there two sorts of mans felicitie the one which we may call actiue and thereof dooth Aristotle write in his first booke of Ethiks and the other which is farre more perfect and exquisite is contemplatiue and of that he disputed in the tenth booke Whereby it appéereth that man if he become perfect in this double felicitie draweth verie néere vnto the similitude of God Wherefore Plato in his booke of the immortalitie of the soule said that Philosophie is the imitating of God according to mans abilitie Neither is this distinction of practise and speculation giuen as some thinke by the works of our owne vnderstanding and will for it ought not thus to be bicause knowledges are distinguished by their obiects But if a man will somewhat more diligentlie consider of the matter he shall sée that it must be taken according as those things be which are vnderstood for those either haue God and nature for their causes and then they belong to the kind speculatiue bicause such things we cannot doo by our owne choise But there be other things which haue vs for their causes in respect that we doo will choose and these be of the actiue facultie But let vs sée whether of these is the more excellent By the common and receiued opinion the speculatiue is preferred before the actiue Which part of wisdome excelleth other for action is ordeined vnto contemplation but not so on the other part And no man doubteth but that which is ordeined to another thing is of lesse worthinesse than that thing But they againe obiect that the generall word of contemplation belongeth vnto action for therefore doo we behold nature that we may loue the author thereof and therefore doo we séeke to knowe God to the intent we may honor him and for this cause is our diuinitie of some called actiue Howbeit these men in reasoning after this maner are verie much deceiued for there is no science therefore called actiue bicause there followeth a worke of that knowledge vnlesse the selfe-same thing be performed which was first knowen When we behold nature and the heauen albeit of the same there followe a worshipping and louing of God yet must not such a knowledge be called actiue forsomuch as that is not brought to passe which we doo behold for there is no man that can make nature and heauen and other works that followe thereof Accidentallie they are said to be doone for not all they which doo behold these things doo loue and honor God naie rather they be oftentimes furthest of all from him And further the works following that knowledge also our diuinitie haue respect vnto this that we may knowe God more and more vntill we behold him face to face in the kingdome of heauen And our sauiour Christ confirmed this opinion when he said This is eternall life Iohn 6. that they may knowe thee the onelie true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent A diuision of mans vnderstanding And not onelie doo these two points diuide philosophie but they also diuide our vnderstanding wherevpon the one is called actiue and the other speculatiue not as though there can be two powers or faculties of the mind but bicause the vnderstanding according as it is conuersant about such and such other things so is it called either speculatiue or actiue That philosophie which is speculatiue is diuided into thrée parts A diuision of speculatiue philosophie For there be some things euen vtterlie sundred and seuered from the matter so is God and so are the intelligences and they are called supernaturall or else they are things so inherent in the matter as without it they can not so much as be defined in that sort they are naturall or else they are after a middle sort for that they cannot be without a matter either of iron or wood or such like and yet may be defined or vnderstood without those things as are the Mathematiks 7 These things may be yet further distinguished but I cease A diuision of actiue philosophie and I will so diuide actiue philosophie as therein may be taught precepts touching the life and instruction either of one or of manie If it be of one it is a booke of morall philosophie if of manie they are either more in number or fewer If they be fewer they concerne houshold gouernment if they be more they belong to the common weale But in what place shall we leaue arts Vnto what kind arts doo belong They are comprehended vnder the third actiue kind and belong vnto politike gouernment neither must they be excluded from the nature of wisedome For art is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this definition there appéere two things First that art is an habit belonging to knowledge whereby some things are certeinlie comprehended namelie through exercise and experience so as it can not be excluded from wisedome And it is not to be doubted that the ancients called them Wise men which found out these arts or else did excell in them Wherevpon Bezeleel and Aoliab in the holie scriptures are called wise men The other thing that we speake of is that this knowledge is actiue for these things are knowne by exercise and by these habits somewhat is doone and brought to passe which helpeth to mainteine the life Wherfore the walkers vpon ropes and iuglers and such other like which doo nothing profitable vnto mans life must not be called artificers but deceiuers and triflers A diuision of arts But arts may be diuided into those which bring foorth some worke and into those which in the verie action are consumed Now dooth it appéere by these things what we are to iudge concerning Logike for euen the same also must be reckoned among the arts and it worketh most profitable things in the life so as it ought not to be diuided from wisedome especiallie séeing it is a readie meane instrument and waie to procure wisedome vnto vs. Neither must the waie be cut off from his scope appointed Yea moreouer Cicero distinguished the parts of philosophie so that it is partlie touching life and maners partlie touching nature and things hidden or else it concerneth the art of disputing in the first of his Academ which he rehearseth out of Plato Neither dooth Galen disagrée from this opinion But as concerning the authors of philosophie we must vnderstand that they brought more profit to the world than did Ceres that inuented the increase of corne and graine than did Bacchus that found out the wines or than Hercules that rid the world of monsters for these things belong to the maintenance of bodilie life but philosophie nourisheth and instructeth the soule it selfe 8 Now must we remooue a certeine small impediment and it is that which Paule saith in the second chapter to the Colossians verse 8. Beware least there be anie man that spoile you through philosophie Whether it be lawfull for a christian to studie philosophie By which words
feast daies of the Iewes 376. Whether it be lawfull to solemnize the birth daie of anie man pag. 377. chapter VIII The fift precept of the honouring of superiours pag. 377. A comparison betweene the duties of parents and magistrates Ibidem What dominion the husband hath ouer the wife pag. 379. Of ambition pag. 381. Of the desire of praise pag. 382. Of flatterie pag. 383. chapter IX The sixt precept of freendship 384. Of homicide pag. 385. Whether Elias did well in killing of the Baalites pag. 386. Of parricide pag. 390. Of sword-plaie Ibidem Whether it be lawfull for anie man to kill himselfe pag. 391. Of repelling of violence pag. 397. Of curssings imprecations and bannings Ibidem How far it may be lawfull to reioise in our enimies ouerthrowe pag. 400. Of a cursse shunning of reuenge 403. * Of the affects in generall pag. 405. * Of shamefastnesse pag. 411. * Of temperance pag. 412. Of mercie and Nemesis Ibidem Of crueltie enuie emulation and reuenge pag. 414. chapter X The seuenth precept of not coÌ„mitting adulterie pag. 418. Of matrimonie and concubins Ibid. Of polygamie pag. 420. Of barrennesse pag. 430. Whether it be lawfull for children to marrie without the consent of their parents pag. 431. Of rauine or violent taking awaie 437. Whether marriage be lawfull in persons of sundrie religions pag. 442. Of degrees forbidden in marriage pag. 447. Dispensation for marriage pag. 453. Of dowries pag. 454. Of diuorsements pag. 457. Whether matrimonie be a sacrament pag. 462. chapter XI Of whoordome fornication and adulterie pag 468. Of bastards pag. 475. Of idlenesse pag. 479. Of the punishments of adulterie 482. Whether the man or woman doo sinne more greeuouslie in adulterie pag. 489. Of reconciliation of man wife 495. Of wine and droonkennesse pag. 497. Of danses pag. 503. Of garments and apparell pag. 506. Of counterfet and false colouring 507. chapter XII The eight precept of not committing theft pag. 517. Of beneficence and hospitalitie 518. Of benefiting and vnthankfulnes 523. Of plaies and pastimes pag. 524. * Of gentlenesse and affabilitie pag. 528. chapter XIII The ninth precept of not bearing false witnesse Ibidem Of contumelie Ibidem Of suspicions pag. 533. Of mocking and taunting pag. 534. Of deceit or guile Ibidem Whether guile be lawfull for the rooting out of idolatrie and heresies 539. Of dissimulation pag. 541. Of truth and of a lie pag. 542. Whether it be lawfull to lie for preseruing the life of our neighbour pag. 546. Whether we may lie for modestie sake pag. 547. Whether faith against a promise breaker must be kept pag. 548. Of a fable and apolog pag. 550. chapter XIIII The last precept against lusting 551. Of the comparison betweene sins 553. Of charitie which is the fulfilling of the lawe pag. 556. Of salutations pag. 560. Whether the commandement of louing God with all the hart c. may bee kept in this life pag. 562. Whether the first motions should bee accounted sinnes pag. 565. Whether by rewards we ought to bee mooued to the obedience of God 573. chapter XV Of the vse and abrogating of the lawe pag. â—75 chapter XVI Of the likenesse and vnlikenesse of the old and new league or couenant pag. 582. A comparison of the sacraments of the fathers with ours pag. 586. chapter XVII Of Christ and his manifestation in the flesh and by what meanes he performed all the parts of our saluation pag. 599. chapter XVIII An exposition vpon the twelue articles pag. 612. The method and order of the Common places of the Third part AFter these things doo followe the causes and the generall meanes whereby we are both put and reteined in the possession of Christ and saluation and there be also shewed the effects of Christ remaining in vs. All which things the places following doo plainelie teach to wit the places of predestination and calling of faith and hope of adoption iustification Christian libertie of repentance of Christian life of patience in afflictions of the praiers of good men and finallie of eternall life THE CHAPTERS AND COMMON PLACES OF THE THIRD PART chapter I OF the eternall predestination of God wherein also are refelled the arguments which the aduersaries make against the same pag. 1. Whether GOD would destroie anie man pag. 42. chapter II Of the calling of God pag. 44. Of grace pag. 47. How grace and works are vnto eternall life pag. 52. chapter III Of faith and the certeintie thereof and how faith may agree with feare pag. 63. Of securitie pag. 67. Whether true faith may be separated from charitie pag. 69. How faith excelleth charitie and the contrarie pag. 75. What vnion the godlie haue with Christ pag. 77. Of the adoption of the sonnes of God pag. 79. The description of Christian hope 82. chapter IIII That iustification is of faith onelie not of works pag. 89. chapter V Of peace bondage Christian libertie of offense of conscience and of the choise of meates pag. 161. chapter VI Of vowes in generall pag. 175. Of the vow of Nazareth pag. 177. Of the vow of Ieptha pag. 182. Of the Rechabites pag. 188. Of peregrinations pag. 191. chapter VII Of marriage and sole life especiallie of ministers pag. 192. That chastitie is no common gift of God pag. 198. chapter VIII Of repentance of contrition confession and satisfaction pag. 203. chapter IX Of the works of supererogation imagined perfection of the Papists pag. 227. Of purgatorie and papisticall indulgences pag. 232. chapter X Of teares fasting there also of Lent pag. 245. Of watches pag. 256. chapter XI Of a Christian life and there of sundrie vocations pag. 257. Of freendship pag. 258. How we are to take counsel of God 260. The example of Naaman declared 263. That the possession of riches is lawfull for godlie men pag. 267. chapter XII Of liberalitie and magnificence 269. Of fortitude mortification enduring the crosse and affliction pag. 270. Of flight pag. 287. Whether Dauid did well in flieng to the Philistines for feare of Saule pag. 291. Whether the holie men were inferior to the Ethniks in abiding aduersities 296. chapter XIII Of holie praiers pag. 300. Whether praiers be the causes of the benefits of God pag. 310. How God saith he will giue that which he will not giue and contrariwise Ibid. Of the abuse of forreine language 309. Of musicke and meeter pag. 311. chapter XIIII Of death and of the consolation of the godlie against the same pag. 314. Of moorning for the dead pag. 315. Of buriall pag. 319. That soules loosed from their bodies do not sleepe pag. 323. Of wandering spirits pag. 326. chapter XV Of the resurrection pag. 327. chapter XVI Of the taking vp of Elias and Enoch and of their returne pag. 370. chapter XVII Of the end of the world pag. 385. Of the last iudgement pag. 386. That all mens glorie in heauen shall be alike pag. 389. Of the change of all things pag. 393. The method of the Common
therefore haue perished with others and by that meanes sorrowe had béene added vnto a righteous father which thing God would not if they had béene good and they also had begotten others and perhaps Noah himselfe others also all which if God would haue saued for Noahs sake the arke should haue béen made much bigger Whereby Noah had béene more wearied in the building of it than reason would This séemeth to be a pleasant deuise But as I haue said before it shall appeare sufficientlie to a christian man that either these were not the first among his children or else that children were denied him so long as it pleased the Lord. Neither is it méet to cleaue vnto fables so curiouslie inuented But what shall we saie as concerning the great number of yéeres wherein they are said to haue liued Shall we be so hardie to affirme that those were not so long as these yéeres of ours but that they were of two or thrée moneths long And Plinie séemeth to report in the 7. booke of his naturall historie that diuers countries made their computation of yéeres otherwise than we doo and that thereby it came to passe that some may séeme to haue liued longer than the common course This cannot possiblie be prooued by this argument bicause in the description of the arke and of the floud Gen. 7 12. there is mention made of the second and tenth moneth wherefore the same maner of yéeres was then that are now Gen. 8 5. An addition Yea and by the whole course of the historie ye may plainelie perceiue that the full number of daies and moneths which we vse in our age or at the least wise within verie few more or lesse were compleated at that time For in the 17. daie of the second moneth at what time as the fountaines of the great deepe did breake vp Noah entered into the arke The 17. daie of the second moneth the arke rested vpon the tops of Armenia In the first daie of the tenth moneth the tops of the mountaines were seene then followed fortie daies before Noah opened the windowe of the arke wherevnto adde 14. daies more which were spent in sending foorth of the dooue Which being in all 54. daies or two moneths make vp the ful number of twelue moneths the very same reckoning which we at this daie obserue So we haue it sufficientlie prooued that seeing as well the yeres as moneths of old time were the verie same that ours be or little differing the time of their life in those daies was no les than the scriptures declare ¶ Looke the propositions out of the fourth chapter of Gen. at the end of this booke Of Giants In Iud. 1. verse 10. 32 Now séeing that in the holie scriptures there is mention made oftentimes of giants Looke in Gen. 6 4. it shall not be vnprofitable if we speake somewhat of them First we must vnderstand By how manie names the giants are called in the holie scriptures What signifieth Hanak that they be called by diuers names in the scriptures as Rephaim Nephilim Emim and Hanakim The Hebrue verbe Hanak is to inuiron or compasse about and from thence is deriued the nowne Hanak and in the plurall number it is both the masculine and feminine gender and signifieth a chaine and it is transferred vnto notable famous men as if thou shouldest saie Knight and chainemen But they were called Emim by reason of a terror which they brought vpon others with their looke They were called Zamzumim of wickednes for they hauing confidence in their owne power and strength contemned both lawes iustice and honestie and they alwaies wrought wickednesse For doubtles the hebrue word Zimma signifieth wickednes or mischéefe Also they were named Rephaim bicause men méeting with them became in a maner astonished for that word otherwhile signifieth dead men Finallie they be called Nephilim as one may say oppressors of the verbe Naphal which is To fall or to rush vpon bicause they did violentlie run vpon all men Som thought that they were sometime called Gibborim but bicause we vse to refer that word vnto power and Gibborim are properlie called strong men therfore I would not put it among these Further What time giants began to be Augustine if thou wilt demand when giants began to be to follow the opinion of Augustine in the 16. booke De ciuitate Dei the 23. chapter we may saie that they were before the floud Wherein we beléeue him bicause he prooueth it by the testimonie of the holie scriptures for we haue it in the sixt of Genesis Gen. 6 4. that in those daies there were giants vpon the earth whose stocke although it were preserued after the floud yet he thinketh that it was not in anie great number 33 Besides this Whether giants were begotten by men there is a doubt as touching procreation and parents For some thinke that they were not begotten of men but that angels or spirits were their parents and this they saie is speciallie confirmed by that which is written in the booke of Genesis Gen. 6 1. The sonnes of God seeing the daughters of men that they were faire tooke them to wiues and of them were borne most mightie men or giants Of this fall of angels bicause they were conuersant with women manie of the ancient fathers are of one mind and among the rest Lactantius in the second booke the 15. chapter Lactantius For as we read there he thought that God feared least that sathan to whom he had granted dominion of the world would vtterlie haue destroied mankind and therefore he gaue vnto mankind angels for tutors by whose industrie and care they might be defended But they being as well prouoked by the craft of sathan as allured by the beautie of faire women cōmitted vncleannes with them wherefore he saith that both they were cast from their dignitie and were made souldiers of the diuell This indéed did Lactantius thinke yet he said not that through those méetings of the angels with women were borne giants but earthlie Daemons or spirits which walke about the earth to our great harme Eusebius Caesariensis Eusebius Caesariensis in his fift booke De praeparatione euangelica is in a maner of the same opinion For he saith also that the angels which fell begat of women whom they lewdlie loued those Daemons or spirits which afterward in sundrie wise brought great troubles to the world And to the verie same sort he referreth all those which the poets and historiographers taught to be gods whose battels contentions lusts sundrie and great tumults they haue mentioned either in verse or in prose Augustine But Augustine De ciuitate Dei the 15. booke and 23. chapter thinketh not that the opinion of these ancient fathers can be gathered out of that place of Genesis For he saith that such as be there called The sonnes of God were verie men Men of the stocke of Seth were
said of Leuie in the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 7 9. that He paied tythes in the loines of Abraham by the like and selfe-same reason we may saie that we were in the loines of other our forefathers from whom we haue descended by procreation and that therefore there is no cause whie the sinne of Adam hath béene deriued vnto vs rather than the sinne of our grandfather great grandfather his father or of anie other our progenitours And that by this meanes the state of them which shall be borne in the latter daies would séeme to be most vnhappie for that they must beare the offenses of all their forefathers These things alledge they to prooue that there is no originall sinne Originall sinne is prooued by testimonies of the scripture Gen. 6 3. and 5. Gen. 8 21. 3 But we on the contrarie part will prooue by manie testimonies of the holie scriptures that there is such a sinne Thus God saieth in the sixt of Genesis My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man bicause he is flesh And againe All the imagination of their harts is onlie euill euerie daie And in the eight chapter The imagination of their hart is euill euen from their verie childhood These things declare that there sticketh some vice in our nature when we be borne Psal 51 7. Also Dauid saith Behold I was conceiued in iniquitie and in sinnes my mother hath conceiued me Nothing can be plainer than this testimonie Iere. 17 ◠Also Ieremie in the 17. chapter saith that The heart of man is wicked peruerse and stubborne Iob. 3 3. Iere. 20 14. Yea the same Ieremie and Iob also do curse the day wherein they were borne into the world bicause they perceiued that the verie originall and fountaine of vices sprang vp togither with them Iob. 14 4. But Iob hath a most manifest testimonie of the vncleanes of our natiuitie for thus he saith Who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane seed And our sauiour saith Iohn 3 3 Except a man be borne againe of water of the holie Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen And euen as the potter dooth not make anie vessell anew vnlesse he perceiue the same to be ill fashioned before euen so Christ would not vs to be regenerated againe vnlesse he sawe that we were first vnhappilie begotten Which he also testifieth in another place saieng Ibidem 6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit By which words he would signifie vnto vs that therfore regeneration by the spirit is necessarie bicause we had before but onelie a carnall generation Paule in the sixt chapter to the Romans saith Rom. 6 2. that We must not abide in sinne bicause we are dead vnto it Which thing he prooueth by baptisme for he saith Ibidem 3. that All we which haue beene baptised into Christ Iesus haue beene baptised into his death to the end we should die vnto sinne and that our old man should be crucified and the bodie of sinne abolished And forsomuch as yoong children be baptised euen therby we haue a testimonie that sinne is in them for otherwise the nature of baptisme as it is there described by Paule should not consist Also he foloweth the same reason in the epistle to the Colossians where he saith that Col. 2 11. We be circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull bodie of the flesh being buried togither with Christ in baptisme He compareth baptisme with circumcision and faith that those which are baptised haue put off the bodie of sinne Neither is it to be doubted of but that those which be baptised are baptised into the remission of sinnes And assuredlie Gen. 17 14. the circumcision which in the old lawe was giuen vnto children was correspondent vnto our baptisme And as touching circumcision it is writen The soule whose flesh of the foreskinne shall not be circumcised the eight daie shall die the death Wherefore séeing children haue néed of the sacrament of regeneration it followeth necessarilie Ephes 2 3. that they be borne vnder the power of sinne Paule vnto the Ephesians the 2. chapter saith that We are by nature the children of wrath But our nature could not be hatefull vnto God vnlesse it were defiled with sinne And in the same place Paule with most weightie words describeth the féercenes of this wrath Ibidem 2. how that We walke according to the prince of this world which is of strength in our harts by reason of our disobedience and therefore wee doo the will of the flesh and of our mind Augustine also citeth a place out of the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15 verse 22. that Christ died for all men wherefore it followeth that all men were dead and had néed of his death But it is a wicked thing to exclude children out of the number of them for whom Christ died But if you shall demand what kind of persons they were for whom Christ suffered this did the apostle sufficientlie declare in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 5 6 and 8. when he said that they were weake Gods enimies vngodlie and sinners Among whom we must reckon yoong children if we will grant that Christ died for them Besides this it séemeth that originall sinne is most manifestlie taught out of the seuenth chapter of the epistle to the Romans for thus it is written verse 14 19 23. The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne Wherevnto is added The good which I would doo that doo I not but the euill which I would not doo that doo I it is not I then that doo it but it is sinne that dwelleth in me He also maketh mention of the lawe of the members lamenting that he was thereby drawne captiue and against his will And in the eight chapter he saith verse 7. that The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God and that it is not subiect to the lawe of God nor yet can it be Yea the death which yoong children haue dooth sufficientlie beare record that sinne sticketh in them vnlesse we will saie that God punisheth them vndeseruedlie Moreouer the place in the fift to the Romans conteineth a most euident testimonie of originall sinne for thus it is written verse 12 11 19. that By one man sin entred into the world and that all men without exception haue sinned and that the sinne of one man spred ouer all men and that for the disobedience of one man manie are made sinners Further they which are graffed in Christ are towards the end of the same epistle Rom. 11 17 called wild oliue trées by which metaphor is signified that man degenerated from the good institution of his owne nature But if we haue departed from our owne nature vndoubtedlie we haue gotten originall sinne And Paule before so
signifieth howbeit if they be all sacraments which represent Christ we haue an infinite number Matt. 13 33 Leuen betokeneth the kingdome of heauen shall it therefore be a sacrament So doth a graine of mustard séed A vine a doore shepeherds Ibidem 31. Iohn 15 1. Iohn 10 7. and such like doo represent Christ shall they therefore be sacraments By this means there would be as manie sacraments as there can be brought similitudes which betoken Christ But Paule vnto the Ephesians Eph. 5 32. calleth a sacrament a mysterie In verie déed that which is signified in matrimonie is a secret thing In sacraments the thing that is hidden partlie is the thing signified partlie it is in the visible signs bicause it hath the power of signifieng giuen to it by God In matrimonie the mysterie is referred vnto that which is signified namelie the coniunction of Christ and his church The Apostle oftentimes vseth this word mysterie In the 11. to the Romans Brethren verse 35. I tell you a mysterie be not wise in your owne selues c. In the first epistle to the Corinthians the 15. chapter intreating of the resurrection verse 15. I shew you a mysterie we shall not all die In the thir◠to the Ephesians he nameth the calling of the Gentiles a mysterie verse 3. In the first chapter to the Colossians he speaketh of a mysterie hid from the beginning of the world verse 26. In the first vnto Timothie the 3. chapter verse 16. Trulie great is the mysterie that God is made manifest in the flesh He speaketh not of sacraments as we now speake of them But let these things passe what promises hath matrimonie Euen the procreation of children and that it is a remedie for fornication Here is no mention made of the remission Furthermore that promise was not onlie vnder the gospell but vnder the lawe also and before the lawe How then doo they call it a sacrament of the new lawe Euen in the same sort may they speake of repentance Repentance was in time of the lawe and before the lawe why then doo they call it a sacrament of the new lawe 16 They be not all of one mind Gratianus in the first cause the first question in the chapter Arianos at the end of the chapter séemeth to denie repentance to be a sacrament He alledgeth a reason namelie bicause it is often renewed The reason appeareth to be fond for by that means the action of the Lords supper should be no sacrament bicause it is often repeated But if thou diligently examine his words he séemeth to compare the repentance of priuate men with that solemne repentance we speake of the which onlie he séemeth to ordeine as a sacrament and the other not for solemne repentance was not renewed Dionysius But let Gratian go Verelie Dionysius which of some is thought to be Areopagita acknowledgeth but thrée sacraments namelie Baptisme Sundrie opinions of the number of sacraments Gregorie The supper of the Lord and Chrisme He seemeth to grant Annoiling in his Hierarchie the minister is brought which annointeth a dead bodie Gregorie in the first cause question the first in the decrées in the chapter Multi séemeth to acknowledge but thrée sacraments namelie Baptisme The supper of the Lord and Annointing Barnard Barnard added another that is the washing of féet yea and in his sermon De coena Domini he saith that this sacrament must be reteined in the church The sacrificing priests which consecrate salt doo adde one In the name of the holie Trinitie be thou a healthfull sacrament to chase awaie the diuell But why séeke we so manie things They which appoint seuen sacraments distinguish the holie order into seuen namelie doore-kéepers readers acolythes exorcists subdeacons deacons and priests others haue added the office of a bishop and the office of singing psalmes so that the number of sacraments among them is vncerteine Let them not complaine of vs that we diminish the number we rather ought to complaine of them for increasing the number 17 Repentance was diuided into that which should be a sacrament and that which should be a vertue perteining to iustice We haue said that it is no sacrament now let vs consider of the other member to wit that it is no vertue That in the holie scriptures is not acknowledged Whether repentance be a vertue as a certeine vertue the which is a qualitie of the mind and is a great while idle They deuised the same bicause it is the commandement of the Lord that we should repent but repent we cannot alwaies Wherefore they said it is a vertue in the mind Matt. 4 17. which in due time doth that which belongeth therevnto These things are not prooued by the scriptures nor by the fathers nor by the canons Christ said Repent ye there is required an action not a certeine habit Iob saith that The life of man is a warfare vpon the earth Iob. 7 1. it is no habit but an action Barnard said He that goeth not forward in the waie of the Lord and profiteth not such a one goeth backeward The same Father said When thou forsakest the desire to become better then thou ceasest to be good The life of godlie men is said to be a certeine way a path a race there must be a going not a standing still In the 2. to the Corinthians the 3 chapter verse 18. it is writen that We be transformed into the image of Christ from glorie to glorie bicause this is a hard thing he addeth Euen as it were from the spirit of the Lord. Wherefore they which thinke vpon those things that concerne their calling are said to repent bicause they do absteine from sinne as for anie thing that they doo in the meane time if their meaning be to go forward in their vocation they are trulie penitent But they saie it séemeth this cannot be In repentance there is sorrowe vnto God-ward 2. Cor. 7 9. but we ought sometimes to reioise with them that reioise Those things cannot be doone togither Whether we sorrowe and reioise both at one time These things are not repugnant bicause they haue sundrie obiects We may reioise in God and sorrowe in our selues We haue lamenting mingled with reioising and reioising with lamenting They saie that sometimes we must sléepe and then our actions are broken off And Aristotle said that During the time of our sléep How our actions are broken off although we be happie we differ not from miserable men Let vs call to mind the saieng of Paule He that eateth eateth vnto the Lord Rom. 14 6. and he that eateth not eateth not vnto the Lord c. Also Whether we liue or whether we die Ibidem 8. we be the Lords In like maner we may saie He that sléepeth sléepeth vnto the Lord. And Paule said Whether ye eate or whether ye drinke 1. Co. 10 31 or whatsoeuer
in his booke De bono mortis for there in the seuenth chapter verse 32. it is said that It shall come to passe at the last daie of iudgement that the dust and the graues shall restore the bodies of the dead and that the store-houses or receptacles of soules shall render them vp and so the resurrection shall be made But those store-houses or receptacles wherein soules are kept Ambrose dooth interpret to be the manie mansions Iohn 14 2. which be in the house of the father according to the saieng of Christ and also to be those places which Christ said that he went to prepare for his apostles when he ascended vp out of this world vnto the father And when as Ambrose had there disputed against the philosophers which affirmed that the soules of iust and wise men when they depart from hence doo passe into the bodies either of bées or of nightingales that there they might delight themselues either with swéet exercise or pleasant musicke he saith that they should rather haue taught that they went vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Vnto an inuisible place prepared for the dead Whereby it appéereth that the name of infernall place is generall as well vnto the place of torments as vnto the place of rest whereas the name of that hell belongeth onelie vnto the wicked 14 But what is the cause that led the ancient fathers into error to thinke that the soules of the faithfull doo abide in the bosome of Abraham vntill the last resurrection it is vncerteine Howbeit they séeme to haue taken hold of certeine places of the scripture which they did not rightlie vnderstand For it is said in the Apocalypse Apoc. 6 9. that The soules of the slaine are vnder the altar and crie vnto God that he would once at the last reuenge the bloud of them that be slaine But they should haue considered that the altar is not the infernall place séeing in the eight chapter of the same booke it is said to be in heauen verse 3. and in the sight of God neither dooth the altar betoken anie other thing but Christ himselfe And we are taught by that vision that the spirits of the godlie euen after this life doo remaine in the kingdome of God vnder the protection of Christ Further whereas they heard in the holie scriptures that Those which depart are called sléepers 1. The. 4 13 that also haue they referred vnto the soule when as it rather belongeth vnto the bodie For that resteth like them that be asléepe neither can it trulie and properlie be said to be dead séeing it shall returne vnto life and that there is no waie to returne from verie death indéed So as it is rightlie compared to sléepers who being deteined with heauie sléepe yet are woont at the length to be wakened againe Neither must we passe it ouer that whereas it is said of the infernall place that All men euen vnto the comming of Christ should bée brought thither and that afterward the spirits at the least-wise of the damned shall there be kept still Some there be which denie that there can be anie space found so large as may hold so manie spirits or soules And they séeme that euen as they appoint heauen to be in euerie place so they would appoint the infernall places to be euerie-where Neither doo they consider that mens soules be spirits and therefore doo not occupie a place as bodies doo Indéed they be in a place but yet definitelie as I haue alreadie said before not that they fill a place with their greatnes or quantities of measure but after the resurrection when they shall be indued with bodies God will not want places wherein they shall be punished for their ill déeds either vnder the earth or aboue the earth or in the waters or in the aire These things had I to saie as touching the diuers opinions of infernall places And by the testimonie of the most ancient fathers and also of the latter poets and likewise of the Hebrues I haue prooued that there be two kinds of them whom I affirme to haue spoken probablie yet doo I not saie that they haue rightlie and soundlie vsed the places of the scriptures 15 But now Into what place Henoch and Elias are translated if I should be asked vnto what place Henoch Elias were translated I will saie that absolutelie I knowe not bicause it is not shewed vs in the holie scripture Yet to followe the reason most likelie to be true I would saie that they were brought to the place of the fathers or bosome of Abraham that there waiting for the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ they might liue togither with the blessed fathers so that afterward with him being risen againe they might be lifted vp aboue the heauens Howbeit it may be said that this priuiledge they had before others to wit that wheras the soules of the faithfull were in the bosome of Abraham without bodies they being yet aliue had place there But as for their bodies whether they were glorified that is a thing hard to be determined yet may it be said that in the verie taking vp they were changed with that kind of changing I meane which is described in the first epistle to the Corinthians namelie 1. Co. 15 53 that Corruptible did put on incorruption and mortall immortalitie The verie which shall come to passe in our taking vp 1. The. 4 15 whereof it is written to the Thessalonians euen that we shall go to méet with Christ in the aire for it is written to the Corinthians 1. Co. 15. â—1 that Indeed we shall not all die but we shall be all changed But we said that Christ is the first fruits and therefore it ought to be affirmed Christ is the first fruits that he first of all other atteined vnto rest with his bodie Vnto this may be answered that this must be vnderstood of the highest seate of the blessed wherevnto he being raised from the dead was the first that came but we speake here of the bosome of Abraham not of the highest region of the liuing Further we might saie that the holie fathers in the bosome of Abraham in that they were at rest that they were well that they reioised that they were exempted from the punishments of the damned they had all this by Christ For the vertue of his death was not onelie profitable to vs but also to the fathers which were before his comming Wherefore in the Apocalypse the 13. chapter it is rightlie said The lambe was slaine froÌ„ the beginning of the world Neither must he be heard verse 8. which in our age hath not interpreted but peruerted that place For he translated That they were fallen that they worshipped the beast whose names were not written in the beginning of the world in the booke of life of the lambe which is slaine To what end hath he inuerted the particles of this speach What
which is the head should liue and we that be his members should remaine in death And in the first chapter to the Ephesians he writeth verse 20. According to the greatnesse of his power and according to the strength of his mightie power which he wrought by raising vp of Christ from the dead Againe in the second chapter he ioineth vs vnto him saieng Ephes 2 1. When we were dead in our sinnes he quickened vs with him and togither with him raised vs vp from the dead and made vs to sit at the right hand in heauenlie places These be the arguments wherby the apostle of the Lord dooth confirme resurrection neither did he send vs to the rapting either of Henoch or Elias There be some which saie These things did therefore happen to leaue vs an example doubtlesse not of our resurrection but of our last taking vp 1. Thes 4 17 whereof there is mention made in the Thessalonians Of this opinion was Tertullian in his booke De resurrectione carnis 87. page They are not yet dead but they be documents of our perfectnes to come And Irenaeus in his fift booke writeth that they be an example of our assumption to come And I haue shewed that by the example of their taking vp the bodies which are now a burthen vnto vs shall be no hinderance to the assumption For that hand of GOD which fashioned man of the slime of the earth put him afterward into paradise And he addeth that a certeine elder which was after the apostles taught that not onelie Henoch and Elias were rapted into that place but also Paule the apostle 2. Cor. 12 2. as we read in the second epistle to the Corinthians Indéed I grant that in the words of Paule there is mention made of paradise Paradise but that the same was in the garden of Eden wherein Adam first was it is not prooued thereby For the apostle added that he was taken vp to the third heauen that is to the highest and most perfect And indéed Iohannes Damascenus affirmeth that there be thrée heauens namelie the aire wherein the birds doo flie the second heauen he accounteth to be the region of the celestiall spheres and the third to be the highest seats of the blessed saints which by a certeine elegant metaphor is called paradise The similitude whereof is deriued from the garden of pleasures wherein Adam was placed euen as the region of torments by a metaphor before declared is called Gebenna For these places are more fitlie expressed by metaphors than by proper names Also that same elder asketh the question of himselfe by what meanes they could continue there so long without meat And in answering he retireth himself to the strength of Gods power Ionas 2 2. whereby Ionas was also preserued thrée daies in the bellie of the whale and whereby the companions of Daniel remained safe in the fornace Dan. 3. 93. when it burned vehementlie We might also adde the fasting of Elias 1. kin 19 8. and of Moses by the space of 40. daies but these things are from the purpose Exod. 24 18 Others saie that Henoch was therfore taken vp that his preaching by that means might become the more fruitfull The world in that age was degenerate and the Cainits preuailed in number power aboue the children of God Their idolatrie did Henoch either by his preaching or prophesieng reproue Wherefore by a verie euident seale of taking him vp God would seale his sound and profitable doctrine verse 16. Now then in the 44. chapter of Ecclesiasticus he is said to be translated for an example of repentance vnto the generations bicause a forme and example of repentance was giuen vnto the generations that is vnto men Neither are these ment to be the last generations but rather the generations of those men which liued at that time For if he had died after the maner of other men he shuld not haue béene thought to be beloued of God or of him to haue béene assisted and sent to preach But séeing God as it were by his stretched out hand from heauen caught him vp vnto him men could not choose but haue in admiration an act or thing so vnvsuall Others there be that attribute all this to his owne honestie and righteousnesse Gen. 5 22. Eccl. 24 16. Heb. 11 5. for it is said in Genesis that he walked before God And in the booke of Ecclesiasticus and also in the Epistle to the Hebrues we read that he pleased God or he approoued him selfe vnto God And by faith as the apostle saith he pleased or approoued himselfe vnto him which vndoubtedlie was no vaine faith but was adorned with good woorks Bréeflie he was taken vp for bicause of edifieng And what is spoken concerning him must also be transferred vnto Elias Opinions touching the returne of Henoch and Elias 20 Now there resteth that we examine the opinions of them which thinke that these men were taken vp to the intent that about the latter time they should returne and should take vpon them a dangerous fight against antichrist And albeit that this were the opinion of most ancient fathers yet it is imbraced without testimonie of the holie scriptures And indéed as touching the returne of Henoch there is no word extant in the diuine oracles And those things which are spoken in the 44. chapter of Ecclesiasticus that he was an example of repentance vnto the generations must rather be vnderstood of the men of his owne time than of them which shall liue in the last time But I sée that the occasion of error came bicause it is written in the booke of the Apocalypse verse 3 c. the eleuenth chapter that two men with singular praise are extolled Two famous witnesses of the church in the last age which in the last age of the world shall fight against antichrist And we are taught that they shall be the witnesses of God against the beast and they shall preach 1260. daies Of these is described the maner of their apparell namelie that they shall be couered with sackcloth And they are commended as two oliue trées and two candlesticks in the sight of God and it is said that there is power giuen them to close heauen that it shall not raine which perhaps dooth somewhat séeme to prooue for Elias And they shall be able as it is there said to turne water into bloud It is also added that they shall be slaine of the beast but that after thrée daies they shall be raised vp by the spirit of God Vpon this occasion were the ancient fathers led to thinke that Henoch and Elias shall returne againe at the last But these are the imaginations of men neither are they taught by the holie scriptures séeing in that place is no mention either of Henoch or of Elias We must grant indéed Henoch and Elias sent in these our daies that certeine men were to be sent vnto
came in verie déed namelie when Christ was transformed vpon the mount Thabor He was present togither with Moses euen as it should séeme in his owne proper bodie He shall come againe at the last time howbeit to iudgement with other saints which shall be raised from the dead but not to fight or to be slaine of Antichrist Some man perhaps will saie it is a wonder that these raptings did happen in the old testament are not written of in the new Yes verelie Diuers raptings of men in the new testament Luke 24 51 Acts. 24 51. Acts. 8 39. they are had also in the new For Christ of whom the old raptings were shadowes was taken vp into heauen in the sight of his apostles And Paule said that he was rapted into the third heauen whether it were in the bodie or out of the bodie c. And Philip the Deacon as we read in the Acts when he had baptised the Eunuch of Quéene Candaces he was caught awaie by the angell out of his sight and found himselfe to be at Azotus Wherefore there be notable examples extant as well in the old testament as in the new whereby we are warned that we should at the least wise ascend into heauen with our mind and there be conuersant before God and Christ Iesus Phil. 3. 10 1. Cor. 5 6. Our conuersation as Paule hath taught ought to be in heauen Neither let vs be forgetfull that wée so long as we liue héere doo wander and straie from the Lord happie no doubt are such raptings Damnable on the other side are the raptings of Dathan and Abiram Num. 16 31 who were caught quicke into hell And fowle and shamefull were those which the Poets extoll namelie of Ganimedes Proserpina and of others whose examples must euen as much be auoided of all men as the former examples must be expressed with as much imitation as we can And thus haue we spoken sufficientlie of the question proposed whereof I ment to haue said but a little But in trauelling therein I met with a number of by-turnings and points which I might not passe ouer that I was constrained to speake or write more at large than I was determined And as touching those things which I haue defined my mind was not to teach them as things firme and certeine or as perfectlie tried out by the holie scriptures but as likelihoods of truth the which we may gesse of without breach of faith And if anie man can alledge better proofes I am readie to heare him Neither haue I minded to contend earnestlie about those things which I haue affirmed and this doo I also persuade and counsell others to doo The xvij Chapter Of the end of the world of the last iudgement of eternall life of the equalitie of rewards and of the restoring of the whole world AS for the time of continuance of the world In 1. Cor. 10. ver 1◠we haue no certeintie in the holie scriptures Augustine reckoned six ages of the world Augustine in his first booke vpon Genesis against the Manicheis reckoned six ages of the world The first from Adam vnto Noah the second from Noah vnto Abraham the third from thence vnto Dauid the fourth from that time to the transmigration into Babylon the fift from that time vnto Christ the sixt from Christ vntill the last iudgement Wherefore that age wherein we now liue being the last Iohn 2 18. may be called the decréeped or verie old age and of Iohn it is called the last houre but how long it shall continue Augustine we knowe not Augustine vnto Hesychius who had somewhat curiouslie questioned of the end of the world answered that He durst not either measure or reckon the spaces of times vnto the end of the world bicause it is written Matt. 24 3◠that Of that daie knoweth no man neither the angels nor yet the sonne of God himself Epiphanius Which place Epiphanius interpreteth in the booke which he calleth Anchoratus affirming a double knowledge one of the execution or worke another of the inward science And then saith he God the father hath both waies the knowledge of the last iudgement of the inward science doubtlesse in that he hath knowen the time thereof secondlie of the worke bicause he hath alreadie executed iudgement How the sonne hath knowledge of the iudgment daie and how he hath not Iohn 5 22. He hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne and as touching himselfe he hath sufficientlie iudged And the sonne hath knowledge of that daie as touching knowledge but as touching execution he hath not bicause he is not yet come to iudge But the angels in neither sort knowe of that daie First in verie déed the houre time of iudgement is hidden to them further the worke or execution God hath not yet committed to them that they should go foorth and take awaie all offenses Howbeit this exposition séemeth to be verie subtill and wrested Augustine Augustine hath more plainlie interpreted it that The sonne knoweth not of that daie not as touching himselfe but concerning others whom he causeth not to knowe that daie neither hath he reuealed the same by his doctrine But if thou wilt saie that afrer this maner the father also dooth not knowe it bicause he hath not shewed the same daie or instructed anie man as touching it he answereth Yes verelie he hath reuealed it to the sonne Howbeit I would yet more simplie vnderstand that sentence as touching the humane nature of Christ which by the ordinarie and naturall condition knew nothing more than was declared vnto him by the diuine nature 2 Some haue had a mind to cauill that albeit the daie and the houre is not knowne yet that by coniectures we may atteine to the knowledge of the time bicause that Christ did speciallie speake of that daie but not of the time But this subtill point nothing helpeth them bicause it is written in the first chapter of the acts verse 7. It is not for you to knowe the times and moments which in Gréek is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that Matt. 24 14. which we read in Matthew When the Gospell shall be preached ouer all the world then shall the end be Augustine Augustine expoundeth The Lord shall not come before the Gospell shall be preached ouer all the world But by this it is not knowne how soone after such preaching he will come In the epistle to the Colossians verse 6. the first chapter the apostle writeth that Euen at that time the Gospell was alreadie preached ouer all the world and yet we sée that iudgement is still deferred The Lord in the Gospell of Matthew Matt. 24. shewed of manie signes of the last times but when we sée them we vnderstand not whether as yet they be thoroughlie come to the iust measure so as they should be reckoned euen for the verie same things which the Lord
among the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 5. the which is very much commended by Paul saying that they were instructed in all wisedome and in the worde Were they quiet among themselues There were Schismes among them Ibid. ver 12 They saide I hold of Peter I of Paul I of Apollo But thou wilt say they disagréed not as touching matters of weight Manie were at that point that they thought simple fornication no sinne 1. Cor. 6. 13 So as it behooued Paul to instruct them concerning the same Of the resurrection it selfe they iudged amisse If there be errours in the Anabaptistes or in others we agrée not with them Arrius In the latter age the Arrians did shake the Church for the space of 150. yeares and there were Ethnickes which were agréeued thereat Themistius For Themistius wrote of this matter vnto the Emperour Constantius Graunt me that the Ethnickes which then were reasoned against the Church How are ye Christians diuided among your selues In one Church was a Catholike Bishop in an other a Nouatian as at Constantinople was Chrysostome and Agelius In Africa also welnéere throughout euerie Church were two Bishops a Catholike and a Donatist A part would haue Images Epiphanius counted it as a thing detestable What shall we say as touching the Supremacie of the Pope They woulde haue it to be an article of necessitie vnto saluation but haue they all receiued the same Gregorie said that this is the title of Antichrist The Bishop of Constantinople sued against the Bishop of Rome At length the whole East part acknowledged not the Romane Bishop and yet they saide that it was the Church They say that they haue the Popedome ioyned thereunto God he knoweth But to deale frankelie with them let vs graunt them this It is a token that they are wholie carried vnto lewdnesse and it is rather a conspiracie than a veritie Dauid had the kingdome of God yet was it not quiet Such is the Church Of the true markes of the Church looke after Place 6. Art 16. and 38. c. Of diuers Ministeries of the Church 4 But nowe let vs obserue that the Apostles were to that ende chosen In Rom. 1. at the beginning that they shoulde institute the seruice of the Gospell The difference betweene the Apostles and the Byshops shoulde publish vnto the beléeuers the things which they had heard of Christ But the Bishops were ordeined to this purpose that they shold defend those things which are cōteined in the Gospel and the holie scriptures Looke in the Treatise against Gardiner p. 152 which they should so receiue to be defended as they must not ad vnto them anie new things and forge traditions at their owne will Further the holie fathers which were Bishops when they take in hand to write doe confesse themselues to be handlers of the holie scriptures and woulde not that those things which they write shoulde be accounted of so great authoritie as we attribute vnto the Cannon of the Scriptures Nay rather they forbid that anie credite shoulde be giuen vnto them if they speake anie thing against the holie Scriptures Thirdlie to the Apostolical doctrine were adioyned manie miracles whereby their authoritie is confirmed which we sée was not doon in the traditions of the Elders Againe we are sure that the Apostles wrote by the inspiration of the holie Ghost which we dare not affirme of our Bishoppes Whereupon we conclude that the Apostles could not erre in those things which they wrote but we sée that the Bishoppes haue oftentimes decréeed amisse as concerning the rules of Religion as it appeareth in the Councell of Ariminum and also in the second Synode of Ephesus and also in manie other yea and they erred verie much also in their Actions At Chalcedone and Constantinople were Synods gathered together in which Chrysostome was condemned and deposed Chrisostom condemned and deposed which also was doone in the name of those Bishops which were accompted Catholike And there might be alleadged manie examples of this sort 1. Tim. 1. 14. Also Paul writing vnto Timothie prayeth him to saue that which was giuen him to kéepe declaring that hée ought neither to ad nor diminish any thing of the doctrine of the Gospell receiued This is to preserue the thing giuen him to kéepe Adde hereunto that the Apostles be so vnto Bishops and ordinarie Pastors The Apostles are to the Byshops as the Prophets were to the high Priestes as in old time the Prophets were vnto the high Bishoppes and Priests For the Prophets might bring bookes and mixe them with the Canonical Scriptures For Samuel added his bookes vnto the Scripture Esay Ieremie and the other Prophets added their monumentes vnto the Scripture which the Scribes high Priests and Bishops might not haue done The Apostles called the Gentiles abrogated the Ceremonies of the lawe which was beyond the compasse of the high Bishops and Priests Therefore the Apostle setteth foorth himselfe by sundrie titles that when wée reade him or heare him wée may thinke that we heare not the wordes of a man but oracles powred out of heauen In Rom. 10. 5 But in the Scriptures there be manie places by which it may be prooued that the doctrine of the Gospell shoulde be published throughout the whole world by the ministerie of the Apostles Esay 24. 16. 59. 19. Mal. 1. 11. As in Esay the 24. and 59. Chapters and in Malachie and almost euerie where in the Prophets And if so be the Gospell were published throughout the worlde then coulde not the Iewes cauel that they had not hearde of it especiallie when as Preaching began at them according to that saying Out of Sion shall go the lawe Esay 2. 3. Actes 13. 46. and the word of the Lorde out of Ierusalem Neither did the Apostles turne vnto the Gentiles vntill they had nowe séene the obstinacy of the vnbeléeuing Iewes For then they went vnto the Gentiles who neuertheles also had Ministers of the word of God before although not in such plentie That the Gentiles had some ministers of the word before the Apostles and ordinary succession as the Iewes had Among the Gentils liued Melchizedeck Balam Job and the Sibils whose testimonies as touching Christ are reueiled of olde writers Ioseph liued in Egypt Ionas was sent vnto the Nineuites Daniel and his companions preached in Babylon Nehemias Esdras liued among the Persians all which men kindled some light of true godlinesse amongst the Gentils but at length the doctrine was made fullie compleate by the Apostles The Iewes therefore are confuted by an argument taken a minori that is of the lesse If the Gentiles being farre off and at the ends of the world did heare howe haue you Iewes not heard And this manner of exposition doeth Chrysostome follow Neither is it anie maruell that Paul in the tenth Chapter to the Romanes writeth Verse 18. that the Gospel is published euerie where
all things that are done and is a iust iudge of our déeds vnto whom as honest things are pleasing so vnhonest are displeasing I knowe that Cicero in his third booke De natura deorum Cicero laboureth to ouerthrowe this reason whereby we would prooue that the things which we saie are most excellent in vs must not be denied vnto God But let him reason as he list it is enough for vs to be confirmed in this matter by the scriptures In the 94. Psalme it is written Hee which planted the eare shall he not heare Psalme 94. Or hee which fashioned the eie shall hee not see Whereby wée are taught not to withdrawe from the diuine nature those things which be perfect and absolute in vs. Moreouer we sée The feele of the conscience dooth testifie that there is a God that our consciences doo naturallie detest the wickednes that we haue committed and contrariwise reioice and be glad at our well dooing Which thing séeing it is naturallie graffed in vs we be taught that Gods iudgment is to come the condemnation whereof is so terrible to our mind that somtimes it séemeth to be mad and on the other side it reioiceth when it hopeth to be allowed and rewarded at the tribunall seate We might also recken vp manie other like things of this sort howbeit they may be easilie gathered both out of the holie Scriptures and out of the philosophers bookes Wherefore I will cease to adde anie more and I count it sufficient to haue said Nothing so vile but giueth a testimonie of God that there can be nothing found in the world so abiect and contemptible which giueth not a testimonie of God Of Iupiter said the Poet all things are full For whatsoeuer is in the world so long as it is preserued so long hath it the power of God hidden vnder it which if by searching art and naturall knowledge it bée discouered will reueale God vnto vs. Looke In 1. Cor. Chap. 1 verse 21. 5 With this saieng of the Apostle séeme to disagrée other places of the scripture wherein is taken from the wicked the knowledge of God Wée read in the psalmes The foolish man said in his hart Psalm 14 1. There is no god And again it is written In the earth there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God And to make no long recitall it is said in the first chapter of Esaie Esaie 1 3. Israel hath not knowne me But this diuersitie may on this wise be reconciled After what manner the knowledge of God is attributed and taken awaie frō the vngodlie The wicked as Paule saith being conuinced by the creatures doo confesse that there is a God but afterward they affirme such things of his nature and propertie as thereby may be well inferred that there is no God For Epicurus said indéed that there are gods but he remooued them from all maner of dooing care and prouidence so that he ascribed to him a felicitie altogither idle Also when they saie that there is a God but that hée hath no regard to mans dooings punisheth not nor heareth such as call vpon him and such like it is gathered thereby that this was their opinion that they granted there is a God in name onlie And therfore the Scripture denieth that they knew God For the true God is not as they fained him to bée and as touching themselues to be holpen or haue the fruition of Gods help he was euen as if he were no God for so much as they neither called vpon him nor looked for hope or aid of him Some persuaded thēselues that there is no God Further some of them were so wicked as they went about to persuade themselues that there is no God at all And albeit they could not bring this to passe their owne mind denieng their conscience striuing against them yet the Scripture pronounceth of them according to their indeuours and saith that they knew not God Lastlie we must vnderstand that the knowledge of God is of two sorts the one effectuall Two kinds of knoledge of God whereby we are changed so that we indeuour to expresse in works those things that we knowe and this knowledge of God the holie Scriptures ascribe vnto the godlie alone but the other is a cold knowledge wherby we are made neuer a-whit the better For we shew not by our works that wée knowe those things which in verie déede wée haue knowne And of this kind of knowledge speaketh Paule Rom. 1 28. where he saith And as they regarded not to knowe God c. And Christ shall saie vnto manie which will boast of the gifts and knowledge of him Matt. 7 23. I knowe yee not But to knowe God after this maner séeing it profiteth nothing the holie Scripture dooth oftentimes so reiect as it vouchsafeth not once to giue it the name of diuine knowlege and saith that GOD knew not the wicked Rom. 1 20. séeing they were such maner of men 6 Neither is it in vaine that God dooth indue the vngodlie with this kind of knowledge In 1. Sam. 5 verse 7. For verelie Aristotle teacheth in his Rhetoricks that it is a goodlie testimonie wherby our affaires are allowed of our enimies Wherfore it is an excellent thing to heare in the first booke of Samuel how the Philistines being the most gréeuous enimies of the God of Israel confessed and pronounced his power to be so great as they were not able to abide it neither yet sought they out the naturall causes of the diseases wherwith they were afflicted when neuertheles the causes be naturall both of the piles hemerods and fluxes But when they sawe that they were altogither and at one time troubled with one kind of disease they straightwaie beléeued that they were oppressed by the hand of the GOD Iehoua and so God inforced them against their wils to confesse his name In like maner Pharao who after he had béen diuerslie plagued at the length cried out Exod. 9 27. I haue sinned against the Lord and against you make yee intercession to God for me Nabuchadnezar and Darius Dan. 3 95. and 6 25. after they had well considered what God had don vnto Daniel did notablie confesse him to be the great God and by their proclamations vnder a most gréeuous penaltie forbad that anie should blaspheme or speake euill of his name And Iulianus the apostata althogh otherwise most wicked yet was constrained at his death to acknowledge the power of Christ in saieng O thou Galilean thou hast gotten the victorie And the verie diuels were driuen to the same confession when they testified and cried out Matth. 8 29. that Iesus Christ is the sonne and the holie one of God and acknowledged that he came to destroie them before the time and confessed that they well enough knew Christ and Paule By the same reason it is euident Acts. 19 15. that the arke
chaste both in bodie and spirit For those night visions by the which either the mind is troubled or the bodie defiled are certeine punishments of sinne especiallie of that which hath béene drawne from our first creation For so it should not haue béene in paradise if Adam had abidden in that truth wherein he was made as Augustine wrote in his fift booke and eight chapter against Iulian. Looke In Gen. chapter 20 verse 3. The sixt Chapter Of the holie scriptures out of the Preface vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians NOw wée must speake something of the holie scriptures whereby wée are both encouraged to studie them and somewhat also are holpen in the following of that studie A diuision and this shall be doon if I touch first in few words the woorthines and profit of them secondlie if we shew by what certeine marks tokens we may be able to iudge and saie what is the sense or meaning of them and lastlie if we shall open the waie and means how to challenge them vnto our selues Of the dignitie and vtilitie of the holie scriptures This diuision I mind to folowe as being most conuenient for the vnderstanding of those things which shall be spoken And first of al bicause we are to speake of the worthines and profit of the holie scriptures A definition of the holie scriptures I will giue this plaine and homelie definition of them For it is a hard matter for anie man perfectlie and exactlie to define those things which are of God The holie scripture inspired by the spirit of God Wherefore let vs define the holie scriptures to be a certeine declaration of the wisdome of God inspired by the holie Ghost into godlie men and then set downe in monuments writings That it is inspired by the inward motion of the holie Ghost for the saluation and restoring of vs Peter testifieth in the first chapter of his latter epistle when he saith 2. Pet. 1 21 that Prophesie came not in old time by the will of men but holie men of GOD spake as they were mooued by the holie Ghost And verie great honour hath come therevnto bicause as well Christ as the apostles The sute proofes of diuine things are takē out of the scriptures onlie and sound councels haue vsed the testimonie of it for the confirmation of those things which were decréed yea we may not thinke that anie traditions be necessarie to saluation which are not surelie and stronglie grounded therevpon And we must alwaies beare in mind Christ sent vs to the reading of the scriptures Iohn 5 39. how wée are sent awaie by Christ the best teacher of the church to search out the scripture when he saith in the fift of Iohns gospell Search ye the scriptures Moreouer euerie facultie and learning borroweth his woorthines from the matter about which it is occupied For according as that dooth excell so is anie science accounted of more or lesse estimation Wherefore séeing this science of ours intreateth of nothing else but of Christ The sum of all that is done in the scripture is Christ it is so much the more to be accounted the head of all other as Christ is the most excellent aboue all other things And as I suppose no man doubteth but that the new testament speaketh chieflie of Christ But bicause some man perhaps doubteth whether the old testament doo so likewise let him heare euen Paule writing to the Romans the 10. chapter Christ is the end of the lawe Rom. 10. And in the fift of Iohn when the Lord had said that which euen now I recited Search the scriptures Iohn 5 39. he added incontinent For they beare witnes of me And in the same chapter it is said of Moses He hath written of me Iohn 5 46. And manie other places may be brought to confirme this selfe-same thing but let vs content our selues with these for this time 2 The holie scriptures also are highlie commended The notable properties of the holie scripture They shine as a candle in the darknes through those excellent properties wherwith God hath adorned them For they are so glorious that they séeme vnto vs which walke as it were in darknes to be like a candle lighted of God whereof Peter hath admonished vs in the first chapter of the second epistle And we haue a sure speech of prophesie wherevnto if you giue heed as vnto a light shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1 19. ye doo well till the daie appeare and the daie star arise in your harts The holie scriptures be sure and certeine In which words thou shalt note this also that they be verie sure For godlie men are so assured of the truth of them that for them they feare not to suffer anie cruell death which thing hath seldome or neuer happened among naturall philosophers or mathematicians To the godlie they be cleere and perspicuous that they confirmed the opinions of their knowledge with their blood and with the losse of their liues And vnto faithfull and godlie harts there is in the scriptures no want of cléerenes which the Gréeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines perspicuitie For whatsoeuer the sounder Diuines dispute they alwaies finish their conclusion according to the testimonies of the scriptures as rules commonlie knowne among christians whereof it is not lawfull for any man to doubt So that this ought to be estéemed as the chéefe principle They are the cheefe principles of diuinitie by the which all matters of true diuinitie are to be resolued and examined to wit The Lord hath said But yet this perspicuitie is not to be sought at the light of mans sense reason but at the light of faith The clearenes of them is discerned by the light of faith Luke 24 45. whereby we ought to be most certainlie persuaded of whatsoeuer is contained in the holie scriptures For as we read in the last chapter of Luke when Christ was about to send out his disciples to preach throughout the world that they might increse the number of his disciples he opened vnto them the meaning of the scriptures which declareth that otherwise they were not able by their owne industrie to vnderstand them 1. Tim. 3 15. And in the first of Timothie the third chapter the church is for no other cause said to be the piller and ground of truth Why the church is called the piller and ground of truth but bicause it hath the word of God and vseth the same perpetuallie in hir opinions and definitions which when it doth not it dealeth not as the church of Christ should doo Augustine Augustine Contra epistolam Fundamenti saith that things defined in the scriptures must be preferred aboue all other Besides this the truth of them hath an euerlasting continuance The truth of the scripture is euerlasting Matt. 24 35. Which thing Christ taught vs when
For Aristotle in his Problems the 30 sextion saith that the Sibyls and the excellent Emperours and famous philosophers were melancholike and that there were some which béeing affected with that humour spake suddenlie manie languages Some spake in manie toongs vpon the sudden which they had neuer learned and that they afterward béeing healed by physicians left off speaking in that manner Thus much for their part But forsomuch as they sée that by the most learned men there is mention made of spirits and that they cannot denie it without blushing while they would confesse somewhat they are diuided into twoo sundrie sects Som thinke that soules become demons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they which thinke that mans soule is immortall doo saie that those which die after they haue liued well and honestlie are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but euill and wicked liuers become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so perpetuallie remaine For séeing they cannot now worke contrarie actions it must néeds be that those habits which they carried with them Som would that demons are onelie in this life should indure for euer But they which would haue the soule to be mortall doo allow of spirits but onelie in this life So that they which applie all their senses as much as in them lieth to vnderstanding be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and good spirits but they which turne vnderstanding into sensualitie be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and disturbe all things So the former opinion dooth affirme that one kind passeth into another which séemes no more possible to bée brought to passe than that a man should be changed into a woolfe But if there be anie certeine nature of spirits no doubt the same must be firme and stedfast But if the latter opinion were true then man bicause he is mutable might be sometimes a spirit and sometimes an angel But these men would haue angels and spirits to be nothing else but mens affections The opinion of Trismegistus Mercurius Trismegistus as Augustine saith in his eight booke De ciuitate Dei the 23. chapter denieth that there be indéed anie spirits at all For he saith that God made gods Intelligences separated from all matter by which the spheres of the world are mooued further that men also did make to themselues gods Asclepius answereth I thinke thou speakest of images Indéed so I doo saith Mercurius but I meane such images as be so applied to certeine aspects of the stars that they can speake and heale men and afflict with sicknes and worke miracles and which be indued with mind sense and spirit Aphrodysaeus Alexander Aphrodysaeus saith that there is a certeine diuine power spred through the whole world which can worke all things but that it is requisite the same should be wiselie drawne to particular effects A similitude For euen as we sée it commeth to passe in the sunne that although the heate thereof be the generall life of all things yet out of it being diuerslie applied there are brought foorth diuers and sundrie things for out of the vine it bringeth foorth grapes and out of the trée apples so if that power which is so spred vniuersallie be fitlie drawn by wise men through herbs and stones there doo followe maruellous effects And thus much hitherto as touching those which vtterlie denie that there is anie certeine nature of Daemons or spirits 9 The Platonists grant The opinion of the Platonists that spirits be certeine substances betwéene gods and men and that of them some be earthie som waterie som airie some fierie and some starrie and to euerie one of the spheres seuerallie there be attributed seuerall spirits as some be of Saturne some of Iupiter and some of the Sunne And they were led thus to saie chéeflie by this reason That betwéene two extreames there must of necessitie be placed a meane for that heauenlie bodies are eternall and incorruptible but ours are mortall and fraile and therefore betwéene both must be the bodies of spirits as certeine meane things which may somewhat communicate with both the extreames For they notwithstanding that in time they be eternall yet are stirred with affects and motions And further that as there be birds in the aire and fishes in the water euen so in the highest region of the aire and in the fire there be spirits And least we should thinke them altogither idle partlie they are tutors of men and partlie rulers of prouinces that they both bring mens praiers vnto God and also carrie the benefits of God vnto men that of som they be called Meane-gods of some Natiuitie-spirits and of other some House-gods Apuleius Apuleius not the least among the Platonists defineth spirits on this wise He saith that by nature they are liuing creatures by wit reasonable by bodie airie by time eternall and by mind passiue for that they be affected euen as men be Howbeit all they doo not séeme to agrée in this that the bodies of spirits are eternall For Plutarch writing of oracles saith it was reported that Pan the great god once died The opinion of the diuines But the diuines fathers of sound religion doo affirme that there be spirits and not onelie those by whom the celestiall spheres are driuen about but others also And some of them saie that they haue no bodies proper I meane and of their owne whervnto they be so ioined as they can quicken them and yet they may ioine vnto themselues bodies which be none of their owne 10 So all these men doo confesse The summe of all these opinions that woonderfull things are doone by spirits The Peripateticks by celestiall bodies the Platonists by bodies proper vnto spirits and our diuines by spirits sometime taking bodies to them and sometimes without bodies These thrée opinions confesse that there be magicians But the first vnderstand by magicians good and wise men which fitlie can applie things that worke vnto things that suffer such as are philosophers and physicians The Platonists doo not alwaies take the name of magicians in euill part but such as haue familiaritie with spirits And christians and the true professors vnderstand them onelie to be magicians which haue made anie league with diuels and conspire with them against God For there be some spirits good and some bad for some fell at the beginning some remained as they were which thing Homer séemeth to signifie in Ate and others in Ophionaeus And it may be that these things came vnto them by tradition from the fathers although darkened with shadowes and fables A proofe of spirits by the scriptures Wherefore we affirme out of the holie scriptures that there be spirits and a few places of the scriptures I will rehearse For it would be infinite and troublesome to recite all Iob. 1 2. The diuell vexed Iob ouerthrew his houses and destroied his cattell and seruants In the historie of Achab 1. kin 22 22. a lieng spirit
small questions gathered out of the booke De trinitate Adde withall that if the holie Ghost should be said to be begotten then in the trinitie we should appoint two sonnes two fathers For séeing the holie Ghost is as well of the father as of the sonne he should haue them both to be his fathers if it might be said that he is begotten of them yea and if the matter be well considered he might I saie be called both the sonne and sonnes sonne of one and the selfe-same Father For in affirming him to be begotten of the Father he should be called his Sonne but in asmuch as it should be said that he is borne of the Sonne he should be nephew vnto the Father which things be absurd and wholie strange from the scriptures Since the Sonne is called the onlie begotten it may not be said that the holie Ghost is begotten Iohn 1 14. Iohn 3 16. 1. Iohn 4 9. Yea and further to saie that the holie Ghost is begotten the words of the scripture are against it which verie often doo call the Sonne The onlie begotten whereof it followeth that the holie Ghost is not begotten In the first chapter of Iohn it is said We sawe the glorie thereof as the glorie of the onlie begotten of the father And in the third chapter of the same gospell So God loued the world as he gaue his onlie begotten sonne And the same Iohn in his epistle In this the loue of God towards vs appeared that he gaue his onlie begotten sonne Christ as touching his humane nature is called the first begotten Rom. 8 29. And Christ as touching his humane nature hath béene accustomed in the scripture to be called not The onlie begotten of God but The first borne among manie brethren as it appeareth in the epistle to the Romans Howbeit doubtles as touching his diuine nature he hath no brethren There be some which cauill that in the Synod of Nice the holie Ghost was not in expresse words called God but that onlie the Godhead of the sonne was expressed Vnto which obiection Epiphanius answereth Why Epiphanius in the Synod of Nice and other fathers else where haue not expresly named the holie Ghost God that in the Synod of Nice the controuersie was as touching the sonne onlie For Arrius at the first contended onlie against this point And Councels for the most part define not anie other things but such as are called in question yet neuertheles if a man diligentlie examine the matter he shall sée that those things be there defined which doo plainelie inough declare the diuine nature of the holie Ghost For it is there said We beleeue in the holie Ghost and it is not lawfull for one to put his confidence in a creature Moreouer that which was doon in the Synod of Nice was performed in the Synod of Constantinople 18 Also they obiect that among the fathers there were some and especially of the more ancient of them which were slacke in their writings to expresse in plaine words the holie Ghost to be God Among whom Erasmus reckoneth Hilarie Erasmus Hilarie who was thought to be the first among the Latins that wrote against the Arrians This father in his booke De trinitate neuer by expresse words called the holie Ghost God Vnto this obiection we answere that the most ancient fathers in teaching diuine things vsed a singular modestie and did imitate the holie scriptures so much as they could and although they said not in expresse words that the holie Ghost is God yet in the meane time they wrote those things which manifestly prooue his Godhead And further it appeareth that they of set purpose disputed against them which denied the Godhead of the holie Ghost and equalitie of the thrée diuine persons as we sée by the strife that was about the word * Of like substance Homousion A similitude from which manie of the Catholiks at the beginning did restraine themselues bicause it séemed to bée but new and that it was not had in the holie scriptures yet they neuertheles did imbrase and most willingly admit the thing signified Howbeit we striue not about these things but grant first and chéefelie whatsoeuer is in the holie scriptures and then whatsoeuer is necessarilie and manifestlie deriued out of them Next vnto those ancienter sort of fathers did Basil and diuers others succéed which by all meanes both testifie and defend the holy Ghost to be God 19 Others cauill bicause it is written that None knoweth the Father but the Sonne Mat. 11 27. and on the other side None the Sonne but the Father in which places they saie that there is no mention of the holie Ghost and therefore it séemeth vnto them that he knoweth neither the Father nor yet the Sonne that for the same cause he is not God To these also we answer Whether the holie Ghost knoweth the Father and the Sonne that when the knowing of the Father and of the Sonne is attributed to two persons the holie Ghost must not be excluded séeing he is said to be the spirit aswell of the Father as of the Sonne wherfore that which is belonging to both is also common vnto him And if they demand a plaine testimonie hereof out of the scriptures we will bring foorth one out of the first epistle to the Corinth where it is written 1. Cor. 2 11. The things of man none knoweth but the spirit of man which is within him and euen so those things which be of God Matt. 16 17. none knoweth but the spirit of God Also it is written in the gospell Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona The holie Ghost both knoweth the Father and the Sonne and also reuealeth them for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed these things vnto thee but the spirit of my father which is in heauen By these testimonies it is manifest that the holy Ghost dooth not only knowe God but dooth also reueale make him to be known vnto others But this error whereby some indeuor Origins error to rebuke the holie Ghost with an ignorance of heauenlie things tooke beginning frō Origin who affirmed a certeine degrée to be among the natures of Intelligencis so as he though that the Father knoweth himselfe onelie he said that the Sonne did not knowe the Father and that the holie Ghost knew not the Sonne Epiphanius and he would moreouer that the angels perceiue not the holie Ghost and lastlie that men sée not the angels And that this order is set downe by him Epiphanius sheweth out of the booke as he testifieth The booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which booke neuertheles so far as hitherto I remember I haue not read the matter plainlie in such sort described Which is no maruell for that booke which Ruffinus translated Ruffinus hath manie things vnperfect For he plucked out those things which hée thought
Augustine in his 13. book De trinitate the 22. chapter is to be receiued where he wrote on this wise The Angels did trulie eate yet not for néed but to procure conuersation and familiaritie with men Wherefore when as in another text it is said that Raphael did not eate it must not so be vnderstood as though he did not eate at all but that he did not eate after the maner of men But this is speciallie to be noted there What maner of meat was that of Angels that when the Angel answereth that he dooth féed vpon inuisible meate and drinke that spirituall food was nothing else but a perfect and manifest knowledge of the true God and an execution of his diuine will As Christ also said Iohn 4 32. that His meate was to doo the will of his father The verie which also is our meate although not after the same maner for they sée God manifestlie but we by a glasse and in a darke spéech 1. Co. 13 12. 17 We may call Angels both according to the Gréeke and Hebrue name messengers or legats In Gen. 32. at the beginning verelie not as though they should teach God as concerning the affaires of men or any other busines naie rather to the intent that they themselues may be instructed what they ought to minister and shew tidings of Tob. 12 12. Whether Angels do offer our praiers vnto God If so be thou read in the scriptures that they offer vp our praiers this is not doone of them to instruct or teach God in like maner as wée when we praie feruentlie doo not therfore laie before God our calamities as though he were ignorant of them séeing the Lord testifieth of that matter Matth. 6 33 that He knoweth wherof we haue need euen before we aske But by discouering and laieng them open we our selues be the more earnestlie bent to craue the helpe of God And what discommoditie should arise if wée affirme this selfe-same thing to come to passe in Angels These things did Augustine write in his 15. booke De trinitate the 13. chapter And in Enchiridio ad Laurentium the 58. chapter he saith the same thing when he intreateth of the names of Angels which are recited in the first chapter of the epistle to the Colossians Colos 1 16. Let them saie what they can what be thrones dominions principalities and powers so they be able to prooue that they saie And against the Priscillianists and Originists the 11. chapter Archangels saith he perhaps are powers and we denie not but that there is some difference betwéene these To be ignorant of the estate of Angels is no harme to vs. but to be ignorant of such a thing will bring no great danger vnto vs. For there certeinlie are we in danger where we despise the commandements of God or neglect the obedience of him But if thou wilt aske me why the scriptures make mention of these things if the knowing or not knowing of them be of so smal importance He addeth a fit answere namelie that If these things haue béene reuealed to some excellent men they may then knowe that there is nothing prooued for a certeintie which is not found written in the scriptures To which answere I adde also this other Bicause we may be the more humble and not to puffe vp our selues as though we were able to sound vnto the deapth of all that we reade in the canonicall scriptures Gen. 32 1. 18 The Iewes haue noted in the historie of Iacob that the scripture saith not that he went and met with the Angels Whether godlie men be better than Angels but contrariwise that the Angels met with him and that they saie was done for honor sake And thereof they argue further that Iacob and euerie godlie man is more woorthie than Angels Psal 91 11. forsomuch as the person that is met is more honorable than hée that goeth foorth to méete Also he is better which is borne of anie man than he which beareth him But the scripture saith that the Angels doo beare the godlie in their hands least they should hurt their feet against the stones Who so euer is appointed to haue the custodie of another séemeth to be inferiour to him which is kept By which reasons they make Angels inferiour vnto holie men who are called The freends of God But all men doo easilie sée how these reasons of theirs doo prooue For the father and the mother doo beare in their armes their yoong children doo they therfore beare more woorthie than themselues It is said that Christ doth beare all things by the word of his power Hebr. 1 3. but who is so far beside himselfe or deceiued as to iudge that things created be more excellent than the Sonne of God The shepheard when he findeth his shéepe beareth it vpon his shoulders doth he beare a better than himselfe A father a maister and a fréend go foorth vpon the waie to méete with their sonne scholer or fréend returning from perill out of a strange countrie doo they this therefore as vnto their better Men be euerie-where set ouer flocks of shéepe to kéepe them yet are they much better than the shéepe In verie déed the Angels doo all these things not that they are bound to vs but to the intent they may be thankefull vnto God Wherefore the arguments of the Rabbins are vaine and friuolous 19 But vnto this selfe-same purpose there be reasons gathered out of the new Testament For the Apostle saith in the first chapter to the Ephesians Christ being raised vp by his father from death Ephes 1 21. is lifted vp on high far aboue all principalitie and power and dominion and aboue euerie name that is named not onlie in this world but also in the world to come Further in the second chapter he testifieth Ephes 2 6. that God hath taken vs vp togither with him and hath alreadie made vs to sit on the right hand with him whereby it commeth Whether we shall be indued with greater glorie than the Angels that wée are accounted greater than the Angels For if we sit hard by Christ and he no doubt hath ascended aboue all creatures the highest degrée giueth also place vnto vs. Howbeit this is yet a blunt argument for it may be that we shall sit with Christ in glorie taking the saieng generallie It is sufficient that we be partakers of that glorie And it followeth not necessarilie thereof that we shall be superiours vnto the Angels vnlesse that thou wilt vnderstand that the state of men shall then be so absolute perfect as they shall haue no more néed of the helpe of Angels When they shall haue God and Christ present and saluation atteined to what purpose shall there be néed of the ministerie of holie spirits whereof vnderstand this reason If so be that when Christ came and powred out his spirit plentifullie among the faithfull that same
instruction of Angels was not vsed or néedfull vnto diuine things as commonlie it had bin in the old Testament euen so in the euerlasting kingdome where we shall haue Christ reuealed and the father euidentlie knowne vnto vs certeinlie we shall enioie the fellowship of Angels but not vse the ministerie of them But as touching the substance and nature of Angels and of men we cannot certeinelie knowe in what degrée we and they shall be placed in the heauenlie habitation but yet if we respect nature we doubt not but that they are more excellent than we be But who can boldlie either affirme or denie whether the grace and spirit of God shall more abound in some certeine men than in them Neuerthelesse as concerning the place of S. Paule in the second chapter to the Ephesians Ephes 2 6. it sufficeth that his words be true namelie that we as we be and are conteined in our head may be said to sit at the right hand of the father aboue all creatures But afterwards if one would infer thereby that we shall doo the same as touching our owne proper nature or person that cannot be prooued by anie firme argument And Paule vseth things past for things to come to wit that we are alreadie taken vp and sit in heauenlie places and that not without reason that he might make the same more certeine euen as those things be which are past alreadie Or else if we haue respect to the will and decrée of God these things be alreadie done But in the epistle to Timothie the selfe-same things are assigned vnto the time to come when the Apostle saith If we be dead together with Christ 2. Tim. 2 1â— we shall liue together with him If we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him Yet neuerthelesse we must not accuse him of a lie in that he vseth those times that be past in stead of the times to come For whatsoeuer is come to passe in our head we confesse it to be done in vs in so much verelie as we are growne vp together with him Wherefore let none saie If Christ be risen from death if he be carried vp into heauen if he sit at the right hand of God what belongeth this vnto mée Yes doubtles verie much for whatsoeuer hath hapned vnto him thou maiest of good right estéeme that it hath happened to thy selfe Those shall not greatlie trouble vs which by thrones principalities powers and dominions will haue to be vnderstood such princes monarchs magistrates For Paule when he maketh mention of these speaketh manifestlie of Angels of spirits that be aboue whom in the second to the Ephesians Ephe. 2 2. Colo. 2 15. he calleth rulers or guiders of the world and to the Colossians he saith Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers hath led them as it were in open triumph In which place who séeth not that these words doo signifie vnto vs the spirits which be aduersaries vnto God In 1. Cor. 15 verse 14. 20 But whereas it is said in the first to the Corinthians the 15. chapter When he hath put downe all principalitie 1. Cor. 15 verse 14. Chrysost and rule and power these things aswell Chrysostome as diuers other interpretors refer vnto the diuell other wicked spirits being souldiers of his band which I mislike not Albeit if anie will vnderstand them as concerning magistrates and principalities of this world I will not be against it For kings and princes haue the sword to the intent that sinne may be kept in subiection and that innocent subiects may be defended from violence and iniuries which things shall take no place when things shall be set at peace and quietnes by Christ We might also vnder these names comprehend the good Angels which be assigned as ministers and helpers vnto vs while we be here in this miserable life as we read in the epistle to the Hebrues and as Daniel testifieth Heb. 1 14. Dan. 10 13. and 12. 1. Angels be gouernours of kingdoms and gardians of men Mat. 18 10. The cause of the motion of the planets they be set ouer kingdoms and they be the gardians of men séeing Christ said as touching the yoong children Their Angels doo alwaie behold the face of the Father But when the kingdome of Christ shall be fullie appeased then these ministeries shall be superfluous and therfore it is said that they shall be taken awaie Yea and the labours of the sunne moone stars and celestiall bodies shall not be néedfull for therefore are they mooued and kéepe their circuite in the world that they may driue awaie darkenes and cold and bicause that fruits also may be brought foorth for the defense of our infirmitie which béeing perfectlie healed these helps and supportations shall be at rest Wherefore we read in the Reuelation of Iohn that an Angel sware by him that liueth for euer Apoca. 1 5. that hereafter there should be no time anie more which cannot be taken awaie vnles the motions of the heauens be at rest And therefore it is said that all these things shall be abolished if not as touching their substance In what respecâ—s the celestiall bodies shal be abolished yet as touching their gifts and offices which they exercise towards men The same thing also may be said of ecclesiasticall dignities and functions which now indéed further vnto edification but when all things shall be perfect absolute in the elect they shall cease and haue an end Manie things hath Dionysius concerning the signification of the words Principalitie power and dominion but yet such as are spoken onlie of him for among the rest of the fathers there is verie little extant as touching these things and that for good cause for the holie scriptures teach not these things bicause they further not to our saluation Wherefore they A iudgment of bookes ascribed to Dionysius which be of the greatest iudgment in ascribing of bookes to the true authours of them doo not thinke that Dionysius which wrote of these things is that Areopagita the scholer of Paule but some later Dionysius Neither is it likelie to be true that that worke was in estimation long ago séeing that Gregorie except Gregorie who was a Latin man none of the ancient fathers cited those writings I haue heard sometimes diuers saie that these surnames of Angels were commonlie translated by a metaphor taken of the powers of this world and therfore they would that Paule when he happened to make mention of Angels remembred these names as if he should saie Whether they be principalities or dominions And they alleadge the place vnto the Ephesians where it is said Ephe. 1 21. that Christ is set aboue euerie name that is named whether it be in this life or in the life to come But I doo not much allow this iudgement bicause not onlie the Rabbins Orders of Angels Among the celestiall spirits there be orders and offices In Rom
men that be noble rich strong and in honours who neuertheles being wicked thou wilt not call happie Which assuredlie should not come to passe if these things were by themselues causes of happines But if these kinds of good things be taken awaie from honest and wise men they suffer them not to be happie although as it hath béene said those things themselues are not the causes of blessednes But if thou demand whether the good things of the bodie doo also come from fortune I may easilie denie it bicause fortune is affirmed to be one of those causes which rarelie and seldome comes in action for scarselie within a hundred yéere it happeneth that a digger of vine trées or a ploughman chanceth vpon a treasure But it is verie often giuen vnto men euen frō their birth to haue a good constitution of their bodie haue giuen them sound members and sufficient strength to accomplish their actions 30 Another argument is alleged which is much stronger and that is taken from the definition of blessednes And the sense is bicause felicitie is an action and that no smal action of the mind it ought not to be expected of fortune for the nature of minds and of vertues is otherwise than it is of fortune But he saith not absolutelie that blessednes is an action of the mind but he added that it is a certeine kind of action that is to wit a most absolute and most perfect action bicause it procéedeth from a most excellent vertue Hereof dependeth the force of the argument that neither the mind of man nor vertue doo anie action by fortune He againe confirmeth felicitie not to be of fortune bicause he said at the beginning that the end of ciuill facultie is the chéefest good but no man doubteth but that the same facultie worketh not by chance or by fortune And he prooueth that therefore the chéefe end of man belongeth vnto that facultie bicause therein ciuill vertue dooth verie much labour to the end it may make good citizens Wherefore if it vse diligence it cannot be said to deale by fortune For counsell industrie and diligence are altogither repugnant vnto fortune for the ciuill art endeuoureth to make good citizens and to be of excellent conditions singular qualities first by making of good lawes afterward by giuing of honours and rewards to the kéepers and faithfull obseruers of them and on the other side by punishing and kéeping vnder those which doo transgresse them Let vs now bréefelie examine these things by the holie scriptures How these things agree with the holie scriptures how much they agrée with them or how much they dissent from them Aristotle speaketh doubtfullie of God whether he be the authour of felicitie or no. But we constantlie affirme that he is I will saith God vnto Abraham be thine exceeding great reward Gen. 15 1. And least we should suspect that this is naturallie true but not at the will and election of God himselfe there followeth there the making of a couenant wherby he chose to himselfe a certeine people and he couenanted that he would be the God of those that beléeue And Moses who verie well vnderstood that felicitie consisteth herein that God might be vnderstood and séene desired this of God when he said Shew me thy face Exo. 33 13. which also he obteined And Dauid sang Psal 15 12. Pleasures are at thy right hand for euermore And Christ our sauiour who is our God Mat. 11 28. Come saith he vnto me all that labour and are heauie loden and I will refresh you And he said speaking of his shéepe They heare my voice Ioh. 10 28. I giue them eternall life Let this be a full persuasion to euerie one of vs that our felicitie is to be expected and desired of God himselfe As for the exercises customes and doctrines which Aristotle mentioneth in our opinion also must not be contemned naie rather they are commanded vs in euerie place of the scriptures yet not so that they should be the causes of our felicitie Rom. 3 24. For we be fréelie iustified not of works and eternall life is granted fréelie vnto vs. But there be certeine means whereby God dooth lead vs vnto him and to the felicitie which we desire and these means we haue from God himselfe Wherefore it was vpon good cause said by Paule Phil. 2. 13. It is God which giueth vnto vs both to will and to performe But as for fortune much lesse than Aristotle did doo we commit blessednes therevnto as we that thinke that all our dooings are gouerned by the counsell and will of God so as without his will not so much as one heare can fall from our head Luke 21 18. And we thinke this of all other to be most false which is commonlie said of the Ethniks that Euerie wise man frameth to himselfe his owne fortune Aristotle denieth that children can be happie but we on the other side affirme them to be happie séeing Christ said Suffer them to come vnto me Mar. 10 14. he imbraced them with great fauour with singular clemencie We know indéed that they as yet cannot be workers of excellent actions but yet by Christ both originall sin is forgiuen them and a waie vnto eternall life is opened to them Neither doo we grant vnto him that they can not be called happie which are afflicted with great mischances since it may be that they which are trulie blessed doo suffer gréeuous things for the name of Christ neither doo those hard and horrible things which they indure ouerthrowe that blessednes which we men may haue while wée liue héere ¶ Of felicitie and blessednes looke more Part. 2. Cap. 16. Art 26. The xv Chapter Whether anie man can be counted happie while he liueth in this world Out of the com vpon Aristotles Ethiks ARistotle in his first booke of Ethiks disputing whither a man may be accounted happie in this life saith that Since vnto all men though they liue iustlie and well may happen the same things that hapned vnto Priamus Whether anie man can be called happie in this life there is left a doubt whether anie man while he liueth being subiect to so manie alterations can rightlie be called happie And hauing secluded brute beasts and children it séemeth for good cause to be doubted whether any man should be accounted partaker of that blessednes which as it might séeme is not rashlie to be affirmed bicause of the manifold alterations For what sea or riuer is there that can be tossed with so manie stormes that can be disquieted with so manie troublesome tossings as is the life of men which though it be wholie well setled one daie or one vnfortunate night doth not alittle cast it vnder foote yea oft-times vtterlie bring it to naught And not only the bodie is changed which after a sort would be tollerable but also the mind whereby we now learne precepts and now
of vnsensiblenes of gréefe so we also doo not admit the same Yea rather Christ next the prophets the saincts did wéepe and we are commanded to sorrowe with them that sorrowe Aristotle saith that his happie man will neuer commit vile and naughtie things This doo not we pronounce of ours for Dauid fell gréeuouslie and Peter gréeuouslie Those happie men of his cannot soone be repaired but we haue the most readie medicine of repentance and that alwaies at hand In like maner our happie man of those things which are ministred vnto him is able to doo most excellent things according to the state and condition which he hath obteined Wherefore that little mite which the widowe offered was so well pleasing so gratefull and acceptable to God as it excelled the oblations of the rich men Lastlie temporall chances and misfortunes whatsoeuer they be doo the more driue godlie men vnto God and doo drawe them from the world For our men can not be blessed vnlesse they be poore in spirit The xvj Chapter Of Prouidence vpon Genesis the 28. chapter verse 16. In Gen. 28 verse 16. THe Grecians call prouidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrues deriue it from the verbe Hisgiah in the coniugation Hiphil which is To see exactlie and to discerne A definition of prouidence As touching the definition thereof Cicero saith in his booke De inuentione that it is that whereby anie thing to come is forséene before it come to passe Howbeit this definition if it be referred vnto diuine prouidence dooth not expresse it bicause this dooth onlie shew the knowledge of that which is to come and the power of foreknowing But in diuine prouidence is not onelie comprehended the knowledge of the mind of God but also his will and election whereby things are decréed and determined to come to passe rather by one way than another Further there is also a power and ablenes therein to gouerne and direct those things which it is said to foresée for in things there is not onlie found the nature substance of them but also the order wherewith they be knit one with another And the one so reacheth to the other that it helpeth it or is made perfect by it both waies things be well ordeined particularlie as touching themselues each of them are said to be good and generallie as touching order excellent good And that this order is in all things we may prooue it by the nature of order it selfe That there is an order in things Order is defined for it is defined by Augustine to be the disposition of things like and vnlike attributing to euerie one that which belongeth vnto it But no man is ignorant that the parts of the world are diuers and not alike if they be compared one with another Moreouer how conuenientlie each one of them is allotted by God to his owne place proper seate and standing both experience teacheth and the holie scriptures testifie For it is said That God hath set the seas and the waters their bounds Iere 5 22. neither may they passe the limits appointed vnto them Esai 40 12. Further He measureth the aire with his span c. And séeing that so great a benefit of his ought to be ascribed vnto him in respect of his prouidence we may thus define it A true definition of prouidence that It is the meane which God vseth in directing of things to their proper ends In which definition is not onlie comprehended the knowledge but also the will and power of dooing it Wherevpon this that we auouch Paule in the first chapter to the Ephesians hath verie well expressed when he saith Ephes 1 11. Who worketh al things according to the counsell of his will And Cicero in his oration for Milo taught by what tokens this prouidence may be knowne from naturall reason for thus he writeth Neither doubtlesse can anie man iudge otherwise vnlesse it be such a one as thinketh that there is no heauenlie power nor diuine maiestie and whom neither the sunne neither the motions of the heauens and signes thereof neither yet the order and course of all things doo mooue and so foorth The verie selfe-same demonstration Paule describeth in the first chapter to the Romans Rom. 1 â—0 Iob. 12 7. And Iob in the twelfe chapter Aske the cattell and the foules of the aire the fishes of the sea and the plants of the earth and they shall informe thee Also in the 19. psalme The heauens declare the power of God Psal 29 1. Iob. chap. 39. 40. Againe Iob in the 39. and 40. chapters Concerning the goats the harts the horse the Leuiathan and Behemoth 2 Wherefore let it thus be determined Whether al things be ruled by the prouidence of God the order of things declare that these things which be created are not made by chance and at all aduentures wherefore God worketh according to his purpose and vnto his owne prouidence as vnto a certeine generall and chéefe art all things are subiect neither is there anie thing to be found that can escape the same Which neuertheles some are bould to denie who thinke that onelie the chéefe and principall things are committed to the care of God but the residue if they be of small account they attribute to naturall causes if they be of greater importance to angels diuels Which thing a man may sée in the dialog of Plato called Protagoras where the creation of things is so described that some things are granted to Epimetheus to make and some things to Prometheus Yet to the intent that mankind might be well prouided for this only is auouched that it was doone by the works of the gods But in the Gospell we be otherwise taught by Christ Mat. 10 19. All the heares of your head are numbred And Of two sparowes not one of them lighteth vpon the ground without the will of your heauenlie father Againe The Lord himselfe hath looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men But if these men would vnderstand the matter thus as though the prouidence of God extended not it selfe vnto all things after such a sort as it dooth vnto men Prouidence seemes of sundrie respects by reason of the diuers effâ—câ—s in things we would grant it not that the prouidence which is méerelie simple in it selfe should be said to be manifold but bicause the effects which be directed by it are diuers and sundrie therefore it selfe also séemeth to haue diuers respects Wherefore we grant that the prouidence ouer godlie men surmounteth so far as in comparison of them it is said by the Lord vnto them that shall be damned to the foolish virgins I knowe you not Matt. 25 12. and so is it ouer men more than ouer vnreasonable creatures And by a liuelie faith of this prouidence The vse of prouidence we reape manie commodities and especiallie a comfort in aduersitie
and laid the foundations of predestination but of it we will intreate an other time when opportunitie shall serue ¶ I knowe I am misreported that I make God to be the author of sinne but that is not true as it shall plainlie appeare But I onlie indeuour by my doctrine to shew how the scriptures must be vnderstood when they seeme so to affirme Also what Augustine ment who said that God bendeth the wils of men aswell vnto good as vnto euill And in like maner how Zuinglius Oecolampadius and other great learned men professors of the Gospell must be vnderstood when they seeme to auouch the same The .xvij. Chapter Whether God be the Author of sinne out of the second booke of Sam. the 16. chapter verse 22. Looke in Iud. 3 9. and 9 24. and 2. Sam 2 27. and 1. Kings 22 21. and In Rom. 1. 23. IT remaineth now that we intreate of the question In 2. Sam. 17. verse 22. Whether God be the author of sinne For aswell the curse of Semei 2. Sa. 16 10. as the defiling of Dauids concubins â—… 12 â—1 may séeme at the first vew to procéed from God For as touching the curse Dauid him selfe said that it came from God And as touching the adulterie of Dauids concubins it was spoken by Nathan vnder the person of God Wherefore it may verie well be called in controuersie whether God be the author of sinne Arguments inferring God not to be the author of sin And trulie there are verie manie and strong arguments of both sides a good part of them I will recite vnto the which all the rest may be referred God can not trulie rightlie be said to be the cause of sinne Excellent is the sentence of Augustine in his booke of 83. questions God is not the author of anie thing whereby a man becommeth the woorse But no man doubteth that men are the woorse through sinne Therfore God can not properlie be called the author of sinne It is not likelie that God will deforme man artificers desire to adorne their works Further God him selfe generallie in the scripture professeth him selfe a reuenger of sinnes If he be a reuenger he is no author for then he should punish his owne If he were trulie the cause of sinne he should condemne that which he made which thing is absurd Thirdlie it is said that He loueth those things which he made and hateth nothing that he hath made But he testifieth that he did hate sinne therefore he dooth not inforce to sinne To hate and to loue are contrarie wherefore both can not be spoken of one thing at one and the selfe same time If he hate sinne then he loueth it not but if so be it were of God it should be beloued for God loueth those things which he made If God were the cause of sinne he in the bringing foorth of sinne should sinne he that stealeth is a théefe he that committeth murther is a manqueller but far be it from God that he should be either said to sinne or to be a sinner What is else to sinne but to straie from the right end But God is infinite and can not be lead awaie from the end by another greater force He is not ignorant that he can straie from the end for he is most wise And that he him selfe should cause others to sinne it séemeth to be absurd Let vs consider what is doone among these naturall things created by God There be manie efficient causes it séemeth that euerie efficient cause coueteth to make that like vnto it selfe whereabout it worketh Fire if it take hold vpon wood so worketh as those things wherevpon it worketh may be made like vnto it selfe a man dooth procreate a man Thus in things created doo agents worke whie shall we not saie that in Gods dooings his indeuour is to make like vnto him selfe and that therefore he sinneth not The holie scriptures teach vs the same they bring in lawes which stirre vp good works but sinnes at no time If God should prouoke sinne or would it to be doone he should séem to be an hypocrite he should closlie and secretlie doo another thing than he openlie pretendeth Ieremie spake of false prophets Iere. 23 21. They ranne but I sent them not they prophesied and I spake not with them namelie that they should speake this thing Oseas saith Ose 13 9. Thy saluation ô Israel is of me thy perdition is of thy selfe But no man is ignorant that sinne is the cause of perdition If perdition were of Israel then sinne also but saluation and whatsoeuer goeth before saluation is of God If saluation and perdition being the effects be thus distinguished the causes also must be distinguished the one to be of God and the other of man Sin shall procéed of men and vertues of God More manifest is that which is written in the eight chapter of Iohn where Christ speaking of the diuell saith Iohn 8 44. When he speaketh lies he speaketh of his owne if of his owne he hath no néed to be stirred vp of another And againe Iohn 3 13. This is the condemnation of man that light came into the world but they loued darkenes more Iames testifieth Iames. 1 13. that God tempteth no man But by temptation men are prouoked vnto sin wherefore if God were the cause of sin it might not be said that he tempteth not anie man It is concupiscence whereby we be tempted and that is not of God but of the world 2 In the second of Paralipomenon the last chapter there is a speciall place 2. Par. 36 verse 15. where the cause of the destruction of Ierusalem is giuen and ascribed to the sins of the people and in such sort it is so disprooued that God is the author of sin as God testifieth that he would it otherwise wherefore the cause must not be laid vpon God He sent his prophets saith hée betimes in the morning but they hardened their hart Christ wept ouer the citie of Ierusalem he was sorie for the ouerthrowe thereof If the effect displeased him much rather did the cause he wept bicause they so sinned as they deserued vtter destruction If Christ wept who not onelie was man but verie God also he was displeased with sins therefore God is not the authour of sinne Neither can it be affirmed that God is the cause of sin vnlesse we will charge him with tyrannie in that he condemneth men for their sins bicause they haue done wickedlie whome yet after a sort he hath led vnto wickednes Tyrants are woont to set foorth lawes and then to prouide cunninglie that their subiects may commit some thing against those lawes whereby they may punish them Moreouer the scripture attributeth vnto God the iudgement ouer all flesh Gen. 18 25. Iere. 25 31. but how shall he iudge the world of sin if he himselfe haue bin the author of sin In the third chapter to the Romanes
himselfe To the 15. We saie that God shall iustlie iudge the world for what wickednes soeuer men doo they doo it against the lawe of God they doo it willinglie and of their owne accord not by constraint and The spirit of God shall reprooue the world of iudgement of sinne c. Besides this it was inferred To the 16. that by this meanes it would followe that there be wils in God one repugnant to another We answer that in GOD as concerning his nature there is but one absolute and onelie will which is the essence and nature of God but yet The will of God is manifold if we consider moreouer the sundrie obiects it may be called manifold In respect of his commandements it is iust good and one onelie but in respect of men some it promoteth and other some it iustlie depriueth of Gods fauour But they be no repugnant wils bicause they be not occupied about one thing Certeinlie such things as be repugnant it behooueth that they be referred to the selfe-same subiect A father hath two sonnes his will is that the one should attend vnto learning and the other not But be there two wils of the father No forsooth it is but one and he dooth rightlie so he doo it vpon good consideration Iames. 4 15. Moreouer Iames in the fourth chapter saith Ye say We will go into such a citie ye ought rather to saie If God will we will doo this or that thing Wherefore the will of God is not onelie as touching the lawe and commandements but it is also concerning those things which be dailie doone of men And that will belongeth not to the commandements for these things are not conteined in the decalog and they after a sort be things indifferent Verie well did Augustine write in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence in the 102. chapter The omnipotent God whether through his mercie he haue pittie vpon whom he will or through his iudgement shall iudge whom he will dooth nothing vniustlie neither dooth he otherwise than with his will Afterward it was said If he should be a cause of sinne to what end tend so manie warnings and so manie obtestations of his To the 17. by the sonne of God by the prophets and apostles We saie that these things are not doone in vaine naie rather they bring profit and vtilitie Admonitions are not vnprofitable First they which admonish rebuke and exhort do obeie the commandements of God who would this to be doone But thou wilt saie It will not profit me the euent must be committed vnto God Further these things doo profit the saints which are predestinated though it appéere not presentlie yet in some case they haue their fruit doubtles they make the vngodlie the lesse excusable Of this matter reade in the booke of Augustine De correctione gratia for these things were also obiected to him To the 18. 27 It was argued that If the matter should be on this wise all difference betwéene good and euill would be taken awaie all things without exception should be the works of God as the Libertines doo saie We grant that if God were verelie the cause of sinnes the Libertines should saie rightlie but their opinion is detestable To the rest of the arguments The iudgement of consciences would be taken awaie inward accusations and repentance would be dispatched a windowe would be opened vnto mischéefes giuing of thanks would be withdrawne for we would delight in sinne and a great deale of the estimation of God would be lost All these things be most true but they make not against vs for we affirme not God to be trulie the cause of sinne Lastlie was brought foorth that God would haue all men to be saued 1. Tim. 2 4. if he will this he vseth good meanes not euill therefore he is not the cause of sinne We most plainelie confesse that God is not properlie the cause of sin but yet out of this place I affirme with Augustine in his Enchiridion the 103. chapter How God would haue all men to be saued that the sentence must not be so absolutelie vnderstood as though there were not some which God would not haue to be saued This sentence saith he is thus ment God hath his elect among euerie state condition of men so in this respect he accepteth not the person He calleth kings and priuate men bond men frée men man and woman And excellentlie well dooth this interpretatiō agrée with the place of Paule He had commanded to praie for princes but some man might haue thought that the condition of them was such as saluation should be repugnant therewith In no wise saith he God hath his elect among euerie kind of men The like reason he bringeth there out of the 23. chapter of Matthew Matth. 23. 23. and Luk. 11 42. Yee tyth mint and rue euerie herbe that is all kinds of herbs that are among you not which be in India and Europe for how could they tyth herbes of all the world From which opinion disagréed not he that was author of the booke De vocatione gentium which they attribute vnto Ambrose For he saith that God hath his generalitie Generall propositions must be restrained wherfore he iudgeth that this generall proposition must so be restrained as if it were said that God would haue them to be saued which belong vnto his flocke and number euen as when it is said All shall be taught of God And againe Esai 54 13. Luke 3 6. All flesh shall see the saluation of God An other waie whereby Augustine vnderstandeth this place is euen there also We vnderstand saith he that none shall be saued but such as God will haue to be saued As if thou shouldest saie A Grammarian is at the citie of Tigurie which teacheth grammar vnto all he saith not all the citizens but that there is none which is taught grammar whom he teacheth not And so likewise he vnderstandeth that place He lightneth euerie one that commeth into this world that is Iohn 1 9. How manie soeuer be lightened are lightened by this word But that he would all men absolutelie to be saued he saith it is not true For in the eleuenth of Matthew it is written Wo be to thee Chorazin Matt. 11 21. Wo be to thee Bethsaida for if the miracles that were doone in the citie of Tyre and Sidon had beene doone in you they had long agoe repented of their wickednes in sackcloth and ashes Christ would not shew foorth the power of miracles among them who he said would haue repented if they had béene shewed foorth And he addeth Expound it which waie ye will so we be not compelled to beléeue that God omnipotent would haue some thing to be doone and is not doone when as the truth speaketh that All things Psal 135 6. whatsoeuer he would haue doone in heauen and earth he hath doone surelie what he would
accused all mankind Rom. 3 10. as he said There is none iust there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God all haue declined and are altogither become vnprofitable there is none that dooth good no not one c. All which things sufficientlie declare the deprauation of mans nature By these testimonies of the scriptures it sufficientlie appéereth as I thinke that there is originall sin 4 Next of all I should confute the arguments of the aduersaries but first I thought it good to shew the definition of originall sinne for the same being diligentlie weighed knowen manie things will in the meane time be knowen which serue for the confutation of their reasons First we will recite the opinions of other men then we will declare what we thinke thereof The Pelagians affirmed The Pelagians saie that the sin of Adam is spred by imitation onelie that the sinne of Adam did not spread abroad into the posteritie but by imitation onelie Against these Augustine disputed vehementlie and by manie arguments shewed that orginall sinne is not onelie by the imitation of Adams sinne For if Paule would haue said From Adam flowed sinne and from the diuell came the example of sinning Rom. 5 12. Iohn 8 41. and 44. that the first sin had bin spred abroad after this maner he would not haue said that it came from Adam but rather from the diuell for he was the first that gaue a forme and example of sinning Wherefore Christ in the Gospell of Iohn said that the Iewes which boasted that they came of their father Abraham were rather the sonnes of the diuell bicause they did his works For the diuell was a manqueller euen from the beginning and they sought to kill him which had not deserued euill at their hands And herewithall Augustine citeth that which is in the second chapter of the booke of Wisedome verse 24. that Through the enuie of the diuell sinne entred into the world and that they which are of his part doo imitate him Vnto which saieng neuertheles I doo not attribute much partlie bicause that booke is not of the canonicall scriptures and partlie bicause in the Gréeke text there is some ambiguitie For this verbe Doo imitate is not there written but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Haue experience of that death Howbeit the reason is firme that of the diuell came the first example of sinning Further this opinion is hereby confuted in that Paule maketh an Antithesis betwéen Christ and Adam Rom. 5 18. But the righteousnes of Christ is not onelie set foorth vnto vs to be imitated We must not onelie imitate Christs righteousnes but must bee changed in mind but also that they which beléeue in him should bée changed in mind corrected in spirit and amended in all their strength Wherefore on the other side it is required by the nature of contraries that besides the ill example which Adam gaue vnto his posteritie he hath also infected their nature and as Augustine writeth in his booke De peccatorum meritis remissione hath with a certeine corruption depraued Thirdlie this also maketh against the Pelagians that euen the verie infants doo die For as Paule saith vnto the Romans the sixt chapter verse 23. The reward of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And in the 15. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians The weapons saith he of death is sinne Lastlie verse 56. the baptisme which is giuen to yoong children cannot blot out of them the sinne of imitation Wherefore we ought of necessitie to affirme some other kind of sinne to be in them The sinne of imitation cannot be wiped out by baptisme vnlesse we will that they be baptised in vaine 5 Another opinion was that which the Maister of the sentences citeth in the 2. booke the 33. distinction of them which thought that originall sinne is onelie a guilt or trespasse or bond wherevnto we are tied by the sinne of Adam So they acknowledge not that there is trulie in verie déed anie fault or sinne in those which are borne but onelie a certeine offense and obligation the which might cause them to die be condemned for the sinne of Adam This opinion Pighius séemeth in a maner to haue reuiued for he denieth that originall sinne is sinne indéed bicause it is neither a transgressing of the lawe nor yet voluntarie and therefore he affirmed the same to be nothing else Pighius maketh originall sinne rather a bond than a sinne Death he saith coms of the originals of nature but the sinne of Adam for the which we that be his posteritie are made subiect vnto damnation and death are become exiles from the kingdome of heauen But as for death and afflictions of this life and lusts of the flesh and other such like affections he saith that they come of the well-springs of nature All which things so far is he from calling sinnes as he pronounceth them to be the works of God for he saith that GOD is the author of nature and that these things followe the humors and temperature of the bodie and that which we sée happeneth in brute beasts happeneth also in men as touching the flesh and grosser powers of the mind For they doo desire such things as are preseruatiue pleasant and profitable whether they be agréeable to reason or against it to auoid those things that be contrarie Wherefore he affirmed originall sinne to be the onelie transgression of Adam in the danger of which one transgression he would haue vs all to be borne not for anie sinne or fault or corruption that we haue in our selues He beleeueth that this sinne shall be punished without sensible paine And he saith moreouer that those which die onlie in the danger of that sinne of Adam shall not be afflicted in an other life with sensible paine for he imagineth although he dare not boldlie affirme it that they shall either in this world or else in some other pleasant place be happie with a certeine naturall blessednes wherein they shall liue praising of God and giuing of thanks although they be banished from the kingdome of heauen Of which discommoditie neuertheles as he dreameth they shall nothing complaine or be sorrowfull for it for this were to striue against the will of God which a man cannot doo without sinne But forsomuch as while they liued here they had no naughtie will it is not to be thought that they shall haue it in an other life And that they shall not be pressed with sensible paine it séemeth to himselfe Note two reasons of Pighius on the behalfe of infants that he verie well prooueth and that by two reasons first bicause they committed no euill nor yet contaminated themselues with anie naughtinesse secondlie bicause there is required in this life no repentance or contrition for originall sinne And for this feigned deuise he hath
all the godlie doo affirme that in death there is a féele of Gods wrath Therfore by nature it selfe it bringeth in gréefe and quaking feare which thing both Christ himselfe when he praied in the garden and also manie other holie men haue declared But if there be anie vnto whom it is pleasant and delectable to die and to be loosed from life this haue they by some other meanes and not thorough the nature of death And Paule vnto the Corinthians saith that Death is the sting of sin 1. Co. 15 56 for death should not be able otherwise to doo anie thing in vs vnlesse it did consume vs by sinne Wherefore they which vaunt Al sinnes in their owne nature are to be called mortall Sinnes are not all of equall degree Of barrennes hunger drith inundations plague such like causes of calamities Looke 1. King 8 37. Gen. 26 verse 7. that originall sinne is onelie a certeine féeblenes which cannot condemne a man those doo neither vnderstand the nature of sinne nor yet this sentence of the apostle Besides this if that death flowe out of sinne all sinnes in their owne nature must be called mortall for in that GOD imputeth not some sinnes vnto vs that coms not to passe through a lightnes of sinnes but through his mercie for there cannot be so light a sinne which bringeth not destruction vnles the mercie of God put it selfe among Howbeit we doo not therefore saie with the Stoikes that all sinnes are alike for we knowe that Paule describeth certeine sinnes vnto vs which be so gréeuous that they exclude men out of the kingdome of heauen How by Sinne all things are subiect vnto vanitie 52 But the reuelation of vs is waited for of all creaturs bicause in the meane time In Rom. 8. Euerie creature expecteth the reuelation of our glorie while the same is deferred euerie creature is subiect vnto vanitie Indéed this place of Paule is somwhat hard howbeit I thinke this sense to be plaine enough that generallie euerie creature is in a gréeuous state The creatures doo labour for our cause till our redemption and vnto the time of our full redemption is toiled with troublesome labours For the earth is for our sake subiected vnto the cursse and bringeth foorth thornes and briers and to nourish vs repaireth fruits which euer among are falling to decaie and is compelled for our sinnes to suffer ruines and destructions The aire is become vnwholesome sometimes it is frosen with colds sometimes inflamed with heats sometimes it is couered ouer with clouds sometime with raine Liuing creatures of all sorts are brought foorth and die for our reléefe The celestiall spheres are continuallie mooued they go downe they rise they suffer eclipses the moone waneth and increaseth At the death of Christ the light of the sunne was darkened and when Christ shall come to iudge as the euangelists declare the powers of heauen shall trauell Further euerie creature is constreined to serue the wicked and to become subiect to their abuses Ose 2 8. which the prophet Ose in his second chapter declareth The Israelites ascribed the good things of this world which they abused not vnto the true God as they should haue doone but vnto Baal to him they gaue thanks and him onlie they called vpon Wherefore God being angrie Ose 2 9. said I will take awaie my wine and mine oile and I will set at libertie my wooll my flax that they should not couer thy shame By which words the prophet sheweth that when creatures are taken awaie from the vngodlie they are set at libertie that they should not be compelled to serue the wicked anie more Augustine in his 83. booke of questions and 67. question dooth otherwise interpret this place for by Euerie creature he vnderstandeth men euen as it is also taken in the Gospell for so Christ saith Mar. 16 15. Preach ye the Gospell vnto euerie creature And this therefore is conuenient vnto man bicause in him as in a certeine litle world are comprehended all kinds of things In man are comprehended all kinds of things Although the same Augustine denieth not but that these words maie be otherwise also expounded But this he warneth vs to beware that we doo not foolishlie thinke that the sunne moone and starres and the angels aboue doo sigh and grone which some haue not bin ashamed to imagine We must confesse saith he that the holie angels doo seruice vnto vs at the commandement of God but séeing they be now in blessed state and doo behold the face of the father doubtlesse mourning and sorrowing for our sakes is not conuenient for them lest peraduenture they might séeme to be in worse state than Lazarus in the bosome of Abraham Rom. 8 20. We must not thinke that the moone sun or angels do properlie grone Herevnto adde that Paule saith Euerie creature is subiect vnto vanitie and doth not onelie sigh and grone but also shal be deliuered from the bondage of corruption all which things cannot fall vpon the nature of angels But saith Augustine We must not rashlie pronounce anie thing The angels are not subiect either to vanitie or corruption it sufficeth if we beware of the absurd and the fond opinions of heretiks which haue falselie and vnaduisedlie vttered manie things touching the groning and mourning of creatures in which words I thinke that the Manicheis among others are noted The Manicheis did impiouslie fable manie things of the groning of creatures 53 But to speake somewhat touching the opinion of Augustine whereby he thought that by Euerie creature are to be vnderstood Men I consider that all mankind is to be diuided into two parts so that of men some be godlie and some vngodlie Then it must be sought whether of these doo with so great a desire wait for the reuelation of the sonnes of God Of mankind there be two sorts the godlie and the wicked I thinke it will not be said that the vngodlie doo wait for it for they be nothing carefull for that which shall happen in the world to come Wherefore there remaineth onlie the godlie who séeing they be such The vngodlie are not carefull of the glorie to come out of doubt they must be called the sonnes of God And so it will follow that those onlie be the sonnes of God which doo wait for the reuelation of the sonnes of God and so they shal be all one The sonnes of God desire the glorie to come which both desire and be also desired But it séemeth that Augustine was not herof ignorant for he saith The sons of God séeing they be now oppressed with sundrie cares and troubles doo couet earnestlie for a better state which they hope shal be one daie reuealed The which happeneth often times that they which be in heauinesse and hard state doo earnestlie desire that a quieter state maie once be granted vnto them But if we consider those
had them to make peace with the Chananites of their owne accord but it is added Vnlesse they had demanded peace but they alone desired it This therefore is not against the commandement of God especiallie séeing they not onlie did receiue the religion of the Israelites but also were appointed for perpetuall seruice vnto the tabernacle Also the Israelites thought themselues to be deceiued by their owne fault bicause they had not taken counsell from the mouth of the Lord. The promise which Dauid made was not lawfull namelie that a wicked man should be spared Therefore it is no maruell if afterward he warned Salomon that this euill might be amended 13 But verie manie doo doubt In 1. kin 8. verse 31. Whether an oth must be giuen vnto him that is suspected of periurie whether it be lawfull to offer an oth vnto him which is suspected of periurie and by great coniectures is thought that he will be forsworne For not onelie sinnes must be auoided but also there must be no occasions of sinning offered vnto our neighbours To this I answer It is necessarie for vs to ponder that they which offer an oth be not all of one sort Wherfore if they be iudges that doo it and that the order of lawe require that an oth should be offered in obeieng of the lawe they sinne not Let them commit the matter vnto God and diligentlie warne him of his dutie vnto whom they offer the oth For as it hath béene said the lawe of God in Exodus commanded that in certeine cases an oth should be taken This if the iudge obserue it can not rightlie be said that he giueth a true occasion of periurie But if so be the oth shall be voluntarie to wit betwéene priuate persons it must not be offered to such a man as vpon iust cause is suspected of periurie For it is not lawfull to anie man for his owne aduantage sake to prouoke an other man vnto sinne As touching priuate conclusions bargains and couenants let them be omitted rather than for our sakes the name of God should be made a iesting stocke 1. kin 8 31. Wherefore that which Salomon desireth is holie and iust namelie that euill may be taken awaie from the people and that men may be terrified from taking of the name of the Lord in vaine either by denieng of a truth or affirming a falsehood by the testimonie of his name King Salomon desired nothing but that he knew God himselfe did like of For in the ten commandements it is written Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for God will not account him innocent that so dooth but will gréeuouslie punish him as one that is guiltie That this might come to passe Salomon desired and especiallie vnto them that forsware themselues in that house which he had latelie builded The oths which as I said were taken were accustomed to be doone ouer against the altar of sacrifice that is in the court of those men that were cleane But the oth of prophane persons which commonlie they call the laitie was doone at the wall whereby the court of the priests was seuered from the same Whie an oth was inuented and how inuiolablie it should be kept Certeinelie an oth was inuented for the honour and glorie of the name of God and was commanded in the lawe So then it is the part of a good prince to be verie circumspect that it fall not out otherwise namelie to the contumelie and iniurie of God And therfore Salomon is to be commended when he praieth that the honour due vnto the name of GOD might remaine entire and that euerie mans owne so far foorth as is possible might be rendered vnto him and that the lawe of laieng to pledge or of stealing or of dooing harme might be kept inuiolate But at the first shew it séemeth that Salomon did not the office of a godlie king bicause he desireth iustice and damnation vnto sinners To this may be answered that he likewise on the other side desireth good things vnto those that were innocent namelie that right iudgement might be ministred vnto them and that God would defend their cause Further it must be considered that the glorie of God and publike safetie is to be preferred before the commodities of priuate men But God hath delt much more seuerelie against periurie The seuere chastisement of periurie verse 3. as it is in the sixt chapter of Leuiticus for there he not onelie condemned the periured man but also all those which being priuie of the periurie held their peace For the lawe commanded that they which for a certeintie knew that an oth was falslie taken shuld in stepping forth reueale the same that the name of God might not be had in derision Wherefore Salomon praieth God that he will heare it out of heauen The seuenth Chapter The fourth precept of sanctifieng the sabboth daie In Gen. 2 at the beginning IN the seuenth daie God finished his worke which he had made not that he created anie thing the seuenth daie but that so farre forth as our vnderstanding reacheth it might be knowne that he finished all things the seuenth daie when as we knowe that there was nothing made by him vpon that daie Some thinke that the letter Caph which is added vnto Iod dooth signifie Before and they cite the place out of the 25. chapter of Deuteronomie verse 4. Thou shalt not moosill the oxe before the treading out of the corne But it prooueth it not bicause héere we may also vnderstand it in the treading out Howbeit héere in verie déed there is no question for the same consummation perfection or finishing of cretures is not anie worke added to things created the sixt daie but that on this seuenth daie the things are noted to haue béene finished and made perfect In that he rested the seuenth daie vnderstand it not from labour but from the worke of creating For Rest may betoken two things How the word rest is to be vnderstood either the end and termination of that which is doone and so it is taken in this place or else as a refreshing after labour which thing must not be ascribed vnto God for without anie maner of labour did he create the world But as the Hebrues saie in the letter He which is vttered with a breth onelie By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hoste of them with the breath of his mouth verse 6. The number of seuen Psalme 33. Let vs héere passe ouer the mysteries of the number of seuen wherewith vndoubtedlie God is delighted séeing he hath comprised in that number the great and noble things which he made and commanded And this onelie let vs note that of euerie seuen daies one must be reserued vnto God How did God cease from working Ioh. 5 17. séeing he now also worketh Yea and he is a pure and méere act neither is that most
which he commanded by Moses that We should honour our parents And this honour consisteth not onelie in vncouering our heads vnto them or in giuing them place but he would that they should be nourished and maintained by their children And how much we are bound to the rest of our neighbours in communicating of our goods verse 13. Paule declareth in the second to the Corinthians the eight chapter where he wrote that we must communicate our goods vnto the poore yet not so as those which are poore should liue at ease and abound and the giuers themselues to want Indéed we owe vnto God both our selues and all that we haue but he dealeth with vs according to right and equitie and as he is a mild father so he sheweth this equitie or moderation Wherefore the matter is so to be determined as that which Elias demanded that which the widowe granted vnto him we must vnderstand to be a prerogatiue or priuilege beside the common lawe and ought not to be taken as an example for vs. 6 But Christ in the 23. of Matthew In 2 King 5 verse 13. forbad that we should call vnto vs manie maisters in earth bicause we haue one master Iesus Christ so likewise he forbad vs to procure anie other fathers vpon the earth saue onlie the heauenlie father Wherefore that custome séemeth not to be allowable 2. King 5 13 wherein the seruants of Naaman called their lord Father Héerevnto we saie that the words of the Lord must not be absolutelie vnderstood but his mind and meaning must be considered For it ought not to be doubted but that Christ himselfe appointed his apostles to teach and instruct as well the Iewes as the Gentils But it would be verie ridiculous and I may saie a follie to giue the thing it selfe and to take awaie the title and name Neither may Paule be accused of sacrilege when he saith that he was appointed by God to be the teacher and maister of the Gentils 1. Tim. 2 7. Yea moreouer he maketh himselfe the father of the Corinthians and also the father of Timothie Phil. 2 22. in the second chapter to the Philippians And although he was not ignorant that Christ is the pastor of the flocke of the faithfull yet he teacheth that in the church there be pastors and doctors Ephes 4 11. Neither haue men arrogantlie challenged vnto themselues the name of father but haue as it were by inspiration receiued such a title offered vnto them For the lawe dooth earnestlie command that children should obeie their parents Exod. 20 12 which if they shall doo it promiseth great benefits But on the other side if they will despise them it pronounceth gréeuous cursses and execrations against them That therefore which Christ pronounced in Matthew either represseth the ambition of men which vainlie and ambitiouslie sought after such trifles or else forbiddeth them to be maisters and fathers who obscure the honor of God and his honour while they teach and preach other things than GOD and Christ either taught or preached and doo seuer the honour of parents and maisters from the honour of God and of Christ Otherwise they be fathers and maisters but yet in God and also in Christ For euen as of Christ dependeth all kindred and paternitie as it is said in the epistle to the Ephesians the third chapter so all the doctrine of the maisters of the church ought to depend of the dignitie of Christ onelie Howbeit so far as I remember Christ is not anie where in the historie of the Gospell called father Wherefore he saith in the Gospell of Iohn Iohn 14 13 Ye call me maister and Lord and rightlie for so I am Also the apostles as we read in the Acts were not called fathers onlie that Paule as I warned before named himselfe a father But at this daie among them of the church there is no measure or end of titles They are not onelie called fathers but Most reuerend Most excellent Right honourable Most holie and Most blessed Howbeit the greater titles that are giuen them by the doting world the more abiect they are in the sight of God yea and of all vnhappie men most miserable Of Ambition 7 Ambition is an ouermuch desire of honour And honour is that reuerence In Iudg. 9 verse 5. which is yéelded vnto anie man What is ambition and honour for a testimoniall of his excellencie And a testimonie is giuen to him euen of right for it is méet that we somewhat recompense them which helpe and mainteine vs Excellent men are iustlie recompensed and are furnished with the gifts of God And there is nothing that we hold more woorthie or better than honour Moreouer we giue them honour that they and their like may go forward to exercise themselues the longer and more constantlie in helping and preseruing of others Besides this that we yéelding such a reuerence may get them authoritie wherby they may the more aptlie and commodiouslie execute their office Hereby it appéereth It is lawfull for godlie men to receiue honours offered them that it is lawfull also euen for holie men sometime to imbrace the honours which are giuen vnto them for vertue learning and godlinesse sake For they both desire and allow of that which is iust and doo reioise that men performe that good which GOD would by his lawe haue doone And his commandement is that we honour our father mother magistrate and such like So as if men obeie his commandements godlie men cannot but take it with a thankfull mind Furthermore if it should not thus be doone their ministerie would be contemned but that must by all maner of meanes be auoided And forsomuch as we are prone to pride hautinesse and arrogancie therefore it behooueth to take verie warie héed that through the desire of honour how iust soeuer it may be we abuse it not And thus I purposed to note those things which I iudge méet to be taken héed of in this matter First Cautions to be vsed in admitting of honours that we repose not our selues in this kind of good thing as the chéefe end Whatsoeuer we doo must be directed vnto God and speciallie that honour which is giuen vnto vs when we rightlie and orderlie doo our duties so that thereby both we our selues may knowe and also may teach others to glorifie God and not men in their works This moreouer hath Christ commanded that we should so order our works as thereby those that sée them may glorifie God Matth. 5 16 the heauenlie father Neither ought it to mooue vs which is commonlie spoken that Honour is the reward of vertue Honour is not in verie deed the reward of vertues For that is not to be vnderstood neither as touching the vertues themselues nor as touching the men which be adorned with them For it should be verie ill with either of them if they had no other end prescribed than honour
Christ himselfe although by his death he was to deliuer mankind yet did he neuer offer to kill himselfe but tarried to be slaine by others 2. Sam. 1 16 And when the Amalechit had said that he stood vpon the bodie of Saule while he was dieng and did presse him downe that he might die the more easilie Dauid answered Thou art the sonne of death But if it had béene lawfull for Saule to haue killed himselfe how could the yoong man which hastened his death be worthie of death For it is lawfull for one to helpe an other in an honest matter and especiallie his prince And if the lawe forbid thée to kill an other man it much rather forbiddeth thée to kill thy selfe sith that which is not lawfull for thée to doo to an other is vnlawfull for thée to doo to thy selfe Whence the rule of charitie must be taken For the rule of charitie must be taken from that charitie wherewith we loue our selues Furthermore thou killest either an offender or an innocent If innocent thou dooest iniurie to the lawe if an offender yet art thou iniurious against the lawe for thou bereauest thy selfe of time to repent And if so be God would suffer thée that thou mightest repent surelie thou that art not a magistrate oughtest to suffer thy selfe Thus much out of the holie scriptures Augustine Arguments out of the fathers 12 Augustine in his first booke De ciuitate Dei from the sixt chapter vnto the 20. disputeth hereof at large And the cause whie he wrote these things in so manie words was for that when the barbarous nations after the sacking of Rome did iniurie vnto yoong maidens and matrons manie rather killed themselues than they would abide such things But Augustine counselled that they should not so doo And in the 17. chapter he saith that It is not lawfull for anie to kill themselues either for obteining of good things or for auoiding of euill for it is murther which is forbidden by the lawe of God And Iudas Matt. 27 5. when he killed himselfe vndoubtedlie did slaie a wicked man yet is he guiltie saith he not onelie of the death of Christ but of his owne also The same father in the second booke and 19. chapter against Petilianus Thou saist saith he that a traitor hath perished by an halter and for such hath left the halter As if Petilianus would saie that it is lawfull for a christian man to reuenge his owne sinne vpon himselfe and they which would so doo should be accounted for martyrs But we saith Augustine account not such to be martyrs The same father in his 60. epistle and in the 204. dooth much more plentifullie dispute of this matter Ierom in his epistle to Marcella Ierom. concerning the death of Blesilla vnder the person of God saith I receiue not such soules which against my will went foorth of their bodies And those philosophers which so did he calleth the martyrs of foolish philosophie The same father vpon Ionas saith that It is not our part to plucke death to vs violentlie but when the same is offered to take it patientlie except saith he it be where chastitie is in danger Chrysost Chrysostome vpon these words of the first chapter to the Galathians He hath deliuered vs out of this wicked world Gal. 1 4. If so it were saith he that this life were euill they should not doo euill which kill themselues but we saie that they be wicked and woorse than murtherers The canons condemne those also which geld themselues And those canons which be called The canons of the apostles Canons of the apostles doo call such men murtherers of themselues But and if it be not lawfull for one to geld himselfe much lesse is it lawfull to kill himselfe But yet it must be noted that it is not there ment of them which for disease are cut by the Physician 13 Herevnto also agrée the better sort of the philosophers The better I saie Arguments out of the philosophers and poets Plato bicause I knowe that there were manie as Cleanthes Empedocles Zeno and others which slue them selues Plato in Phaedone saith that This thing for two causes is not lawfull First bicause it is not lawfull to slaie the seruant of an other and that all we be the seruants of God Secondlie for that soldiers be condemned if they forsake their station without their emperors commandement He saith that God hath set vs as it were in a station wherefore he that without his commandement shall leaue his place is a traitor Aristotle in the fift of his Ethiks saith Aristotle that It is not lawfull to kill a citizen without commandement of the lawe and magistrate and therefore they which kill themselues ought to be gréeuouslie punished for they are noted with infamie These things he said although it be reported that afterward for the auoiding of danger he did wilfullie kill himselfe Virgil. Virgil placeth these kinds of men in great torments in hell saieng Then lowring next in place beene they that fell with wilfull death And guiltlesse slue themselues with hastie hands abhorring breath And shooke from them their soules How gladlie now in skies againe Would they full poore estate and hardnesse of their life sustaine The destnies them resist and lake vnlouelie them detaines And bellie fenne that nine times flowes among them fast restraines Out of the Epigrams And one that wrote Epigrams saith Death to contemne in poore estate an easie thing it is In thrall to liue who can abide doth valiantlie ywis 14 In the Digests De bonis illorum Arguments out of the lawes qui ante sententiam sibi manus attulerunt aut corruperunt accusatores L. Qui rei it is decréed that they who shall kill themselues their goods shall be confiscate the reason is that they must be taken for such as haue confessed themselues guiltie Yet is the sharpnes of that lawe mitigated by Antonius the emperor for he decréed that that lawe shuld be of force if the crime be woorthie either of death or of banishment Wherefore they which for theft kill themselues are excepted They also be excepted which being wearie of life or impatient of sorowe doo slea themselues Also Adrian excepteth the father who being suspected of killing his sonne killeth himselfe for it shuld séeme saith he that he did it rather for the loue of his sonne than for guiltinesse of the crime And if so be that one going about to kill himselfe and others comming in the meane time doo let him of his enterprise so he doo this through an vnpatiencie of sorowe or wearinesse of life him also Adrian dooth except but if he shall doo it for anie other cause he appointeth him to be punished For he that will not spare himselfe saith he how will he spare others In the Digests De iure fisci in the lawe In fraude in the Paraph Si quis If anie through shame
féeding and propagation would be frée from impediment and had rather fight than to be kept from these things And in the state of polygamie although women come not to the field yet they be at war togither somtime with chiding and bralling and oftentimes with their fists and nailes He that marrieth a wife giueth his bodie vnto his wife how can he then deliuer the same afterward to another It is a great iniustice when one will not abide by his promise Neuerthelesse thou wilt saie He deliuereth his bodie indéed yet not altogither I heare thée but why then will he haue his wife to giue hir bodie altogither vnto him In contracts consideration must be had to both alike Besides this the principall point of matrimonie is fréendship and fréendship dooth chéeflie consist in iustice if iustice halt matrimonie must néeds be lame Paule addeth that verse 4. The husband hath not power of his owne bodie but the wife nor the wife of hir owne bodie but the husband Wherefore the husband cannot marrie a second wife without iniurie doone vnto the first He affirmeth also that the troubles in matrimonie are verie great verse 28. For such shall haue tribulation of the flesh And it is not the part of a wise man to increase his owne troubles where no néed is for there be verie few which be able well to susteine one such kind of crosse as this is The eight argument 8 Another reason is deriued from the signification or sacrament Paule saith vnto the Ephesians Ephes 5 25. Husbands loue your wiues as Christ hath loued his church c. And They shall be two in one flesh Great saith he is this sacrament or mysterie in Christ I saie and his church But Christ hath one onelie church wherefore if our actions ought to be correspondent vnto the originall forme it shall not be lawfull for vs to marrie more wiues than one This reason Ierom vsed against Iouinian in which place he earnestlie inueiheth against Lamech who as he saith diuided one rib into two And so he affirmeth that the heretiks diuide the church into sundrie conuenticles This dooth not much trouble me séeing this reason might serue for polygamie For Salomon 1. Kin. 11 3. had seuen hundred Quéenes and thrée hundred concubins And in the Canticles it is read Cant. 6 7 and 8. that he had thrée score Quéenes and foure score concubins howbeit one of them was his dooue one was his perfect one That dooth Augustine in his treatise De bono coniugali the 18. chapter thus interpret that Christ of all his particular churches throughout the world hath collected one church vnto himselfe I passe ouer how others doo interpret Rachel to be the church and Lea the synagog In verie déed there was one onelie dooue that is to saie one perfect church The Schoole-diuines saie that thrée things speciallie are requisite in matrimonie fruitfulnesse dwelling togither that the man and woman may one helpe another and the sacrament as they terme it that is the signification That first good thing touching fruitfulnesse polygamie nothing hindereth naie rather it is an increase to the same Yet that they can dwell togither in that state and the husband helpe all his wiues alike it can hardlie be In matrimonie there must be a singular charitie But both reason it selfe and Aristotle in the eight booke of his Ethiks doo teach that speciall fréendship cannot abide among manie for among the more in number that fréendship is spred the slacker it must be toward euerie one in particular There ought also to be a singular vnitie in wedlocke for They be two in one flesh And Paule saith Ephe. 5 30. Bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh But no one man can be one and the same towards manie Further in polygamie all the rest are oftentimes contemned in comparison of one and they are counted in the place of handmaids and that same one dooth beare rule and command the rest Neither dooth malice there staie it selfe sith oftentimes for that one womans sake the residue are miserablie afflicted And this appéereth out of the second chapter of Malachie verse 14. for there the wiues that were waxed old when they were despised and wronged by their husbands by reason they had married other wiues came into the court of the temple and complained vnto the Lord. And héerein the husbands committed double sinne both in that they married others wiues and bicause they afflicted their former wiues It séemeth also that the hauing of manie wiues maketh against good manners sith enimities are not onelie sproong vp among their wiues but also are bred and increased among their children For Agar Gen. 16 4. when she sawe hir selfe to haue conceiued she despised hir mistres then she fled afterward when she was returned and could not agrée with Sara Abraham was constrained to cast hir foorth Ibid. 21 14. Touching Iacob the historie is well knowne Of Helcan and his wiues we haue spoken in our Commentaries vpon the first booke of Samuel Epiphanius Epiphanius against the Massalians saith that The ancient fathers when they had manie wiues neuer susteined them togither in one house Gen. 31 33. Whence he tooke that I knowe not yet from thence I suppose he had the same for that Laban when he pursued Iacob and sought his idols it is written that he first entered into the tent of Rachel afterward of Lea whereby it appeareth that they dwelt asunder Salomon although he gaue no good counsell to himselfe yet by th'inspiration of the holie Ghost he gaue good warning to others For in the Prouerbs he saith Prou. 5 19. Delight thy selfe with the wife of thy youth let hir be thy hynd let hir be thy fawne satisfie thy selfe alwaies with hir paps But this cannot he doo which hath manie wiues And not onelie Salomon did sée this but Laban also For he although he had forced Iacob to take the two sisters yet when he ouertooke him flieng into Gilead and had made a couenant with him he added this Gen. 31 50. Molest not my daughters nor yet bring in other wiues vnto them For this he sawe could not be doone but that those should be greatlie disquieted Lamech had two wiues Gen. 4 19. Ada and Sela and Sela signifieth in Latine Vmbra eius that is His shadowe For she séemed rather to be the shadowe of a wife than a wife indéed 9 Yea and the Comedie also teacheth that polygamie is a great corrupting of matrimonie sith in the Comedie Phormio the old man Chremes when he had a wife at Athens that was rich and would marrie an other in Lemnos was constrained to change his name and to call him selfe Stilpho Which vnlesse he had doone perhaps that second woman of Lemnos would not haue béene married vnto him Yea Chremes by the Parasite Phormio is accused of polygamie as of a gréeuous crime and offense The Romane lawes
sometime with safforne and so they beguile the beholders of them and with maruelous craft deceiue them Héereof commeth that which we haue in common talke namelie that A man casteth a colour vpon anie thing when he deceiueth And it is woont to be vttered in bargains in couenants and agréements Without colour or counterfeiting that is Fréelie in good faith absolutelie and plainlie These things of the end The efficient and proper cause is the naughtie desire of pleasing The efficient cause the which sometime is stirred vp by pride and sometime by lust By pride bicause they will not haue anie to surpasse them in beautie but will make a shew to be farre more beautifull than others By lust for that they would séeme to be beautifull more and more than the measure of their owne naturall fauour hath appointed and so to allure men to satisfie their lust I am not ignorant that the most ancient fathers especiallie Cyprian in his booke De velandis virginibus teach that The diuell was the inuenter of such maner of trimming For when as he thinketh the euill angels had burned in the desire of women and had abused their bodies they for a reward of the licentious pleasures permitted vnto them made demonstration of these artes and shamefull ornaments Wherfore Cyprian writeth that these be not the ornaments which GOD made but those which the diuell deuised Touching the cause efficient we haue spoken enough But the matter is nothing else in a maner The matter but filth to wit smoke soot fome and spittle and such things for the most part as would loath a man to touch them Yea and sometimes poisons are mingled so that they with their counterfeit colours doo not onelie wound the minds of the beholders but doo also hurt their bodies Of the forme I haue nothing to saie bicause these things be tempered an infinite number of waies And looke how manie counterfeited women there are almost so manie kinds of false colours there be They are said also to die their faces and that is both to colour them and to deforme them It is also said that this vice is greater charge to women than to men bicause a woman through hir defiled and corrupt nature is desirous of beautie and as the Gréekes saie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is desirous to be trimme Howbeit Paulus the second of that name Pope of Rome Pope Paul the second vsed to paint his face as Platina writeth at such time as he should come abroad absteined not from false colouring euen to the intent he might séeme of the more beautifull countenance as he was verie tall of stature But how shamefull a thing it was for the vicar of Christ as he challenged himselfe to be let other men iudge Certeinlie the Ethnike poet pronounced that It best becommeth men to be carelesse of their beautie And againe Farre from vs may such yong men be which are curiouslie trimmed like women For Iulius Caesar was desirous to couer his baldnes Iulius Caesar Wherefore bicause of the honors which were verie manie that the citie had bestowed vpon him he most willinglie receiued the laurall crowne which for this cause he ware in a maner alwaie And Ierom writeth Maximilla that Maximilla the prophetesse of Montanus vsed Stibium which may note vnto vs by what spirit she was led The generall word The generall word of this vice is feigning and also leasing sith they feigne a countenance to themselues as they list and they counterfet beautie Neither is wantonnesse far from it for when by nature they haue not the woorthinesse of beautie they counterfet the same as they can And we will not omit that there be diuerse which haue sometime painted their faces not to the intent they might appéere the better fauoured and fairer but bicause they would séeme to be more cruell fierce and horrible to behold The Brittons died their faces to seeme terrible as it is written of the Brittons who died their faces with a kind of hearbe like vnto plantine as Caesar reporteth in his fift booke of his Commentaries And in India where is no small plentie of pretious stones they are woont to make hollowe places in their owne flesh that in the hollownesse thereof they may close in pretious stones and that as well in the forehead as in the chéekes These things shall suffice for declaring the nature of false colours Now remaineth to be said whether it be lawfull to vse the same Arguments whereby some would prooue it lawfull to vse false colouring Some affirme that it is lawfull of whom there be manie Schoole-men who rather fauour and make much of vices than pursue them and séeke to wéed them out First they alledge certeine testimonies of the holie scriptures which at the first vew séeme to be of their side Secondlie they labour to prooue the same by reasons 61 Out of the holie scriptures they alledge that which is written in the first to the Corinthians the seuenth chapter verse 34. He that is not married careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord but he that hath married a wife is carefull for those things that be of the world and how he may please his wife The vnmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holie both in bodie and in spirit but the married woman careth for those things that be of the world and how she may please hir husband It is lawfull therefore for women to indeuour to please their owne husbands whereby they may reteine them still to be content with their owne wife For if they should despise them they might easilie incline to whooredome and adulterie Wherfore saie they there is some good vse euen of counterfet colouring And further vnto this purpose they drawe that which is written in the first of Timothie the second chapter verse 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In trim comelie apparell And they saie that the apostle spake this when he gaue precepts touching women Moreouer they declare that in the first epistle vnto the Corinthians the twelfe chapter it is written verse 23. that Vpon those parts of the bodie which are lesse honourable put we more honour on and our vncomelie parts haue more comelinesse on And that therefore if anie deformitie be either in the countenance or in the eies it is conuenient that we should decke them more costlie And bicause they be not so verie blind and blockish but that they sée this to be a great stop vnto them that men by these paintings and counterfet colours are prouoked vnto lust they haue inuented certeine craftie and subtill shifts that with them they might shadowe and colour their error 62 First they saie that we fall into the false argument which is called A secundum quid ad simpliciter that is to saie From that which is in some respect vnto that which is absolute
in false colouring there is so manifest a shew of euill as it cannot be denied Vndoubtedlie in the holie scriptures the colouring with Stibium is neuer taken in good part In the fourth chapter of Ieremie verse 30. verse 40. and in the 23. of Ezechiel when GOD bringeth the idolatrie of the Iewes into hatred he vseth the metaphor of whooredome and saith that He will bring the enimies against that people who for their sakes had before painted their faces with Stibium to the intent they might commit shamefull whooredome with them Séeing therefore the scriptures beare record that these colours are procured for whooredome sake we must not giue eare vnto fond painted women which protest that they haue a chast hart and mind A conclusion of this question and what ornaments women may vse Now that we haue brought testimonies enow out of the word of God and plentie and sufficient reasons out of the fathers what must we then conclude Not that euerie ornament should be vtterlie taken awaie from women Let them in Gods name indeuour to please their owne husbands honestlie let them not be altogither vnhandsome and foulie attired let them wash awaie vncleanlinesse let them cleanse awaie filth but let them not be painted with white lead with Purpurisse with Stibium and finallie with anie counterfet colours For that is to put on vizards and to plaie the maskers to beguile to deceiue and also to stir vp lusts What is to be iudged concerning gold ornaments and iewels But what my iudgement is concerning gold iewels sumptuous garments I did not purpose at this time to haue disputed howbeit bicause they are things néere agréeing togither I will bréeflie intreat somewhat of them By the saieng of Augustine euen now alledged it appéereth that those ornaments are not rashlie to be condemned and vtterlie to be taken awaie For there be diuers degrées and sundrie states of men There be in the world not onelie common people and such as are not in honour but there be also Emperours Caesars Kings Quéenes Princes Lords and Ladies vnto whom after a sort those ornaments be necessarie 68 Howbeit thou wilt saie 1. Tim. 2 9. 1. Pet. 3 3. that Peter and also Paule doo seeme to haue forbidden these things but what their meaning was that are we to consider of The scope of the apostles in reproouing the pride of women Their mind was to withdrawe christian women from vanitie pride superfluitie and too much sumptuousnesse and to lead them awaie from that opinion wherein they iudged these things to be the proper true and principall ornaments of women So that they being adorned on this wise thought that no other thing should be sought for as though in these ornaments consisteth the whole summe and effect of all Wherefore they forbid these things not absolutelie but by waie of comparison In like maner as when the same Paule saith Ephes 6 12. that Our striuing is not against flesh and bloud denieth not but that we must also striue against these things but he sheweth that these striuings are verie small in comparison of the powers of our aduersaries which continuallie assault vs. And euen as when Christ in talking of Iohn said Matth. 11 ◠that They which are clothed in soft garments be in kings houses tooke not soft and pretious garments out of the world but shewed for whom they were méet Moreouer we must consider vnto whom the apostles wrote namelie vnto them of small estimation to the common sort to those which were obscure and abiects séeing the church for the most part at that time consisted of such Wherefore Paule said in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1 26. Brethren haue an eie vnto your calling not manie noble men c. To the intent therefore that Christian women should auoid superfluitie and too much sumptuousnesse and not vse such ornaments for things indifferent and thinke that they might vse them as they list they call them backe from those things that leauing their affection towards them they should séeke for better the which would be ouerlong now to recite For they are easie to be found in the verie writings of the apostles and almost in the whole scripture besides These things being on this wise ordered we will answer the arguments brought out of the scriptures by our aduersaries A confutation of their arguments which allow women to paint their faces 69 First out of the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter verse 34. it was alledged that married women doo care for those things that be of the world to the intent they may please their husbands But this we denie not let them haue a care to please their husbands so they doo it without dissimulation and lieng And let them thinke of themselues whether they would be so deceiued and beguiled as in stéed of a comlie and well fauoured man they should marrie him that were foule and deformed They said also that if men should be alienated from their wiues for deformitie sake they might easilie fall into adulteries Héerevnto I answer that honest husbands by false paintings are rather alienated than woonne vnto their wiues Moreouer if they absteine not from adulteries for the feare that they haue of God and are vrged by the authoritie of his word neither yet be mooued by the lawes of men and terrified with gréeuous perils much lesse will they staie for such counterfet painting And whereas it was alledged out of the epistle vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 2 9. that it is lawfull for women to go in comelie apparell it is not rightlie expounded by our aduersaries bicause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place is modest and honest which the word following dooth declare for it is afterward added In shamefastnesse But in feigned colours there is no shamefastnesse naie rather there is intollerable impudencie Furthermore there was a place brought out of the first to the Corinthians 1. Co. 12 23 that Vpon those parts which be most vnhonest put we more honestie on wherevpon it was concluded that if anie blemish be in the bodie or in the countenance it is lawfull to adorne and to colour the same First let vs consider what mind the apostle had when he wrote these things In verie déed he ment nothing else but that the weaker sort in the church which séeme to be the vnworthier and obscure members of Christ should not be reiected and troden vnder féet but rather cherished and adorned the similitude being drawne from hence to wit that it hath béene so vsed in the outward bodie And whereas the apostle speaketh of honour to be put vpon those parts which are lesse honest it cannot apperteine vnto counterfet colours for they are no ornaments but rather feigned deuises and deceits I praie you moreouer what honour is there giuen vnto the parts that be lesse honest Euen to couer them for we prouide that they should not be
oftentimes made woorse And besides that also such superfluitie might serue to reléeue other poore folks also 9 Neither saith he Giuing or bestowing In giuing of almes is a certeine communicating Esaie 2 3. Iohn 4 22. but Communicating bicause in almes giuing there is a certeine communicating For if we speake of the poore which were at Ierusalem the Gentiles had receiued at their hands spirituall things For the word of the Lord came out of Sion and the lawe of God out of Ierusalem and saluation from the Hebrues Séeing out of that nation were appointed preachers of the Gospell to preach vnto the whole world Therefore Paule in the second to the Corinths the eight chapter saith That your abundance maie releeue their want and that on the other side verse 23. their abundance may releue your want But if we speake of other poore folkes euen when we helpe them with our almes there redoundeth vnto vs no small commoditie or profit For Christ warned as we read in Luke Luke 16 â— Make you freends of vnrighteous mammon that when you faile they maie receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles But what if the poore be euill and they also excluded from the kingdome of heauen These things are to be vnderstood not of the men but of the works But by this meanes also followeth another absurditie That by the vertue of our works we should obteine the kingdome of God I answer As we denie that works are the causes of eternall life so likewise we denie not that God rewardeth the good works of the faithfull A reward of almes deeds Rom. 2 6. which are now regenerate by Christ since we know that He will iudge euerie man according to his works For he will saie I was hungrie Matt. 25 35 and ye fed me I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye harboured me The kingdome of God is giuen for election and for she promises sake which the saints receiue by faith But bicause those things are hidden from mans eies therefore are good works brought foorth which are the proper and manifest effects both of our faith and Gods election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Giuing our selues saith he to hospitalitie This is not spoken without a great emphasis To follow hospitalitie is more than to keep hospitalitie Gen. 18 2. Looke in Iud. 9 11. for it is a greater matter to pursue hospitalitie than onelie to be hospitall For Abraham expected not till strangers came home to him to desire to be receiued and to desire lodging but going of his owne accord out of his tent he looked round about to sée if he could espie anie stranger whom he might receiue into his house And if he sawe anie he ran vnto him and praied him not to passe by his house If I haue found fauour saith he in your eies I beseech you turne in vnto your seruant Gen. 19 2. And the same diligence and mind was in Lot and well nigh in all the fathers Paule in these words chargeth vs not with anie vile and vndecent works but with verie honorable and excellent works Hospitality becommeth a noble man For there was neuer anie noble man or notable prince but that he was desirous to doo good vnto others and was carefull ouer strangers Titus Vespasian when he called to remembrance at night that he had doone no good turne vnto anie man would with heauines saie Fréends we haue lost this daie And Christ saith that The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them and they which haue power ouer them are called gratious in Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ethniks also saie that GOD hath a care ouer strangers and therfore they worshipped Iupiter Xenius who had a care regard of strangers This propertie of GOD Homer describeth in the second booke of his Odysses And Virgil verie aptlie saith Iupiter was a keeper of hospitalitie Iupiter hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur that is For men saie that thou O Iupiter giuest right vnto strangers And the naturall affection toward citizens commonlie stirreth euerie man that if he méet a stranger and one that is néedie he will to his power helpe him and prouide harbour for him Euen so in like manner if peraduenture the saints which as touching the eternall countrie are our citizens doo come vnto vs we ought to helpe them and gentlie to interteine them 10 But bicause that Iahel séemed to haue violated the lawes and couenant of hospitalitie it is a doubt In Iudg. 4 verse 22. Whether Iâ—hel did right in violating the laws of hospitalitie whether we should condemne hir or quit hir Howbeit bicause all controuersie dependeth not a little of the circumstances of the persons we will therefore set hir before our eies and consider with our selues what manner of men the Kenites in the fourth of Iudges were They assuredlie in bloud were ioined with the Israelits Who the Kenits were for they were the posteritie of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses Moreouer they perfectlie agréed with the Hebrues in the exercise of godlinesse and in the lawe of God Neither was their faith idle but effectuall and working for they leauing their countrie followed the Israelits through the desert and God which was their guide through the wildernesse Wherfore at the length when the lands were distributed they obteined inheritance togither with them in the land of Chanaan For these causes if Iahel went about to set the Iewes at libertie she did but hir duetie neither did she take vpon hir anie other mans office On the other part let vs consider of Sisara Who Sisara was He was an oppressor of the people of God and now slaine by the power of God and vtterlie confounded neither appeared there in him anie token of repentance but he would rather hide himselfe to the intent that he escaping this so present a danger might againe gather a new host against the Israelites In déed after a sort he was in league with Heber the Kenite yet as it is to be thought with no sincere hart but onlie to plucke him away from the rest of the Iewes whereby he might haue the fewer enimies and not be compelled to fight with so manie enimies at one time or else to get of him a great tribute or some other commoditie which he looked for Furthermore in this his misfortune he calleth vpon no God he desireth not the helpe of other mens praiers but onelie séeketh lurking places where he might hide himselfe till such time as the rage and heate of the conquerors were somwhat slaked and onelie trusted vnto the helpes and aliance made with men By these things it easilie appeareth that Iahel did hir dutie and Sisara deserued to be slaine 11 But as touching the lawes of hospitalitie The lawes of hospitalitie ought ordinarilie to be kept iuiolated Gen. 19 8. we also iudge that they by themselues and of their
heretikes and to punish them I answer that they ought to kéepe entier and perfect the promise made vnto them But they say We will easilie grant it to be sinne when we giue our faith for an euill thing but if after we haue giuen it we kéepe it and stand to our promises we fall into another gréeuous sinne séeing we doo not the dutie committed vnto vs neither doo we obeie God For it is our part as God hath commanded to punish and to correct heretiks least they should spoile the church and procéed in mainteining of their pestiferous doctrine among the godlie Neither dooth anie man doubt but that magistrats ought to defend the church So then it séemeth that heretikes should not be let go when wée once haue them in our power I answer They which come vnto princes vpon safe conduct be not in their power that this in déed is the office of kings to represse and kéepe vnder heretikes but that is when they haue them in their power But if they giue them a safe conduct to come vnto them then can they not saie that they haue them in their power for they came vpon trust of the promise and an oth otherwise they would not haue come Wherefore if there be a promise made it is not lawfull to breake it And this is the cause whie I said before that I cannot easilie allow the act of the king of Denmarke Neither also would I iudge Iehu to be without sinne Of Iehu when he promised that he would worship Baal thereby to get all the Baalites togither vnlesse peraduenture he knew manifestlie that he was stirred vp by God to doo it But hereof we will intreate a little after Let them therefore which defend the councell of Constance cease to laie for their pretense that Iohn Husse with a safe conscience might not be let go bicause it is hainous sinne in all princes if they suffer heretikes to go frée For this which they saie is so long true as the time lasteth that they shall be in their power but when they are come by a safe conduct then are they at libertie neither are they said to be in the power of those princes which did call them 22 Others doubt Whether promise giuen to theeues is to be kept whether it be lawfull to vse euill guile against théeues so that if a man happen into their hands and by an oth made vnto them is suffered to go home vpon condition to gather monie to redéeme himselfe whether I saie he ought to returne vnto him with the monie or if he cannot get it as he hoped to haue doone to returne without it especiallie in case he were almost assured either to liue in perpetuall seruitude or else to be put to a most cruell death I answer that in my iudgement he ought to returne vnto them especiallie séeing in this case there is no danger but as touching goods of this world namelie of monie of libertie and of bodilie life which are not so greatlie to be estéemed as for their sakes an oth or the name of God should be violated And the verse of Dauid before brought serueth well for this purpose And this sentence is so firme and true that euen an Ethnike M. Attilius Regulus Attilius Regulus I meane did acknowledge it For he returned to Carthage when he knew certeinlie that either he should be in continuall bondage or else loose his life and that most cruellie Tell me not that he did foolishlie herein For the Romane lawes as we haue before said De captiuis postliminio reuersis in the lawe Postliminium in the Paraph Captiuus doo ordeine and religiouslie decrée that he should not be counted as returned by the lawe Postliminium which had promised to returne againe Besides the nature of man persuadeth the selfe-same thing for it is ciuill and delighteth in societie Wherefore next vnto God and godlinesse to him-ward there is nothing which men ought more to estéeme than their faithfulnesse which woonderfullie furthereth the societie of men For without it it is vnpossible for men to liue togither Moreouer who will not saie that the monie libertie and life of one man is lesse to be regarded than it is of manie For if couenants and promises be not kept with those théeues hence-foorth they will giue credit to no man whom they apprehend They would send home none to their owne house to fetch their ransome but either they will kill as manie as they take or else reteine them with them in miserable and perpetuall bondage Lastlie I thinke it good to giue this aduertisement that in taking of oths no signes that be added of vniuersalitie ought to trouble anie man What is to be considered in a generall oth As if a man promise and sweare to his fréend that he will be an helper to him in all things or if a man promise and sweare vnto a schoole or church that he will doo and obserue all things that they shall decrée For all such kind of spéeches as it appéereth by that which we haue said are to be vnderstood with condition that if the obedience vnto the word of God be kept And vndoubtedlie although that clause through the nature of an oth be ment alwaies to be added yet neuerthelesse it is the dutie of godlie men to expresse it when they be receiued into anie Vniuersitie colledge office corporation or fellowship and according to the custome are compelled to sweare to the obseruation of statutes lawes and decrées It is the sure waie I saie by expresse words to testifie that they will obserue all those things vnlesse that they shall find that anie of the same be against the word of God And of this matter I thinke I haue now spoken sufficientlie Ehud practised euill guile I grant but yet against his enimie Neither dooth the scripture make mention of anie oth that was made betwéene him and Eglon the king And though there had béene an oth yet had he béene quit of it séeing the motion of God whereby God opened his will vnto him had abrogated the same VVhether Guile be lawfull for the rooting out of Idolatrie and heresie In 2. King 10 verse 17. 23 Iehu by fraud minded to allure the worshippers of Baal The fact of Iehu that he might bring them into the danger of death He proclaimed among the people that he would be a notable worshipper of Baal and that he would with all spéed possible offer a notable sacrifice therevnto Wherefore he commanded all the Baalites to come togither to the holie assemblie to the end they might be readie with their seruice about that sumptuous sacrifice Some are in doubt whether Iehu sinned in lieng after that sort They that defend his cause saie A seruiceable lie that this kind of lie was an officious lie and therefore not to be condemned And an officious lie they define to be that wherewith none are hurt and some are holpen But
faith by the benefit of the holie Ghost springeth in vs The holie Ghost as well goeth before as after faith by which faith is increased the abundance of the selfe-same spirit whose increase the former faith hath preuented and of a greater faith is still made a greater increase of the spirit But yet neuerthelesse we constantlie affirme that there is but one thing chéeflie from whence all these good things flowe to wit the holie Ghost Secondlie saith Augustine the lawe by the helpe of faith is otherwise confirmed bicause by faith we praie and calling vpon God with praiers we doo not onelie obteine remission of sinnes but also a great portion of the spirit and of grace so that we haue strength to obeie the lawe Doubtlesse the lawe The lawe maketh vs vncerteine of the will of God if it be taken by it selfe maketh vs both vncerteine of the good will of God and after a sort bringeth desperation vnles faith come and helpe which both maketh vs assured that God is pacified and mercifull towards vs and also by grace obteineth the renewing of strength And the apostles phrase whereby he saith that by faith he established the lawe is to be noted For thereby he signifieth that the lawe if it be left vnto it selfe and without faith is weake so that it cannot firmelie stand And therefore vnlesse it be holden vp by faith it will easilie fall And this is the point of a singular artificer not onelie to repell from him that which is obiected but also to declare that the selfe-same maketh most of all for his purpose The lawe and faith helpe one another The lawe and faith helpe one another and as the common saieng is giue hands each to other For the lawe dooth as a schoolemaister bring men vnto the faith of Christ And on the other side faith bringeth this to passe that it maketh them after a sort able to accomplish the lawe For straitwaie so soone as a man beléeueth in Christ he obteineth iustification and is liberallie indued with abundance of the spirit with grace The intent and purpose of the lawe was that man should both be made good and also saued But this it was not able to performe Then succéeded faith and did helpe it for through it a man is renewed so that he is able to obeie God and his commandements Chrysostome saith that Paule prooueth héere thrée things first that a man may be iustified without the lawe secondlie that the lawe cannot iustifie thirdlie that faith and the lawe are not repugnant one to the other 25 Ambrose teacheth that therefore by faith is the lawe stablished bicause that those things which by the lawe are commanded to be doone are by faith declared to be doone And we knowe that this righteousnesse which Paule here commendeth hath testimonies both of the lawe and of the prophets And if anie man obiect that therfore the lawe is made void by faith bicause thorough it ceremonies are abolished he answereth that this therefore so happeneth bicause the lawe it selfe would haue it so and foreshewed that it would so come to passe In Daniel we read that after the comming of Christ Dani. 9 27. and after the slaieng of him the dailie sacrifices should be taken awaie and so also should be the holie annointing such like kind of ceremonies Wherfore Christ did not without cause saie Matt. 11 13 The lawe the prophets endured vnto the time of Iohn Baptist Ieremie also manifestlie said Ier. 31 33. that another couenant should be made far differing frō that which was made in old time The epistle to the Hebrues thereby concludeth Heb. 10 16. that that which was the old couenant and so was called should one daie be abolished Zach. 2 4 Zacharie the prophet in his second chapter saith that The citie of Ierusalem should be inhabited without wals Which signifieth that the church of the beléeuers should be so spred abroad and dispersed through the whole world that it should not be closed in by any bounds and limits Esaie 2 ◠Which selfe-same thing Esaie séemeth to testifie when he saith that Mount Sion and the house of the Lord should be on the top of the hils so that the Gentils should come vnto it out of all places And Malachie the prophet pronounceth Malac. 1 11. that The name of God should be called vpon from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same so that to God euerie where should be offered Mincha which manie haue transferred vnto the Eucharist as though it were a sacrifice when as yet the prophet thereby vnderstandeth praiers and the offering vp euen of our selues as Tertullian testifieth in his booke against the Iewes and also Ierom when he interpreteth that place Wherefore when the prophets séeme to affirme that ceremonies should be transferred vnto the Ethniks they are so to be vnderstood as though by the signes they ment the things themselues The Ethniks being conuerted vnto Christ receiued that which was represented by the ceremonies of the Hebrues But they reiected the outward signes and this was by faith to confirme the lawe And forsomuch as the prophets foretold that ceremonies should be abolished the same is to be taken as if it had béene spoken of the lawe sith that the prophets were interpretors of the lawe And that Christ when he should come should change the ceremonies the Iewes themselues doubted not Which is manifest by the historie of Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 2. 6. Iohn Baptist shewed that the ceremonies should be abrogated which we read in the Gospell For when he would purge men being conuerted vnto God he sent them not vnto sacrifices and vnto the ceremonies of Moses whereby sinnes were said to be purged but baptised them into repentance to the forgiuenesse of sinnes adioining doctrine therevnto wherein he made mention of the father the sonne and the holie Ghost Which doctrine vndoubtedlie the high Priests Scribes Pharisies could in no case abide that he reiecting the ceremonies which were receiued should put in their stéed an other kind of waie Wherefore they sent a messenger to him to aske him whether he were the Messias or Elias or the prophet as it were confessing that vnder Messias it wold come to pas that the ceremonies of the lawe should be altered which should not be lawfull for others to doo 26 And if thou demand why God gaue ceremonies which should be afterward abolished Chrysostome hath thereof a proper similitude If a man haue a wife prone to lasciuiousnesse A similitude he shutteth hir vp in certeine places I meane in chambers or parlours so that she may not wander abroad at hir pleasure He moreouer appointeth for hir Eunuchs waiting maids and handmaids to haue a most diligent eie to hir So delt God with the Iewes he tooke them to him at the beginning as a spouse as it is said by the prophet Ose 2 19. I haue
were for the spirit of Christ in what case they stood concerning the spirit of Christ that I thinke may be thus answered to wit if we diuide the Iewes into thrée sundrie parts For some of them were vtterlie wicked and vngodlie which besides name habitation and outward circumcision had nothing common with the people of God These men I grant be vtterlie void of the spirit of Christ yea rather they liued vnder the spirit of sathan On the other side there were some excellent and holie men as Dauid Ezechias Iosias Elias Daniel and manie such other like whom we can by no meanes denie but that they had the spirit of the Gospell although as the time required they were compelled to obserue manie ceremonies and rites perteining vnto the lawe Againe there be some others which were weake who although they cannot be compared with those whom we haue mentioned yet forsomuch as they being godlie beléeued in the Messias to come were by that faith iustified we ought not to thinke that they were strangers frō the spirit of Christ although by reason of their imperfection the lawe challenged great power ouer them And they were with others as those times required compelled to be subiect vnto infinite ceremonies And this is the reason whie the old fathers are said to haue liued vnder the lawe and vnder the spirit of bondage They had not the sacraments of their saluation so manifest and cléere as ours now are neither had they the mysteries of Christ so commonlie reuealed as we now haue in the Gospell Wherefore although amongst vs are manie wicked men and a great number of weake ones yet are we said to be deliuered from the lawe both bicause we be deliuered from ceremonies and for that we haue the sacraments and mysteries of saluation obteined through Christ made more cléere and more manifest than theirs commonlie were Paule also calleth the old fathers litle ones for that they liued vnder tutors and gouernours and were instructed of the lawe as of a schoolemaister And when they are called seruants we ought to vnderstand that they were profitable seruants For such seruants beare great goodwill and loue to their maisters and are persuaded that that which is to the honour of their maister shall also turne to their owne honour But lewd seruants neuer refraine from vices neither doo they anie thing well vnlesse they be by stripes compelled These their two titles which I haue mentioned Gala. 3 24. and 4 1. Paule ioineth togither in the epistle to the Galathians For thus he saith The heire so long as he is a little one liueth vnder tutors and gouernors and differeth nothing from a seruant when as yet he is lord of all By which words he declareth that the elect of God amongst the old fathers were in verie déed heirs although considering the time they were as little ones vnder the forme of seruants kept vnder the schooling of the lawe and elements of this world Thus I thinke is to be thought of the old fathers 26 But now let vs diligentlie examine those things which we touched a little before In 1. Sam. 2 verse 10. namelie that our minds must be lifted vp from temporall things vnto eternall and heauenlie things sith in this mortall life we be sometimes deliuered from afflictions yet vnperfectlie For by Christ we be alloted vnto righteousnes and vnto manie excellent gifts of God but yet we possesse all those gifts of God vnperfectlie But when the horne of Christ shall be exalted as speaketh Anna then shall all these things at length be fullie perfect in vs and that shall then be Luke 1 69 when the Lord shall iudge all the ends of the earth 1. Cor. 15 24. and when as Paule saith he shall deliuer the kingdome vnto God and the father But this kind of exposition will some saie is not proper séeing it sauoureth of an allegorie and that it ought not to be the verie due meaning of the scriptures But we must assure our selues A rule that those things that were written in the old testament concerning temporall things doo belong vnto eternall things In the old time God promised vnto the patriarchs that he would giue the kingdome vnto Dauid and his posteritie And this is to be vnderstood Psal 89 30 not onelie of Salomon but also of Christ Wherefore the angell speaking of him said God will giue vnto him the kingdome of his father Dauid Luke 1 33. and he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer Also in Deuteronomie GOD commanded his people that they should not take counsell of witches or sorcerers Deut. 18 10 and 15. For God saith he will raise vp a prophet among you The which although it may be vnderstood of the prophets which neuer should be wanting of whom the people might take counsell yet dooth Peter in the Acts of the apostles Acts. 3 22. translate the same vnto Christ and affirmeth that the kingdome promised to Dauid was made perfect in Christ For euen so the promise of séed made vnto Abraham Gen. 22 18 in the booke of Genesis although it may be referred vnto Isaac yet by Paule it is applied vnto Christ Gal. 3 16. For he saith It is said Not in thy seeds as in manie but in one which is Christ So that when we refer the song of Anna vnto higher matters we offend not against the doctrine of the apostles And why it is thus doone the reason is easilie shewed In weighing of all the benefits of God it is méet to returne to the fountaine and head it selfe from whence all those things doo flowe Assuredlie the highest benefit of God towards mankind is Christ wherefore all other things must be reduced wholie vnto this root Wherevpon Paule vnto the Romans reasoneth after this maner If God gaue his owne sonne vnto vs Rom. 8 13. how shall he not with him giue vs all things also 27 But thou wilt saie that manie benefits are bestowed vpon the wicked who neuerthelesse haue not Christ for their head neither doo they acknowledge him I grant it but those be gifts without gift as the poet saith and make not vnto their saluation but vnto their destruction Phil. 3 7 and 8. Euen so Paule vnto the Philippians although he had manie gifts before he came vnto Christ and euen such as were not to be despised yet he saith that He accounted them for losses and doong For the wicked when they flourish in all wealth and abundance are like vnto the beasts appointed for sacrifices which being found most fat are slaine in she shambles But to the intent that these things may the better be vnderstood let vs thus conclude the reason God either angrie or well pleased bestoweth his benefits vpon men He being angrie no man Would receiue of him bicause such things should be no benefits séeing they would worke to destruction not to saluation So as it is to be wished
or euer they be done Paule saith in his later epistle to Timothie 2. Tim. 1 9. Which hath called vs with his holie calling not according to our works but according to his purpose grace which was giuē to vs in Christ Iesus before the world was Héere we manifestlie sée that with the predestination of God is ioined the eternitie of times And vnto the Ephesians Ephes 1 4. We are said to be elect before the foundations of the world were laid whereby he hath constantlie decréed The predestination of God is immutable 2. Tim. 2 19. Rom. 5 5. Rom. 8. verse 24. By these words we are taught that the predestination of God is immutable for Paule saith in the latter epistle vnto Timothie The foundation standeth firme the Lord knoweth who are his And in the eight chapter when the apostle would teach that hope maketh not ashamed that they which had an assured hope should be saued he bringeth a proofe thereof by predestination verse 29. Ibidem 35. saieng Whom he hath foreknowne those also hath he predestinate And he addeth Who shall separate vs from the loue of God Iames 1 17. Shall tribulation Shall anguish c. And Iames saith that With God is no changing nor variablenes Esaie 46 9. verse 29. And in Esaie God crieth I am God and am not changed And in the epistle to the Romans the 11. chapter where is intreated of predestination Paule saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance verse 8. But wheras God in Ieremie the 18. chapter saith Sometimes the promises thretnings of God are changed that Hée would change his sentence which he had threatened vnto manie nations so that they would repent that is not to be vnderstood of predestination but of those things which are fore-told shall come to passe by that will of God which they call the will of the signe namelie when by his prophets he declareth vnto men either what their sinnes haue deserued or what hangeth ouer their heads by reason of naturall causes The gifts of God come vnto vs by Christ 12 Whom he hath loued in Christ This we adde bicause whatsoeuer God giueth or decréeth to giue that giueth he and will giue through Christ And as we haue oftentimes alledged Paule to the Ephesians saith Ephes 1 4. Christ is the hed of all the predestinate that We are elected and predestinated in Christ for he is the prince and head of all the predestinate yea none is predestinate but onlie to this end to be made a member of Christ To call into the adoption of children So Paule in a manner euerie where speaketh specially in the first chapter to the Ephesians Ephes 1 5. for there he saith that We are predestinate to the adoption of children And that calling followeth straight waie after predestination Rom. 8 29. those words which we haue alreadie alledged doo declare Whom he hath predestinate those also hath he called To iustification by faith That vnto calling is adioined iustification Paule by these selfe-same words teacheth Ibidem Whom he hath called those also hath he iustified Vnto glorie by good works This also Paule teacheth in the selfe-same place Whom he hath iustified saith he those also hath he glorified And that this glorie shall followe by good works Ephes 1 4. and that we are predestinate vnto those good works that place vnto the Ephesians which we haue alreadie often cited manifestlie prooueth Ephes 2 10. For first he saith that We are predestinate that we should be holie blameles before God Afterward he saith that God hath prepared good works wherin we should walke That they may be made like vnto the image of th◠sonne of God This image indéed is begun in vs by regeneration when we are iustified and in them that are of full age it groweth dailie to perfection by good works and is fullie finished in the eternall glorie But in infants this likenes hath place while that it is begun by regeneration and is finished in that last glorie Howbeit in them for want of age are not required good works That in them might be declared the mercie and goodnes of the Creator This is the last end of predestination shadowed vnto vs by Paule in the similitude of the potter which hath power to make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour so God hath prepared his vessels to glorie that in them he might declare his glorie By this definition we gather that God hath predestinate vnto the elect not onlie glorie but also good works that is means whereby he will haue his elect come vnto glorie By this we may sée how fowlie they are deceiued which liue wickedlie and yet in the meane time boast that they are predestinate For the scriptures teach that men according vnto the predestination of God are not brought vnto glorie by wicked facts and naughtie déeds but by vertuous life and manners Neither are they to be harkened vnto which crie out They which liue ill cannot brag of their predestination Howsoeuer I liue the predestination of God shall haue his effect For this is vtterlie to be ignorant what predestination is and impudentlie to go about to abuse it 13 Now that we haue seuerallie after this manner examined this definition by his parts let vs gather thereout certeine things not vnprofitable First this that predestination is a worke of God and is to be placed in the purpose of God Predestination is not in the things but in the mind of God for although men are said to be predestinate yet must we not appoint predestination in them So likewise things are said to be perceiued knowne when as yet in them is neither knowledge nor perceiuing but onlie in the man that knoweth them Wherefore euen as we can fore-sée either raine or cold or fruit before they come so God predestinateth men which as yet haue no being For of relatiues some are such that of necessitie the one cannot be but togither with the other as a father and a sonne and some there are whereof the one may be although the other be not at the same time with it as the former and the latter knowledge and the thing to be knowne Predestination is before the predestinate Predestination therefore is referred vnto this latter kind of relatiues which predestination yet forsomuch as it is as we haue said in the mind of him that predestinateth those things wherto the predestinate are directed namelie grace iustification good works and glorification are in them which be predestinate for these haue no place but in the saints But in that we haue put the effects of predestination Why the effects are put in the definition in the definition thereof it is not to bée maruelled at for this definition can not be giuen vnlesse the correlatiues as they call them be also expressed The ends of
contemned the true oracles of God and delighted himselfe in false prophets They which are deceiued are iustlie deceiued The infidelitie also and impietie of the people of Israel caused the vengeance of God and blindnes to come vpon them so that when they were deceiued they could by no meanes be excused Our aduersaries also séeme somewhat to be offended for that we affirme that men haue in themselues the cause of sins that is a corrupt and naughtie nature For in that first chapter of the booke of Wisedome verse 14. the generations of the world are said to be good and not to haue in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A deadlie medicine This is true indéed so it be vnderstood of the first constitution of things Our nature as it was instituted was without corruption and chéeflie of the creation of man which was created of GOD in a good estate but afterward through his fall he spilt both himselfe and his posteritie 33 Pighius moreouer cauilleth against our doctrine as though we stir vp men to hate God For Christ thus speaketh of Iudas Matt. 26 24. Wo be vnto that man it had beene better for him neuer to haue beene borne He being reiected and a reprobate it must néeds followe that he hated God séeing God first hated him And forsomuch as the number of the reprobate is the greater number euerie man saie they might easilie suspect that he is one of that number and so it should come to passe that manie should detest God But we answer that Christ said well that It had beene better for that man that he had not beene borne For euerie one of vs ought rather and more gladlie either to haue neuer béene or to be brought to nothing than that by committing of sinne we should offend God Wherefore Christ said trulie and plainlie that It had beene better for Iudas that he had neuer beene borne Howbeit simplie Whether it had beene better that Iudas had neuer been borne and as touching God it had not béene better for by him both the counsell of God concerning our redemption was fulfilled and also by the punishment which was laid vpon him both the iustice and power of GOD appéered the more plainlie And it is vaine that they saie No man can gather out of the scriptures anie effectuall arguments that he is a reprobate that manie fall into suspicion of their reprobation for out of the holie scriptures no man can gather anie effectuall arguments of his reprobation And if God will sometimes reueale it by a certeine secret iudgement it cannot be drawne to a common rule In our time indéed it happened that a certeine man in Italie called Francis Spiera inwardlie fealt The example of Francis Spiera that God had imposed this euill vpon him but this in my iudgement was doone to the terror of others For he after that he had at the beginning knowne the truth of the Gospell and openlie confessed it being brought to Venice before the Popes legate publikelie abiured it Afterward being striken with a gréeuous wound of conscience he persuaded himselfe that he had sinned against the holie Ghost by meanes whereof he was throwne into so great a desperation that he would neuer afterward admit anie consolation though notable and godlie men were about him which exhorted him to haue a good hope in Christ and his death And he would saie that these things serued well to be spoken vnto others but vnto him they nothing at all preuailed for that he knew most assuredlie that he had sinned against the holie Ghost and that there was no remedie left to deliuer him from damnation and so remaining in this desperation he died God would in this man by a certeine singular and vnaccustomed dispensation feare awaie others from the like wickednes and impietie Howbeit this neither customablie happeneth as far as we can gather out of histories neither also can anie man by the holie scriptures sée this desperation And peraduenture God did not this to Spiera but the diuell whose bondslaue he was hauing now renounced godlines suggested this to the end he might driue him to vtter desperation So then we must make a distinction as we before admonished that either we speake of them that are vtterlie without all féeling of pietie or else of the godlie and of them that are now called If ye talke of strangers they either nothing regard these counsels of God or else they are alreadie in despaire of themselues The godlie suspect not that they belong to the reprobate and why if we meane of the godlie they will not suffer themselues anie long time to be tormented with this suspicion for that they now sée themselues called and faithfull and therefore are iustified all which things persuade them to haue a confidence and to hope that their names are entered in the roll of the elect 34 Lastlie Pighius imagineth that we speke things absurd bicause we teach that men were first in a masse marred and corrupted with originall sinne before that they were predestinated of God as though we would iustifie the purpose of God when yet notwithstanding we in the counsell of predestination put condemnation and eternall infelicitie before sinnes and our corrupt nature and so we iustifie that which is first by that which commeth after He addeth also that by this meanes as touching the purpose of God euen by our owne doctrine the end is first appointed and those things also which bring vnto the end Wherfore forsomuch as originall sinne is one of the means whereby we are condemned it cannot as we imagine go before reprobation when as it falleth and is comprehended vnder it as a meane vnto eternall condemnation But these things shew Pighius vnderstood not our meaning Originall sinne went not before predestination How sinnes fall vnder reprobatiō that this man vnderstood not what we saie Neither Augustine nor we euer said that originall sinne went before predestination séeing predestination is before anie time was Adam fel in time Neither is it so absurd as he imagineth that sinnes should fall vnder reprobation not indéed as the cause therof but as the cause of condemnation and of eternall miserie And whereas he saith that if it were so it should followe that God willeth sinnes Now we haue declared how this is to be answered Neither can he denie but that God vseth sinnes which are continuallie committed to those ends which he himselfe hath appointed And forsomuch as this is not doone of him rashlie but by his determinate counsell how can it be that after a sort sinnes are not comprehended vnder reprobation Now if he contend that God after one sort willeth and is not the cause of sinnes and good works we also affirme the same But yet in the meane time let him cease to count it for a thing absurd that as well the end as the means either of predestination or of reprobation are comprehended vnder the
iustification then come through workes The .34 reason Further there is no doubt but that iustification commeth of the good will and fauour of God séeing by it men are receiued into grace adopted to be his children and made heires of eternall life But such as before iustification are occupied in the workes of the lawe are bound vnder the curse so farre is it off that they should haue the fruition of the fauour of God For the apostle addeth As manie as are vnder the lawe vers 10. are vnder the curse But to the end we should not thinke this to be his owne inuention he saith As it is written Cursed be he which abideth not in all the things that are written in the booke of the lawe After this he argueth from the time I speake after the maner of men The .35 reason though it be but a mans testament yet if it be allowed vers 15. no man reiecteth it or addeth anie thing thereto Moreouer vnto Abraham were the promises made and vnto his seed he saith not to his seedes as speaking of manie but to thy seed as of one which is Christ This I doo saie that the lawe which began afterward beyond .430 yeeres dooth not disanull the testament that was before confirmed of God vnto Christ-ward to make the promises of none effect First saith he The testament of God and the first promise offereth iustification without works wherefore the testament confirmed receiued and allowed is not restrained by the lawe which was so long time afterward giuen If there had beene a lawe giuen The .36 reason vers 21. which could haue giuen life then should righteousnes haue beene of the lawe This reason of the apostle is not full for there must be added the deman of the antecedent namelie That the lawe can not giue life For as it is declared vnto the Romans It was weakened through the flesh although as touching it selfe it conteined commandementes which perteined vnto life Wherefore séeing it is for certeine that the lawe can not giue life no more can it likewise iustifie But before that faith came we were kept vnder the lawe The .37 reason vers 23. and were shut vp vnto that faith which afterward should be reuealed Wherefore the lawe was our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith If the lawe be as it were a schoolemaister then should we doo great iniurie vnto God and to Christ which are vnto vs in stéed of parents if we should ascribe vnto the schoolemaister that which is proper vnto them It is not the schoolemaister which maketh vs heires which adopteth vs which giueth vs all things but it is the father wherefore let vs ascribe our iustification vnto God and vnto Christ and not vnto the lawe nor vnto workes nor to our merits Tell me The .38 reason Gala. 4 21. ye that would so faine be vnder the lawe doo ye not heare what the lawe saith For it is written that Abraham had two sonnes one of an handmaiden an other of a freewoman and he which came of the handmaiden was borne according to the flesh but he which came of the freewoman was borne according to promise which thinges are spoken by an allegorie For these are two testaments the one from the mount Sina which ingendreth vnto bondage the which is Agar for Agar is mount Sina in Arabia and is ioined vnto the citie which is now called Ierusalem and it is in bondage with hir children but Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all In these words this thing is chéeflie to be noted that the lawe ingendreth not but vnto bondage as Agar did But if by the works therof it could iustifie it should ingender to libertie for what thing else is iustification than a certeine libertie frō sinne But forsomuch as it is both called a seruant and gendreth to bondage we ought not then by it to looke for iustification In the fift chapter it is written verse 2. The 39. reason verse 3. If ye be circumcised Christ shall nothing profit you And he brings a reason of the said sentence For that man saith he which is circumcised is debter to keepe the whole lawe So much dooth Paule take iustification from circumcision and works as he saith that Christ nothing profiteth them in case they will be circumcised after they beléeue And still he more stronglie confirmeth that which was said The 40. reason Christ is come in vaine vnto you for if ye haue iustification as the fruit of your works then the comming death and bloud-shedding of Christ should not haue beene necessarie verse 11. And I if I yet preach circumcision whie doo I suffer persecution Then is the offense of the crosse abolished The offense and slander of the crosse is that men being wicked and otherwise sinners are by God counted iust through Christ crucified and by faith in him Here the flesh is offended here dooth reason vtterlie resist which thing happeneth not when iustification is preached to come of works whether they be ceremoniall or morall But God would haue this offense to remaine bicause it pleaseth him 1. Cor. 1 21. by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beléeue verse 1. The 41. reason 16 Vnto the Ephesians the 2. chapter it is written And ye when ye were dead in trespasses and sinnes in which in time past ye walked according to the course of this world euen after the gouernor that ruleth in the aire and the spirit that now worketh in the children of vnbeliefe among whom we also had our conuersation in time past in the lust of the flesh and fulfilled the will of the flesh and of the mind and as it is in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our thoughts were by nature the children of wrath euen as others are Let vs note in these words that men at the beginning before they come to Christ are dead in sinne and therfore are not able to helpe themselues to liue and to be iustified Who euer sawe that a dead man could helpe himselfe Further by those words is shewed that they were in the power of the prince of darkenes which worketh and is puissant in the children of vnbeliefe Séeing therefore they were gouerned by him how could they by their works tend to iustification And bicause we should not thinke that he spake onlie of some other certeine vngodlie persons he addeth All we comprehending also the apostles in the number Among them saith he we were And what did we then We were conuersant in the lusts of our flesh And to the end we might vnderstand that these lusts were not onelie the wicked affections of the grosser part of the soule it followeth We doing the will of the flesh and of the mind or of reason did followe also the thoughts or inuentions of human reason If we were all such from whence then commeth saluation and
teach a resolution from works vnto faith Againe from faith vnto his obiect And that we should not thinke that faith by his owne power hath anie thing whereby it can iustifie he againe passeth from it vnto the obiect saieng How shall they beleeue without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Also Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wherefore the vttermost point of the resolution is the word of God the promise touching Christ from whence as from the fountaine is deriued our saluation and iustification In the 11. chapter is set foorth the Antithesis or contrarie position betwéene incredulitie and faith verse 19 which séemeth verie much to confirme that which we now teach The branches were broken off that I might be graffed in this was an obiection of the Gentiles against the Iewes Paule answereth Thou saiest well bicause of vnbeleefe they were broken off but thou standest by faith Here is giuen the reason of the fall and destruction of men and on the other side of saluation and constancie namelie vnbeléefe and faith And of the Iewes which should one daie be restored he addeth And if they abide not still in their vnbeleefe they shall be againe graffed in The restoring of them that be fallen is prooued to be and to be doone by faith for God is of might to graff them in Here we sée that by departing from vnbeléefe which consisteth in beléeuing men that haue fallen are restored This maketh verie much against the error of those which although they after a sort confesse that the first iustification is giuen fréelie without anie works going before yet vnto men that haue fallen they grant not restitution vnto iustification but by satisfaction and manie works preparatorie 50 These things out of the epistle vnto the Romans In the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter it is thus written verse 21. Bicause the world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue Bicause the wise men of this world saith the apostle by their naturall searching out could not take hold of the wisedome of God whereby they might be saued God of his goodnes hath instituted a contrarie waie namelie the preaching of the Gospell which vnto the flesh séemeth foolishnesse that by it saluation should be giuen vnto men but yet not to all sorts of men but to those onlie that beléeue Wherefore in the second to the Corinthians verse 24. the 1. chapter it is thus written By faith ye stand by which words we vnderstand that the foundation whereby we are confirmed and established in the waie of saluation verse 14. is faith Further Paule to the Galathians the 2. chapter where he reprooueth Peter for his simulation whereby he séemed to lead the Gentiles to obserue the ceremonies of the Iewes thus speaketh If thou being a Iew liuest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doo the Iewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to liue as doo the Iewes For we which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe euen we beleeue in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the lawe bicause by the works of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified Here we sée that the apostles therefore followed Christ that they might be iustified by faith which they could not obteine by works Gal. 2 20. And afterward In that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God which is all all one as if he should haue said As yet in déed sinne sticketh in my flesh and in it I carrie death about but yet notwithstanding I haue life not through mine owne merit but by the faith of the sonne of God Gal. 3 2. In the 3. chapter he thus writeth I would knowe this of you Receiued ye the spirit by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith And straitwaie he addeth He which ministreth vnto you the spirit and in you worketh miracles doth he the same by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith By these words we sée that it is faith and not works whereby we take hold of the gifts of God verse 7. And he addeth Ye know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and that vndoubtedlie for no other cause but for that in beléeuing they doo followe and resemble him verse 8. Wherfore saith he The scripture forseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith shewed before hand glad tidings vnto Abraham saieng In thee shall all nations be blessed This blessing spred not abroad vnto them bicause they had their beginning of the flesh of Abraham but bicause they followed the steps of his faith Otherwise of Abraham as touching the flesh came not as farre as we can read anie other nation than the Ismaelites Edomites and Israelites Then followeth the conclusion verse 9. Therefore they which are of faith shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham But To be blessed in the Hebrue phrase is nothing else than To receiue the gifts of God amongst which iustification is the most principall Wherefore it followeth that Vnto the Gentiles through Christ verse 14. might come the promise made vnto Abraham that we might receiue the promise of the holie Ghost through faith So then we sée that the promise of the holie Ghost is not taken hold of by works as manie faine it is Which thing euen reason sufficientlie declareth for séeing the Lord as it shall a little afterward be declared had by promise giuen this blessing vnto Abraham we must sée what is referred vnto the promise as a correlatiue which as we haue said can be nothing else but faith for faith setteth foorth vnto it selfe the promises of God as an obiect 51 Paule furthermore addeth Ibidem 22 that The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue This is the cause why the holie scriptures so diligentlie shew vnto men how they be guiltie of sinnes namelie that they should the more be stirred vp to imbrace the promises of God by faith at the least when they haue not good works whereby they might take hold of them And this vnderstand we by that which is afterward written verse 24. The lawe is our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith These words signifie nothing else but that the lawe therefore sheweth sinnes and setteth foorth vnto men their infirmities and stirreth vp their lusts whereby sinnes are more and more increased that they being thus admonished should returne vnto Christ and might from him thorough faith receiue righteousnesse Which thing they vndoubtedlie did of whom it was said verse
26. Ye are all the children of God by the faith of Iesus Christ For what is it to be the sonnes of God but bicause we haue alredie obteined adoption which we obteine onelie by regeneration or iustification And in the fourth chapter Rom. 4 28. Brethren saith he we are after the maner of Isaac children of the promise But to be children of the promise is nothing else but to beléeue those things which God promiseth whereby we are made his children according as he hath promised we should be For so was Isaac borne vnto Abraham not by the strength of nature but by the benefit of the promise of God In the fift chapter he writeth Rom. 5 5. We in the spirit looke for the hope of righteousnesse by faith In this place are two things touched the spirit of God whereby we are new fashioned and renewed vnto saluation and faith whereby we apprehend righteousnes Wherefore in this matter of our iustification although there be in our minds manie other works of the holie Ghost yet none of them except faith helpe to iustification Wherevpon the apostle concludeth Circumcision is nothing Ibidem 6. and vncircumcision is nothing but onelie faith which worketh through loue Hereof onelie dependeth iustification of this faith I saie not being dead but liuing and of force And for that cause Paule addeth Which worketh by loue Which yet ought not so to be vnderstood as though faith should depend of loue or hath of it as they vse to speake hir forme but for that when it bursteth foorth into act and will shew foorth it selfe it must of necessitie doo this by loue So the knowledge of anie man dependeth not hereon for that he teacheth other men but by that meanes it is most of all declared But if anie perfection of these actions of louing and teaching redound vnto faith and knowledge that commeth of another cause and not for that they depend of it or thereof haue their forme as manie Sophisters haue dreamed Ephes 2 8. 52 In the epistle to the Ephesians the 2. chapter it is thus written By grace ye are made safe through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And after that in the third chapter Eph. 3 16. That according to the riches of his glorie he would grant you that ye may be strengthened with might in the inward man by the spirit that Christ may dwell in your hart by faith He that hath Christ in him the same hath without all doubt righteousnes for of him Paule thus writeth vnto the Corinthians in the former epistle 1. Cor. 1 30. and the first chapter Who is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnes holines and redemption Here therefore it is shewed by what meanes Christ dwelleth in our harts namelie by faith Againe Paule in the third chapter to the Philippians Phil. 3 9. That I might be found saith he in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is of the faith of Iesus Christ Here that righteousnes which is of works and of the lawe he calleth His but that which is of faith and which he most of all desireth he calleth The righteousnes of Iesus Christ Heb. 11 33. Vnto the Hebrues also it is written in the eleuenth chapter The saints by faith haue ouercome kingdoms haue wrought righteousnesse and haue obteined the promises These words declare how much is to be attributed vnto faith for by it the saints are said not onelie to haue possessed outward kingdoms but also to haue exercised the works of righteousnesse namelie to haue liued holilie and without blame and to haue obteined the promises of God verse 5. And Peter in his first epistle and first chapter By the power of God saith he are ye kept vnto saluation through faith In these words are signified two principall grounds of our saluation the one is the might and power of God which is wholie necessarie for vs to obteine saluation the other is faith whereby as by an instrument saluation is applied vnto vs. Iohn in his first epistle and fift chapter verse 1. Euerie one saith he which beleeueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God but To be borne of God is nothing else than to be iustified or to be borne againe in Christ If followeth in the same chapter Ibidem ◠This is the victorie which ouercommeth the world euen our faith By which testimonie is declared that the tyrannie of the diuell of sinne of death and of hell is by no other thing driuen awaie from vs but by faith onelie And toward the end of the selfe-same chapter it is said And these things haue I written vnto you verse 3. which beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye might knowe that ye haue eternall life and that ye should beleeue in the name of the sonne of God 53 Now let vs gather out of the euangelists as much as shall serue for this present question Matthew in his eight chapter saith Mat. 8 19 That Christ exceedinglie wondred at the faith of the Centurion and confessed that he had not found such faith in Israel and turning vnto him said Euen as thou hast beleeued so be it vnto thee Here some replie that This historie and such other like intreate not of iustification but onelie of the outward benefits of the bodie giuen by GOD. Howbeit these men ought to consider that sinnes which are in vs are the causes of the gréefes and the afflictions of the bodie For onelie Christ excepted who vtterlie died an innocent all other forsomuch as they are subiect vnto sinne doo suffer no aduersitie without iust desert And although God in laieng of his calamities vpon vs hath not alwaies a respect herevnto for oftentimes he sendeth aduersities to shew foorth his glorie and to the triall of all those that are his yet none whilest he is so vexed can complaine that he is vniustlie dealt withall for there is none so holie but that in himselfe he hath sinnes which are woorthie of such like or else of greater punishments And where the cause is not taken awaie neither is nor can the effect be remooued Wherfore Christ forsomuch as he deliuereth man from diseases of the bodie manifestlie declareth that it was he which should iustifie men from sinnes And that this is true the selfe-same euangelist teacheth vs in the .9 chapter verse 2 for when he that was sicke of the palsie was brought vnto Christ to be healed he saith that Christ answered Be of good cheare my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee At which saieng when as the Scribes and Pharisies were offended to the end they should vnderstand that the cause of euils being taken awaie euen the euils them selues are taken awaie He commanded him that was sicke of the palsie to arise and take vp his bed and to walke Wherefore it manifestlie appeareth that Christ by the healings of the bodies
declared himselfe to be euen he that should forgiue sinnes and that euen as those healings were receiued by faith so also by the same faith are men iustified and receiue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Mat. 9 28. And in the same .9 chapter it is declared that Christ answered vnto the two blind men which were verie importunate and most earnestlie desired to be healed Doo ye beleeue that I can doo this for you And when they had made answere that they beléeued he said Euen as you haue beleeued so be it vnto you And when our sauiour was going to the house of the ruler of the synagog to raise vp his daughter from death there followed him a woman which had an issue of bloud which woman was indued with so great faith that she thought thus with hir selfe that If she might but touch the hem of his garment she should straitwaie be made whole Wherefore Christ answered hir Be of good confidence daughter Ibidem 22. thy faith hath made thee whole But whie Christ adioined confidence to faith we haue before declared in the beginning of this question when we declared the nature of faith for we taught that that assent wherewith we take hold of the promises of God is so strong and so vehement that the rest of the motions of the mind which are agréeable vnto it doo of necessitie followe In Luke also is set forth the historie of that sinfull woman vnto whom the Lord thus answered Luk. 7 50. Thy faith hath made thee safe signifieng that he for hir faith sake had forgiuen hir hir sinnes And that the faith of this woman was verie feruent she declared by the effects In that she loued much in that she kissed his feete in that she washed them with hir teares and wiped them with hir heare 54 In the Gospell of Iohn the third chapter Christ said vnto Nichodemus Iohn 3 16. So God loued the world that he gaue his onlie begotten son that he which beleeued in him should not perish but haue eternall life And in the selfe-same chapter Iohn Baptist thus speaketh of Christ He which beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he which beleeueth not hath not life but the wrath of God abideth on him Out of which place we gather not onelie that we presentlie intreat of It is prooued that strangers from Christ can doo no good thing that may please God but also this that they who are strangers from Christ and beleeue not can doo nothing that may please God and therefore they cannot merit of congruitie as they call it and as our aduersaries affirme the grace of God And in the sixt chapter Christ saith This is the will of him that sent me Iohn 6 40. that he which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him hath eternall life and I saith he will raise him vp at the last daie And when he had before said verse 44. No man commeth vnto me vnlesse my father drawe him also He that hath heard of my father verse 45. and hath learned commeth vnto me afterward he addeth And he which beleeueth in me verse 47. hath eternall life In the eleuenth chapter when Christ should raise vp Lazarus he saith vnto Martha Ioh. 11 25. He which beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and he which liueth and beleeueth in me shall not die for euer And in the 17. chapter This is eternall life Iohn 17 3. that they acknowledge thee the onlie true GOD and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ But this is to be noted that here he speaketh not of a cold knowledge but of a mightie and strong faith wherefore if it be eternall life then shall it also be iustification For iustification and life are so ioined togither that the one is oftentimes taken for the other And in verie déed iustification is nothing else than eternall life now alreadie begun in vs. And in the 20. chapter Ioh. 20 31. These things saith he are written that ye should beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and that in beleeuing ye should haue eternall life Acts. 15 9. In the Acts of the apostles the 15. chap. it is thus written By faith purifieng their harts In which place Peter speaketh of the Gentils that they should not be compelled vnto the works of the lawe of Moses forsomuch as Christ had without them giuen vnto them the holie Ghost and had by faith made cleane their harts from sins Paule also in his oration to king Agrippa said verse 18. that He was called of Christ to be sent vnto the Gentils which should by his ministerie be illuminated and by faith receiue remission of sinnes and lot amongst the saints And these testimonies hitherto we haue gathered out of the new testament But if I should out of the old testament rehearse all that which maketh to this purpose I should then be ouer tedious And if there be anie of so obstinate a hart that those things which we haue alreadie spoken cannot force them to confesse the truth neither should it anie thing profit such men if we should bring manie more testimonies wherefore a few shall suffice And besides those testimonies which Paule cited out of the 15. chapter of Genesis Gen. 15 ◠Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes out of Abacuke The iust man shall liue by his faith out of Dauid Abac. 2 4. Psal 3◠1. Esai 28 26. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen out of Esaie Euerie one that beleeueth in him shall not be confounded and a few other such like Besides these testimonies I saie I will cite the 53. chapter of Esaie wherein Christ by most expresse words is painted foorth For there He is said verse 4. to haue taken vpon him our sorrowes to haue borne our infirmities to haue giuen his soule a sacrifice for sinnes and manie such other things which are so plaine that they can be applied vnto none other but onlie vnto Christ Iesus our sauiour And it is said moreouer And by the knowledge of him shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie and he shall beare their iniquities These words doo teach that Christ iustifieth manie namelie the elect by the knowledge and perfect vnderstanding of him which knowledge vndoubtedlie is nothing else but a true faith and that he also in such sort iustifieth them that he taketh vpon himselfe and beareth their iniquities And Ieremie in the fift chapter writeth verse 3 O God haue not thine eies a regard vnto faith As if he should haue said Although thou séest all things and there is nothing perteining vnto man hidden from thée yet hast thou chéeflie regard vnto faith as vnto the roote and foundation of all good actions And as touching the oracles of the scripture this shall suffice 55 Now will I answer such obiections as are commonly brought against this second proposition And we will begin first with
the same In the second of the Acts when they which heard of remission of sinnes through Christ verse 37 38. were pricked in their harts and euen then it repented them yet notwithstanding Peter said Repent ye wherefore he requireth that fruits should followe 5 This christian repentance some doo weaken some others would in a maner take it quite awaie and these men must be confuted They saie that it séemeth to be a foolishnes A confutation of them that take awaie repentance to repent vs of those things which be alreadie doone The sinnes are alreadie past we cannot helpe it but that we haue sinned Wherefore we must not be disquieted The reason is weake True it is that euill works are passed and gone â—ut that nothing of them remaineth that is not true The remembrance of them What remaineth of sinne when it is past and the conscience remaineth in like maner the gilt that is to saie the bond to euerlasting punishments there remaineth also the deformitie of the mind and of the powers thereof Further we may saie that reason otherwise concludeth than these men would A similitude It was said vnto a certeine philosopher that he should not lament for his child that was alreadie dead bicause he could not helpe it with lamentations naie rather saith he I sorrowe this most of all that this cannot otherwise be Euen so should godlie men sorrowe bicause they haue sinned and that now it cannot otherwise be but that they haue violated the lawe of God Others saie Séeing God dooth rightlie vse euen our sinnes and directeth them vnto those ends which he will haue why should I sorrowe bicause I haue sinned These men speake not well Although that sinne so entered in Rom. 6 1. that grace might abound yet saith Paule we must not therefore remaine in sinne If God will vse sinne shouldest thou for that cause commit sinne It is the propertie of God to rule all things doo thou what is commanded thée This argument dooth not so much touch vs as it dooth those which set downe a bare permission for God permitteth not against his will Further there is brought an example A Nun the mother of P. Lombardus and of Gratianus A certeine Nun was mother to the Maister of the sentences and Gratianus when she sawe them to be twoo such notable men she said that she could not repent vnto whom hir confessor said Onelie sorrowe thou bicause thou canst not sorrowe 6 There haue béene some which would quite haue taken awaie repentance Such were the Nouatian heretiks The Nouatian heretiks and the Puritans who alone would séeme to be wise Their opinion offended euen Constantine himselfe for as it is reported by Socrates in the Ecclesiasticall historie in the first booke and tenth chapter and by Sozomenus in the first booke and 22. chapter when the Councell was holden at Nice he called vnto him Acesius a Nouatian bishop and asked of him whether he thought that it was well decréed concerning Christs béeing of one substance with the father and as touching the kéeping of Easter He allowed it Wherefore then saith the Emperour dooest thou not communicate with others He began to declare what had happened in the time of Decius the Emperour Some had fallen and would haue béene afterward receiued but the bishop put them backe Set vp a ladder saith the Emperour and clime thou alone into heauen thereby noting his pride that he alone with those of his sect would be in heauen Constantine fauoured repentance Some iudge that Constantine the Emperour so greatlie fauoured repentance foâ— some especiall cause Sozomenus in the second booke and fift chapter reporteth that the Greeks had iudged ill of Constantine that they said he was cruell that he had slaine manie of his kindred and among others his sonne Crispus that being disquieted he tooke counsell of Sopater the philosopher whether he might be purged and that the same Sopater said that there was no purgation for these crimes Whervpon he tooke counsell of the christian bishops who said that he might be purged by true repentance and for this cause he imbraced the christian faith Sozomenus reporteth this but he confuteth it as a thing deuised in dishonour and hatred of christian religion First hée saith that Constantine himselfe from his tender age was brought vp in christian religion and dwelt at that time in Britaine and in Gallia But it is not probable that Sopater which taught in Greece did come into these countries Furthermore he ioined his sonne Crispus partaker with him in the empire this dooth manie lawes testifie being set foorth in the name of Crispus and Constantine and he liued vnto the twentie yere of the reigne of Constantine But admit it were thus and that Sopater conferred with him or wrote vnto him He might not saie that in the countries of the Ethniks there was no purging for there were manie as before I haue declared wherefore he answered that Constantine fauoured repentance as a christian and one that was expert in the holie scriptures A confutation of the Nouatian heretiks Eze. 18 c. It is to be maruelled that the Nouatians perceiued not that sentence in Ezechiel In what houre soeuer a sinner shall be sorrowfull I will no more remember his sinnes Further that they considered not the example of Dauid Ezechias Manasses 2. Sam. 11. 2. Kin. 20 12 2. King 21 2 Matt. 26 69. and of Peter who after his fall held his place in the apostleship neither that they marked that the Lord said vnto Peter when he asked him how oftentimes he should forgiue his brother Matt. 18 21 I saie not to thee seuen times but seuentie times seuen times Séeing these so manifest testimâ—nies be extant how can the Nouatians denie repentance vnto them which be fallen It séemeth that they are mooued therevnto by two places in the epistle to the Hebrues the tenth chapter Heb. 10 26. Vnto them saith he that sinne willinglie after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certeine fearfull expectation of iudgement But here it is not spoken of euerie kind of sinne but of sinne that is peculiar and after a sort vniuersall when as men reiect faith and doo altogither alienate themselues from Christ and set themselues against him This is the sinne against the holie Ghost The sinne against the holie Ghost which God so punisheth as it shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor yet in the world to come It is expounded better by another place in the 6. to the Hebrues verse 4. It is vnpossible that they which be once lightened and haue tasted the heauenlie gift Who cannot possiblie be reneweâ— by repentance and haue beene made partakers of the holie Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God if they fall awaie should be renewed by repentance That is not to be vnderstood of
true faith inuiolate This saith he is it that haie wood and strawe is set on fire perisheth for euen those lusts of theirs as flames doo torment them and they vanish awaie And he added that this happeneth vnto manie while they liue here for it happeneth not seldome vnto the most part of martyrs and saints that they be spoiled of the goods of this world for the name of Christ But he saith that finallie we are all tried with this examination at the end of our life And that fire signifieth tribulations he prooueth it out of the 65. psalme where it is written We haue passed through fire and water verse 12. thou hast brought vs into a wealthie place where by fire is declared aduersitie and by water prosperitie And for the same cause in the exorcisme of baptisme he would haue as well fire as water to be vsed that we may vnderstand we be tried by these two things And he bringeth the sentence of Ecclesiasticus Thus farre of Augustines interpretation The fornace trieth the potters vessell but the temptation of trouble trieth the minds of the iust 29 Vnto this interpretation of Augustine by fire to vnderstand calamities and aduersities Gregorie agréeth Gregorie albeit that he incline vnto purgatorie But as we haue said it is most euident that Paule by buildings either good or ill Paule by building signified doctrine signified doctrines either sound or corrupt whose end is described that if they be good they haue their reward but if they be euill they vanish and come to naught Matt. 15 13. For euerie plant which my heauenlie father hath not planted shall be plucked vp Neither is it anie maruell if good buildings doo stand firme séeing the word of God abideth for euer He that hath not builded well may indéed be saued neuerthelesse by fire bicause he shall perceiue that his doctrine is both confuted and condemned He shall acknowledge that he hath wrought in vaine A similitude euen as he that escapeth through fires whose garments are so burned as yet he leapeth out naked Some expound So as it were by fire bicause men are hardlie brought that they can be caried awaie from their opinions for all men imbrace and loue their owne inuentions more than is méet Howbeit it is more sincere to say that in the examination of God they shall haue experience of shame sadnes trouble and of an vnquiet conscience And vnto this interpretation Ambrose agréed He must of necessitie be alwaies ashamed Ambrose that séeth himselfe to haue defended a false matter in stéed of a truth In this iudgement of God the fault of doctrine is discouered and foorthwith entereth great sadnes and sorrowe of repentance Chrysost 30 Chrysostome thought that this fire perteined vnto hell but bicause he sawe that to make against him which is written But he him selfe shall be saued as it were by fire he interpreteth that To be saued is nothing else but To indure not to be extinguished not to be turned into ashes or to be brought to naught that this ill builder shall remaine as touching substance but shall not as he saith be reserued vnlesse it be vnto punishment that he may be burned with fire and euerlasting flames He was not ignorant that this interpretation was somewhâ—…â—orced and therefore he indeuoured to mitigate the same and he shewed that Paule with goodlie words did sometime set foorth things which otherwise are euill and to be disallowed and againe to call things excellent and praise-woorthie by dishonorable names In the latter epistle to the Corinthians he saith that We make all our cogitatioÌ„s captiue where 2. Cor. 10 5 by the word captiue he calleth that persuasion whereby men willinglie and of their owne accord submit themselues vnto faith Also when he preacheth mortification of the flesh Col. 3 5. and members that be vpon the earth certeinlie by the word mortification he commendeth a thing allowed and perfect whereas by nature we all flie from death And on the other side when he saith vnto the Romans Rom. 6 11. Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies by the name of reigne he adoorneth tyrannie a thing vndoubtedlie to be detested with the name of a kingdome So now he calleth the euerlasting continuance in fire and in the paines of hell by the name of Sauing But let Chrysostome defend this interpretation of his as well as he can Chrysostome interpretation confuted it appéereth plainlie that it can not stand for two causes For séeing all things be here taken allegoricallie what néed he labour to prooue it true fire Vnlesse perhaps he will haue hell fire to be an allegorie which thing the receiued opinion in the church will not suffer Further where it is said The fire shall prooue euerie worke what it is we must as Augustine verie well aduiseth determine it to be that fire the which as well the good as euill builders shall haue experience of But I doo not thinke that he would haue the good and holie men to be tormented in hell fire And yet neuertheles haue the Gréeke Scholies brought this opinion of Chrysostome The Greeke expositions Erasmus And Erasmus a notable learned man in his annotations saith that It is a vaine thing to make mention in this place of purgatorie séeing it is here ment farre otherwise Surelie I doubt not but that he himselfe sawe the same thing that if purgatorie fire should be gathered of this place it shall be néedfull for that fire to be common both vnto the apostles and vnto all the saints although they haue builded the church with sincere and approoued doctrines And I can not sufficientlie woonder at them which affirme that this sentence is vnderstood of purgatorie when as otherwise they defend the Popes pardons and doo knowe that some of them are so granted by the Pope as a man may be absolued from all punishment when he dieth so that his soule as they speake may foorthwith flie into heauen How shall such a one be tried in the fire of purgatorie Yea and Scotus said that There may be found an action or motion of charitie so absolute and perfect or as he himselfe speaketh of such feruencie that it can wash awaie all punishments Let the same man shew how this fire of purgatorie which they would wrest out of this place can be common vnto all men Vnlesse perhaps they will place the same in the aire and will deuise that all the saints when they flie awaie vnto heauen passe through the fire As it is spoken of one Alcuinus that he inuented such a tale A deuise altogither feigned namelie that all saints before they ascend into heauen passe through the fire of purgatorie It séemeth also that this should not be vnspoken of that Paule after a sort alludeth the saieng vnto the words of Esaie in the first chapter where it is said verse 31. And their strength shall
great euils but also hearing them reported of from all parts of the world yet doo they not praie vnto God neither are they therewith anie thing touched in mind 11 But perhaps some man will saie that fastings bicause they be partlie Iewish and partlie Heathenish may séeme to be farre from our purpose Fastings commended in the new testament verse 2. But that it is not so it may easilie be prooued by the new testament In the Acts of the apostles the 13. chapter the church being admonished by an oracle that Paule and Barnabas should be chosen to visit the cities townes where the Gospell had béene preached first decréed a fast then did laie their hands vpon them verse 23. And in the 14. chapter when they returned home after the accomplishment of their busines in Iconium Lystria and Antiochia they ordeined a fast and created ministers and elders in euerie citie Augustine Augustine in his epistle to Cassulanus saith that When Peter was to talke with Simon Magus at Rome vpon the saturdaie the church of Rome vpon the sabboth daie proclaimed a fast which custome was alwaies afterward reteined Ierom. Ierom in his prolog vpon Matthew saith that Iohn being desired of the churches to write the Gospell against Ebion and Cerinthus who denied the diuine nature of Christ answered that he would doo it if the whole church would first proclaime a publike fast which also Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall historie dooth testifie Eusebius Paule in like maner in the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 5. the seuenth chapter admonisheth those that are ioined togither in matrimonie not to defraud one another but with consent to giue themselues to fasting and praier In which place I thinke he meaneth publike praiers and also publike fast for fellowship of marriage nothing letteth but that they may be priuatelie vsed But whether he ment publike fasts or priuate it forceth not greatlie Moreouer Christ being asked of his apostles Why they could not heale the dumbe and cast out the diuell He answered Matt. 17 19. Bicause of your vnbeleefe and he added This kind of diuels is cast out onelie by fasting and praier That place is somewhat darke and therefore it shall not be vnprofitable bréeflie to expound it Is it to be thought that by the merit of fasting and praiers diuels are woont to be cast out as they vse to speake for the worke sake it selfe that is wrought Not so What then signified those words of Christ First he said Bicause of your vnbeleefe for if ye had faith as the graine of mustard seed and should saie vnto this mountaine Take vp thy selfe and cast thy selfe into the sea it should obeie you And togither with faith is necessarie a vehement and feruent praier and also fasting bicause a fixed earnest praier not onlie draweth the mind from meat drinke but also from all other humane pleasures and cogitations Wherefore Christ by the effects describeth the cause namelie faith by praiers and fasting And he speaketh of those diuels to whom God gaue a little of their will as though hée should haue said Ye must not liue easilie or idelie if ye will cast out this kind of diuels ye must haue a sure and strong faith which thing he expressed by the effects I meane by praiers and fastings 12 By these reasons testimonies fastings are also commended in the new testament But in them we must beware of faults which verie oftentimes doo happen therein both manie and gréeuous First The faults which are to be auoided in fasting bicause in Poperie are obserued fasts vpon certeine appointed daies without consideration of persons or occasions as a yéerelie ceremonie which at this daie as though it were Iewish is of little force Moreouer euerie man hath added and heaped vp of his owne whatsoeuer pleased him Fastings are brought in without measure and not that which the calamities of times and the more feruenter praiers would require For one brought in seuentie daies fast another sixtie daies fast another fiftie daies fast another fortie daies fast another brought in rogation daies another the ember daies another the éeues of the apostles another brought fridaies fast another saturdaies and another The multitude of fastings haue brought in questions and contentions fasting vpon the wednesdaie But of so manie fasts what profit hath there followed at the length Forsooth a great manie of questions and contentions for a man will scarselie beléeue how manie questions of fastings haue béene euen among the fathers Augustine vnto Cassulanus writeth that We ought therfore to fast vpon wednesdaie bicause Christ was sold vpon that daie and on the fridaie bicause he was that daie crucified But on the saturdaie he much doubted For they of Milane and of the East part affirmed that vpon that daie we should not fast bicause Christ that daie was at rest in the sepulchre Contrariewise the Romans and Affricans and certeine other doo earnestlie affirme that bicause Christ was so debased as to lie in a sepulchre therefore the saturdaie should be fasted Monica the mother of Augustine The mother of Augustine when she came out of Affrike vnto Milane and sawe that the men there fasted not vpon saturdaie began to maruell at the vnaccustomed maner Wherefore Augustine which was not yet baptised came to Ambrose and asked on his mothers behalfe what was best to be doone Doo saith Ambrose that which I doo Ambroses answer to Augustine By which words Augustine thought that he should not fast bicause Ambrose fasted not But what he ment he himselfe more manifestlie expressed I saith Ambrose when I come to Rome doo fast bicause the saturdaie is there fasted but when I returne vnto Milane bicause it is not here fasted I fast not De consecratione distinction 5. in the chapter De esu carnium It is decréed that fridaie and wednesdaie should be fasted saturdaie is left frée And in the same distinction in the chapter Sabbato vero Innocentius Innocentius hath added that the saturdaie must also be fasted But he alledgeth an other cause farre differing from that which we spake of before for séeing the apostles saith he were in great moorning and sorrowe as well on the fridaie as on the saturdaie therefore we must fast In the same distinction in the chapter Ieâ—unium Melchiades decréed that we must not fast on the sundaie nor yet on the thursdaie and he giueth a reason bicause the fasts of the christians ought to be on other daies than are the fastings of heretikes and Ethniks Epiphanius held that Christ ascended vpon a Wednesdaie Matt. 9 15. 13 Epiphanius bringeth a reason whie we should fast vpon wednesdaie namelie bicause Christ was that daie taken vp into heauen for it is written that when the bridegroome is taken from them then they shall fast And this he affirmeth to be the tradition of the apostles where as notwithstanding at this daie we
for these causes it happeneth that they cast awaie the word of God defend the most shamefull violation of all holie things and with prisonments and fiers pursue and destroie all those which indeuour to reforme anie thing in religion 5 Paule in the first epistle to the Corinthians Distribution and vocation verse 17. the 7. chapter saith As God hath distributed to euerie man as the Lord hath called euerie one so let euerie man walke In which place we haue mention made of distribution and vocation that we may be taught that there is nothing rashlie doone neither that there is anie man in the world which at his owne will or indeuour taketh vpon him his owne proper state or condition Who at his owne pleasure is borne a prince or a seruant a rich man or a poore man And so in like maner of other states These things are diuided vnto euerie man by God according to his will and prouidence What vocation is Vocation is said to be the declaration of the will of God by the which he leadeth vs vnto faith and saluation and placeth vs in some certeine state and kind of life Euerie one of vs ought so to be towards God as a souldier is vnto his capteine for the souldier in the campe taketh not vpon him an office or place A similitude according as he himselfe will but he dealeth and bideth in place according as his capteine shall command Wherfore in the christian state of life and vocation there must no alteration be rashlie made by a christian man But let vs consider An exception from a rule set downe that these things may not be vnderstood of the states kinds of life which be most plainelie repugnant to the word of God for those that be of that sort must forthwith be reiected For no harlot vsurer or vnpure vower of chastitie ought to pretend that he will not change his state vocation to be turned to a better séeing these detestable states must be imputed to our owne fault and not to the will of God Finallie Euerie man must be content with his owne state The difference betweene the Ethniks and christians concerning this vertue Paule persuadeth no other thing but that euerie man should liue content with that state which is allotted vnto him so it be honest which thing is so méet and agréeable to the vprightnesse of nature as the Poets and Ethnike writers as well Gréeks as Latines haue allowed the same Howbeit betwéene them and our apostle this difference there is that they referre the distribution of sundrie states vnto fortune and chaunce but our apostle doth ascribe it vnto the diuine prouidence Wherein he iudgeth and speaketh godlie séeing all things which happen vnto vs are referred to the most high cause of the will of God 6 But this sentence of Paule séemeth to bring the christians into most strait bondage if it be not lawfull for them by anie meanes to change their vocations If a man be called from the plough as Cincinnatus and other ancient Romans were vnto the state of consulship and gouernement of the common weale shall it not be lawfull for him to receiue the same Againe a man being poore if a conuenient occasion of a more cōmodious estate be offered whie may he not change his poore estate into a better kind of life But héerevnto we answere that Paules speaking is of those changes Of what changing of vocation Paule speaketh which cannot be doone without the offending of our neighbour and without the note of inconstancie which things must wholie be auoided by christian men as it appeareth of vnfit matches in matrimonie of circumcision gentilitie seruitude and fréedome the which things be not changed without offense without note of newfanglenesse But it is not forbidden by these woords but that thou maist sometime change a dangerous state into that state which shal be of more safetie when as thou doost the same prudentlie without offense vnto anie man and which is most of all to be required that thou doost it not against the word of God Moreouer if thou be called by iust meanes vnto an office or vnto the rule of the church now is it not thine owne selfe that translateth thée from one vocation vnto an other but thou are promoted by God The verie same must be determined when thou shalt be compelled by anie great necessitie to enter into anie new state and condition this also is to be ascribed vnto God being the author of that necessitie In like maner if there be an occasion offered of dooing well the businesse of Christ 1. Cor. 9 22. if thou be otherwise affected Paule must be followed who was made all things to all men Onelie beware that thou séeke not thine owne nor yet deale rashlie And séeing thou oughtest to be as the labouring beast towards God suffer him to go before thée to lead thée by his will cōduction vnto that state which thou must take in hand The diuell is woont by deceiptfull temptations to bring gréeuous euils vpon the simple sort Sometimes by faire meanes he persuadeth them that doo serue and deceiueth them by this meanes Séeing Christ hath alreadie deliuered you séeing all things be yours it is an vnséemelie thing that you should serue in this sort Whie doo ye not shake off the yoke Whie doo ye not take vpon you to vse that gift which is granted you by Christ By these or such like reasons it is to be thought that he mooued the Iewes who asked Christ Matt. 22 17. Whether it were lawfull to giue tribute vnto Caesar In like maner when we be oppressed by anie wicked prince sathan thus reasoneth God in Deuteronomie ordeined Deut. 17 15 that a king should not be chosen but among the brethren but he is not of the number of the brethren which professeth not the same religion and godlinesse whie therefore doo you not mind to reuolt from this tyrant Whie doo ye not depose him which is so great an enimie to religion Howbeit we must harken vnto the word of GOD whereby it is commanded that we should not onelie obeie princes that be good but them also that be shrewd And let this place also come to remembrance that vocations are distributed by God and that we must not rashlie séeke to ouerthrowe them 7 But this must we chéeflie hold for a Maxime that It is sinne Rom. 14 23. whatsoeuer is doone without faith But thou wilt saie The Iewes In 1. Sam. 14 verse 32. Whether we are more vnhappie than the Iewes which haue no answers of our affaires if they were to take anie great thing in hand might require an answere of God we at this daie cannot do so are we therefore lesse beloued of God than were they I knowe that manie are woont to complaine of this matter as though our state were woorse than was the state of the Iewes But here we must vse a
sell that thou possessest Matt. 19 21. Of the yong man whom Christ cōmanded to sell all and followe me for this was a speciall calling of him neither did Christ rashlie command him to doo it The man thought that he had fulfilled the law in such sort as if there had wanted nothing vnto perfect instruction but how farre he was from the same the Lord would haue it declared vnto him when he commanded him to doo this for it taught him foorthwith that he did not as yet loue God aboue all his riches for he went awaie sorrowfull And it is to be thought that he tooke profit by this admonition so that he now knowing his owne infirmitie returned at the length vnto the right waie And whereas the Lord saith in the same chapter Ibidem verse 24. that it should be Easier for a camell to passe through the eie of a fine needle c he dooth not inferre that it is vnpossible for all kind of rich men to be saued but for those onelie which Marke intreating in the tenth chapter of the same argument expresseth Mark 10 24 saieng that It is vnpossible for them to be saued The godlie are cōstrained to get their riches by iust labours which put their trust in riches And so farre is it off that godlie men are forbidden to haue riches as they that liue well are constrained to get themselues wealth by their iust labours whereby they may mainteine both them selues and theirs Héerevnto the apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4. 11 that they should haue wherewith to sustaine not onelie themselues and their familie but also that they should haue ouer and besides whereby they may be able to distribute vnto the poore Wherefore the same apostle verse 28. in the fourth chapter to the Ephesians saith He that hath stollen shall not now steale but shall rather labour with his hands that he may haue wherewith to giue them that suffer necessitie Vnder what conditions riches may iustlie be reteined by the godlie But that riches may be lawfullie reteined by them that be iust certeine conditions are néedfull condition 1 First that they be gotten of them by iust meanes that is not by arts which in their owne kind are euill or of themselues good yet forbidden and not agréeing with that person For none ought to withdrawe himselfe from teaching of the word of God to practise shoomakers craft and thereby to inrich himselfe condition 2 Let him not abuse them so as he would haue them to mainteine riot and voluptuousnesse condition 3 Let not the mind of him that procureth them be drawen awaie from the confidence in God from his vocation or from the worshipping of God condition 4 Let him not hoord them vp but let him distribute them to the poore when and according as néed shall require condition 5 Let him put no trust in them as Paule in the first to Timothie the last chapter hath admonished verse 17. Command thou the rich men of this world that they put not their trust in the vncerteintie of riches condition 6 Let not rich men take stomach vnto them so as they become proud aduancing themselues and contemning the poore condition 7 Let them weigh that riches are vnstable and maie easilie be taken from them Wherefore let them not set their hart vpon them and when the Lord shall take them awaie from them let them saie Iob. 1 21. The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken awaie euen as it pleaseth the Lord so let it be condition 8 Let them acknowledge that they haue gotten them of the Lord and not by their owne power condition 9 And let them euerie daie more and more mortifie the desire of hauing least the desire of hauing should as much increase in them as they be growen in wealth and riches In 2. kin 11. Worldlie goods must not be so greatlie expected 18 Here there is a thing that we may verie profitable learne namelie that externall goods must not with so great affection be desired and sought after as they be sought for wished by vnskilfull men for such is the infirmitie of man and weaknesse of mortall mens wits as they will not easilie appoint anie measure vnto riches Yea and moreouer the knowledge of humane and naturall things ought not to be immoderatlie desired of vs. For otherwhile we putting our trust therein and being puffed vp more than is méet Why God gaue so gret riches vnto Salomon when as he knew they wold turne to his destruction Matt. 5 45. doo the lesse depend vpon God and vpon his word But some man will saie Séeing God loued Salomon and that he knew that these goods would turne to his destruction whie did he bestowe them vpon him in such plentie and abundance First I answer They that aske these things may by the same reason demand whie GOD raineth as well vpon the iust as vpon the vniust whie he maketh his sunne to rise both vpon the good and euill séeing it is not vnknowen vnto him that the vniust euill men doo abuse both the sunne and the raine It may be asked also Wherefore God séeing he knew that Pharao would not obeie his word but rather become the worse by occasion thereof sent notwithstanding Moses and Aaron with his commandements to him Exod. 4 21. Neither yet was God ignorant that the Iewes would scorne the prophesies and oracles of the prophets and yet neuerthelesse the captiuitie of Babylon being at hand he sent such a number of prophets vnto them as he séemed good at that time to set open the schoole of the prophets Now then this kind of questions is superfluous for an order can not be prescribed vnto God neither ought his gouernment to be limited by our reasons Howbeit touching Salomon I saie A discourse touching the end of Salomon that either he perteined vnto the predestinate or vnto the reprobate certeinlie one of the two we must admit for betwééne these can be granted no meane If he were of the elect and predestinate he belonged vnto euerlasting life And in verie déed the Hebrues affirme for a certeintie that he repented after his fall yea and they saie that the booke Coheteth was written by him in the verie time of his repentance Wherefore we are warned and taught by his falles to put no trust in our owne selues and that we estéeme not of the pleasures and delights of this world otherwise than they are séeing we heare that king Salomon when he enioied all those things in most abundance did pronounce generallie of them Eccles 1 1. Vanitie of vanities and all things are vanitie Which sentence verelie if a common person a poore man or an husband-man had pronounced all men in a maner would haue said How dooth this fellowe knowe hereof who neither hath had experience nor yet could procure vnto himselfe pleasures and delights Therefore God would that he should affirme
such other like Men thinke that aduersities be a token of Gods wrath towards vs Chrysost For whatsoeuer aduersitie happeneth we thinke the same to be a token of Gods wrath towards vs when as he neuertheles of a singular loue suffereth vs to be afflicted Chrysostome noted that Paule rehearsed not things light and of small force For he left vntouched couetousnes of monie ambition of honors desire of reuenge and pleasures forbidden which things are woont to drawe backward euen those men that be constant but he reckoneth vp things horrible and most gréeuous and which are wont easilie to ouercome nature For in these words he comprehendeth those things which commonlie happen in a life most hard and most bitter as prisonments burnings bonds tearings in sunder and such like things And he vseth an interrogation thereby to signifie a stedfast assurance And the words which he vseth are not placed by chance or at all aduentures but with singular working of the holie Ghost The first word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Affliction deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To breake or to presse vehementlie An artificiall comparing of words for things that be well made are wont to be first broken or brused And afterward the euill is increased then cōmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Anguish where things are brought to so narrowe a streict that a man cannot tell what counsell to take or which waie to turne himselfe Then outwardlie commeth Persecution which dooth spoile a man of his fréends Afterward followe Hunger and nakednes for men when they be compelled to flie awaie haue then great want of things necessarie And then is added Perill so that men come also into danger of their life And bicause nothing should want at the last is added the Sword All these things saith the apostle haue no such strength as they can persuade the elect that they are not beloued of God These discommodities of the godlie Paule setteth foorth in the latter epistle vnto the Corinthians the fourth chapter verse 9. for thus he writeth I thinke that God hath declared vs the last apostles as men appointed vnto death For we are made a gazing stocke vnto the world and to the angels and vnto men We are fooles for Christ his sake but ye are wise through Christ We are weake and ye are strong We are despised and ye are honoured Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certeine dwelling places and labour working with our hands We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer we are ill spoken of and we praie And in the latter epistle to the Corinthians 2. Co. 11 23. In prisons aboue measure in labours more aboundantlie c. And vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 3 2. They which will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution And manie such other like sentences are euerie where to be found in the holie scriptures Augustine De doctrina christiana Augustine Erasmus and Erasmus in his annotations declare that that place excelleth in weight of matter and ornaments of Rhetorike namelie in Gradation in Antithesis in Contraries and Repetitions The apostle also dooth vrge it with interrogations and speaketh nothing in this place that is base meane for all things are magnificall and excellent whether a man consider the things themselues or the persons He speaketh of life death higth depth God Christ the right hand of the father angels principalities powers and last of all he addeth In all these things we be more than conquerours This oration of Paule they thinke to be so notable excellent as they suppose that neither Cicero nor Demosthenes could euer haue spoken more eloquentlie not indéed that the holie Ghost hath néed of these ornaments but bicause he sometimes vouchsafeth to abase himselfe vnto these things when they may serue for our commoditie The art of eloquence is the gift of God and must not be contemned of yong men Which I therefore thought good to giue warning of bicause yoong men might vnderstand that this force of eloquence perteineth vnto the gifts of God and that they must endeuour to get the same in time that the holie Ghost may vse it when it shall serue for the commoditie of the church 14 Paule in the same place addeth Rom. 8 31. As it is written For thy sake are we deliuered to the death all the daie long we are accounted as sheepe to the slaughter Bicause that reason and our flesh are hardlie persuaded that we are beloued of God when we be exercised with afflictions therefore Paule brought a proofe out of the scriptures to confirme this paradox for héere haue we néede of faith which cleaueth vnto the word of God Psa 44 25 This testimonie is taken out of the 44. psalme wherein are set foorth such men complaining of their tribulations as of them we cannot doubt but they were most déere vnto God We are saie they counted as sheepe for the slaughter that is vnto whom nothing is more certeine than to be slaine For there be certeine shéepe which be kept and fed for their wooll sake or to mainteine brood and those haue life spared them for a time Some are appointed for the kitchen and they are euerie daie as occasion serueth drawne vnto death And therefore the saints in the same psalme complaine that they are like vnto the shéepe appointed to be eaten They complaine that they are otherwise dealt with than the fathers in the old time were dealt with vnto whom God séemed to beare great fauour when as he inriched them fought for them gaue them the victorie with excellent names and titles made them famous and honourable We saie they are now otherwise dealth with for we are deliuered vnto the enimies as shéepe to be slaine as vnto whom they may doo what pleaseth them It is true in déed that God would sometimes declare his loue towards the saints and confirme the truth of his doctrine when he adorned them with such goods and riches That euen the idolaters also might vnderstand that the same God whom the patriarchs worshipped was both the creator of the world and also the distributer of all good things and that all things which men commonlie desire God vsed to his glorie both the prosperitie and aduersitie of his elect are in his pleasure Which thing when he had sufficientlie declared he also made them so strong by reson of aduersities as they with a noble courage and inuincible stedfastnesse testified the doctrine of God to be true Wherein God likewise declared himselfe to be the distributer of all good things of the mind of heroicall vertues that his power is so great as euen of things contrarie God can pluckt out of things contrarie all one maner of effect he can work all one effect And that which the Latine interpretor translateth We are
to passe But those which shal be vncurable he will haue them to be quicklie broken bicause they should doo no longer hurt than néeds must nor destroie others by their infection Certeinlie these be causes whie God correcteth his owne people sooner than strangers Doubtlesse he dooth it not of hatred but the same must rather be attributed vnto a most feruent charitie Moreouer the diuine Oracles spoken in the person of God doo declare this namelie Whom I loue Pro. 3 â—… them I correct and chastise Also a good father of an houshould omitting others beginneth first to vse seuere discipline with his owne Of Flight In Gen. 32. 21 Now it shall not be amisse to speake somwhat of Flight That it is lawfull for a godlie man to flie persecution The opinion which we defend is that it is lawfull for a godlie man as the time place require to shun persecutions Which thing is chéeflie prooued by this reason For the Lord commanded his apostles in the tenth of Matthew verse 23. If they shall persecute you in one citie flie ye into another Tertullian thought that this precept was momentanie and for a time vntill the Gospell should be preached ouer all the cities of Iewrie For first the bread was to be giuen vnto the Hebrues before that the Gentils shuld be called Wherefore to the intent they might performe their message it was permitted vnto them that they should flie from citie vnto citie that as who saith they should preach vnto all cities the comming of Christ Which circuit being finished that commandement of flieng awaie was reuoked euen as those other two which are mentioned in the same chapter namelie Ibidem 5. Into the waie of the Gentils go ye not neither enter ye into the cities of the Samaritans These two precepts saith Tertullian we perceiue to be abrogated Wherefore we may presume that the same is also doone concerning flight But what kind of argument I beséech you is this Two precepts are there abrogated as the Lord hath plainlie specified in the last chapters of Matthew and Marke Matt. 28 20 Mar. 16 15. when he sent his apostles vnto all nations through the world and to all creatures Therfore all other things which he there commanded are abrogated That good maister knew verie well how to reuoke those things which were to be reuoked but other things which he did not reuoke he would that they should remaine in strength and efficacie Note there a number of excellent precepts the which he commanded vnto his apostles when he sent them on message and darest thou be bold to saie that all those same were abrogated bicause the accesse to the Gentils and Samaritans was then forbidden and afterward as we haue said was set at libertie Matt. 10 19 We read there that They should not studie what to speake when they stood before kings and rulers Ibidem 16. that They should be wise like serpents and simple as doues and that they shuld not feare them which slaie the bodie Ibidem 28. that they should consider the faithfulnesse and protection of God séeing vnto him the verie heares of the head be numbred Luk. 10 16. And He that contemneth you saith he contemneth me and He that hath receiued a righteous man Matt. 10 41 shall receiue a righteous mans reward also He that receiueth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall haue a prophets reward so as if it be but a cup of cold water that is giuen in the name of Christ it shall not be doone in vaine or loose the reward If all these things be still of force and we continuallie put in mind of kéeping them whie would we haue that abrogated which is there put concerning flight But how much is to be attributed vnto flight after the ascension of Christ the examples of the fathers doo manifestlie declare First of all Paule to begin with that apostle Act. 9 25. vnto whom the prouince of Iewrie was not committed was by the brethren let downe by a wall in a basket and so he departed out of Damascus What shall I speake of Chrysostome Athanasius and other of the fathers They by their acts are no ill authors of interpreting this same precept And so out of the words of the Lord and by the examples of the holie fathers we haue now two arguments The third is that it is by nature ingraffed in all liuing things to defend themselues which must not be vnderstood so to be the works of nature as though it sproong not from God for he is the author and gouernor of nature When this therefore is doone in time and place who is so hardie as to account it a fault Further when as there is a meanes of escaping offered and that the waie is open he that should not take the occasion offered might séeme to preuent the prouidence of God and besides the order giuen him should throwe him selfe into mischéefe Besides this charitie persuadeth that we should haue consideration of our aduersaries and should not minister occasion for them to pollute themselues with wicked slaughter and innocent blood 22 Wherfore it is granted Vpon what condition we may flit persecution that there may be a flieng awaie but yet vpon this condition that by the same we transgresse not the commandements of God the summe of which dependeth vpon two points to wit that we behaue our selues towards God and our neighbour with due godlines and charitie But he should depart from the worshipping of God which through feare or infirmitie would shunne persecution and in flieng awaie would not séeke the glorie of God Flight must wholie be directed vnto this end that we may the more commodiouslie doo honor vnto GOD and preserue our selues vntill our appointed time Thou must beware then lest thou séeke héere those things which be thine owne not those things which be the Lords and that thou be so confirmed in mind as thou maist be readie to take present death vpon thée when thou shalt knowe that the Lord calleth thée therevnto that thine houre is come or that by thy blood the glorie of God may be aduanced euen as the Lord who hauing oftentimes escaped the hands of the murtherers did in due time méet with them of his owne accord And Paule Act. 9 25. when he had béene let downe through the wall in a basket Acts. 21 10. and fled he afterward going vnto Ierusalem albeit that dangers and verie great aduersities were there remaining for him as Agabus did foreshew yet did he not turne from his purpose of going Hereof it commeth that when we shall determine thereof we must not vse an externall iudge but a domesticall I meane the conscience by the diligent examination whereof we may discerne what it is that forceth vs to flie neither may our conscience giue sentence without the spirit and word of God Yet further we must beware that by flieng there
vnderstood according to the state of things as they presentlie were So as when we heare the promises of God thus ought we to thinke Either they haue some condition ioined with them or else they are put absolutelie further either they stand in strength for this time onelie or else they are to be fulfilled hereafter And as touching that which belongeth to the conditions of promises and threatenings it must be diligentlie considered that some promises be legall and some euangelicall The legall promises haue a condition ioined with them and what difference there is betwéene them I haue in an other place taught Bréeflie I will now saie that they be legall promises which haue a condition annexed so as the promise is not due vnlesse the lawe be most perfectlie satisfied And so those conditions might be called the causes of the rewards if we could satisfie them which thing séeing we are not able to doo by reason of this corruption and infection of nature God is not bound to giue the reward Wherefore séeing we are not able to fulfill the lawe as should behooue vs to doo all the consideration of merit is vtterlie taken awaie and yet for all that those promises are not giuen in vaine For albeit that through infirmitie we are not able to performe the condition How the legall promises become euangelicall yet if we flie vnto Christ and being regenerated begin a better life the promises which were legall are become euangelicall not that we liuing vnder grace fulfill those conditions but bicause they were made perfect by Christ whose righteousnes is imputed vnto vs. After this maner we are to conceiue of the promises of God 6 The same respect also must be had of threatenings How the threatnings of God must be vnderstood 2. Sam. 12. bicause for the most part the condition namelie Vnlesse ye repent must be added I said For the most part bicause generallie it is not so as it appéered in Dauid who repented and yet suffered that which Nathan threatned him Also Moses repented and yet was he not brought into the land of promise But as touching the condition of repentance we must not passe it ouer that the same is not perfect in vs otherwise the forgiuenesse of sinnes should be due as a reward to vs. Wherefore we must be sure that the condition of repenting is euangelicall and while repentance is found in vs it is the fruit of faith and no merit Of this matter Chrysostome writeth excellentlie well Chrysost in his fift homilie vnto the people of Antioch wherein he comforteth the people as concerning the threatnings of Theodosius He bringeth a place out of the 18. chapter of Ieremie The difference betweene the sentences of princes and of God and addeth that The sentence of God is far otherwise than of the princes of this world For the sentence of a prince immediatelie after it is once spoken it is finished and scarselie may be changed but the sentence of God if it haue threatened anie thing consisteth not in verie hastie destruction neither yet remaineth it without all hope of intreatie Naie rather it may séeme to be a certeine entrance and step to saluation for by this means God doth oftentimes call men home into the right waie and maketh them to be saued And thus farre of conditions 7 As concerning the time we must not alwaies expect that God should straitwaie performe his promises And if he shall deferre them we must thus comfort our selues He hath not yet fulfilled them howbeit he will doo the same in due time In the meane while he will after this maner exercise our faith It is not seldome that God séemeth that he would doo nothing lesse than that which he hath promised and threatened He promised the kingdome to Dauid 1. Sa. 16 13. but with what miseries did he first exercise him before he fulfilled his promises For first he was a poore man Ibidem 11. and a shepeheard after that being taken into the court he began to be hated of Saule 1. Sa. 18 c. and was put in such danger as it wanted little but that he had come vnder his power When our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ was to be borne of the virgin Marie the angell promised that he should haue the throne of his father Dauid Luk. 1. 32. and yet vntill the thirtie yeare of his age Luk. 3 23. he liued in small shew of the world After that he was enuied of the high priests Pharisies and Scribes and thus was he a great while ill intreated and at the last he was hanged vpon the crosse Therefore Esaie doth verie well admonish Esaie 28 16 that He which beleeueth must not be hastie For God will performe in due time those things which he hath promised but in the meane time our part is to prescribe nothing vnto him Paule saith in the 10. verse 36. chapter to the Hebrues Ye haue need of patience that doing the will of God ye may atteine the promise for yet a little while and he that is to come will come and will not tarie Now the iust man shall liue by faith But if anie withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him The verie same thing also must we saie of threatenings God said that he would ouerthrowe the Babylonians Iere. 50 14. Psa 137 8. yet did they florish and triumph yea and led the people into captiuitie Wherefore God would not fulfill his threatnings at that time yet did he performe the same when he sawe a time conuenient 8 These things let vs applie vnto that place For what said God I will not helpe that is Iud. 10 13. not now presentlie but afterward at a time conuenient I will helpe Yea and God oftentimes maketh answer euen to our selues inwardlie in our hart I will not helpe you for ye be loden with sinnes What shall we then doo Shall we cease to praie No verelie Let vs rather followe the Hebrues they the sharper answers that God gaue them the more they increased their repentance Iohn saith Ioh. 3 20. If our hart doo accuse vs God is greater than our hart Our hart doth then accuse vs when we saie vnto our selues God will not heare by reason of sinnes God doth more accuse vs bicause he more séeth vs than we doo our selues Wherfore Dauid said Psa 19 13. O Lord cleanse thou me from my secret faults What remedie is there then For who is he If our hart accuse vs what the remedie is whose owne hart will not accuse Let vs conuert our selues vnto Christ But and if the hart will saie He will not helpe let vs saie therevnto This I may beléeue if I should haue respect vnto my selfe onelie but I haue respect vnto the sonne of GOD who gaue himselfe for me From thence riseth that confidence which Paule had when he said Rom. 8 37. Who shall bring accusation against
restored to thee in the resurrection of the iust In Iohn Iohn 12 25. He that loueth his soule in this world shall loose it and he that dooth hate the same shall preserue it vnto euerlasting life And vnder the word Soule he vnderstandeth this life of the bodie wherevnto he that is ouermuch affected and will not render it for the Gospell sake shall loose the same bicause in the resurrection it shal be iudged to perpetuall destruction But he that shall loose the same shall receiue it safe vnto eternall life In the 25. of Matthew Matt. 25 32. Before him shal be gathered all nations And in the 13. Mark 13. 27 of Marke And he shall send his angels and shall gather his elect togither from the foure winds and from the vttermost parts of the earth to the vttermost part of heauen In the 17. of the Acts Acts. 17 verse 18 31 Paule preached this resurrection to the Atheniens when there were present with him the Stoiks Epicures in the stréete of Mars who hearing of that doctrine partlie they laughed it to scorne partlie they said We wil heare thee another time of this matter And they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A carrier about of newes a setter foorth of strangs gods of new doctrine verse 6. In the same booke the 23 chapter when as Paule stood in the college of the Scribes Pharisies and priests and sawe himselfe to liue in great danger he cried out I am a Pharisie and the sonne of a Pharisie verse 15. and I am iudged of the resurrection of the dead And againe in the 24. chapter of the same booke when he had pleaded his cause before Felix the president he testified Acts. 26 8. that both the iust and vniust should rise againe The verie which thing he rehearseth againe when he was before Festus in the presence of king Agrippa and Bernice his wife 54 Yea and Peter in the first epistle vers 3. and first chapter saith that God according to the abundance of his mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuelie hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And ye by the power of God are kept through faith vnto saluation which shall be shewed in the last time 2. Pet. 3 13. And in the latter epistle the third chapter he saith that In those daies there shall be new heauens and a new earth verse 2. Also Iohn in his first epistle and third chapter writeth When Christ shall appeere then we shall be like vnto him Whereof it is gathered that séeing Christ hath a bodie and is risen againe we also shall rise againe togither with our bodies verse 12. In the 20. chapter of the Apocalypse we read And I sawe the dead both great and small stand in the sight of God c. verse 4. Also in the 21. chapter And God shall wipe awaie all teares from their eies and there shall be no more death verse 14. c. In the 22. chapter also Blessed be they which keepe his commandements that their power may be in the tree of life Rom. 8 11. Paule in the eight chapter to the Romans But if his spirit that raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead dwell in you he that hath raised Iesus Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortall bodies verse 5. And in the sixt chapter For if we be planted with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall we be partakers of his resurrection verse 10. And in the 14. chapter For we shall all appeere before the tribunall seat of Christ 1. Cor. 15. Vnto the Corinthians the first epistle and 15. chapter he intreating purposelie and diligentlie of this question in such sort confirmeth the resurrection that of his iudgement and meaning therein it is not lawfull to doubt I will not drawe out words from thence bicause it should be méet to recite the whole chapter vers 13. c. Howbeit this I will rehearse out of the sixt chapter of the same epistle Our bodie is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the bodie And God hath also raised vp the Lord and shall raise vs vp by his power And in the latter epistle verse 1 c. the fift chapter mention is made of our habitation in heauen Not being made with hands and that we desire to be clothed vpon and that while we be in this tabernacle we sigh bicause we would not be vnclothed but be clothed vpon that mortalitie might be swalowed vp of life Further it is added that All we shall appeere before the iudgement seat of Christ that euerie one may receiue the things which are doone in his bodie according to that he hath doone whether it be good or euill Vnto the Ephesians verse 1. the second chapter When we were dead through sinnes he quickened vs togither in Christ and hath raised vs vp togither with him and made vs to sit in the heauenlie places verse 10. c. Vnto the Philippians the third chapter That I may knowe him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions while I am made conformable vnto his death if I may by anie meanes attaine to the resurrection of the dead Vnto the Colossians verse 12. the second chapter Ye being buried togither with him by baptisme in whom ye are also raised togither with him through the faith of the operation of God which hath raised him vp from the dead Likewise in the third chapter verse 3. Your life is hidden with Christ in God wherefore when Christ your life shall appeere then shall you be made manifest with him in glorie Vnto the Thessalonians the first epistle the 4. verse 13. chapter he admonisheth them that They should not sorrowe for them that are asleepe as others doo which haue no hope for if we beleeue that Iesus died and rose againe euen so God will bring with him those which sleepe in Iesus And strait after Ibidem 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout and with the voice of an archangell and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Vnto the Hebrues the second chapter verse 14. That by death he might abolish him who had power ouer death In the same epistle the eleuenth chapter Ibidem 19. when Abraham at the commandment of God would haue sacrificed his sonne Isaac of whom he had the promise of posteritie he considered with him selfe that God was able euen to raise him vp from the dead from whence also he reduced him to be a figure of the resurrection Iude verse 15. in his epistle bringeth in Enoch for a testimonie who was the seuenth from Adam and said verse 2◠Behold the Lord commeth in thousands of his saints to giue iudgement against all men and to
resurrection there shal be no néed either of meat drinke or of women séeing men as Christ taught shal be like vnto angels Matt. 22 30 Wherefore the Mahometists and the Saracens are herein shamefullie deceiued who beléeue that after the resurrection the blessed sort shall haue ministred vnto them abundance of meat store of drinke and a plentifull vse of women for so hath their Alcoran taught Alcoran Auicenna Yet hath Auicenna in his Metaphysicks not vnwiselie interpreted this and saith that Those spéeches are metaphoricall bicause as he thinketh the honest pleasures of the life to come might not be expressed especiallie vnto ignorant men otherwise than in termes of the vulgar delights which be receiued in this world These things I said were not vnwiselie brought bicause euen in the holie scriptures are found such allegories or translations For we read in the twelfe of Luke verse 37. Blessed be those seruants which the Lord shall find waking for he will gird himselfe about and passing by will minister vnto them And in the 22. chapter of the same euangelist Luk. 22 29. it is written I appoint vnto you a kingdome euen as my father hath appointed vnto me that ye should eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome Yea and among our most ancient fathers there were verie manie which thought that Christ at his latter comming shuld reigne togither with his saints for the space of a thousand yéeres in singular delights and great pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These men be called by the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Latines Millenarij Augustine of whom Augustine spake at large in his second booke De ciuitate Dei and 20. chapter Hereby they first tooke an occasion of error bicause Christ did eat and drinke togither with his apostles after his resurrection secondlie bicause the prophets doo ofttimes make mention of these things when they prophesie of the last times Moreouer vnto this purpose they wrested a place out of the 20. chapter of the Apocalypse Apoc. 20 6. where there is mention made of those thousand yéeres To confute this error of theirs first we saie that Christ Why Christ did eat and drinke after his resurrection with his apostles did eat and drinke to the intent he might leaue a most testified truth of his humane nature and not to serue necessitie For he had an vncorruptible bodie which was neither troubled with hunger nor thirst Wherefore the meat and drinke which he vsed turned not into the substance and quantitie of his bodie but they departed and were resolued into their first matter Whereby it may be vnderstood that there were certeine things which Christ did after his resurrection to testifie the truth of his humane bodie and some other for the setting foorth of his glorie Tokens of Christs glorie Luk. 24 31. Tokens of his glorie were these that he vanished awaie vpon the sudden when he was séene and was suddenlie present with his apostles that he came in vnto them when the doores were shut Iohn 20 29 and at the last in that he ascended vp into heauen But on the other side he shewed himselfe still to be verie man when he offered himselfe to be séene and handled Ioh. 20 27. when he did eat and drinke togither with his apostles when he ascending vp into heauen Acts. 1 9. was visiblie separated from them And whereas the holie scriptures as well in the prophets as in the euangelists make mention of meat and drinke that as we haue declared is doone by an allegorie and by metaphors and similitudes well inough applied vnto teaching This we may shew by a testimonie of the booke of Prouerbs Prou. 9 2. where wisedome is described which mingled hir wine and prepared hir table Which things can not be agreable vnto wisedome whose nature is spirituall and sticketh in the minds of men but vnder the name of meat and drinke we vnderstand the knowledge of God the feruent loue of heauenlie things and the ioie that floweth out of the presence of God These things I saie shall vnto the elect be like most delicate meat and drinke And therefore when as Marie sat at the Lords féet and was maruellouslie refreshed with his doctrine she was defended by Christ himselfe Luk. 10. 40. when she was accused by Martha in respect that she intermitted hir busines of preparing things necessarie to liuelood for he said Marie hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from hir Touching the place of the Apocalypse Apoc. 20 ◠we must vnderstand that the resurrection whereby the saints shall reigne with Christ a thousand yéeres is not that whereof we now intreat but it is the regeneration whereby we are iustified And therefore it is there in expresse words added And this is the first resurrection Neither dooth the thousand yéeres note anie other time than that wherein we now remaine vnder the protection of Christ in his kingdome which is the church Neither is it anie doubt but that the certeine and prescribed number is there put for an infinit number So as those things belong not to the latter cōming of Christ but vnto the former Which if those ancient fathers had considered they had not so fallen into error Wherefore in that mortall life there shall néed neither bodilie food neither yet procreation of children for these things serue vnto mortall life but the other shall be immortall And bicause there is nothing diminished of the substance of bodies there shall be no néed of that renewing which is made by meat and drinke And bicause also none shall die others shall not be substitute in their place by new procreation 58 An other condition or qualitie they haue called light and splendent brightnes Phil. 3 21. whereof Paule to the Philippians saith God will make our base bodie like to his glorious bodie And a shew of this condition did Christ make Matt. 17 ◠when he was transformed where his face did shine like vnto the sunne And in Matthew it is written Matt. 13 43. The iust shall shine in the sight of God like vnto the sunne Dan. 12 3 Neither did Daniel passe ouer this brightnesse or clearenesse as we haue alreadie heard 1. Cor. 15 43 And Paule in the first to the Corinthians the 15. chap. saith Now it is sowen in ignominie then it shall rise againe in glorie Moreouer they thinke that this brightnesse must be deriued vnto the bodies of the blessed from the soules which shall sée God not as in a darke spéech or in a glasse but shall sée him indéed as he is by which sight they shall receiue so great ioie and gladnesse as it shall flowe from thence to their bodie Neither is it vnknowen to anie that the mind and the spirit dooth exhilerat the countenance and make the bodie chearefull Besides this An agilitie of bodie there is put an agilitie in
almes must be bestowed bicause after death there is no place reserued for these actions And thus spake Christ in the Gospell of Iohn Now worke yee while it is daie otherwise the night will come wherein no man can worke Gregorius Neocaesariensis referreth the places which we haue alleged out of Ecclesiastes vnto Salomon who wrote these things of himselfe Bicause when he gaue himselfe to pleasures he in a maner felt his mind to grewe beastlie and to be infected with these cogitations namelie that the end of man and beasts should be all one that after this life in another world there remaineth not either cogitation or worke or wisedome or knowledge And assuredlie it commeth to passe that they which be occupied in such beastlie cogitations doo eftsoones euerie daie burne in the lusts of delights and doo more and more growe beastlie So as this interpretor dooth not thinke that these things were approoued by Salomon The booke Ecclesiastes is thought to be the repentance of Salomon whom he thinketh to make report of the things which he affected of old and of the which he repented bicause this booke of Ecclesiastes is accounted among the Iewes The Repentance of Salomon Wherefore the voluptuous and delicate men to confirme themselues in their beastlinesse doo saie that as well men as beasts doo die that there shall nothing remaine after this life Let vs vse therefore no measure in carnall and earthlie delights and as Paule said 1. Co. â—5 3â— Let vs eate and drinke for to morowe we shall die Also Olympiodorus an interpretor of the booke of Ecclesiastes saith The saleâ—… of Olympodorus that First these things doo belong vnto the life of the bodie wherein as it hath béene said manie qualities are common as well to men as beasts Secondlie that they which bend themselues wholie to pleasures and deligths doo rather approch to the nature of brute beasts And therefore he will haue vs here to be admonished that we should withdrawe our selues from these things least we in our maners degenerate into brute beasts whereas we be made vnto the image of God and ordeined to become one daie like vnto angels Lastlie he interpreteth them to be men which rightlie vse reason but those to be beasts which haue vtterlie addicted themselues to flesh and affections But who saith he knoweth those men which belong vnto the one sort or those which belong vnto the other séeing the conditions of men are secret and hidden So as it may be that Salomon spake these things vnder the person of voluptuous men or else as it séemed to Gregorius Neocaesariensis he had in remembrance his owne person 73 Iob in the 14. chapter verse 7 c. séemeth to make men of woorse condition than either trées cut downe the riuers and the sea For a trée cut downe springeth againe and returneth to his former state And riuers although through heat they be emptied of their waters yet are they abundantlie restored vnto them againe And the sea albeit euerie six houres it depart from the drie land yet couereth it the same againe But it fareth not so with man when he is dissolued by death bicause he returneth no more neither is he restored to his former state These things dooth Iob there lament and that trulie in verie déed if man should be considered in his owne proper nature namelie without the word of God and without Christ But if it be considered that euen he himselfe that was intangled in these things hath a baine wherein he being washed doth not onelie reuiue againe but returneth from death to life we must otherwise determine of him It is further to be noted that a time is limited wherein the dead returne not vnto life séeing it is there written Vntill that heauen shall passe awaie Ibidem 12. In which words are noted the end of the world Iob then denieth not but that men shall rise againe after heauen is passed awaie And much more doth he séeme to affirme this when in the same place he séemeth to compare death vnto sléepe and maketh mention of men that shall be wakened For sléepe is not perpetuall but herevnto is ordeined that it should be limited by watching Yea and he added in the same place Iob. 14 13. Who shall bring to passe that thou wilt hide me in the graue vntill thy wrath be ouerpast By which forme of speaking he sheweth that there will be an end of Gods wrath and that death shall once haue an end And yet more plainlie he saith Ibidem And to appoint a time wherein thou maist remember me And he afterward beareth record that he waiteth for a renewing And straitwaie he saith Thou shalt call me I will answer thee namelie I rising from the dead thou vndoubtedlie shalt stretch foorth â—…y right hand to thine owne workemanship Yea and some haue expounded the same place by an interrogatiue point as though it should be an argument from the lesse to the greater saieng Shall a tree cut downe a riuer and the sea be restored to their former state and man not attaine thereto It is not likelie seeing man is farre better than these things thou with no lesse care regardest him And vndoubtedlie Aben-Ezra granteth that the resurrection in that place is vnderstood But those things séeme to be somewhat more difficult which are spoken in the 7. chapter of the same booke Iob. 7 7. where he saith Mine eie shall not returne to see good things Howbeit this must be vnderstood as concerning the good things which perteine vnto this life For after the resurrection the dead shall not returne againe to eat to drinke to beget children as they did before while they liued here Moreouer he saith The eie shall see me no more Ibidem 8. which séemeth to be nothing else than that after this world there shall be no bargains couenants entercourse betwéene men as there was before To this he addeth verse 9. The cloud is gone and returneth no more euen so he that descendeth into the pit ascendeth not neither returneth to his owne house neither knoweth anie more his owne place 74 These things as I haue hitherto warned are spoken as touching the strength of nature and if a man be considered to be without God and Christ as he is in his owne nature corrupt and vnperfect and also if death and hell be weighed of according as they be indéed For these things cannot be ouercome by naturall strength Wherefore it is said that In hell there is no redemption bicause no man by the helpe of man or by the power of nature can be called backe from thence But if we embrace Christ with a perfect faith forsomuch as he ouercame sinne death and hell we haue thereby great redemption in him 1. Sam. 2 6. And in the booke of Samuel we read that It is God which leadeth vs downe vnto hell and bringeth vs backe againe Neither are we to
Genesis anie let vnto this renewing where God said vnto Noah that All the daies of the earth shall be sowing and haruest cold and heate summer and winter daie and night for these things he saith shall come to passe in the daies of the earth but those daies shall be the daies of heauen Esaie 66 23 and as Esaie saith A sabboth of sabboths Also Ieremie in the 33. verse 20. chapter saith Can the couenant be made void which I haue made with day night As though he would saie It cannot be made void So saith he shall the couenant be established which I haue made with the house of Iuda and with the house of Dauid The couenant whereof the prophet now speaketh as touching the sending of Messias in his time appointed must not be drawne beyond the time of the present state But Christ when he saith in the Gospell that Heauen and earth shall passe awaie Matt. 24 35. but my word shall not passe awaie How the heauen and earth shall passe away meaneth not Passing awaie for destruction but foretelleth that a certeine change shall one daie come Which yet shall neuer happen vnto his words for they shall alwaies abide vnmooueable and the truth of them shall neuer be peruerted Of this interpretation Dauid is author in the 102. psalme verse 26. The heauens saith he are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure as a garment shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Herevnto also agréeth Peter for when he had said that The heauens shall perish 2. Pet. 3 12. and the elements shall melt awaie with heate he added that We according to the promise shall haue a new heauen and a new earth Esaie 65 17 And Ierom expounding the 65. chapter of Esaie vnto this sense alledgeth a sentence of Paule out of the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 7 31. the seuenth chapter For he saith that The figure of this world passeth awaie as though he would not saie that the nature of things or the world it selfe shall perish but onelie the figure that is the state and forme of this time And that the same renewing which we affirme signifieth not a destroieng of nature he prooueth it by a similitude taken of the degrées of our age A similitude For when of children we are made yoong men and of yoong men men and of men old men we are not as touching the nature of man destroied but by those changes we are transferred from a lower estate vnto that which is more excellent Wherefore when that last burning shall come which the scriptures plainlie teach shall come the whole world shall be set on fire A similitude And as gold and siluer when they are melted in the fire perish not but are made more pure so the world shall not by that fire be destroied but be renewed Of this mind also were some of the Ethnike writers as Heraclitus Ephesius and Empedocles Siculus and others who peraduenture had receiued these things of their elders but had corrupted them with wicked opinions An opinion of the heretiks called Millenarij 21 There haue béene also manie of the christians in ancient time which thought that the creatures shall remaine after the comming of the Lord and that they shall serue vnto some vse for the elect For they thought that when Christ shall returne there shal be then onlie the resurrection of the godlie which also they called the first resurrection betwéene which the latter wherein the wicked shall be raised vp there shall be the space of a thousand yéeres and during this time shall Christ wholie reigne in this world togither with the saints and all this space the diuell shall be bound as it is described in the booke of the Apocalypse Apoc. 20 3. And they séeme to haue taken an occasion of their opinion not onelie out of the Reuelation of Iohn but also out of the prophets For they when they prophesie of the kingdome of Christ make mention of manie things which séeme to perteine to the kingdoms of this world and vnto pleasures and delights And they which were in this error were of the Graecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Latins Millenarij Neither doubtlesse were there onelie of the common sort patrones of this opinion but euen the principall and most ancient men in the church Certeine principall men of the church were of this opinion as Papias Irenaeus Iustinus Martyr Victorinus Lactantius Tertullian and manie other famous Ecclesiasticall writers Whom I ioine not with Cerynthus for he sowed manie other errors as touching our Sauiour for vnto that which we said that these fathers held he added a double impietie First that the saints shall so reigne in this life with Christ as they shall abundantlie enioie all the pleasures of the bodie which is nothing else but againe with lusts droonkennes gluttonie and such other filthines to contaminate nature being renewed by the resurrection Another error of his was that in that kingdome of Christ the ceremonies of the lawe and sacrifices of Moses should be reuoked which errors none of those fathers whom we spake of did followe 22 Neither should it be anie hard matter to confute that madnes by the scriptures but bicause we haue doon this else-where at large we will now cease to speake thereof Onelie this I will adde that Augustine in the twentieth booke De ciuitate Dei the seuenth chapter writeth If these men had said that Christ in that space of a thousand yéeres will bestowe vpon his saints some celestiall graces their saieng should haue béene the more tollerable In which place he signifieth that he also was sometime of the same mind Howbeit afterward weihing things better he iudged that place of the Apocalypse A place of the Apocalypse diuerslie expounded from whence all that suspicion séemed to flowe must be otherwise expounded namelie by these thousand yéeres to vnderstand all the time which passeth from the ascension of Christ vnto his last iudgment Neither ought the number of a thousand yéers anie thing to offend vs for it is common to the holie scriptures by a number certeine and definite to signifie another number vncerteine and not definite Which thing although it may by manie other places be prooued yet here it shall be sufficient to note onelie two Christ said vnto his apostles Matt. 19 29. He that forsaketh his house or father or mother or children or wife or brethren c. shall receiue a hundred fold where by An hundred fold we vnderstand a certeine great and in a maner infinite recompense So God promiseth in the lawe that He would doo good to them that serue him Exod. 20 6. vnto a thousand generations which signifieth nothing else but to their posteritie for a verie long time Wherefore Christ as thinketh Augustine reigneth with his saints all this time which is signified
for he testifieth the selfe same thing vnto the Colossians the first Chapter and that twise Col. 1. 6. 23. First he saith In the trueth of the Gospel which being preached throughout the world bringeth foorth fruite In the Apostles time the Gospel was very farre spread ouer the world Rom. 15. 19. And towardes the ende of the same Chapter he saith The Gospel which is preached vnto euerie creature vnder heauen Also in the fiftéenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes he declareth with howe great endeuour he labored to publish abroad the Gospel in all places From Ierusalem saith he vnto Illyricum haue I filled all the countries round about with the Gospel And now seeing I haue no more place in these quarters as I goe into Spaine I will come vnto you If one Apostle did so much what doe we think that the rest of the Apostles and Euangelists did Matthew preached vnto the Ethiopians which were in the furthermost parts and Thomas vnto the Indians which euen they themselues at this day testifie And in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 1. 8. it is written that the faith of the Romans was spoken of through the whole world And this diligence of the Apostles ought to stirre vp men of our time by continuall preaching to restore Religion nowe decaied Wherefore that commaundement of the Lord which he gaue vnto the Apostles to go into the whole worlde and preach the Gospel to euerie creature ought also to be of force in our time that euerie man in his place which he is appointed vnto should by preaching not suffer sound doctrine to be abolished 6 That the Gospel in the Apostles time was caried abroade into all the parts of the world some expound it by the figure Synecdoche namelie that it was now preached in the most principall Prouinces and Dominions and that at the leastwise the fame and renowne of this doctrine went from thence vnto the Nations adioyning And of this minde was Ambrose who saith Where the person of the preacher wanted there the fame was present And this he proueth by a similitude A similitude The wonderfull workes which GOD had wrought in Egypt to preserue the Israelites were by fame knowen in Ierico as Rahab testified to those messengers or spies whom Iosua sent Iosua 2. 9. No nation as yet in the Apostles time by publike authoritie of the magistrates professed Christ No nation did publikely receiue the Gospell tâ—ll the time of Constantine For this came to passe onlie in the times of Constantine and Theodosius And hereby is easilie perceiued what they meant which wrote that certaine nations were newly conuerted vnto the gospel which doubtlesse they affirme of English men as though in Gregories time they came vnto Christ by meanes of Augustine his legate and Bishop of Canterburie and also of the Saxons that they in the time of Charles the great receiued the faith of the Gospell This indéede might be as touching the publike profession of Cities and Regions when neuerthelesse Christ was long time before preached in those places And as touching Englande England had preachers of the Gospell from the beginning it had preachers of the Gospell euen from the beginning namely in the time of Eleutherius the first and had them in such sort as those Bishoppes continued vnto the time of that Augustine which was sent by Gregorie And that Ilande as touching the feast of Easter obserued the old maner of the East Church and specially of the Church of Ephesus for they did celebrate it the 14. day of March Augustine Bishop of Canterbury brought tyrannicall subiection in to England Wherefore the same Augustine as I thinke rather brought in a Tyrannicall subiection vnder yâ— Pope than pure Christian Religion And thus must wée iudge of the Saxons and such other like nations Augustine in his booke de natura Gratia the 2. Chapter affirmeth that in his time there were some countries far off although verie few vnto whom the Gospel was not as yet preached which I thus vnderstand that the word of God was not publiklie receiued and beléeued Hée writeth also of this matter in an Epistle to Hesychius which is in number the 80. But Chrysostome most manifestlie maketh on my side in his 10. Homilie vpon Matthew and also vpon the 24. Chapter of Matthew when he interpreteth these words Mat. 24. 14. This Gospell of the kingdome shall be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse and then shal bee the ende The consummation that Christ spake of concerned the publike weale of the Iewes No doubt but the Gospell was preached before the destruction of Ierusalem for the ende in that place must bée referred vnto the publike gouernment of the Iewes which was destroyed in the time of the Apostles for Iohn liued euen vnto the time of Traian The Gospell was preached euery where-but not euery where receiued The Gospell then was in that first time preached almost euerie where but not euerie where receiued nay rather yâ— Preachers were in euerie place gréeuously persecuted as Christ had foreshewed Mat. 10. 17. For They shal deliuer you saith hée and shall scourge you in Councels and Synagogues and ye shall be brought before Kings and Rulers 7 So as there were verie fewe or in a manner none which either heard not the preaching of the Gospell or at the leastwise heard not of the noble and excellent fame of Christ And yet it may be that in processe of time the name of Christ was by negligence and incredulitie abolished as the Portingales report of places found out by them in their iourney wherein they sailed from the Gades into India Whereupon some are woont to moue a curious question what is to be thought of those which are borne either in wilde woods out of the companie of men or in those places where Christ is not preached and his name not heard of What shall become of the people which haue not heard of Christ Vnto whom we may answere that those men if any such be found are in déede somewhat excused neither shall their damnation be so grieuous as shall theirs be which haue heard the Gospell and contemned it yet neuerthelesse they obtaine not the benefit of saluation séeing they haue in themselues the cause of their damnation namelie originall sinne and manie other sinnes the which vndoubtedly haue bin added of them That God without the outward ministerie can reueale Christ vnto them we doubt not and perhappes he sometimes of his mercie doeth so but not of desert as wicked Sophisters affirme if so be they doe what lyeth in them as though they were able to merit it as they saie of congruitie But of this thus much by the waie Howbeit that must be attentiuelie considered that it was no light myracle A myracle that Christs preaching was so soon spread yea rather it was woonderfull that in so
which sometime applie those words of the Lord vnto Peter as though the Church were builded vppon him Augustine Augustine in his first booke of Retractations maketh mention particularlie of both expositions namelie as touching Christ and Peter and leaueth the opinion frée vnto the reader although he incline more willinglie vnto the former interpretation touching Christ Erasmus and that as it séemeth to me not vnlearnedlie excuseth them after this manner namelie that they accepted not of Peter otherwise than as hée was the figure of the Church and also of his owne faith and confession Cardinall Poles opinion confuted 30 Reginald Pole a Cardinall of England endeuoureth to confute the latter exposition which hath respect to the faith and confession of Peter because it appointeth accidents without a subiect and vppon those would haue the Church to be founded But these things belong rather vnto shifting sleightes than vnto sound arguments We know indéed that the nine predicaments differ from the predicament of substance but we are not ignoraunt that those also haue their proper natures and essences so as of them are sometimes spoken those things which cannot be affirmed of substance Knowledge vndoubtedlie being an accident cannot bée founde anie where but in the minde of man which neuerthelesse is certaine infallible Whereas man notwithstanding is a thing inconstant féeble deceiuable Cogitation in like manner is in man who in the like sort cannot be in all places at once What let is there then but that the trueth faith and confession which was in Peter maie be called the foundation of the Church and that Peter himselfe being otherwise a fraile and mortall man should be denied to be this foundation Assuredlie Peter did sometimes doubt and wauer whenas neuerthelesse that faith and trueth which he professed remaineth firme and vnshaken Ierom. Christ communicateth his thinges with them that be his Ierom expounding this place saith that Christ doeth liberallie communicate his properties with his Apostles and members He said on a time that he is the light of the world but the very same he pronounced of his Apostles Iohn 8. 12. Matt. 5. 14. 1. Pet. 2. 6. And wheras in very déed he himselfe is the stone he also calleth them stones Whereby it commeth to passe that séeing he himselfe is truelie and properlie the foundation of the Church it is not absurde that he will also haue his Apostles after that manner to bée the foundations of the Church 1. Cor. 3. 11 namelie because they be liuelie and great stones who haue cleaued vnto him in the first place in the building of the Church 1. Pet. 2. 5. Peter himselfe also in his first Epistle willeth vs to be such liuelie stones who should be builded in Christ So manie as are the more excellent in faith and doe the more constantlie professe Christ doe the more néerelie cleaue vnto that foundation of the Church Apo. 21. 14 In the Apocalips the heauenlie citie is fitlie and magnificallie described A place of the Apocalips touching the twelue foūdations of the Church whose wall is saide to stand vppon twelue foundations and there the names of the xii Apostles are written not that they are truelie and properlie the foundation of the Church but because by their doctrine word and preaching they shew the same vnto all the faithful I my selfe was sometimes of the opinion that whereas it is saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What strength the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath that the Gréeke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a note of the cause I meane not of the principal but of the instrumentall cause that it might be signified that Christ determined to build the Church by Peter by the Apostles and such like who should professe the true faith and confession which Peter made Neither is it dissonant from the Hebrewe What strength the preposition Aal is of that the particle or preposition Aal which they haue translated Vpon is nothing else than By that it might signifie a meanes and instrument But this interpretation I dare not so seriouslie affirme because I verie little fauour mine owne deuises I note besides that that preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being ioyned to a datiue case is seldome vsed by the Gretians in this signification wherefore I will not depart from the other interpretations of the fathers Neither doe I thinke it méete to bée suffered that the Church should be said to be builded vpon the Popes Yet is their impudencie so great as they not onelie call them selues heades of the Church but they will be called the spouses thereof whereas Paul saide vnto the Corinthians 2. Cor. 11. 2 I haue betrothed you to one man to present you a chast spouse vnto Christ Iohn 3. 29. And Iohn Baptist testified that he in déede was not the bridegroome but the bridegroomes friend 31 But passing ouer this place now let vs turne to another Ioh. 21. 15. which they oftentimes obiect lewdlie against vs. Christs words Peter louest thou me c. expounded We haue in Iohn that Christ asked Peter that thrise whether he loued him and that when he had affirmed it the Lord thrise commaunded him to féede his shéepe as though it shoulde bee all one thing to féede the shéepe of Christ to beare rule ouer al the Churches in the world Why doe they not consider that there be also other Apostles sent to féede the flocke of the Lord Vndoubtedlie Christ said vnto them all Ioh. 20. 21. Ibid. ver 22 As my father sent me so I send you He breathed vpon them all Luk. 24. 45. He gaue the holie Ghost vnto them all And finallie he opened all their minds that they might vnderstand the scriptures which as a spirituall foode they should offer vnto all mortall men Mat. 28. 19. Also he gaue commaundement vnto them all that they should goe into all the world and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature Verse 1. Yea and Peter himself in his first Epistle and v. Chapter saieth I doe exhort the Elders who am also a fellowe Elder so he speaketh neither doeth he name himselfe a Prince or head but equall to them that they feede the flocke which is among you While our aduersaries abuse this place we should replie vpon them by a rule verie much vsed of the Lawiers and Canonists A rule of the Lawyers expounded A benefite is giuen for doing a duetie Which proposition if wee turne on the contrarie part we maie verie well prooue that a benefite is not bestowed vppon them that doe not their duetie Let them therefore cease to boast that they be Pastors Bishops and Popes séeing they nothing at all féede the Lordes flocke At this daie their Popedome or Bishoprick standeth onely in leade Waxe Buls Writs Oracles of liuelie voyce proper motions the cheste of the brest Indulgences Dispensations and such like gawdes 32 They boast also
preach the Gospell of Christ Whether the Gospell of the Papists agrée with that of the Apostle But it is our part to inquire whether their Gospell agrée with that which the Apostle preached If wée shall compare these one with another wée shall easilie finde that the Papisticall Gospel differeth verie much from the Apostolicall For the Apostle taught that forgiuenesse of sinnes is fréelie giuen by God for Christ his sake vnto the beléeuers and that man is iustified by faith onelie without workes But the Papists threape vppon the worlde such things as doe vtterlie disagrée from these Wherefore they ought not to be heard but to be auoided as mē accursed vnles that we also together with thē wil be made accursed 35 The same Apostle wrote in the last Chapter to the Romanes Verse 17. Marke them diligentlie which cause diuisions and offences contrarie to the doctrine which ye haue learned and auoide ye them But none haue giuen cause of greater diuisions in the Church than the Romanistes haue partlie for their decrées and traditions partlie for the vsurping and defending of their primacie Offences also haue procéeded from them without measure and end while they laie most gréeuous burthrens vppon the people and liue in corrupt manners whereby men are exceedinglie turned awaie from the religion of Christ so farre are they off from turning to imbrace the same Paul yet more manifestlie discouering them addeth Those which by faire speech flatterie seduce the harts of the simple Ib. ver 18. There is none but séeth how much the Pope flattereth the Princes of Christendome and howe fairelie he speaketh them whenas he calleth the Emperour his first begotten sonne and the French king his seconde borne child One the most Christian an other the Catholike and an other the defendour of the faith And thus he setteth foorth his smoke to be sould to the vnlearned and simple But of such like men there is a perpetuall marke giuen They that be of this sort saith the Apostle serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellie Ibidem And certainelie whosoeuer shall somewhat narrowlie looke vppon the craftes fraudes and guiles of the Papistes they all tende to this end that they maie serue to their gaine and bellie There is nothing sought that maie soundlie make to the glorie of Christ It is also written in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 5. 11 If anie named a brother among you shall be a couetous person an extortioner a whoremonger an euill speaker a drunkard with such eate not meat But whether they be infected with such faults all the world knoweth In the same Epistle we read 1. Cor. 6. 15 Shall I take the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot Hereby we are admonished to beware that séeing we be the members of Christ we ioyne not our selues to an Harlot And we must not be ignorant that the whoredome of the minde which is Idolatrie is a farre more gréeuous sinne thā bodilie fornication Wherefore the Church of the Hebrewes is reprooued by the Prophets Ier. 2. 20. Ose 2. c. not in one place but eueriewhere because it maketh her selfe common to sundrie Idols And séeing in the Popedome Images are worshipped and that also bread and wine and deade men are called vppon their congregations are iustly conuinced of whordome Wherefore we maie not by anie right cleaue vnto them for otherwise wée should make the members of Christ to be the members of an harlot And in the latter Epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 6. 14 commaundement is giuen to the faithful that they should not drawe the yoke with the vnbeléeuers because there is no participation of righteousnesse with iniquitie neither communion of light with darkenesse nor felowshippe of Christ with Beliall nor of the temple of God with Idols Afterward it is added Go ye out from among thē separate your selues Further hereunto appertaine those things which are writen of shunning things offered vnto Idols But shall we saith he prouoke God Be we stronger than he Moreouer the whole matter is concluded in this plaine commandement Flie you from Idolatrie And vnto the Ephesians Ephe. 5. 11. I would not haue you communicate with the vnfaithfull workes of darkenesse but rather reprooue them In the first Epistle to Timothie there is mention of men corrupt of minde from whom the truth is taken awaie and who thinke that luker is godlinesse And Timothie is commaunded 1. Tim. 6. 5 that he should separate himselfe from that flocke In Esaie the 52. Chapter Esa 52. 11. it is writen Goe you out separate your selues touch no vncleane things ye that beare the vessels of the Lord. The Prophet spake vnto the priests but that which he speaketh vnto them belongeth also vnto vs because we beare the vessels of the Lord we ourselues be the vessels of the Lord which we ought to kéep pure frōal vncleanes Ieremie in the 50. Cap. saith Verse 8. Flie you from out of the middest of Babylon euerie man saue his owne soule And the selfe same thing in a maner is in the same Prophet in the 51. cap. Ier. 51. 6. Further in the Apoc. cap. 18. we read Apo. 18. 4. Flie you from the midst of Babylon least ye be polluted with the sins therof receiue of her plagues Yea Dauid in the Psa Psal 26. 5. pronoūced of himselfe that he hated the congregations of the malignant entred not into the councell of the wicked 36 Further we are to consider that this separation is a kinde of confessing of the Euangelicall trueth And it behooueth that euerie faithfull man not onelie in words but also in déeds professe that which he beléeueth And as Gellius saith When the citie is troubled with sedition it is no point of a good citizen to saie that he is of neither part but he must ioyne himselfe vnto that which he thinketh to be the more lust It serueth also vnto this purpose that the controuersies of our times be of so great importāce as they ought not to be dissembled neither will God suffer them anie longer to lie in darknesse Neither must we omitte the commaundement of Christ wherein he said If thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee Matt. 5. 29. The like he commaundeth of the head and foote By which figuratiue spéech he willeth that we should cast away al things although they be profitable pleasaunt and new vnto vs rather than suffer our selues to be called awaie or hindered from the profession of the Gospel He also cōmanded his Apostles that if they shold not be heard of anie cōgregation or Citie Mat. 10. 13 they shaking off the dust should depart frō thence The people of Rome in times past departed frō the Senators because they afflicted thē with most gréeuous iniuries would not returne vnlesse there should bée prouisoes made
the Churchyardes the waxe candles the fraÌ„kincense the pascall Lambe egges and also holy water the boughes of their palme trées yong springes grasse and pothearbes and finally all kinde of fruites and it is come to that passe as they consecrate the very belles and they take it in ill part that we say they baptise them For Hosius cauileth that this is vainelie spoken by vs The baptizing of bels and affirmeth that they be consecrated by their Ministers but not baptised But truely the common people are wholy to be excused for saying they doe baptise them for séeing all thinges in a manner are there doone wâ—…h pertain vnto baptisme it is not without a cause that they say they baptise theÌ„ For they be washed they be annointed they be coniured they are named handled with far greater pompe and ambition than men are while they are baptised with the holy baptisme How much the Papists attribute vnto Bels. much more is attributed vnto them than to the prayers of godly men For they say that by the ringing of them the wicked spirits the hoste of aduersaries the laying awaite of enemies tempestes hayle stormes whiriewindes violent blastes and hurtfull thunderclaps are driuen away flames and fires extinguished and finally what else soeuer But we much more soundlie and rightlie iudge that it is lawfull as we haue saide yea to bée required by godlie right A lawfull kinde of dedication that in the first vse of euerie thing wee should giue thankes vnto God and celebrate his goodnesse and that with méete and conuenient praises and desire that we may vse religiouslie and holilie such a benefite bestowed vpon vs. These things doubtlesse cannot be reprooued séeing they haue iust foundations out of the holie Scriptures Why the consecrations of the Papists must be reiected But the trifles of our aduersaries séeing they bee not deriued of the word of God but haue béene brought in by idle and superstitious men ought worthilie to be reiected by the Church of Christ For such is not the condition of men to institute sacraments at their owne pleasure because that is proper to God alone and to none besides him For sacramentes be instruments of the holy ghost the which he vseth to stirre vp our faith And séeing he is altogether the wisest he hath no néed that we should by our owne imagination or indeuour prepare instrumentes for him Which thing also no artificer in his facultie would abide but would him selfe make choyce of his owne instrumentes Wherefore great is the bouldnesse of these men which will prescribe his instrumentes whereby he should worke our saluation They are also reprooued for an other cause because they deale against the diuell by commaundement as though they could constraine him to depart when they will whereas they haue receaued no such grace of the holy Ghost and séeing that all Christians inioy not that gift 1. Co. 12. 11 For the spirit as Paul testifieth distributeth his gifts euen as he will Further they be ignorant whether an euill spirit be in that place which they say they consecrate which séeing they knowe not neither are warranted by the worde of God whatsoeuer they doe they worke without faith and therefore they sin séeing it is written by the Apostle Ro. 14. 24. Whatsoeuer is not of fâ—… is sinne In déede there hath sometime â—in certaine wicked houses where ill spirites exercised horrible thinges so as they might not be inhabited by men but there it was knowen by the déed it selfe that the ill spirite was present but in other houses we cannot perceiue either by the effectes or yet by the word of God that there be ill spirites Why then doe they so imperiously coniure them They might aswell coniure the whole world séeing Paul in the 6. to the Ephesians calleth the diuels Verse 12. The rulers of the world or at the leastwise the whole ayre whereby we chiefly vse to take breath séeing the euill spirites are called the powers of the ayre Neither can that be because they make more account of the ceremonies inueÌ„ted by themselues than of the Sacraments instituted by God For they vse greater pompe and preparation in the administring of them than when they celebrate the supper of the Lord or baptisme which Christ instituted Againe they preferre their inuentions aboue the tenne commaundementes and would more grieuously punish the breakers of them than those which transgresse the commaundementes of God Wherefore godlinesse is maruelouslie impayred for men are ledde away from the word of God and doe turne their mindes vnto vanities and to mens traditions And it is vnspeakeable how greatlie the ordinance of new worshippinges doe displease God for he hath euerie where in his lawes forbidden that it should not be doone 5 But now that we haue spoken ynough of the consecrating of outward thinges Onelie thanks and prayers must be vsed in outward consecrations What maner of consecration of men the papists vse With what superstitioÌ„s they haue infected Baptisme wherein this brieflie must be helde that besides prayer and thankesgiuing no other thing ought to be vsed now will we sée whether they deale anie thing more sincerely and godly in the baptising of men Vndoubtedly with their superstitions and inuentions they haue horriblie infected baptisme For that sacrament doeth consist of two things of the outward element of water and the word of God â—hereupon Augustine verie well said The worde is added vnto the element and it is made a Sacrament Other things which afterward were put thereunto procéeded from Bishops who were more giuen vnto Ceremonies than was méete and were maruellouslie affected to things inuented by themselues For this is a grieuous and in a manner a continuall fault of the nature of man that we haue in estimation those things especiallie which wee our selues haue inuented Therefore were the institutions of Christ and of his Apostles contemned as things worne out of vse Whereof it came to passe that the Papists do more detest them being barelie and simplie receiued than good Orators doe the wordes that be altogether out of vse So that in tract of time the Bishops haue foisted into Baptisme Oyle salt spittle Consecration of fonts twise in the yéere waxe light breathings exorcismes consecration of Fontes twise a yéere that is at Easter and at Pentecost thrée times dipping and such other like And as they bée most pregnant in coyning of wordes they haue called manie of them not sacramentes The Papists Sacramentals but sacramentals because they be tokens signes of those things which they themselues not God would haue to be signified and as they were mooued and did dreame in their imagination so they brought in things which séemed good vnto themselues As concerning Oyle Oyle added to baptisme we confesse that the auncient Kings Prophets and Priests and among the Ethnicks the wrestlers were annointed withall But these men by applying their annointings in Baptisme doe
teache to belong vnto their functions For onely the Elders doe baptise ordinarylie among them neither are there vsed besides them any other Cleargie men which by their ministerie may exorcise the infantes which be brought vnto them And they which in times past accompanied the Byshops as witnesses of their good name conuersation Who were Acolutht were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this time in déede remaineth the order of Acoluthes but they doo not the office They haue also the name order of doorekepers vnto whom the Temple doores are said to be committed that they may haue a regard to them that goe in and that they may kéepe the infidels and excommunicate persons from the holy seruice Doore kéepers But there is no doorekéeper found at this day that dooth execute that office Readers Furthermore they ordaine readers whose office in the purer times was that they should openly reade certaine places out of the Scriptures vnto the congregation assembled which the Byshop afterward succéeding did interprete vnto the people standing by This office is at this day out of vse Yet is the name and order retained And they haue also added exorcists which should adiure them which be assailed with diuels And this as I haue said the priestes at this day doe in baptisme not the meaner Cleargie men who séeme now to doe nothing in the Temples as we sée but to sing to beare waxe lightes to ring belles and to help the priest to say Masse and so now all thinges in the Church are become ridiculous foolish And while they will imitate the forefathers especially in that wherein they were not to be allowed they after a sort shewe themselues to be their Apes Wherefore vaine names and degrées ought not to be retained without the true exercise of a functioÌ„ By what meanes we must succour the possessed with ill spirits Howe that Exorcisme is taken away What then shall wée doe with men that be taken and assaulted with euill spirits when they be tormented by them shal we forsake them vndoubtedlie they must not be forsaken Yet must we not by adiurations commaund the euill spirit to goe foorth séeing we perceiue not our selues to be indued with that grace and power that we should by our owne commaundement cast foorth diuels Wherefore we will vse faithfull prayers deuout and most earnest supplications for the recouerie of them Briefly it would be well and aduisedly doon in these dayes to coÌ„uert exorcismes into prayers And hitherto concerning this point Whether Exorcisme is to be ioyned with Baptisme Arguments affirming it and first the testimonies of the Fathers 14 Now let vs sée for the third whether exorcismes should be ioyned with baptisme They which defend the part affirmatiue vse very many testimonies sentences of the fathers Further they bring certaine reasons of their owne mind Augustine in the first and fourth bookes De Fide Symbolo ad Catechumenos giueth an excellent testimonie vnto exorcisme And in his booke De peccato originali against Pelagius and Coelestius the 40. Chapter By exorcismes saith he is blowen out before baptisme a contrarie power The same father in his Encheridion vnto Laurence Chapter the 31 saith that now Exorcismes be in the whole world and that by an exsufflation or blowing out the vncleane spirite is driuen away and the prince of this world is cast foorth the strong armed man is bound and his vessels are plucked from him Moreouer in the first booke and 14. Chapter De peccatorum meritis remissione he writeth what dooth my Exorcisme woorke in the baptising of an infant if he be not held in the familie of the diuell Vndoubtedlie Augustine in this opinioÌ„ erred gréeuouslie in that he attributed ouer much vnto Baptisme For he acknowledgeth it not to be the outward signe of regeneration but he would that by the very act of washing we should be regenerate and adopted and passe into the familie of Christ As though before that very howre of washing we did pertaine vnto the familie of the diuill and were wholy possessed of him The same Author in the 6. Chapter De fide operibus teacheth that by Exorcismes men be purged And in his treatise De Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus he is of the same opinion And also in his Sermon De Sacramentis fidelium feria secuÌ„da paschae where he saith By Exorcismes and adiurations ye began to be grinded Chrysostom also in his Homilie of Adam and Eue made mention of Exorcisme and exsufflation as of thinges vsed generally by the Church Furthermore Optatus the Byshop of Miletum in the viij booke against Parmenianus maketh mention of Exorcismes as though they serued euery where for the vse of Churches Reasons seeâ—ing for exorcismes about Baptisme 15 Surelie it would be ouer long to recite here the sayings of al the fathers Wherfore leauing now the Testimonies of them I will rehearse the reasons by which they defende this opinion of theirs First they take as graunted that it is necessarie vnto saluation to passe from the power of darkenesse into the kingdome of light They adde afterwarde that men before baptisme liue vnder the power of the Diuell So then they conclude that he must be put awaie which they iudge to be doone by exorcisme Secondlie they say it is come to passe for sinnes sake that the Diuell hath power ouer men but they affirme that sinne is in them vntil such time as they be baptised and therefore iudge it requisite that the euil spirit which is alwayes ioyned together with sinne shal giue place vnto the good spirite séeing they cannot be both together For what agréement is there betwéene light and darkenesse and betwéene Christ and Beliall Further that the vncleane spirit is driuen out by exorcismes they thereby confirme because with their cries they testifie themselues to be tormented and il vexed while they be adiured But if thou shalt saie vnto these men that the nature of Infantes is good For GOD sawe all things that he made and they were good They will aunswere that they doe not exorcise nor blowe out nature which GOD hath made but that they woulde depresse the power of the enemie I meane the Diuell that he should not at his owne pleasure hurt nor stirre vp the infection or concupiscence to commit sinne And they adde that it is lawful for them to Exorcise euery creature séeing Paule hath said vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 4. 5 that thinges are sanctifyed by the word and by prayers For this purpose also they alledge that saying which was spoken by God vnto Adam after sinne committed Gen. 3. 17. Cursed is the ground for thy sake and thereby they gather that by Exorcismes the state of man is to be deliuered from the diuell and from the cursse Ephe. 6. 12. They bring also that saying of the Apostle Our wrestling is not against flesh and bloud but against wickednesse in heauenly thinges Wherefore they affirme
greatly deceiued this is the gift of Christ alone and therefore Iohn in pointing vnto Christ said Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And in Exodus the 33. Verse 39. it is expressed as a thing proper vnto God that he taketh awaie iniquitie vngodlines and sinnes And Esaie in the 43. Chapter Verse 25. It is I that take awaie sinnes In the first of Iohn we reade 1. Ioh. 2. 10. He it is that is the Propitiation for our sinnes Which also Paule affirmed vnto the Romans when he saieth Rom. 3. 25. Whom he hath set foorth a Propitiation through his bloud 1. Iohn 1. 9 Also Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter wrote The bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne Verilie the outward things doe not cleanse the conscience otherwise Christ had died in vaine Againe the soule which is a spirit and without bodie is not purged by grosse corporall things Which the Epistle to the Hebrewes the 9. Verse 9. Chapter doeth plainely teach when it saith That the giftes and sacrifices doe not purge nor make cleane but that Christ was the verie high Priest who hauing wrought eternall redemption passed into the heauens And if at anie time the holie scriptures maie séeme to attribute forgiuenesse of sinnes or saluation to outward signes that must be vnderstoode by the figure Metonymia wherby those things are giuen vnto signes which are proper vnto the things signified the things signified are expressed by the name of the signes So Peter in his first Epistle saith 1. Pet. 3. 20 that in the time of Noah viij soules were saued by the water alluding vnto baptisme Howbeit by water he vnderstandeth not the outward element but that washing which is done by the bloud of Christ And so in the outwarde signe hée comprehendeth the thing signified Which he himselfe manifestly declareth afterward when he saieth 1. Pet. 3. 21. Not in that wherein the filthes of the flesh is put awaie but in that a good conscience answereth euen to God by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ So that by the water he noted the bloud death which is expressed vnder the name of Resurrection After the same manner must that be vnderstoode Ephe. 5. 25 which wee haue to the Ephesians namely That Christ gaue himselfe for the Church that the same might be sanctified by the washing of water through the word c. The cause of sanctification is Christ himselfe who gaue himselfe for vs and for that cause gaue the washing of water that the cleansing by him might be testified by the word and by the signe Brieflie this must be held that the outward signes ioyne vs not vnto Christ but that they be giuen when we bée alreadie ioined vnto him A similitude Euen as the watch word of souldiers doth not leuie a souldier but hath bin accustomed to be giuen when he is alreadie leuied And there is none that marketh his shéepe horse and oxe vnlesse he first possesse those beastes Yea and the letters of Donation are first finished and written before the seales of the giuers be set vnto them And assuredly thus God delt with Abraham Gen. 15. 6. First he beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Then he receiued circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he was indued with whē he was vncircumcised Neither did God begin to deale with Abraham in circumcision but the same circumcision followed iustification Which is also doone in baptisme The thing it self that is the couenant made with mankinde by Christ goeth before afterward followeth the outward token And that it is not otherwise with vs than with Abraham Paul declareth when he saieth Rom. 4. 23. that he was set forth vnto vs as an example of iustification Which if it were not all the Arguments of Paule concerning that matter should be weake yea rather they would be vtterly ouerthrowen 19 Yet doe I not denie Certaine signified things that follow baptisme but that there be certaine signified things of baptisme which doe not goe before but followe the eternall washing as is mortification and repentance and according to this Analogie I vnderstand that which we haue in the Epistle vnto the Romans to wit that we die with Christ Rom. 6. 4. and are buried together with him because the olde man that is the affections and lustes of the flesh must perpetuallie bee mortified which is not yet brought to passe so soone as we be baptized but it is requisite that it should afterward be doone And whereas we reade vnto the Galathians Gal. 3. 27. So manie of you as are baptized haue put on Christ I iudge it must be so expounded as if thou vnderstand To put on Christ for to be made the member of him that goeth before baptisme but if you meane it by manners and life to expresse the childe of God Two places in the Epistle to the Galathians expounded that followeth after baptisme receiued So as we must decrée as concerning the children of faithfull men that they be reckoned among the faithfull and that the children of the Saints are numbred among the Saints 1. Cor. 7. 14 as Paul testifieth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians And if that one will obiect Ib. 12. ve 13 that in the same Epistle the 12. Chapter it is written that wee bee baptized into one bodie that must not be so expounded as though we first passe by outward baptisme into the bodie of Christ An obiection touching original sin confuted séeing we were of the bodie of Christ before Then to the intent that this maie be testified and sealed we are outwardly baptized Ibidem And therfore before those words it is written By the spirit we are baptized into one bodie So that it is first wrought by the worke of the holie Ghost that we become the mēbers of Christ then baptisme is added Wherefore séeing the Infants of Christians be such there is no cause why they should be adiured or breathed vppon But we must weigh that it is not brought to passe by those things that originall sinne is vtterly taken awaie because we confesse that all men are borne the children of wrath and be depraued with originall sinne séeing that kinde of sinne commeth not by imitation as the Pelagians taught but it is the corrupting of the whole nature of man both as touching the soule as touching the bodie Againe we adde that God by Iesus Christ doeth make cleane his elect and predestinate so as the vice which in his owne nature should be mortall sinne shall not bee imputed to them vnto death Further by his spirit he renueth and adorneth them Afterward is added the sealing of outward baptisme First therfore they haue election or predestination they haue the promise and they are borne of faithfull Parents and séeing they be now in the
of Iayes Againe the same father vppon Matthew the 26. Chapter Homilie 83. They were about to iourney frō Egypt into Palestina and therefore they did weare the habit of a traueler thou from the earth must ascend into heauen And in the 3. booke De Sacerdotio Doost thou thinke to dwell among mortal men and to stay and be in the earth And doost thou not rather thinke that thou shalt foorthwith be translated into heauen And in casting away all cogitation of the flesh doest thou not with a single heart and pure minde consider those things that be in heauē 73 Augustine vnto Boniface hath all these things after the same order and sense The time of Easter being at hand hee saith As this or the next day saue one Christ dyed and on the Sonday This day Christ rose againe Baptisme is faith and the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ is the bodie of Christ And wee sée that in all the sayings which we haue reckoned The thing absent is really spoken of the thing present Acts. 9. 4. that which is absent is really pronounced of that which is present The same Father vpon the 54. Psalme The head was in heauen and he saide Why doest thou persecute mée Wee are with him in heauen by hope he is with vs in the earth by loue And in the 119. Epistle to Ianuarius Wherefore to that persecutor whom with his voyce he slue and translating him into his bodie after a sort hath eaten he sounded frō heauen Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee Vpon Iohn the 30. Treatise and we haue it in the Title de Consecratione distinction the 2. yet the first in déede The Lord is aboue but here also is the truth of the Lord For the Lords body wherin he rose againe ought to be in one place his trueth is euerywhere spread Also vpon Iohn the 50. Treatise For according to his Maiestie according to his prouidence according to this vnspeakeable inuisible grace is fulfilled that which was spokē by him Behold I wil bee with you vntill the ende of the world Mat. 28. 20 But according to the flesh which the word tooke vpon it according to that which was borne of the Virgin according to that which was taken holde of by the Iewes which was fastened to the trée which was taken downe from the crosse which was wrapped in cloathes which was buried in the sepulchre which was made manifest in the resurrection Ye shall not alwaies haue mee with you Mat. 26. 11. Wherefore after he had béene conuersant as touching his bodilie presence fourtie daies with his Disciples they leading him foorth while they saw him but not followed him he ascended into heauen and is not here for there he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and is héere for he departed not with the presence of his Maiestie we haue Christ alwaies As touching the presence of the flesh it was rightlie saide vnto the Disciples Mat. 26. 11 Me ye shal not haue alwaies For the Church had him but a fewe daies as touching the presence of the flesh Nowe it houldeth him by faith it séeth him not with the eyes And the same Father vpon the Epistle of Iohn at the end Wherefore our Lord Iesus Christ did for this cause ascend into heauen on the fortie daie hee in this respect commended his bodie because it was to be left on the earth in his members for that he sawe that many would honor him for that he ascended into heauen and perceaued that their honoring is vnprofitable if they tread downe his members vppon the earth And that none might be deceaued nor when he should woorship the head in heauen should oppresse the séete vppon the earth he tould them where his members should be For when he was about to ascend he spake the last wordes after these wordes he spake no more vppon the earth The head being about to ascend into heauen commended his members vppon the earth and so departed Thou shalt not now finde Christ to speake vppon the earth Thou findest him to speake howbeit in heauen and out of heauen it selfe Wherefore because the members were ouertrodden vppon the earth For vnto Paul the persecuter he said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts. 9. 4. I ascended into heauen but I lie still vpon the earth Here I sit at the right hand of the father there I still hunger thyrst and am a straunger After what sort then commended he his bodie vpō the earth being about to ascend Acts. 1. 6. When his disciples had demaunded of him Lord if thou wilt at this time be presented when wilt thou restore the kingdome of Israel He aunswered vpon his departure It is not for you to know the time which the father hath layd vp in his owne power but ye shal receaue the power of the holy spirit comming vppon you ye shall be witnesses vnto me in Ierusalem Behold in what respect he spreadeth out his bodie behold when he wil not be trodden vppon ye shal be my witnesses in Ierusalem and ouer all Iury and Samaria and vnto the endes of the earth Behold I lie which doe ascend For I ascend because I am the head my bodie yet still lyeth In what sort dooth it lie Ouer the whole earth 74 Vnto Augustine Cyrillus dooth consent who saith vppon Iohn the 6. booke and 14. Chapter Here must we note that although he tooke from hence the presence of his bodie euen as he promised that he would be away from his disciples yet in the maiestie of his Godhead he is alwayes present Behold I am with you alwayes euen vntill the end of the world And the same father in the 9. booke vppon Iohn the 21. Chapter And Christ said that he would be with his disciples a little while not because he would vtterly depart from them for he is with vs alwayes euen vntill the end of the world but because he would not liue together with thē as he did before For the time was now at hand that he should goe euen into heauen vnto the father And the faithfull ought to beléeue that although he be absent from vs in bodie yet that we and all thinges are gouerned by his power and that he is alwaies present with all men which loue him Therfore he said Mat. 18. 20 Verilie verilie I say vnto you that wheresoeuer two or three be gathered in my name there am I in the middest of them For euen as when he was conuersant vppon the earth as man he then also filled the heauens and left not the fellowship of the Angels after the same manner now he being in the heauens filleth not the earth with his flesh and yet is with them that loue him And it must be obserued that although hee should be absent onely according to the flesh for he is alwayes present by the power of the Godhead as we haue said yet he said he would be a little while with
Christ which he had with his Apostles would gather a generall precept séeing that action of Christ was not ordinarie but it had a precept ioyned therewith the which was afterwarde confirmed by Paul Moreouer we deale as wée shoulde when we haue recourse to the head and to the verie institution of the Sacrament 20 Now let vs speake of the causes To the 16. by which they pretend that the Church was led to make a decrée for the mutilation of this Sacrament The first was least the cuppe should be spilt Here we maruell excéedinglie at Irenaeus Basil Ambrose Nazianzene and Augustine béeing verie prudent Fathers who sawe not these daungers in the Eucharist or if they sawe them as likelie it is thou must acknowledge that they made no such account of them as they in respect of them violated the Sacraments the which neuerthelesse they administred very often For of priuate Masses there was then no vse They euermore communicated in the mysteries with others and the people ranne together to the Sacraments much more often than at this day they do They were not so greatly troubled if any part of the holy drinke had fallen vpon the ground A young mayd in Cyprians time did vomit vp the same Their chiefe care was that it might be distributed vnto them that were worthie But our men now are not carefull to driue away dogges and swine by which assuredly is doone a greater iniurie vnto the bloud of Christ than if the same should be spilt vpon the ground Wherefore we counsell that the godly ministers should take verie diligent heede that they shed not the holie cup. But if it shall happen by chaunce they may be sorie for it yet the matter must not be so exaggerated as it were an horrible and detestable crime Augustine Augustine as it is in the first question in the Chapter Interrogo vos A question whether the bodie of Christ or this world 〈◊〉 the more woorthie calleth into doubt whether the bodie of Christ be more worthie than his worde To some of the ruder sort it might seeme to be a blasphemous question yet is it disputed of by Augustine and he attributed as much to the word and saying of Christ as he did vnto the sacrament and he plainly saieth that the word of Christ is no lesse than the bodie of Christ Whereupon he concludeth that as we are carefull that a part of the sacrament should not fall vpon the ground euen so no lesse heede must be taken as well by the ministers of the word as by the hearers thereof that nothing be pronounced in vaine out of the words of God And neuerthelesse because it is a perillous thing that any of the wordes of God should by negligence slip away from him that pronounceth or from them that be hearers therefore the godly Sermons are not remooued from the people To the 17. 21 And as to that which they speake of corruption which might easilie happen if wine consecrated vnto the sicke should be kept we saie that no man driueth them into these extremities vnlesse it be their own superstitions Who constraineth them to kéepe the Sacrament of the Eucharist Who commaunded them this thing It behooueth say they to giue vnto the sicke That the Eucharist must be giuen to the sicke I graunt but the mysteries should also be celebrated before the sicke persons They cauill that the sick cannot alwayes stay and abide the long rites of ceremonies But let them consider that this verie thing ariseth of their own superstition and not from the commaundement of Christ That which Christ commaunded may be drawen into foure wordes Gregorie Gregorie testifieth in his Epistle that the Apostles vsed onelie the prayer of the Lord. But our men earnestlie affirme that the Sacrament of the Eucharist should be wrought onelie in their Masse and not otherwise So as they themselues are the cause of these impedimentes and therefore they must not be ascribed to the institution of Christ To the 18. 22 As touching the abstainers from wine and them which in respect of sicknesse cannot receaue wine Touching the absteiners we may readilie aunswere thrée wayes For there be some which say When there is this necessitie against which no law is of force let onely one part of the Sacrament be giuen vnto men but thereby is not prooued that as touching others which are able the Sacrament should be diminished by the decrée or doctrine of men because it is a rash part of a particular thing to bring in a generall rule It séemeth to be God which bringeth that man into necessitie neither dooth that man willinglie pollute the Sacrament of the Lord. It may otherwise be aunswered That any kinde of drinke may be vsed in the Eucharist that such drinke must be giuen vnto these men as they can away withall the perfection of the Sacrament and the reciting of the Lordes wordes being preserued But if one wil say that Christ did not so institute they that thus iudge doe aunswere that Christ vsed that drinke which might be abidden and which was méete for the receauers from whose institution they say that they depart not when they deliuer euery one to drinke that which he is able to abide For this séemeth rather to yéelde to the infirmitie of a brother than to violate the Sacrament But whatsoeuer may be thought of these answeres the which I will not vtterlie condemne to the third I willinglie agrée because it séemes to me to be sure and perfect enough to wit that if a man cannot receaue the Sacrament as it was instituted by Christ let him abstaine for if he desire it and beléeue no commoditie or benefit shall in that respect be wanting vnto him euen as vnto him that desireth Baptisme if he haue not the libertie thereunto it is imputed as if he had receaued the same Neither ought we by reason of these verie seldome chances to dismember the sacrament of Christ Lastlie they are boulde to affirme that by this meanes an honour is doone to the Ministerie To the 19. Vnto whom we answere that héerein consisteth not the honour of the Ecclesiasticall Ministery that he which distributeth the sacrament should haue a double portion or the greater péece of bread when as the people onelie receiueth one kinde and vseth a lesse péece of bread Paule very sufficiently in the first epistle to Timothie and also vnto Titus hath described excellent properties of Ministers 1. Tim. 3. 2. Titus 1. 2. by which they should commend their honor And againe vnto Timothie he wrote that the elders are worthie of double honor when they gouerne well 1. Tim. 5. 17. and do labour in the word of God And of this matter I thinke there is sufficientlie spoken at this time The twelfth Chapter Of the Masse Also of Sacrifices In Iud. 1. 33 BEcause in manie places there is oftentimes mention made of this Hebrew worde Mas
man The Pope ought to be iudged of the Church And yet Iohn the 23 was in the Councell of Constance deposed and not onely by God but also by men Thus doe these men make and repeate Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they thinke good Yea and Emperours haue sometimes thrust out and put downe Popes as it is before said Gal. 1. 8. Paul to the Galathians saith If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospell let him be accursed If the Pope which may be and in times past hath bin obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed Shall he in no wise be iudged of anie man The Church no doubt shall giue sentence vppon him The Magistrate is the principall part of the Church the Magistrate for that he is the principal part of the Church shall not onelie iudge together therewith but shall also execute the sentence He may execute the sentence of the Church against the Pope He must ouersée the Bishops in their reuenewes Further it belongeth to the Magistrate to prouide that the goods of the Church be not giuen to the enemies of godlynesse So as if Byshops become enemies of the Church a faithfull Magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the Church to be wasted by them The Canonistes haue this oftentimes in their mouth that for the office sake is giuen the benefit Therefore when they doe not their office ought the Magistrate to suffer them to inioy their benefices But let vs heare how Boniface prooueth that he can be iudged of no man Because ◠Cor. 2. 15 He that is spirituall saith he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A goodlie and well applyed Argument I promise you But let vs sée what kinde of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place Verilie he speaketh not of the common kinde of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put out of their roome he intreateth there onelie of the vnderstanding of things diuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say belong properlie vnto the iudgement of the spirituall man But as touching iudgement seate and knowledge of ciuill lawes Paul neuer thought of them in that place which is easilie perceaued by his words Ib. ver 12. We receaue saith he not the spirit of this world but the spirit which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the spirit is giuen vs He aunswereth To the end we should know those thinges that are giuen vs of God And because the spirit of this world cannot giue iudgement of thinges that be diuine Verse 14. it is added The naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges What Dooth he iudge also ciuill and publike causes Peter and Paul were iudged by the Ciuill power Acts. 25. 10 No not so but he iudgeth those thinges which belong to the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Assuredlie both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuill power vnto which Paul appealed that he might be iudged there and yet were they spiritual But that place must thus be vnderstood He that is spirituall in that he is such as one cannot in things diuine and such as pertaine to saluation be rightlie iudged of any man which is not indued with the same spirit that he is of The wicked sort and worldlinges account him oftentimes for a seditious vnpure and infamous fellowe But onelie God and his spirit looketh vppon the heartes Lastlie Boniface concludeth that there is one chiefe power onelie and that belongeth to the Pope least we should with the Manichees séeme to make many beginninges Gen. 1. 1. And he addeth that God in the beginning and not in the beginninges created the world Note We affirme one beginning not many We also detest the Manichees and affirme that there is one onelie beginning and pronounce one onelie fountaine and ofspring of all powers namelie God and his word without which there can be no power either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of God and so we make but one beginning and not two Further if Boniface will vrge these wordes in Genesis In the beginning God created c. there ought to be but one onelie king in the world For when Paul said One Lord one Faith Ephe. 4. 5. one Baptisme he added not One Pope 22 At the length our Thraso commeth so farre as he excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chiefe head and Prince of the Church A schisme of Popes But when there were two or thrée Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also indured for the full space of 60. yeares Two or three Popes 60. yéeres together it must néedes be that those which at that time were of Boniface his opinion should confesse themselues then to be Manichees and to haue established two beginnings Againe what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persians and Christians which dwell in the East part séeing they acknowledge not the Pope who neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beléeue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are and also are called Christians All those Boniface excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambition and vnspeakeable tyrannie of the Popes When we obiect vnto the Papists these words of Paul Let euerie soule submit it selfe to the higher powers they aunswere Rom. 13. 1. That euerie soule ought to be subiect vnto the higher power but yet to their own not to other mens power otherwise it were néede that Frenchemen should be subiect to the Spaniards and the Spaniards to the Germanes which because it is absurd it is concluded that euerie man ought to obey his owne Magistrate But nowe the Clergie acknowledge the Bishops for their head and that they should bée subiect vnto them And the Bishops acknowledge the Archbyshops and Primates and they lastlie the Pope After this maner say they we obeie the Pope and satisfie Paul What haue we to doe with Kings and the ciuill Magistrate Howbeit this is nothing else than shamefullie to abuse the wordes of the Apostle The Papists made a diuision of a kingdome into two parts Doe they not sée that they diuide the publike weale into two bodies which ought to be but one bodie onelie For when they diuide the kingdome of the Cleargie from the kingdome of the Laitie they make in one kingdome two peoples and set ouer eyther people his Magistrate and thereby it commeth to passe that the Clergie which be Frenchemen séeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germans séeme not to be Germans and this maketh not coniunction but diuision Besides this of what power I beséeche you speaketh Paul Verilie not of Bishops or Archbishops but of that power which beareth the sword He doth not without a
is the head and fountaine of good order A similitude For euen as God in the nature of mans bodie separated diuers members and placed them in maruelous order The order of the members of mans body the head in the high top of all and therein the eyes like vnto windowes vnder it he put a mouth to receiue meate a breast to containe the inward partes which sustaine life a stomacke for the digesting of meates flankes thighes hammes and féete which things being so set in order doe testifie the excellent wisedome of the Creator But if they be confounded and set out of order they make not a man but a monster Euen so hath he in his lawes reuealed the waie and the measure whereby our actions may be rightly disposed and ordered Trouble taketh away vnitie 5 Furthermore Trouble or sedition taketh away vnitie For the mindes of Citizens are separated and maruelouslie drawen one from an other And that is verie deformed and becommeth not a Commonweale Wherefore Luke in the Actes of the Apostles minding to commend the societie of the Christians Acts. 4. 32. saith They were of one minde and of one heart And this vnitie consisteth in cleauing vnto him which aboue all thinges is one He truelie is the true God without whose feare and woorship the true vnitie cannot be obtained but all thinges remaine torne and rent one from an other Wherevppon Augustine in his Sermon De verbis Domini vppon the Gospell of Luke the 26. Chapter intreating of those wordes wherein the Lord said vnto Martha Luk. 10. 42. But one thing is needefull writeth Giue one thing and thou shalt haue the people that is to say well and rightlie ordered take away one thing and thou shalt haue a route But a route is nothing else but a rude vnrulie multitude By these words we may gather what is the true subiect of this priuation For the priuation standeth not by it selfe nor hangeth in the ayre The subiect thereof is a multitude or a companie of men which is méete apt to be set in order or to be depriued thereof And also to be truely one or to be pulled one from an other If this company be depriued of this order thē is it depriued of peace tranquillitie which chieflie standeth vppon these two thinges 6 This definition of ours doe the wordes of Elias confirme who minding to reprooue Ahab for moouing of trouble said 1 kings 18. 18. Thou hast forsaken God which saying respecteth the priuation of vnitie And his commaundementes which maketh to the priuation of order And thereby prooued him to be a moouer of trouble Paul exhorteth vs to the retaining of those good thinges and of those excellent habites in manie places but especiallie in the 1. 1. Cor. 4. 10 Epistle to the Corinthians the first Chapter saying I beseech you brethren he speaketh to the multitude of Christians which was or should haue bin the subiect of the order of vnitie that ye all speake one thing and that there be no Schismes among you but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye knit together in one minde and in one iudgement He requireth a consent among the faithfull as touching the minde and as touching wordes so much as may be and also as touching workes But as touching workes which here he séemeth not to touch he verie well sheweth in the second Chapter to the Philippians Verse 2. Be ye of one minde agreeing together in one thing dooing nothing by contention and vaine glory A wholesome exhortatiō doubtlesse which hath respect vnto peace and vnitie Also Pythagoras said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sedition of a Citie must be auoided 7 If we séeke for the causes of this euill The causes of this trouble are two Phil. 2. ve 3 Contention many may be brought In the place now alleaged vnto the Philippians Paul rehearsed two Contention which seemeth to signifie a readie inclination vnto strifes and debates We ought not to obey corrupt inclination Also a gréedinesse of glorie driueth many vnto that point and likewise the desires of pleasures and gaine but abooue all things a diuersitie of faith whereof Ierom spake writing vppon Matthewe in the x. Chapter Verse 34. treating of these wordes I came not to send peace but a sworde where he saieth that for the faith of Christ the whole world is diuided against it selfe Neither is there anie house wherein there be not beléeuers and vnbeléeuers And againe vppon the same Chapter expounding that saying Brother shall deliuer Brother he saith Ib. ver 21. there is no faithfull affection of them whose faith is diuers Plato in the 4. booke De Repub. saith that seditions arise aswel through too much abundance as through too much scarcitie For they which abound on euerie side with riches be of hautie minde and contemne the poore in comparison of thēselues On the other side the poore being despised are stirred vp against the rich and one Citie is diuided into partes This we know happened in the Church of the Corinthians 1. Co. 11. 21 whereas the rich and wealthie would not sit downe at meate with the poore but they ioyned themselues to men of their owne degrée and made daintie and gorgeous feastes among themselues neither did they tarie for the poore But the poore being contemned tarried long and sate by thēselues vsing most simple and poore fare Thereby arose troubles and seditions This as saith Paul is to eate anie thing else rather than the supper of the Lord. Ib. ver 20. There might perhappes other causes also be brought but those which we haue recited are the better The end of troubles There remaineth to speake of the end which if we respect troublesome and seditious men is to ouerthrowe and consume for their owne gaine sake thinges that be well ordered Wherefore Chrysostome vppon the 5. Chapter to the Galathians expounding those wordes Gal. 5. 15. If ye bite and deuour one an other take heede least ye be consumed one of an other saith that sedition dooth at lengh bring consumption and corruption And he compareth the same vnto a mothe which departeth not from the garment vntill it haue consumed the same as much as it can But if we haue respect vnto God and demaund vnto what end he suffereth these thinges to be doone we will aunswere To the intent that they which be prooued may in troubles and seditions be made manifest And whereas they lay hidden before they may now shine aboue others Hereof hath Paul put vs in minde in the first to the Corinthians 1. Co. 11. 19 saying It behooueth that heresies should be that they which be prooued may be made manifest 8 By these thinges which we haue now alleaged the whole definition may be gathered which standeth in the generall word and in the differences and comprehendeth all the causes The full definition of trouble or sedition So as we may say that
21 But now it séemeth good to treat wherefore tyrantes be so stirred vp against godlie men and against the Gospell Paul in the 2. Chapter to the Ephesians The prince of the world saith he woorketh with efficacie in the children of disobedience euen as godlie men are mooued in the holy ghost By which place it is manifestly gathered that wicked men be instruments which the diuell vseth for the execution of his furie And moreouer vnto the Diuell is giuen power against the Saintes although the same be repressed and bridled within certaine boundes and limites according as vnto the Lord it hath séemed profitable for his For this cause dooth the Diuell rage in his owne members that he may be an hindrance vnto GOD and to the Gospell And therefore dooth God permit these thinges to the intent that the excellent victories of Martyrs may appeare and that the Church no lesse than the world may haue her excellent men So then thou vnderstandest for what ende or purpose God suffereth these thinges to be doone Assuredlie it is no maruell that the Diuell rageth against the Gospell because through it he is spoyled by Christ For the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all them that beleeue Rom. 16. 1. 23 There remaineth a doubt why God doth prosper Tyrants which be altogether cruell and wicked who haue had sometime such prosperous successes as their Kingdoms haue béene aduaunced to most ample Monarchies As it is manifest by Romulus Cyrus Philip and Alexander of Macedonia which euē of Ethnick Historiographers are noted to haue béene most violent and vniust First as touching these Monarchies Why how and to what end GOD suffereth tyrants to encrease howe they haue grownne this shall be imputed the cause that in the world there is a certaine coniunction betwéene causes and effectes firmelie appointed by the institution of God which cannot easily be changed nay rather it séemes many times to take place Wherefore those Princes or people which haue attained and kept these studies and Artes of gouernment which are of force aswell to increase as amplifie dominion and Empire haue obtained this good successe For present example let vs speake of the Romans They as the histories declare and as Augustine testifieth might get themselues so great power because they had those things by which it hath bin vsually obtained First they had a desire of praise not in verie deede altogether false and counterfait namelie such as thereby they might approoue themselues sounde and iust Iudges Moreouer they were liberall of monie yea and adde if ye will that they were oftentimes contemners of the same and desirous of glorie Which glory notwithstanding they ascribed to their countrie in generall which they so loued as they would haue it for a long time to be frée but euermore to be the Ladie of other countries And by Virgill is set foorth that excellent propertie of the Romans To spare the subiects and to vanquish the proud 24 They suffered not themselues to bée weakened with delightes and pleasures neither set they their minde vppon heaping of riches Besides this there was a patient enduring of labours and also a discipline of warre They pould not their subiects but protected them They wasted not their monie vppon stage players Iesters Dicing Harlots or haunting of victualing houses They obtained not their offices by guile by deceits or by yll practises but by honest meanes whereby at home they vsed great diligence and abrode a iust gouernement They gaue counsell fréelie taking héede least their minde shoulde be subiect to lustes and vices Wherefore séeing they had so excellent studies vertues and faculties they easilie obtained by nature to beare rule ouer others For such a coniunction and linking together in the world is ordained by God as of such causes vnlesse he himselfe let it those things doe alwaies or for the most part followe Howbeit I denie not but that in the common wealth of Rome there were manie vices also séeing the people was constrained sundry times to auoide from the Tyrannie of the Fathers Albeit that euen in those times they had some excellent actiue and valiant men which tempered and corrected such vices But afterward when the Empire was obtained whē vices had excéedinglie preuailed vices were supported together with the verie hugenesse of so great a kingdome and people and nobilitie So notwithstanding that they themselues abused so great an Empire yet God did both punish the world and the infinite wickednesse thereof And the Church was woonderfully increased with witnesses and heauen with Saints There be moreouer other causes as vnto vs vnknowen so most iust for the which God suffereth these things to happen The Romane Empire at the length gaue peace vnto the Church In the Monarchie of the Persians the people of Israell was restored into their owne countrie And while Nabuchad-nezer enioyed the kingdom of the Chaldeans the name of God was published and spread abroade among the Gentiles Vnder the kings of Macedonia the holie Scriptures were translated out of the Hebrewe into the Gréeke tongue while Ptolomaèus did beare rule in Egypt And thus shalt thou euermore finde that God verie well knoweth howe to vse an euill thing The end of the fourth Part. To God alone the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost be all honour praise glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen ANOTHER Collection of certeine Diuine matters and doctrines of the same M. D. Peter Martyr the titles wherof appeare in the page following necessarilie added to this volume for the greater benefit and comfort of the Christian Church At the end is placed a table of all the particulars and the Authors life at large Translated and partlie gathered by the said ANTHONIE MARTEN Meliora spero Philipp 1 verse 9. I praie that your loue may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that ye may discerne things that differ one from another Seene and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions 1583. The Contents Common places of Free will Prouidence Predestination The cause of sinne The sacrifice of the Masse An exhortation to the Supper of the Lord. Three confessions touching the presence and participation of Christ in the sacraments Certeine questions and answers Diuers propositions out of Genesis Exodus Leuiticus and the booke of Iudges A disputation which D. Peter Martyr had at Oxford with Tresham Chadse and Morgan Sundrie sermons of The death of Christ The resurrection of Christ A place in the 20. chapter of Iohn Reedifieng of Christs church The profit and dignitie of the holie ministerie An exhortation to the studie of Diuinitie A praise of the word of God deliuered in the scriptures Certeine other orations Diuers and sundrie theologicall Epistles The life of D. Peter Martyr E R To hir Maiestie WHen I had now by the speciall goodnesse of almightie GOD brought to a perfect end the foure Parts of M. D. Peter Martyrs Common places and perceiued that in
Christ Manie are called and but few chosen now here is calling spoken of wherevnto followeth not iustification Moreouer there is a certeine calling which by Paule is speciallie called According to the purpose of God Ephe. 1 5. 9. which is shewed to differ from the other common calling Wherefore it is prooued by the holie scriptures that there is a difference of callings Augustine This Augustine confirmeth First against two epistles of the Pelagians the 19. chapter where he writeth For all that be called are not called according to the purpose For manie be called few be chosen They therefore are called according to the purpose who were chosen before the world was made And of this matter the same Augustine to Simplicianus at the end of the first booke Wherfore it remaineth that wils be chosen but the will it selfe vnlesse some thing happen which may delight and allure the mind cannot by anie meanes be mooued But that this should happen it is not in the power of man What else willed Saule but to inuade to drawe to bind and slaie the christians How raging was his will How furious How blind was it And yet was he with one voice from aboue ouerthrowne Doubtlesse such a vision happened vnto him as thereby crueltie being taken awaie that mind and will was wrested and corrected vnto faith Suddenlie of a woonderfull persecuter of the Gospell he became a more woonderfull preacher of the same So then it is manifest that the calling is of two sorts one common and an other according to the purpose to the vnderstanding whereof wée must knowe that this purpose is nothing else but a sure firme and constant decrée of God wherein he foreknew and appointed those which he would ioine togither iustifie and blesse in Christ The calling which vnto this purpose is confirmed is effectuall and changeth men through the word of God by the helpe of the holie Ghost But the other is common whereby are offered the promises of God through the word either outward or inward but not with such an efficacie as thereby the minds can be healed This distinction did Augustine verie well know Augustine who against Iulian the Pelagian in the fift booke the third chapter writeth after this maner Not all men which be called are called according to the purpose For manie be called Mat. 20 16. but few are chosen Wherefore else where also he saith 2. Tim. 1 9. According to the power of God who hath saued vs and called vs with an holie calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs in Christ Iesus before the beginning of the world The same Augustine De praedestinatione sanctorum the 16. chapter For manie which be predestinate God calleth his sonnes that he may make them the members of his onelie predestinated sonne not with that calling Matth. 22. wherby they were called which would not come to the marriage sith by that calling both the Iewes were called 1. Cor. 1 23. Vnto whome Christ crucified is a stumbling blocke and the Gentils also vnto whome Christ crucified is foolishnesse But he calleth the predestinate by that calling which the apostle distinguished saieng Ibid. 24. that Hee preached Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God vnto them which are called both of the Iewes and Graecians For so saith he in these words Vnto them which are called that he might note them which were not called knowing that there is a sure maner of calling of them which are called according to the purpose Rom. 8 29. whome he foreknew and predestinated to be made like to the image of his sonne Which calling he signifieng said Rom. 9 12. Not by works but by him that calleth it was said vnto hir The elder shall serue the yoonger He saith Not by works but by beleeuing Also he vtterlie tooke this from man that he might yeld the whole vnto God Therefore he said But by him that calleth not by euerie kind of calling but through that calling whereby man is made a beléeuer This also had he a respect vnto when he said Rom. 11 29. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance The same father in his Treatise De spiritu litera the 34. chapter mentioneth an other difference of these callings that the one counselleth and the other throughlie persuadeth And he saith Now if any shall presse vs to search that déepenesse why one is so counselled as he becommeth throughlie persuaded and an other not so two things in the meane time I call to remembrance which I think good to answer O the deepenesse of the riches Rom. 11 33. Rom. 3 5. c. Againe Is there anie iniquitie with God Hée that shall not be content with this answer let him séeke better learned but let him beware he find not them that be presumptuous 13 After this maner did Augustine conclude this sentence bicause he sawe there were men found out which sought for a cause of the difference by frée will whom he called presumptuous He writeth in like manner in the ninth chapter De praedestinatione sanctorum But whie it is not giuen in all men it ought not to mooue a faithfull man which beléeueth that by one man all men vndoubtedlie went into most iust condemnation Euen so there should be no iust reprehension of God although that none were deliuered from thence Wherby it is manifest that it is a great grace that manie are deliuered Againe what should be due vnto them they know by those which are not deliuered that they which glorie may glorie in the Lord not in their owne merits which they sée to be like to theirs that he damned Here also Augustine plainlie teacheth that whosoeuer of vs are deliuered we are not all called by that calling by which we be deliuered that without anie iniustice of God And in the same booke the 8. chapter Wherefore saie they dooth he not teach all men If we shall saie Bicause those whom he teacheth not will not learne Psal 85 7. it will be answered vs And where is that signe which is said vnto him Lord turne thou againe and quicken vs or else if God of vnwilling make not willing whie dooth the church according to the precept of the Lord praie for them that persecute hir c. Augustine resteth not vpon that answer to wit that they are not taught bicause they will not learne for he saith that of vnwilling GOD can make willing Prosper Adcaput Gallorum answereth to them which obiect that they which are called are not called alike but some are called that they should beléeue c. The answer followeth If calling be onlie vnderstood in preaching of the Gospell it is not trulie said that vnto diuers men it is diuerslie preached séeing there is one God one faith one regeneration and one promise But if there be a respect had to the effect
Augustine answereth And yet those whom I would gather togither I gathered euen against thy will Yet the same father séemeth to haue spoken hardlie Obiections out of Augustine in his treatise against Adimantus the Manichei the 26. chapter where he wrote that It is in the power of man to change the will vnto better Herevnto notwithstanding he himselfe answereth in his first booke of refractations the 22. chapter where he saith But that power is nothing vnlesse it be giuen of God by whom it is said Iohn 1 12. He gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God For séeing this is in the power that when we will we doo nothing is so much in the power as is the will it selfe but the will is prepared of the Lord and by that meanes he giueth power So must that also be vnderstood that I said afterward it is in our power either that we be ingraffed by the goodnesse of God or by his seueritie be cut off bicause it is not in our power sauing for that he followeth our will which being prepared by the Lord to be mightie and strong that which before was hard and vnpossible is soone become a worke of godlines c. Wherefore let this rule and exposition be of force to answer all the places of Augustine in which he séemeth to attribute more than is méet vnto frée will as touching heauenlie and supernaturall things We must answer that this selfe power hath onlie place in willes alreadie prepared and healed This rule did this father neuer withdrawe but put it as firme and certeine in his retractations Yea and in the tenth chapter of the same booke he sheweth that those things which he wrote as touching frée will against the Manicheis were spoken to the intent he might declare that there is not a certeine first euill beginning contrarie vnto the good God from which euill beginning forsooth sinnes should flowe but that the beginning of sinnes was from the will Wherefore it was not agréeable to that drawing that he shuld speake much of the grace of God that prepareth and healeth which neuerthelesse he after some sort left not vntouched And of frée will he spake rather as it was in nature first instituted than as it is now found in nature defiled and corrupted How far foorth free will is granted It is also obiected vnto vs that we doo euill in denieng frée will and that we giue an occasion of bringing the same in question and that we offer an offense vnto the Papists Howbeit I take not awaie frée will in generall but I grant the same in outward things and in those things which are not aboue the capacitie of man Moreouer I grant the same in part vnto them that be prepared healed and conuerted by the grace of God as a little after shall be said Further we are not to passe much of the slander of the Pharisies They be blind and leaders of the blind and therefore they are not to be regarded Euerie plant Matt. 15 13. which the heauenlie father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Besides they aske whether God doo towards all men as much as sufficeth to their saluation Some saie he dooth But it séemeth not so vnto me for I knowe out of the holie scriptures Matt. 11 21. that they of Tyre and Sidon would haue beléeued if they had séene those things that were doone of Christ in Chorazim Bethsaida Capernaum And this also did Prosper ad caput Gallorum note when he answereth vnto the tenth chapter wherin they obiected against the doctrine of Augustine bicause he affirmed that the grace of the Gospell was by God withdrawne from some He writeth there after this maner Also he that saith that the preching of the Gospell is by the Lord withdrawne from some least by receiuing the preaching of the Gospell they might be saued may discharge himselfe of ill report by defense of our Sauiour himselfe who would not shew foorth his works among some which he saith would haue beléeued if they had séene his signes and miracles And he forbad his apostles to preach the Gospell vnto certeine people And yet still he suffereth some nations to liue without his grace when as neuerthelesse we beléeue it most certeinlie that the church shall be spred abroad into all the parts of the world c. Of the verie same matter also the same father Ad excerpta Genuensium the eight dout thus writeth As touching the men of Tyre and Sidon what thing else can we saie but that it was not vouchsafed vnto them to beléeue And yet neuerthelesse the truth it selfe reporteth that they would haue beléeued if they had séene such signes of powers as were doone among vs that beléeue But why this was denied vnto them let them that falselie accuse tell it if they can and let them shew why the Lord did maruellous things among them whom they should not profit Also we if we be not able to atteine vnto the cause of his dooing and to the déepenesse of his iudgement yet doo we most manifestlie knowe that both it is true which he said and iust which he did and that not onelie the men of Tyre and Sidon but also they of Chorazim and Bethsaida might haue béene conuerted and of infidels might haue become faithfull if the Lord would haue wrought this in them Neither can it séeme false to anie which the truth saith Iohn 6 44. None can come vnto me except it shall be giuen him of my father And Matt. 13 1. To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of heauen Againe No man knoweth the sonne Matt. 11 27. but the father nor the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne will reueale him Againe Iohn 5 21. As the father quickeneth the dead so the sonne quickeneth whom he will Againe 1. Cor. 12 3. No man can saie that IESVS is the Lord but by the holie Ghost The same Prosper also sheweth That all men haue not beene called by preaching that the preaching of the Gospell hath not alwaies béene giuen to all nations nor yet in all times and yet the same neuerthelesse is necessarie vnto saluation Ad capita Gallorum the fourth chapter wherein it was obiected against Augustine that according to his iudgement all men are not called vnto grace thus answereth Although it should appeare that the whole world had now in euerie nation and in all the ends of the earth receiued the Gospell Mat. 16 15. which in verie déed is most truelie pronounced that it shall come to passe yet were there no doubt but that since the time of the resurrection of the Lord vnto this present age there haue béene men which haue departed out of this life without knowledge of the Gospell of whome it may be said that they were not called bicause they not so much as heard of the hope of calling But if anie man affirme that
bodie is so called bicause it is now immortall with the spirit And a little after Therefore as a naturall bodie is not a soule but a bodie so we must thinke that a spirituall bodie is not a spirit but a bodie And in his treatise De ciuitate Dei the 13 booke and the 20. chapter Howbeit bicause it shall be subdued to the spirit by an excellent and woonderfull easinesse of obeieng euen to the accomplishing of the most assured will of immortalitie which cannot be dissolued And a litle after Euen as the spirit which serueth the flesh is not amisse called carnall so the flesh seruing the spirit is called spirituall not that it is changed into the spirit You heare what things are spoken of a spirituall bodie among the which we find not that it is in diuers places at one time For it is euen as repugnant to the nature of a bodie to be in diuers places at once as it is to be no bodie D. Tresham I denie your minor proposition that it is as repugnant to the nature of a bodie to be conuersant in manie places at once as it is to be no bodie for this latter includeth contradiction of the verie termes and so dooth not the former And more readilie may this be doone in a bodie which hath the properties of a glorious bodie D. Martyr I will prooue anon that it is against the bodie of Christ being definit and circumscribed by limits of place and a creature to be in manie places at once But as touching the glorie which he now hath I saie I doo not exclude the gifts of glorie Howbeit I will prosecute the argument in hand to wit that Augustine ment not that the soule of Christ was at one time both in hell and in heauen with the théefe much lesse therefore shall this be granted to the bodie which is not attributed to the soule Neither in that treatise dooth Augustine exclude the Eucharist D. Tresham Yes verelie he did exclude it D. Martyr Augustine made mention there of the Eucharist but intended a far other matter than to exclude the same from the truth determined For he disputed of the holie Ghost how he being one distributeth his gifts without diuision of himselfe that he maie adorne with his graces the mysticall bodie of the church which mysticall bodie of Christ he saith is set foorth in our sacrifice D. Tresham What if Augustine denie that the soule of Christ cannot be in diuers places therefore can it not be Shall the saieng of Augustine diminish the power of God that it shall not doo as it will No it shall not diminish it D. Martyr It shall now suffice at this present that we haue séene Augustines iudgement that Christ as touching his humanitie bicause of the quantitie of a true bodie is in heauen but as touching his diuinitie euerie where D. Tresham When Augustine saith Christ in that respect that he is man is in heauen vnderstandeth that to be true as touching visible forme for so he expoundeth himselfe in that place saieng If he shall come according to that voice of the angell euen in such wise as hée was séene go into heauen that is to vse his owne words in the same forme of flesh according to this forme he saith he must not be thought to be dispersed euerie where Afterward Augustine maketh mention there of our sacrifice And at that time no man doubted of the truth of the sacrament D. Martyr You shall neuer find there out of Augustine that the bodie of Christ by an inuisible forme may be in manie places at once this is of your owne deuise And I haue now shewed to what end he made mention there of the Eucharist Moreouer we doo not dispute here of the truth of the sacrament which we all confesse but we contend as touching the maner how Christ is there And I will shew most assuredlie that it is in God alone to be in manie places and euerie where at once and that it must not be granted vnto creatures For by this reason dooth Didymus in his first booke De spiritu sancto prooue the Godhead of the holie Ghost It is onelie God that can be in manie places at once bicause he was able to be in many places at one time which can be no condition of anie creature And the verie selfe-same reason made Basil in his booke De spiritu sancto chapter 22. Wherefore if these mens arguments should be of anie strength it would be concluded that the humane nature in Christ is the diuine nature séeing it is affirmed of you to be in manie places at once and so all things would be confounded But now let vs heare their words Didymus saith thus The holie Ghost himselfe if he were one of the creatures he should at the least-wise haue a substance circumscriptible or within limitation euen as haue all things that be made For albeit that the inuisible creatures are not limited within place and bounds yet are they bounded by the propertie of their substance But the holie Ghost sith he is in manie places hath no limited substance For Iesus sending foorth the Preachers of his doctrine replenished them with the spirit and breathing vpon them Receiue ye saith he the holie Ghost Iohn 20 22. and go yee foorth and teach all nations not as though he sent them all to euerie nation Neither in verie déed did the apostles trauell togither vnto all nations but some into Asia some into Scythia and others were dispersed into other nations according to the dispensation of that holie spirit which they had After what maner also we haue heard the Lord saie I am with you euen vntill the end of the world Héerewith all likewise agréeth that saieng Act. 1. 8. Ye shall receiue power of the holie Ghost when hee shall come on you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost ends of the earth Now then if these apostles for the testimonie of the Lord being placed in the vttermost confines of the earth were distant in most far places one from an other yet that the holie Ghost dwelled in them hauing a substance which cannot be bounded or limited The angels cannot be in manie places at once it is an euident token that the power of angels is far other than this is séeing for example sake the angell which was present with the apostle when hée praied in Asia could not at the selfe-same time be present with others which were placed in other parts of the world But the holie Ghost not onelie is at hand with them which are separated one from an other but also remaineth an assistant to all particular angels principalities thrones dominations and as he sanctifieth men so is he of an other nature than men be of Basil in his booke De spiritu sancto the 22. chapter Therefore as touching the holie Ghost whom the world cannot
the Capernaits vnderstood that is to wit a visible bodie but an inuisible that is the sacramentall bread For they stroue for this kind of bread verse 51. And therefore Christ answereth The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Which is no other bread than that which was afterward giuen by Christ in his supper when he said This is my bodie nor yet anie other than hoong vpon the crosse But if it be flesh then is it no bread D. Martyr That bread The bread spoken of in the sixt of Iohn is metaphoricall which is spoken of in the sixt of Iohn and which you now make an argument of is truelie the flesh and bloud of Christ and is called bread by a metaphor the which is verie apt and plaine And the metaphor is this that Euen as bread dooth naturallie nourish and sustaine vs so the flesh of Christ being eaten spirituallie and by faith dooth sustaine vs both as touching the soule and bodie And when you argue In the supper Christ gaue this flesh which metaphoricallie is called bread Therfore must the naturall substance of bread be taken awaie I denie the conclusion For this sacrament besides that spirituall eating of the flesh of Christ which metaphoricallie in the sixt of Iohn he called bread addeth signes and an outward eating of the true bread that the same spirituall eating might be holpen and be the more effectuall For what letteth but that therein is promised the flesh of Christ to be giuen for the life of the world and yet that it was not simplie nakedlie giuen afterward but the signes of bread and wine ioined therewithall D. Chadse That which was giuen in the supper is the bread which Christ promised in the sixt chapter of Iohn but yet that bread was his flesh And least anie man should doubt what maner of bread it might be he addeth Which I will giue for the life of the world It was no bread substantiallie and no more was this substantiallie bread which was giuen in the supper D. Martyr That which was giuen in the supper was not onlie the bread which is spoken of in the sixt of Iohn as you in the antecedent vnderstand it but it had also as I haue said naturall bread ioined therewith for a signe and that sacramentall bread was the flesh of Christ to be giuen vnto death for our saluation And when you demand how the bread which was giuen was flesh I answer Not substantiallie but as they speake sacramentallie that is by signification And the sense of Iohn is that the flesh of Christ to be giuen vpon the crosse for our saluation is bread that is to saie spirituall meate whereby we are susteined through faith and that meate is offered vnto vs in the communion by the word of God and by the signes So as if he in the sixt of Iohn had ment a symbolicall or signifieng bread sith then he gaue it not he would haue said The bread which I will giue shall be my flesh but he saith in the present tense It is my flesh as if he should saie My flesh is bread metaphoricallie which flesh of mine I will giue euen vnto the crosse for the life of the world D. Chadse Christ in the sixt of Iohn said The bread Iohn 6 51. which I will giue is my flesh but in the supper he gaue that flesh which hoong vpon the crosse and therefore by testimonie of the scriptures he gaue his flesh reallie in the supper For that which then he promised he performed in the supper in giuing his bodie which he was to giue for the life of the world So then we grant that the signes were vsed in the supper but the substance of those signes we saie is the flesh of Christ by reason of the words alledged The bread which I will giue is my flesh Wherevpon it is euident that here is transubstantiation D. Martyr That in the supper he gaue his verie bodie I haue alwaies testified but yet he ioined thervnto the signes of bread and wine as I haue alreadie said and you now as I haue heard doo grant but in your argument you fall into equiuocation bicause you passe from metaphoricall bread vnto true and naturall bread For wheras Christ saith The bread By bread in the sixt of Iohn the Lord vnderstood not a signe of the sacrament but his owne flesh which I will giue c. by bread he meaneth not a signe that is to wit that he will giue naturall bread in the supper but he expresseth a metaphoricall name attributed to his flesh bicause he should be vnto vs in stéed of bread or like bread of whose propertie that we might be admonished and vnderstand that the flesh of Christ is bread allegoricallie he would in the supper giue vs naturall bread saieng This is my bodie Matt. 26 26. that is to saie My bodie which shall be giuen for you if it be eaten of you spirituallie and by faith it shall be in stéed of bread or like bread for the nourishing and susteining of you D. Chadse I speake of bread after the selfe-same maner that it is ment in the Gospell that the fift kind may be distinguished from the fourth which is I am the bread of life Wherefore the fift kind must be no allegoricall bread but that whereof the Lord said The bread which I will giue is my flesh Other bread then shall it not be but my flesh although vnder another forme least ye should be confounded And this he said to confirme them before hand least the apostles should contend among themselues about the eating of the Lords bodie Otherwise Christ should haue promised that which he did not performe and therfore saith he I will giue sith as yet the time was not come Neither is it for you to saie that the bodie or flesh of Christ should be as it were bread for the promise made by Christ is not after that maner but it conteineth flatlie that that bread which shuld be giuen is flesh And euen this dooth Cyrill confirme when he saith And doubt not whether this be true sith he manifestlie saith This is my bodie c but receiue the words of saluation in faith although thy sense doo not teach it thée D. Martyr Your argument is verie long which that I may satisfie I reduce it to two principall points namelie to the saieng of Christ in the sixt of Iohn and vnto the sentence of Cyrill As touching the sixt chapter of the euangelist I denie not but in that place is intreated of diuers kinds of bread but that they be well distinguished of you that I grant not neither doo I much care But yet that Christ spake of eating of himselfe and promised that he would giue himselfe to be eaten I allow of it For he said that he would giue bread which is his flesh that should be giuen for the life of
saie that his toong or parchment or inke or the signifieng sounds vttered with the toong or figures of letters written vpon little skins is the bodie and bloud of Christ but that onelie which we doo rightlie receiue being made of the fruits of the earth and consecrated by mysticall praiers Héere likewise you heare that that which we receiue of the fruits of the earth is called the Lords bodie Wherevpon it followeth that bread dooth there remaine vnlesse you will saie that the earth dooth bring foorth accidents And whereas you obiect that the worke of God and the holy Ghost are requisit for the making of this a sacrament I grant it but that the signification of the bodie of Christ is not so great a matter as it hath néed of those things that doo I denie You haue oftentimes alreadie heard that we doo not héere set downe a common or vulgar signification but a sacramentall mightie and effectuall signification whereby the beléeuers are incorporated into Christ D. Chadse But the bread by his substance nourisheth therefore it may signifie the bodie of Christ before consecration also it is gathered and consisteth of manie praiers before consecration therefore it may signifie the vnion of the church Howbeit it is none of Augustines mind that anie thing should be called the bodie and bloud of Christ bicause of the signification but only in this respect that being taken out of the fruits of the earth and consecrated by mysticall praier we receiue it vnto saluation Neither meaneth he that the bread taken from the fruits of the earth dooth so remaine but after such a sort as Ambrose saith that that which nature hath made is by blessing changed D. Martyr As touching the first you cannot in verie déed saie of water that wheresoeuer it is euen out of baptisme it signifieth the washing of the soule But dooth it therefore followe that that signification is sacramentall when the word of the Lord is absent nor yet the institution of Christ is exercised therein We speake here as we haue often said alreadie of the power and effectuall signification of sacraments the which we obteine by the word and institution of God As touching the other Augustine said most plainelie that by those thrée that is to wit by the toong parchements that is to saie writings and by the sacrament the bodie of Christ is signified and then followeth that which you saie to wit that it is receiued to saluation And of the change that is to saie the casting awaie of that substance that is gathered of the fruits of the earth there is no mention at all how Ambrose must be vnderstood I haue declared before D. Chadse Chrysostome in the 45. homilie vpon Iohn in the sixt chapter thus writeth This bloud being shed ouerflowed all the world whereof Paule vnto the Hebrues pronounced manie things This bloud purged the secret and holie places But and if the figure thereof was of so great force in the temple of the Hebrues and when it was sprinkled vpon the doore posts in the midst of Aegypt of much more force was the truth it selfe This bloud signified a golden altar without this the high priest durst not enter into the innermost places This bloud made the priests This bloud in a figure purged sinnes In the which figure if it were of so great force if death so feared the shadowe how greatlie I beséech you will it be afraid of the truth c. He compareth the sacraments of the old testament with the sacraments of the new testament as one may saie the shadowe and figure with the truth and he nameth our mysteries â—…nderfull and dreadfull If then as he saith the old fathers had the shadowes and we therâ—…l it followeth in the sacrament of the Eucharist that the verie bodie of Christ is presentâ— otherwise if we should haue himselfe thereby signification onelie there is no more to be attributed vnto our sacraments than to the sacraments of the old lawe D. Martyr Whereas Chrysostome saith that the sacraments of the old fathers being compared vnto ours be shadowes and figures I grant the same Howbeit it must be so vnderstood that shadowes and figures were there because the comming of Christ was as yet expected Againe the significations of those sacraments were more obscure both which is agréeable vnto figures and shadowes for figures did foreshew Christ to come and shadowes doo want plentie of light By these kind of meanes was Christ signified in the sacraments of the old fathers and by faith was giuen to be receiued of the beléeuers But now to vs in the new sacraments he is offered as he that is alredie come that hath performed his promises and that is crucified for vs in verie déed Besides the words which we haue in our sacraments be far more cleare and plaine than were the words of the old sacraments in the lawe But you vnderstand this word truth as though it should signifie reall presence and therefore you infer that the bodie of Christ is present with vs reallie corporallie and substantiallie But the fathers vnderstand truth to be in our sacraments if they be compared to the sacraments of the old fathers bicause they represent the thing that is now performed euen that the kingdome of heauen is opened and that the benefit of our redemption is with all euidence and assurednesse alreadie finished and made perfect and bestowed on vs as if were before the eies of faith D. Chadse Yea but the sacraments of the old fathers were euen as much true as ours be the selfe-same power was in them that is in ours Those fathers as well beléeued that Christ would come as we that he is come For by the testimonie of Paule all our fathers droonke of the selfe-same spirituall rocke and did eat the selfe-same spirituall meat 1 Co. 10 4. D. Martyr True it is that the old fathers as touching the thing it selfe had the selfe-same sacraments that we haue which were signes that Christ should come and offered him vnto the beléeuers but the difference as I said was that Christ hath now performed indéed the price of our saluation but then he was afterward to performe the same And a thing that is alreadie done if it be compared euen to it selfe which shall afterward be doone both it is more assured and may be called a truth but it is said to haue a shadowe and a figure when it is not yet performed Ouer this no man doubteth but that that Christ and his death is expressed vnto vs with more plaine and euident words By these things you may gather that as Paule testifieth we as touching the substance haue the selfe-same sacraments with the old fathers but that there be manie differences also betwéene them as touching the thing present which I haue rehearsed D. Chadse The sacraments of the fathers promised but grace ours giue the same which things you in your lectures did interpret They signifie grace giuen Wherefore if those
vnderstande that if they goe their waies they not onelie further not the word of God which otherwise they might haue doone but also that they leaue their subiectes in the power of Infidels and that they abandon them to most gréeuous euils and horrible daungers Vnto Princes wee must adde those that dwell in the Courtes of great kinges and Monarches being men of singular ostimation and authoritie Of great noble men either for that they bee wise counsellers or else because they are famous in warre wealth or nobilitie of birth These ought not to depart when there is no daunger like to light vppon them séeing they maie greatlie further the cause of religion by their presence For in a kingdome they be bucklers and vnto the poore faithful are instéede of a defence By their counsels and authoritie they oftentimes represse the violence of Tyrantes they resist the crueltie of Pharisees when they haue the great princes fauorable gratious vnto thē they maie make intercession for manie that be oppressed maie conuert the minde of Monarches from cruell persequutions of the Gospell vnto other affaires greater more profitable of more importance Gen. 41. 40 Dan. 2. 48. Such were in kings courtes Ioseph Daniel Nehemias and other godlie men Wherefore they must not flie awaie vnlesse extréeme necessitie compell Further there be others not a fewe at this daie called Lords not comparable to the others which haue not the chéefe authoritie but onelie some ciuill iurisdiction hauing nothing to doe with anie power of reforming religion For the Priestes or Bishoppes are not subiect vnto them as vnto those which excell in power and authoritie and are subiect vnto the inquisitors and such like Pharisees no lesse than the rest of the people be These differing little or nothing from the state of other men the same in a manner is to be iudged of them that is of the rest Wherefore if they flie according to the rules prescribed by vs they not onelie must not be reprooued but they are euen to bee praysed since they thinke not much by their testimonie to magnifie Christ which is so much the more worthie and excellent as they humble themselues frō the higher dignitie vnto things of least reputatiō as far as cōcerneth worldly honors But because the common sort is woont to exclame against those which flie awaie whither will these wander which might kéepe themselues at home at their owne house God maie bee worshipped in anie place of the worlde Paul vnto Timothie writeth I will that men pray eueriewhere 1. Tim. 2. verse 8. lifting vp pure handes vnto God They which speake these thinges must consider that so outragious is oftentimes the furie of the aduersaries as in those places where the Pope hath dominion no good man can leade his life vnlesse hee will defile him selfe with Masses Idolatries and other superstitions otherwise he cannot escape the handes of the Catchpoles of the inquisitors finallie of the executioner himselfe Which thinges they that are not yet mooued by the spirit to laie down their life but are as yet somewhat weake thinke it not fit for them to expect any longer if that God shewe vnto them a waie to escape Adde moreouer with all that if they be not withholden by any the bondes or lawes whereof we spake before they doe marueilously desire to ioine themselues vnto the rest of the brethren and with them to bee conuersant to bee refreshed with the daylie bread of the word of God to be partakers of the lawfull administration of the Sacraments to be subiect vnto pure and sincere discipline according as it becommeth Christians to heare among the congregations of the faithfull a tongue not strange or vnknowne to any and to inioy marrying lawfull and permitted vnto them which haue néede thereof They know indéede that God may be worshiped in euerie place and they would put no difference betwéene places vnlesse that impediments cast in manie places by men were a hinderance Héereunto did those wordes of Paul tend that he might deliuer them from superstition which thought one place holier tha◠another which thing maketh no way against vs that flie not away for the finding out of a holyer place but for the auoiding of destruction and for séeking out of Christian doctrine which is more sound and not to be doubted of Who will iustlie blame him that flyeth away for auoiding a hurtfull and pestilent ayre Or who in the time of famine séeketh out a more lentifull countrey Or when a violent and dangerous warre is at hande who goeth not into peaceable places I spare to speake of them which go their waies because of ill and contentious neighbours as when Abraham went from Loth and Isaak from his welles Gen. 13. 8. Gen. 26. 19 least he should contend with the Philistians I passe ouer them also which by reason of the ouerflowinges of waters which for earthquakes and change of kingdomes goe to dwell elsewhere Assuredlie wee haue heard none of these nor of manie other which may be added vnto these to haue bin iustlie blamed of anie man Why be they then so tumultuouslie exclamed against which flie for religion sake Yet hold I them excused which indeuour to perswade that we should not flie séeing they doe this in some good respect For the faithfull are without feare and euen in the verie tormentes denie not the trueth but rather by their valiant courage would edifie the Church and abide together in one with the rest of their brethren like vnto a notable flock of shéepe compassed about with woolues And who I beséech you liketh not of these thinges Who praiseth not his counsel who wisheth not for such successes of the Gospell No man vndoubtedlie that is indued with the least sparke of charitie Albeit there must also be cōsidered whether there be strength enough For all men also are not fit hereunto It is a point of wisedome for a man to measure himselfe He dooth not wiselie build which hath not first examined with himselfe whether he haue wherewith That Emperour hath no good successe in battaile which hath no through knowledge of his owne forces The strength thou wilt say is of God but not of vs. In déede so it is but yet he hath distributed the same at his owne pleasure not at ours and by his woonderfull prouidence hath appointed sundrie degrées of fortitude in the Church of some the trueth is established by tormentes and death and of others by flying away he accepteth thereof according as the measure of strength giuen vnto them will suffer Wherefore let no man blame that which is well liking vnto God We prayse and celebrate the valiant champions of Christ which by their martyrdome confirme the faith We praise in like manner them which rightlie flying away giue no slender and vaine testimonie vnto the trueth Such seruantes of Christ it is not méete to condemne of sinne who if they now flie they will one day remaine
naughtie Gladnesse and what it is 1 134 b Glorie Celestiall God vsed the wickednes of the Ethnikes to his owne glorie 1 14 b Augustines definition of glorie or honour 1 142 a It signifieth the whole felicity of the saints 3 276 b What is to giue glorie vnto God 3 35 a It comprehendeth two things 3 276 b Whether â—l mens shal be alike in heauen 3 389 b 390. 391. Whether we shal bee indued with greater than the Angels as the scripture seemeth to affirme 1 119 b 3 352a 357. 358. 359. 360. What vse wee shall haue of the creatures when wee shal be adorned with it 3 394 ab Howe euerie creature waiteth and attendeth with labour moiling for the reuelation thereof a notable place 2 247 b Glorie Temporall What diuerse Ethnikes haue done for glorie sake 3 277 ab The insatiable desire thereof wherewith Alexander and Iulius Cesar were inflamed 1 144 ab Why the Hebrewes cal a toong and glorie both by one name 3 342 b ¶ Looke Praise Go. Gold Why Gold was giuen to Churches 3 323 a God Whose God God is peculiarlie saide to be 3 33 a What hee is and why he is called Father 2 612 ab Of diuerse properties in him which prooue that he is not representable in Images 2 336 b 337 ab A feigned glasse of his essence wherein the Saints beheld all things 2 308 a Howe hee is truelie saide to ceasse from his labour the seuenth day 1 122 ab How he reigneth together with good kings 4 35 a Wee are not to imitate him in all things 4 62 b 1 66 b Why he is called the God of Hosts 4 25 a How he is saide to be in heauen 3 367 a Howe he worketh together with the iudgement of the Church 4 60 a How all good thinges are comprehended in him 1 3 a The corporall eye cannot attaine to his essence 3 394 b We know two things naturallie concerning him 1 10 b and what they bee ibidem 11 a Of his vniuersall gouernement 3 9 a Whether he be the chiefest good as some hold opinion 1 3 a Why hee vouchsafed to haue his nature set foorth vnto vs vnder the names of bodilie partes and members 2 339 a Compared to a potter 3 18 a What are his chiefest properties 3 11 a What kinde of working cause hee is â— 39 b Cicero denied him to bee 3 38 b 2 276 b 277 a He reuealeth not himselfe that we shold be inexcusable but that followeth thorough our own defalt 1 14 a How he is said to be God both of quick and dead 3 338 b 339 ab How he appeared in old time in visible formes 1 200 a 2 3â—8 a 1 27a b What the cause is that men be so offended at the sight of him 1 32 a Of certaine epithets or termes which we giue vnto him and why we doe so 1 30 ab The Philosophers diuided the vnitie of him into parts and howe 1 11 ab Hee is primus actus the first agent say the Philosophers and what is concluded thereby 1 178 b Whether he be the author of sinne as in shewe it may seeme 1 176 a and so forward in that Chapter 190 b 191 a Hee hath the same place in the worlde that the minde hath in man 1 170b He is able to worke mediatelie and immediatelie 1 184 a Contrarietie in him and howe to bee meant 3 301 b Three maner of waies whereby wee may knowe him 1 16 a What is meant by sitting at his right hand 2 623 b Howe and by what meanes the wicked confesse him 1 13 b Why hee is called a spirit 1 10â—b His inuisible things drawen to three principall points â— 16 b How he may be knowen seene reade 1 24 b 25 a Augustines opinion that Paul and Moses had sometime seene the substance of him with their minde while they liued here 1 30 b Diuerse signes and tokens of his presence 1 25 b Hee was verie familiar with our first Parents in what sort 1 32 a How he is said to be made visible in Christ 1 30 b 31 a To remember doth not properlie accord with him and why 1 109 a He cannot be said to be definitelie in a place 1 87 a He is saide to doe those things which he causeth vs to doe as how 1 107 a How much and in what sort he may be seene of men 1 24 a The error of the Anthropomorphites auouching him to haue a bodie how they proue it 1 29 ab How and by what meanes the Saints in heauen shall know his essence 1 29 b Why our knowledge of him is so difficult 1 30 a Why the scriptures doe attribute parts and members vnto him 1 29 a Prooued to be without a bodie how 1 28 b How he is an esseÌ„ce or being 1 100 a A nature disseuered from any matter by what meanes he declareth himselfe 1 12 a His substance cannot bee seene 1 28 b Of his omnipotencie or almightinesse 2 613 a No refuge against his anger 4 295 b 296 a The diuerse opinions and persuasions of some touching him 1 13 a He doeth offer himselfe to be beholden of men two maner of wayes 1 14a The nature of man doth most resemble him and howe 1 12 b Wherein his maiestie doth consist 1 11 a Whether in sense or minde we knowe his essence in this life 1 30 a Whether in him there bee any chaunge or alteration 1 109 b 110 a Hee is the God of all men yea euen of the wicked 3 33 a He reuoketh his decreed purposes why so 1 82 b Howe it must be vnderstoode that he doeth deceiue no man 3 23 a What wee are taught by calling him Father 3 81 b The mind of him is the originall of al lawes 2 575 b How Augustine excuseth Tertullian saying that he is a bodie 1 28 b The answere of Simonides to king Hiero demanding what God was 1 30 a His power and his will must be distinguished 2 563 a He is the maker of heauen and earth 2 613 b How he is said to come sith he filleth all places 1 101 a Godhead Reasons obiected against the Godhead of the holie Ghost 1 107 a Against them that think Christs Godhead empaired because in the new Testament he is called Lord. 1 100 b A proofe of his Godhead manhood 1 115 ab What Augustine to Pascentius saith therof and of the holie Ghost 1 106 b Gods The meaning of these wordes The Gods came that he might redeeme vnto himselfe a people 1 100b 101 a Godlie The Godlie determine al waies with this condition If God will 2 254 b Howe all creatures doe seruice vnto them 2 251 b 252 a ¶ Looke Saints Godlinesse Godlinesse defined 3 255 b The proper notes and colours therof 3 142 a The end and whereto it tendeth 1 17 a 2 303a It cannot be ioyned with ignorance 2 259 b The chiefe vertue of all others
handled as they be wrought into dust The more perfect of these they haue called contrition and the other attrition Augustine vpon the 146. psalme toucheth this matter He saith he is said to be contrite that punisheth himselfe for his offense committed and executeth a most seuere iudgement against himselfe And he declareth in what thing this contrition consisteth When we perceiue saith he that the lawe in our members striueth against the lawe of God and leadeth vs captiue into the lawe of sinnes whether we assent therevnto or make much of it we must crie with the apostle O vnhappie man that I am Rom. 7 24. Who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death c. He that crieth on this wise doth after a sort breake or consume himselfe And he taketh a similitude of Physicians vnto whome if ye bring the parts of a mans bodie which stand awrie and are out of course they to mend them doo breake them they as it were put them out of ioint againe and make a new wound to the intent that those disordered members may be corrected and healed We are saith he of a corrupt hart we be of a crooked hart we in a maner can allow of nothing that GOD alloweth of his commandements please vs not we complaine of him wherefore there is no other remedie but that these wicked harts must be rent in sunder And nothing else dooth your knocking of brests signifie not that your bones haue offended but you your selues God bindeth vp your contritions Séeing men are on this sort it behooueth them to bend their eies vnto the word of God and vnto the promises which are tied vnto the sacraments and then there returneth a perfect health Thus farre Augustine All these saiengs of his are verie well spoken But the Schoole-men turne things vpside downe The opinion of the schoole-men touching contrition Some of them saie that contrition is an act of charitie whereby we detest sinnes bicause of God But they might rather haue said that it is a motion of our mind through faith whereby we desire righteousnesse and detest sinnes But they would attribute all wholie vnto charitie as though we should be iustified by our owne works or merits for they would that there should be a certeine deseruing and disposition vnto iustification or forgiuenesse of sinnes as though men by these things maie deserue iustification and forgiuenesse of their sinnes And they so distinguish this contrition from iustification in so much that Caietanus the Cardinall said Albeit that this contrition shal be sufficient and that the speciall helpe of God be present yet the forgiuenesse of sinnes is not foorthwith granted God expecteth such a time as he thinketh good And while he affirmeth these things he taketh awaie all certeintie of saluation and iustification for admit one be as contrite as he can yet is there no iustification and forgiuenesse of sinnes The holie scriptures teach vs otherwise Ezechiel saith Ezec. 18 33. In what houre so euer a sinner shal be sorowfull I will not remember his wickednesse anie more Howbeit this must be vnderstood of contrition apprehended by faith for otherwise that sorrowing furthereth nothing at all vnto faith 21 They saie They make attrition to be a sorrow for the punishment onelie that if a man be verie sorrowfull for his sinne but yet onelie bicause of the punishment which he feareth to suffer this man is not contrite but attrite This would I call neither contrition nor yet attrition but sinne bicause it commeth not of faith for if it were of faith it should be directed vnto God Rom. 14 23. For what soeuer is not of faith is sin What séeke these men by their dispotisions for so they call them but to decrée that a man by his owne méere naturall power and strength is able to doo some thing whereby he may prouoke God to iustifie him This is most contrarie vnto truth for men as their strength and power is blinded can doo nothing but that which prouoketh God to harden and condemne vs. But thou wilt saie By this meanes we shall prouoke vnto sinne bicause we preach repentance vnto the wicked It is a weake reason when we preach repentance in the name of God we require the same to come of faith and not of our méere and naturall strength onelie Sound repentance is allowed by God but that repentance which these men faine cannot otherwise doo but puffe vp men and fraught them with a certeine verie wicked confidence of themselues Of them we maie saie Rom. 10 3. that They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God c. Perhaps some of them haue a zeale of God Ibidem 2. but not according to knowledge If that be ment to be attrition which is not of faith I saie and affirme that it is sinne Attrition without faith is sinne This séemeth to be a hard thing but yet may the same be prooued by manie places of the holie scriptures Christ said that An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruit Euill be the trées Matt. 7 27. when they haue not faith neither be they regenerated and therfore they cannot bring foorth anie good fruit Likewise he saith that A man Matt. 12 35. out of good treasure bringeth foorth good things and out of euill treasure euill things Againe Matt. 6 23. If thine eye shal be darkened how great will the darkenes be But in these men which as yet be not iustified and regenerated all things be darke Againe Iohn 7 7. The world hateth me bicause I testifie against it that the works of the same are euill They which be without Christ be of the world and their works be euill Paule said of himselfe Rom. 7 18. I knowe that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Iohn 3 6. These men for so much as they be not borne a new there is no let or impediment but that they maie be called flesh And God saith in Genesis My spirit shall not striue with man bicause he is flesh In the sixt chapter verse 3. The imagination of mans hart is altogither euill And in the eight chapter it is added Gen. 8 21. From his childhood and from his infancie And vnto the Romans it is said Rom. 8 7. The sense or wisdome of the flesh is enimitie against God And vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 2 26. such kind of men are said to be captiuated and bound vnto the will of satan In the epistle to the Romans they are said to be sold vnder sinne Rom. 8 14. In the second to the Ephesians such men are described Ephes 2 12. Who be without Christ strangers from the Common-weale of God without hope in the world and without God strangers from the testament of promise And in the same epistle the fourth chapter these men are said To walke in the vanitie of
the mind verse 17. in the darknes of the hart c. And yet will they haue that such kind of contritions and attritions should please God The epistle to the Hebrues saith Heb. 11 6. that It is vnpossible without faith to please God Vnto the Ephesians we are said to be dead in sinne Ephes 2 1. And what can dead men bring for their regeneration that they should liue againe They be the children of wrath and Whatsoeuer is not of faith Rom. 14 13 is sinne as the same apostle hath most manifestlie testified This I will shall be sufficient to shew that this attrition is sinne 22 The same Scotus procéedeth further in the fourth of sentences distinction 14. quest 2. and saith Scotus opinion touching attrition that Sometimes a man of his owne méere naturall gift onelie adding the common influence of God is able to repent him of his sinnes and to detest sinne by considering how farre it is against the lawe of God how farre it hindereth his saluation and how great punishment and paine of euerlasting damnation it bringeth This he calleth attrition wherevnto if the stirring grace of God be added which may prouoke this act hée saith that contrition is doone and that remission of sinnes and iustification is obteined But whether that grace be giuen foorthwith or with some delaie they doo not all agrée and so the whole matter is made vncerteine First The absurdities of this opinion as touching the time bicause men knowe not at what time they are to be receiued into grace Further the cause of the diligence required bicause they knowe not whether they be trulie contrite or no. And they will that a man which is trulie contrite should hate sinne more than anie hatefull and detestable thing They make him that is attrite to hate sinne but not with so great extremitie not aboue euerie hatefull and detestable thing And they put a difference betwéene these two not indéed according to the vehemencie of sorrowe for sometimes it may be that a man will sorrowe more for his owne sinne than for offending of GOD. But a distinction must be made by some equall consideration and therefore they distinguish on this sort that that motion be made through grace and for Gods cause Further that there be a present purpose of not sinning although all the pleasures of the world should be offered But this thing hath not he which sorroweth onelie for punishment sake for if sinne onelie be set before his eies and the punishments taken awaie when the punishments be remooued he will make a choise of his owne pleasures Vndoubtedlie these men deliuer manie absurdities for they place charitie before iustification and remission of sinnes Christ being minded to shew that the woman which was a sinner had obteined remission of hir sinnes shewed the same by the consequents Hir sinnes be forgiuen hir Luk. 7 47. bicause shee loued much They turne it and make the antecedents She loued much therefore hir sinnes are forgiuen hir But what iudge they of that attrition which they haue described which is doone onlie for punishment sake and by the instinct of nature They saie that it is good bicause it is the waie vnto iustification so that there be no actuall exception whereby they saie Vnlesse that punishment were before mine eies I should surelie sinne 23 There be some also among them The opinion of the Nominals touching this matter being called Nominals who were of the opinion that a purpose not to sinne is not necessarilie required in contrition and they dare â—enter to sâ—…e that in the holie scriptures there is no mention made of such a purpose But yet the name of repentance should haue admonished them for what is repentance but a change of the mind whereby we procéed from euill vnto good so far as the infirmitie of man will suffer And it behooueth that therein be a desire of righteousnes Ezechiel saith Eze. 18 21. If so be he shall repent him of his wickednes and shall keepe my commandements c. And Christ required of them Iohn 5 14 and 11. whom he had healed that they should not sinne anie more Wherefore these men doo but cauill And the verie detestation of sinne ought to haue respect not onelie vnto the time that is present and past but vnto that also which is to come wherefore we must exclude these sort of men Some of them saie that It may be that there is attrition which commeth of mans owne naturall power with the common influence of God so that a man may be sorie that he hath offended euen for Gods cause They proue it For if I can be sorrowfull for offending a certeine fréend wherefore is it not also lawfull to grant it in humane actions that men may naturallie sorowe bicause they haue offended God whose goodnes they might acknowledge in his creation and in the multitude of his benefits So these men put a difference betwéene contrition and attrition not by reason of the obiect for that the one repenteth bicause of God and the other for feare of punishment but in respect of the efficient cause for that they will then haue it to be contrition when the grace of God prouoketh the same The one they deriue from our owne naturall abilitie and the other from grace which preuenteth What will they haue then to be doone when a man is attrite Let him come saie they to the sacrament of repentance and then that vnperfectnes of attrition shal be taken awaie and he shall please God by vertue of the keies alwaies prouided that he haue thought himselfe to be contrite and haue vsed all diligence otherwise absolution can nothing profit him But to what end deale these men so subtilie He that sorroweth for his sinnes can scarselie discerne at anie time whether he doo it for Gods sake or else for feare of punishment He that heareth these things how shall he know Of an attrite man he is become a contrite man saie they by the power of the keies When If he vse all diligence How shall he vnderstand this Surelie he will neuer vse that diligence so great is the infirmitie of our strength Yet these Nominals saie that he which applieth all diligence shall receiue forgiuenes of sinnes euen before he goeth to confession otherwise that he is driuen into desperation if he haue not the helpe of a priest If they would saie that contrition it selfe is repentance so that it spring of faith they should speake rightlie but as concerning those attritions of theirs which be doone by the force and strength of man which were no other than the repentance of Caine Saule and Iudas we be so farre from allowing of them as we saie What is to be iudged concerning contritions that it is no other thing but a doubting of the forgiuenesse of sinnes They make the promises of God to be of none effect and they call vs vnto works whereas Paule
touching them which be obstinate in sinnes and which will by no meanes repent but that promises and consolations shall be most certeinlie true and fulfilled towards them that repent Repentance is remooued from mine eies This added God that he might appoint the certeintie of the resurrection as if he should saie I will not repent me of this decrée it shall in anie wise come so to passe Ephraim shall increase and multiplie among brethren Vnder the name Ephraim he vnderstandeth all them with Christ their head which shall be heaped vp in the resurrection with great honors and incredible ornaments Afterward the prophet returneth with his prophesie vnto the wicked Ephraimits and saith that they shall be vtterlie banished Doutles they were men of wealth riches and power in the which things they putting their trust thought that they should neuer come to ruine But God saith Behold I will bring the east wind that is Salmanazar the king of Assyria which shall drie vp their fountaines and veines that is not onlie the waters but also the springing of the fountaines the verie originals and roots so as they may not be repaired anie more and he will take awaie the treasure and all pleasant vessels This is the interpretation which to me séemeth plaine and manifest 51 Albeit I note The interpretation of Dauid Kimhi that Dauid Kimhi conuerteth the future tense into the preterpluperfect tense saith I had deliuered the dominion of the twelue tribes out of the graue had redeemed them from death and had bene the plague of their death the destructiom of their graue if they had beene wise By wisedome I meane verie repentance that is If they had repented and heard my words And bicause they should not despaire by reason of so vnhappie a successe the prophet speaketh so magnificallie of deliuerance redemption and also of plague death and abolishing of the graue Euen as if he had said Although that they had béene extinct and vtterlie abolished yet I had deliuered them Whereby is gathered that there is no calamitie of men so great but that God can either take awaie or mitigate the same Wherfore we must neuer despaire but set alwaies before our eies that it is the propertie of God to redéeme from death and to be the death and destruction thereof And if at anie time deliuerance come not and that death be not taken awaie God is not in fault thereof but our owne obstinacie and vnbeléefe bicause we will not repent Paule 1. Co. 15 9 who was most circumspect in perusing the saiengs of the prophets deriued the argument wherewith he confirmed the resurrection of the dead from that same propertie of God whereby he is pronounced in the scriptures to be the conquerour of death and redéemer from the graues bicause it behooueth somtimes that the properties of God should breake foorth into act He noteth that the prophet dooth stir vp vnto repentance the kingdome of the ten tribes by promising them that God would be with them who is so mightie and magnificent a conquerour ouer death Which exhortation certeinlie would be of no force if we should desire of God that thing which indéed would neuer come to passe And séeing the apostle had affiance that it would so be therefore he vseth glorious reioisings against death saieng O death where is thy victorie O death where is thy dart wherewith thou didst pearse all men It is vnderstood These things are wrested from thée by Christ In what respect Christ may be called a plague 52 It must not séeme anie maruell if Christ be called a plague or destruction for this must be vnderstood in respect of euill things And alwaies a new generation must néeds be the corruption of the thing which went before for when fire is made of wood the forme and nature of wood must néeds perish otherwise the fire would not be brought foorth And as the Philosophers or Logicians doo commonlie affirme The corrupting of euill things is numbered among good things And we are woont to saie of a noble and happie emperor He is a lion a woolfe a dragon he is féerse and terrible but it is added Vnto his enimies whereas otherwise vnto his citizens he is mercifull gentle and courteous Yea and in this selfe same prophet Ose 5 12. 14 13 7 God named himselfe like a beare a leopard and a lionesse but that was toward the wicked and vngodlie whereas otherwise he is mild and mercifull towards the faithfull So as God hath tempered for vs a medicine out of the death and resurrection of Christ whereby we be deliuered and death perisheth A similitude in like maner as a wise Physician drinketh vnto the patient of the medicine wherewith he is reléeued and the ague or disease extinguished And of this wholesome medicine we drinke healthfullie while as either by reading or by preaching there is mention made of the death and resurrection of the Lord and we with a liuelie faith embrace the same and also when we make protestation of our faith by the sealing of baptisme and receiuing of the Lords supper For in these holie actions both the death and resurrection of Christ are celebrated In the treatise of this place Paule added that Death is swallowed vp by victorie namelie of Christ Testimonies of the new testament for the resurrectiō 53 And thus much haue we spoken concerning the places of the old testament of which sort there might be more brought but these I was minded to produce and to stand content with them And I haue the more largelie expounded them bicause there be some at this daie which affirme that in the old testament there is nothing concerning the resurrection of the dead or if there be anie testimonie there extant they saie it was not knowne vnto the fathers of those times Now come I to the testimonies and assertions of the new testament First we read in the fift of Iohn Iohn 5 28. which alreadie I haue oftentimes alledged They which be in their graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they which haue doone well shall come foorth into the resurrection of life but they that haue doone euill into the resurrection of iudgement Iohn 6 verse 39. 40. 44 54. And in the sixt chapter He that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the last daie In the 22. of Matthew the 12. of Marke Matt 22 32. Mark 12 26 Luk. 20 37. and the 20. of Luke I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob But God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing And in the 14. chapter of Luke Luk. 14 14. when Christ had exhorted them that stood by that they should be beneficiall vnto the poore and that they should make feasts vnto them They haue not wherewithall saith he to requite thee againe but it shal be