quisquis pro peccatiâ— â— in all which you find these wordes Sola fides ad iustitiam reputatur per solam fidem iustificat â–ª Deus saluus fit sine opera sola fide et soluÌ„ iustificatus per fidem that is only fayth is accompted vnto rightuousnesse By only faith God iustifieth that he may be saued without worke through onely fayth and beyng iustified only by fayth As for the works which follow as I sayd before we condeÌ„ne them not we prayse them as God did in Abraham Abraham beléeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes and he was called the friend of god In that he beleued God within in his harte it consisteth in fayth onely concerning that he lead his sonne to sacrifise him in that without feare he armed his right hande in that he would haue stricken had he not bin witholden surelie it was a great fayth the worke also was great God praysed the worke when he sayd bycause thou obeyedst my voyce Wherfore then sayth the Apostle Paule wée conclude that man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law and in an other place It is fayth whiche worketh by charitie how doth fayth worke by charitie how is a man iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe This séemeth hard that a man shall bée iustified by fayth onely and yet that fayth must worke by charitie Not at all for in that that it is sayd to iustifie it sheweth what thou haste receyued of God in that it is sayd to worke by charitie it sheweth what thou owest to god For so muste iustification stand that it may bee applyed vnto all men whether they be called in the morning or at noone or at night There is one that beléeueth he hath receyued the sacrament of faith and is dead he hadde no time to worke what shall wée say that he is not iustified we say playne that he was iustified because he beléeued in him whiche iustifieth the wicked Therefore this man is iustified did not worke The sentence of the Apostle is fulfilled I conclude that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law The théef which was crucified with Christ beléeued in hart to Iustice and confessed by mouth to saluation For fayth which worketh by charitie although it haue not wherein it may worke externally yet is it kept feruent in the harte If then fayth in these such like doth iustifie why shall it not in others Because one man lyueth longer than an other after his vocation shall therefore the rightuousenesses of God be changed shal therefore â–ª man be made fellowe with God in the worke of his saluation bicause he hath bestowed a greater benefite of longer lyfe vppon him Is this the thank that GOD shall haue at oure hands for giuing vs space to glorifie him to vse it as a meanes that we oure selues may glorie For surely if we deserue any thing we haue wherein to glorie But when all is done it is but an euil fauored glorie for it is not with god But let vs goe farther S. Paule excluding workes of the Lawe meaneth workes that goe before fayth which do not iustifie S. Iames in the example of Abraham forbidding that fayth only doth iustifie speaketh of workes that folowe fayth whiche doe also iustifie that is giue encrease of iustice Abraham pater noster nónne ex operibus iustificatus est offerens Isaac super Altare Abraham our Father was he not iustified by workes when he offered his sonne Isaac vppon the Altare If workes before fayth do not iustifie much lesse works after fayth before man had néede and after he hath no néede then is a benefite requisite when a man is in pouertie but when he is riche it is not néedfull To be shorte bycause I haue handled this before workes do neuer goe before iustification For the Scripture is playne If it be grace then not of works otherwayes were grace nowe no grace And this is as well for youre workes after as before As for that that is sayde often tymes and you alleage it before Factores legis iustificabuntur the dooers of the lawe shall bée iustified It is so to be vnderstanded to wit that they could not otherwise be dooers of the law vnlesse they be iustified So that Iustification coÌ„meth not to the dooers but iustification goeth before the dooers of the Law â–ª For what other thing doth this meane Iustified but made iust that is to say of him which iustifieth the wicked that he may become iust of wicked For sanctification goeth not before Iustification but Iustification before Sanctification Touching the place of S. Iames there is no such matter in it as you make You maye sée by the whole course of the chapter that he speaketh not how man is iustified before god but how they ought to shew before men that they are iuste before god So that he beateth downe the vayne opinion of them which thought that yf they beléeued it belonged not to them to do well and therefore contemned good workes as who would say they were not bound to glorifie God before men who had glorified them with him self And touching the example of Abraham yf you conferre the scriptures togither as Genesis with Iames you shall sée that Abraham was iustified before and this is but the shew of his obedience vnto God that all the worlde might know he nothing misdouted the promise of God although his onely sonne must go to bée offered and this do your doctors teach which you heare recite To this effect S. Augustine reconcileth these two Apostles Non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli Iacobiâ—cum dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus alius dicit inanem esse fidem sine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae praecedunt fidem iste de his que fidem sequuntur These sentences of the two Apostles Paul and Iames be not contrarie vnto them selues when the one saith that a man is iustified by fayth without workes The other sayth that fayth is vayne and ydle without workes for Paule speaketh of workes that goeth before faith Iames speaketh of those that follow fayth I doe not sée to what great purpose this place is alleaged bée it that this reconciliation is good can you coÌ„clude that Augustin teacheth or Iames eyther that workes iustifie before God that can you neuer prooue The place you bring he hath in many places yet in none of them doth he conclude as you do But in euery one he teacheth this that therefore Iames writte this Epistle and likewise Peter his to shewe that after sayth receyued works of rightuousnesse ought not to be contemned that what soeuer workes they doo they are of a iustified man and not to iustifie a man For when it is sayd that the doers of the law shall bée iustified what other thing is sayd than this Let 〈◊〉 that
looke vppon vs from heauen aboue And with thy prayers eyther cease this pricke of the fleashe Or else praye that wée maye strongly beare it and ouercome it Now if M. Goughe will terme these graue Fathers and so holy men like as other moe Origen calling vppon Iob S. Ephrem calling vpon the martyrs S. Ierome calling vppon the famouse woman Paula and S. Chrisostome commending the Emperour for frequenting the Martyrs tombes and praying vnto them If he will call them all mad men foolishe men popish and superstitious Idolaters In Gods name let him do so I had leuer haue a dragm of their superstition than a great lump of leade of M. Goughes integritie 3 That onely fayth dooth not iustifie MAister Goughe likewyse in fewe woords would vehemently haue persuaded like as other heretofore him that sole fayth or onely fayth doth iustifie vs So did long agoe teache Eunomius of that fayth whiche he professed as S. Austen reciteth in his â–ª 6. Tome de Heresi M. Goughe To confirme his opinioÌ„ out of the scripture he brought the saying of the apostle Arbitramur iustificari per fidem hominem sine operibus legis We thinke or determine that a man is iustified by fayth without the works of the law concluding by this testimonie of S. Paule that works do in no maner of wise iustifie vs not only those which goe before faith but also those whiche doo follow faith For touching any iustification by works he maketh the like condition of them both M. Fecknam First I maruell that Maister Goughe will allowe this terme onely when it is not exppâ—ssed in Canonicall Scripture Next I am sure that there is nothing equiualent vnto it for fayth without the workes of the Lawe and fayth onely or fayth simplie without workes be not of one like condition Sainct Paule excluding workes of the law meaneth works that goe before fayth whiche do not iustifye S Iames in the Example of Abraham forbidding that fayth onely should iustifye speaketh of woorkes that followe faith which do also iustifye that is giue encrease of iustice Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus iustificatus est offerens Isaac filium suum super altare Abraham our father was he not iustifyed by works when he offered his sonne Isaac vppon the altar To this effect S. Austen reconcileth these twoo Apostles saying Non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli et Iacobi cùm dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus alius dicit inanem esse fidem sine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae praecedunt fidem iste de his quae sequuntur fidem that is These sentences of the twoo Apostles Paule and Iames be not contrarie vnto them selues when the one sayeth that a man is iustifyed by fayth without woorkes the other sayeth that faith is vayne idle without workes for Paule speaketh of workes that goe before faith Iames speaketh of those that followe faith M. Goughe An other place he brought to expresse by Scripture this woorde onely That fayth onely doth iustifye alledging the saying of Chryst vnto Iairus prince of the synagoge Crede tantuÌ„ beleeue only A place very fitlie applied as if Christe there had spoken of the iustification of Iairus and not rather of the corporall reuiuing of his dead daughter M. Fecknam First S. Iames vnto this meaning of M. Goughe that faith only should iustifie whereby he meaneth to exclude al maner of iustification by workes done in faith hath a place that is cleane contradictorie saying thus after the example brought of Abraham Videtis quoniaâ— ex operibus iustificatur homo non ex fide tantum You sée that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely By faith onely to be iustified and not by faith only to be iustified be contradictorie This place therfore of S. Luke is violently handled of M. Goughe rather by force wrested to his owne peculiar stuffe than naturally applyed to the meaning of christ For there is no relation made to the faith of Iairus touching iustification as if Chryste had willed him onely too beleeue and then he should be iustified but to the weaknesse of that faith of his which began to faint and mistrust the power of Chryst in reuiuyng his daughter after that a messenger came from home and told him that his daughter was dead This fayth Christ erected confirmed by these words Beléeue onely as if he had said feare not misdout not but put thy only trust in mée as thou hast begon and thy daughter neuerthelesse shal be restored both to life and to health agein This is the finall ende of those wordes beléeue only Crede tantum which tooke their effect not in spiritual iustification of Iairus the father but in y corporall reuiuing of his daughter for any thing that is there in the scripture expressed S. Austen in his booke de fide operibus shewed the beginning fouÌ„dation of this much like heresie to haue bin in the Apostles times vpon the misconstruing of Paules Epistles saying Quoniam haec opinio tum fuerat exorta aliae Apostolicae epistolae Petri IoaÌ„nis Iacobi Iudae coÌ„tra eaÌ„ maximè dirigunt intentioneÌ„ vt vehementer astruant fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse that is Bycause this opinioÌ„ was theÌ„ sprong vp other Apostolical epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude do bende their drift and purpose most of all ageinst that opinion that they may boldly and vehemently affirme faith without workes to auayle nothing If it be faith only it is faith without works if faith only auayleth nothing faith only can not iustifie Likewise he saith in his booke de Trini very bréefly but pithily Sine charitate fides quidem potest esse sed non et prodesse that is without charitie faith may bée but without charitie it can nothing auayle vs. Of works that be done in faith IT is then a preposterous waye a blasphemous doctrine to extol the excelleÌ„cie of faith by reuyling extenuating the worthie fruts therof calling theÌ„ abominable vile and stinking in the face of God as if there were no difference betwene works done of infidels Idolaters of which Isai speaketh wheÌ„ he likeneth theÌ„ to a filthie cloth betwene workes done of christians and true beléeuers of which our sauior Christ speaketh in s. Mat. shewing how they shal be acceptable in Gods sighte and rewarded with lyfe euerlasting For there he maketh a distinct conference and separation betwéene the praying fasting and gyuing almes of the Scribes and Pharises which do it onely for vaine glories sake therefore they haue onely that vayne reward and betweene the praying fasting and giuing almes of those whiche bée true members of Christe which do it onely for Gods sake and therefore they shall haue a reward of him of lyfe euerlasting If these workes had bin so vile and so
in Moses seate but do not as they do And thus much touching this question God giue vs eyes to sée and hartes to vnderstande that if you be out of the way as you shewe your selfe to be you may come in If I my selfe as I am perfectly persuaded I am not that he will giue me grace to conuert And so pray I for vs both 3 That onely fayth doth not iustifie MAster Gough likewise in few wordes woulde vehemently haue persuaded lyke as others heretofore him that sole fayth or onely fayth doth iustifie vs So did long agoe teache Eunomius of that fayth which he professed as S. Augustine reciteth in his 6. Tom. de Haeresibus In so doyng as others haue done before him ▪ as Moyses as Christ as Paul as all the Prophetes and Apostles in teaching the Iustification of fayth onely yf you expound him not amisse he did the part of a faythfull Minister and preacher of Gods woord But you are disposed in this matter as in others to carpe and cauill euill construing that which is wel spoken You ioyne your woordes in this sorte sole faith or only fayth There is great difference in these two kindes of speaking a sole fayth is a barren an vnfrutefull a wicked a diuelish fayth which in déede is no fayth it hath but the glistering and shew of fayth it is but a lippe fayth and where so euer it is I warrant you there is Corde non creditur no beléef in hart Fayth only is an other manner of thing it is that which the Hebrewes cal Emunah that is a faith stable and sure as it is sayd of Moyses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manus eius erant firmae stabiles vsque ad occasum solis his handes were steady and stable vntill the goyng downe of the sun So doth Paule terme it vaiehi iadan emunah the cōmon translation hath substantia it is that quod facit vt extent quae sperātur which maketh those things to exist which are hoped for This fayth can bée no more withoute fruytes than can the body bée without the soule to be a liuing body so that ther be time for wée knowe that vocation is diuerse some in the morning some at noone some at night are called and these laste because they are so soone cutte of that they could not but beleeue and not glorifie God before vs wée muste not therefore condemne them This fayth I say most florishing and decked with gorgious workes as shining both before God and man as the lilie doth only iustifie doth only apprehend the iustification of God giuen in Christ Iesus oure Sauiour doth trulie bring Christe into vs and vs into him So the faithfull man séeing himselfe purged from all his former sins and offences walketh in newnesse of lyfe in the wayes that God hath ordeyned for him that before men he may glorifie his father which is in heauen This faith Eunomius did not teache he was in his opinion a naughtie and wicked man as were many moe in the time of S. Augustine are now God make them fewer He writeth of him and others in this wise I wil laye his wordes before you that you your selfe may iudge whither you do rightly burdē vs with Eunomius or no. Apostolus predicans iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus non bene intellectus est ab eis qui sic dictum acceperunt vt putarent cùm semel in Christū credidissent etiāsi malè operarētur facinerosè flagitioseque viuerent saluos se esse per fidem posse that is The Apostle preaching that a mā is iustified by faith without workes was not well vnderstoode of them which tooke his saying in this sorte that they thought they might be saued by faith whē they had once beléeued in christ although they did wickedly although they liued most detestably and villenously And in an other place Non cogimur dicere iniustis non subditis scelestis contaminatis parricidis matricidis homicidis fornicatoribus masculorum concubitoribus plagiarijs mendacibus periuris si quid aliud sanae doctrinae aduersatur quae est secundum Euangelium gloriae beati Dei si tantum in Christum credatis sacramentum Baptismi eius accipiatis etiamsi vitam istam pessimam non mutaueritis salui eritis We are not constrayned to say to the vniust to the rebellious to the wicked to the defiled to the murderers of father mother to manslayers to fornicators to buggers to mē stealers to lyers to the periured if there be any other thing which is contrarie to the wholsome doctrine whiche is according to the glorious Gospell of the blessed God if you beléeue onely in Iesu Christe and receyue his Sacrament of Baptisme althoughe you chaunge not this wicked lyfe you shal bée saued This was Eunomius opinion and his fellowes it is not oures Our Preachers teach that faith only iustifieth yet not that a sole faith iustifieth therefore in so expounding his woordes as you do you do deceyuablie commit an Eleuche which we cal fallatia accidentis For whereas we say fayth iustifyeth only that is no other thing doth apprehend the iustice which GOD doth giue vs but oure faith you turne it and make this sense a bare faith voyde and destitute of all goodnesse doth attayne to the mercies of god Which in déed is an heresie For as the other is good allowable according to the scriptures There is no condemnation to them whiche are in Christe Iesus whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the Spirit so is this wicked and naught For if we liue after the fleshe we shall dye And thus much to shewe that we are no Eunomians Now to your Arguments To confirme his opinion out of the scriptures he brought the saying of the Apostle Arbitramur iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus Legis We thinke or determine that a mā is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Concluding by this testimonie of S. Paule that workes do in no manner of wyse iustifye vs not onely those which go before fayth but also those which do folow faith for touching any iustification of works he maketh the like cōdition of them both His allegation was good and his argument good For it foloweth wel we are iustified by faith Therfore workes done before do not iustifie neither workes after This consequēt you wil not deny simply for all your allegaciōs you bring do proue that workes before do conferre nothing to iustification For the Apostle preaching to the Gentiles saith When he sawe them that came to the lord iustified by faith that now they which did beleue should worke and do good dedes and not because they had done well they deserued to beleue he cried out and said boldly That man may be iustified by faith without the workes of the law Your sticking is vpō workes that folow as in déede not knowing what
many yeres since a good companion minding to recreate him selfe with the sexton charged him selfe with a baskette heauy laden as he made the matter appeare directing his way through Paules Churche because it was the shorter where he was mette of his mate and demaunded why in that solemne time he passed thorough that place so charged a thing not to bée endured the circumstaunces beyng considered This companion desired him to lette him passe for that hée was heauye laden with certayne plate and therefore the gladder too take the shorter way The sexton woulde not bée persuaded but alleadging the Quéenes profite caused him to sette downe his baskette and sente immediatlye for suche as too whome it appertayned to haue the view of such matters who thinking to haue found some â–ª greate matter as they had bin enformed by the sexton willed the basket to be opened and what found they for a cupbourde of plate a basket of hornes Thus had he his iest at the sexton but you M. Fecknam thankes be vnto God haue not to do with a sexton they doo well see your horny plate but bycause you your selfe deceyued your selfe thinking it to be plate they haue vsed this charitable way that it may be shewed vnto you that they are in deede but hornes And therefore this horne will nothing moue them as I trust vntill you bée able to shewe that the denying of frée will to the establishing of the grace of God wherby wée are iustified from sinne and saued from infirmitie is the doctrine of Maniche or Valentinian This I remember Valentinian and his say that to vs qui ab Ecclesia sumus opera necessaria esse aliter enim impossibile est seruari which are of the Churche woorkes bée necessarie for otherwise it is impossible to bée saued and that teach you sâ—ipsos verò non per opera sed propterea quòd ex natura spirituales sunt penitus omnino saluari doceÌ„t but they teach that they them selues are wholy altogither saued not by workes but bycause of nature they bee spirituall and this teacheth not M. Gough Therfore that glose might well haue bin lefte out yf you hadde more thought vpon the truth of the matter how well you might haue alleaged it than onely for a cloke of your self barely to alleage it For to proue M. Gough a Manichean or any of his fellowes in his heresies it will bée hard for you and as impossible as to fulfill the law but to prooue you a Pelagian it is easie enough and as easie as in Christ Iesus for M. Gough and vs to kepe the lawe But to prooue you suche a one is not my chéef purpose my mind is rather to conuince your heresie and bring you to the flocke of Christ yf it so please God too giue you the eyes of vnderstanding and a hart to repent Therfore to doo the dutie of good ChristiaÌ„s let vs yeld our selues vnto God to be gouerned by his spirit submit our selues in huÌ„blenes to his word without al vayne opinion of wel or euil defending a question arrest our selues vpon his Prophetes Apostles which haue and doo shew vs the way to walke in and minister vnto vs the true light whereby wée may chase a way al these darknesses This waye if wee take no doubt he will shew vs the truthe if we reiecte it why should he not farther punish vs with blindnesse So then to come to your first position That it is not impossible to keepe Gods commaundements I wil aunswere youre places of the scripture alleadged and your Doctors and there withall shewe oute of them both the contrarie that it is impossible and so shall I shew I trust that in that article M. Goughe hath taught no vngodly point of doctrine and so will I do consequently with the residue And that it may be more plainly and euidently done that there may be no occasion of doubte in any braunche of my doctrine I wil first shewe howe they are impossible and by what meanes and after howe they are possible and howe they may be fulfilled This done I shall sufficiently aunswere youre places alleadged and if GOD so will take awaye this vayle from before youre eyes which is a let vnto you that you can not sée Touching the firste S. Paule dilating and amplifying his probation of the free iustification which we haue thorough the tender mercie of GOD in Christe Iesus sayeth in this wyse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For that that was impossible to the Lawe in as much as it was weake bicause of the fleshe God sending his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe and for sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe The wordes are but fewe and therefore easie to be remembred nay therefore better to be considered God sent his owne sonne Why To condemne sinne in the fleshe Why so Bicause it was impossible to the lawe wherefore in as much as it was weake bicause of the flesh Why then we may conclude that the Lawe is a burden and so gréeuous a burden that neither wée nor oure Fathers were able to beare and that bycause of oure weakenesse Hereof it is that he sayth in an other place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For if there had bin a law giueÌ„ which could haue giuen lyfe surely rightuousnesse should haue bin by the Lawe It is the woorke of grace to saue and quicken the receyuers whereof althoughe they were extréeme enemies to the wholesome doctrine of the holy scriptures they become fréends It is not the worke of the doctrine which whosoeuer heare and reade without the grace of GOD they are made worse enemies Therefore the grace of God is not in the nature of free will and in the lawe and doctrine as the peruerse Pelagian dothe deceyptfully beleeue and teache but at euery moment it is giuen by his good wil and pleasure of whom it is sayd Thou o God sendest a gracious rayne vpon thyne inheritaunce For we lost both frée wil to loue god by the greatnesse of our first sinne and the lawe also and the doctrine thereof although it be holy and good and iust yet it killeth if the Spirite do not quicken by which spirite it commeth to passe that not by hearing but by obeying neither by reading but by louing it is obserued For the Lawe without grace is but a letter it remaineth to conuince sin but not to gyue saluation So sayth the Apostle For yf there had bin a lawe gyuen whiche could haue giuen lyfe surely rightuousnes shuld haue bin by the lawe But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beléeue Of this letter he sayeth in an other place The letter killeth but the spirite quickeneth Thou hast the letter but thou dost not fulfill the letter And why dost thou not fulfil the letter Bycause thou presumest of thy selfe thou extollest thy
workes thou knowest not that the grace of the helper is necessarie that the precept of the cōmaunder may be fulfilled Behold God hath cōmaunded thée do that which be commaundeth thou beginnest to do as of thyne own strength and thou fallest and so remayneth the punishing and not the sauing letter Let vs a little more neare consider this question what these woords importe and what they meane It is not impossible to fulfil the law The Law and the Spirit are set as opposite as killing and quickening as Moses Christ therfore in playne woordes the question is this Whether it bée possible without Christ by the works only of the Lawe whiche we can perfectly and absolutely performe in suche order and manner as GOD hath commaunded to be saued And your position is that wée can if wée list perfectlye as he commaundeth in all poinctes fulfill his Lawe and so purchase lyfe vnto oure selues without the quickening spirit without the grace of god For if you saye not this you saye nothing as you shall hereafter more plainely vnderstand A preuenting grace and helping you graunt whereof I will not defraude you and after permitted to your owne willes you can do what you liste and kéepe the commaundements and purchase heauen as it foloweth caste Christ away Now then let vs ioyne togither I say that thou O Man what soeuer thou arte so setting Christe his death and passion a syde of whose fulnesse we haue all receyued and setting asyde grace and truthe whiche commeth by Iesus Christ I say that thou cāst not by any possibilitie if thou shouldst lyue seuen hundreth yeares fulfil the law of GOD and so be saued For if there had bin a Lawe giuen whiche could haue quickened iustice had bin by the Lawe neither should a Sauiour bin sought for nor Christ haue come nor with his bloud haue sought his lost shéepe as the Apostle sayeth in an other place For if rightuousnesse be by the Lawe then is Christ dead in vayne Let vs consider what is the best of vs Salomon sayd at the dedicatiō of his Temple There is no man on the earth which sinneth not Dauid sayeth no man liuing shall be iustified before god Saint Paule plainly affirmeth this The fleshe coueteth ageinst the spirite and the spirite ageinst the flesh and vseth no other reason to proue that all whiche are vnder the lawe are cursed but this Bicause it is written Cursed be they that confirme or fulfill not al these words of this law to do them And such were mē not in their time only but such is oure nature at this day ther is no time nor seasō no houre or momēt in which we ought not to say forgiue vs our trespasses where forgiuenesse is requisit ther is no perfectiō ther is no law fulfilled there is no saluatiō wrought neither is it thus to be thought that these such like sentēces are spokē of men not regenerate assisted with the grace of god for Paul speaking of himselfe of the contention strife that he felt sayd Noui non habitare in me id est in carne mea bonū nā velle adest mihi sed vt quod bonū est perficiā nō assequor Non enim facio bonum quod volo sed malum quod nolo hoc ago For I know that in mée that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with mée but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good Here you may sée that the Apostle himself was fraile in body that he had as yet no rightuousnesse perfection That you may know that the Apostle himself which would saue others is yet in way of curing that ye may know that he is yet a curing if you esteme his honor marke what emplaister the medicine hath layd to the swelling Heare not me heare himselfe confessing that you may perceyue him teaching Nowe may I say to the Apostle Paule Be not proude thou holy Apostle thou must take héede that thou be not proud What sayst thou to me saieth he Heare thou also Heare what I am be not high minded but feare heare how the little Lambe may goe in where the Ramme is in such daunger Ne excellentia reuelationum supra modum efferrer datus est mihi surculus infixus carni c. Leste I should be exalted sayeth hée oute of measure thoroughe the aboundance of Reuelations there was giuen vnto mée a pricke in the fleshe the messenger of Sathan to buffit me bycause I should not be exalted out of measure Let vs then by this example consider that we are men let vs acknowledge that the holy Apostles were men chosen vesselles but yet frayl as yet pilgrimes in this fleshe No doubte but Paule and Dauid and the residue of the most saincts that euer were thought this eyther the chéefest or the only perfection if they knewe them selues to be vnperfecte And you sayth he when you haue done al say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but what we ought to doe If hée bée vnprofitable whiche hath done all things what shal wée saye of him which could not fulfill Therefore the Apostle sayd that he had partly receyued and partly comprehēded and yet was not perfecte and that hée forgate things past and auanced him selfe to things to come Hée that alwayes forgetteth things past and desireth things to come declareth him self not content with things present But can you shewe mée any other that was better in this case than the Apostle You say the commaundements of GOD are easie and yet you can shew none that hath fulfilled them al. Aunswere me are they easy or harde If they be easie shew me who hath fulfilled them and why Dauid saith in his Psalme c. You know where I am I cut it of because I would be short and yet must I say something It followeth But if they bée hard why darest thou say that the cōmaūdements are easie which no man hath fulfilled Marke this by the way whiche no man hath fulfilled And if you think it peraduēture faultie to reason Ab esse ad posse negatiuely although I might wel answer you that in attributo specifico it is no fault although it be in indiuiduali yet haue I rather to giue you the aunswere of him which may preuayle more with you than myne and God graunt it may do so Dicitis his verbis c. You say in this sorte It is an other thing to bée and an other to may bée or be possible to bée To be consisteth not in our power but to bée able to bée is spoken vniuersally That although one be not yet he may bée that will bée I pray you what kind of reasoning is this the thing may be which neuer was that that may be done which you witnesse that no man hath done to attribute that vnto any man who whither he shall be or no you know