renouncing Iesus Christ without greatly dishonouring not onely God but also the virgin Marie al the saintes also in stead of honoring them For if in their lyfe tyme they haue refused such honour and haue confessed and testified by their death that this honour doth belong to none but to Iesus Christe only howe shoulde they approue it after their death contrarie to their proper testimonie and doctrine whiche they haue sealed wyth their bloud Of the vertue of the death and passion of of Iesus Christe and of the true purgatorie of the Christians Chap. 18. BY lyke reason the christian faith doth also holde that the only bloud of Iesus Christ and the sacrifice that he hath done vpon the crosse for poore sinners is so sufficiēt to satisfie the iudgemēt of God and to clense man of his sinne that there néedeth none other Purgatorie for them as in déede ther is none other to clense them neyther by fyre nor by water nor by any other meane neyther in thys world nor in the other In lyke sorte there is none other raunsome nor satisfaction towarde God but onely his Therfore hée that séeketh satisfaction any where else be it in his owne workes or those of other men or in any kinde of creature that in all or in part the same he or she refuseth wholly the raunsom and satisfaction made by Iesus Christe Of the Purgatorie and satisfaction of the Papistes Chap. 19. THen it followeth that all the doctrine of the Papists concerning Purgatorie and their satisfactions which they seeke in themselues in their workes or in those of their Priests and Monkes and in their offrings and suffrages as well for the liuing as for the dead are mans inuentiōs full of blasphemies and wholly contrary to the worde of God wherby as much as in them is they make of none effecte the merite and benefite of the death passion of Iesus Christ and doe openly renounce the same Of the cōmunication in the benefites of Iesus Christ Chap. 20. NOw euē as no mā may fynde saluation nor life in any but in Iesus Christ only and by his meane no more is it also sufficiēt that he be only presented to mē if they haue not forthwith true communication with him to be partakers of him Of the faith in Iesus Christ Chap. 21. THe only meane to attayn to this communication is thorough faith only in Iesus Christ the which is the instrument by the whiche man receyueth the grace that God offereth vnto hym in his sonne Iesus Christe by the vertue of his holie Spirite by the whiche hée woorketh in the heartes of men making them cleane by the meane of that Faythe the whiche is a pure gifte of God propre to his true elected Of the iustification by faith Chapter 22. IT is also the cause why Faith is playnly called by Sainct Paule the fayth of the chosen and for the whiche Iustification is attributed vnto it that honour is giuen vnto it for so muche as man doth acknowledge himselfe by the same such as he is of his owne nature To wit a poore and miserable sinner the chyld of wrath subiect to death and eternall damnation Therfore spoyling himselfe of his owne iustice and of all trust in his owne workes and merites he dothe imbrace Iesus Christe to be cladde with his iustice to the ende that by it his sinnes maye be couered in sorte that they come not in coumpt at the iudgement of God and so that the poore sinner be reputed iuste as though he had neuer offended and that bicause the Iustice of Christe is allowed vnto him by faith as thoughe the same iustice were propre to the man to whome it is allowed Of the meane by the whiche God giueth faith to men and of the manifestation of the word of God and of the true vse of the same Chap. 23. SEing then that faith is the only meane ordeyned by GOD to obtaine these so greate benefites as he onely hath giuen the same to those that he hath chosen thervnto euen so hathe he him selfe ordeyned the meane to come to the same that mean is the preachyng and manifestyng of the woorde by hearing whereof he bringeth his chosen to his knowledge And as they obtaine eternall lyfe by that knowledge euen so do they learne by the same being regenerate by his spirite to serue and honoure him accordyng to hys holie wyll accordyng to the whyche he will bée serued and honoured and not after the will and fantasie of men for the whiche cause he condemneth all seruice and all religion that is founded vpon any other foundation than vpon the only pure worde in the which he maketh plain declaration of his good will wherfore he willeth that all men yeld true obedience to the same Of the declaration of the will of God by the lawe the whiche he hath giuen to men concerning the obedience and the seruice that he requireth of them Chapter 24. THerfore to the end that men shuld enterprise nothing of their owne head in such matter he himself wold giue them a law rule by the whiche he hath shewed them howe they should rule and gouerne all their affections and all their wordes and all their works to frame them all to his obedience For the same cause he hath declared vnto them in that lawe what things were good or euill and how much they did eyther please or displease hym and howe he mought be eyther honoured or dishonored in them Of the lawe of God conteyning a summarie of the declaration of his will. Chapter 25. ANd to the end that euery mā mought the better comprehende all these thinges and imprinte them the more easily in his memorie he hath giuen a summarie declaration by the Law whiche he gaue to the Church of Israell by his seruant Moyses in suche woordes Hearken Israell I am the Eternall thy GOD who hath drawne thée out of the lande of Egypt out of the house of bondage The first commaundement Thou shalt haue none other Gods before mée The seconde Thou shalte make thée no cut image nor likelynesse what soeuer of things that are there in heauen aboue nor here in earth beneath nor in the waters vnder the earth Thou shalt not bow down thy selfe to them and thou shalt not serue thē For I am the Eternall thy God mightie iealous visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vppon the children euen into the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercie in a thousand generations to those that loue mée and kéepe my commaundements The thirde Thou shalt not take the name of the Eternal thy God in vaine for the Eternal will not holde him innocente that shall take his name in vayne The fourth Remember to kéep holie the Sabboth day sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke but the seauenth day is the rest of the Eternal thy God Thou shalt do no worke in the
waters vnder the earth Thou shalt do them no reuerence neither shalt thou serue them for I my self I am the Eternall thy God mightie and iealous who doe venge my selfe of the iniquitie of the fathers vppon their children and vpon the children of their children yea euen to the thirde and fourthe line of those that hate me and do shewe fauour in a thousand generatiōs to them that loue me and kéepe my commaundementes M. The third P. Thou shalt not take in vaine the name of the Eternall thy god For the Eternall will not hold him for innocent that shall take his name in vayne Math. The fourthe Peter Remember thée to sanctifie the daye of rest Sixe dayes thou shalte laboure and shalte doe all thy businesse but the seauenth daye is the rest of the eternall thy god Thou shalte in the same doe no kinde of workes neyther thou nor thy Sonne nor thy daughter neyther thy man seruaunt nor thy woman seruaunt neyther thy cattell neyther the straunger which abydeth with thée For in sixe dayes the Eternall made the Heauen the Earth and the Sea and all that which is in them did rest in the seauenth daye And therefore the Eternall did blesse the daye of rest and sanctified it The seconde Table M. REcite them of the seconde table and shewe me whiche is the fyrste thereof P. The first of that table is the first folowing the order of the foure going before M. Which is it Honoure thy father and thy mother to the end that thy dayes may be long vppon the earth that the Eternall thy GOD gyueth thée M. The sixte P. Thou shalte not kyll M. The seauenth P. Thou shalt not be a fornicatour or adulterer M. The eighte P. Thou shalt not steale M. The ninth P. Thou shalte not beare false witnesse agaynst thy neyghboure M. The tenth P. Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours house nor his wife nor his man seruant nor his woman seruant nor his Ox◠nor his asse nor any thing that is his Of the sum of the lavve M. WHat doe the commaundements of these two tables conteyne in substance P. Iesus Chryste hath gyuen vs the sum reducing into two poyntes all the doctrine comprised in them M. Which is the sum P. Hearken Israell the Eternall thy God is God only Thou shalte loue the Eternall thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy vnderstanding It is the first and the greate commaundement And the second like to the same is Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe All the lawe and the Prophets depende of these two commaundements All things then that you would that men did to you doe you the same vnto them for it is the law and the Prophetes Of the diuision of the matters set foorth in the lawe M. WHat doe these two poynts comprehende in effecte Pet. The first comprehendeth all the commaundementes of the first table Math. What do these commaundementes of the firste table comprehende in substance P. All that whiche God requireth of man especially touching his owne person and maiestie M. And the second poynt of the sayd sūme what conteyneth it P. All the commaūdementes of the second table M. What is it that God requireth of man in them P. That whiche he woulde that all men shuld do one to an other for the loue of him The diuision of the poyntes conteined in the firste table and of the principall parts of the true seruice of god M. WHiche be the principall pointes that he requireth of man especially concerning the person and maiestie of God P. A man may in mine opinion reduce them all chiefly in two generally M. Whiche is the firste P. The faith toward him M. And the seconde P. The testifying and manifesting of the same Of the faith tovvards God. M. WHat requireth he in the first P. That man holde him for the only and true God setting all his harte and all the trust of his saluation in him only and in no other thing whatsoeuer M. Is faith then the chiefe and principall foundation of the honoure and seruice whiche man oweth to God P. It cannot otherwise be M. Wherefore P. For that that euē as it is impossible to please God without faith euen so all that which is done without faith maye be but sinne as we haue heretofore saide M. What is the cause thereof P. It is bicause that faith is the true fountaine of that true and perfecte obedience whiche God requireth of man towarde his holy will. Wherefore he requireth it foorthwith in the first commandement of his lawe with the whole harte of man. M. Shew me this somewhat more familiarly P. I will say in effecte that God requireth that man do so set all his harte and al his trust in his God that he attende from him only all goodnesse and of none other whatsoeuer and that in all thinges he depende of none other but of him only Of the testifying and declaring of faith and of the partes thereof M. WHat meanest thou by the testifying and shewing foorth of faith whiche thou hast placed for the other point Pe. The testimonie whereby man giueth to vnderstande by the frutes that his faith bringeth forth in him that it is not vaine fained nor dead but that it is true liuely and sounde M. Which be the frutes that yeld such testimonie P. We may bring them all into thrée points M. Which is the first P. The calling vppon the name of God. M. The seconde P. Thansgiuing M. The thirde P. The charitie towards our neyghboure but this apperteyneth more aptly to the seconde table of the lawe Of the inuocation of Gods name and of the true vvorshipping of him M. WHat meanest thou by the inuocation of gods name P. I meane a pure affectiō of harte whereby faith maketh a man to run only to God in all his necessities and to worship him in spirite and truth as he requireth in the secōd and third commaundement M. What is it to worship God in spirite and truth P. It is to honoure God with a true affection procéeding from a pure and cleane harte and not by Images and other visible and corruptible thinges or else by shewes and outwarde ceremonies Of thanksgiuing M. WHat meanest thou by thanksgiuing which thou hast set forthe for the second point P. I meane that euen as God will haue man to call vppon his name he will also that he acknowledge the benefits that he hath receiued of him and that he yelde him thanks in such sorte as he himselfe hath ordeyned for the glory of his name which is also a point that he requireth in the thirde and fourth commaundemente Of the outvvard testimonie of faith vvhich God requireth of man. M. SEing that God wil be serued in spirite and truth as thou hast saide is not he contented that euen as man in his heart beléeueth in him that euen so in his heart he call
same neyther thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter neyther thy manseruant nor thy woman seruant nor thy cattell nor the straunger that is within thy gates for in sixe dayes the Eternall made the heauen and the earth and the sea and all the things that are in them and he rested the seuenth day And therfore the Eternall blessed the daye of rest and sanctified it The second Table Honour thy father and thy mother to the ende that thy dayes may be prolonged vpon the earth the which the Eternal thy God giueth thée The sixth Thou shalte not kill The seuenth Thou shalte not committe whooredome The eyght Thou shalte not steale The nynth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse agaynst thy neyghbour The tenth Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours house nor his wyfe neyther his manseruant nor his woman seruaunt nor hys oxe ne yet his asse neyther any thyng that is his Behold these ar the very words which Moyses receyued of the Lorde ingraued in two Tables of stone in the fulfilling wherof he doth not regarde the outward worke onely but chiefly the affection of the heart according to the whiche he iudgeth of the works be they good or euill Of the Summarie that Iesus Christe hathe made of the law of god Chap. 25. ANd bicause that God hath bréefly cōprehended in the firste Table of the law those things whiche he requireth of men towardes his owne person and in the seconde that which he requireth also of them towardes their neighboures for his sake our Lord Iesus hath made an other Summarie yet more bréefe in the whiche he comprehendeth in two points all that whiche is conteyned in these two tables in manner folowing being taken out of the bookes of Moyses Hearken O Israell The Eternal thy God is one God only Thou shalte loue the Eternall thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with al thy vnderstanding and mynde It is the firste and greate commaundement And the second is like to the same Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy self Of these two commaundementes depende all the lawe and the Prophetes And all that whiche you woulde that men shoulde doe to you the lyke do you to them Of the true fulfilling of the lawe of god Chap. 27. BVt euen as no man can serue God a ryght according to his will excepte he be well instructed first in his lawe and in his worde euen so it is not sufficiente to haue bene well instructed if it be not put in vse And therefore the knowledge of the same serueth but to greater condemnation if there be nothing else And bycause that man of his nature is so corrupted thorowe synne that not onely he can not of himselfe accomplishe perfectly any one of the commaundements of God but on the contrary can doe nothing else but continually resist his holy will Therfore he hath néede of Iesus Chryst chiefly for two causes The fyrste to satisfye for man in that wherein he is not able to the ende that Iesus Chryst thorowe his obedience mought recompence the fault that is in man thoroughe his rebellion The seconde is to the ende that manne béeing Iustifyed thorough Faythe in Iesus Chryste as is alreadye sayde and so foorthewyth regenerated by hys Spirite and refourmed to the very image of GOD moughte bee the better disposed to obey his holie will to dedicate and consecrate hymselfe wholly to his seruice Of good works which are the frutes of true fayth Chap. 28. IT is then easy to iudge by these things if they be well vnderstode that so much is wanting that the faith in Iesus Christ and the iustification that men obtayne by the same without their workes doe abolishe good workes and the affection of the true and faithfull to the same that there is nothyng that dothe more establyshe and confirme them and that dothe more enflame men to do them For as the soule can not be without life nor the fire without heate and light nor the good trée without bringing forth good frute euen so faith can not be a true faithe if she be not a lyuing faith and she can not be liuing but is dead if she be without good works whiche are the true frutes and the true signes of faith But to the end that none may be deceyued in the matter of good woorkes he must vnderstande that God dothe not estéeme nor doth allowe for suche any other than those whiche are commaunded by him in his worde Of the principall pointes conteined in the holie Scriptures whiche doe summarily comprehend all that which is required in the true seruice of god Chapter 29. THen if we shall speake of the true seruice of God we may reduce into foure pointes all that whiche he requireth in the same according to the declaratiō whiche he hath made in his holy Scriptures The firste is that man put all his whole truste in him alone awayting for all his saluation of him alone thorowe Iesus Christe The seconde that he call vppon him in all his necessities for all things as well corporall as spirituall according to the rule which he himself gaue vnto him The third is that he render graces thanks to him for al the benefites that he hath receiued that he doth daily receue of him The fourth that he yelde himselfe obedient vnto him in all thyngs that he shall commaunde him as well in respect of his owne person as in respect of his neighbor Of the true seruice of God whiche is spirituall Chap. 30. ANd for so muche as it concerneth the substance of the true seruice of God séeing that he is a spirite he requireth also to be serued and honored in spirite and veritie and not in visible things such as are material and corruptible as are images alters temples pilgrimages and other suche lyke superstitions and idolatries inuēted by man For if his good pleasure were that the auncient ceremonies of the lawe should be abolished in the cōming of Iesus Christ of whom they were figures to bring men to this true spirituall seruice it is easy thē to iudge how he mought endure that men shuld forge new ceremonies thorow great presumption according to their owne fantasie to serue hym after their pleasure and not after his Of the ministerie of the Gospell and of the principall partes of the same and of the true vse of the sacraments Chapter 31. FOr that cause he hath ordeyned the ministerie of the Gospell in hys Churche to teache all men according to that doctrine thoroughe the preachyng of the same Wherevnto hée hath adoyned his holye Sacramentes for many causes The fyrste is that they shoulde be vnto vs for greater confirmation of the doctrine of the whiche they are as the seales and in lyke sorte of the sayth which procéedeth of the same The seconde cause is to the ende that they may serue vs for aduertisementes to bring vs to acknowledge the benefites the whyche we haue
paide the last mayle he maye as well do it for a little summe as for a great and for a parte as for the whole Mathevv I graunte the same But in the meane time thou must confesse that the debter is lesse bound than before Wherfore is it then that this hathe not as well please with God as with men and that he doth not alwayes accoumpte that which is payed and go in hande to rebate so muche as hath bin payde vnto him P. There be thrée pointes to consider in the same M. Which is the firste P. It is that he whiche is faultie in one pointe of the lawe is faultie in the whole M. And whiche is the second P. The impuritie of the works of man. M. And the thirde P. The obligation by the which they are alredy of right by their nature boūd to god VVhy one only sinne maketh a man guiltie of all the lavve and of damnation M. I Do well vnderstand thy meaning For firste it séemeth to me by thy words that it should folow that he who hath committed but one sinne is as guiltie as he that hath committed many or hath committed all P. Saincte Iames whose opinion I haue followed saith not so M. What saith he then P. Who soeuer breaketh one pointe of the lawe the same committeth high treason againste God from whence it followeth that by the same he deserueth eternall damnation albeit he had committed but that one only M. Howe vnderstandest thou it P. Séeing that God is an eternall Prince and king euery sinne committed against his maiestie whiche is eternall doth merite also eternall punishmente If those vvhiche haue most sinned shal be most punished by Gods iudgemente M. IF he then be also damned that shall haue committed few sinnes as well as he that shall haue committed many it is then as good for a man to excéede as it were with the raines layde on his necke as to refraine and abstayne from many from the whiche a man might kepe hym selfe P. That followeth not M. What reason can you alleadge to the contrary P. It is that albeit there be eternall dānation for all the reprobates yet notwithstanding he that shall haue moste sinned shal not faile to be most punished for so muche as it is written euery man shall receiue his hire according to hys works M. Haste thou none other passages of the Scriptures more euidente to proue that whiche thou sayest P. Iesus Christe him selfe doth saye to that same purpose that the seruant which knoweth the will of his master and doth it not shal be beaten with mo stripes than he that hath not done it being ignorante of it M. This passage is very playne Pet. Thou hast also that which Iesus Christ himself hath said that those of Sodome Gomorre shal be more softly delt with at the day of iudgement than these which shal haue cast off the Gospell from them Of the impuritie of mens vvorks and hovv God iudgeth of them M. I Do now vnderstand this point wel wherefore thou maist proceede to the other which is concerning the impuritie of mens workes P. That is that séeing men are corrupted by sinne there cā procéede from them no worke whatsoeuer it be haue it neuer so faire a shewe before men whiche is not so foule as nothing may be more M. It followeth then that they cā do no good work and the best that they can do are all euill of their nature if God will examine them according to the rule of his iustice and perfection P. Thou saist very truth wherefore so farre is it off frō being able to apease Gods wrath but that they dayly prouoke the same more more so lōg as he beholdeth them such as they be of their nature for god iudgeth not as mē do M. What differēce is there then Doth he not iudge that to be good which is good and euil that which is euil P. If he should iudge otherwise he should not be iust nor good but bycause he is a good iust iudge he iudgeth of mēs works as they ought to be iudged of in déede and not as men which do not iudge but acording to the outward apparance M. What is the cause thereof Pe. There be two The first is that they cannot knowe and found the harts as God can The other is also bycause that they be so blind in theyr owne workes wherefore they cannot sée in them that whiche God séeth in them bycause they do not consider their naturall corruption as they oughte to do neyther do they know it as it is requisite Of the obligation vvherby mā is bound to God and for vvhat cause he cannot make recompence by the good vvorks vvhich he doth for the euill vvorks vvhich he hath committed M. COme nowe to the third pointe which is concerning mans obligation towardes God. P. Euen as men are bounde not to do that which God forbiddeth euē so be they boūd to do that which he commaundeth them M. What followeth of that P. For somuche as there is double obligation the one cannot abolish the other For if I do one parte of that which God commandeth me I remaine alwayes yet bounde for that which is yet to do M. But in the meane time the same is alredy done and in that respecte thou hast alredy satisfied for that parte P. Albeit that my harte were so perfecte that there were nothing in it to be blamed before God that notwithstanding it coulde not serue me for satisfaction for bycause I remaine a debter séeing that I oughte alredy that which I haue payed M. I graunt thée that P. Now if the good works done may not satisfie for those which be vndon how shal they satisfie for the euill works which I shal haue done against the expresse cōmandement of God M. I haue no more to replie For I sée well that I cannot recompence an euill worke with a good and that for two causes The firste bicause that I can not do any which is verily good The other bycause I owe the good whiche I shoulde doe and yet I am still guiltie for the euill whiche I haue committed P. And therfore Iesus Christ hath sayd When you shall haue done al that whiche is commaunded you say ye We are vnprofitable seruantes we haue done that whiche we ought to do For what cause there is nothyng but the only sacrifice of Iesus Christ which may satisfie at the iudgement of God. M I Do nowe knowe more manifestly what thou wilte conclude by thys whole discourse and by that whiche thou hast alreadie sayde concerning this purpose that there is none but Iesus Christ which may do sacrifice or any worke acceptable vnto God. P. If that mē mought doe it of themselues he then should haue ben giuen to vs in vaine by the Father to doe that whiche an other mought haue done beside him For as Saincte Paule sayeth he should haue died in vayn if we mought
Chryste thorough faythe after that GOD by the same hathe iustified vs by his holye Spirite in Iesus Chryste oure Lorde he dothe also sanctifye vs communicating vnto vs his gyftes and Graces whyche are the frutes of Faythe to the ende that we shoulde bée dedicated and consecrated vnto hym all the dayes of our lyfe to serue and honour hym as hys childrē regenerate by his holy spirite into a newe life Ma. Thou doest reporte faith to iustification and charitie to the worke of sanctification whiche are both works of the holy Ghost P. Thou maiest vnderstand it by the discourse whiche we haue already made of iustification and sanctification In vvhat sorte charitie is necessary to saluation M. CHaritie is not then necessarie to saluation nor other like vertues but faith only P. It is necessary there vnto and not necessary M. I do not well vnderstand this speache for it is contrary in it selfe P. I say that faith is necessary therevnto as cause of saluation withoute the whiche we cannot obtayne it for the causes which I haue alredy declared For somuch as it is the instrument the whiche the holy Ghoste giueth vs wherewith to receiue him when he is offered vnto vs by Iesus Christ and the meane whereby he doth communicate him to vs in hym and by him But charitie is not there ioyned as a cause of saluation without the which we cannot be partakers of it but as a thing ioyned vnto it the whiche followeth faith in suche sorte whiche is the true cause of saluation as I haue already sayde that she cannot be separate no more than the heate from the lighte or the mouing or féeling from the life and from the soule But yet notwithstandyng we haue not saluation thereby no more than brightnesse by the heate the whiche we haue of the lighte or else life by the motion and féeling M. Charitie then and good workes may not be taken for causes by the which or by whose meane we obtaine saluation but onely so farre as they cannot be separated frō true faith by the which we ar made partakers of it P. It is euen so M. Thou hast here opened vnto me one point that was very harde to vnderstande the whiche séemeth to me very well worthy to be diligently noted For there bée fewe whiche do well vnderstande it Peter If all men did well vnderstande it there woulde be no more differente betwene the Christians touching iustification and touching faith and workes and grace and merites and the causes of oure saluation for that whiche we haue sayde of charitie is also vnderstoode of all the other vertues and workes of the regenerate man as I haue alredy sayde whiche are the frutes the which Saincte Paule doth call the frutes of the spirite and the which he doth oppone to the frutes of the flesh Of the regeneration of a Christian man. M. SEing that thou arte lighted vppon the pointe of regeneration me thinketh that it should be also comprehended among those giftes of the holy Ghost the which thou sayest do belong but to the elect of God and be so necessarie to saluation that none may attayne vnto it without them P. It must be so vnderstoode for it is of the chiefe of them and in very déede it is the principall pointe whiche maketh vs to vnderstande the cause why we do cal worke of viuification and sanctification that thirde worke of God whereby we say that God hathe declared himselfe vnto men Ma. Expounde the same to me somewhat more plainely P. Thys worde of regeneration as thou mayest well vnderstande emporteth as muche as a man moughte saye newe birth as if after that we are once borne we are borne yet agayne Mathevve I sée well that the worde of regeneration importeth euen so Peter And therefore it importeth foorthwith a reformation of the man whiche is a rising agayne from the deade whiche is wroughte in the Spirite as the last resurrection shall be wroughte in the fleshe Mathevve What meanest thou by that resurrection of the Spirite Peter Séeing that thorough sinne man is deade of spirituall death whiche bringeth afterwarde death of the body he is as it were risen from that deathe when by Iesus Christe he is in suche sorte delyuered from sinne that he is by the vertue of hys holye Spirite made as it were a manne thoroughly newe or as a manne who hauinge béene deade shoulde haue recouered hys lyfe and shoulde bée raysed agayne Mathevve Thou puttest then so great difference betwene the man whiche abideth still in his firste nature corrupted through sinne and hée which is deliuered from the same corruption and is quickened and regenerated by the holy Ghoste as thou puttest betwene a dead and a liuing man. P. There is no difference but in asmuch as the spirituall death is much more worthy to be called death than is the corporall death and that the estate of the man dead thorough sinne is much more perillous and daungerous than is the estate of the man which is dead but bodily Of the life of the regenerate man. M. Séeing that man is as it were risen from death and borne a new when he is regenerate by the holy Ghost it followeth then necessarily that he do other works after that he is regenerate than he did before his regeneration P. Thou mayest wel vnderstand that if there be so greate differēce betwene the mā regenerate the not regenerate as is betweene a dead and a liuing man it must also necessarily come to passe that there bee as great difference betwene the workes of the one and the other M. I do euen so vnderstand it P. And therfore Iesus Chryst hath sayd that what is borne of fleshe is fleshe and what is borne of the spirite is spirit For euen as a dead bodie can bring forth but infection and corruption euen so on the contrary a liuing body doth the works of lyfe bicause of the liuing soule that he hath more than hath the dead bodie M. It foloweth then that the faith wherby man is viuified and regenerate is vnto him as the soule which bringeth to him spiritual life and that the vnfaithful and not regenerate man is as a body without a soule P. S. Paule following the prophet Abacuk giueth thée playnly to vnderstand that it is so by that whiche he sayth The iust man shall liue of his faith Wherefore if the iust man do liue of his faith it followeth then that Faith is to his soule to giue it spirituall lyfe that whiche the naturall soule is to the bodie to giue it corporall lyfe Mathevv There are then two things to be considered in the regenerate spiritual man to wit Faith which is in him as the soule whiche giueth him spiritual lyfe euen as the soule naturall which giueth corporall lyfe to the body then the workes of the spirite are ioyned to it which are the works of faith which is the spiritual soule euen as the works of life
punishment if there were no other thing in man we may wel thinke what it is that the other sortes do deserue which do daily aggrauate the euill and encrease it more continually Wherfore this originall sinne ought not to be estéemed a smal sin no more ought these buddes of concupiscence and the wicked affections as many do accompt them and chéefly the Papistes For the maiestie of God is so great that there is no rebellion what soeuer it be nor roote of rebellion wickednesse but it is a crime of treason agaynst the maiestie of god For God hath not only forbidden the act consent to euill but also the very concupiscence it self although that it do not procéede so far as to the consent as it appeareth by that which he sayd thou shalt not couet which shal be more plainly declared in his place Now it is méete that the punishmēt be giuē according to the nature of the sinne wherfore seing that God against whose maiestie the fault is cōmitted is eternal it is certē that there is no pain whatsoeuer it be that is sufficient for the punishmēt of an offēce cōmitted against the maiestie of suche a prince nor may satisfie for the dishonoring of the same for the case stādeth not with god as it doth with mā for so much as mā is mortal how gret a prince soeuer he be he may stretch extend his auctoritie no further thā vpō the earthly goods or body of the offender and according to the faulte by him cōmitted he taketh either his goods or his body if the worst fal he can take frō him but his body temporall life for so muche as his power extendeth no further but to this life and that the fault touching either his person or his office is but temporall as he is but God hath a reigne power which stretcheth further for it is eternall as he is And therfore the faults which are cōmitted against him are worthy of eternall punishment And therfore our sauiour Iesus Christ sayth that God hath not only power to sley the body as men haue but he is able also to sley both body and soule and then to cast bothe the one and the other into euerlasting fire which is ordeyned for eternall punishments Of the opinion of those which say that none shall be damned and of the abuse of the mercy of god and of the greatnesse of sinne and of the paine due to the same and of the wrath of God against it declared in the death of Iesus Christe and of the meane whereby to be deiluered from it and in what meaning we ought to vnderstand that God hath made no man to destroy or damne him T. THat which thou sayest is farre off from the opinion of suche as say that none shal be dāned and that in very déed the diuels shal once be saued D. The worde of God shall then be false whiche speaketh the cleane contrary T. They do ground them selues vpon the mercies of God saying that God hath created no man to destruction and that it shall be a great crueltie in him and contrary to his mercifull nature to punish so gréeuously a temporall sinne to witte with euerlasting payne D. Suche men doe greatly abuse them selues and doe declare plainly that they knowe neither the nature of sinne nor yet the maiestie of him against whome it is cōmitted For do they thinke the contempte of such a maiesty ro be nothing according to the which the greatnesse of the sinne must be measured not only according to the thing wherin it hath bin committed wherfore if that god shuld punish with eternall death all the men that euer were are shal be he shuld do them no wrong but should do them iustice and right Therefore in that that he saueth those which haue recourse to his mercie the same commeth of his méere grace wherein in déed he declareth vnto vs what punishmēt we haue deserued For seing that it was expediēt that his owne sonne shuld beare the payne which was due to the sinnes of them vnto whome he would shew mercie in him by him he hath right wel declared by the same that there was no payne whatsoeuer it was that was able to satisfie his iudgemente but that of his sonne who by reason of his great innocencie perfect obedience was only sufficient for such a satisfaction For if man could suffer any paine whereby he mought satisfie the eternall iustice of God there should then be no hell nor eternall damnation for the paines should once haue ende But forsomuche as they do neuer ende they do declare thereby that they are not sufficiente for such satisfaction and on the other side that it must néedes be bycause that they may in no wise be sufficient that they be eternall sauing only to suche as haue rereyued Iesus Christe by faith who hathe borne the wrath of God and the paynes due to their sinnes to deliuer them as it is written he that beloueth in the sonne of God the same hathe eternall lyfe He that beléeueth not in the Sonne of God the wrathe of God abideth still vpon him And as concerning that which thou hast said that God hath made no man to be damned I do cōfesse it if it be well vnderstood but not in that sense that they do take it which aledge that texte or passage of the scripture to abuse the grace goodnesse of God. It is very true that God hath made no creature to that only ende that he should be damned for he hath created all thinges for his glory hath minde all for him selfe yea the wicked for the euill day That is the principall ende of all his works notwithstāding he leaueth not to punishe and to damne with eternall death those which contemne his law and his holy word forsomuch as their damnation doth serue to his glory for the which they were created For his glory doth not only consist in that that he sheweth mercie to his but also in that that he executeth iugemēt and doth declare his iustice vppon his enimies Let vs therefore take héede that we mocke not with him nor seduce oure selues for albeit that by hys great power and wisedome he can drawe goodnesse out of the euil which the wicked committe and can tourne it and make it to serue to his honoure and glory and to the health of his chosen people whereas the wicked ones do tourne his good creatures and his good works into euil he leaueth not for al that to hate still that which is euill in somuche as it is euill and the abuse of his creatures and of his giftes and graces and to condemne and punish those whiche committe suche offences if they haue not forgiuenesse by his grace mercie in Iesus Christ Hovve that euery sinne is of his ovvne nature damnable and hovv that notvvithstanding it is not able to damne the faythfull T. SO farre forthe as I maye iudge