blessed action of his staid at anie time We saie that this must be vnderstood of other new creatures whereof God created none afterward yet he alwaies worketh in gouerning and preseruing of them for In him we liue mooue and haue our being Acts. 17 28. and while he inioieth himselfe who is the eternall felicitie Wherefore let them go There is onelie one world which looke for more worlds after this world of ours One onelie world there is and the selfe-same end of creatures according as it is héere described Neither is there cause why man néed to feare least anie creature should be made aboue him And this is not the least glorie of man that God did rest after the creation of him and that in him he finished the worke of the whole world It is said that God blessed the seuenth daie Gen. 2 3. What is ment by blessing the seuenth daie But To blesse is To giue and bestowe some thing What hath God giuen vnto vs by this seuenth daie Verie much euen this world filled and fraught with all good things What maruell is it if afterward it were most acceptable vnto him to be worshipped vpon the verie same daie séeing it is written Deu. 15 14. Giue him of that wherewith he hath blessed thee He blessed the seuenth daie This did he chéeflie giue vnto it that therein men should rest and applie themselues to the seruice of God Rabbi Agnon saith that this blessing dooth light vpon those which obserue and sanctifie the same sabboth Neither did the obseruation héereof béegin when the lawe was giuen in Sina but it was celebrated before that time as appéereth in the raining downe of Manna Exodus the 16. verse 23. 2 To sanctifie as it is taken in this place is To appoint some thing to the worshipping of God The sanctification of the sabboth for else-where it signifieth diuerse things And God sanctified the sabboth by the verie déed it selfe when he rested from his worke The which sanctification he not onlie rehearsed afterward in the lawe but also obserued it in act séeing vpon that daie he gaue no Manna to the people in the wildernesse But whether shall the people either in that daie or in anie other daie be idle No trulie But euen as God ceased not from all action but onelie from the bringing foorth of naturall things After what maner we should rest euen so we also must absteine from the déeds of our corrupted nature yet not to be discouraged from obeieng the motions of God naie rather we must the more persist in in this onelie worke vpon the holie daies And so dooth Paule expound in the fourth chapter to the Hebrues verse 10 that we should refraine our selues not from euerie kind of worke but from our owne works which a christian man ought to doo so long as he liueth So then we in christianitie must not be accused bicause we kéepe not the sabboth daie of the Iewes séeing we haue consecrated all the time of our life into a sabboth And therefore vnderstand ye it allegoricallie that this seuenth daie is named to haue neither morning nor euening for bicause this is in verie déed a perpetuall rest vnto the children of GOD. Here consider thou the order of things Some things are created for man therefore man was made after them But man was made for the seruice of God therefore straitwaie after his creation was brought in the blessing and sanctification of the sabboth Hereby men are admonished A holie daie besides the sabboth may be appointed by the church that if the church giue them commandement to imploie themselues in the seruice of God vpon anie daie in the wéeke this is not altogither the deuise of man and that it dooth not apperteine onelie to the lawe of Moses but that it had also a beginning from hence and that it serueth to the imitation of God But if thou demand why the daie of obseruation of the sabboth is not reteined here in our church I answer that we haue most of all reteined the same so that we ought to haue all daies to be such as we should rest from our owne works But that one daie rather than another should be chosen for the outward worshipping of God it was frée for the church through Christ to appoint that which it should iudge most fit for the purpose Neither did it iudge amisse if in obseruing of the Lords daie it preferred the memorie of our present restoring that is the resurrection of Christ before this finishing of the workmanship of the world Why God did choose onelie one daie in the weeke 3 But Paule by the one of the sabboths ment the daie of the holie assemblie God might indéed haue assigned all or manie daies for the worshipping of him but séeing he knew that we were commanded to eat our bread in the sweat of our face he requireth of vs one daie in the wéeke wherein leauing off from other works we should applie our selues onlie vnto him And euen as in other ceremonies there is some thing perpetuall and eternall and some thing changeable and temporall Euen as in circumcision and baptisme it is a perpetuall thing that they which belong vnto the couenant of God and are ioined to the people of God should be marked with some outward signe yet neuertheles the kind of signe was mutable and temporall For God at his owne will appointed the same to be doone either by cutting awaie of the foreskin or else by the washing of water Perpetuall also and eternall it is that so long as the church is here conuersant vpon the earth a maintenance of liuing is due vnto the ministers thereof But whether the same should arise by tenths or by certeine lands or by monie paid out of the common treasurie it may diuers waies be doone according as is most fit for the regions and times Euen so is it assured and firme When and why the sabboth day was turned into the Lords daie that there is one daie in the wéeke reserued for the seruice of God whether of the daies be appointed that is temporall and may be changed In old time by order of the lawe the sabboth was obserued for to reuiue the memorie of making of the world but now the Lords daie is vsed in the remembrance of the resurrection of Christ and therfore to confirme the hope of our resurrection to come But when this alteration was made we haue it not expressed in the holie scriptures yet in the Reuelation of Iohn we haue expresse mention of the Lords daie And it is verie likelie that the first christians for a certeine time reteined the Iewish custome of méeting togither vpon the * That was vpon Saturdaie sabboth daie But the thing as we sée was afterward changed 4 And why I should thinke that in that place is vnderstood the Lords daie In the Hebrue One signifieth the first Gen. 1 5.
manie doo imagine that there is a measure of punishments prescribed vnto God as though it were not lawfull for him to punish one and the selfe-same man more than once If this should be granted Exod. 14 3◠Gen. 6. and 19. we must saie that the Aegyptians for so much as they were punished in the red sea are now frée from hell fire and they which were destroied in Sodome and in the floud now at length be at rest Which saiengs vndoubtedlie are most absurd for as some in this life doo receiue the holie Ghost and grace as an earnest penie of the happinesse to come being those which both in this life and in the life to come shall haue reward so on the other side it may be that the punishments of some begin in this life which shall be augmented in an other life As it is to be thought that Nero Herod and Saule doo now féele punishments farre more gréeuous than those which they here tasted of Yet in the meane while I denie not but that God as touching his elect is content with those gréefes and punishments wherwith he punished them in this life As Paule said to the Corinths 1. Cor. 15 5 that One among them should be deliuered vp vnto satan to the end his spirit might be saued in the daie of the Lord. And againe he saith 1. Co. 11. 32 that Some are here corrected of the Lord least they should not be condemned with this world 5 But when God will deale after this sort or vse this seueritie to punish both here and afterward that is not put vnder our knowledge Wherefore according to the commandement of Christ he is alwaies to be feared forsomuch as He hath power both to kill the bodie Matt. 10 28 and also to cast the soule into hell fire Howbeit this we may affirme that they which perish in affliction and trouble and repent not shall be more gréeuouslie tormented againe and they on the other side which being warned by afflictions doo returne vnto Christ shall after sufficient chastising with the punishments of this life obteine euerlasting saluation Wherefore according to that which we haue said Rom. 2 5. Paule admonisheth wicked men that howsoeuer they haue béene punished yet vnlesse they shall repent greater punishments remaine against the daie of iudgement And his meaning is Ibidem that the patience of God whereby he suffereth them The patient forbearing of God dooth not portend impunitie to sinners dooth not foretoken impunitie but giueth them an occasion of beginning true repentance God is declared to be both mercifull and good but yet so as his forbearing and clemencie hath ends and limits And by reason of this deferring of punishments which happen in this life the apostle is compelled to make mention of the last iudgement Otherwise séeing manie are spared in this life from punishment others are verie seuerelie handled God might be thought to deale vniustlie Wherefore he vrgeth them with the feare of the last iudgement and affirmeth that the deferring of vengeance bringeth the greater punishments Which thing Valerius Maximus an Ethnike writer speaketh of namelie that God by the gréeuousnes of punishments recompenseth the long delaie of punishing Whereby it is plaine that Paule disputing against the Ethniks which knew not the holie scriptures reprooued them by those things which might be knowen by the light of nature So then there is a certeine naturall knowledge graffed in the harts of men A certeine foreknowledge of the iudgement to come is naturallie planted in men concerning the iudgement of God which is to come after this life And this doo euen the fables of the Poets declare which haue placed Minos Rhadamanthus Aeacus as iudges in hell Wherfore they shall be the more gréeuouslie punished which haue béene the longer borne withall bicause the contemning of God addeth no small weight vnto their sinnes which contempt séemeth to haue crept vpon them while they in such sort neglected a long time his gentlenesse and patience Paule addeth But thou according to thy hardnesse and vnrepentant hart heapest to thy selfe wrath In whom is a hard hart in the daie of wrath It is a hard hart that is not mollified by the benefits of God nor yet is broken by his threatnings or feare of punishments Whence the rebellion against God is deriued And this rebellion against God we drawe vnto vs partlie by originall sinne and partlie by a custome of sinning so that we are now in a maner without anie féeling To beléeue well séeing it belongeth vnto vertue it hath two extremities On the one side there is so great facilitie that some will beléeue anie thing whether it be an inuention of man or a superstition or else the word of God that thou set foorth vnto them this vndoubtedlie is a fault On the other side there is so great difficultie to beléeue as they will not admit no not that which is manifestlie appointed by the word of God vnlesse their owne reason be satisfied therin Betwéene these two dangerous extremities there is a certeine meane to wit that we should easilie beléeue those things which are to be beléeued when they are sincerelie offered vnto vs making a godlie triall of them by the holie scriptures for by that rule all things must be examined Paule vseth this Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To laie aside or to laie vp in store for we commonlie vse to laie vp in our treasuries those things which we will not presentlie vse but will afterward occupie them at some other time And this accordeth iust with those vngodlie persons for they did not then féele the wrath of God which afterward they shall féele and that so much the more abundantlie as riches are greater which are euerie daie heaped togither He prudentlie saith that These men heaped vnto themselues wrath bicause they should not impute these punishments vnto the crueltie of God By this kind of spéech he teacheth that it was their owne selues which brought this mischéefe vpon themselues And this word of Heaping vp treasure is oftentimes vsed in the holie scriptures In Deuteronomie the 32. chapter verse 34. God saith of the transgressions of the Israelits that they were sealed vp in his treasures verse 25. Ieremie also in the 50. chapter thretneth that God would powre out the treasure of his wrath and of his indignation 6 And whereas Paule to the Romans added Rom. 2 5. The daie of wrath what it is Against the daie of wrath it dooth sometimes happen in this life when God séemeth that he will not suffer anie longer and sheweth foorth some tokens of his seueritie Which thing we perceiue did happen in the captiuitie of Babylon Iere. 7 14. Ibid. 14. 11. Gen. 19 c Exod. 14 Esai 13 13. Lament of Iere. 1 12. Sop. 1 5. c in the destruction of Sodom and the ouerthrowe of the Aegyptians And the prophets
conditions is looked for in vs wherefore the change must not be attributed vnto him but vnto vs. But if thou wilt aske me whether God hath knowen and decréed before what shall come to passe as touching these conditions I will grant he hath For euen at the first beginning he not onlie knew what the euents of things would be but also decréed what should be But séeing the secretnes of his will touching these things is not opened vnto vs in the holie scriptures therefore we must followe that rule which is giuen by Ieremie Ionas 3 4. euen as we haue rehearsed before Esaie 38 1. This rule the Niniuits and also Ezechias the king had respect vnto euen before the same was published For although that destruction was denounced to them in the name of God yet they escaped from it by reason of the repentance and praiers which they in the meane time vsed Neither is there anie cause whie we should suspect that God dooth lie in anie thing God lieth not when he threatneth things which come not to passe when he threatneth or promiseth those things which doo not afterward come to passe For as touching Ezechias death was vndoubtedlie to haue taken hold of him by reason of naturall causes commonlie called the second causes wherefore the sentence being pronounced according to those causes he might not be accused of a lie Also the Niniuits if God had doone by them as their sinnes deserued there had béene no other way with them but destruction And God commanded Ionas to preach vnto them according to their deserts Furthermore a lie which in talke hath a supposition or condition ioined therewith cannot be blamed in such sort as it may be in arguments which he absolute and without exception séeing the euent dependeth of the performing or violating of the condition The xiij Chapter Of the creation of all things wherein is intreated of angels of men of the essence of the soule of the image of God and of diuerse other things I Would thinke that vnder the name of heauen and earth In Gen. 1 1. What is signified vnder the name of heauen and earth Moses shewed that the foundation or ground of all things aswell of the heauens as of the elements was made and that this matter is signified by the names of things alreadie finished For séeing it cannot be knowen otherwise but by the forme and perfection it is méet that that also should be named and specified Wherefore this whole heape is signified by the name of heauen and earth wherein also come the other thrée elements fire aire water He shewed vs of the vttermost things by which he will also haue vs to knowe the things that are betwéene both But how far these things at the first were out of square and order it is shewed when of the earth it is said It was without form Gen. 1 2. wast Wherfore this rude heape was brought foorth being as yet stuffe or matter void of order the which belonged aswell to the vpper things as to the lower And so perhaps as the more noble had the vppermost place so to the lesse noble was assigned the nethermost for this cause the name of creation is verie fit for the first and vnorderlie heape The difference betweene making and creating For those things séeme onlie to be made of nothing and other things are said to be made and fashioned And yet this difference is not obserued in all things for some things are called created which are said to be deriued from some former matter Two things doubtles men haue béene accustomed to attribute vnto creation both that it should be of a sudden and that it require no matter to be before hand The Philosophers error touching the beginning of the world 2 Thus the world was not rashlie made neither is it coeternall with the maker or creator Manie of the ancient philosophers assigned the workemanship of things vnto rashnes and chance séeing diuers of them in the stead of beginnings named discord and debate or else such little small bodies as smaller cannot be Aristotle attributed eternitie vnto that whereby he maketh God not to be the working cause of the world but onelie attributed vnto him the cause of the end or if he doo he taketh from him the power of working according to his will and thinketh that the world followeth him as a shadowe dooth the bodie or as the light dooth the sunne Which the Peripatetikes will séeme to doo for diuine honour sake least they should be driuen to ascribe anie lacke of power or alteration in God But these things hurt not vs at all for we affirme not that God is borne or apt to suffer anie thing but we attribute vnto him the chéefest power to doo And although God in his eternitie minded to make the world it followeth not therefore that when he did make it there was in him anie alteration of his purpose or will Againe let vs beware of the error of them in old time A curious imagined error which thought that there was an eternall and vncreat Chaos or confused heape extant before and that God did onelie picke out those things which were there mingled togither But we saie that the same heape also was made the first daie Some there be which demand that séeing God could haue brought foorth the world long before why he did it so late This is an arrogant and malepert question wherein mans curiositie cannot be satisfied but by beating downe the follie thereof For if I should grant thée that the world was made before at anie certeine instant of time that thou couldest imagine yet thou mightest still complaine that the same was but latelie made if thou refer thy cogitation to the eternitie of God so as we must herin deale after a godlie maner and not with this malepert and rash curiositie Of Angels and their creation 3 But verelie it séemes to be a maruell why the creation of Angels is so kept in silence as there is no mention thereof in all the old testament in the old testament I saie bicause in the new testament it is spoken of In the first chapter to the Colossians there is plaine mention of their creation Colos 1 16. There be some which bring two places of the old testament namelie Who maketh his Angels spirits Psal 104 4. And in an other place Psal 33 9. when he said And they be made Howbeit these places doo not firmelie persuade it The heauens are turned about by Angels It should be rather said that they are comprehended vnder the name of heauen séeing it is generallie receiued that the heauens are turned about by them The first reason is bicause if their creation had béene first described it might haue séemed that God vsed their labour in the bringing foorth of other things But to the intent wée should attribute vnto God the whole power of creation therefore did Moses kéepe
bodies into the hands of those whom he will defend Which things being so then this vndoubtedlie is brought to passe that we are not in anie wise to stand in feare of tyrants which alwaies for the most part are against God and haue a confidence in their own great strength when they defend a wicked cause and assure themselues of abilitie to ouerthrowe the weake and féeble flocke of Christ at their owne pleasure For against them the strength of Gods word and the power of the spirit although we be weake and féeble of nature shall make vs mightie and inuincible Indéed in mans reason we being compared with them may easilie appeare to be but woorms or grashoppers but we being fortified and walled in by the power of God shall not onlie ouercome them Rom. 8 37. but as Paule to the Romans saith We shall conquer them For Christ himselfe shal be present with vs who bindeth that strong armed man plucketh from him by force those most rich spoiles which he had heaped togither Happilie did he wrestle with the diuell and his members and through him shall we also fight prosperous battels and shall obteine a far more noble victorie than the poets feigned their gods to carrie with them against the Cyclops Titans and other the giants which at a place called Phlaegra as they fable were quite extinguished by Iupiters thunder-claps It is proofe inough whie in old time the giants Why giants mightie and wise men doo resist God and now at this daie the mightiest princes and wise men of the world resist God verelie euen bicause they trust leane ouermuch to their owne strength wherein they hauing more affiance than is méet there is no mischéefe but they dare attempt there is nothing that they thinke not lawfull for them But God vouchsafeth not by such men to bring to perfection those things which he hath determined to do but is woont rather by Dauids and such other abiects Whie God dooth execute by weake men and not by mightie to perfourme the things that he hath purposed to doo to the intent that his strength and power may far and largelie appeare 37 I would thinke that inough hath béene spoken of this matter but that yet there remaineth a certeine place to be expounded to wit how it is written in Deuteronomie that Og the king of Basan was onlie left of the giants Deut. 3 11. Whether Og was the last of the giants What Rabbi Selomoh fableth I am not ignorant but his exposition is so childish and ridiculous as I am ashamed to rehearse it Wherefore I iudge that it was not spoken absolutelie and without exception that he was left as though there had béene no giants left in the world besides himselfe but it is shewed that he onlie did remaine in those places namelie on the other side of Iordan Further it must be knowne that not the Israelites onelie did rid the giants out of those regions The Moabites and Israelites draue giants out of their borders Deut. 2 20. for the Moabites also as we reade in the second chapt of Deuteronomie draue them out of their coasts Which thing also we must thinke did happen vnto them by the fauour of God for it is there declared that God gaue those regions to the Moabites to dwell in The xiiij Chapter Of Felicitie in generall and of the cheefest good out of the commentaries vpon Aristotles Ethikes TOuching the name of Felicitie all men in a maner agrée which is manifest by the Latins Gréekes and Hebrues for none of them doo contend about the name but about the thing it selfe and especiallie wherein the subiect or matter is to be placed they are at great dissention For the vulgar sort differ from the wise men yea if thou wilt somewhat narrowlie consider the matter all the common sort agrée not with themselues and wise men doo not a little differ from wise men The matter or subiect of felicitie The definition of felicitie From this felicitie did Aristotle exclude all creatures void of reason and this he did by vertue of the definition of felicitie which he affirmed to be the chéefe action of mans mind arising of the most excellent vertue If this be so then brute creatures shall not be partakers thereof séeing they be not capable of such an action Indéed it would not be denied but that they haue in their owne nature or kind som good proper to themselues which to them is principall and chéefe but yet we must not thinke that the same is blessednes séeing it is of such a nature as it cannot be without reason But before we come to the thing it selfe I thinke it shall be good to knowe how this definition of Aristotle dooth either agrée or disagrée with the holie scriptures How Aristotles definition agreeth with the holie scriptures Psal 118. and 127. 1. Psal 111 1. and 127 1. Psal 1 2. Psal 32 1. Iohn 2. And first where he appointed mans worke in act to be felicitie he decréed no otherwise than doo the holie scriptures where it is said Blessed are those which walke in the lawe of the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and which dooth meditate in the lawe of the Lord daie and night All these be most godlie acts and exercises for this life But it is obiected Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes be couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne which things belong not to the worke of men but flowe from the méere liberalitie of God Héerevnto we saie that Aristotle vnderstood not nor beléeued this iustification through Christ which the holie scriptures haue reuealed vnto vs neither doo we in the meane time speake of this felicitie but we speake onelie of that which followeth this first blessednes and standeth in the right dooing while we liue héere and in the other world in the contemplation and fruition of the sight of Gods maiestie And yet neuerthelesse if we will also regard the blessednes of iustification and laie that before our eies whereby it is applied vnto vs then commeth the worke of faith For we be iustified by beléeuing although we are not iustified by the merit of that action nor yet for the dignitie thereof are receiued into grace but of this felicitie we doo not now treate And that which we doo speake of although it be the worke of man yet doth it not breake out from his strength but is produced by the power of the spirit of God and from the heauenlie maiestie In the world to come this felicitie shall be perfect which shall neuer be interrupted but shall be one and a continuall act Whereas this blessednes of Aristotle as his definition sheweth may manie times betwéene whiles breake off He would that this action whereby a man is blessed should flowe from a most excellent vertue The same also doo we thinke who shew that the actions of faithfull
4. God made all things for his owne selfe euen the vngodlie to an euill daie And Paule teacheth vs that God is like vnto a potter and that he maketh some vessels to honor Rom 9 21. and some to dishonour And this is also the same will whereby God ruleth gouerneth and moderateth the naughtie desires and sinnes of men at his owne pleasure as it hath béene said before By this will God deliuereth the wicked into a reprobat sense sendeth in the Chaldaeans to lead awaie his people into captiuitie addeth efficacie vnto illusions would haue the wicked to be seduced and is said to harden them 40 But séeing these things are expresselie read that we oftentimes light vpon them in the holie scriptures we must diligentlie consider how they should be vnderstood The cōmon sort thinke that whereas it is written that God dooth blind dooth harden dooth deliuer dooth send in dooth be guile nothing else is ment thereby but that he suffereth these things to be doone After the which manner How these words To blind to harden c. are of the fathers interpreted by permission verie manie of the fathers doo interpret those spéeches being led doubtles by this reason that they thought it a wicked and blasphemous thing if God should be accounted the author of sinne and they would not that men should cast vpon God himselfe the causes of their sinnes Which counsell of theirs I verie well allow and confesse togither with them that these things be doone by the permission of God for séeing he can inhibit sinnes to be doone and yet dooth not let them he is rightlie said to permit or suffer them Wherefore Augustine verie well saith Augustine in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence the 98. chapter that There is no mind so wicked but that God can amend the same if he will but not to prohibit when thou canst is to permit And the same author against Iulian in the fift booke the ninth chapter sheweth that There be manie euils which God would not permit vnlesse he were willing thervnto But there must be somwhat else also brought besides permission if we will dulie satisfie those places of the scripture which are obiected For they which saie that God dooth onelie permit they cannot altogither exclude his will bicause he permitteth the same either willinglie or else vnwillinglie vnwillinglie I am assured hee dooth not bicause none may compell him it followeth therefore that he dooth willinglie permit those things to be doone Neither must we imagin the same will of permission to be stacke in God for in God there is nothing that is not perfect and absolute In what respect God not onelie permiteth but also would haue sinne Wherefore it must of necessitie be determinned that God dooth not onelie permit sinne but also after a sort willeth it yet not in respect that it is sinne for his will is alwaies of necessitie carried vnto good but in that it is a punishment of wickednes doone before for in that respect although it be sinne yet it goeth vnder the forme of good So doo princes and magistrats otherwhiles set lions and wild beasts vpon ill men and incourage elephants against enimies yet they made not those kind of beasts but they cause the féercenes and crueltie of them to serue their vse So God vseth the labour of tyrants when he will take iust punishment of anie people Wherefore the king of Babylon is called the hammer staffe and sawe of the Lords hand Esaie 10 15. when God would by his violence chastise the people of Israel For that king notwithstanding he was the mightiest prince was not able of his owne force to afflict the children of Israel naie rather he was rebuked of arrogancie bicause he sometime ascribed that thing to his owne strength for God declareth that he himselfe was the verie author of so great destruction And Iob when he was so gréeuouslie vexed by the Sabees by the Chaldaeans and also by the diuell Iob. 1 21. and depriued in a maner of all his goods he no lesse godlie than wiselie said The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken awaie And that he might the more euidentlie shew that this happened by the will of God he added Euen as it pleased the Lord so it is come to passe for he sawe that God vsed the Sabees Chaldaeans and the diuell as instruments And in the second booke of Samuel 2. Sam. 24 1. the 24. chapter it is said that God stirred vp Dauid to number the people which act in Paralipomenon is attributed to the diuell 1. Par. 21 1. Both with saiengs be true bicause God by the ministerie and worke of the diuell prouoked him to doo it For euen as Salomon saith The hart of the king is in the hand of God Prou 21 1. he inclineth the same which waie soeuer he will certeinelie not by instilling of new euill as we haue oftentimes said before but by vsing of the same which he hath alreadie found either to the punishment of sinnes or else to the perfourmance of his other counsels Therefore when it is written that God dooth either harden or make blind we must beléeue that he not onelie forsaketh and leaueth but that he also applieth his will 41 Neither must we passe it ouer that in the seuenth and eight of Exodus it is written that God hardened the hart of Pharao Exod. 7 13. and 8 15. when neuertheles in the eight chapter it is written that Pharao himselfe hardened his owne hart In what sort Pharao both hardened himselfe was hardened by God either of which is certeinelie true For first Pharao had in himselfe the originals of so great an obstinacie and he willinglie and of his owne accord set himselfe against the word of God But on the other part as I haue declared before God prouided that the same his obstinacie shuld be openlie shewed and did moderate and gouerne it according to his owne pleasure We must not thinke that GOD dooth so rule the world as he should sit like an idle man in a watch tower and there doo nothing or that he suffereth the world and inferiour things to haue scope to wander at will as dooth a horsse which hath the raines at libertie Neither is that true which is alledged by some that God neither willeth nor nilleth those euils or sinnes as if hée thought not vpon them at all Euen as if one should aske me whether I would the French king should hunt this daie or no I might rightlie answere that neither I would it nor would it not séeing the matter perteineth nothing vnto me But as touching God it cannot rightlie be answered so séeing what things soeuer are in all the world they doo belong to his care and prouidence But I would that these men did weigh with themselues by what testimonie of the scripture they be able to confirme that permission of theirs which they so obstinatelie reteine I
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
is his angel Howbeit there be some which indeuour to expound the same to be Peters messenger And in the 48. chapter of Genesis Gen. 48 16. His angel hath deliuered me from all euill These things prooue that angels by the commandement of God doo seruice euen to priuate men But if we shall inquire Vnto what end serueth the gouernment of angels vnto what end angels doo gouerne kingdomes prouinces and cities and also euerie particular man and what their meaning is by so great a care and diligence we shall find that their diligence is to no other end but to bring all men to obeie their God and King to acknowledge to worship and to reuerence him as their God Which when it dooth not take place and that manie leauing the true seruice of God doo giue themselues vnto superstition and idolatrie and dishonest themselues with sundrie crimes the labour of the angels is disappointed of that end wherevnto it was a meane and so they after a sort are subiect vnto vanitie which shall cease notwithstanding The trauell of angels otherwhile destitute of the second end How angels are said to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption when they shall be discharged of these their gouernments But now we must sée how the angels at that time shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption Albeit their nature or as the Schoole-men saie their substance be vncorrupt and immortall yet are their affaires continuallie amongst matters transitorie and mortall those things they doo continuallie vphold and sustaine or else endeuour that by the commandement of God they may be taken awaie and destroied Further that the benefit of Christ apperteineth also vnto the angels Paule declareth vnto the Ephesians and Colossians In the first chapter to the Ephesians he saith verse 10. According to the good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe euen vnto the dispensation of the fulnesse of times to make all things anew through Christ both which are in heauen and which are in earth And in the first chapter to the Colossians verse 20. It hath well pleased the father that in him should dwell all fulnesse and by him to reconcile all things to himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the things in heauen and the things in earth This Chrysostome interpreting saith that Without Christ the angels had béene offended with vs so that these two natures namelie of angels and of men were seuered and alienated the one from the other For the celestiall spirits could not otherwise doo but hate the enimies of their God but when Christ was become the mediator men were now gathered togither againe so that they haue one and the selfe-same head with the angels and are become members of the same bodie with them The benefit of Christ after some sort belongeth vnto angels wherefore Christ is rightlie said to be he by whom is made our gathering togither Also it may be that other commodities haue likewise redounded to the angels through the death of Christ which notwithstanding we doo not easilie perceiue by the scriptures neither dooth the search of the same belong to that which we haue in hand We saie therefore that Paule with great weight Paule applieth sense vnto all creatures and vehemencie of spéech applieth sense vnto all creatures as if so be they felt gréefe and sorrowe bicause they are made so common to the abuses of wicked men For the confusion of things in this state is not so obscure since the godlie are in trouble and are ill intreated euerie-where but the vngodlie doo abound with all prosperitie and all things happen to them as they would haue it In this turmoile of things the godlie ought to be of a valiant courage and patientlie wait for the end of these matters The Epâ—…ures and Atheists The Atheists opinion concerning God when they sée all things doone so confusedlie they reason by and by that God hath no care of mortall affaires as he that is not mooued with fauour nor with hatred and dooth to no man either good or euill but contrariewise A contrarie opinion of the godlie the godlie doo assure themselues that séeing God by his prouidence ruleth and gouerneth all things it will one daie come to passe that things shall not go in such sort and that the world shall after a better maner be reformed euen like as it was ordeined for the honour of God and shall be brought to that forme whereby God shall more and more be magnified And hereof riseth an incredible consolation The godlie by the example of creatures doo comfort themselues in aduersities that séeing we sée all the creatures of God to be subiect to so manie discommodities we also by the example of them may confirme our selues in patience Forsomuch as the whole world is vexed with so manie calamities it is verie méet that we should also beare with a patient mind such afflictions as fall vpon vs. 56 And there may be foure reasons alledged Foure reasons why the creatures arâ— said to mourne why we thinke creatures to be vexed mourne The first is for that they be wearied with continuall labours insomuch as they serue for our dailie vses hereof it commeth oftentimes to passe that when we sinne gréeuouslie as often we doo they suffer punishment togither with vs as may plainelie be perceiued by the floud by Sodom and by the plagues of Aegypt Moreouer there is a certeine Sympathie or mutuall compassion betwéene man and other creaturs by meanes whereof in aduersitie they sigh and mourne togither with him Last of all there is great iniurie doone vnto them in that they are compelled to serue wicked and vncleane men wherevnto the prophet Ose had respect as we haue aboue declared when he said in the person of God I will take awaie my wheate my wine Ose 2 8. and mine oile and I will send awaie my wooll and my flaxe that they shall not couer thy filthinesse Ambrose maketh for me in manie places in his epistle to Horantianus handeling this place of Paule by an induction sheweth that Euerie creature sorrowech By an ample induction it is shewed that creatures doo sorrowe for our sakes and waiteth for the appeering of the sonnes of God And he beginneth at the soule The same saith he cannot but be afflicted and mourne when it séeth it selfe to be inclosed in the bodie as in a certeine vile cotage and that not willinglie but for his sake which hath made it subiect For it was the counsell of God that the same should be ioined with the bodie that through the vse of it it might one daie atteine vnto some fruits whereof it should not repent For Paule saith in the second to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 5 10. that We shall all be set before the iudgement seate of Christ that euerie man may yeeld account of those things that he hath doone in
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
that Christ was therefore come to lead vs vnto a higher philosophie The true religion he calleth philosophie to take awaie the pride of the Graecians who attributed so much vnto their philosophie Ierom. Ierom writeth héereof in diuers places to Geruntia to Eustochius and against Iouinianus And among other things he writeth that Christ was Alpha Omega Apoc. 1 8. that is The first the last And when the mater was now come to Omega that is Vnto the last the same was reuoked by Christ to Alpha that is Vnto the beginning for that it pleased God as Paule saith to the Ephesians to bring althings into one Ephe. 1. 10. restore them in Christ that such things as yet were vnperfect might be brought to perfection Vnto Eustochius he saith that the world before time was vnreplenished but when the haruest was ripe God put to his syth that is to saie he cut off such libertie The Valentinians and Martionits by reason of this fact of the old fathers accused the God of the old testament but Christ they said the sonne of the good God reuoked this sufferance of the euill god Ierom answereth We diuide not the lawe and the Gospell neither doo we set Christ against his Father but we worship one God who would haue it for that time but now hath decréed against it For that then was the time to scatter stones abroad now is the time to gather them vp then was the time of imbrasing now is the time to absteine from imbrasings Bréefelie he saith that the fathers serued their times And that that saieng Gen. 1 28. Increase and multiplie is not in the same force at this daie for in old time virginitie was reprochefull that now Paule writeth The time is but short 1. Cor. 7 29 and therefore they which haue wiues let them be as though they had none And he addeth that Christ dooth allow of them Matt. 19 12 which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauens sake Also Augustine De doctrina christiana Augustine in the third booke and 13. chapter saith that Those forefathers were so chast as if they had happened to be in our daies they would haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen These things among the fathers must be read with iudgement for their mind was by all meanes to extoll virginitie and single life In verie déed Paule praiseth virginitie yet so 1. Cor. 7 26. The reason of Pauls praising virginitie as if a man perceiue that by that meanes the kingdome of heauen may be enlarged or if by dooing otherwise it may be hindered He praiseth it I saie not as a thing which of his owne force and of it selfe pleaseth God but as a state wherin we may the more commodiouslie and readilie spred the Gospell Augustine saith that now we cannot haue manie wiues but with lust bicause it would be against lawes and customes which cannot be violated without vnlawfull lust Also against Faustus he saith Bicause it was then the maner it was no sinne but now bicause it is not the maner it is sinne Clemens Clemens in his Stromata which place I cited before when he had said that God in the lawe required polygamie added afterward that the same is not now lawfull And Iustine against Tryphon saith Iustine that now euerie one dooth reioise vnder his vine that is Euerie one hath his owne wife and that is but one onelie And he reprooueth the Rabbins who as yet gaue leaue to themselues to haue more than one Out of Origin we cannot learne anie thing for a certeintie Origin he so plaieth in his allegories and manie wiues he maketh manie vertues and he saith that he is most happie that hath manie By all these things it appéereth that polygamie is at this daie forbidden And to all these I also adde this that the Romane laws did neuer permit polygamie and it is the part of a good citizen to obeie good lawes Yea and Plutarch saith that There followed a most gréeuous disturbance of the publike weale and of the whole world when that lawe was broken For after that Antonie who alreadie had in marriage Octauia the sister of Octauius Caesar had also married Cleopatra the people tooke it in ill part and Augustus most of all so as they put themselues in armes one against another with all their indeuour and power 15 Now must I confute those arguments An answer vnto the reasons making for polygamie To the first reason which we brought at the beginning for polygamie Abraham saie they and other fathers were holie men and had manie wiues Here might I make answer at a word that we must liue by lawes and not by examples But I adde moreouer that God either willed it or bare with it It is therefore a paralogisme A paralogisme or false argument A secundum quid ad simpliciter that is when that which is but in some respect is put for that which is absolute God dispensed with them will he therefore with vs also Or else it was a good thing in them is it therfore good of it selfe But the prophets reprooued not that fact To the second What maruell is it For they sawe it was either licenced by God or else doubtlesse permitted Howbeit A paralogisme here there is a false argument when that which is not the cause is put for the cause séeing it was permitted them for propagation or for figure sake Now there is no néed either of so populous a propagation or else of such a figure To the third They repented not It is no maruell bicause no man can repent him of the fact which he is ignorant of For it was a tollerable ignorance or else that which I rather beléeue they sawe it was lawfull for them GOD gaue the wiues of Saule into the bosome of Dauid 2. Sam. 12 8 It was lawfull insomuch as he had dispensed with his lawe To the fourth Or if anie man will saie that God permitted that vnto Dauid onelie this is the meaning namelie that God gaue the kingdome vnto Dauid then it followed that he might marrie the wiues of Saule if he would sith no man could then let him But the first answer pleaseth me better To the fift God made no lawe against polygamie And no maruell for his will was that that people should mightilie increase Afterward by Christ he reuoked it to the first institution So that which was wanting in Moses is supplied by Christ A brother although he had a wife yet he was compelled to marrie the wife of his brother that was dead To the sixt The case is particular and prerogatiues must not be drawne vnto examples God would haue that to be doone for certeine causes not onelie in the lawe but also before the lawe as appéereth by the children of Iuda and his daughter in lawe Thamar Moreouer the Rabbins saie
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
it was necessarie that other signes should be ordeined Neither ought this to séeme absurd For when we signifie anie thing that is doone or that is to be doone we vse diuers and sundrie maner of spéech The verie same he writeth vnto Ianuarius to Optatus and else-where Neither is that anie lett which the same father vpon the 73. psalme speaketh on this wise Their sacraments promised saluation our declare a Sauiour Of these words the Papists doo woonderfullie boast and crie out that our sacraments doo giue grace which the sacraments of the Hebrues could not giue Howbeit How our sacraments are said to giue saluation what Augustines mind was in that place they cannot tell He ment nothing else but that which he taught against Faustus namelie that our sacraments doo giue and exhibite Christ that is they testifie and beare record that he is giuen and exhibited For he addeth I saie not that it hath now saluation but bicause Christ is now come And if Augustine at anie time saie that the thing which is now vnto vs and that was in time past promised vnto the Iewes is not all one vndoubtedlie he dealeth concerning other things and not touching that which was principall in the promises of God For in them besides Christ there was promised an earthlie kingdome Also the countrie of Chanaan being a land flowing with milke and honie and such other like things were promised which be strange and differing from the promises of the Gospell But Christ is common both to vs and to them and is to vs no otherwise than he was vnto them 13 Now come I vnto the former demand wherein was asked How our sacraments be of greater vertue How our sacraments can be of more vertue if the thing be one on both parts Hervnto I answer when the selfe-same thing is set before vs of the which one man taketh more than another there is no difference in the thing it selfe but in the instrument wherwith it is taken A similitude As if so be that a heape of monie be set before anie man from whence it may be lawfull for euerie one to take so much as he is able to hold in his hand the larger and more strong hand euerie one hath so much the more may he take of the monie set before him euen so séeing our faith wherewith we comprehend Christ is greater and more strong than was that of the Iewes we take more of Christ than they in the old time did Whether our faith be greater than the faith of the Iewes But thou wilt saie How can our faith be greater than was the faith of the Iewes Here it behooued to answer warilie For there were some among the Hebrues indued with excellent faith namelie the prophets and patriarchs of the which diuers spent euen their life for religion sake Neither is there anie more beléeued of vs than was of them séeing their Church and ours is all one Christ is ours alike but the difference is in the perspicuitie of the things beléeued For to vs in these daies all things are more cléere and manifest than they were to them Vnto vs Christ is borne is dead is risen out of the graue and is taken vp into heauen all which things they also had but more obscurelie and as it were in a shadowe Séeing therefore these things are more bright and manifest vnto vs our faith also may be called greater and more sure bicause it is more stirred vp by things that be manifest than it is by obscure things For which cause in times past the faith in Christ was verie smallie aduanced beyond the borders of Iewrie whereas at this daie it is spred ouer all the world And when I saie that our faith is greater than the faith of the Iewes I meane of the vniuersall state of them and as it happened for the most part and in most places generallie and not of particular persons For I dare not affirme that the faith of anie man was more stedfast than the faith of Abraham of Dauid of Esaie and such like For Christ testified of Abraham that He sawe his daie and was glad Esaie also Iohn 8 56. in the 53. chapter All the chapter so expressed the whole kingdome of Christ and his death as Ierom pronounceth him rather to be an Euangelist than a prophet And Dauid Psalme 2 verse 22 c in his psalmes most plainlie prophesieth manie things of Christ 14 But there séemeth to be no small controuersie In .1 Cor. 10 verse 3. betwéene those words in the tenth chapter of the first to the Corinthians and that which Christ taught in the sixt of Iohn where he said Iohn 6 32 and 49. that the meate which he ordeined was a great deale better than that which the fathers had by Moses in the wildernesse who he saith were dead although they vsed that meate And he declared that they which did eate him being the true bread should not die Moreouer he addeth that Moses did not giue them bread from heauen and that he is the bread the which God the father sent from heauen These things doo shew that Christ put no small difference betwéene our sacraments and the sacraments of the old fathers whereas Paule indeuoureth to make them all one Howbeit in the holie scriptures things be sometimes intreated of according to their owne nature but otherwhiles according to that that men with whom they haue to doo estéeme of them Paule so writeth of the sacrament of the old-fathers as the nature thereof was and as it was granted by God But Christ hath a respect vnto the iudgement and disposition of those men which came vnto him who repaired to him for no other cause but to be satisfied with the bread For they sawe that a few daies before he had satisfied a verie great number with a few loaues for which cause they said vnto him What signe doost thou that we may beleeue thee For Moses gaue Manna vnto the fathers in the wildernesse As if they had said It behoueth thée also if thou wilt haue the multitude to obeie thée to susteine them no lesse than Moses did Séeing therefore Christ perceiued before hand that these men estéemed or imbrased nothing in this meate which the fathers receiued in the wildernesse saue onelie the outward substance which filled the bellie he tempered his doctrine to reprooue this base and vile vnderstanding of theirs and speaketh of the outward substance of that meate and not of the spirituall thing which was represented thereby and as he might called their minds from that earthlie meate In what respect Christ denied that Manna came from heauen vnto the spirituall foode and denied that Manna as concerning corporall substance was from heauen For as it was vnderstood by them the diuine and heauenlie nature of Christ was secluded there-from And so he concluded that they which were like vnto these might not be quickened with that meate
thought that we make a diuision of Christ as Nestorius did For we grant that whole Christ if as I may saie thou vnderstand him personallie is in euerie place yet neuertheles we will not grant that all that is of Christ is euerie-where For wheresoeuer the sonne of God is he vndoutedlie it is that hath the humane nature ioined with him although not wheresoeuer he be he maketh the same to be present in verie déed wheresoeuer he himselfe is séeing for the verie truth thereof it is necessarie that it be bounded within his owne limits and be conteined within a certeine place Further they argue The second reason Matt. 24 40 that in the last daie of iudgement the bodie of Christ shall be séene of all them which shall be iudged The which forsomuch as they shall be an excéeding great number so as they will occupie a great part of the whole world vnlesse we grant vnto Christ a bodie of woonderfull greatnesse as the sunne or some notable star is he cannot be manifest vnto all Here doo we saie that all those which shall be iudged shall be changed so as they shall no longer haue a naturall bodie And although the wicked shall not passe into the change of glorie yet shall they haue a bodie so restored as they shall haue no longer néed of meate or drinke So that they may be so indued with such a perfectnesse of sense as they shall be able to behold their Iudge from the parts that be verie far distant 7 They saie also The third reason that according to our doctrine Christ is not to be worshipped but by halfe sith it is manifest that no creature must be worshipped For if Christ had his bodie from the virgine it was vndoubtedlie created wherefore in right it should not be worshipped But herevnto we haue alreadie said that we must not sunder the natures of Christ as Nestor did We must consider that they be vnited to the person and whole Christ is worshipped by vs that is to saie the same diuine person which wheresoeuer it be or is worshipped it hath the humanitie ioined vnto it which cannot be sundered from the diuine nature But if we would search the verie cause of worshipping the same is not to be found in the humanitie but in the deitie Also they saie that a humane bodie The fourth reason séeing it is affirmed of vs to be a creature is subiect vnto the cursse and vnto sinne and that therefore it is not méet that we should ioine the same with the sonne of God Neuerthelesse we confesse it to be true which these men saie concerning the flesh and a humane bodie vnlesse it be preuented and sanctified by the holie spirit But we denie that which they take as granted namelie that humane flesh cannot be so sanctified as it may be void of spot and cursse Let these men tell vs whether they thinke that the bodie of the first man when it was fashioned by God and made perfect and sound in mind were vnder the cursse and sinne Detestable it were so to thinke For those things which God made Luke 1 35. were verie good Wherefore séeing we read that the holie Ghost did ouershadowe Marie before she conceiued whie will we denie the flesh and matter which Christ tooke from thence to be sanctified The 5. reason And they are woont to alledge diuerse places of the scripture to confirme their deuise as that of Matthew namelie Matth. 1 23 That which is borne in hir is of the holie Ghost Whereby they are of the opinion that Christ was borne in Marie but not of Marie as from thence taking substance Howbeit this place dooth speciallie confute them for it is attributed vnto Christ that he was borne in the virgine But to be borne is not to passe through by a pipe or conduit but thence to take verie matter of the bodie wherby it is said to be borne And where they vrge that it is written In hir that onelie they shew but once whereas on the other side Rom. 1 3. we haue it in infinite places that Christ is of the seed of Dauid Which when these heretikes spied out they became so impudent that as Tertullian reporteth where so euer this preposition Ex Tertullian that is Of is had they blotted it out and in stéed thereof for confirming their opinion did put Per that is By or through Also they cite that place of Iohn Iohn 1 14 The word became flesh as though the bodie of Christ consisted not of the matter gathered of the virgins wombe but rather of the word of God Howbeit these men which speake on this wise should consider how absurd a thing it is to appoint God to be changed and turned into an other kind The 6. reason Iohn 10 23 They further alledge against vs that which we read in Iohn Yee be of the earth I am from aboue Which purpose of theirs how smallie it preuaileth The 7. reason the common and vulgar interpretation dooth declare Christ is from aboue as touching his diuine nature ouer this his actions were gouerned not by earthlie affections but by the heauenlie and diuine spirit But in the Iewes whom he reprooued it was otherwise for as they were méere and bare men so were they also led by carnall and earthlie desires The 8. reason 8 Moreouer they call to remembrance that Christ denied that he had a mother wherevpon when he taught in the synagog and a certeine man said Matt. 12 48 Thy mother and thy brethren inquire for thee at the doore he answered him Who is my mother and who be my brethren But héere they be far deceiued as they be in other places For some haue expounded that place as though that messenger which said these things had mocked his diuinitie as if he should saie This man professeth himselfe to be God and I cannot tell what diuinitie he bosteth of séeing neuertheles his brethren and mother oftentimes séeke for him Wherefore Christ repelling this temptation as touching his diuine nature answered Who is my mother and who be my brethren as if he had said So far foorth as I am God I haue neither mother nor brethren Or else we will expound the place more trulie and easilie namelie that Christ then taught that the function of teaching was committed to him of the father and that therefore he ought not to be let from the same either for his mother or his brethren sake For in respect of such businesse we must not knowe mother brethren and humane affections for first of all the kingdome of God must be sought Wherefore Christ said in like maner vnto his parents when he was found in the temple propounding answering among the doctors Luke 2 49 Did ye not knowe that I must be occupied about my fathers businesse Againe they auouch that sentence out of Luke namelie The 9. reason that when a certeine woman had
16 that he had chosen his disciples to go and to bring foorth fruit and that their fruit should remaine and yet togither therewithall He commandeth them to be of good comfort Luk. 10 20. for that their names were written in heauen There is therefore betwéene these elections a great difference and there is also betwéene them a great coniunction so that oftentimes the one is taken for the other So Paule by his woonderfull wisedome transferred vnto spirituall things those temporall things Rom. 9 10. Gen. 25 21. Mala 1 2. which séeme to be prophesied of Iacob Esau in Genesis and Malachie The reasons of them which saie that predestination should not be disputed of Prosperus Hilarius 2 Now as touching this latter election I sée there haue béene manie that haue iudged this disputation is not méet to be touched whose reasons Prosperus and Hilarius bishop of Orleans sometimes disciple vnto Augustine doo plainelie declare in the two epistles which are prefixed vnto the bookes of the predestination of saints which epistles were vpon this occasion written that when Augustine writing against the Pelagians touching the grace of Christ had oft in his books vrged manie things of predestination manie of the brethren in France and not of the meanest sort were sore troubled and woonderfullie offended For they affirmed that by this doctrine is taken awaie from such as are fallen an indeuour to rise againe and to such as stand is brought a slouthfulnes For that they iudged that diligence should be in vaine to either part when as by the predestination of God it was alreadie determined of them that they being reprobate could not be restored againe and that they being elect could by no meanes fall awaie and yet could not kéepe a constant and firme course for as much as they were vncerteine of their predestination Therefore séeing by this doctrine industrie is taken awaie and onelie a certeine fatall necessitie dooth remaine it is much better that this matter be left vnspoken of They adde moreouer that it is superfluous to dispute of that which cannot be comprehended For it is written Who hath knowne the mind of the Lord Esaie 4 13. Rom. 11 34. Or who hath beene his counseller So that their iudgements was that it should be taught that God of his goodnes would haue all men to be saued but in that all men are not saued it hereof commeth bicause all men will not be saued this saie they is a safe doctrine But on the other side this doctrine of predestination taketh awaie all the force and vse both of preachings and also of admonitions and corrections For if there be appointed a certeine number of the elect which can neither be diminished nor increased then shall preachers labour in vaine For if the determination of God be immooueable then shall there be an vnserchable confusion betwéene the elect and the reprobate so that none of this sort can go to the other nor none of these other passe ouer to them so in vaine and vnprofitable shall be all the labour and trauell of such as are teachers This doctrine also séemed vnto them new bicause the old fathers had written as touching this matter either nothing at all or verie little or else intreated of it after another sort And for as much as euen vnto Augustines time the church had without this doctrine defended the doctrins of faith against heretikes they also could euen then be content to want it for they affirme that such as teach this doo nothing else but call men backe to an vncerteintie of Gods will which is nothing else but to driue men vnto desperation All these things were obiected vnto Augustine which if they were true then should we rashlie and without aduisement take in hand the treatise of this matter But the reasons The reasons whereby Augustine defended his tretises and disputations of predestination with which Augustine defendeth himselfe may also mainteine our purpose wherefore those things which we intend in this place to speake of we will bréefelie gather out of two bookes of his the one wherof is intituled De bono perseuerantiae in which booke in the 14. 15. and 20. chapters he confuteth those obiections which we haue now made mention of the other is intituled De correptione gratia where in the 5. 14. 15. 16. chapters he intreateth of the selfe-same thing 3 First of all he maruelleth Paule doth oftentimes inculcate the doctrine of predestination Rom. 8 9 10 11. Ephe. 1. 2. Tim. 2 19. Acts. 13 48. Christ and the Acts of the apostles haue made mention of it Iohn 10 20. Mat. 20 16. Matt. 25 34. that those men should thinke that the doctrine of predestination should subuert the profit and commodities of preaching especiallie séeing Paule the teacher of the gentils and preacher of the whole world dooth in his epistles both oftentimes and also plainelie and purposelie vrge that doctrine as in the epistle vnto the Romans vnto the Ephesians and vnto Timothie yea and he saith that Luke also in the Acts of the apostles and Christ himselfe in his sermons maketh mention thereof For Christ saith Whom my father hath giuen me those can no man take out of my hand and that Manie are called and few are elected And in the last day he saith that He will answer vnto the godlie Come ye blessed of my father possesse yee the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world And Matt. 11 25. He giueth thanks vnto the father for that he had hidden those things from the wise men reueled them vnto babes bicause it was his pleasure so to doo In another place also Iohn 13 18. I knowe saith he whom I haue chosen Againe Ye haue not chosen me Iohn 15 16. but I haue chosen you And if Christ and the apostles haue in their sermons oftentimes made mention hereof This doctrine is not against the fruit of preaching no man saith he ought to doubt that this doctrine is against the fruit and commoditie of preaching He affirmeth also that It followeth not that although our will saluation and good works Saluation and good works depend of God and yet we must not cast awaie all care of liuing well Phil. 2 13. Philip. 1 6. depend of the will and appointment of God therefore we should cast awaie all our diligence endeuour and care For Paule when he had said that God worketh in vs both to will and to performe yet ceased not to giue good counsell And when he had written vnto the Philippians that God who had begun in them would accomplish the worke which he had begun that they might be blamelesse in the daie of the Lord in which words he attributeth vnto God both the beginning and successe of good works yet in the selfe-same epistle he woonderfullie exhorteth them vnto holines Christ also commanded his apostles to beléeue and yet on the
volumes for the lawe and the Gospell are not separated asunder by volumes or bookes for both in the old testament are conteined the promises of the Gospell and also in the Gospell the lawe is not onelie comprehended but also most perfectlie by Christ expounded Wherefore by those words we are commanded to forgiue iniuries doone vnto vs. And forsomuch as we are bound to doo that After what maner we ought to forgiue iniuries according to the prescript of the lawe and that lawe dependeth of this great precept Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strength according to the forme therof we ought to forgiue our enimies Which thing bicause no man hath at anie time performed neither can performe it followeth that we ought to flie to Christ by whome we maie by faith be iustified afterward being iustified we maie after a sort fulfill that which is commanded which though we doo not perfectlie performe yet it pleaseth God And he fréelie giueth vnto vs the promise that is added not bicause of our works or of our merits but onelie for Christes sake They go about also to blind our eies with the words of Daniel when he exhorteth the king Dan. 4 24. To redeeme his sins with almes But in that place by Sinnes we maie vnderstand Redeeme the sinnes by almes is expounded the paines and punishments due vnto sinne for the scripture vseth oftentimes such phrases of spéech which thing we neuer denied Yea rather we willinglie grant that in respect of the works which procéed from faith God is woont to forgiue manie things especiallie as touching the mitigation of plagues and punishments 33 They obiect also this sentence out of the first chapter of Iohn verse 12. God gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God wherefore they saie that those which haue alreadie receiued Christ that is haue beléeued in him are not yet iustified and regenerate and made the children of God but onelie haue receiued power to be made the children of God as they thinke by works And in this argument Pighius the great champion and Achilles of the papists putteth great affiance but yet in vaine for he thinketh that he of necessitie to whome power is giuen to haue anie thing as yet hath not the same As though we should héere deale philosophicallie that power excludeth act which yet euen amongst the philosophers also is not vniuersallie true For when they define the soule they saie that It is an act of a bodie naturall hauing members or instruments and also hauing life in power By which definition appeareth that our bodie hath life in power when neuerthelesse it hath life in act in verie déed But that word Power here signifieth that the bodie hath not life of it selfe but of another namelie of the soule Which thing we maie here also at this present affirme to wit that those which haue receiued the Lord and haue beléeued in him are regenerate and made the children of God and yet not of themselues but some other waie namelie of the spirit and grace of GOD. For so signifieth this word Power although the euangelist in that place spake not Peripateticallie but simplie and most plainelie for a litle before he said Iohn 1 11. that His receiued him not By this word His he meant the Iewes which peculiarlie professed the knowledge of the true God but when they had refused the truth offered vnto them GOD would not be without a people but appointed them to be his peculiar people which should beléeue and receiue Christ Wherefore he gaue vnto them Power that is a right and a prerogatiue that when they had receiued the Lord by faith they should he made and be in déed the sonnes of GOD. And therefore Cyrillus expounding the place The power is adoption and grace saith that This Power signifieth adoption and grace Further Pighius although he thinke him selfe verie sharpe of wit yet séeth not that when he thus reasoneth he speaketh things repugnant For how is it possible that anie man should haue life in himselfe and not liue Assuredlie if they in beléeuing haue receiued Christ it must néeds be that straightwaie they haue righteousnes for as Paule writeth in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1 30. He is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes and redemption But what néed we so long a discourse The euangelist himselfe declareth vnto vs who those be which haue receiued such a power namelie Which are not borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And if they be borne of God then followeth it of necessitie that they are iustified and regenerated They obiect also vnto vs a seruile feare which goeth before charitie as though by it we should be prepared vnto iustification and the more easilie to receiue charitie Vnto whome we answer that such a feare without charitie is sinne They replie againe and saie that Christ commanded that feare But God commandeth not sinne And he commanded such a feare saie they when he said Matt. 10 28. I will shew vnto you whom ye ought to feare feare him which when he hath killed the bodie can also cast the soule into hell-fire And that this feare prepareth vnto iustification they thinke maie hereby be prooued for that Augustine expounding that out of the first epistle of Iohn 1. Iohn 4 18 Perfect charitie casteth out feare saith This seruile feare is not vnprofitable for euen as a bristle being put in by the shoomaker A similitude draweth the thread after it so this feare draweth with it charitie As touching the first I answer that their ground is false namelie that God hath euer in anie place commanded such a feare as wanteth charitie and faith which thing I knowe right well these men are neuer able to find But as touching Augustine we answer that in that place of Iohn Herein is charitie perfect in vs that in the daie of iudgement we haue confidence that euen as he is so are we A place of Iohn expounded in this world there is not feare in charitie but perfect charitie casteth out feare by charitie is not to be vnderstood our loue towards GOD but the loue of GOD towards vs for he speakth of perfect charitie such as we haue not in this life And the meaning of Iohn is that after we be persuaded of the perfect loue of God wherwith he imbraceth vs we haue confidence that in the daie of iudgement we shal be in safetie And this perfect charitie of God after we once knowe it casteth out feare bicause it suffereth vs not to feare Wherefore that interpretation of Augustine touching our loue towards God maketh nothing to the purpose But suppose that Iohn spake of our loue towards God as that place is commonlie taken in that sense also maie the words of Augustine be true but yet
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
séeing we shal be one people and shall haue one and the self-same countrie But vnto such as shal be importunate to demand what toong that shal be which the saints shall then vse I grant fréelie that I knowe it not Whereas notwithstanding I remember there be some who affirme that the Hebrue toong shall then be in vse but vpon what certeintie they affirme it let themselues take héed Of the change of all things In Rom. 8. 15 These things being declared the place it selfe séemeth to require that I should speake somewhat of the change of things that shal be in the end of the world Of the change of things at the end of world First I thinke it good to rehearse those things which the Maister of the sentences writeth as touching this matter in the fourth booke distinct 48. When the Lord shall come to iudge the sunne and moone shal be darkned not saith he bicause the light shal be taken from them but through the presence of a more plentifull light For Christ the most splendent sunne shal be present therefore the starres of heauen shal be darkened as are candles at the rising of the sunne The vertues of heauen shal be mooued which may be vnderstood as touching the powers or as some speake of the influences whereby the celestiall bodies gouerne inferiour things which then shall forsake their right and accustomed order Or else by these vertues we may vnderstand the angels which by a continuall turning turne about the spheares of the heauens Perhaps they shall then either cease from the accustomed worke or else they shall execute it after some new maner Matt. 24 29. Luke 21 25. Ioel. 2 31. After he had gathered these things out of Matthew and Luke he addeth out of Ioel that there shall be eclipses of the sunne and of the moone The sunne saith he shal be darkened and the moone shal be turned into bloud before that great and horrible daie of the Lord come And out of the 65. chapter of Esaie Behold I create a new heauen verse 17. and a new earth And straitwaie Esai 30. 26. The moone shall shine as the sunne and the light of the sun shal be seuen fold that is of seuen daies And out of the Apocalypse Acts. 21 1. There shal be a new heauen and a new earth Albeit no mention is there made of amplifieng the light either of the sunne or of the moone Ierom interpreteth that place that such shal be the light of the sunne as it was in those first seuen daies wherin the world was created For by the sinne of our first parents the light saith he both of the sunne and of the moone was diminished Which saieng some of the Schoolemen vnderstand not as touching the verie substance of the light but that as well the world as men receiue lesse fruit of those lights after the fall than they had before Howbeit all these things are obscure and vncerteine Wherevnto I ad that some of the Rabbines thinke these to be figuratiue spéeches for that in the starres there shall be no change but they saie that vnto men being in heauinesse and bewailing the vnhappie state of their things shall come so small fruit by the light of the sunne and moone as vnto them these starres may séeme to be darkened and altogither out of sight But contrarise when they beginne to be in happier state and to liue according to their owne harts desire then at the last the light of the sunne and of the moone shall séeme to be doubled vnto them and to be lighter by manie degrées than it séemed before Which exposition as I denie not so I confesse that at the end of the world shal be a great change of these things Wherefore I grant both to be true either that in this life there happen things oftentimes so sorowfull as the daies which otherwise be most cleare séeme most darke vnto vs and also that when all things shall haue an end the state of creatures shal be disturbed Yea also it happeneth that sometimes while we liue héere those lights of heauen are remooued from their naturall order as we read that it came to passe Iosua 10 12 Mat. 15 33. when Iosua fought and when Christ suffered 16 Ierom in the interpretation of that place addeth that the sunne shall then receiue the reward of his labour to wit such great augmentations of his light Zach. 14 7. Zacharie also testifieth that Then there shall be one perpetuall daie for that the light shall be so great as there shall be no difference betwéene daie and night If these things be true we may perceiue in what state the glorious bodies of the saints shall be after the resurrection Mat. 13 43. of whom Christ said The iust shall shine like the sunne They shall then haue a light seuen fold greater than this sunne which we now inioie Neither is it anie maruell saith Chrysostome if the creatures at that time shall be beautified with so great light A similitude For kings on that day wherin they will haue their sonnes to be established vnto the kingdome are woont to prouide not only that they may be set forth with excellent apparell and solemne shew but also that their seruants may be verie comlie and orderlie apparelled Wherfore when Christ shall then sit manifestlie in his throne and the iust which be the sonnes of God shall come into the kingdome and inheritance of their father God will bring to passe that all creatures shall be beautified with woonderfull ornaments and excellent brightnesse Esai 60. 19. Albeit Esaie saith that It shall come to passe that the sunne and moone shall giue no more light but that the Lord himselfe shal be an euerlasting light By which words he meaneth not that those starres shall perish but onelie that their light shall not be necessarie vnto the saints for those things peraduenture shall no more rise and go downe as they doo now But if thou aske of him what vse they shall haue after the iudgement he plainelie confesseth that he knoweth not for that he in this matter is destitute of the scriptures All these things in a maner we haue out of the Maister of the sentences 17 Now as I thinke there be foure things for me to examine First what vse we shall haue of the creatures when we shal be adorned with that glorie Secondlie whether their laboures shall continue Afterward whether the nature and substance of creatures shal be preserued and what manner of substance the same shall be Lastlie whether all the parts of the world or onelie some shall be repaired As concerning the first they which would diligentlie search out what commoditie shall come vnto the saints in the other life by the creatures renewed haue taught vs that while we liue héere we are by them holpen two maner of waies For first the nature of the bodie and the life Two
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
sacraments And that which we haue set downe touching the Ministers must also be iudged of the Sacraments for if thou wilt regard them as simple and bare figures thou shalt verie much erre if thou ascribe either the forgiuenesse of sinnes or thy saluation vnto them But if in thy minde thou referre these things vnto that which they signifie and the same imbrace by faith as thou oughtest to doe assuredlie thou shalt drawe from thence both saluation and remission of sinnes and thou shalt receiue and reuerence them as excellent giftes of God Wherefore let Ministers take héede that they continuallie pray vnto God What praier the ministers should daily make and beséech him that his ministerie through the holie Ghost maie be of efficacie towards them which be committed vnto their trust and let them to their power applie themselues vnto God that they maie be his apt and méete instruments Nor let them ambitiouslie goe about to wrest great honours of the people They must not séeke for honours Christ so humbled himself Phil. 2. 6 that when he was in the forme of God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and he acknowledging the weakenes of humane nature said Ioh. 14. 28. Mat. 24. 36. The father is greater than I. Of that daie and houre none knoweth neither the Angels nor the sonne himselfe Peter forbad the Centurion that he shoulde not worship him Act. 10. 26. Act. 14. 14. The same did Paul and Barnabas when the Ethnickes were minded to doe diuine honour vnto them Yea and the Angel as it is in the Apocalips forbad Iohn that he should not worship him Apo. 19. 10 The Pope adored of men At this daie the Pope is most shamefullie adored of all men And howe the world doteth vpon the Ministers of the Church hereby it is easilie gathered that it hath bestowed such honors vpon them as God hath not required to be giuen them I meane Kingdomes Dukedomes Earldomes Marquesshippes The worde giueth vnto ministers that honor which it should not and denyeth it that which it should and other such like which was no hard matter to giue when Monarchies abounded in them more than ynough But on the other side is denied them the obedience and subiection due vnto them by the will of God to wit that place should be giuen vnto Ecclesiastical discipline and to be obeyed when they command vs out of the word of God to reforme our life to repent and to auoide them whom the church hath pronounced excommunicate and whatsoeuer things else be of this sort But because in these things the alteration of life and sincere holinesse is furthered the diuell prouideth with great care and diligence that with deafe eares they maie be hearde whereby it falleth out that al goeth to wrack because the Prelates of Churches are come to that passe Note a great abâ—… that not being content to haue immoderate riches principalities do altogether busie themselues in the affaires of this worlde neglecting the charge which they haue to féede the people of God And the people in like manner thinke that they haue very well performed their dutie if they heape vp vppon their Pastors the goods of this worlde being nothing carefull in the meane time to be nourished with doctrine and the word of God The sentence of the Apostle when he saith that Neither he that planteth neither hee that watereth is anie thing maie be vnderstoode by Hyperbole or excessiue spéech namelie that they are saide to be nothing if they be compared vnto the diuine Action 40 But because all the Pastors of the Church do serue one and the selfe same high God and do appoint vnto themselues one the same end they are al meanes and instruments of God for the saluation of men Which they haue in common with all the creatures for the which in the scriptures God is called The God of Hostes 1. Sam. 1. 3. Ibid. 15. 2. Esa 1. 24. and in very many places besides for that all things doe no lesse serue God than souldiers doe their Captaine Which comparison in verie déede Aristotle made mention of in his Metaphysickes Wherefore as touching those things the ministers of the Church are among them selues all one The vnitie of ministers Degrées of ministers are not taken away from the Church and yet would not Paul therfore take awaie from the Church the degrées of ministers For in better place is hée which preacheth the Gospell than he which baptiseth And in the Church we haue knowen some to be Pastors some Teachers some Prophets Yet more of the vnitie of ministers c. They be all one also because they serue one an other because they all consent in one thing euen as inferiour artes are ioyned with that which is called Architecture Further they be one because albeit the greater be preferred before the lesser that is not doone either in neglecting or contemning of the lesser They be one also because of theÌ„ selues they haue no other thing as touching the office wherein they be conuersaunt but so much as God hath distributed vnto them So that in this they be equal that whatsoeuer they haue that haue they receiued of him neither haue the things which they vse in their ministerie procéeded of nature And as a liuing creature is saide to bée one because the members thereof being diuers are knit together and are stirred vp in their actions quickened with one life wherewith they are formed euen so the ministers of the Church are by the bondes of charitie knit together with the other members of Christ and they also are drawen with the same spirite wherewith the whole Church is moued that they might further the commoditie of the sheep of Christ Mark thou the doctrine of the ministers more than their life 1. Cor. 5. 11. One of the ministers indéede is holier than an other that is nothing to thée marke then the doctrine and take thou heede that they be not defiled with those most grosse vices for the which Paule commaundeth that we should not so much as eate with them Neither persuade thou with thy selfe The vices of ministers cannot contaminate the SacrameÌ„ts Ierom. Similitudes 2. that their infirmitie or blemishe of vices can hurt those things that are holie Hierom against Iouinian hath two proper similitudes by the which he excuseth God that giueth a soule vnto the children begotten in adulterie For saith he if corne be stolne awaie Of him that stealeth sede the sinne remaineth not in the séede but in him that soweth it And therefore the séed sowen springeth neither doeth an other mans sinne hinder it Of him that soweth with polluted hands Furthermore if the hande of him that soweth shall be defiled and polluted the séede is not therefore so infected as it cannot growe Euen so holie things cannot be corrupted with the sinne of them that minister And Augustine in an Epistle to
De Ciuitate Dei The historie of king Alaricus that when Alaricus the king of the Gothes had surprised the Citie of Rome so manie as fled vnto the great Church of Peter through a woonderfull worke of God were preserued by the Barbarians Which thing the Romans in olde time did not shewe vnto Idolatrie whereunto they had bondslaued themselues For their Emperours when they conquered the world by warre spared not the temples of the gods that they would anie whit the lesse either lead awaie captiues or slaie those which fled for succour vnto them The verie which thing Augustine perfectlie reciteth out of the second Booke of the Aeneads of Virgil and out of the historie of Salust whereupon that which happened in the time of Alaricus he altogether ascribeth to diuine myracle and to the power of Christ The Temples of the Christians must not be adorned as the Iewish Temples 21 But the temples of the Christians albeit they ought not with so manie outward ornaments nor yet so curiouslie be trimmed as God commanded in the old Testament to be garnished yet are they no lesse dedicated to the seruice of God than they were so as if anie such house amongst vs be erected it is méete that we should giue thanks vnto God who hath giuen a place vnto his people wherein they maie méete together for the exercise of holie things What is to be done at the dedication of a Church The superstitious cōsecrating of Popish Churches And prayers ought to be made whereby a right and perfect vse of that place may be obtained But now to the consecration of Churches they haue brought in sensing painted crosses wax candels burning oyle salt and holie water and they write in the dust the Alphabet both in Gréek and Hebrew and vse welnéere innumerable signes and yet are not able to yéelde a sound reason for them Howe superstitious these things be euerie one as I thinke doeth by this time perceiue therfore they should be abandoned at the last if we would imbrace pure religion What works become our Temples The workes which become our temples as in number they be fewe so in worthinesse they excell all the rest First the praises of God Secondlie the confession of sinnes the administratiō of holie doctrine prayers receiuing of the Sacraments exercise of Ecclesiasticall discipline and offerings for the poore Wherfore an argument a minori that is frō the lesse maie thus be made Séeing there appeareth so great a dignitie of the outward temple be it of our times or of the Iewes what then should be saide of the true liuelie and entire Temple of God the which we are Of the Ornaments of Churches In 1. kin 7. Why the Temple of Salomon was so richlie decked 22 If a man will demand what should be the meaning of so much gold in the temple of God I answere that manie reasons may be giuen thereof One of them I shewed before namelie that God had then to deale with men both rude and prone vnto Idolatrie therefore séeing they had those externe ornaments in more admiration than was méete God would call them awaie from idolatrie and retaine them in his seruice for if they were delighted with the garnishing of Temples there was no cause why they shoulde run about vnto idols for God found meanes that they had a Temple and Tabernacle so artificiallie trimmed that in those dayes there were none in the world so goodlie and excellent And verilie while men of that time sawe so much Golde in the house of God they should haue remembred that God himselfe whom they worshipped is both the author and giuer not onelie of spirituall things but also of goods and of gold who distributed those things at his owne pleasure so that we must séeke this kinde of good things not elsewhere but from God onelie Neither must we vse riches and golde but according to the will of God séeing it is his true and lawfull possession But at this daie the Papists of a certaine blind zeale are carefull to furnish their temples with precious stones with gold also with siluer that all things may glister on euerie side which neither is necessarie Whether precious ornaments be necessary in our Temples neither is at this day méete for the faithfull neither are the things which are commodious for one age profitable for another Besides we must consider that these golden and siluer ornaments which are now rehearsed had in the olde Testament their iust vse For if there were in the temple the Candlesticke of golde with the brightnesse thereof it made the place beautifull If the table of shew bread loaues were set thereon If the Censures both the appointed and certaine incense were made therein The Goblets and Boules and vialls serued to receiue the bloud of the sacrifice and to sprinkle and offer And other instruments serued for mending and clensing of the fire And because God decréed that they should haue such ceremonies therefore it behooued that such instruments should also be readie at their handes But when after the comming of Christ such kinde of ceremonies were abolished what néede haue our Churches of so manie kindes of golden ornaments A place of Beatus Rhenanus Beatus Rhenanus vpon Tertullian in the booke De Corona militis reporteth that among the riches and treasures of the Church of Mense there were two siluer Cranes Siluer Cranes Whistles in the Church of Mense in the belly of which was put fire whereupon were swéete perfumes powred the which being kindled gaue out a swéete sauour by the open beake And also that there was certaine siluer pypes by the which prophane men whō they call the laietie sucked out of the Challice in the holy supper as though forsooth out of the Challice it selfe the faithfull might not drinke or that there was néede of cranes for making a perfume not necessarie Wherefore we cannot otherwise determine but that the sacrificers deuised to themselues certaine ornaments of Temples altogether superfluous 23 I knowe also that in the time of the fathers there were certaine golden Ornaments in the temple but before the age of Constantine the Great When the golden vessels began in Temples I suppose they were verie rare Further they had those things to the intent they might sometime be bestowed vpon the vse of poore wretches which our men doe not at this daie Ambrose Ambrose in his treatise De officijs teacheth that the gold of the Church is iustlie molten for the redemption of captiues And Decius the Emperour when he would wrest awaie the treasures of the Church from Laurence Laurence vnderstoode that they were already distributed vnto the poore Let them shew if they can that the Lorde or the Apostles commāded anie of these things Doubtlesse no other thing did they commend than the sound preaching of the word of God than the vse of the Sacraments and innocencie of life And
ye say sometimes without Christ aliantes from the common wealth of the Israelites straungers from the couenauntes of the promises without hope in the world and without God And in the Epistle to the Philippians he teacheth Phil. 3. 3. which is the true and spiritual circumcision For we saith he are circumcision Which is the true spiritual circumcision which serue the Lord in spirit and glory in Christ and haue no confidence in the flesh And to the Colos he writeth Col. 2. 11. In whom saith he ye are circumcised with circumcision not made with handes by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh By which place we sée as we haue before also noted that forgiuenesse of sinnes is to be put as well in circumcision as in baptisme Wherefore Augustine in his booke against Iulianus the Pelagian in that part wherein he heapeth vp a great many of authorities of the fathers reprooueth the Pelagians by these wordes of the Apostle for that notwithstanding they denyed originall sinne yet they baptised their infantes for séeing they affirmed that in them is no sinne how could that baptisme as Paule saith be circumcision not made with handes by the putting off of the sinfull flesh These places of the Apostle serue very much to expound the meaning and nature of circumcision In Deut. the x. Deut. 10. 16 Chapt. the Lord saith Thou shalt circumcise the vncircumcision of thine heart neither shalt thou harden thy neck In sted of vncircumcision the Chaldey interpretour hath Tephashot that is foolishnesse thereby signifying The first ground of sinne that the first ground of sinne herein consisteth that we are blind to all thinges pertayning to God and that we are in all heauenly things blind and want the knowledge of God The promise which circumcisiō sealed The 70. interpretours haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hardnesse of heart The promises which are offered vnto thē that are circumcised are those that God is made our God the God of our séede in which onely thing we haue the horne of plentie that is the summe of all good things Hereof also springeth our felicitie and consolation in all affliction They were thereby also put in minde of the mortifying of the flesh that is of the cutting away of superfluous pleasures And moreouer by it they professed true religion And briefly thereby was signified the couenant made with God These were the thinges signified and the matter of this sacrament and doe pertaine truely vnto the nature and substance thereof Why circūcision was cōmaunded of the part of generation 18 Now are there two thinges remaining to be discussed The one is why circumcision was commaunded to be marked in the member of generation the second why it was commaunded to be doone the eight day Out of Augustine in diuers places we gather that therefore God would haue it so to be to put vs in minde that originall sinne is by generation drawen from the parentes vnto vs and that euen as the foreskinne being cut off in the parent dooth notwithstanding return againe in the childe which is begotten so originall sinne being remitted vnto the parentes buddeth vp again in the childrē which are brought foorth We are thereby also admonished which we haue now oftentimes said that the league of God pertaineth not onely vnto vs but also to our children which we beget Finally by that signe was chiefly signifyed that Christ should spring of the séede of Abraham Circumcision is no ridiculous thing Neither ought we here to follow our owne sense or humane reason to thinke that to be a thing ridiculous or of small force which God himselfe hath instituted For otherwise the crosse of Christ and the Gospel are an offence vnto the Iewes and foolishnesse vnto the Gentiles Neither ought we to iudge of thinges diuine according to that which is shewed outwardly Diuine things must not be iudged according to outward sight 1. Kings 5. 11. Otherwise Iulianus and Celsus made a laughing matter that the aple was forbidden our first parentes And Naaman the Syrian thought it a ridiculous thing that he should be seuen times washed in the riuer of Iordan Neither doubt I but that there were some which derided Moses when he cast the wood into the bitter waters Exo. 15. 25. to heale their bitternesse In our dayes also very many maruaile how it commeth to passe that the stealth of one halfpeny bringeth eternall destruction The word of God is of great weight But these men ought to remember that these thinges are not to be considered according to their owne force but vnto them must be added also the weight of the word of God which vndoutedly is of so great weight as it weyeth heauier than the whole world Neither is there any thing so vile and abiect but that whē the word of God is added thereunto it is made notable and excellent In déede kinges and princes of this world haue a care to haue goodly and honorable seales But as touching the promises and giftes which are by them sealed they oftentimes deceaue men But God when he vseth euen the most abiect signes neuer deceaueth any man The seales of God consist not of honourable things Now will I speake in a word or two of the consideration of the eight day The Hebrewes affirme that such is the dignitie of the seuenth day that of it all thinges obtaine I know not what force and strength Wherefore they thinke that after the seuenth day there commeth into the infant newly borne so much strength that he is able easily to abide the paine of circumcision But let vs leaue vnto them such fained toyes and let vs rather thus thinke That the eight day betokened the resurretiō of Chri Col. 2. 11. that in the eight day was betokened the resurrection of Christ and therewithall ours Which may easily be perceaued by Paul for he saith that in circumcision was signifyed the cutting off of the sinnes of the flesh But the sinnes of the flesh can neuer be perfectly cut off from vs vntill we are come to the holy resurrection All the whole time of this world and the time of this whole lyfe The whole time of this life represēteth a wéek representeth a wéeke of dayes But the eight day signifyeth the resurrection There is moreouer an other reason not to be contemned namely that a child being so newly borne is able to doe nothing of himselfe as touching the attainment of righteousnesse Wherefore hereby we be admonished that iustification commeth not of our workes And although it were so in the right of circumcision In Baptisme we are not inioyned to any certaine number of dayes yet are not we in baptisme bound to any certaine number of dayes For Christ hath made vs frée from this kinde of obseruation Howbeit there haue bin some which haue gone about in baptisme also to compel Christians vnto the eight day But those the
our aduersaries such force hath the trueth as they graunt that those things which be offered to the senses namely the breade and wine be signes of the bodie and bloud of Christ but yet in such sort as they haue present in them the things that be signifyed but this is shewed by many reasons to bee most farre from the trueth That the figuratiue speeche of Christs vvords require no reall or substantiall presence of his body and bloud I. First the Scriptures of God doe teach that Christ as touching his humane nature is gone from hence they declare his ascension into heauen as it is set foorth in the Articles of the faith They assure vs that Christ said that we shall not alwayes haue him with vs but that heauē shall containe him vntill the latter day and that he shal from thence come at the length to iudge the quicke and the dead II. Againe it is not agreeable for a humane body to bee in many places at one time Neither yet can it be graunted that it is present in the worlde without place for these things are altogether repugnant with the definition of an humane body vnlesse wee wil take away a very true body from Christ We must beware that we affirme not the same to bee scattered or present in many places at once III. Neither hath the essence as I may say of the Angels which are without bodies such a propertie as it can be in many places at one time IIII. Yea and to say the trueth it might not be eschued but that euen the very nature of GOD if it were bodily should admit both diuision and limitation Since therefore that these things be on this wise euen as the fathers doe most fully testifie it is altogether proued that the body of Christ is subiect to these properties and qualities V. Neither doeth the very nature of sacraments require that they shoulde haue the things signifyed eyther to be ioined vnto themselues or to containe them in themselues But was the couenaunt of God included in the Circumcision Truely the couenant was past and it was alreadie made with the Fathers before that Circumcision was commaunded to Abraham and if any of that couenant remained that was wholy kept in the minde of God and of faithfull men but in the fleshe was borne not the couenant it selfe but the signe thereof commanded by God Againe the pascall Lambe did not verilie include in it selfe the passouer of the Lord. Also what man in his right minde would say that the fleshe and bloud of the Lorde were included either in the water of the desert or in the Manna and that in the water of the Baptisme the spirit and grace are inuisiblie hidden But and if in other Sacraments it be not giuen that of their owne nature that they should haue the things present either to be cleauing to them or to be included in them neither are we otherwise to determine as concerning the Eucharist if the nature or propertie therof ought to appeare vnto vs to be the selfe same with other sacraments especiallie since the word of God hath spoken nothing at all of the matter which we haue now in hande VI. 1. Cor. 10. 3 Moreouer since that Paule in the first to the Corinthians writeth that the olde fathers did eate the same spirituall meate with vs and dranke the same spirituall drinke and yet had they not present with them the flesh and bloud of Christ since as yet they were not extant and since these men affirme these things to bee present in the Eucharist vndoubtedly it followeth that against the saying of Paul the olde Fathers and we had not all the selfesame Sacramentes In signes they doe not agree for they had Manna and water but we breade wine In the things signifyed they bee also diuers for they by faith receiued the thinges signifyed being absent as those which were afterward to come but these men say that they receiue the thinges present together with the signes Verily there can be imagined no greater difference in these Sacraments than is to disagree aswell in the signes as in the things signifyed And therefore let vs rather say with Paul that the sacraments of the olde Fathers in the things signifyed are the selfesame that ours bee although that their signes be diuers and that they are receiued both of vs and them all after one manner namely by faith For they by faith receiued the fleshe and bloud of Christ which were to be giuen for our saluation and wee by faith and the spirit doe imbrace them as alreadie giuen VII Also if our aduersaries opinion should be admitted it might not be auoided but that aswell the wicked as the godly shoulde eate and drinke the flesh and bloud of the Lord. But this doeth Christ the Author of the sacraments manifestly refute in the 6. of Iohn where he saieth that his flesh and bloud is eaten and drunken by faith See then I pray you that when the wicked are destitute of faith and be straungers from Christ what communion haue they with the flesh and bloud of Christ Doubtlesse they haue onely the signes to be receiued and that to their owne condemnation for neither is Christ in them neyther doe they abide in Christ VIII They are to bee demaunded also which affirme that the bloud of the Lord is present in this sacrament for what cause or vnder what colour they dare name that their sacrifice an vnbloudie sacrifice as they terme it Surely if they will haue the bloud of the Lorde flowing from the Lordes side to be receiued in their Cuppe as Chrysostome said by an excessiue kind of speech let them indeuour the same as much as they will as they knowe and as they can yet shall they neuer bring to passe but that they must needes drinke bloudie drinke IX Truely such is the nature of things repugnant as they can neuer be affirmed both at once that is at the selfe same time of one and the selfe same sacrament Wherefore the bodie of Christ cannot be together and at one time both aboue and beneath visible and inuisible one and many mortall and immortall broken and whole This reason haue not we feined to our selues but we haue taken it from Christ from the Angels from the Apostles from the fathers and from nature it selfe For all these doe testifie that this cannot be all at once Moreouer it were too long to rehearse in how many places and writinges of the fathers they haue affirmed this absence of the Lord according to the flesh X. As though forsooth this presence of the flesh and bloud of the Lord boasted of and defended by these men in the Eucharist can while the same is performed bring any other profit thā we haue by a spirituall receauing which as we haue sayd is performed by faith and by the minde XI This finally we demaund of our aduersaries whether they iudge that there is the bodie of the Lord
men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heauen to whome be all glorie for euer and euer Amen A praier of D. Peter Martyr against false worshipping of God and all maner of superstition COme we beseech thee at the length O heauenlie father illuminate the harts and minds of all thy Christians with the spirit of Iesus Christ thy Sonne that they forsaking idols and superstitions may conuert to thee alone who oughtest to be purelie sincerelie serued honored called vpon And suffer thou no longer the honour which onelie is due vnto thee to be impiouslie and lewdlie giuen vnto bread wine images and dead mens bones Thy holie name hath now beene long enough dishonoured with reproches the purenesse of thy Gospell hath now beene long enough polluted enough a great deale too much haue men abused the institution of thy sonnes supper vnto most vnpure idolatrie Stop at the length O Lord these furies of men which are mad and doo most miserablie ouerthrowe themselues Let them not anie longer with bread and wine vnder the name of the sacrament of thy sonne so shameleslie and desperatelie vpon euerie hill vnder euerie tree in all high waies streets temples and chappels commit fornication and so horriblie and detestablie defile thy holie religion Vnlesse thou O omnipotent God by thy mightie hand doo rid and turne awaie these things there is no more hope of mans saluation and cleansing againe of thy church Helpe O God helpe thy people whom thou hast redeemed with the bloud of thy sonne And thou Iesus Christ the true and eternall God confirme this worke which thou hast begun and bring the same to a desired end or else if there be no hope of recouerie and that there shall be no more in thy church anie publike and open place for thy truth come quicklie and hasten thy iudgement and for the glorie of thy name turne awaie so shamefull contumelie from thy holie supper which thou of thine incredible mercie and singular goodnesse hast instituted who with the Father and the holie Ghost liuest and reignest world without end Amen A SERMON OF CHRISTES DEATH out of the second Chapter of Saint Paul to the Philippians THey dearely beloued in Christ which behold the powers of the minde and they which haue writtē any thing of the same do for this cause commende and extoll memorie that it is an incomparable treasure of things that be past and a most faithfull preseruer of the same Further because great héede must bée taken lest those excellent things giuen vnto men by nature be not violated through our default therefore must not euerie thing but those things which bee most excellent and most profitable be committed vnto memory And among the workes of almightie God there is nothing in the worlde that doth either profite vs more or is worthie of greater admiration Wherefore he that most of all loueth vs and all thinges belonging to vs hath often commanded vs by his lawes that we should continually without ceasing beare in minde the woonderfull acts which he hath wrought for our saluation He not onelie would haue the people to beare in mind that he euen at the beginning made the workemanship of the world for our profite but he also commaunded straitlie that by obseruation of the Sabbaoth among them Exod. 20. 8. the same should be perpetually remembred He commanded those which were brought into freedome to shewe continually how he had deliuered the Israelites from the tyrannie of Pharao Exod. 12. 1. 26. and that the remembrance might be helped by an outward signe he tooke order to renew euerie yeare the feast and sacrifice of the Passouer And he doth not take it in good part that at any time his Church shoulde forget that in the last age of the world he deliuered his onely begotten sonne to the death and to the Crosse for the redemption of the world Esa 53. 3. c. Wherefore he not only prouided that the death of Christ should bée recorded in the bookes of the holie scriptures both of the new and olde testament but also when he should goe out of the world vnto the father Matt. 26. hée left vnto his disciples an institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be continuallie exercised among the faithfull Now then séeing this is the chiefe and principall benefite which euer God bestowed vpon mankinde let vs neuer suffer obliuion to blot the same out of our remembrance And that this may not happen the yearely reuolution of the dayes of the world which haue nowe passed since the time wherin we beléeue that Christ was crucified doe perswade me to expound◠vnto you in such sort as I can his infinite loue whereby he refused not for our sakes to suffer death But because there is laide before me a huge heape of thinges to speake of least my spéech through the violence of the waues and heape of the flouds should either stray from the right course or fall into the depth of confusion we must chuse some place of the scriptures which as a certaine and stedfast lodestone may direct both you in your hearing and me in my speaking And this we will take out of the second chapter to the Philippians Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesu who being in the forme of God Phil. 2. 5. thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and was found in habite as a man He humbled himselfe being made obedient vnto the death euē the death of the crosse for the which also God exalted him and gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name that in the name of Iesus euerie knee should bowe both of things in heauen and things in earth things vnder the earth and that euerie tongue shoulde confesse that the Lord is Iesus Christ to the glorie of God the father And that God may further the purpose which we haue begun let vs according to the accustomed manner craue his assistance by prayer They which iudge of the nature of the waters A similitude doe by taste make a triall of their swéetenesse by sight do trie their clearenesse they diligently examine their weight and finally they mark from what fountaine they spring Euen so in expounding the sentences of the scriptures not onely the signification of the words the sense of the sentences the things that went before and the things which followe must be considered but also with a speciall héede taking we must sée with what minde or to what purpose are spoken those things which were set foorth Remember at the beginning of this Chapter the words of the Apostle His minde is to exhort vnto charitie and vnto vnitie one with another The two plagues of these vertues are contention and vaineglorie The two rootes of them submission and
the contumely doone vnto him and our negligence of diuine things be gréeuous and he which is woont to be a most milde father a most louing husbande and like a tender and gentle mother when he is angrie with sinnes and wickednesse becommeth a Lion a Beare a Libarde a serpent as Ieremie Amos and Osee doe testifie Oh the vnhappy and miserable condition of men when they haue God to be their enemie The God of Sabboth is the God of hoastes All the creatures obaie him as their captayne and parent I will forbid heauen saith he that it shall not raine A gréeuous punishment truelie when heauen is shutte vp which then we sée commeth to passe when raine and faire weather are not giuen in due time when the gratious influences gathered together be kept backe and when in recompence of drith the morning dewe is withholden whereas the corne grasse and fruites shoulde be refreshed thereby But because that husbande men when the raine dewe faileth and that the heate burneth vp the thinges which growe vppon the earth are woont with great labours to carie water or to digge riuers whereby they maie water the medowes and fieldes therefore the Lorde saith I will call a drith vppon the lande whereby the want of moisture shall euerie where be felt and no lesse shall the fountaines and riuers denie their flowing than the heauen shall drawe vnto it both the dew and raine Wherefore since the Lorde is the Iudge distributer and gouernour of all these afflictions both of the earth and of heauen no industrie of husband men shall auaile but all the fruite of corne will be destroyed by the wrath of God Neither doeth Gods reuenge here staie it selfe but from the fruites of the fielde it procéedeth to the flockes and herdes and afterwarde followeth a great dearth of cattel and vnles that which hath béene doone amisse be amended a gréeuous plague will light vpon men themselues The wrath of God groweth by little and little that there maie bee giuen a time of repentaunce First of all are destroyed the fruites of the fielde then the cattell and bruite beastes are made awaie and last of all men from whome sprang the originall of the euils are destroyed by a generall plague Homer also in his Iliads saith that the plague was not at the first sent vppon men but doth fable that the same began first at the bruite beastes Nowe lastlie why the Lorde bringeth these euils let vs sée in the booke of Ieremie the 44. Verse 17. Chapter When the Iewes were reprooued by the Prophet because they sacrificed to the hoast of the Quéene of heauen they aunswered verie obstinatelie and proudly that when before time they offered sacrifices to the quéene of heauen they were filled with bread and they liued in peace and quietnesse but that when they ceased from those sacrifices all maner of euils misfortunes fell vpon them wherefore they determined to stande to their accustomed Idolatrie After the same manner the Romanes when they had nowe receaued Christianitie and perceiued the common weale to growe weake and the Empire to fall awaie they sorrowed for the losse of their former felicitie and accursed Christ And they thought that the Gods did punish the neglecting of their worshippe and the forsaking of their Altars Hereof Augustine in his booke De Ciuitate Dei was constrained to write and before him Cyprian against Demetrianus verie wel bestowed his labour in the selfe same Argument and first of all declared that it might séeme no maruell if all thinges become euerie daie worse insomuch as the worlde waxeth older and older and that the Sunne in his setting shineth not with that force that it doth at noonetide when it is mounted ouer our heade Also the Mooue is of much lesse strength when it waneth than when it sheweth his globe on euerie side filled with light In like manner a trée when it is ouer much spent with bearing it ceaseth to bring foorth fruite And fountaines otherwhile dried vp through long continuance do flowe more sparinglie than they did before And such is the condition of other things that when they be sprung vp and growen by dailie increases at the last do waxe olde be deminished and do fall awaie And it is a maruell also saith he but that olde man shoulde in like manner complaine of the Religion of Christ because they haue lesse strength by reason of it than whē they flourished in their young age In which place it is added that Christ foretolde vs that there shoulde bee great calamities when the last daie of iudgement shall come Since therefore we drawe néerer and néerer vnto him we ought not to complaine if we sée all thinges fall to the worse For since Christ shewed vs before hande that they shoulde come to passe it must of necessitie be so Last of all hee writeth that these so gréeuous thinges doe not vexe mankinde because the worshipping of Christ is brought into the worlde but because he is not receaued as he shoulde be and that Idolaters are still detained in their vnfaithfulnesse But nowe they crie out that we are commonlie afflicted because the pestiferous masse is abolished the images plucked downe pilgrimages forbidden Monasteries ouerthrowen inuocation of saintes and an infinite of such other euils taken awaie But that this is not the cause let vs heare what our Prophete saith Euerie one of you flyeth vnto your owne house my house remaineth desolate But is it so gréeuous a crime to neglect the house of God If thou shalt marke what we saide in the definition thereof at the beginning and wilt diligently weigh those things thou shalt perceiue that it excéedeth in crueltie whatsoeuer the Poetes haue feigned of Thyestes Atreus of the Cyclopes and Gentiles Oh my brethren my brethren is it not horrible to be spoken that the fieldes are tilled the Cities fortified magnificent Colleges builded chambers appeare as they were Tēples the house of the Lorde lieth forsaken O slothfull and wicked men that we be what godlie man can forbeare from wéeping and teares Princes doe sooner priuatelie build their owne houses and Magistrates doe altogether dote in building not of houses but Pallaces and Castles who oftentimes build in bloud and as Abacuck said in 2. Chapter Verse 11. The stone cryeth out of the wall and the beame out of the timber against his Maister giueth a testimonie Manie build vppon the teares of the poore with the oppression of warres and spoile of Orphans but the house of the Lord remaineth desert and in ruine and is contemned in a maner of all sortes of men The poore which ought to set their hope in God doe despise prayers they curse men they blaspheme God and doe proudlie and obstinatelie rebell they obey not the lawes and they followe idlenesse beyond measure Is this to build the house of the Lord It was the souldiers condition to defend their countrie to defend religion to be content with
6. He is risen he is not here Whereby he declared him to bee so departed out of the sepulchre as he was no more present there in bodie Actes 3. 21. And Peter in the 3. of the Actes pronounced of him Whom the Heauen must containe vntill the time that all things be restored c. If he shall be in heauen as touching his humane nature vntill the latter daie as the Apostle saide why séeke wee his flesh and bloud vppon the earth But what speake I of the Apostle Christ himselfe saide vnto his Disciples Iohn 16. 7. that he did leaue the world and depart from them and he warned them that they should alwayes haue the poore with them Mat. 26. 11. but that him they shoulde not haue Wherefore being thus perswaded and instructed by the diuine Oracles I doe beléeue that the humane nature of Christ doeth abide in the heauens seuered from the lower world euen vnto the ende of the world and that the same shall come againe from thence to iudge the worlde euen as the Apostles were warned by the Angels and as we confesse in the Article of our faith To speake briefelie this is my opinion touching the place and presence of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde But they which on the otherside forme and feigne to themselues * Or heauen euerywhere an vbiquarie heauen as though the matter thereof were soft like waxe and may easilie followe their feined deuises whithersoeuer they shall thinke good to drawe it and they which pronounce that the Lordes bodie is either in many places at once or else which is much more bolde doe saie it is euerie where who also ioine the same wheresoeuer in the world it bée to the breade and wine of the holy supper and finallie they which decree that it is there present without place and inuisibly all those I pray desire and heartilie beséeche that they will once at the length plainelie shewe these their goodly woonderfull I will not say monsterous deuises to bee registred in the holy Scriptures which if they shall doe wee will fréely confesse that they haue gotten the victorie But for so much as I doe certainely knowe that they cannot doe it I earnestly warne them from hencefoorth the they leaue of to coine on their owne heades newe opinions and newe Articles of that faith and to obtrude vnto vs those things to bee beléeued which are sprung vp in their owne house but are not sprung vp in the fielde of the holie scriptures I am not ignorant that they in all this whole reason vpbraide vs that we deale not as diuines but as naturall Philosophers For they graunt that those things which we say are by the ordinances of nature both true necessarie but that those mysteries which being diuine and celestiall doe many manner of wayes excell nature must not be made subiect to the rules and decrées thereof But that when in the comprehending and considering of them our reason is offended we must then beholde the diuine power which is infinite Howbeit it is no harde matter to confute these thinges First in that we followe the testimonies of the holie scriptures as we haue recited them thereby wée testifie that we follow not Philosophie but the worde of God Howe far foorth nature and the rules the e◠of must be followed Moreouer if we giue eare vnto nature where it is not repugnant to the wordes of God we doe nothing vnwoorthie of Christian diuinitie For nature hath God to be the Author and defender of it and for the same cause the rules and decrées thereof procéede not from thence but from God himselfe and therefore they must not be abolished and dissolued so long as it is not shewed that the worde set foorth in the holy Scriptures is repugnant vnto them This voyce of Nature did Augustine the greatest and best diuine in an Epistle vnto Dardanus hearken vnto when he saith Take from bodies the spaces of places and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not bée at all And this did he not pronounce treating of nature or of naturall bodies but writing purposely as touching the soule and bodie of the Lord. And the same voice of nature did Cyrillus hearkē vnto who wrote in his Dialogues De Trinitate that the verie nature of God if it were diuisible as some iudged it to be it shoulde in any wise be of quantitie and also in a place and might not choose but be measured about Wherefore in the defending of our opinion we first of all embrace the worde of God we hearken vnto the voyce of nature so long as it is not against the Author thereof and we doe this together with the Fathers that iudged aright That in this controuersie is no neede to flie to the power of God But that we should flie vnto the power of God in this controuersie propounded we haue no néede Neuerthelesse wee warne the godly that the diuine power which we together with all the godly doe beléeue 2. Tim. 2. 13. is not without all exception to be admitted For euen Paule excepteth it that God cannot denie himselfe It is excepted also in diuerse places that it can not be doone of God that those things which be made should be vnmade Also it is defined in the schooles of diuinitie that God can not doe those thinges which as they terme it implie a contradiction which thing comming to passe through the default of thinges not through anie infirmitie of God there is nothing of his high power diminished We must further consider that manie Heretikes haue vsed this shift when as their wicked and péeuish opinions are confuted by the holie fathers not onelie as absurde but also as impossible For they to defende themselues aunswered that all thinges are possible to God Therefore neither are we constrained to yeelde vnto them because Christ sayde of the bread Mat. 26. 26 This is my bodie and of the wine This is my bloud For since both their and our interpretation of those words is extant the place is made doubtfull albeit that vnto vs our exposition is most certaine But howe dull and weake an argument that is which is taken from a doubtfull thing all men doe knowe What then wil you say Will you teach that the supper of the Lorde is had without his bodie and bloud In what sort she bodie bloud of Christ is eaten and drunken in the holie Supper Howe will ye moreouer prooue that these things are eaten and drunken if they be not in verie déede present there Surelie the scripture testifieth both the one and the other that wee in the holie supper doe eate and drinke the bodie bloude of Christ To speake first of that whereof I am last demaunded I affirme that the bodie and bloud of the Lord is eaten and drunken spirituallie that is with the mouth of the minde which is indued with