ might be eaten truely and yet not spiritually what shold that meane whiche he sayth in an other place Ye shall not eate this body which ye see drinke the blood which they shall shedde that shall crucifie me I haue commēded a certaine sacrament vnto you beeyng spiritually vnderstanded it shall quicken you Uerily he woulde not denie but that the same body which Christ offred for sacrifice is deliuered in the Supper but he dyd set out the maner of eatyng namely that being receiued into heauenly glorie by the secrete power of the Spirite it breatheth lyfe into vs. I graunt in dede that there is oftentymes founde in hym this maner of speakyng that the body of Christ is eaten of the vnbeleuers but he expoundeth himselfe addyng In Sacramente And in an other place he describeth spirituall eating in whiche out biringes consume not grace And least myne aduersaries should saye that I fighte with them with a heape of places I wold know of them how they can vnwynde themselues from one saieng of his where he saith that Sacraments do worke in the only elect that which they figure Truely they dare not denye but that the bred in the Supper figureth the body of Christ. Wherupon foloweth that the reprobate are debarred from the partakyng of it That Cyrill also thought none otherwise these wordes doo declare As if a man vpon molten waxe do poure other waxe he wholly tempereth the one waxe with the other so is it necessary if any man receiue the fleshe and blood of the Lorde that he be ioyned with hym that Christe may be founde in hym and he in Christ. By these wordes I thinke it is euident that they ar bereued of the true and real eatyng that do but sacramentally eate the body of Christ which can not be seuered from his power and that therfore faileth not the faith of the promises of god which cesseth not to rayne from heauen although the stones and rockes conceiue not the liquor of the raine This knowledge shall also easily drawe vs away from the carnal worshipping whiche some haue with peruerse rashnesse erected in the Sacrament because they made accompt with themselues in this maner If it be the body then bothe the soule and the godhead are together with the body which now can not be seuered therfore Christe is there to be worshipped First if their accompanieng whiche thei pretende be denied them what will they do For how much soeuer they crie out vpon an absurditie if the body be seuered from the soule and the godhed yet what soūdwitted and sobre man can persuade himself that the body of Christ is Christ They thinke themselues in dede gaily to proue it with their logicall argumentes But sith Christ speaketh distinctly of his body and blood but describeth not the maner of presence how will they of a doutfull thing gather certainly that which they would What then If their consciences chance to be exercised with any more greuous felyng shal not they by and by with their logicall arguments be dissolued melt namely when they shall see themselues destitute of the certaine word of God vpon which alone our soules do stand fast when they are called to accompt without which they faint at euery first moment when thei shal call to mynde that the doctrine and exāples of the Apostles are against them and that themselues alone ar to themselues the authors of it To suche motions shal be added other not small prickynges What Shall it be a mater of no importance to worship God in this forme where nothyng was prescribed vnto vs When it concerned the true worshyp of God ought they with so great lightnesse to haue attēpted that of which there is no where red any one word But if they had with such humblenesse as they ought holden all their thoughtes vnder the word of God they wold truly haue harkened to that which he said Take eate drinke and wold haue obeyed this cōmaundement wherin he biddeth the Sacrament to be receiued not to be worshipped But they which as it is cōmaunded of God do receiue it without worshippyng are assured that they do not swarue from Gods cōmaūdement than which assurednesse there is nothing better when we take any worke in hande They haue the example of the Apostles whom we reade not to haue fallen downe flatt worshipped it but euen as they were sitting to haue receiued it eaten it They haue the vse of the Apostolike Chirch wherin Luke reporteth that the faithfull did communicate not in woorshyppyng but in breakyng of bread They haue the Apostles doctrine wherwith Paule instructed the Chirch of the Corynthians professyng that he had receiued of the Lorde that whiche he deliuered And these thyngs verily tend to this end that the godly readers shold wey how perillous it is in so hye matters to wander frō the simple worde of God to the dreames of our owne braine But those thyngs that are aboue said ought to deliuer vs from all doute in this behalfe For that godly soules may therin rightly take hold of Christ they must nedes be lifted vp to heauen If this be the office of a sacrament to help the mynd of man whiche otherwise is weake that it may rise vpwarde to reache the height of spirituall mysteries then they which are holden downe in the outwarde signe do stray from the right way of sekyng Christ. What then Shall we denie that it is a superstitious worshippyng when men do throwe themselues downe before bread to worship Christe therein Doutlesse the Nicene Synode meant to mete with this mischiefe whē it forbade vs to be hūbly intentiue to the signes set before vs. And for none other cause was it in olde tyme ordeined that before the consecration the people shold with a loude voice be put in mynde to haue their hartes lifted vpward The Scripture it selfe also beside that it diligently declareth vnto vs the ascension of Christ wherby he conueyed away the presence of his body from our sight conuersation to shake away from vs all carnal thinkyng of hym so oft as it maketh mention of him cōmaūdeth vs to be in myndes raised vpward to seke him in heauen sittyng at the right hand of the
all ye that are of God the malicious and poysonous deceite of Satan That thyng which was truely geuen in Baptisme he lyengly saith to be geuen in his confirmation that he may by stealth leade you vnware from Baptisme Who now can doute that this is the doctrine of Satan which cuttyng away from Baptisme the promises proprely belongyng to Baptisme doth conuey away and remoue them to an other thyng It is founde I say vpon what maner of fundation this godly annoyntyng standeth The worde of God is that al they whiche are baptised in Christ haue put on Christe with his giftes The worde of the anoynters is that they receiued in Baptisme no promise by which they may be armed in batails That is the voice of the truth therfore this must be the voice of lying Therfore I can more truly define this CoÌ„firmation than they haue hetherto defined it namely that it is a notable sclander of Baptisme whiche darkeneth yea abolysheth the vse therof that it is a false promise of the deuell which draweth vs away from the truthe of God Or if you will it is oyle defiled with the lyeng of the deuill whiche as it were by ouerspreadyng of darkenesse deceiueth the eies of the simple They adde furthermore that al the faithfull ought after Baptisme to receiue the Holy ghost by layeng on of handes that they may be founde full Christians because he shall neuer be a Christian that is not chresmed with the Bishopps Confirmation These be their owne sayinges worde for worde But I had thought that whatsoeuer thyngs perteined to Christianitie were all set forth in writyng and comprehended in Scriptures Nowe as I perceyue the trewe forme of religion is to be soughte and learned from ells where than oute of the the Scriptures Therfore the whole wisedome of God the heauenly truthe the whole doctrine of Christ doth but beginne Christians and oyle maketh them perfect By this sentence ar damned al the Apostles and so many Martyrs whome it is moste certaine to haue neuer ben â—hresmed forasmuche as the oyle was not yet made which beyng poured vpon them they myght fulfill all the partes of christianitie or rather myght be made christians whiche yet were none But thoughe I holde my peace they doo largely confute themselues For howe many of the numbre of their owne people doo they annoynt after Baptisme why therfore do they suffer suche halfe christians in their flocke whoe 's imperfection might easily be holpen Why do they with so carelesse negligence suffer them to omitte that whiche was not lawfull to be omitted without greuous offense Why do they not more seuerely cal vpoÌ„ the keping of a thing so necessarie and without which saluation caÌ„ not be obteined vnlesse peraduenture some be preuented by death Uerily when they so freely suffer it to bee despised they secretly confesse that it is not of so greate value as they boste it Last of all they determine that this holy annoynting is to be had in greater reuerence than Baptisme because this anoynting is peculiarly ministred by the handes of the chefe Bishops but Baptisme is coÌ„monlye distributed by euery prest What maye a man here say but that they are vtterly mad which so flatter their owne inuentions that in comparison of them they carelesly despise the holy ordinaÌ„ces of God O mouth that robbest God darest thou set a fat liquor onely defiled with the stink of thine owne breath and enchaunted with murmuring sounde of wordes against the SacrameÌ„t of Christ and to compare it with water hallowed with the word of God But thy wickednesse accompted this but a smal matter vnlesse thou didst also preferre it aboue the same These be the answers of the Holy see these be the Oracles of the Apostolike trestle But some of them euen in their owne opinion begonne somewhat to qualifie this vnbridled madnesse It is say they to be worshipped with greater reuerence peraduenture not for the greater vertue and profitte that it geueth but bicause it is geuen of the worthier men and is made in the worthier part of the body that is in the forehed or bicause it bringeth a greater encrease of vertues although Baptisme auaile more to forgeuenesse But in the first reason do they not bewraye themselues to be Donatistes whiche measure the force of the Sacramente by the worthinesse of the minister But I will admitte that Confirmation bee called the worthier by reason of the worthinesse of the Bishops hand But if a man aske of them from whense so great prerogatiue hath ben geueÌ„ to Bishops what reason will they bring beside their owne lust The Apostles alone vsed that power which alone distributed the Holye ghost Are the Bishops alone Apostles Yea are they Apostles at all But lette vs also graunt them that why do thei not by the same argumeÌ„t affirme that Bishoppes alone ought to touche the Sacrament of the blood in the Supper of the Lorde which they therfore denye to lay men because the lord gaue it to the Apostles alone If to the Apostles alone why do they not conclude therfore to the Bishops alone But in that place they make the Apostles simple prestes but now the gyddynesse of their hed carrieth them an other way sodeinly to create them Bishops Finallye Ananias was no Apostle to whom yet Paule was sent that he shoulde receiue his sight be baptised and be filled with the Holy ghoste I will adde this also to the heape If by the law of God this was the proper office of Bishops why haue they ben so bolde to geue it away to common prestes as we rede in a certaine epistle of Gregorie As for their other reason howe triflyng fond and foolishe is it to cal their Confirmation worthier than the Baptisme of God because in it the forhead is anoynted with oyle and in Baptisme the hynder part of the hed as though Baptisme were done with the oyle and not with the water I call all the godly to witnesse whether these loselles do not endeuor them selues to this only end to corrupt the purenesse of the Sacraments with their leauen I haue alredy spoken this in an other place that in the SacrameÌ„tes that which is of God scarcely glimmereth through at holes among the rout of the inuentions of men If any man did not beleue me therein let him now at least beleue his owne maisters Loc passing ouer the water and making no accompt of it they hyely esteme the onely oyle in Baptisme We therfore on the contrarye syde doo saye that in Baptisme the forehed also is dipped in water In comparison of this we esteeme not your oyle worth one piece of dong whether it be in Baptisme or in confirmation If any allege that it is sold for more by this adding of price the goodnesse if anye were in it is corrupted so muche lesse may they commend a most filthy deceite by theft In the third reason they bewray their owne vngodlynesse while they
the promise Againe of those ceremonies that they vse it is not red that any one is institute of god Therfore here cā be no Sacramēt Of Matrimonie The last is Matrimonie which as all men confesse to be ordeined of God so no man vntill the tyme of Gregorie euer sawe that it was geuen for a Sacrament And what sober man would euer haue thought it It is a good a holy ordināce of God so tyllage carpentrie shoemakers craft barbers craft are lawfull ordinances of God and yet they are no Sacramentes For there is not only this required in a Sacrament that it be the worke of God but that it be an outwarde Ceremonie appoynted of God to confirme a promise That there is no suche thyng in Matrimonie very chyldren also can iudge But say they it is a Signe of a holy thyng that is of the spirituall conioynyng of Christe with the Chirche If by this woorde Signe they vnderstand a Token sett before vs of God to this ende to raise vp the assurednesse of our Faithe they are farre besyde the truthe If they simplye take a Signe for that which is brought to expresse a similitude I wyll shewe howe wittyly they reason Paule sayth As one starre differeth from an other star in brightnesse so shal be the resurrectiō of the dead Lo here is one Sacrament Christ sayth The kyngdome of heauen is lyke to a grain of mustardsede Lo here is an other Againe The kingdom of heauē is like vnto leauē Lo here is the third Esai saith Behold the lord shal fede his flock as a shepherd Lo here is the fowerth In an other place The Lord shall go forth as a Gyant Loe here is the fifth Finally what end or measure shal there be There is nothyng but by this meane it shal be a Sacrament Howe many parables and similitudes are in the Scripture so many Sacraments there shal be Yea and theft shal be a Sacrament because it is written the day of the Lorde is lyke a thefe Whoe can abyde these sophisters prating so foolishly I graunt in dede that so oft as we see a vine it is very good to call to remembrance that whiche Christ sayth I am a vine ye be branches my father is the vinedresser So oft as a shepherde with his flocke cometh toward vs it is good also that this come to our mynde I am a good shepherd my shepe heare my voice But if any man adde such similitudes to the number of Sacramentes he is mete to be sent to Antycira But they still laye fourth the wordes of Paule in which he geueth to Matrimonie the name of a Sacrament he that loueth his wife loueth hymselfe No man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it euen as Christ doth the Chirch because we are members of hys body of his fleshe and of his bones For this a man shall leaue hys Father and mother and shal cleaue to his wife and they shal be two into one fleshe Thys is a great Sacrament but I saye in Christ and the Chirch But so to handle the Scriptures is to mingle heauē and earth together Paule to shew to maried men what singular loue they ought to beare to their wiues setteth fourth Christe to them for an example For as he poured fourth the bowells of his kindenesse vpon the Chirch which he had espoused to himselfe so ought euery man to be affectioned toward his own wife It foloweth after He that loueth his wife loueth himselfe as Christ loued the Chirch Now to teache how Christ loued the Chirch as himselfe yea how he made himselfe one with hys spouse the Chirch he applyeth to hym those thinges which Moses reporteth that Adam spake of him selfe For when Eue was brought into his syght whom he knew to haue ben shapen out of his syde This woman sayth he is a bone of my bones and fleshe of my fleshe Paul testifieth that all this was spiritually fulfylled in Christ and vs when he sayeth that we are membres of his body of his fleshe and of his bones yea and one fleshe with hym At lengthe he addeth a concludyng Sentence This is a great mysterie And least any man shoulde be deceiued with the doble signifyeng of the woordes he expresseth that he speaketh not of the fleshely conioynyng of man and woman but of the spiritual mariage of Christe and the Chirch And truely it is in dede a great mysterie that Christe suffred a ribbe to be taken from himselfe whereof we might be shapen that is to say whē he was strōg he willed to be weake that we might be strengthened with his strength that now we may not our selues lyue but he may lyue in vs. The name of Sacramente deceiued them But was it rightfull that the whole Chirch should suffer the punishment of their ignorance Paul said Mysterie which word when the translater might haue lefte beyng not vnused with Latin eares or might haue translated it a Secrete he chose rather to put in the worde Sacrament yet in no other sense than Paule had in Greke called it Mysterie Now let them go and with crieng out raile against the skil of tōges by ignorance whereof they haue so long most fowly been blynde in an easy mater and suche as offreth it self to be perceiued of euery man But why doo they in this one place so earnestly sticke vpon this litle word Sacrament and some other tymes do passe it ouer vnregarded For also in the first Epistle to Timothe the Translater hath vsed it and in the selfe same Epistle to the Ephesians in euery place for Mysterie But let this slippyng be pardoned them at least the liers ought to haue had a good remēbrance For whē they haue ones set out Matrimonie with title of a Sacrament afterward to call it vncleannesse defyling and fleshly filthinesse how gyddy lightnesse is this How great an absurditie is it to debarre prests from a Sacramēt If they deny that they debarre them frō the Sacramēt but frō the lust of copulation they escape not so away frō me For they teach that the copulatiō it self is a part of that Sacramēt that by it alone is figured the vniting that we haue with Christ in conformitie of nature bicause man and womā ar not made one but by carnall copulatiō Howbeit some of thē haue here founde two Sacramentes the one of God and the soule in the betrouthed man and woman the other of Christe and the Chirch in the husband and the wife Howsoeuer it be yet copulatiō is a Sacrament from which it was vnlawful that any christian should be debarred Unlesse peraduenture the Sacraments of christiās do so yll agree that thei can not stand together There is also an other absurditie in their doctrines They affirme that in the Sacrament is geuen the grace of the Holye ghoste they teache that copulation is a Sacrament and they denye that at copulation the Holy ghost
fayth of the godly is grounded vpon the authoritie of the church nor meaneth that the certaintie of the gospel doth hang therupon but simplye and onely that there should be no assurednesse of the gospel to the infidels wherby they might be wonne to Chryst vnlesse the consent of the church did driue them vnto it And the same meanyng a litle before he doth plainly confirme in this saying When I shall praise that which I beleue and scorne that which thou beleuest what thiÌ„kest thou mete for vs to iudge or do but that we forsake such men as first call vs to come and knowe certaine truethes and after commaunde vs to beeleue thinges vncertaine and that we folowe theÌ„ that require vs first to beleue that which we are not yet able to see that being made strong by beleuing we may atteine to vnderstande the thing that we beleue not menne nowe but God himselfe inwardly strengthning and geuing lighte to oure minde These are the very words of Augustine wherby euery man may easely gather that the holy man had not this meaning to hang the credite that we haue to the Scriptures vpon the wil and awardemente of the churche but onely to shewe this which we our selues also do confesse to be true that they which are not yet lightened with the spirite of god are brought by the reuerence of the churche vnto a willyngnesse to bee taught so as they can finde in their hartes to learne the faith of Christ by the gospel and that thus by this meane the authoritie of the church is an introduction wherby we are prepared to beleue the gospel For as we see his minde is that the assuraunce of the godly be staied vpon a farre other foundacion Otherwise I do not deny but that he often presseth the Manichees with the consent of the whole churche when he seketh to proue the same Scripture which they refused And from hence it came that he so reproched Faustus for that he did not yelde hymselfe to the trueth of the gospel so grounded â–ª so stablished so gloriously renomed from the very time of the Apostles by certaine successions perpetuallye commended But he neuer trauaileth to this ende to teach that the authoritie which we acknowledge to be in the Scripture hangeth vppon the determinacion or decree of men But onely this which made much for him in the mater that he disputed of he bringeth forth the vniuersal iudgemeÌ„t of the church wherein he had the auauÌ„tage of his aduersaries If any desire a fuller proufe herof let him reade his boke concernynge the profit of beleuing Where he shall finde that there is no other redinesse of beliefe commended vnto vs by him but that which only geueth vs an entrie and is vnto vs a conuenient beginning to enquire as he termeth it and yet not that we ought to rest vpon bare opinion but to leane to the certaine and sounde trueth We ought to holde as I before sayd that the credit of this doctrine is not established in vs vntil such time as we be vndoutedly perswaded that God is the author therof Therfore the principal profe of the Scripture is coÌ„monly taken of the person of God the speaker of it The Prophetes and Apostles bost not of their own sharpe wit or any such thigs as procure credit to mâ—n that speake neither stande they vpon proues by reason but they bring forth the holy name of God therby to compell the whole world to obedience Now we haue to see howe not onely by probable opinion but by apparant truth it is euideÌ„t that in this behalfe the name of God is not without cause nor deceitfully preteÌ„ded If then we wil prouide wel for consciences that they be not continually caryed about with vnstedfast douting nor many wauer nor stay at euery small stop this maner of perswasion must be fetched deper then from either the reasons iudgementes or the coniectures of men euen from the secrete testimony of the holy ghoste True in dede it is that if we lysted to worke by way of argumeÌ„tes many thinges might be alleged that may easily proue if there be any God in heauen that the law the prophecies and the gospell came from hym Yea although men learned and of depe iudgemente would stande vp to to the contrary and would employ and shew forth the whole force of their wittes in this disputacion yet if they be not so hardened as to become desperatly shamelesse they woulde be compelled to confesse that there are seen in the Scripture manifest tokens that it is God that speaketh therin wherby it maye appeare that the doctrine therof is froÌ„ heaueÌ„ And shortly hereafter we shal se that al the bokes of the holy Scripture do farre excel al other writinges what soeuer they be Yea if we bring thether pure eies and vncorrupted senses we shal forthwith finde there the maiestie of God which shall subdue al hardnesse of gainesaying and enforce vs to obey him But yet they do disorderly that by disputacion trauaile to establishe the perfecte credit of the Scripture And truely although I am not furnished with great dexteritie nor eloquence yet if I were to contende with the moste luttle despisers of God that haue a desier to shew themselues wytty and plesaunt in febling the authoritie of Scripture I trust it should not be harde for me to put to silence their bablinges And if it 〈◊〉 profitable to spende labor in confuting their cauillations I would with no great businesse shake in sunder the bragges that they mutter in corners But though a man do deliuer the sounde word of God from the reproches of men yet that sufficeth not fourthwith to fasten in theyr hartes that assurednesse that godlynesse requireth Prophane men because they thynke religion standeth onely in opinion to the ende they woulde beleue nothing fondly or lightly do couet and require to haue it proued to them by reason that Moises and the Prophetes spake from God But I answere that the testimonie of the holy ghost is better thaÌ„ all reason For as onely God is a conueniente witnesse of hymselfe in hys owne worde so shal the same worde neuer finde credit in the hartes of men vntil it be sealed vp with the inwarde witnesse of the holy ghost It behoueth therfore of necessitie that the same holy ghost whiche spake by the mouth of the Prophetes do entre into our hartes to perswade vs that they faythfully vttered that which was by God commaunded them And this order is very aptly set fourth by Esay in these words My spirite which is in thee and the wordes that I haue to put in thy mouth and in the mouth of thy sede shal not faile for euer It greueth some good men that they haue not ready at hande some cleare proufe to allege when the wicked do without punishment murmure against the worde of God As though the holy ghost were not for this cause called both a seale and a
pledge because vntill he do lighten mens minds they do alway wauer among many doutinges Let this therfore stande for a certainly perswaded trueth that they whom the holy ghost hath inwardly taught doe wholy reste vppon the Scripture and that the same Scripture is to be credited for it selfsake ought not to be made subiect to demonstracioÌ„ and reasons but yet that the certaintie which it getteth among vs it atteineth by the witnesse of the holy ghost For though by the only maiestie of it selfe it procureth reuerence to be geuen to it yet then only it throughly perceth our affectioÌ„s when it is sealed in our hartes by the holy gost So being lightened by his vertue we do then beleue not by our own iudgemeÌ„t or other meÌ„s that the Scripture is froÌ„ God but aboue al mans iudgement we holde it most certainly determined euen as if we behelde the maiestie of God himselfe there present that by the ministery of men it came to vs from the very mouth of God We seke not for argumentes and likelhodes to rest our iudgement vpon but as to a thing without al compasse of consideracion we submit our iudgement and wit vnto it And that not in such sort as some are wont sometime hastily to take holde of a thing vnknowen which after being throughly perceiued displeaseth them but because we are in our consciences wel assured that we hold an inuincible truth Neither in such sort as silly men ar wont to yelde their mynde in thraldom to superstitions but because we vndoutedly perceiue therin the strength and breathing of the diuine maiestie wherewith we are drawen and stirred to obey both wittingly and willingly and yet more liuely and effectually than mans wil or wit can attaine And therefore for good cause doth God cry out by Esay that the Prophetes wyth the whole people do beare him witnesse because being taughte by the prophecies they did vndoutedly beleue without guile or vncertaintie that God himselfe had spoken Such therfore is our perswasion as requireth no reasons such is our knowledge as hath a righte good reason to maintaine it euen such a one wherin the minde more assuredly and stedfastly resteth than vpon any reasons suche is oure feling as cannot procede but by reuelacion from heauen I speake nowe of none other thing but that which euery one of the faithful doth by experieÌ„ce find in himselfe sauing that my wordes do much want of a full declaratioÌ„ of it I leaue here many thinges vnspoken because there wil be els where againe a conuenient place to entreate of this matter Onely now let vs know that onely that is the true faith which the spirite of God doth seale in our hartes Yea with this onely reason wil the sobre reder and willing to learne be contented Esay promeseth that al the childreÌ„ of the renewed churche shal be the scholars of God A singular priuilege therin doth God vouchsaue to graunt to his elect onely whom he seuereth from all the rest of mankinde For what is the beginning of true doctrine but a redy cherefulnesse to heare the voice of God But God requireth to be heard by the mouth of Moises as it is written say not in thy harte who shal ascende into heauen or who shal descende into the depe the worde is euen in thine own mouth If it be the pleasure of God that this treasure of vnderstanding be layed vp in store for hys chyldren it is no marueil nor vnlikely that in the common multitude of meÌ„ is seen such ignoraunce and dullnesse The common multitude I call euen the most excellent of them vntil such time as they be graffed into the bodye of the church Moreouer Esay geuing warning that the Prophetes doctrine should seme incredible not onely to straungers but also to the Iewes that woulde be accompted of the householde of God addeth this reason because the arme of God shall not be reueled to al men So oft therfore as the smallnesse of nuÌ„ber of the beleuers doth trouble vs on the other side let vs call to minde that none can comprehende the misteries of God but they to whom it is geuen ¶ The .viii. Chapter That so farre as mans reason may beare there are sufficient proues to stablyshe the credite of Scripture VNlesse we haue this assuraunce whiche is bothe more excellent and of more force than any iudgement of man in vayne shall the authorytie of Scripture eyther bee strengthened with argumentes or stablished with consente of the churche or confyrmed with any other meanes of defence For vnlesse this fundation bee layde it still remayneth hangynge in doubte As on the other syde when exemptynge it from the common state of thynges we haue embraced it deuoutely and accordyng to the worthynesse of it then these thynges become very fitte helpes which before were but of small force to graffe and fasten the assurance therof in our myndes For it is meruaylous howe greate establishemente groweth herof when with earnest studye we consider howe orderly and well framed a disposition of the diuine wisedom appereth therin howe heauenly a doctrine in euery place of it and nothyng sauoryng of earthlynesse howe beautyful an agreement of all the partes amonge theym selues and suche other thynges as auayle to procure a maiestie to writynges But more perfectly are oure hartes confirmed when we consyder howe we are euen violently caried to an admiration of it rather with dignitie of matter than with grace of woords For this also was not done without the singular prouidence of God that the hye misteries of the heauenly kingdome should for the moste part be vttered vnder a contemptible basenesse of words least if it hadde ben beautified with more glorious speache the wicked shoulde cauill that the onely force of eloquence doeth reigne therein But when that roughe and in a maner rude simplicitie dooeth rayse vp a greater reuerence of it selfe than any rhetoricians eloquence what may we iudge but that there is a more myghty strength of truthe in the holye Scripture than that it nedeth any art of wordes Not withoute cause therefore the Apostle maketh his argument to proue that the faythe of the Corinthians was grounded vpon the power of God and not vpon mans wysedom bycauâ—e his preachyng among them was set foorth not with enticyng speche of mans wisedom but in playne euidence of the spirite and of power For the truthe is then sette free from all doubtyng when not vpholden by forayne aides it selfe alone suffiseth to susteyne it self But how this power is proprely alone belongyng to the scripture hereby appereth that of all the writynges of menne be they neuer so connyngly garnyshed no one is so farre able to pearce our affections Reade Demosthenes or Cicero reade Plato Aristotle or any other of all that sorte I graunt they shall meruailously allure delite moue and rauishe thee But if from them thou come to this holy readyng of Scriptures wylte thou or not it shall
of obedyence But thys ymage or shadowe of faythe as yt is of no value so is yt not woorthy of the name of faythe Frome the sounde truthe where of howe farre it dyffereth althoughe it shall be hereafter more largely entreated yet there is no cause to the contrarie why it shoulde not nowe be touched by the waie It is said that Simon Magus beleued whyche yet wythin a lyttle after bewrayed hys owne vnbelefe And whereas it is saide that he beleued we do not vnderstande it as some do that hee fained a belefe when he hadde none in his hearte butte we rather thinke that being ouercome with the maiestie of the Gospell he had a certaine faith such as it was and so acknowledged Christ to be the author of lyfe and saluation that he willingly professed himselfe to bee one of hys After the same manner it ys sayde in the Gospell of Luke that they beleue for a tyme in whome the seede of the worde is choked vp before it bring forth frute or before it take any rote at al it by and by withereth awaie and perisheth we doubt not that suche delited with a certaine taste of the worde doe greedyly receiue it and beginne to feele the diuine force of it so farre that with deceitful counterfaiting of faith thei be guile not only other mens eyes but also their owne myndes For thei perswade them selues that that reuerence whiche thei shewe to the worde of God is moste true godlynesse bycause thei thinke that there is no vngodlynesse but manifest and confessed reproche or contempte of his worde But what manner of assent soeuer that be it pearceth not to the very heart to remaine there stablished and though sometime it seemeth to haue taken rootes yet those are liuely rootes The heart of man hathe so many secrete corners of vanitie is full of so many hidinge holes of lyeng is couered wyth so guilefull hypocrisie that it ofte deceiueth himselfe But let them that glorie in suche shadowes of faith vnderstand that therein thei are noe better than the Deuell But that firste sorte of men are farre worse then the Deuell whiche do senslessly heare and vnderstand those thinges for knoweledge whereof the Deuells do tremble And the other are in this pointe egall with the Deuell that the feeling suche as it is wherewith thei are touched tournet only to terroure and discouragement I knowe that some thinke it harde that we assigne faith to the reprobate whereas Paule affyrmeth faythe to be the frute of election whyche doubte yet is easily dysolued for thoughe none receiue the light of faith nor do truely feele the effectuall working of the Gospell but they that are foreordeyned to saluacion yet experience sheweth that the reprobate are sometime moued wyth the same feeling that the elect are so that in their owne iudgement thei nothing differ from the electe Wherefore it is no absurditie that the Apostle ascribeth to them the taste of the heauenly giftes that Christ ascribeth to them a fayth for a tyme not that they soundly perceaue the spirituall force of grace and assured light of faith but bicause the Lorde the more to cōdemne them and make them in excusable conueieth himselfe into their mindes so farre forth as his goodnesse maie be tasted without the spirit of adoption If any obiect that then ther remaineth nothing more to the faithfull whereby to proue certainely their adoption I answere that thoughe there be a great likenesse and affinitie betwene the elect of God and them that are endued with a fallinge faith for a time yet there liueth in the elect onely that affiance whiche Paule speaketh of that thei crie with full mouthe Abba Father Therefore as God doth regenerate onely the elect with incorruptible seede for euer so that the seede of lyfe planted in their heartes neuer perisheth so soundly doth he seale in them the grace of his adoption that it may be stable sure But this withstandeth not but that that other inferioure working of the Spirite maie haue his course euen in the reprobate In the meane season the faithfull are taught carefully and humbly to examine them selues least in steede of assurednesse of faith do creepe in carelesse confidence of the fleshe Byside that the reprobate do neuer conceiue but a confused feelinge of grace so that they rather take holde of the shadowe than of the sounde bodie bicause the holy Spirite doth proprely seale the remission of sinnes in the electe onlye so that they applye is by speciall fayth to their vse But yet it is truely sayde that the reprobate beleue God to be mercyfull vnto them bicause they receyue the gifte of reconciliation although confusedly and not plainely enough not that they are partakers of the selfe same fayth or regeneracion with the children of God but bycause they seme to haue as well as they the same beginnynge of fayth vnder a cloke of Hypocrisie And I denye not that God dothe so farre geue light vnto theyr myndes that they acknowledge his grace but he maketh that same felyng so different from the peculiar testimonie whiche he geueth to his elect that they neuer come to the sounde effecte and fruition thereof For he dothe not therefore shewe himselfe mercyfull vnto them for that he hauyng truely deliuered them from death dothe receyue them to his sauegarde but onely he discloseth to them a present mercie But he vouchesaueth to graunt to the only electe the liuely roote of fayth so that they continue to the ende So is that obiection answered yf God doe truely shewe his grace that the same remayneth perpetually stablished for that there is no cause to the contrarie but that God maye enlighten some with a present felyng of his grace whiche afterwarde vanisheth awaye Also though fayth bee a knowledge of Gods kindenesse toward vs and an assured persuasion of the truthe thereof yet it is no maruell that the felynge of Gods loue in temporall thynges dothe vanishe awaye whyche although it haue an affinitie wyth fayth yet doth it muche differ from fayth I graunt the will of God is vnchangeable and the truthe thereof dothe alwaye stedfastly agree wyth it selfe but I denye that the reprobate doe procede so farre as to atteyne vnto that secrete reuelation whyche the Scripture sayeth to belonge to the electe onely Therefore I denye that they doe eyther conceyue the will of God as it is vnchangeable or doe stedfastly embrace the truthe thereof bycause they abide in a felynge that vanisheth awaye Lyke as a tree that is not planted deepe enough to take liuely rootes in processe of tyme waxeth drye although for a fewe yeres it bryngeth forth not only blossomes and leaues but also frute Finally as by the fall of the firste manne the Image of God mighte haue benne blotted out of his mynde and soule so it is no maruell yf God do shyne vpon the reprobate wyth certayne beames of his grace whyche afterwarde he suffreth to