kyngdome of heauen where no vncleane thing entreth it foloweth that our synnes are forgyuen vs. Sy. I do not denay but that we were ones all synners that those synnes were ones forgyuen vs by Chryste But I will saie this that after that the synnes which we committed before thorow ignoraÌ„cye be ones thorow the grace of God forgyuen vs and so bee receaued by the free gyfte and goodnesse of Christ in to y â— numbre of the chyldren of god that then we be pure holy and clene and that we ought to synne no more and that if we synne wittyngly after that we haue ones knowen receaued the grace such sinne is not forgiuen Io. But thou mightest sufficiently vnderstand by the places afore aledged â–ª that we be yet sinners styll after that we haue knowen the truthe and that those sinnes which we do daily commit as long as we ar in Christ â—e daily forgyuen vnto vs. For Chryste saieth that his disciples are all cleane but neuerthelesse that thei haue neade to washe their fete And again the father dooeth make cleane the bowghes that doo bring forth fruite in Christe If thei dooe bryng forth fruit thei do bring forth fruite in faith and in the knowen truthe for without faith it is impossible that any man shulde please God what so euer is without faith is siÌ„ne and not fruit If thei be made cleane thei haue some filthines in the knowen truthe Els thei shulde be cleane and shuld nede no clensynge or purgynge But sith that thei be made clene the filthinesses that thei do gather in bringyng forth fruit ar forgeuen and washed awaie Neither Pelagius nor Nouatus nor none of the Anababtistes is able to withstand this veritee Sy. I am not farre frome this opinion yet notwithstanding had I leuer to heare plain scriptures that a man maie come to grace as often as he synneth Io. And that can I shew vnto the besyde the fore aleged places The lorde speaketh thus by Ezechiell When the vngodly shall turne from y â— vngodlines that he hath done doeth iudgement rightwisnesse he shall get life vnto his soule Is the death of y e vngodly a pleasure vnto me saieth y â— lorde and not rather that he turne from his waies and liue Turne and repent from al your iniquitees and your iniquitee shall not hurt you In the .ii. of Ioel. Turne to y e lord your god saieth he for he is gentill and piteful he is pacient of great mercifulnes repenteth vpon y â— plage y t he had threatened Sy That whiche thou hast aleged is to be vnderstanded of the vngodly of y â— remission of sinnes y t is graunted vnto them that neuer knew god neuer beleued in him Io. I wold y â— thou shuldest loke better vpon y â— wordes of Ezechiell thou shuldest se y t he speaketh these woordes to y â— children of Israell whiche were the chosen people of god Moreouer considre with what ende he dooeth conclude this chapiter Why shoulde ye dye saieth he o ye house of Israel I wyll not the death of a sinner but y â— hereturn lyue Or canst thou returne to hym with whoÌ„ thou wast neuer before Sy. No but I doo come to hym and do not returne but with whom I was afore and from whome I was gone to hym doo I return againe Ioi Ergo it foloweth that they which are exhorted by the prophete to returne to god were somtymes with god If thei were sometymes with god ergo this is not the fyrste sinne that thei did committe afore that thei knew the truthe but it was the synne that thei committed after that thei knew the truthe and had faith We haue proued I thynke that the synnes that we coÌ„mit after the knowledge of the truth are forgeuen by God In the .xxiiii. of the Prouerbes it is written that a rightwyse man falleth vii tymes in the day ryseth a gayne but that the vngodly do fall to their vtter dampnacion Here thou hast a manifest and a playne difference betwexte the godly the vngodly or betwixt the faithfull infidell The vngodly after that he is come in to the bothomlesse pitte of vngodlynesse dothe contempne remayneth in synne to the last ende with dispayre A godlye man is not he that synneth not but he which falling .vii. tymes in the day doth not continew in synne but ryseth agayne With this place are the Palagians Nouatians and Anababtistes confounded conuicted Adde vnto these the .xviii. of Mat. the .xvii. of Luke where Christ doth plainly say If thy brother dothe trespasse agaynst the rebuke him betwixte the and him alone if he be sori for his offence or repenteth forgeue thou him And if he .vii. tymes in the day dothe offende the .vii. tymes in the day cometh to the saiyng I am sory for myne offeÌ„ce thou shalt forgeue him Sy. But he doth not saye that he wyll forgeue vs our synnes Ioia Canst thou pray or say thy Pater noster Sy. yeas Ioia Doest thou not thou pray this Forgeue vs our trespasses as wee forgeue them that trespasse against vs Vnto these woordes dothe the Lord adde by and by in the .vi. chapiter of Mathew If ye doo forgeue vnto men their fautes your father that is in heauen shall forgeue you also Seyng therfore that wee doo forgeue vnto oure brethren daily it foloweth that the father of heaueÌ„ forgeueth vs also daily Do not the saintes or holy men pray so and that euery day Nowe I aske the whether they do lye before God praiyng thus or not S. They do not lye Io. If they do not lye it foloweth that thei haue in them selfe trespasse and synnes If so be that synne as thou thynkest is not forgeuen whye dyd Christe teache vs to prai so forgeue vs our trespas Is not this an abhominable thyng that any man whiche knoweth not what he dooeth praye shoulde take vpon hym not only to be a teacher but also to teache that whiche repugueth against y e manifest truth and prayers of the Sayntes But what thynkest thou of Peter was he a faithfull ChristeÌ„ man elected of God or not Sy. He was not a faithful Christen man afore his falle els he wolde not haue denyed Christ Ioi If he had ben an infidel to what intent were these wordes spokeÌ„ mat xvi Thou artchrist the son of the lyuyng god Are these the wordes of an infidell And agayne if Peter had ben an infidell or hipocrite when he dyd make suche a godly confession Christ would not haue sayde Thou art blessed SymoÌ„ Flesh and blood hath not reuelated this thynge vnto the but my father which is in heauen The LORDE prayseth not hipocrites and infidels but abhorreth hateth them Mat. vi and .xxiii. He would not haue said vnto him he that is washed hath no neale but to washe his feete And agayne Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith do not faile or slake Rede
reiected as false deceitful But whan ye speake of the spirite ye doe vnderstond a bare creature For your spirit is not the holy ghost but a carnall affection Sy. Ye dooe yet without any scriptures of the Bible enhaunce and magnifie the letter Io. Not so but rather we here ground ourselues bothe vpon y e scriptures of god and vpon examples Sy. Shew therfore y t the truthe muste be tryed by the scriptures not rather w t a fre spirit without scriptures Io. By thy wordes doe I perceine what thinge doeth begile you that is y t ye do seuer these .ii. thinges beyng vnited inuisebly knitted together y t is to saie the spirite the scriptures which can nor ought to be separated asunder the one from y e other For whē we name y e scriptures we doe vnderstande y e expressed worde of y t spirit For as y e voice or sound of y e worde can in no wise be separated from y e lyuely breth of y e liuing creature So y e scriptures can not be diuided from y e spirit y t inspireth thē for y e scripture is y e expressed wil of god but now wil I bryng y e testimonies places w t thou requirest our lord Iesu Christ vnto whom y e heuēly father did geue witnes from heuen who hath receiued the holy ghost after no measure did not despise y e sciptures in so muche that he dyd corroborate all his saiynges by them onely and did commaund that the Iewes should trye both his woordes and factes by the scriptures Ihon. v. and Luke xvi He biddeth them to lyfte vp their eyes to Moyses the prophetes and not to apparaunte spirites He reprouyng also the Saduceis did shewe that this was the cause of their errour be cause that they were ignoraunt in scriptures or neglected them Mark .xii. The Apostles as we may vnderstand by the booke of the Actes did receiue abundātly in the beginyng the holy gost that by a sertaine visible tokē And yet not withstandyng did thei not therfore forsake or contēne y e scriptures nor boste their spirite against thē But rather did proue strengthen all their sermons with the worde of god preachyng nothyng els but the pure and playne scriptures These thynges are euydently proued by the epistels of Peter Iohn doeth plainely shewe and teache that the spirites owght to be tried whether thei bee of god or not .i. Io. iiii Wherby it is euydent enowgh that spirites owght to be tried and that thei be not so free as the Anahabtistes will haue them And how thei muste bee proued it is manifestly declared in y t place Paule whiche was rauisshed in to the thyrde heauen and dyd learne his gospel of Iesu Christ beyng hym selfe the chosen vessel of god full of the holy ghost and heauenly wisedome neuer the lesse before the kyng Agrippa he doeth testify that he dyd teache nothyng beside Moises and the prophetes Act. xxvi In the epistell to the Galathians y e first chapter he saieth thus if I or an angel of heauen shulde preach vnto you any other thīg then ye haue harde let it be anathema or acursed He also warnyng and teachyng Tymothe that be shoulde beware of false and erroneous doctrines dyd directe and sende hym to the redyng of scriptures But reade thou the iii. chapiter of the seconde epistell to Tymothe and it shall appere what we owght to iudge and thynke of the Anababtistes secte what of the spirite and of the scriptures Sy. That place is knowen well enowghe and I am almost persuaded But this vexed my mynde that Paule saieth that a spirituall man iudgeth all thynges but he is iudged of no body Ioiada I longe to knowe of the of what spirite Paule doeth speake there Symon But I haue leauer to heare it of the Ioiada Considre the woordes y t go before For he saieth thus We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit whiche is of god that we may know what thynges haue ben geuen vnto vs by Chryst Symon But to what purpose did Paul speke here of the holy ghost Ioiada I aske of the wheather y t same selfe spirite dyd not inspyre the scriptures Symon Truely that same selfe spirite Ioiada Seyng therfore that it is all one and bothe the same spirite that Paule speaketh of here and that whiche speaketh in the scriptures haue I not proued that Paule by a spirituall man did not vnderstond hym which boasteth I can not tell what spirite despisyng in the meane season the scriptures but suche a spirituall man as is and will be ruled and gouerned by the holy ghost that waie that he sheweth and expresseth hym selfe in the holy scriptures He therfore that striueth againste the holy scripture and inspiracyon of the holy ghost can not bee that spirituall man whome Paule doeth speke of Now if he be not spirituall he can not iudge but he muste be iudged The Anababtistes therfore can iudge nothyng but ought to bee iudged and tryed by the worde of god Hathe not here the spirite of the Anababtistes lost bothe his win ges But I do remembre other ii places whiche dooe vtterly stoppe the mouthes of the Catababtistes The first is in the .x. chapiter of the Actes touchyng Cornelius the centurion which although he was elected by god yet not withstandyng beyng so tawght by the angell did sende messangers to fetche Peter y t he migh heare by hym the preachīg of our sauiour Iesu christ If that the spirite should disanulle and abolisshe the scriptures it shulde folow y t this outwarde preachyng and such like thinges wer done in vaine The other is in the .xvi. chapiter concernyng the Thessaloniens whiche after that thei had harde the preachyng of Paule dyd daily seke and serche the scriptures to knowe wheather Paule dyd teache true or not Which thing thei wolde not haue done if the spirites shoulde not be tried by the scriptures wherefore what so euer the Anababtistes dooe teache concernyng this thynge is false and erroneous and not vnlike vnto the errour of Montanus Sym. What monstruous thyng is y t Ioiada This Montanus about .xiii. hundred yeres a go was a great heretike who did almost speake of the spirite as the Anababtistes dooe For thei do cal in again the old abolisshed errours as it shall appere hereafter Sym. Go forth I praie y e and let vs discusse the argumentes of the second conclusion For I can not beleue that none of the saynttes whiche thyng thou doest affirme stifly did thruste them selues into the office of common preachers excepte thei were called What other thyng is this but as the bisshop of Rome hath done in times paste to hyde the truthe frome the commons that none saue onely thei that are learned dare speake and talke of it Where as not withstandynge god did manifest him self to the littell ones and not to the wise Mathew xi Ioiada I will doe it
own that is to say howses and possessions and moreouer maye liue of the gospell THat the Anababtistes ar so enuious and do imagine al wayes and forge calumniacions and lyes who dooeth not see that it commeth of a hatered that they haue against the preachers of the gospell that they may crepe in and aduaunce theÌ„ selues eâ—tenuatyng therfore the faythfulnes and fidelitee of the sheapeheardes before the commons because they may the better bee beleued them selues CHristen men whiche are ryghtfully chosen may w t out any offeÌ„ce of god be are rule sith that power is the mynister of god THis power is not onely profitable but also necessarie for christen men therfore we must be obedient vnto it according to the doctrine of christ Peter and Paule THey which wyll not be obedient to the common magistrates and rulers or do resist against them doyng them at any tyme wrong and reproch fulnes be not christen men but Sanlonites THei that refuse to make laufull othes vnto the publike rulers do manyfestlye against the wyl of god beyng autours of sedicion and all dysobedience THe magistrate and rewler hath the sworde from God wherwith he may smite the malefactours and shed the blud of wicked dooers that both the malefactours may be punysshed and the good and righteous liue surely among the wicked THe libertie of a christen maÌ„ is not carnall they therefore that in the gospell do seke carnall thynges and fleshly are the fellowes of Symon Magus VVe doe not learne in y â— gospell that we shuld pay neither rentes nor tithes but that we ought to paie our debtes vnto whom so euer we owe any thyng THe administracioÌ„ of bodily thynges doeth perteâ—ue to y â— magistrates rulers whiche doe christen men lyke whan thei doe after this rule what so euerye will that men doe vnto you doe the same vnto other VVho so euer kepeth this law rule may be and remayne stil a christen man though he receiueth bothe rentes and tithes These articles haue I here put generally because that a great parte of y â— Anababtistes do hold against them â–ª for I know y â— it is impossible y t any man should reherse al their errours sith y t thei be iÌ„finit w tout number For it is no meruel y t thei do fall from one errour into an other seyng y t thei haue not y e same spirite of truthe Whiche thyng causeth y t so dyuerse contrary sectes do aryse among them that the one doeth condemne and excommunicate the other Symon If thou haddest rehersed these articles before them thou couldest not haue done it w tout a 〈…〉 and sharpe answere Ioiada I haue proued my Symon and that a greate whyle a go their poysoned and v 〈…〉 d hertâ—s and tounges bothe ready to all kynd of reuyling and opprobriousues and also more bytter than is any worme wode wher by any man maye coniecte and knowe of what spirite these phaÌ„tastical felowes doe speake But reade thou the thryde chapiter of the epystell of saincte Iames and thou shalte knowe that I saye true Symon I praie the that thou wylt reherse out of this chapiter the thinges y t moste chyefly doe for our pourpose Ioiada These are the wordes of the apostel Who is wyse and endued with knolage amonge you Let hym shewe by his good conuersacion his workes with a gentell wysdome If so be that ye haue bytter enuye and contencion in your hertes dooe not ye boaste of it nor be liers againste the truth For that wisdome is not connyng from aboue but yerthly beastelyke and deauelyshe For where tnuye and contentacion is ther is incoÌ„stancie and wicked workes But the wisedom whiche is from heauen or from aboue first is chaste after peasible meake tretable full of mercie and of good fruites withoute rache or vnaduised iudgement and simulacion Hitherto haue we rehersed the wordes of Iames. Ponder and iudge now whether the holy Apostle did not liuelye describe the fashions and doctrin of the Anababtistes For what do they els but ineth and rayle against other men and that of a despitefull enuye and bitternes oppressing theÌ„ w t preiudicial seÌ„tence and iudgemeÌ„t Sy. They promesse to make an aunswere before any manne and to geue a reasonable accoumpt of their doctrine and learnyng Moreouer that they wyll suffer them selues patiently to be conuicted of errour Ioiada Why dooe they promesse that whiche thei wil neuer perfourm Thou thy selfe haste knowen manye to saye the truthe they doe all of a pretudiciall sentence stiflie and with great pertinacy staÌ„d in their owne oppinions which saied that thei ware sufficieÌ„tly tawght dyd knoledge their erroure and offered them selues to recante yea and dyd forswere their errour And by and by as sone as they ware come to their complyces or felowes thei dyd renewe their heresee and against their othe and all honestye besyde dyd obstinatly defende it What should we doe with suche men Paule sayeth Shunne thou an heretyke after that thou hast warned hym oÌ„es or twyse Their doctrine therfore is a certaine pertenax contention and bitter wysdome suche as Saynt Iames doeth descrybe Symon In the meane season they wyll neuer graunt thy conclusions to be true Ioiada This is that I saye thei be more styfe more obstacle thaÌ„ doeth be come any christeÌ„ men to be But thou that haste lyued most famylyarly w t them knowest wel and perfitly their foundacions where vpon they grounde them selues Symon No Anababtyst better Ioiada I wolde therfore my Symon that thou shouldest now dispute agaynst my conclusions as the Anababtistes are wonte to doe but without stomake and conteÌ„cion I wyll endeuoure my selfe to corroborate and streingthen them with holy scripures and to proue that they be true Sym. Be it as thou saiest For I desire to be taughte Thou shalte haue me also obediente so that I may vnderstande and perceiue y t thy doctrine and teachyng is true ⧠The third treatie or dialoge How that the spirite which repugneth agaynst the spirite that speaketh in the scriptures is not from the father of truth but from the father of lyes the deuels Symon Fyrste and formost I dooe meruell what moueth the to put this conclusioÌ„ where as after myne oppynion and iudgmeÌ„t it is no nede therof Ioiada But it semeth vnto me to be verye necessarye For manie of the Anababtistes doe boaste I can not tel what spirite and father agaynste the manyfest scriptures For whan they perceiue them selues to bee ouer comed with holye scriptures and so holden in that they can by no waye escape by and by they crye oute sayeng that the spiritee teacheth them an other thyng that is to saye eyther to holde theyr peace or to speake forthe some tryflyng matter â–ª and that they bee neyther subiecte ne bound to the litterall sense or letter In the which thyng they dooe no lesse erre than the doctoures of the bysshope of Rome which in matters of fayth wyll
GOD worketh 〈…〉 s bothe to be willyng and to doo or performe the thyng that he hathe moued vs to be willyng to do accordyng to his bountuous wyll He I say worketh in vs good workes as in his electes notwithstanding the workes ar attributed vnto vs and are called ours whiche neuerthelesse are Gods that glory honor may be geuē to god only Doest thou vnderstande what I say Sy. I doo vnderstand it very well Ioia Dothe it satisfie thee Sy. ye as truly Now do I perceiue that the lernyng of the Anababtistes cometh of ygnoraunce and boldnesse and that it is very pernicious and hurtfull whiche is gaye in the syght of the simple but in dede is an error malicious rudenesse 〈…〉 ut I desyre to knowe what thou wylte saye of the .v. conclusiō For they be fully persuaded that soules are a slepe The .x. treatie or dialoge How that the Soules after that thei be departed from the body do not slepe but lyue in christ Ioiada BVt with this opinion they do abolish the gospel which teacheth of the resurrection of Christ as saynt Paule in the fyrst chap. to the Romayns doth say Besyde that they doo denye the last Article of oure fayth that is to saye The lyfe euerlastyng after this lyfe Is not this therfore a pernitious Doctrine that repugneth agaynst so manifest veritie and sure beleue Sy. Thou doest not vnderstande the Anabaptistes For they doo neyther denye the Gospell nor the Resurrection of Christ They saye that the Soules after the deathe of the bodye if they dooe departe in fayth do slepe in the bosome of Abraham tyl the day of iudgement that then they do entre into euerlasting life And proue their saiynges by the gospell by Paule Luc. xvi i. Thess iiii I wyl not haue you to be ignoraunt touchyng them that are a slepe c. In the Olde Testament it is written of the Fathers that thei fal a slepe with their Fathers And also it is sayde of Stephen that he dyd slepe in the Lord. And that thei at lengthe shall receyue euerlastyng lyfe they do proue it by Paule .ii. Timoth. iiii I haue sayeth he fought a good fyght Now is there layde vp for me a croune of rightwysnesse which the Lorde who is a rightfull iudge shall geue or render vnto me vpon that day not onely to me but also to al them that loue his comynge There is suche a thyng Phil. iii. i. Iohn iii. Or what neade is it of that last iudgement if by by after his death euery man receyueth his owne dome these do seme vnto me strong Nowe wyll I fayne he are what thou canst saye agaynst it Io. I saye the same thyng that I sayde before If our soules dooe sleepe after the death of the bodye the soule of Christ sleepeth also and the resurrection is disanulled For Christ dyd proue that ther was an euerlasting lyfe by his rising agayne which can not be euerlastyng if the soule slepeth and begynneth then to lyue when iudgement dothe come Wherfore the sleepe of the Anababtistes dothe euacuate and disanull the gospell and resurrection As for the bosome of Abraham I aske the whether it be a slepyng place dormitori or a receptacle and place to receyue the lyuyng Sy A place whervnto the soules of y e faithfull Christen men ar gathered together tyll the day of iudgement Ioi Where is that place aboue or benethe Sy It is vncerteyne to me God doth know Nor it is not lawfull for vs to enquyre Sy. So ye do defend al vncertayne thynges that ye do teache And ye that do speake babble muche of the bosome of Abraham and do not know yet That comyng of Christ shall be in the last day of all Ioia What and I vnderstande that of the comyng of Christ at the ende of euery mans lyfe Sy. So thou doest say but it must be proued by the holy scriptures Io. These ar not my wordes but the wordes of him that speaketh there of his owne death For he vseth this word to go for to dye so that to go and to dye is all one thyng with him And agayne this worde to come wherfore the Anababtistes doo stryue is not taken for his last comyng but for the resurrectiō of christ and ye helpe and ayde that he sheweth vpon the faythfull christen men being in extreme nede For he came agayne after that he was rysen from death dyd declare that he had opened the kingdom of god that we might be sure that as he dyd entre in to heauen him selfe so we shuld come in or entre in also But he is entered in to immortal lyfe not in to slepe in to the kyngdome of God and not in to the bosome of Abraham and that by by after his death Therfore we shall also incontinent after our death entre in to euerlastyng lyfe and into the kingdome of God For he taketh vs away when he calleth vs from death to lyfe Iohn v. For it is added by maner of exposicion That where I am ther ye may be also Therfore are we taken in soule from death to euerlastyng lyfe in body to iudgement Or tell me dyd Christ with his death reserate open heauen whiche was locked vp afore or not Sy I do graunt that he did opē it Ioi But what neadeth this reseration or openyng if the soules doo not entre in to lyfe Where as notwithstādyng Paul doeth say I coueit to be dissolued deliuered from this body to be w t christ beleuyng that after this death he should be with Christ Peter moreouer doeth saye that for this cause the gospel was preached vnto the dead that they shuld be iudged in the flesh but lyue after or in y e spirit do not these manifest places teache proue that the soules doo lyue with God For he sayeth that y ◠gospell was preached vnto the dead What is els the gospel to be preached but redemption lyfe to be preached And what were they that were dead but they which after that thei were departed were gathered in the bosome of Abraham Sy. But howe was the gospell preached vnto them Ioia The vertue of the passion of Christ and the fruit of his death which were profitable vnto them Sy. How Ioi Because that they being deliuered thorough the death of Christ ar receiued as touching their soules into euerlastyng lyfe In the last day they shall ryse bodily and as all other shall be iudged in the vniuersall iudgement In the meane season their soules do liue with God Is it proued sufficiently that the soules that wer in the bosome of Abraham are delyuered brought in to heauen Sy. I dooe not saye agaynst it Ioia And thou shalt fynde none other thing in the word of god ▪ It followeth therfore that th◠Bosome of Abraham is no dormitory or slepyng place but an euerlastyng lyfe Which thyng we may proue by the .xvi. of Lu
Sy. At bothe tymes Ioi Neither of them can be trew and I do meruail that so grosse an answere dyd come from the. For seyng that the Soule can muche lesse slepe when she hath put awaye the burdeyn of thâ— body then when she beareth about yet the burdeyn of the body doeth not sleape when shâ— is yet in the bodye it followetâ— that she sleapeth muche lesse when she is deliuered from thâ— bodye And that she doeth not slepe beyng in the body it maye be knowen by thys that in the tyme of wakyng the body doth alwayes without rest quyet worke which actions do come from the soule Ergo it is manifest that whiles that the body waketh the soule sleapeth not And agayn when the body hath geueÌ„ it self to rest to slepe the soule worketh with a perpetual motion or mouyng doeth neuer rest or ceasse either she bretheth or doeth some thynge alwayes withe the vertue of remembraunce vnderstaÌ„dyng or with the other excellent vertues powers All mans lyfe is eyther wakynge or rest in none of them bothe doeth the soulesleape Ergo the soule doeth not sleape at all Therfore slepe longeth only to the body not to the soule For when the soule begiÌ„neth ones to haue life it is a perpetual Entesechia comeyng froÌ„ the euerlasting eternall fontayne of goodnesse the which perpetuall Entesechiia that is to say vnrequietable perpetuall action and mouyng in the soule if any man denayeth by that same reason he must denay the soule Sy. These thyngê are somewhat darke vnto me Ioiada Therefore I wyll declare them by an exaÌ„ple Fyer is a very pure actuall thyng whiche after that it begynneth ones can neuer ceasse from his operacion and workyng tyll it be quenched and that is when it hathe nothyng whervpon it maye shew and exercise his operacion If thou denyest the operacion working of the fier thou hast denyed the fyer The nature of the soule is very like which after that she is poured in to the body by god is a liuely and working spirite and can neuer ceasse nor be at rest Wylt thou haue no fyer take awaye the operacion If thou denyest the Soule attribute vnto her slepe For to say that the soule is a slepe and to saye that the soule is not is all one thyng If the soule slepeth she dooeth rest if she dooeth rest she worketh not if she doeth not worke she is not For to worke and to be in the soule is all one thing â—yth that she is a perpetual motion workyng But the soule is therfore shee sleapeth not Dooest thou vnderstande this thyng Sy. Very well Ioia Therfore did I say that the Aâ—ababtistes knowe not the nature of the soule Sy. Thou shuldest peraduenture haue persuaded somewhat to Timens and Phedrus Platos disciples I had leauer heare Scriptures Ioia The Saduces dyd teache that ther was no Resurrection and by this dyd denye the immortalitie and perpetual workyng of the soule yea and also Angels and all maner of Spirites Act. xiii The Lorde dyd stop their mouthes with these reasons Ye erre sayth he not knowing the scriptures nor the vertue of God God after the death of the Fathers calleth hym selfe the God of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob which is not the God of the dead but of the lyuyng and that therfore Abraham and the other Fathers were a lyue and not dead Thei were dead in body a gret whyle afore and buryed Therfore Christ speaketh here of the lyfe of the soule Ergo the soule beyng separated from the body is in her owne kynde worketh lyuely and slepeth not This syllogysme and argument doo I put to all the Anababtistes to answer to that they may cleare them selfe frome the heresye of the Saduces For thei are lyke vnto the Saduces and Manicheans What shoulde I say of the wordes of Christ whiche hangyng vpon the Crosse doeth comforte the thiefe with these wordes saiyng To daye thou shalte be with me in Paradise Sy. Paradise and the Bosome of Abraham are all one thyng to the Anababtistes where thei say that the soules doo sleape Ioia Thei do affirme this with out scriptures and with an hereticall spirite Christ sayeth To day thou shalte be with me in Paradise Ponder euerye worde If Paradice is a sleapyng place Christ sleapeth in it also For he sayeth To daye thou shalte be Moreouer the thiefe prayeth Christ to remember him when he shoulde come in to hys kyngdome If the kyngdome of God is a Dormitorie or Sleapyng place what doo the scriptures speake of the Resurrection and Ascendyng of Christ in to heauen Ye ate obstacle asses O Anababtistes whiche dare make mention of suche sleapyng agaynst so manifest places of the scriptures What shall thei say to the wordes of Christ Iohn v. He that heareth my word and beleueth in him that hath sent me shall not come in to iudgement but is passed frome deathe to lyfe Whiche woordes are so cleare that no maÌ„ can denay them but heretikes Let the .xi. of Iohn and the .xv. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Item the .ii. Cor .ii. be reade and it shal euidently he knowen that the sleape of the Anababtistes is a blasphemy agaynst the Gospell and Resurrection of Christ Sy. If the matter be better looked vpon the Anababtistes can not cleare them selues from the crime of ouer boldnesse ignorancye but they haue not pondered all these thingê so exactly Ioia Why dooe they presume to teach then take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that which passeth their strengthe And agayne when they be conuicted wyll not geue the vpper hande to the truthe But because they wyll be sene stedfast they be founde in all thynges frowarde and obstacle To say briefly They doo all thynges with contention arrogancye and ignoraunce Sy. I woulde had questioned with the touchyng the .vi. Conclusion but that I must go to myne Iune Tomorow if thou canst haue leasyr I wyll be here betymes in the morning and reason farther with the. Ioiada I am well pleased for I wyll go to myne Inne also be thou to morow in better readinesse Symon God be with the. Ioiada Fare well SOLIDEO HONOR ET GLORIA â–ª ¶ Thou shalt vnderstaÌ„de good Christen Reader that immediately after this as sone as may be thou shalte haue the seconde Booke whiche entreate vpon as many thynges as this Booke doeth bothe fruitfull to be knowen and also most necessarye for these perillouse tymes in the which the Diuell doeth all that he can to extinguish the trew Doctrine of the Gospell whiche at this tyme thorough our godly Magistrates doeth reuiue and florish agayne Fare well and pray that we may performe the Woorke that we haue in haude