vs to suffer Christ hauing suffered in the flesh arme your selues with the selfe same minde especially since he as it is said vnto the Hebrues suffered such gainesaying of sinners And againe Peter said Christ suffered for vs leauing an example that ye shoulde followe his steppes An Oration concerning the Resurrection of Christ CHrist in the Prophets is called the Sunne not onely because it lighteneth but because it setteth afterward riseth againe Ioh. 12. 24. So Christ died and rose againe He called himselfe a wheate corne which sufficeth not to be sowen for vnlesse it be corrupted and deade it brings foorth no fruite so was it not ynough for Christ to be borne but he would die that he might bring foorth fruite We haue made mention of his death now will we speake of his resurrection First we shall sée that Christ is risen Secondlie that we are risen together with him Thirdlie what we must now doe being raised vp As touching the first The resurrection of Christ Matt. 28. 1. Matthew saith that the women came earlie in the morning They say that vnto women was first shewed the resurrection to the intent that they which first brought death into the worlde might first bring tidings of the resurrection because they be weake and Christ vseth the ministerie of féeble things Leauing these allegations we must rather say that they had earnestly sorrowed at his death and for a certaine recompence it was good right that they should first reioyce So do the penitent with sorrow for the death of Christ especiallie because they crucified him receiue comfort Further they sought Christ and they which séeke him lose not their labour Wherefore if we do not finde Christ it is for that we do not repent and because we séeke him not These women worshipped him while he liued also they meant to do him the last honours when he was deade They did not as doth the world which first killeth the saintes and afterwarde worshippeth them when they be deade Howbeit if we shall speake the trueth the zeale and feruencie of these women was without faith and without a iust knowledge They had heard Christ tell them as touching his resurrection euen as the Angell tolde them nowe and yet they carried oyntments confections as though he shoulde not rise againe either they beléeued verie little or else they were forgetfull They were onely mooued of a certaine affection but not of faith Therefore they dealt vnwisely in their iourney Mark 16. 3. At the length came to their minde the rowling away of the graue stone which if they had considered of before they might haue brought one or two men with them So doth it happen where the wisedome of faith is not Mat. 26. 51. So did Peter thinke that hee had doone worthily when drawing out his sworde he cut off the eare of the high Priests seruant When we deale without faith manie thinges are foolishlie committed and oftentimes is giuen to God that which he requireth not as these women which vainely carried these swéete oyntments with them and as many at this day vse masses and choise of meates and such other kinde of thinges An Angel descended from heauen the testimonies of men wanted an Angell was present to shewe the resurrection By one and the same worke in the selfe same thing is shewed the state of the life to come Wee shal be as the Angels of God and shining as the sunne Wherefore the Angel did shine marueilously There was made an earthquake because in the resurrection is inuerted the nature of things And it behooued that the kéepers were terrified The women at the sight of the Angell were afraide by reason of the discorde which through sinne sprung vp betwéene our nature and the nature of Angels with whom neuerthelesse we ought to be familiar for they be our kéepers This dissention will indure vntill we haue put off our bodie The kéepers became as it were deade men they meant to haue kept downe Christ in the graue So woulde princes at this day by armes and councels haue the gospell to be buried Let mans counsell breake out it can preuaile nothing against God nay rather all things do happen quite otherwise They meant to terrifie all such as came and they themselues were made afraid They intended to let Christ from comming foorth and they themselues were let and became as deade men The Angell comforteth the women Feare ye not The Godly after feare doe receiue comfort by Angels because they speake the words of God and the worde of God doth comfort vs. The kéepers are not comforted because they be enimies of God and in enmitie doe perseuere He is risen he is not heere Against the vbiquitie of Christs bodie The bodie of Christ is not eueriewhere Tydings is brought vnto the disciples When we haue obtained any good thing we must communicate it with others He shall goe before into Galile Yet appeared he vnto them the viij dayes together wherein they were to tarry at Ierusalem by reason of the feast They were to returne into Galile because from thence they came The Lord was oftentimes conuersant with them in that place Acts. 1. 4. c. Vntill the time of Pentecost it behooued them to returne to Ierusalem then vpon mount Oliuet they saw him ascend into heauen and they were commaunded to tarrie at Ierusalem vntill they should be indued with power from heauen Nowe that the Lord is risen againe it appeareth by the testimonie of the Angel of the women and of the Euangelist But in the olde testament wheresoeuer we read that Christ shal reigne for euer there is shewed his resurrection In the oppression and deliuerance of the godly which is read in the olde Testament we haue the death and resurrection of Christ not in a figure but truely because Christ truelie suffereth in his members As for example Saule Saule whie doost thou persecute me Acts. 9. 4. Mat 12. 40 Psal 16. 10 Ionas shewed both as Christ saith And Dauid saith Thou shalt not leaue my Soule in hel nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption Christ foreshewed the same Destroy this temple Iohn 2. 19. and in three dayes I will builde it vp againe Mat. 17. 22. And in other places he oftentimes spake of betraying the sonne of man He prooued his resurrection by appearing the space of fortie daies Acts. 1. 3. He saith to his disciples in Emaus that Moses the Prophets Luk. 24. 26. and the Psalmes doe beare witnesse that it behooued Christ should suffer and so enter into his glorie Vnto the Corin. 1. Co. 15. 14 If Christ be not risen againe vaine is our preaching and vaine is your faith We are founde false witnesses They that bee deade in Christ are perished Neither should Christ haue béene the Lorde of the liuing and of the deade And vnto the Romans it is saide vnto this ende he is risen againe This much for
wedded thee vnto me with mercie and with loue And by this nation his will was to instruct the whole world at the time appointed Which was doon by the apostles when Christ was departed from the earth But that people was weake and féeble and aboue measure giuen to adulterie and idolatrie Wherefore God separated them from other nations and would haue them to dwell in the land of Chanaan apart by themselues and to bée kept in on euerie side with ceremonies rites as it were by schoole-maisters vntill this spouse was so strengthened and confirmed that hir faith was no more had in suspicion Which when husbands perceiue to be in their wiues they suffer them to go at their pleasure whither they will and to be conuersant with men neither doo they anie longer set kéepers to watch them so God when he had now by Christ giuen the holie Ghost vnto the church he remoued from it the custodie of ceremonies and sent foorth his faithfull to preach ouer all the world The selfe-same father prooueth in another place that the ceremonies and rites of the Iewes were not instituted by God of set purpose and counsell For God would haue a people that should worship him in spirit and in truth But the Israelites which had béene conuersant in Aegypt and had defiled themselues with idolatrie would néeds in anie wise haue sacrifices and ceremonies so as if these things had not béene permitted them they were readie to turne to idolatrie Wherefore God so dealt with them A similitude as the maner is of a wise Physician to doo who happening to come vnto one sicke of a burning feuer which for extreame heate requireth in anie wise to haue some cold water giuen him and except it be giuen him he is readie to run and hang himselfe or by some other meanes to destroie himselfe In this ill case the Physician compelled by necessitie commandeth a viall of water to be brought which he himselfe hath prepared and giueth the sicke man to drinke but yet with such a charge that he drinke no drinke else but out of that viall So God granted vnto the Hebrues sacrifices and ceremonies but yet so as they should not exercise them otherwise than he himselfe had commanded them And that this is true he prooueth insomuch as God prescribed not ceremonies nies vntill such time as the Israelits made the golden calfe vntill such time as he made manifest his wrath against the Israelites when they hurling in their braselets earings and rings caused a golden calfe to be made for themselues which they worshipped And séeing it is so we must grant this with Paule when he saith that the lawe is not by faith abolished although those ceremonies be taken awaie Vnto which doctrine Christ also agréeth Matth. 5 17 when he saith that He came not to take a waie the lawe but to fulfill it The sense of which words may easilie be gathered out of those things which we haue before spoken In 1. Cor. verse 8. 27 Moreouer let vs consider that in euerie ceremonie of the old lawe there were thrée things the first a commendation of anie benefit receiued secondlie a token and shadowe of Christ and lastlie a lesson of honestie and of framing a godlie life As touching the pascall solemnitie these things are most manifest First therin was a memorie of the deliuerance out of Aegypt a shadowe of Christ his death whereby we through grace be deliuered from eternall damnation Finallie by the swéete bread a purenesse of life was laid before our eies And euen the verie like may be perceiued in the rite of the first fruits therein was a giuing of thanks for receiuing new fruits and Christ was there signified to be the first fruits of the dead and the first begotten among many brethren And they were admonished that the first fruits of their actions were so due vnto God as for his sake they should order all their affaires And in euerie solemnitie through the death of the beast offered in sacrifice by faith was apprehended the sacrifice of Christ whereby they beléeuing in him were iustified There was also in them a celebration of diuine praises an holie congregation the administration of the word of God the communion of the faithfull and the confession of sinnes Such exercises as these are required to be in the whole life of christians In Rom. 10 verse 4. 28 Therefore Christ is the end of the lawe vnto righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And Christ is said to be the end of the lawe bicause he bringeth the perfection and absolution thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath two significations But we must note the propertie of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it signifieth two things namelie the extreame or vttermost part or limit of things And by this meanes death is said to be the end of liuing creatures not bicause we liue to the end we should die for that which is the woorsse cannot be the cause of the better Moreouer it signifieth the perfection and absolution of anie thing which is brought to the vttermost of his motion and bringing foorth Now although as touching the first signification Christ by his comming made an end of the lawe for he tooke awaie the ceremonies and the cursse thereof yet in that place Paule meaneth not that Christ is in such maner the end of the lawe But he hath a respect vnto the other signification of this word namelie vnto perfection and absolution forsomuch as Christ finished and perfected that which the lawe could not performe Which the better to vnderstand the scope and end of lawes must be considered Lawes are made to make men good and iust The scope and end of lawes for they set foorth things that be right and honest for no other cause but that they should be put in practise But among other lawes this that God made chéeflie requireth of men righteousnesse and holinesse But this it cannot bring to passe certeinlie not by default of it selfe but by reason of our corruption Howbeit that which it can doo it dooth namelie it vrgeth vs it accuseth vs and it condemneth vs that at the least we being ouercharged with so great a burthen may thinke vpon our deliuerer and by that meanes be conuerted vnto Christ by whom as well we may be absolued from sinnes as also by his spirit and grace be throughlie able as much as the condition of this life will giue leaue to obeie his lawe giuen vnto vs. Which two things Christ most liberallie giueth vnto them that beléeue in him And so is he called the end that is the consummation and perfection of the lawe This did Paule in plaine words expresse when he said That which was vnpossible vnto the lawe Rom. 8 3. in as much as it was made weake through the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne by sinne condemned sinne that the righteousnes
the good seed Reum and Samsai with their adherents haue bended themselues against the children of God The sonne of perdition exalting himselfe in the temple of God aboue all that is called God hath spred diuers nets laid many snares digged deepe pits vsed sundrie some bloudie some craftie meanes to hinder the worke and to destroie the workmen now by out-criengs horrible rorings of the Romish bull now by attempting forreine power to depose your Highnesse from your state and discharge your loiall subiects of their allegeance now by assaieng how he could preuaile by more than ciuill sword now by raising sundrie dangerous and damnable sects and sectaries to diminish the credit and hinder the good successe of the Gospell now by sophisticall writing and printing against the receiued truth mightilie confirmed by the inuincible word of God and lastlie by conueieng in that secret seminarie of sedition which closelie and craftilie entering into this realme vnder pretense of long praiers deuoure widowes houses lead captiue simple women and other sillie seduced soules trauell by land and sea to make proselytes double woorse the children of hell than they themselues and so rob your Maiestie of your subiects God of his creatures Christ of his members the people of their saluation and vnder a colourable cloke of defending themselues and bewailing their owne estate in their pharisaicall libels ouer-boldlie dedicated to your Maiestie and the Lords of your Honourable priuie Councell doo traiterouslie insinuate vniustlie accuse you and your most moderate lawes and statutes of intollerable rigour and crueltie But such as their doctrine is wicked and worldlie such are their words false and forged Howbeit all these their pestilent deuises and designements notwithstanding as your Maiestie hath begun most godlie and most maruellouslie proceeded so go you forward most happilie from faith to faith from strength to strength and from glorie to glorie vntill Christ shall tread downe his and your enimies vnder his feet and yours Arme your selfe most mightie Princesse with the principall spirit of fortitude strengthen your hart with the certeintie of the truth repose your faith on the onelie written word cast your hope and care vpon the prouidence diuine So shall you neuer need to feare neither the maine forces of your professed enimies nor the dissembled practises of your pretensed freends For so renowmed is your name and honour among all godlie Princes as no enuie can diminish your glorie so trulie doo your people loue you as no secret treason can be hid from your person so wise and circumspect is your Councell as no forreine practises can preuaile against you so strong is your Kingdome so well furnished your munition so terrible your nauie and so stedfast your fortune Againe so valiant are your subiects so manie in number so frequented with victories so readie to your defense so assured to their countrie and so zealous in religion On the other side so godlie are your owne purposes so miraculous your proceedings so peaceable your desires so bountifull your benefits and so cleare your owne conscience so cleare J saie speciallie from the bloud of all men as there remaineth no more in this worke of yours but that you vtterlie shake off all feare and put your trust in the Lord of hosts and so finish this glorious building Which being performed blesse you with Salomon all the church of Jsrael and with all your people giue thanks vnto God the father in his deere sonne bicause he hath dealt mercifullie with you and made you more gratious and honourable in his sight than anie King and Prince of the earth And now as your Maiestie for your owne part by the speciall assisting grace of God hath beene hitherto and is at this daie and shall by Gods grace for euer be throughlie setled and grounded on the right side of all questions now in controuersie betweene vs and our aduersaries so to the end that your people may continuallie vnderstand how they haue beene carried awaie by false teachers from the sinceritie and singlenesse of the Gospell published by the Apostles and established in this your realme vnto a multitude of erronious opinions and mans inuentions and that no faithfull subiect hereafter may iustlie complaine of ignorance or pretend a readinesse to followe the truth if it were rightlie taught and easie to be found your Maiestie of your godlie zeale hath vouchsafed to suffer the works of manie learned and true professors to haue free course in all your dominions to all good and godlie effects and purposes Wherein you haue not onlie performed all the good parts of a gratious Christian Queene but haue thereby saued infinite soules which otherwise without the benefit thereof had liued still in blindnesse and died in danger of euerlasting damnation Wherefore seeing this booke of D. Peter Martyrs Common places among and aboue all other bookes written of like argument will most fullie and sufficientlie satisfie all those that read the same with a single eie and bring not with them consciences vnsensible seared vp with an hot iron and seeing all the doctrine herein comprehended is agreeable to the word of eternall life and conformable to the religion restored in this your Realme J am eftsoones most humblie to desire your Maiestie that the same may obteine free passage throughout your Kingdome Whereby your Maiestie besides all other benefits for the which I stand most deepelie bounden vnto your Highnesse shall heape vpon me a gratious fauour by vouchsafing my labours so great a credit vpon the Author himselfe by giuing him so famous a testimonie vpon your naturall subiects by granting them so singular a commoditie yea vpon your selfe by witnessing to all posteritie and succeding ages how highlie you esteeme the learning and vertue of so excellent a man Finallie you shall doo that which will redound to the glorie of almightie God to the credit of the time the increase of the church the furtherance of the Gospell the extirpation of error the aduancement of vertue and to the vtter ouerthrowe of all vngodlinesse togither with Antichrist and all his adherents At your Maiesties Court in Greenewich the eight of Maie 1583. Your Maiesties most humble subiect and faithfull seruant ANTHONIE MARTEN I H S To the Christian Reader AMong all the sundrie and manifold affaires of this short life of ours there is nothing good Christian Readers that so neerlie toucheth man whether we regard the end wherevnto he was first made or the saluation which he hath obteined by Christ or the loue he hath to his owne kind as dooth religion For if man be carried with a continuall desire of increasing mankind in the propagation of the flesh with how much more ardent desire is he lead to multiplie the spirituall seed of soules Bicause he knoweth euen by the light of nature ingraffed in his hart and by a consideration of the power omnipotent and prouident gouernement of all things not onelie that man consisteth of two parts the soule
ashamed and yeeld when they see your diligence in gouerning and vnblameablenesse of liuing ioined with the godlie zeale of your preaching if they perceiue you to contemne all things as dung in comparison of the Gospell of Christ and to be readie if need shall require to laie downe your life for the brethren finallie if ye mortifie your selues to the world that yee may liue vnto Christ For vnlesse life and gouernement be ioined with preaching and teaching ye labour in vaine and withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse making the word of God of none effect And ye shall but loose your labour in rising earlie and in late taking rest and in eating the bread of carefulnesse For if all these things be not performed of you whatsoeuer ye build vp with the one hand ye plucke downe with the other Againe ye that be the heads of both the Vniuersities haue ye a circumspect eie that there be no corrupt member within your Colleges and where yee perceiue anie such to growe vp let him be examined and weeded out from the good come least he persuade Israell to commit sinne and idolatrie Cease ye not but declare him to the magistrates which may take further order for him least he by his libertie infect other places in the realme And generallie all ye that be the common people which liue in hope of your felicitie and looke for the second comming of our Sauiour be ye diligent in hearing and reading of the word And cease not there but if there be anie necessarie place which you doo not easilie vnderstand compare it diligentlie with other places of the scripture which concerne that matter If this will not suffice consult ye either with some godlie and learned man or with this and such other learned bookes how that place should be trulie vnderstood And for this cause speciallie beloued Readers I haue set foorth vnto you large and ample tables whereby ye may by the alphabet of letters find out a full exposition of all those things which this booke setteth foorth out of the holie scriptures necessarie to saluation Those read I saie with all humilitie but be not too curious in searching out of the mysteries which be too high aboue you but desire God alwaies that ye may see what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is For it is no woonder why a great part of the world is yet still lead in blindnesse sith it is their owne wilfulnesse that causeth their error it is their owne negligence that maketh their ignorance it is their owne malignant hart that driueth the Lord to refuse them When Augustine was conuerted from Manicheisme to the true religion hee was commanded by the spirit of God To take vp the booke and read And the Eunuch in the Acts when he was diligent in searching out of a mysterie that tended to saluation God sent Philip to interpret vnto him And thinke we that he will not send his spirit to interpret vnto vs when we earnestlie desire him by praier to vouchsafe vnto vs the right vnderstanding of his word Now last of all though with griefe and lamentation of hart I conuert my speech vnto you the pretended Catholiks of England O ye blind guides the leaders of the blind into the destruction of their soules I bewaile your wofull case howsoeuer ye your selues reioise in your euils The God of this world hath blinded your minds for ye disdaine the glorious Gospell of Christ and deride the plaine sinceritie thereof ye are enimies to the true church euen to them that Christ bought with his pretious bloud yee hate your owne flesh and bloud ye storme and rage against your mothers children and that more furiouslie and maliciouslie than against the Turks and infidels that haue no knowledge of Christ Ye are deceiued and seduced in the waie of the Lord and your ignorance is wilfull bicause ye will not take vp the booke of the holie scriptures and labour earnestlie therein that ye might trie and search out the truth but ye followe your owne waies and the deceiueable paths of your forefathers neither will ye suffer the simple sort to read it or the true interpretors of it Ye knowe that there is but one true religion and that there be assured marks to knowe the same by but ye in so diuine a thing choose rather to trie a certeintie by such vncerteine marks as the corrupt hart of man doth deuise than by the infallible rule of the word of God Ye knowe that all things in the world which are out of square must be compared by that rule and paterne from whence it was deriued The picture of a man is examined according to that man whom it representeth or by the first lineaments taken from him A house to be built is set vp according to the platforme drawne for the same A keie is shapen according to the print of the originall Euerie offense committed against the lawe of man is examined by the lawe prouided against that offense If it so fare in temporal things and that by reason of the vncerteintie of mans iudgement humane things must be tried not by mans will but by mens rules how much more then must the doctrine of Gods religion be tried by the rule of Gods word and by no other meanes Howbeit ye will haue no other iudges of controuersies but your selues nor anie others to interpret the truth but your selues you consider not that ye be our aduersaries and that no aduersarie parts may be their owne iudges ye see not that we are growne of equall number with you our bookes and volumes as manie and as great as yours our arguments not onelie in number as manie but in proofe and substance more inuincible than yours The fathers doo differ your selues doo varie Councels doo erre all men be lyers but the word of God is true and endureth for euer Why doo you not then confesse that the written word is the most equall and indifferent iudge and that the spirit of God speaking out of it to the harts of men is the verie right and iust interpretor of the Lords will and that no mortall man may presume to knowe his will further than he hath declared vnto him out of his holie word but ye intermingle all both diuine and humane things togither Ye make the waies of the Lord to be your waies ye thinke it vnpossible that Christ sitting in heauen can rule his church vpon the earth by his spirit and by the gouernement of Christian magistrates vnlesse he haue one principall prelate on the earth for his vicar and him onelie will you haue to be the bishop of Rome vnlesse the counsels of men doo establish after their maner that which the counsell of God hath alreadie decreed after his maner Besides this of an insatiable hatred that you beare vnto vs and vnto the truth which we professe ye crie out against all our translations of the bible and ye continuallie beate into the eares
of Iesus Christ than was the Iewes temple vno Moses vpon the mount Therefore is ours the true church and shall continue for euer whereas yours shall consume perish and come to a fearefull end Furthermore ye boast that the church of God hath long continued quiet without anie generall resistance till now of late that the learned men in Germanie and else-where began to disdaine that the truth of God should so shamefullie be abused by couetous and carelesse men Ye consider not that your forgeries crept in by little and little now one thing and than another whole ages betweene that they sproong vp of deuotion of a pretense of holines of a wrong conceit of Gods omnipotencie of a zeale towards religion but yet without knowledge that manie times your opinions either were not resisted bicause learned men were otherwise better occupied in confuting of more grosse palpable heresies or if they were resisted those monuments haue perished by the enuie of your side or else through manie barbarous nations which inuaded Christendome that manie of your opinions grew by mistaking of councels and misconstruing of the fathers and of their darke and hyperbolicall speeches and not of anie authoritie receiued from the primitiue church that your church of Rome might more liberallie and without resistance and therefore more dangerouslie raise vp errors hir citie being the mistresse that commanded all nations that those errors of yours were pretended vnto the common people to be taught out of the woord of God and that it behooued to keepe them vpon paine of damnation that the godlie were humble and charitable and besides the opinion they had of the authoritie and learning of bishops and councels either for charitie they would not or for feare they durst not find fault with anie ordinance made by them further that God had not as yet put into the harts of kings and great estates to defend those that should find fault with the corruptions of the church that the professours of the Gospell had not prepared so smooth stones nor had so apt slings for the purpose as now they haue for God had not yet prepared the art of Printing whereby the word runneth verie swiftlie into all parts of the world that the kings of the earth had not as yet droonke the full draught of the whoore of Babylons cup nor thorough the infection thereof had shead the vniust measure of innocent bloud bicause the mysterie of iniquitie had not yet wrought all his force neither was that man of sinne so notoriouslie reuealed whome now the Lord dooth euerie daie more and more destroie with the spirit of his mouth Further that the time was not yet come wherein God by his eternall prouidence had decreed to build vp the walles of decaied Ierusalem neither yet was the iudgement of God so neare at hand Lastlie that all things were not yet fulfilled which Christ and his spirit prophesied should come to passe before the latter daie Giue ouer therefore these insolent and vaine boastings for the Lord dooth all things in time in measure and in weight his purposes are far from mens cogitations he oftentimes maketh the vilest and basest beginnings to grow vp to the greatest advancements of his glorie and he knew before all eternitie whome he had chosen to himselfe The sinnes of your forefathers shall not excuse your wilfull obstinacie for I saie vnto you that not onelie they but the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha would haue conuerted before this time if either they had seene the wonders that haue beene doone in your daies or else had heard the hundred part of preaching instructing and confuting of those errors that ye haue heard and learned and throughlie tried And sith our preachers haue preached vnto you not themselues but Iesus Christ not anie deuise of their owne but what they haue found in the holie word and haue taken this labour vpon them not for ostentation of their owne learning or for enuie they beare to your persons but in defense of the truth but with a zeale of the Lords house but for reformation of Christs church but for the manifesting of your false opinions for the earnest desire of your saluation ye should haue imbrased them as the Angels of God much lesse haue persecuted them to the death Ye should haue taken this faithfull trauell of theirs as an infallible token from heauen that as GOD before the first comming of his sonne sent manie prophets betimes in the morning to rebuke the sinnes of the people and to shew wherein the priests had violated the lawe of the Lord and how greeuouslie the false worshippers had defaced his holie sanctuarie so now before his second comming he hath sent heapes of these godlie and zealous preachers to laie open the errors of the church and to gather into the sheepefold the wandering flocke those whom he had predestinated to his kingdom before the foundations of the world were laid If none of all these things will serue if nothing will make ye relent if not yet at the length ye will returne to the true church for all the spirituall and supernaturall signes and wonders of your daies for all the admonitions that haue beene giuen you for all the arguments that haue confuted you for all the word that preuaileth against you for all you see the latter daie creeping towards you and the sonne of man as a theefe in the nightstealing vpon you if still ye will be selfe willing and obstinate if still ye will giue more credite to your selues than to the liuelie word of God if no not yet ye will leaue persecuting of your brethren by fire sword by malicious lies and reproches and by all maner of wicked waies ye can deuise and that contrarie to godlines contrarie to iustice contrarie to all humanitie contrarie to the law of nature and contrarie to your owne consciences ye will haue the iudgement of religion in your owne hands and will haue no other interpretation but such as your selues deuise behold I pronounce vnto you that the mightie God Iehouah commeth he commeth and that speedilie in his owne person riding vpon the wings of the wind He will not now seeke anie more reuenge vpon Pharao and Nabuchad-nezar for his people of Israell nor yet vpon Dioclesian Iulian and other heathen tyrants for oppressing the Christians but hee will require the bloud of righteous Abell at the hands of his owne brother Cain of Lot at his owne citie Sodome of Iacob at his owne brother Esau of Zacharie at the prince of his owne people of Christ at the hands of his owne Ierusalem and of his saints and martyrs of England at the hands of their owne countrimen kinsmen and brethren He will not reprooue you for intermitting your vnbloudie sacrifice of the masse and for not offering vp his sonne euerie daie to his father which himselfe once for all offered vpon the crosse seeing he neuer commanded you thus to doo No but he will
happen by fortune For it may be that if thou respect the next causes those things that doo happen both are and are iustlie called things happening by chance for it is nothing repugnant to that cause that it bring foorth as well this effect as another effect that is contrarie therevnto For as touching mine owne will it may so come to passe that I doo sit as also that I doo not sit So then if these effects be referred vnto that cause they shall be by chance for they may be otherwise howbeit as they be subiect to the prouidence of God we must not denie but that they are of necessitie Necessitie of two sorts Wherefore there is granted a double necessitie that is to wit a necessitie absolute and a necessitie by supposition But it may be that those things which by supposition are of necessitie if thou take them without supposition they be things contingent and not of necessitie Esay 14 17. Esaie in the 14. chapter sheweth that the kingdome of Babylon should be destroied which was but a chance as touching the worldlie causes therof for there was no let but that it might otherwise be And yet neuertheles the prophet minding to shew that it should vndoubtedlie come to passe groundeth his reason vpon the determinate will of God and said God hath so purposed and who shall be able to dissanull it The hand of the Lord is now stretched foorth and who shall plucke it backe Wherefore the thing now by this reason was of necessitie And in the 33. psalme we reade Psal 33 11. But the counsell of the Lord indureth for euer and the purposes of his heart from generation to generation Yet they still vrge the contrarie Necessitie séemeth to be a let to the prouidence of God for we consult not of those things which cannot otherwise be Whether necessitie be a let vnto prouidence Forsomuch then as there be manie things in the world which séeme to be of necessitie those that be of this sort séeme to exclude the prouidence of God But héere we must vnderstand in this place that although all things as they haue relation to the purpose determinate will of God being as it were doone and decréed be of necessitie yet as concerning God the appointer and decréer of the act all things are contingent and nothing is of such necessitie in the world but that the same may otherwise be Neither doo we now speake of the definitions of things or of necessarie propositions or conclusions séeing these things are not gouerned by diuine prouidence for they be descriptions of the eternall truth and diuine nature Some there be also which thinke that there should be no euill found in the world if it were gouerned of God by his prouidence For none that dealeth prouidentlie in his works would permit euill to take place But these may be easilie answered that there is no euill to be found that is not either profitable to the saints and furthereth them to saluation or that declareth not the iustice and mercie of God or else that aduanceth not the order of all things and the preseruation of the same ¶ The same place is expounded In 1. Sam. 10 verse 2. 5 But to followe some order herein first let vs search whether there be anie prouidence or no secondlie what it is thirdlie whether all things be subiect vnto it fourthlie whether it can be changed and lastlie whether it may abide anie casualtie of things But before I come to the purpose let vs speake somewhat as touching the signification of the names thereof Wherefore among the Grecians a thing that commeth by chance is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is a thing contingent and how manie sorts there be which is of such sort as both it may be and it may not be and whether it be or be not there is no absurditie either against reason or against the word of God It is distinguished into 3. parts of which the first is called by the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause it inclineth equallie as much one waie as another The second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which for the most part vseth to happen after this maner or after that but yet may otherwise come to passe The third is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause it falleth out but seldome and not vsuallie The philosophers assigne two grounds or beginnings of chance one in the matter Two grounds of contingence the which as it lighteth vpon diuers and sundrie actiue causes so it receiueth a diuers and sundrie forme the other in the will whereby our actions are gouerned now the will hath consideration of the matter bicause it is directed and forced by the vnderstanding Augustine in his booke of questions Prudence deuided into three parts quest 31. saith Wisedome is by the philosophers diuided into thrée parts namelie into vnderstanding memorie and prouidence and that memorie is referred vnto things past vnderstanding to things present and that he is prouident Who is prouident which through the consideration of things past and things present can determine what will afterward come to passe But God not onelie vnderstandeth and séeth what will come to passe but he also addeth a will vnto the same For wée affirme not onelie a bare vnderstanding to be in God but an effectuall will also whereby he ruleth and gouerneth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This of the Gretians is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Prouidence And Cicero in his booke De natura deorum nameth it An old soothsaieng wife of the Stoiks who was of such account among them in old time as in the Isle of Delos she was woorshipped euen for a Goddesse Prouidence worshipped as a God bicause she helped Latona at hir child-bearing But that fable signifieth nothing else but that second causes although they haue some force in themselues yet they bring nothing to passe without the prouidence of God For Latona is nature and prouidence the midwife so that vnlesse this latter be present doo helpe and as it were plaie the midwifs part the other bringeth foorth nothing 6 But now as touching those fiue points which at the beginning I determined to intreat of seuerallie In the first place I propound to my selfe That there is a prouidence that there is a prouidence which thing may be prooued by manie sure and inuincible arguments For first séeing that God is the author and creator of all things and that he can doo nothing vnaduisedlie but that with himselfe he hath his owne certeine and assured reasons therefore of necessitie there is a prouidence For if there be no artificer but that hée séeth the reasons and ends of his worke and conceiueth the waies by which he may bring the same to his purposed ends it were a madnes not to attribute that vnto God the chéefe workeman whome the holie scriptures not onlie teach to be the creator of
reason is added for that God will haue all men to be saued 1. Iohn 5 16 And yet Iohn saith that Some doo sinne vnto death and for them saith he we ought not to praie What sinne we must not praie for Which yet we ought to vnderstand when we plainelie perceiue that they haue sinned vnto the death Now then as touching that trope or figure of Augustine wherein he saith that these imprecations of the saints were predictions or foretellings as we doo not vtterlie reiect it euen so we saie that it is not necessarie Neither doo we grant that in the execrations of the prophets and of the apostles there were not earnest requests and desires For how could they but desire that which they sawe God had willed and decréed vnlesse peraduenture by request and desire he ment the sense of the flesh or of reason as it is led by mens counsels Last of all this is to be noted that it is not absurd that in one and the selfe-same will of godlie men Contrarie motions in one will of the godlie are contrarie motions sith they happen not in respect of one and the selfe-same thing but in respect of diuers For in that they looke vpon the will and decrée of God and the destruction of sinne and such like they cannot but reioise in the punishments of the wicked but as they looke vpon them being men ioined vnto them by nature of one and the selfe-same flesh and lumpe An example of Samuel toward Saule 1. Sa. 15 11. they are excéedinglie sorrie for their destruction Thus Samuel moorned for Saule being reiected by God as we haue it in the 15. chapter of the first booke of Kings How far it may be lawfull to reioise in our enimies ouerthrowe 25 Wherefore if it be demanded In 2. Sam. 8 verse 10. whether it be lawfull for a man to delite in the miserable state of an enimie first I answer this in generall that for his ruine into sinne Whether it be lawfull to reioise at the destruction of enimies verse 17. not onelie we should not reioise but also we ought earnestlie to lament As touching aduersitie some doubt there may be Salomon saith in the Prouerbes the 24. chapter Reioise not thou at the fall of thine enimie and let not thy hart be glad when he stumbleth least the Lord see it and it displease him and he take awaie his wrath from him How then wilt thou saie did Moses when Pharao was destroied and dead sing that triumphant song Sing we vnto the Lord Exod. 15. and not onelie reioised in mind but also appointed timbrels and danses Some men doo thus distinguish this question That so long as the enimie is afflicted we should not reioise bicause we are vncerteine of the will of God for that euerie man ought to remember that he also is a man and that the selfe-same may happen vnto him that happeneth to another for that no humane thing is strange frō him But when God by the slaughter and destruction of his enimie hath declared his will and purpose then wée ought to reioise Thus haue they said But I saie that when thou doost thus reioise we must sée whether thou séeke thine owne or not thine owne For there be some which onelie haue consideration to their owne and when the enimie is afflicted they thinke that their iniuries be reuenged of God But if thou withdrawe thy mind from these cogitations vnto the glorie of God and considerest that GOD dooth therefore reuenge his owne cause that thine enimie may be bettered that sinne may be hindered that the Gospell be no more disturbed or the word of God repressed then are we to reioise earnestlie and from the hart And in verie déed we must not in this matter take examples from holie men but from the lawe of God For Dauid wept at the death of Absolom 2. Sam. 1 11 2. Sa. 18 33. 2. Sam. 3 32 1. Sa. 25 39. 1. Sa. 15 35. of Abner and of Saule but at the death of Nabal he reioised Samuel moorned for Saule but not for Agag For so doo sundrie affections followe in godlie men according as they be diuerslie stirred vp by the spirit of God In these affections we must altogither séeke not what is for owne profit but what furthereth the saluation of our neighbour and the glorie of God Yea and these two affections are oftentimes ioined in one man For so farre foorth as we sée our enimie is a man humanitie it selfe causeth that we bewaile his calamitie but if on the other part we cast our eies vpon the will of GOD godlinesse requireth that we should reioise in his iudgements In Rom. 11. 26 But there is none to be found of so euill and lewd a nature but a man hauing due consideration may sée some gifts of God in him for he is either actiue or strong or learned or noble In Rom. 12 verse 14. or eloquent or wittie These things though we be prouoked by iniuries we ought not to deface or kéepe in silence if anie oportunitie be offered to speake well of our enimies Aeschines an Ethnike neither dissembled nor diminished before the Rhodians the eloquence of Demosthenes his most professed enimie but rather amplified it as much as he could and recited vnto them that most venemous oration which Demosthenes had written against him and he added that it was nothing without the action and pronuntiation of that Orator 1. Sam. 26 9. Dauid both in words and déeds reuerenced Saule being his enimie for that he was the annointed of the Lord. And the apostle therefore commandeth the same bicause the world iudgeth that man should deale farre otherwise For either it delighteth in curssed speakers and enimies of the truth or it thinketh it an honestie to requite iniuries Vespasianus Wherfore Vespasian when as there arose a contention betwéene a certeine Senator and a knight of Rome did with this sentence appease the strife Doubtlesse to reuile a Senator it is not lawfull but to reuile againe when a man is reuiled that is both lawfull and ciuill for that he which first prouoked did depriue himselfe of the prerogatiue of his honour But Paule commandeth vs farre otherwise for we must not consider what our aduersarie deserueth but what becommeth our owne selues Neither dooth the apostle require onelie that we should speake well of our enimies but also wish well vnto them for so thinke I that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blesse ye is to be taken in the second place as an Antithesis to that which followeth And cursse not Some thinke it is onelie a repetition for the greater vehemencie But I thinke it better agréeth that we are first commanded to speake well of our enimies and then to wish them good and in no wise to cursse them as men commonlie vse to doo And if this séeme a hard matter to be doone let vs remember that We are the children of him
christian without the same Neuerthelesse Paule in his epistle to the Romans dooth boldlie affirme that He which hath not the spirit Rom. 8 9. the same is no sonne Wherefore let such men go and by the same infidelitie whereby they mistrust of the hauing of Gods spirit let them stand in doubt whether they be christians The holie Ghost in vs and how And if so be anie man aske how we haue him I answer that the most excellent father for Christ his sake sendeth him vnto vs according as Christ promised to vs in the person of his apostles Iohn 14 26. The comforter saith he which is the holie Ghost whom my father will send in my name c. Yea and this I may boldlie adde that Christ himselfe sendeth him vnto vs from the father euen as in an other place he saith The spirit Iohn 16 14 and 14 16. which I will send from the father vnto you Neither is he giuen vnto vs either from the father or from the sonne for anie other end but to inrich vs abundantlie with those gifts and verie excellent riches But yet the scripture sheweth that his cheefest worke dooth speciallie consist in teaching Christ promised to his disciples Ioh. 16 13. that he would send the holie Ghost which should teach them and lead them into all truth which he had shewed vnto them He warned them also Matt. 10 19 that when they should be brought before princes they should take no care bicause it should not be they that should speake but the spirit of their father that should speake in them And certeinlie the apostles were not dispersed abroad in the world for preaching of the Gospell before they were indued from aboue with that heauenlie power by the helpe whereof they not onlie preached the Gospell mightilie for bringing of men vnto the obedience of Christ but they also established the truth of their doctrine with woonderfull signes and miracles And that maner of teaching by which that spirit is performed towards vs must be inwardlie considered in the mind the which he not onelie replenisheth with his light but also dooth gentlie allure and persuade the same and maketh those things acceptable from which otherwise by reason of our corrupt nature we doo vtterlie flie Thus dooth he worke a maruelous transforming in the minds of the elect while he stirreth them vp vnto the indeuour of good works and godlie actions which by the guide of nature they might not be able to performe 34 And yet dooth he not by force constraine them vnto those works but rather with effect persuade them inwardlie And this is that happie libertie wherewith the chosen of Christ be indued who by the power and persuasion of the same spirit doo imploie their whole indeuour vnto such actions which by the onelie guide of nature could neither be doone by them nor yet would be acceptable vnto God Further also from that spirituall doctrine which flourisheth inwardlie there springeth afterward an assured mortification as well in the mind as in the flesh as Paule testifieth in his epistle to the Romans whom he warned Rom. 8 13. that If they would by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh they should liue To these things adde if you will that the comfort which springeth by the assurance of our saluation is so great as euen in the middest of troubles miseries calamities and sorrowes of this world we may lead a chéerefull and merrie life And that not without cause séeing we féele in vs that singular and noble gift which Paule to the Ephesians calleth The pledge of our saluation Ephes 1 14. I sée not now how anie man vpon iust cause can doubt of his comming one daie into that state of Christ when he perceiueth alreadie that his soule liueth by the same spirit of Christ But if a man will demand how we knowe that our soule is quickened by the same spirit Answer may be made by the words of Paule I liue not anie longer saith Paule to the Galathians but Christ liueth in me Gal. 2 20. And vnto the Philippians Phil. 1 21. Christ vnto me is life Which saiengs declare no other thing but that the godlie doo liue in Christ and Christ in them and that by his spirit It is also written in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 8 16. that The same spirit dooth testifie with our spirit that we be the sonnes of GOD. And it is not fit by anie meanes to refuse so certeine a testimonie But whosoeuer hath not this testimonie inwardlie in himselfe is vnwoorthie to be called a christian But if any man obiect Paules assurance of his faith that although Paule were indued with this assured persuasion and that he felt inwardlie this inward testimonie in himselfe it followeth not that the selfe-same thing must be granted to be in others I answer that Paule wrote all these things vnto the Romans who as yet were farre off from perfection neither had they profited so much as Paule And that doo their own contentions suspicions and rash iudgments and also their verie féeble weake consciences beare witnesse all which things the apostle dooth oftentimes reprehend in these his writings And yet neuerthelesse when the Romans were such he wrote vnto them of that adoption whereby God had determined to make them his children when they should imbrace christian religion Wherefore beloued brethren let vs put off the spirit that miserable doubteth of our saluation séeing there is nothing that is more enimie to our faith which is the liuelie and most sure foundation of all our felicitie Who dooth not sufficientlie vnderstand how great contraries are beléeuing and doubting and how much they are repugnant the one to the other I certeinlie for my part doo not sée how these things may agrée To beléeue trulie in Christ my onlie and true sauiour and To stand likewise in doubt of him whether he will saue me or no séeing he hath receiued me into his faith and so greatlie testifieth by his spirit vnto my mind that swéet and bountifull affection of his towards me And if we admit the testimonies of men who naturallie are liers proue to deceit that we in like maner should cleaue to them how much rather ought we to repose our selues in all those things which that good true spirit of God dooth confirme by his testimonie Vnlesse peraduenture we suffer our selues to be persuaded that there is more truth and fidelitie in men than there is in God Which if anie be so hardie to saie he shall in this point alone most plainelie bewraie himselfe to be such a one as he is Wherefore let vs yéeld vnto the most benigne and mercifull God as great and manie thanks as we can who hath not by the ministerie of angels or of anie other creature whatsoeuer but by the power of his owne spirit ingraffed vs in Christ his true and naturall sonne and by him hath renewed
mortified should haue béene translated We are slaine For the Hebrue word is Horagnu although the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifieth To mortifie for that word Paule vsed in the same chapter Rom. 8 13. when he said And if ye by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall liue But héere as we said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth To be slaine and to be deliuered vnto the death 15 But that which followeth All the daie long signifieth that death dooth continuallie hang ouer them and that they are neuer secure but that they thinke they shall be foorthwith drawen vnto death Chrysost Albeit Chrysostome amplifieth this an other waie It is of necessitie saith he that men die once at the least But séeing they are so prepared that they are willing euerie daie to die if néed require they haue euerie daie the fruit of martyrdome as if they should euerie daie die And the cause much relieueth and comforteth them for they are not slaine as wicked men or malefactors but onlie for religiō godlines sake And therefore they saie For thy sake And for that cause some thinke that that psalme ought not to be vnderstood of the first captiuitie for then the Iewes were not punished for Gods cause or for religion sake but bicause they were idolaters and so wicked as God would no longer suffer them for they had now altogither fallen awaie from God The booke of the law was almost cleane blotted out the temple was shut vp The Iewes for the lawe suffred manie things vnder Antiochus and the Macedonians the citie of Ierusalem ouerflowen with the blood of the prophets Wherefore this is a prophesie of the latter calamitie which happened in the time of the Machabeis vnder Antiochus and the Macedonians For then the Iewes suffered most gréeuous torments bicause they would defend the lawes of God Therefore they saie For thy sake are we slaine And in an other verse it is added And yet for these things haue we not forgotten thee or doone vnfaithfullie against thy couenant These things are not so spoken as though men doo at anie time suffer more gréeuous things than they haue deserued For none of all the martyrs liued so purelie and innocentlie but that they were subiect to some sinnes but those sinnes deserued not onelie the death of the bodie but also without the helpe of Christ his death euerlasting punishment But these paines and vexations God sendeth not vpon them as being angrie but for the setting foorth of his truth and glorie Howbeit in the meane time according as he promised Matt. 19 29. God rendreth an hundreth fold vnto them which haue suffred for his name in this life he repaieth vnto them not onelie life eternall but also in this life he rendreth vnto them an hundreth fold For oftentimes he most abundantlie restoreth those things which were lost for his sake Sometimes also in the middest of tribulations and euen in the verie crosse and death he giueth vnto them so much strength and consolation that in verie deed it is more than an hundreth fold if it be compared with those things which they haue lost And bicause the mysteries of our faith are secret and hidden God will haue them to be testified not onelie by oracles of the scriptures but also by the torments and slaughters of the elect And therefore Christ vnto the apostles Act. 1 8. when he sent them into the whole world to preach Ye shall be witnesses vnto me in Iewrie and in Samaria and vnto the ends of the world But it is no hard matter by words to testifie the truth but those testimonies are most weightie which are sealed with blood Not punishments nor death but the cause maketh martyrs Augustine and with death Howbeit this must be knowen as Augustine hath admonished that paines punishments and death maketh not martyrs but the cause For otherwise manie suffer manie gréeuous things and yet are not martyrs For the same Augustine to Boniface De correctione Donatistarum and in manie other places testifieth that in his time there were Circumcellions a furious kind of men which if they could find none that would kill them would often times breake their owne necks hadlong and would slaie them selues These men saith he must not be counted martyrs Thrée things therefore séeme fit to the state of martyrdome First To martyrdome three things are required that the doctrine which is defended be true and agréeable vnto the holie scriptures The second is that there be adioined integritie and innocencie of life that men doo not onelie edifie the church by death but also by life and conuersation The third is that they séeke not to die for glorie sake or for desire of name and fame Paule saith to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 3 13. If I shall deliuer my bodie to be burnt and haue not charitie it nothing profiteth me Therefore no man ought to account the Anabaptists The Anabaptists or Libertines are no martyrs Libertines and other such pestiferous sects for martyrs For séeing these men doo obstinatelie defend their errors vnto the death they are not mooued with charitie neither towards God nor yet towards men And forsomuch as they hate all good men they be rather the martyrs of satan and of their owne errors than of Christ Two kinds of testimonies we haue Two testimonies that further herin but yet are not firme which helpe verie much to the knowledge of the truth yet are not those altogither so firme that we ought straitwaie to assent vnto them namelie miracles torments which are suffred for the defense of anie opinion In either of them must be had great warinesse that the doctrine which is set foorth be examined by the holie scriptures Paule out of Dauid compareth the godlie with shéepe appointed vnto the slaughter In this similitude are two things to be considered First that they are called shéepe bicause they be simple as becommeth the flocke of Christ to be Secondlie bicause in their punishments they make no resistance following the example of Christ of whom it is written that When he was led like a sheepe vnto death 1. Pet. 2. 22. Esaie 53 7. yet did hee not open his mouth 16 Paule addeth But in all these things we be conquerours The Gréeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is We doo notablie ouercome This particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place perteineth nothing vnto the works of supererogation for Paule ment nothing else but that so much strength is giuen vs by God as in this conflict we go farre beyond our enimies This the diuell dooth that by these aduersities he may wrest from vs our confidence and loue towards God But that by this meanes is rather increased Rom. 5 4. For tribulation worketh patience patience worketh experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed But by what strength this victorie happeneth vnto vs Paule straitwaie
growne to such a number as they haue gotten the vpper hand of the physicians art if it be wounded if it be torne if it be fired if it hunger and be pressed with miseries and calamities finallie if it be ill handled with penurie and beggerie how can it otherwise be but the mind will be mooued troubled and gréeued These and manie other things doo sufficientlie shew that we are past all hope of absolute felicitie while we liue in this world 3 This haue diuers men noted and therfore haue referred the inioieng of perfect happinesse to another life but they thought that the same must onelie be attributed vnto the soule yea and they iudged that the bodie if it should be reuoked would be an impediment thereto And with this error was infected Marcion Basilides the Valentinians the Manicheis The error of them which said there are two beginnings of things a good god and an euill god and such other pestiferous sects who affirmed that there were two beginnings of things namelie a good god and an euill And séeing they thought the euill god to be the author of visible creatures they said also that he was the maker of the bodie and of flesh and that therefore the soule being seuered from these things after death should be happie and that there should be no néed of them to be restored againe which doo hinder and not further felicitie The same opinion had they which thought that the soule is ioined to the bodie An error about the coupling togither the soule with the bodie A similitude as a mariner is coupled to the ship and as a thing moouing vnto that which it mooueth and therefore they affirmed that it would not come to passe that the soule after this life shuld be ioined againe vnto his bodie For euen as the shipman or they which mooue and put forward anie burdens when they be rid of their businesse and haue gotten wealth inough doo not returne againe to their former labors so did they thinke that soules being once put awaie from the laboursome gouernment of bodies should not returne againe But they erre excéedinglie for the soule must not so be adioined to the bodie How they be trulie ioined togither for it is the forme and perfection thereof and of both being ioined togither is made one person So then there is left remaining in soules after death a vehement disposition to take vnto them their bodies againe Which Plato séemed not to be ignorant of nor yet Pythagoras for either of them said that There is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passage of soules frō one bodie into another For as they would haue it soules after death are remooued into other bodies And bicause they returned not to the selfe-same againe that was rather said to be an alteration of place than a resurrection 4 But what maner of resurrection soeuer they haue appointed which haue taught Resurrection after the reuolution of the great yeare that after the great yéere or perfect reuolution of the heauens all things shal be restored as they now be so that thirtie six thousand yéeres hence we shall become euen the same both in number and in verie déed that we now be so that I my selfe shall teach in this place you sitting here in such sort as I now teach and you being present The reason of this opinion is astronomicall For they will haue it as Ptolome taught that that highest or be of the heauens comprehendeth in it thrée hundred thrée score and six degrées and that euerie starre doth euerie hundred yéeres passe ouer one of those degrées whereby it should come to passe that after thirtie six thousands yéeres euerie starre should returne to the point from whence it was loosed and began his motion And séeing the state or situation of the celestiall bodies was then euen in the same maner that it was from the beginning they thinke that all things shall returne to the same forme in which they then were I knowe there were some of them which prolong this restitution of all things not to six and thirtie but to fortie thousand yéeres howbeit this their reckoning is not allowed But ridiculous and vaine is each opinion and is confuted by Aristotle who affirmeth earnestlie that it can not be that the things which perish and decaie in the meane time should returne to the verie selfe same in particularities whatsoeuer space of time you will admit in the meane season Howbeit these men might lie without controllment for who can reprooue them after thirtie six thousand yéeres especiallie séeing from the beginning of the world vnto this daie six thousand yéeres are not yet finished I passe it ouer that such a kind of deuise is repugnant to the truth bicause the resurrection of the dead dependeth not of celestiall bodies nor of starres nor of degrées of the firmament but vpon the will of the high GOD. Besides this the holie scriptures doo shew that by the last resurrection eternall life shall be giuen vnto them that be dead so as they shall die no more But such a life cannot be loked for of celestiall bodies Moreouer the blessednes of saints would not be firme and stedfast when they should consider that they must be thrust foorth againe vnto the same trauels and miseries which they suffred before whiles they were héere Wherfore men haue verie much erred touching the resurrection of the dead The error of the Saduces Act. 23 8. The error of the Libertins 2. Tim. 2 17. The error of Hymeneus and Philetus And among the Hebrues were the Saduces who beléeued that there were no spirits and denied the resurrection of the dead At this daie also there be Libertines which make a iest at it and the resurrection which is spoken of in the scriptures they onelie referre vnto the soules And in the time of Paule there liued Hymenaeus Philetus who affirmed that the resurrection of the dead was euen then past whose doctrine as the apostle saith was like a canker that hath a wide fret for the minds of the vnlearned are easilie corrupted with such peruerse opinions 5 An other reason for the which God will restore the life of the bodies of them that be dead dependeth of his perfect iustice the which is not in this life declared Where we sée that for the most part the wicked doo florish in power and dignities and that they be gentlie vsed but on the other side that godlie and honest men be hardlie intreated and be in danger of most gréeuous displeasures which things vnlesse there shuld remaine an other hope might séeme to be vniust neither also would it be iustlie doone if the soule onelie should be either blessed or tormented with punishments séeing it hath had the bodie with it a companion in executing of actions as well good as bad Therefore it is méet that togither with the bodie it should haue experience both of ioies and paines séeing it did
kinde of gouernments in the Church yet to confesse the truth this me thinketh is most fitlie to be vnderstoode of Elders not in verie deede of them which had the charge of the word and of doctrine but of those which were appointed as assistantes vnto the Pastors They as being the discréeter sort and indued with a greater zeale and godlinesse were chosen out from among the laitie The office of the Elders Their office was chiefelie to attend vnto discipline and to take héede what euerie man did and in euerie house and familie to sée what néede euerie one had as touching that which belonged to the soule or to the bodie For the Church had hir ancients or if I may so saie hir Senate which according to the time prouided for profitable things Paul describeth this kinde of Ministerie not onelie in this place but also in the first to Timothie For thus he writeth The Elders are worthie of double honour 1. Tim. 5. 17. especially they which labour in the worde and doctrine In which wordes he séemeth to signifie that there be some Elders which teach and set forth the word of God Two sortes of Elders and there are others which although they doe not this yet as ancients and Elders they doe gouerne in the Church This did not Ambrose leaue vntouched when he did expound that place Yea he complaineth that euen then either through pride or through the slouthfulnesse of the Priestes they were in a maner worne awaie For while they which haue the gouernment of the Church séeke to drawe all things vnto themselues they prouide as diligentlie as they can that they maie haue no fellowe officers ioyned with them in that roome Rom. 12. 8 Wherefore Paul willeth that they which haue this charge should doe their indeuour and remoue slouth and sluggishnesse Further he addeth He that sheweth mercie let him doe it with cheerefulnesse The office of widowes and of old men And this séemeth to haue bin the office of widowes and of olde men which were to that ende maintained by the Church that they shoulde take care of strangers and of them that were sicke For good cause he commandeth these to haue chéerefulnesse For men that be weake and afflicted are much reléeued if they sée their necessities are ministred vnto with chéerefulnesse For they which with a frowning countenance and heauie chéere do these things séeme to adde sorow vnto them that be sorowfull for thereby they misdoubt that they be chargeable and troublesome to their brethren By meanes whereof they are oftentimes brought to that point as they count death much better than such a life Thus much spake Paul concerning the publike ministeries of the Church which he vpon iust cause calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit frée gifts For al these things Why these ministeres be called free gifts although it séemeth that they maie be gotten by humane arte and industrie yet shall we neuer bring to passe any thing in that kinde by our owne labour vnlesse we be holpen by the grace of God wherby those things which we doe are made profitable and effectuall For they which are occupied in these offices maie in déede without the helpe of God obtaine the praise of men and well liking of the people but they cannot further the saluation of soules commoditie of the Church And as touching this matter they oftentimes haue God fauourable and gratious vnto them which neuerthelesse obey him not with a syncere wil. But this is to be excéedingly lamented that this gouernance of the Church is so miserablie decaied that at this daie not so much as the names of these functions are anie where extant In the stead of these they haue put Taperbearers and I knowe not what Acoluthes and Subdeacons which serue for trifling and vaine actions about that superstitious Aultar of theirs In 1. Cor. 16. verse 5. 12 And in the first Epistle to the Corinthiās the 16 Chapter we haue a notable place as concerning the visitation of Churches For Paul for the same cause would returne to the Corinthians first suruey the Churches of Macedonia because he could not straight waie trauell to Corinth he deuised to send thither Timothie Of the visitation of Churches And howe necessarie the visitation of Churches is the state of humane things doeth declare by the which we easilie perceiue that things do oftentimes decaie and fall to ruine vnlesse they be nowe and then reuoked to their first order and institution Wherefore wée are not to doubt that this is no humane but an apostolicall inuention What maner of men the visitors of Churches should be But it behooueth that they which visite shoulde be men of great authoritie of honest and godlie life and also wel instructed in the holie Scriptures For if so bée they shall not by the worde of GOD perceiue those things to be peruerse which they woulde amende they shall bring nothing to passe Peraduenture thou wilt saie séeing al Churches haue their owne Pastors what néede is there that other men shoulde come vnto them to visite Wée aunswere that it oftentimes happeneth that the men of anie Church do not so greatlie estéeme their owne Pastors being otherwise good men because through continuall conuersation they grow in contempt but when they shall come before thrée or foure which bée of other Churches beeing men of great name and authoritie they may be a great deale more easilie corrected and the ordinances of the Pastors if they bée good ordinances maie bée maintained by the authoritie of these men if they bée not good they maie bée amended Now it is growne to an vse that this office of visiting is assigned vnto Primates and Archbishops because those men which were indued with the more ample giftes of God and which did excel others in learning holines were woont to bée preferred to the higher places to the chéefe seas and more notable Cities But forasmuch as we sée that in the most places at this daie such high degrées are by the fauour of princes and by peruerse election commended vnto vnméete men what profite can these men bring by their visitation Verilie not a whit but oftentimes no small inconuenience Of calling and especiallie vnto the Ministerie 13 Verie ill doe they gather In 2. Sam. 2 v. 8. A calling must not be condemned by a hard successe which thus saie Things happen not to this or that man according to his minde therefore his calling is not of God For who suffered either more or more gréeuous things than did our Sauiour Christ And yet was his calling most lawfull Wherefore a great comfort is héere offered to the ministers of the Church and to lawfull magistrates that although they sée manie troubles laid before them yet that they should not despaire for those things procéed of the Diuell Hée verilie hateth all lawfull calling For hée séeth that God wil blesse it and that his strength
therefore according to the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5. 17 They be worthie of double honour And Christ said vnto the Apostles He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10. 16. and he that despiseth you contemneth me 1. Sam. 8. 7. And the Lord answered vnto Samuel They haue not contemned thee but mee Wherefore ministers are not to bée weighed of as they be in their owne nature but God through them is to bée beholden who speaketh and dealeth in them and whose Embacie they execute So that if their Lorde sée them to bée contemned and to haue iniurie doone vnto them hée is present and reuengeth their contumelies He distroyed Core Dathan and Abyrom Numb 16. 35. Acts. 5. 5. 9. he reuenged the false craftinesse of Ananias and Saphira neither did he suffer that they should mocke Peter Againe he punished Elimas the Sorcerer who both hindered and scorned the Preaching of Paul By reason whereof seeing the children which did outrage against Elizeus grieuouslie sinned it must bée no maruell if they suffered due punishment No doubt but they were instructed by the il education of their parentes And no maruell séeing they were Idolaters Whereby we maie perceiue Il educatioÌ„ of children bréedeth their destruction that the Parentes by the ill bringing vp of their Children doe procure death vnto them Nor is there want of expositors which thinke that the children were prouoked by their Parentes to mocke the Prophets of God whom they hated Furthermore it shoulde be the part of the Magistrate to take care that the ministers of the worde of God shoulde not be afflicted with contumelies which thing these men did not séeing they were straungers from sound religion But Princes when they had imbraced Christ sinned on the other part For to the intent that the Prelates of the Gospell might be had in estimation and honour they bestowed principalities vppon them They ordained Bishops to be Earles Marqueses Dukes yea and Kings also And by this meanes they plucked them awaie from ministring the worde of God from studying of the holie Scriptures and intangled them with the affaires of this worlde Now they béeing adorned with wealth and temporall renowne addicted themselues wholie vnto pride riote pleasures and voluptuousnesse The childrens mocking was the reproche of bauldnes which was no sinne but onelie a light imperfection of the bodie But the worlde so hateth euermore the ministers of the trueth as men haue bin accustomed for the most part to take exceptions euen to the smallest blemishes 24 And as the children of Bethel railed at Elizeus Crimes layde against the preachers of the Gospell so at this daie the Papistical people doe mocke godlie men and especiallie the ministers of the Gospell But we maie not a little reioyce that euen as they coulde not reprooue Elizeus of iust crimes and verie sinnes but onelie they obiected bauldnesse euen so the Papistes are not able to laie anie grieuous sinnes to the charge of our Preachers which truelie bend themselues to their office but onlie they obiect certaine matters of smal weight I will not saie that maie be laughed at They saie that our Pastors haue not the laying on of hands and thereof they indeuour to conclude that they are not to be counted for iust gouernours of the Church that the congregations which be taught and ruled by them be not true churches but conuenticles of Runnagates And these things they speake as though the laying on of handes were so necessarie as without the same there can be no ministerie in the church Leuit. 8. 1. Whereas Moses notwithstanding consecrated Aaron his brother and his children offering diuers kindes of sacrifices vpon which men there was no handes laide before by anie Also Iohn Baptist brought in a newe Rite of Baptisme Matt. 3. 6. and gaue the same vnto the Hebrewes when neuerthelesse there was no handes laide on him and he did minister baptisme when he himselfe was not baptised by anie Gal. 1. 17. Paul also being long called in his iourney by Christ went not immediatelie vnto the Apostles that they might laie their handes vpon him but taught throughout Arabia by the space of thrée yeares and ministred vnto the Churches before that hée went vnto his predecessors the Apostles as it is testified in the Epistle to the Galathians We despise not the laying on of hands The laying on of hands but we retaine the same in manie Churches Which if we haue not of their Bishops it must not bée imputed a fault vnto vs for they would not vouchsafe this vnto vs vnlesse we should depart from sounde doctrine and therewithall to binde our selues by othe vnto the Romane Antichrist But we for conscience sake cannot submit our ministerie to the power of them from whom wee further disagrée than heauen from the earth Further wheras they saie that we want a iust succession Succession that is the smallest matter of all séeing it ought to suffice that we haue most manifestlie succéeded that Apostolike doctrine which is truest and hath béene receiued of the godlie fathers in the best times They also obiect against vs that in the holie seruice we vse prophane garmentes and after the common vse doe not put on grauer apparell Apparell Wée in verie déede confesse that we imitate Christ and his Apostles who vsed not apparell differing from other men We haue no garmentes wholie of silke no brodered or purple garments What then Are we not therfore the ministers of Christ These things which they laie against vs are no grieuous crimes or sins But they cauil against vs euen as did the Children of Bethel they saie Go vp thou bauld pate go vp thou bald pate Howebeit euen as the bauldnesse did not pollute the minde of Elizeus so also these slender obiections hinder not our ministerie Of the office of Pastors 25 But a meane must bée obserued In 1. Cor. 4 2. that neither we attribute too much or too little vnto Pastors How much must be â—…teth need to Pastors least that either they shoulde grow too proude and tyrannicallie oppresse the people and by their preceptes and inuentions obscure the commaundementes of God or else if they shoulde be ouer much deiected not onelie themselues should be contemned but also the worde of God and Sacraments ministred by them might lie neglected They are appointed gouernours of Churches betwéene Christ and the people They be the ministers of Christ Pastors be the ministers of Christ and of vs. because he vseth their labour They are our ministers also because as stewardes and disposers of the Lord they distribute vnto vs those things which of him they haue receiued Those things which the Ministres propound vnto vs must not elsewhere be taken than out of the scriptures Wherefore they ought to receiue those things which they set foorth vnto vs from no other place than from the wordes of Christ and the holie
for their owne quietnesse faine and dreame vnto themselues a certain tranquillitie and peace in the Church the which it is vnpossible to haue The church cannot be wel gouerned without troubles disquietnes if they will rightlie féede the flocke of Christ For they cannot haue al things at rest and quietnesse vnlesse they will winke at faultes The Synode of Nice assuredlie had no respect vnto these things An example of the Synode of Nice when it condemned Arrius and his fauourers whereas yet a great part of the learneder and mightier sort of the world fauored him wherby afterward much troubles followed in the Church in such sort as welnéere the whole world was shaken Neither did the Lord Iohn 6. 16. when manie were offended because he spake hard things and difficult to be vnderstood desist therefore from preachers of the trueth but turning to the twelue said Will ye also goe awaie Ibid. ver 67 They saie that we set foorth things vnpossible because if the greater part of the Church bée corrupted who shall excommunicate Wée aunswere that that which our aduersaries vnderstand is vnpossible to wit that the whole Church or the greatest part thereof should be all infected with one and the same kinde of vice so as there should not manie times happen repentance and amendement in the meane while Ouer this why are not vices which grow resisted at the beginning We must not expect till a disease inuade the whole bodie Whereof comes so great a corrupting in the Church Neither commeth it otherwise that in so populous a Church the multitude should be corrupted but because they intermitted this discipline If the Elders and principals of the Church had not ceased but continuallie had deliuered vnto the people to be excommunicated those whom they perceiued to be past amendement the whole Church should not so welnéere wholie haue béene defiled 15 And when they demaund What is to be done if the people consent not vnto excommunication What shall be doone if it happen not that excommunication of the offenders is not obtained by the consent of the people I will aunswere that this at the leastwise must be regarded that the Pastor distribute not the Sacraments vnto them that be condemned conuicted of manifest crimes Chrysost That sacraments must not be imparted comē polluted Chrysostome said that he would rather spende his owne bodie than impart the Sacraments vnto polluted men And in the meane time he ceaseth not to perswade by all meanes that this censure should be restored Augustine The best time to excōmunicate And it will as saith Augustine be a most fit time to obtrude the same when the Church is afflicted with calamities for then the mindes of the people are more readie to receiue sounde doctrine Wherefore although we haue this feare of these fathers in suspect yet doe we not discredite this father as though he had not by firme and strong reasons contended against the Donatistes The heresie of the Donatists For they said that the vniuersall state of Christianitie had no Church because betraiers of the holie bookes were admitted to the communion of the Church and polluted all things Further who in comparison of themselues condemned all other Christians released their owne from the seueritie of the Censure and in their congregations suffered most vnpure men such as were the Optatians the Gildonians and the Primians In fine they were not able to conuince those whom they had accused of betraying the holie bookes as Caecilianus and others of like sort in the Acts before Constantine the great they did nothing 16 Nowe must we intreate to what end excommunication must be vsed Vnto what end excommunication is vsed First of all least the Church should haue euil report Secondlie that he being so cast out might be amended Further that others should not be corrupted A similitude in like manner as by one scabbed shéepe the rest also are infected Fourthlie that the seueritie of this iudgement might terrifie from sinning Finallie that the wrath and punishments which are sent by God maie be auoided For while man doth chasten the hand of God withdraweth punishments but if that they cease God prosequuteth his iniuries And excommunication was chiefelie inuented for the restoring of his principall and inwarde communion with God And we ought alwaies to remember with our selues 2. Cor. 10. 8 that authoritie is giuen not to destruction but to edification of the Church They are enuious to these graue and lawfull causes Against thē which excōmunicate for monie which onelie for the paiment of a little coyne and monie doe bring in excommunication and oftentimes vse this diuine sword against them which are not able to paie séeing such are rather to be accounted worthie of mercie than of punishment Again because in common weales there be ciuill tribunal seates of Magistrats therefore this punishment should séeme to be lesse in this kinde of crime than in others Nor doe I speake this as though I thought that the Censure of the Church hath no place against those which deceiue circumuent and withhold other mens goods especiallie when they will not be amended But this onelie I lament that they persecute this kind of fault onelie leaue vnpunished adulterers drunkards backbiters and other such like wicked persons Besides forth because many being paide they absolue from excommunication whē as they haue had no triall of repentance or chāge of life We must not excommunicate for light causes Irenaeus reprooueth Victor The sword must not be drawen out for light causes Therefore Irenaeus not without a cause reprooued Victor the bishop of Rome for that he would excommunicate manie Churches of Asia for no other cause but because they would not consent with the Romane Church for the celebrating of Easter Which example must not so be taken as though for the feare of a schisme we shuld not vse excommunication séeing it is therefore recited by vs for that the causes of this censure must be great 17 But of what affection they ought to be which doe excommunicate Of what affection they ought to be which do excommunicate this we maie saie that doubtlesse great pitie and mercie ought to be vsed and that they ought so to be prepared in minde as if they should plucke out their owne eye A similitude and cut off their owne hand or foote For if we be members all of one bodie how shall not we woonderfullie sorrow when one member is to be pulled awaie from the rest of the bodie When Tiberius should subscribe to the death of anie condemned person he was woont to saie Tiberius Caesar I would I could write neuer a letter Which thing if it were men would be the more carefull neither should there so manie vniust sentences in excommunication be suffered Hereby appeareth how greuously the Iewes sinned who being prouoked through anger and hatred caused
the Bishops Councels To conclude this controuersie is betwéene vs and our aduersaries namelie whether the Church can erre We ioyne thereunto the worde of God by which if it deale and define we will graunt that the same doeth not erre But the Papists iudge that it is so greatly ruled by the holie Ghost that although it decrée anie thing besides or against the worde of God it doeth not erre and therefore they will that the same should rather be beléeued than the Scriptures of God But while they stand to that opinion they dissent the whole world ouer from the fathers who alwayes in their Councels confirmed their decrées by diuine Oracles 11 Our aduersaries procéede and craftily assault the trueth with a certaine saying of Augustin Contra Epistolam Fundamenti The saying of Augustin I should not beléeue the Gospell except c. expounded Look part 1. pl 6. Act. 7. part 4. pl. 4. Act. 12. There the man of God writ I shoulde not beléeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the Church mooued me withall Vnto these wordes they adde a rule of Logicke wherein it is saide that for the which euerie thing is like that thing it selfe is more like But they ought to haue knowen that if we shoulde deale by Logick that rule is true onelie in finall causes For if a man for healthes sake vse a medicine health is rather desired of him than the medicine But in efficient causes nothing is this waie concluded vnlesse the whole and full cause shall be brought For if one will saie that a man is made drunken with wine he cannot thereby prooue that the wine is more drunke because the whole cause of drunkennesse is not in the wine For it is required that it should be digested in the stomacke and that vapours bee stirred vp to trouble the braine Further if one shoulde learne of his maister the eloquence of an Orator it shoulde not therefore be concluded that his maister is better than he in making of Orations because the maister is not the whole cause of his learning There is besides required a wit and also a studie and diligence But the Church of which we nowe speake is not the whole cause of our faith it onelie publisheth preacheth and teacheth Also there is néede of the holie Ghost to lighten the mindes of the hearers and to bend their willes to imbrace those things which bee spoken Therefore Augustine wiselie wrote Vnlesse the authoritie of the Church had mooued mee withall and did not put simplie mooued What is to be affirmed of that that the Church hath giuen iudgement touching the holie Bookes 12 They are woont also to prattle vnto vs that the Church hath giuen iudgement of holie writ allowing some part and reiecting other some For it disallowed the Gospell of Nicodemus the Acts of Peter diuers Reuelations of the Apostles the Booke of the shepheard and such like And on the other side it imbraced the foure Euangelists which we now haue the writings of the Apostles which are at this daie read in the Churches By which iudgement they decrée that the authoritie of the Church excelleth the holie scriptures Howbeit this kinde of reasoning deriued from iudgement is weake because there be men of sharpe wit found which can discerne betwéene the right verses of Virgill and the wrong and betwéene the naturall workes of Aristotle and the counterfeit who neuerthelesse are a great deale lesse learned than Virgill or Aristotle 1. Iohn 4. 1 We are also commaunded To trie the spirites and to put a difference betweene God and the diuell and yet we be not equall or greater than God Howe then doeth the Church of God behaue it selfe towardes the words of God put in writing It preserueth and faithfullie kéepeth them it publisheth defendeth maintaineth them it is like a Notarie which faithfullie retaineth testaments with him whereas he is able to doe nothing beyond the last will of the Testator for if he should chaunge or inuert the same he should not be counted a faithfull Notarie but a falsifier and counterfeiter of testaments The Church in no otherwise hath and preserueth with it the holie Scriptures when as neuerthelesse it maie not either change or inuert or amplifie them But séeing they contend with an obstinate minde that the authoritie of the Scriptures dependeth of the Church why doe they not produce some Canon or decree of some Councel by which the holie Scriptures be ratified The holie scriptures haue not béene ratified by any decrée of Councels The primatiue Church of the Christians found the writings of the olde Testament to be firme and by them allowed and established the articles of our faith After this succéeded the Bookes of the Apostles written by the inspiration of God the which Bookes no decrée of men hath fortified For the wordes of God are not subiect to the will of men but on the other side whatsoeuer thing the Coūcels of the Church haue decréed they alwaies were careful to confirme them by the words of God euen as it may be prooued by all the Synodes which were of best note I am not ignorant that certaine Councels made rehearsall of the Bookes of God which also some of the olde Fathers did howbeit the faith of the diuine Scriptures was of force among the Christians long before the recital which they made Moreouer in their Catalogue are founde certaine bookes either past or abolished the which our enemies affirme to be most Canonicall The Books of the Machabées For out of the historie of the Machabees they séeke to prooue their Purgatorie when as neuerthelesse it is easilie shewed out of the writings of the old Fathers that that booke is not in the holie Canon 13 Some being ouercome by the force and power of the trueth preferre the worde of God aboue the Church but they will ouerrule tyrant like and retyre themselues to interpretations which they will haue to belong onelie vnto the Church Whether the exposition of the Scriptures belong to the Church namelie the Romane Church so that in verie déede they are not subiect to the word of God but doe account it to bée subiect vnto their decrées But howe faithfull interpretours they be and how iust expositions they make euerie one maie perceiue by these things which I will here adde Anacletus saide Interpretations of the scriptures Iohn 1. 41. that Peter was called Caephas of the Gréeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he was head of the Church But how straunge a thing it is that the Hebrew or Syrian worde should take his deriuation of the Gréeke tongue all men perceiue Christ reaching out the cup in his supper Drinke ye all of this saieth he Mat. 26. 27. The Romanists in their interpretation saie Drinke not ye all of this Let the laie men or vnlearned be content with the bread let onelie the Priests receiue both kindes In the Epistle to the Hebrewes Matrimonie is
although wée affirme that the apprehension or holding fast of the bodie of Christ is doone by faith yet vpō this fast holding followeth an effect euen a true coniunction with Christ not a fained or imagined the which first belongeth vnto the soule secondly it redoundeth to the bodie And the same in the holie scriptures is commended to vs by Paul vnder a metaphor of the head and bodie when he calleth vs members of one and the selfesame bodie vnder Christ the head vnder the state of Mariage wherein two are made one flesh The which that Cyrill might expresse he brought in a similitude of molten waxe which is mingled with other waxe and so of two is made one Thus woulde he haue vs to bée ioined with Christ And to this purpose specially Ephe. 3. 6. make the wordes vnto the Ephesians wherein we are saide to be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones which words if thou looke vpon at the first viewe wil appeare that it ought otherwise to be saide Whether Christ be of our flesh or we of his to wit that the sonne of God is of our flesh and of our bones because he assumed flesh of mankind Howbeit Paul vnderstoode not meere flesh but flesh cleane from sinne capable of resurrection and immortalitie The which séeing the faithfull haue not of themselues neither drew it frō Adam they claime it vnto them by Christ because they be incorporated vnto him by the sacraments and by faith Wherefore there happeneth a certaine enterance of Christ A falling in of Christ into vs. into vs and a spiritual touching the which Paul weighed when he said vnto the Galathians Gal. 2. 20. But now it is not I that liue but Christ liueth in mee Neither is there any néede in these respectes to drawe Christ out of heauen or to disperse his body into infinite places forsomuch as all this that we teach is spirituall and yet notwithstanding no fained thing for imagined sightes Idols or fained things doe not nourish the minde as here we be certaine that it is doone For we haue saide and we confirme it that these signes doe both signifie and offer and most truely exhibite the bodie of Christ although spiritually that is to bee eaten with the minde How the forefathers had the same thing in their Sacraments that we haue in ours not with the mouth of the bodie But if thou shalt demand after what manner the Fathers of the olde Lawe in their Sacramentes could haue the same that wee haue it is easie to bee aunswered séeing wée haue affirmed that in this Sacrament the thing is vsed spiritually not corporally And in the Apocalyps we reade That the Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world They waited for things to come wee celebrate the memorie of them alreadie doone Lastly we haue shewed that great héede must be taken least that which we speake of spirituall eating be vnderstoode as though it destroyed the truth of his presence For Augustine saide vpon the 54. Psalme that the bodie of the Lorde is in a certaine place in heauen but that the trueth of the Lordes bodie is euerie where For wheresoeuer the faithfull be they apprehend that Christ had a true bodie giuen for vs and so they doe eate him by faith 82 Wherefore I haue nowe spoken in this sacramentall matter that which in my iudgement ought to be affirmed being according to the Scriptures which I woulde the godly reader woulde well consider and take in good part And God of his goodnesse graunt that at the length the Church of Christ may obtaine both trueth and quietnesse as touching this sacrament Which two things I therefore wish because hitherto I sée that the Eucharist whereof we intreate hath bin so ouerwhelmed buried and defaced with lies craftie deuises and superstitions as it might rather be iudged any other thing than that which the Lord instituted in the supper The which least it should easilie be cleansed the Diuell which is the most gréeuous enimie of al peace and truth hath sowne so manie opinions contentions disagréements heresies and controuersies sauing that they bée without bloud that scarcelie any consent woorthie of Christians can in mans reason be hoped for But these things alas we suffer not without cause who haue doone double iniurie vnto this Sacrament partlie for that in stead of a notable and singular gift of Christ we haue erected an execrable Idol and partly because we haue without sinceritie of faith with a conscience defiled with grieuous sinnes without sufficient triall of our selues abused these most holy mysteries I beséech the Lord to take pitie of so great a calamitie and vouchsafe at length to restore vnto his Church a reformed Eucharist and the right vse of the same through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Looke the Exhortation to the Supper of the Lorde Also looke his Confession and opinion touching this whole matter Item the disputations with Tressham c At the end of these Common places The end of the Treatise of the Eucharist A short abridgement of the disputation which D. P. Martyr made as concerning the Eucharist against Gardiner Byshop of VVinchester THe matter of the Eucharist according as the Lorde deliuered the same vnto vs is both plaine and easie to be knowen which if it were handled according to the iudgement and sense of the holy scriptures and that there were a consideration had of the humane nature of Christ and of the receaued definition of the Sacrament there should be no great paynes taken either in the vnderstanding or handling of the fame Howbeit by reason of the contention and importunitie of the aduersaries it is become more intricate than any blinde labyrinth and it is come in a manner to passe that through contention wee haue welneere forgone the trueth for they rather thā they would giue place to the right and best opinion yea that they may by all maner of meanes defend their monstrous deuises rather than the truth they haue vsed all kinde of counterfeiting cauillations and deceiueable wayes Whereupon when I of late daies was diligent to encounter with the huge armie of their cauils and sophisticall Arguments and should answere the same with as much diligence as I could the volume grew in a manner to an exceeding greatnesse Fearing therefore least godly men when they come to take my book in hand being ouermuch tyred with long reading should returne as vncertaine as before for seeing the reasons on both sides and those sometimes but latelie and newlie deuised it is not possible but those which be the later should obscure the memorie of those that went before or in a manner make them to be quite forgotten I minded straightway to set the matter before mens eyes in a certaine abridgement or resolution which the Gretians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that those which shall reade my writings or be minded to reade them or haue alreadie read them may haue present
Augustine answereth And yet those whom I would gather togither I gathered euen against thy will Yet the same father séemeth to haue spoken hardlie Obiections out of Augustine in his treatise against Adimantus the Manichei the 26. chapter where he wrote that It is in the power of man to change the will vnto better Herevnto notwithstanding he himselfe answereth in his first booke of refractations the 22. chapter where he saith But that power is nothing vnlesse it be giuen of God by whom it is said Iohn 1 12. He gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God For séeing this is in the power that when we will we doo nothing is so much in the power as is the will it selfe but the will is prepared of the Lord and by that meanes he giueth power So must that also be vnderstood that I said afterward it is in our power either that we be ingraffed by the goodnesse of God or by his seueritie be cut off bicause it is not in our power sauing for that he followeth our will which being prepared by the Lord to be mightie and strong that which before was hard and vnpossible is soone become a worke of godlines c. Wherefore let this rule and exposition be of force to answer all the places of Augustine in which he séemeth to attribute more than is méet vnto frée will as touching heauenlie and supernaturall things We must answer that this selfe power hath onlie place in willes alreadie prepared and healed This rule did this father neuer withdrawe but put it as firme and certeine in his retractations Yea and in the tenth chapter of the same booke he sheweth that those things which he wrote as touching frée will against the Manicheis were spoken to the intent he might declare that there is not a certeine first euill beginning contrarie vnto the good God from which euill beginning forsooth sinnes should flowe but that the beginning of sinnes was from the will Wherefore it was not agréeable to that drawing that he shuld speake much of the grace of God that prepareth and healeth which neuerthelesse he after some sort left not vntouched And of frée will he spake rather as it was in nature first instituted than as it is now found in nature defiled and corrupted How far foorth free will is granted It is also obiected vnto vs that we doo euill in denieng frée will and that we giue an occasion of bringing the same in question and that we offer an offense vnto the Papists Howbeit I take not awaie frée will in generall but I grant the same in outward things and in those things which are not aboue the capacitie of man Moreouer I grant the same in part vnto them that be prepared healed and conuerted by the grace of God as a little after shall be said Further we are not to passe much of the slander of the Pharisies They be blind and leaders of the blind and therefore they are not to be regarded Euerie plant Matt. 15 13. which the heauenlie father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Besides they aske whether God doo towards all men as much as sufficeth to their saluation Some saie he dooth But it séemeth not so vnto me for I knowe out of the holie scriptures Matt. 11 21. that they of Tyre and Sidon would haue beléeued if they had séene those things that were doone of Christ in Chorazim Bethsaida Capernaum And this also did Prosper ad caput Gallorum note when he answereth vnto the tenth chapter wherin they obiected against the doctrine of Augustine bicause he affirmed that the grace of the Gospell was by God withdrawne from some He writeth there after this maner Also he that saith that the preching of the Gospell is by the Lord withdrawne from some least by receiuing the preaching of the Gospell they might be saued may discharge himselfe of ill report by defense of our Sauiour himselfe who would not shew foorth his works among some which he saith would haue beléeued if they had séene his signes and miracles And he forbad his apostles to preach the Gospell vnto certeine people And yet still he suffereth some nations to liue without his grace when as neuerthelesse we beléeue it most certeinlie that the church shall be spred abroad into all the parts of the world c. Of the verie same matter also the same father Ad excerpta Genuensium the eight dout thus writeth As touching the men of Tyre and Sidon what thing else can we saie but that it was not vouchsafed vnto them to beléeue And yet neuerthelesse the truth it selfe reporteth that they would haue beléeued if they had séene such signes of powers as were doone among vs that beléeue But why this was denied vnto them let them that falselie accuse tell it if they can and let them shew why the Lord did maruellous things among them whom they should not profit Also we if we be not able to atteine vnto the cause of his dooing and to the déepenesse of his iudgement yet doo we most manifestlie knowe that both it is true which he said and iust which he did and that not onelie the men of Tyre and Sidon but also they of Chorazim and Bethsaida might haue béene conuerted and of infidels might haue become faithfull if the Lord would haue wrought this in them Neither can it séeme false to anie which the truth saith Iohn 6 44. None can come vnto me except it shall be giuen him of my father And Matt. 13 1. To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of heauen Againe No man knoweth the sonne Matt. 11 27. but the father nor the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne will reueale him Againe Iohn 5 21. As the father quickeneth the dead so the sonne quickeneth whom he will Againe 1. Cor. 12 3. No man can saie that IESVS is the Lord but by the holie Ghost The same Prosper also sheweth That all men haue not beene called by preaching that the preaching of the Gospell hath not alwaies béene giuen to all nations nor yet in all times and yet the same neuerthelesse is necessarie vnto saluation Ad capita Gallorum the fourth chapter wherein it was obiected against Augustine that according to his iudgement all men are not called vnto grace thus answereth Although it should appeare that the whole world had now in euerie nation and in all the ends of the earth receiued the Gospell Mat. 16 15. which in verie déed is most truelie pronounced that it shall come to passe yet were there no doubt but that since the time of the resurrection of the Lord vnto this present age there haue béene men which haue departed out of this life without knowledge of the Gospell of whome it may be said that they were not called bicause they not so much as heard of the hope of calling But if anie man affirme that
this full generalitie of calling hath béene alwaies so celebrated as after the time of the ascension of the Lord into heauen not so much as one yeare passed ouer within the which there came not vnto all men the preaching which was sent let him sée how he will prooue that the people of Asia were called Act. 16 6. 7. when as the apostles as it is written were forbidden by the holie Ghost to preach the word in Asia or to the Bithynians vnto whom the same apostles assaied to go and the spirit of Iesu suffered them not Let him sée also how he can defend the foreshewing of the truth it selfe Mat. 14 14. which said This Gospell shall bee preached ouer all the world for a witnesse vnto all nations and then shall the end come For the truth of that prophesie which were wickednesse to be spoken staggereth if the world were replenished with the Gospell within the space of foure hundreth yeares after Christ and as yet the comming of the Lord is deferred c. The same father in an epistle to Ruffinus as touching that which is written 1. Tim. 2 4. Who would all men to be saued And againe at the verie same time wherein preaching was sent to all men certeine places were forbidden the apostles to go vnto euen by him that would all men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the truth manie doubtlesse in that delaie of the Gospell being withheld and turned awaie died without knowledge of the truth and were not consecrated with regeneration Wherefore let the scripture tell what was doone Act. 16 6. It saith When they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia they were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia But when they were come into Misia they sought to go into Bithynia but the spirit of Iesu suffered them not But what maruell is it if at the verie first preaching of the Gospell the apostles could not go except whither the spirit of God would haue them to go since we sée that manie nations foorthwith at the first began to be partakers of Christian grace and that others haue not as yet had anie maner of smell of this goodnesse But shall we saie that mens wils and that so beastlie and rude maners of these men doo stop the will of God that they doo not therefore heare the Gospell bicause wicked harts are not open to preaching Psal 33 15. But who hath changed the hearts of these men but he that seuerallie framed their hearts Who hath mollified this rigorous hardnesse to the affect of obedience Mat. 3 9. but Hee that is able of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And who shall giue vnto preachers a bold and inuiolable constancie but he which said vnto the apostle Paule Feare not but speake Act. 18 9. and hold not thy peace for bicause I am with thee no man shall withstand thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this citie And I thinke that no man dare saie that anie nation of the world or anie region of the earth should be passed ouer wherein ought not to be spred the tabernacles of the church c. By these things it appeareth by how manie reasons this father hath prooued that the preaching of the Gospell which is necessarie vnto saluation hath béene wanting to manie nations in manie ages Whereby cannot be affirmed that God did that which sufficed to the saluation of men But that his meaning may the more appeare let vs adde those things which he wrote throughlie vpō the 4. chap. to the Gauls Also he that saith that all men are not called to grace if he speake of them vnto whome Christ is not shewed he must not be blamed bicause wée knowe indéed that the Gospell hath béene sent into all the parts of the world but we thinke not now that it hath béene preached in all the ends of the earth neither can we saie that there is the calling of grace where there is as yet no regeneration of the mother of the church c. The same Authour in his answers vnto the collections of the Genuenses to the sixt doubt And as we cannot complaine of him that in the ages which be past permitted all nations to walke in their owne waies so should we not haue anie iust complaint if grace yet ceasing we should perish among them whose cause and ours was all one who neuerthelesse as then of all the world he made choise of a few so now of all mankind vniuersallie he saueth innumerable not according to our works 2. Tim. 1 9. but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus before the beginning of the world c. Now dooth it plainlie appeare by the saieng of this man that the grace of GOD sometime ceased and that all men had not alwaies a iust calling vnto saluation wherefore it is not so vniuersall as some will but is rather particular But bicause some vse a certeine shift to saie that they to whom the Gospell was not preached had calling enough of God sith by the elements by the spheres of heauen and by other creatures they were instructed concerning the onelie true God whom it behoued them to worship Rom. 1 18. so that in the epistle to the Romans they are blamed as inexcusable But how true this is the same Prosper sheweth in an epistle vnto Ruffinus as touching frée will where he thus writeth For neither is it remooued from the common consideration of men in how manie ages what innumerable thousands of men being left to their owne errors and impieties fell away without any knowledge of the true God euen as in the Acts of the apostles the words of Barnabas and Paule did declare Acts. 14 15. saieng to the men of Iconium O men whie doo ye these things We also are mortall men like vnto you and preach vnto you that ye should turne from these vaine things vnto the liuing GOD which made heauen and earth the sea and all things that in them are and who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies And verelie he left not himself without witnes in that he did good vnto them and gaue raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse Verelie if either naturall vnderstanding or the vse of Gods benefits might haue sufficed to atteine eternall life then the reasonable contemplation and the temperature of the aire and the abundance of fruits and meates in our time might saue vs bicause vndoubtedlie we hauing a better vse of nature should worship our Creator bicause of his dailie benefits But farre be it from the minds of the godlie and them that be redéemed by the bloud of Christ to haue an ouer-foolish and pernicious persuasion hereof He dooth not deliuer mankind without the man Christ Iesu the onelie mediatour betwéene God
shall not be without fruit For words said Homer are but wind but those things which are put in writing cannot be so easilie misreported This if they will doo euen as I was then bold to deale with them by liuelie voice so will I now prepare my selfe to answer those things which they shall write In the meane time fare yee well and take this in good part Questions set downe to be disputed of question 1 In the sacrament of the Eucharist there is no transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloud of Christ question 2 The bodie and bloud of Christ is not carnallie and corporallie in the bread and wine nor as others speake vnder the shewes of bread and wine question 3 The bodie and bloud of Christ is sacramentallie conioined to the bread and wine The disputers were these For the one side was Doctor Peter Martyr For the other side were Doctor VVilliam Tresham Doctor VVilliam Chadse and Maister Morgan Maister of Art The disputation of the first daie which was the xxviij of Maie Anno Domini 1549. betweene D. Peter Martyr and D. VVilliam Tresham before the kings visitors among whom the worthie man D. Cox Chancellor of the Vniuersitie of Oxford before the disputation should begin spake on this wise YE that be learned men although that of verie dutie I ought to moderate disputations but especiallie diuinitie yet doo I thinke that this must now chéefelie be doone as most apperteining vnto me bicause it so pleaseth the kings maiestie and for that the authoritie is committed vnto vs by letters patents as well in other things as also in the ordeining of publike readings disputations So we haue determined not onelie to be present thereat but also to ouersée gouerne and moderate them But I would haue you which haue taken vpon you this labour of disputing to consider how hard a matter that is which ye shall doo Remember with your selues how greatlie all mens eies are bent vpon you Respect ye diligentlie and regard ye the glorie of God laieng aside contentions and wranglings I knowe that ye be graue and learned men yet in respect of mine office I though it good to admonish you And I aduise other beholders and hearers that factions laid aside if anie such be they will so quietlie and peaceablie giue eare as there may séeme to be no partaking Phil. 2 2. Doo ye according to Pauls precept that In the name of our Lord Iesu Christ ye will vnderstand all one thing iudge all one thing that in you there be no schimes but an entire bodie hauing one mind and one iudgement Set aside ill affections let there be no noise debates scornefull laughters and outcries And ye yong men speciallie I would haue you to be forewarned which haue a greater feruencie of mind than ye haue of iudgement In the greatest controuersies there are woont to be discords hatreds and enuiengs as it came to passe in the disputations of Steeuen and Paule But I would in no wise haue this to happen among you but I wish rather that ye will learne to know the truth and when ye haue knowne it to imbrase the same so shall ye doo your dutie and also that which shall be verie acceptable vnto vs and God will giue good successe to that we haue in hand The preface of Peter Martyr RIght Honourable yée that be the Kings Maiesties Commissioners if I had thought that displeasures hatreds or enimities had béen the perpetuall companions of publike disputations I doubtles had neuer béene brought vnto this place But now that I sée those things doo not alwaies insue but are ioined vnto them casuallie or as they speake accidentallie I am come to dispute And certeinlie the desire which I haue to search out and open the truth hath mooued me aboue all things But they which for the desire of contention or for the vaine glorie of this world or for gaine sake doo take this matter in hand must not be accounted Diuines but light and vaine Sophisters carnall men giuen both to their bellie to ambition But we ought to be of that mind that we willinglie and of our owne accord yeeld vnto the knowne truth manifesting it selfe in disputation Which truelie is no small or slender part of diuine worship And therefore let the troublesome motions of minds cease on all sides and let all factions be far awaie Which if it happen there will arise singular profit of this exercise For iron of it selfe is but cold and a stone is altogither senselesse but if they be knockt one against another they cause fire to come foorth Euen as clouds otherwise of a darke and grosse nature if they méet togither and be one dashed against another doo cause a bright lightening in the aire so likewise the wits and studies of learned men are slowe of themselues but in the conflict of disputation they be stirred vp and made somwhat liuelie Neither must excellent and honest things as are disputations be refused nor yet counted vnprofitable and hurtfull sith we doubt not but they be the gifts of God We are beholding vnto disputations for that excellent doctrine of Iesus Christ our sauiour which he had with the Scribes Pharisies Saduces and Herodians of the loue of our neighbour the resurrection the paieng of tribute vnto Caesar the signe of Ionas the prophet and such other like things And I thinke it is not vnknowne to you how greatlie the disputations of Paule and the rest of the apostles and fathers did profit the church No doubt but they may be doone of vs without bitternesse hatred and enuie so that the spirit of Christ be present Trulie there is a great difference betwéene disagréement and bearing of hatred For the first belongeth to iudgement the which is exercised in the vnderstanding part of the mind but the other which is hatred is a flame of the will Paule dissented from Peter and reprooued him and yet did he not hate him Thus much I thought good to speake of open disputations in generall But comming now néerer vnto these disputations of ours I confesse that I was to staie a while before I should come to this conflict bicause I sawe that I was to deale in that matter for which the church at this daie is excéedinglie disquieted And they which challenge to themselues the order of the priesthood thinke that transubstantiation and a carnall and corporall presence of Christ his bodie in the Eucharist he being taken awaie all the honour they haue would come to naught as though they had no other office but to change the substance of the bread or to close vp the verie bodie of Christ in the bread And so béesotted and doting is the common people as if a man teach anie otherwise concerning this sacrament than hitherto hath béene receiued they thinke that Christ is taken awaie from them and when we teach otherwise of the Eucharist than is beléeued in the Papasie
things putting my trust in him which promiseth to the professours of his name Luk. 21 14. saieng Laie it vp in your hearts that ye cast not before hand what ye shall answer for I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which all your aduersaries shall not be able to wrest and gainesaie Now then most learned Peter I arme my selfe to examine your conclusions The first whereof is this In the sacrament of the Eucharist there is no transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloud of Christ The second is that the bodie and bloud of Christ is not substantiallie and naturallie in the Eucharist vnder the formes of bread and wine Vnto which conclusions as I giue no credit at all euen so I certeinlie persuade my selfe as I will alwaies saie that they be false most strange from christian religion And that thus it is as I haue said I will not refuse in due time to declare and shew most euidentlie by the holie scriptures and by manie testimonies of the fathers So likewise haue I this day taken vpon me to defend and confirme the truth hitherto receiued by the church plaine contrarie and as they speake by a right diameter line repugnant to your conclusions This disputation haue I taken in hand not to the intent I would supplie the roome of D. Smith being absent of whose purpose without doubt I was not priuie but I haue doone it onelie to extoll the glorie of Christ the veritie of the faith And let not anie man thinke that I am led to like of this my opinion of a certeine light credulitie but through great and most vrgent causes Whereof the first is the agréement and vniforme consent of the holy Euangelists and of Saint Paule the apostle which make for our assertion from whence a consent of the whole world and perpetuall vse of the thing hath flowed euen to vs. The second cause is the great authoritie of our holie mother the church the which euen by publike edicts decréed as touching the certeine truth of this sacrament against Beringarius Wickliffe and such as were of their opinion Thirdlie there be most euident testimonies of the right catholike fathers which vnlesse they be otherwise expounded than those fathers ment they make most chéerlie for our assertion The fourth and last cause is for that the edict of our most noble prince king Edward the sixt and the act of his maiesties Councell dooth not a litle warrant me the verie which causes séeme vnto me sufficient for to beléeue as I doo Wherefore most learned Peter whatsoeuer force of arguments you haue to vtter and alledge against me speake and declare them all at your owne pleasure it is lawfull for you I haue said and you sée how I answer your conclusions D. Peter Martyr THe praises which you attribute to me I acknowledge not your good wil towards me I imbrase And whereas you saie that you were chalenged of me that is nothing so for I rather am drawne foorth by others to dispute as it is knowne vnto all men And as for the causes which you saie moued you to dispute against me I doo not much passe for of what importance they be I will then acknowledge when it shall be your part to oppose Onelie of the last namelie as touching the kings edict since I vnderstand no English this I saie that I know nothing at all thereof but I hope that in proceeding of the disputation if it shall make anie thing against mee I shall vnderstand the same Wherfore omitting these things I come vnto the arguments Heere beginneth the disputation D. Peter Martyr FOr the first question the Scriptures are on my side which doo very plainlie acknowledge bread and wine in this sacrament Mat. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. It is said in the Euangelists that the Lord tooke bread blessed it Bicause the scriptures acknowlege bread in the Eucharist therefore it must be receiued brake it and gaue it vnto his disciples And Paule hath the verie same in the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth chapters where if you will diligentlie consider it he maketh often mention of bread Wherefore we also must togither with the scripture reteine the natures of the symbols or signes D. Tresham It is also found in the holie scriptures that man is called earth or ashes Eue a bone a rod a serpent and water wine where yet they were not these things but were so called Moreouer the argument is reciprocall and may be returned vpon your selfe for euen in the scriptures it is oftentimes called the bodie of the Lord and that therefore by the verie selfe-same reason the bodie of Christ is trulie present in this sacrament which you denie in the second question and therefore your argument is returned vpon your owne head D. Martyr As for the former part of your answer you affirme that the saieng of the holie scripture when it nameth bread is figuratiue bicause the things reteine the names of their natures from whence they were turned Wherein I maruell verie much that you so readilie flie vnto figures the which ye so greatlie abhor when we are in hand with this sacrament But this I let passe and I answer that in the places alledged the holie scripture dooth expresselie put vs in mind of the conuersions of those things for it plainelie sheweth that mans bodie was fashioned out of the earth that Eue was made of Adams rib that the râ—d was turned into a serpent that the water was made wine Wherefore we are forced to admit these figures Now then prooue ye vnto vs out of the holie scriptures that the bread is turned as touching substance into the bodie of Christ and so we will grant your figure that is to wit to call bread not that which is now bread but that which was so before And moreouer those things which ye bring in haue so cast awaie their old substance as they reteine not the accidents of them And that which you haue added in the other part of the answer that it maketh against me that the bodie of Christ is reallie present sith the holie scripture calleth it the bodie as also bread how much it maketh against me I will answer when my turne of answering commeth if you shall obiect the same vnto me D. Tresham I was determined that we should vse short arguments but you interlace manie things Howbeit as touching conuersion which you denie to be had in the holie scripture that doo I prooue out of Matthew where Christ saith Matt. 26 26. This is my bodie It is no indicatiue or significatiue saieng of God but an effectuall actiue and working spéech For Augustine saith vpon the 73. psalme The sacraments of the old lawe promise a sauiour but the new giue saluation and therefore I prooue the bread to be turned into the bodie of the Lord. D. Martyr I vse both now and hereafter will vse bréefe arguments so far
against all commers Againe whereas he vndertooke to dispute he disprooued the vaine saiengs of vaine men which spread enuious and odious things against him namelie that he would not or durst not defend his doctrine Finallie that he so singularlie well answered the expectation of the great magistrates yea and of the Kings maiestie while he not onelie hath deliuered vnto the Vniuersitie the doctrine of Christ out of the liuelie fountaines of the word of God but so far as laie in him hath not suffered anie man either to trouble or stop the fountaines Wee haue heard this christian contention the which was taken in hand for the trieng and searching out of the truth The verie which maner of proceeding ought to bee as the onelie marke whervnto all men doo bend their eie in euerie disputation This ought all men to search out which haue a loue to sincere religion For what else meaneth that saieng Search the scriptures but diligentlie to search the truth out of the scriptures Howbeit wee are not now minded to giue iudgement of these controuersies and vtterlie to breake the strife But then shall it be determined when it shall seeme good vnto the Kings Maiestie and the Estates of the church of England Neuerthelesse if I whome you of your courtesie haue chosen to be your Chancellor did not now supplie the place of an other person for the Kings authoritie hath now otherwise appointed mee I would most gladlie yeeld an account of my faith in these propositions For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ nor yet of the truth which shineth vnto all men out of his word and this doubtlesse will I be readie to doo at an other time when oportunitie shall be offered And now in the meane time I exhort you that be strangers and forrenners if now there be anie that ye will returne to your owne home I would not haue you continuallie to wander in the fathers and Councels as in your countrie doo not you suppose that those be your principles I would not haue you to be deceiued in the probable words of mans wisedome What principles had the fathers What Councels had they How shamefullie did the fathers fall in manie things How fowlie did the Councels erre I will not here rehearse their errours I will not here stir this puddle And yet for all this shall the fathers and the Councels be the grounds of disputations There haue beene heretofore heretikes which denied either a part of the scripture or else the whole And at this daie there be Libertines which be infected with the selfe-same madnesse those doo denie and tread vnder foote the cheefe principles of our christianitie who place the word of God in the highest watchtower and haue it in verie great reuerence and from hence onelie doo seeke for life and saluation holding principles which bee most assured sound and holie And yet in the meane time not reiecting the most holsome testimonies of godlie fathers naie rather imbracing and reuerencing them as bright beames of the holie Ghost which after some sort doo lighten the darknesse of our eies Wherefore I beseech you for your saluation sake and for the mercie of GOD as well you that be yoong as old that you will performe two things First that you will now at the last laie awaie those controuersies which haue disquieted and rent in sunder the church of Christ these manie ages as touching transubstantiation and I wot not what reall presence There is no end of quarelling these be the diuels snares wherein he perpetuallie wrappeth vs and letteth vs from true godlinesse But it behooueth vs that be godlie christians cheeflie yea generally to regard what Christ did and what he hath commanded vs to do Let vs consider those be the most holie and dreadfull mysteries of Christ Let vs vse them verie oftentimes vnto our saluation let vs come vnto them with feare and trembling least we at anie time come vnworthilie and receiue the same to our iudgement and condemnation Secondlie that ye betake your selues to the studie of the word of God Vnto this marke direct all your darts herevnto refer all your studies Whether they be philosophicall or mathematicall or matters physicall or whatsoeuer else they be let them be as it were the waiting maids of this Queene From hence seeke all your faith From hence let your religion be established and made perfect Heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe By this as it were by a certeine rule let all controuersies be examined and defined Besides this there is one thing wherof we must admonish you all namelie that ye abandoning all papisticall vanities superstitious feined worshipping of God you giue diligent indeuour to search out the truth or at the leastwise that ye be no impediment but that they which be desirous of the truth may proceed in the worke of godlinesse For wee knowe and bee certeinlie assured that there be some vnquiet and troublesome persons mooued of a preposterous zeale to hinder the proceeding of the truth We knowe there bee some which doo perniciouslie follow the example of their father while they spread euerie where the seed of discord and doo inuentlies I knowe there be false and enuious rumors carried about We knowe that vaine men when they cannot by true meanes further their cause they woorke by slanderous speeches so easilie intreated is an euill custome to worke against the truth Howbeit to make an end if yee bee indued with anie loue of the truth seeke out the same with patient minds require it with feruent praiers of almightie God Atteine to the knowledge thereof by a sincere comparing of places togither Let christian charitie wax hot in you Hee that is weake in faith receiue him For the stronger saith Paule ought to susteine the imbecillities of the weake ones and not please themselues let euerie man please his neighbour vnto good edifieng Beware of the wilinesse of Satan which lieth in wait for you least you should yeeld to the words of our Lord Iesus Christ that you may dote about questions and differences and strifes of words whereof arise enuies contentions blasphemies ill suspicion c. We may by our authoritie command you and threaten the obstinate with due punishment yet we had rather for the loue we beare you desire and exhort you Wherefore if there be anie consolation in Christ if anie comfort of loue if anie fellowship of the spirit if anie bowels of compassion fulfill you our ioie And our ioie is that we see manie in this Vniuersitie to grow vp notablie in good learning and godlinesse Our ioie is that wee see you so modest and readie to obeie Fulfill you therefore our ioie that is search ye the truth which hath now manie ages lien hidden as it were in a darke dungion when yee haue found it out receiue it with a sincere faith and beeing receiued beautifie the same with good maners So shall your light shine before
in the power of an other man Neither is there anie further waie open of flying honestlie away But this must be vnderstoode according to the lawes prescribed For if God shoulde bring thée out of prison as in olde time he did Peter by his Angell Acts. 12. 7. that shoulde be a speciall act whereof wee at this time speake not But all this disputation of ours hath respect vnto this onelie to let thée vnderstand that the flying which is contained within the compasse of due meanes and circumstance is not repugnant to the rule of charitie but doeth rather verie well agrée therewith I haue for this cause disputed so largelie of this matter because I sée manie They that condemne flight doe it for the safetie of their goods and especiallie in our countrie of Italie which being indued with some light of the trueth are like vnto contentious aduocats For euen as they if they defend an vniust cause search out with all diligence for some lawe which maie anie manner of waie leane to their ill purpose to the intent they may séeme to defende their cause vnder the zeale of iustice so those our men doe tarie at home where they dare not come in sight for the faith and truth sake and whereas they first leaue this vndoone this other also doe they omit to wit by not flying awaie which might be a cleare testimonie of their syncere faith which they doe being detained by the linkes of commodities and benefites of this worlde Vnto whom we cannot do a greater pleasure than if by our writings and sermons wee shoulde teach that flying awaie is not lawfull vnto Christians that vnder this pretence they maie commodiouslie inioye their goods After the same manner also are the foolishe sort which be sicke affected who if they be sicke either of a wound or impostume when they will not admit either searing or launcing they most loue and giue eare vnto those Phisitians which by the testimonie of some excellent writer reprooue such a way of healing that they may séeme to refuse those remedies not because themselues are ouer-nice but because the remedies agrée not with their diseases Howbeit euen as these sicke men at the length miserablie die and as those vniust aduocates before a wise and prudent Iudge fall in their cause so these men of ours refusing the best remedie for their griefe doe defile their consciences with dissimulation superstitious ceremonies and déepe silence or else which is woorst of all by detestable abiuration For all they which in the reformed and godlie Churches doe rightlie iudge of things vnderstand that the vniust and vnbridled desires of the goods of this life haue bin the cause hereof Wherefore since the intent of their minde is euill it is no maruell if they haue a woorse end He that will not denie himselfe certainlie he shall neuer liue according to the rule of the Gospell He that will liue vnto himselfe and retaine Christian profession is like vnto him that will build without cost or make warre without anie armie Luk. 14. 28. or ouercome enemies without forces He that is not dead to himselfe nor flyeth from himselfe shall neuer confirme the Christian trueth either by triumph of martyrdome or by laudable godlie or Christian flying away Wherefore I beséech you my most déere brethren in the Lord that at the length you will deale in good earnest dissimulations and faininges must be left vnto hypocrites and stage players If Christ and his Gospell which you by the benefit of God haue both imbrased and confessed be a trueth why doe you execute his commaundementes so coldlie But if you iudge it but a Poets woorke or a fable why delay you it to speake it openlie Why make you semblance to beléeue it God suffereth not himselfe to be mocked Mal. 6. 7. Matt. 6. 24. He requireth all the strength of man No man can serue him and Mammon both together nor yet obey two Lordes commaunding contrarie things If the Gospell be true it must be preferred before life and other our worldlie thinges Souldiers dare ieopard their life for them whose partes they take A great manie of Marchants spēd all their life long in strange countries to make themselues rich They which saile by shippe enter day and night into extreme perils of sea for purposes full of vncertaintie And are we vnto whome the kingdome of heauen eternall life and true felicitie is surelie promised of God so dull slothful and slacke in laying downe this mortall life and these miserable goods for his sake when occasion is offered that we should not denie the trueth The Lord at the length take away so great offence reproch and contumelie from his children make them all faithfull constant valiant prompt and readie and perswade that they which die for this truth sake doe passe into eternall life and they which leaue this their temporall countrie doe flie from hell and doe mount to the kingdome of heauen To the College of Saint Thomas in Strasborough IT would right reuerend Sirs deare beloued brethren haue bin much more to my liking to send you rather ioyfull than discomfortable newes But since it hath thus séemed good vnto the prouidence of God which is neuer to be accused it behooueth that I also doe beare that which hath happened with as good a minde as I can Hitherto perhaps I might bee suspected of negligence that I haue not written vnto you but because I knewe that this was diligently doone by Maister Bucer I thought there was no néede of my letters for that I am sure ye did sometimes vnderstande what we both did and what expectation of things might be looked for But nowe is he departed in peace to his and our Lorde Iesus Christ euen the last day of Februarie to the great sorrowe of all godly men and most of all to mée Neither doe I doubt but that yée my reuerend associates wil take great griefe since the Church the Schoole and our College hath lost so worthie a man This man had now ouercome the greatest difficulties and troubles which are woont to hinder beginnings so that he was nowe accepted in a manner of all the godly and learned sort of that Vniuersitie wherin he professed Therefore God would that he shoulde now reape the fruite of his labours and that his long tyred warfare shoulde be adorned with the honour of triumph He is well prouided for we are to bee accounted miserable or rather vnhappie who are yet tossed in the stormes of calamities Wherefore I desire the immortall God who for his mercie sake hath made him to rest in peace will also deliuer vs from the scourges hanging ouer our heades And no lesse doe I wishe that our Chapter may bee prouided of a Deane and gouernour which may be compared in learning and godlinesse with his predecessor I bid ye all farewell in the Lorde From Oxford in England the 8. of March 1551. To the Widowe of D.
Sufficient to instruct the ignorant 2 355 a The trueth of them hath an euerlasting continuance 1 40 a Se. Secretes We must reuerence the Secretes of God and not carpe at them example of Cato 2 221 a Why it commeth to passe that the Secrets of saluation are hidden from men furnished with arts 1 3 b Sects Diuerse Sectes among the Iewes 3 336 b 337 a Sects of schoolemen diuerse 4 50 a Securitie Securitie defined and whence it springeth 3 68 a Two kindes thereof and of their difference 3 67 b A good and a bad 3 68 b The effects thereof 3 88 a 68 a Whereunto it is contrarie 3 68 a The foundation of all impietie 3 6â— a What is the true laudable Securitie 3 69 b Sedition Sedition defined 4 320 a 322 a How great a crime it is 4 322 b 323 a The kindes thereof 4 320 b The grounde thereof 4 322 b What noble things it taketh away 4 320b 321 a Causes thereof 4 321 b 322a Christ and his faithfull ones charged therwith 4 319 a The crymon of the word 4 320 a Whether all that contend therein must bee accused 4 323 a The ende thereof 4 322 a Those that striue against the magistrate are guiltie thereof 4 323 b Seuere punishments for it 4 322 b 323 a ¶ Looke Trouble Selfeloue Selfeloue a common disease and how it deceiueth men 1 144 a Sense Of the Sense compounded and the sense diuided 3 35 ab What affects do follow the Sense of touching 2 405 b Two things to be considered touching the affects that followe the Sense of féeling 2 406 b The scriptures doe often times feigne Sense motion vnto things without life 2 251 b Senses Of the illusion of the Senses and how many wayes they may bee deceiued 1 88 b 89 a 114 ab The power of vnderstanding can doe nothing without them and the similitudes that we contemplate 1 147 ab Howe they are destroyed and preserued by their obiectes 2 407 a They may take pleasure though they haue not béene offended or remoued from their natural state as how 1 137 a Of the meanes whereby they worke and howe 1 137 a They are the grossest part of the soule and by it we communicate with beasts 1 134 b From whence the pleasure of them springeth as Plato thinketh 1 135 a Of what things they do iudge and not iudge 1 117 a The Senses of touching and tasting are verie néere one another 2 412 a Galens opinion of gréefes and pleasures in them all and how 1 136 b 137 a They are not deceiued in the Eucharist as the Papistes say 1 114 ab The quickenesse of them at our resurrection 3 359 b Christ prooued it by them 4 153 b Lying Senses ministred to the soule by the bodie 3 3â—6 b Separation Causes of our Separation from the Popish Church 4 94 ab 95 a 68. 69. 86. 87. 88. 89. 69 ab It is not of our selues 4 90b Whether the leawd life of ministers is no cause of Separation from the Church 4 85 b A Separation euen in the beginning of the world betweene the good and bad 4 89 a What kind of Separation is a confessing of the Euangelicall trueth 4 88 a Whether any man hath authoritie of himself to vse Separation from his neighbours 4 63 a Of Separation from God whether excommunication bee a token thereof 4 60 a ¶ Looke Excommunication Sepulchres Watchings at dead mens Sepulchres to receiue oracles from them 1 73 b ¶ Looke Graue Seraphim Of Seraphim the name of an Angell and the reason of the same 1 111 b Came flying vnto Esaie 1 113 a ¶ Looke Cherubin Seraphin Sermon How it commeth that at one verie Sermon part of the hearers beléeue and part not 3 141 a Sermons The diuerse hearing of Sermons that therein Pauls rule must be folowed 1 22 a Of vaine and trifling Sermons 2 633 a ¶ Looke Preaching Seruant A Seruant defined 4 316 a The properties and duties of a Seruant 3 162 ab Seruants Howe Seruants must be handled of their maisters 4 314 b What the lawes of God decreed for them in the Iewes time 4 316 b How they are equall and vnequall to their masters 4 314 b Children and they compared 3 143. Whether wee be the Seruants of God 3 162 ab 163 a A difference betwéene the Seruants of Christ and the seruants of the worlde 3 276 b What kind of Seruants the fathers vnder the lawe were 2 595 b Seruice What is saide too and fro of the Seruice in the Church in a strange toong 3 309 b 310. 311. 2 317 b 318 a The ancient Churches had it in the mothertoong 3 310 b No strange toong vsed therein of the Church triumphant 3 311 a Of comlinesse required therein 4 65 b How defectiue we be therein is shewed by a proper analogie 3 162 ab Salomon made a diuision thereof and of his punishment of like for like 2 324 a How all creatures do seruice vnto the godly 2 251 b 252 a Seruitude Seruitude distinguished 4 316 a 3 163 a The originall and cause thereof 4 314 a From whence the name sprang 4 313 b Voluntarie religious 4 315 a ¶ Looke Bondage Seuen The number of Seuen put for any other number 2 237 a It compriseth all the former numbers 1 3a It betokeneth a complete number in scriptures and how 2 362 b It is mysticall and it is a number wherewith God is delighted why 2 374 b By it is expressed the power of the holie Ghost 2 368 a Seuenth day Why the Seuenth day is named to haue neither morning nor euening 2 375 a Of the sanctification thereof 2 374 ab c. What things God hath giuen vs by it 2 374 b How Gods resting thereon is to be vnderstood 2 374 b ¶ Look Sabboth day Sh. Shadowe How the Shadowe accompanieth not the bodie always after one maner 1 142 b 143 a Shame Shame taken sometimes for frustration 3 82 b In what things the flesh reckoneth it 3 261 ab Who are said to bee put to Shame or made ashamed 3 227 ab Shamefastnesse Shamefastnesse is no vertue yet commended 2 412 a Of the excesse and defect which make it commendable 2 412 a Sheepe A distinction of Sheepe 3 281 b Shepherds Watches of Shepeheards 3 256 b Their troublesome life described 4 29 b 30 a Shewbread The vse and end of the Shewbread 4 162 ab Shroue tide The abuse that men vse at Shroue tide 3 255 b Si. Sibyls Of the Prophesies of the Sibyls and what authenticall writers haue thought of them 1 21 a The French Sibyls did geld them selues 1 21 b Sicera What kind of drinke Sicera was 3 178 b 179 a Sicknesses Sicknesses of the minde 3 69 a Sights Dishonest Sightes must be auoided and why 2 481 b Signe What a Signe is and the same distinguished 4 97 b An analogie must bee kept betwéene
at Athens 4 266 a Temples Why Temples are consecrated 4 125 a From whence it sprang 4 124 a Temples are not builded vnto Martyrs saith Augustine and why 1 104 a What reuerence ought to bee had of Temples and Churches 4 65 b Of Christians howe they must bée adorned 4 66 ab When the golden vessels beganne in them 4 67 a How we are saide to be the Temples of God and of the holy Ghost 1 103 b 104 a Temperance Howe Temperance is saide to spring by Fortune from an agâ—e 1 156 a Fortitude more worthie than it 3 278 a The obiects therof whereabout is conuersaunt 2 512 a It commeth of the will as of his owne proper cause and her office 1 156 a What it is and the two eâ—tremities thereof 2 412 ab Vnto what purpose it serueth 1 1 b Why it doeth not moderate the pleasures that come by hearing and séeing 2 412 a Temperature Howe farre foorth the Temperature of mans bodie hath power to worke 1 79 b Tempest A part of Athens territorie drowned in a Tempest and howe 1 90 b That spirites can raise them vp 1 90 b Tempt What it is to Tempt God that the same is doone two manner of wayes 2 331 b 332 a And when he is tempted out of Augustine 1 62 ab Of some which Tempt him euen of impudence and contempt 2 332 b Howe Saint Iames is to be vnderstoode that God doth Tempt no man 1 211 ab In what respect he is said to Tempt men 1 192 b The cause why the diuell doubted not to Tempt Christ 1 83 a Afterwhat manner one may craue myracles and yet Tempt not God and what it is to tempt him 1 70 b Temptation Temptation defined with all the causes formall finall materiall and efficient 1 210 ab Euerie kinde thereof commeth not from God and of a kinde of temptation that is to be desired 1 192 b The holie scriptures euerie where ascribe Temptation vnto God and how 1 210 b Augustines iudgement vpon these words Leade vs not into Temptation 1 194 b Temptations The purpose of God in laying Temptations vpon the godly 1 211 ab Against temporall the godlie doe pray and why 1 212 ab Of Temptations which haue a perpetual and deadly end the Godly are not afraide and why 1 212 b Of thrée kinds all which the Israelits vsed against God 2 331 b 333 ab How the gifts of God be knowne in Temptations 3 202 b Distinguished into aduersities and suggestions vnto wicked déedes 1 211 b Whether we may pray to bâ— rid from them since they be of God 1 211 b In Temptations as they be suggestions vnto sinne is either fall or victorie and what we must doe in those temptations 1 212 a Howe the euill may be punished with Temptations from God why 1 211 a Teraphims Of Teraphims and the diuerse opinions of men touching the same 2 358 ab They were images prooued 2 358 ab Laban worshiped them 2 358 b Teraphims taken in euill part in the scripture and that they told lyes 2 358 b Testament Whether the newe Testament and the olde be diuerse 2 586 a 582 b 583 ab 592 b 596 b 4 288 b 101 b They differ only in accidents 2 586 ab How the old is said to be abrogated 2 587 a 4 103 b God promised in the olde the chiefe felicitie to the fathers 2 584 b One and the same league of the olde and new 2 â—96 ab To what end we must read the old 2 607 b Temporall things in the old Testament belong to eternall life 2 595 b 596 a Enemies of the olde 3 184 b 2 362 a 1 41b 50 b The olde Testament proueth the newe 1 41 b. 42 a The Anabaptistes confuted who said that the olde serueth nothing for vs. 3 339 b The time of the newe prophesied 3 353 b Why that should not bee lawfull in the newe that was lawfull in the olde 4 67 b Greater thinges are required in the newe than in the olde 2 369 a Both doe speake of Christ 1 39 b Testaments or last wils Whether the wils and Testaments of such as kill themselues bee good in lawe 2 593 a What are good in lawe 3 113 a Pighius distinction of them 3 139a Fond Testaments and last willes made in poperie 4 30 b 31 a Testimonie Nothing found in the world so vile and base but giueth a Testimonie of God 1 12 b What auncient and euident Testimonies of the Iewes Sibyls God hath giuen to his trueth 2 329 b Th. Thankesgiuing Songs of Thankesgiuing for benefites receiued 3 3â—8 b 309 a Prayer and Thankesgiuing ioyned together 3 309 a Theft Wherein Theft and capt doe differ 2 437 ab Adulterie and it compared and which of them is the greater 2 437a b A definition thereof 2 517a In what cases the same being against Gods law was is permitted 1 â—0 a How the same being a sinne is neither theft nor sinne 2 475 a Howe it becommeth sacrilege 2 514 a Commended among the Lacedemonians 2 475 b Howe in thinges found it is and is not committed 2 437 b 438 a Gods law in some case punished it with death 2 518 a What wee are taught by being forbidden it 2 553a A lesse vice than reproche 2 530 a Whether the sentence of Dauid touching it to be punished with death bee against the lawe of God requiring restitution 2 517 b The head and sum of all Thef is couetousnes 2 517 a Theeues Whether faith and promise giuen to Theeues is to bee kept 2 538 b Whether they or adulterers are more hurtful to the commonweale 2 494 ab A guile vsed by the King of Denmarke for the destroying of them 2 536 ab Thoughts Of troubled Thoughts quiet thoughts and how they appeare 1 83 b Howe euen good Thoughts are occasions of sinning be turneâ— into sinne and in what respects prooued 1 185 b 186 a The diuell cannot know mens Thoughts for that belongeth to God onelie 1 83 b 84 a No impressions arise in the bodie by quiet Thoughts 1 83b Howe God is to be vnderstood to thinke the Thoughts of peace 3 44 a Threatenings Why promises and Threatenings are added to the Lawe 2 â—73 ab Of the Law profitable to the godlie 3 67a Why God doeth eftsoones performe his 3 3â—3 a They are either conditionall or absolute 3 302 ab Thumim Of Vrim and Thumim which shined vppon the brest of the high priest 1 58 b 59 a Ti. Time The cause of Time and by what meanes the same shall ceasse and be taken away 1 120 a Whether motion shall cease if the same haue an end 3 394 b Howe a verie long Time is but short 3 348 b Title Of a good Title and in what respectes the same is saide to bee good in any thing that wee holde 1 56 b 99 a Titles What Titles Church men now adayes vsurpe and take to themselues