CHriste playnely saieth. Ego dico uo­bis Math. v. etc But I say vnto you, who soeuer put [...]eth awaye hys wyfe (excepte it be for fornica­tion) causeth her to commit ad­uoutrie, and who soeuer marri­eth her, that is deuorsed, brea­keth matrimonie. Whiche thing Marke and Luke doe expoūde Ma [...]. [...]. [Page] after suche sorte, that we maye Mar x. Luke. xvi. perceiue euidently that Christement, that if anye man shoulde leaue hys wyfe for aduoutrie (for which cause only it is law­full to forsake her) yet he ought not to marrye an other wyfe [...]ora▪ Gloso interli. Haymo in, i. Cor. vii. whiles she liueth. For Marke sayeth, who soeuer putteth a­waye his wife, and marrieth an other, breaketh matrimonie a­gainst her, and if a woman for­sake her husbande, and marrye an other, she committeth aduoutrie. S. Luke declareth the same saying thus. Ois qui dimittit u [...]orem suā ▪ et aliam ducit, maechatur, & qui d [...]issam á uiro ducit, mae­chatur. Euery man, that forsa­keth his wyfe and marrieth an other, committeth aduoutrie, and he that marrieth her, which [Page] is for saken, committeth ad­ [...]outrie.

The holye and greate clerke S. Austen did writte agaynste Poilentius, because he sayed a man mighte lefullye marrye a­gayne, when he hadde forsaken his wyfe for aduoutrie, and he did alledge these two places of Marke, and Luke to proue his purpose, whiche writeth of that matter after this maner, expoū ding these wordes of S. Paule. I say not to them that are mar­ried, i Cor. vii. Tom i [...]i lib. lxxxiii [...], ix, lxxxiii. but our lorde cōmaundeth that the wyfe goe not from her husbande, if she doe, she shoulde remain vnmarried, or els be re­conciled to her husband. Vbi e­tiam oecumenus idē [...]ab [...]t. in telligitur, quòd si una [...]lla causa, qua sola relictio cōiugij per­mittitur, mulier á uiro recell [...]r [...]t, [Page] innupta perseuerare debet, aut si s [...] nō cōtinet, uiro potius recōciliari, uel correctouel tolerādo, quàm al­teri nubere. Sequitur autē & dicit. Idem habet Tom. iiii. lib [...]. de ser [...]. d [...] [...] [...]n mon [...] ca. xxv, & xxvi. Et uir uxore [...] non dimittat, breui­ter [...]andem formam intimans in uiro, quam precipiebat in foemina, que ex precepto dn̄i insinuauit. Hae [...] ille. In the which saying of S. Paule it is vnderstand, that if the wyfe goe awaye from her husbande for that onely cause, for the which alone the leauing of marriage is permitted, shee ought to continue vnmarried, or if she liue not continently, she oughte rather to be reconciled vnto her husband, either amen­ded, or e [...]s to be tolerated, then to marrie vnto an other man. It followeth in S. Paule, say­ing: And let not the man leaue [Page] hys wyfe. By whiche wordes S. Paule do the brieflye shewe, that the same fourme ought to be in the man whiche he did commaunde to be in the woman, that is to saye, that he leaue his wife onlye for aduoutrie, & if he leaue her for that cause, he mar­rye not agayne.

Saint Hierom also, is against Peter Martyr and Iohan Ho­per, Tom. ix. i [...] Mat. xix. when he sayeth thus. Quia poterat accidere, ut aliquis calumniam faceret innocenti, & ob secun­dam nuptiarum copulam, veteri crimen impingeret, sic iubetur pri orem dimittere uxorem, ut secū [...] dam, uiuente prima, non habeat. For as muche as it myght haue chaunced, that some man should Note this against Iohn Hope [...] the white m [...]ke picke a quarell against his wife, or falselye accuse her of aduou­trie, [Page] and finde faulte with the firste marriage, to be married agayne. He is so commaunded to forsake his firste wyfe, that he maye not haue the seconde, whiles the firste is alyue. The lyke he sayeth of the woman, who is in thys point equal with her husband, as S. Paule mēt, i. Cor, vii. saying, that the husbande hathe not power of his bodye, nor the wyfe of hers. He reproued a wo­man verye sharplye because she In epi [...]aphio fa biole forsoke her husbande for aduoutrie, and was married to an o­ther man. Also he sayeth expoū ­ding S. Paules wordes to the Corinthiens written of thys matt [...]er. Docet apostolus iux [...] Tom. ii. lib. i. contra Iouinia. i. Cor. vii. sententiam domini, uxorem, ex­cepta causa fornicationis, non esse repudiandam, & repduiatam uiuo [Page] marito, alteri non nubere, aut uiro suo recōciliari debere. Thapostle teacheth (saieth he) that the wife ought not to be put awaye, af­ter the minde of our lord Christ, excepte for her aduoutrie, and that she being so forsaken of her husbande for that, ought not to marrye an other, while her hus­bande liueth, or els she ought to be reconciled vnto her husband.

Also he sayeth, I founde a­briefe Tom. iii. epist. ad Amandū. letter ioyned vnto thine Epistle, and thy commentarie, in whiche these wordes were written. Aske or demaunde of him, that is to saye of me, whe­ther a woman, which, her hus­bande being forsaken for aduoutrie, & another married thorow force, maye without penaunce be receaued in to the communi­on [Page] of the churche that man yet alyue, whiche she had forsaken for his aduoutrie. The whiche thing when I readde, I remembred thys verse of Dauid. Psalm. 140.

They doe it to finde excuses for the defense of their synnes. We al are men that fauour our owne vices, and doe impute vnto the necessitie of nature, that thinge, whiche we doe commit through our own frewyl. As if Ma [...]s free wyll. a yoūg mā should sa [...]e: I suffer force, or violence of my bodye, the heate of my fleashe driueth or inforceth me to synne. The instrumentes of my priuie membres, and the complexion of my bodie desier a womans com­panye. Aunswere therefore to the sister, whiche asketh of vs touchinge her estate, not with [Page] mine, but with the Apostles sentence. Mulier quae sub viro est, viuente viro, astricta est leg [...]: quòd si mortuus fuerit vir eius, liberata est á lege viri. Ergo viuente viro, adultera est, si duxerit alterum vi­rum. Marke this wel, reader. Et in alio loco. Mulier alli­gata est legi quanto tempore vi­uit vir eius: si autem dormierit vir Rom. vii. eius, liberata est, cui vult, nubat, tantum in domino. Omnes igitur causationes Apostolus ampu­tans definiuit apertissime, viuente viro, a dulteram esse mu [...]ierem, si alteri nupserit. That is to saye, the woman that is maried, is bounde to the lawe, as longe as her husbande liueth. But yf her husbande be dead, she is fre from the lawe of him. She is then a breaker of wedlocke, yf [Page] she be maried to another husbande, her first husbande being alyue. And in another place S. Paule hath the same, affirming that there is no cause, but death [...]. [...]or .vii. onelye, to breake the bonde of mariage. Wherfore the Apostle takinge awaye all causes, that can bee alleged, determineth moste plainelye, that the wo­man committeth aduoutrie, yf she doe marrye another man, her husbande liuinge. S. Hie­rome [...]. Hierom. addeth these woordes there. I wyll not that thou brynge for the to me the raui­shers violence, the mothers persuasion, the authoritie or styr­ringe of the father, the compa­nie of the kin [...]folke, the deceite of the ser [...]tours, and the con­tempt of them, or others, the [Page] endomages of the housholde goodes. Quam diu viuit vir eius▪ licet adulter sit, licet Sodomita, licet flagitijs omnibus coopertus, & ab vxore propter haec seelera dereli­ctus, maritus e [...]us reputatur, cui alterum virum ascisere non li­cet. Nec Apostolus haec propria authoritate decernit, sed Christo in ii. [...]or. [...]iii. se loquente, Christi verba secutus est, qui in euangelio ai [...]. Qui di­mit [...]it Ma [...]h. xix. vxorem suam, excepta for­nicatione, facit eam maechari, et qui dimissam accepiret adulter est. Animaduerte quid dicat, qui dimissam acceperit, adulter est [...]iue ipsa dim [...]serit virum, [...]iue [...] viro dimissa sit, adulter est quieam ac­ceperit. As longe as her husbād liueth (sayeth S. H [...]erom aunsweringe to the question before spoken of) althoughe he be an [Page] aduouterer, althoughe he be a synner agaynst nature, or elles Note this against all y ^e whole ra [...]iement of the Lutherans and Swin­glians. full of all kindes of vices, and be also forsaken of his wyfe for these synnes, he is iudged her husbande, and she maye not lawfully marrye another, whi­les he liueth. And the Apostle decreed or determined not thys thing of his owne authoritie, but he folowed Christes wordes, whiles he spake in hym, whiche sayeth in the Euange­lie. He that putteth awaye hys wyfe, except it be for aduoutrie, maketh her commit aduoutrie, and he whiche marieth her, that is so putte awaye, is an aduouterer. Note well what Christe sayeth. He that recey­ueth her to his wyfe, that is putte awaye from her husbād, [Page] is an aduouterer, whether she had forsaken her husbande, or els her husbande had forsaken her, he whiche taketh her, committeth aduoutrie. Then S. Hierom making an end of this doubt, in the whiche his iudge­ment was required. Sayeth: Ergo & ista soror, quae vt dicit, vim passa est, vt alteri iungeretur, si vult corpus Christi su [...]c [...]pere, non adultera repu [...]ari, agat poeni­tentiam, ita dumtaxat, vt secondo viro, qui maritus appellatur, sed ad­ulter est, à tempore poenitentiae non copuletur. Wherefore, let this syster, which, as she saieth, was enforced and compelled to marrye vnto an other man, doe penaunce, if shee wyll receaue Christes body, and be not coū ­ted an aduoutresse, but so onely [Page] let her doe penaunce, that from the tyme of it, shee be no more coupled with the seconde man, which is called a husbande, but he is an aduouterer. Heather to S. Hierom. Is not this mani­festlie written in this mattier? What mā that is wise, wil not be [...]eue S. Hierom following y ^e scriptures, rather thē the luthe­rians hau [...]ge for their opinion no scripture rightlye taken?

S. B [...]de our countreye man iudged the same, writynge thus: Nulla causa est, dei lege Lib. [...]in Marcū [...]ol. xxx. praescripta, vt viu [...]nte ea, quae re­licta est al [...]a ducatur. There is no cause written in Gods lawe, This was wrytten a­boue viij. [...]. yeres past. that another wyfe shoulde bee maried whiles she liued, which was le [...]te or forsaken. What madnes was in Peter Mar­tyr, [Page] Iohn Hoper, and suche o­ther of that sorte, to teache and def [...]de the contrarye to thys doctrine grounded vppon the holye Scriptures, the old god­lye Doctours, and the Coun­sels? Is this to refou [...]ne Chri­stes re [...]igion (as they pretende) to her purenes, whiche they falsely affirme that she had lost here▪ But I wil go forward, for the further confutation of thys opinion.

Adam by inspiration of the holye Ghost, sayed of hys wife Eue. Hoc nunc os ex ossibus me­is & ce. Thys bone is of my bones, and thys fleashe of my fleshe, for whiche thynge the man shall forsake hys father and mother, and he shall clea [...]e faste to his wyfe, and they shall [Page] be two in one fleshe. The which wordes declare (as Christ wit­nesseth) that mariage ought not to be broken for anye cause, touching Math. xix. y ^e band & knot of it. Christ addeth to these wordes of Adā and sayth: quod Deus coniunxit, homo nō separet. Mā can not or ought not to deuide thē, whiche God hathe ioyned together in matrimonye. Then the Phari­sees sayed to Christ. Why then did Moyses bydde the man to geue hys wyfe a byl of diuorse­ment, and so to leaue her? He aunswered to them and sayed: Moyses dyd permitte you to forsake youre wyues for the hardnes of your heartes, but it was not so at the beginninge. These wordes laste written (but it was not so in the begin­ning [Page] of mariage, declare playn­lye that Christ would mariage Peter ma [...] ­tyr saieth that God badde them forsake their wiue [...] i. [...]or. vii. shoulde not be broken for anye cause touchinge the bonde of it, although for aduoutrie it were broken concerninge the mans and womans keping together, and the vse of mariage in ren­dring the duety one to an other. Moreouer S. Paule sayeth Rom. vii. thus. The woman, whiche is vnder the man, or in subiection to him: is bounde to the man by the lawe, as longe as he liueth. Yf the man be deade, she is lo­sed from the lawe of him▪ wherefore whiles the man liueth, if she be with an other man, as her husbande, she shalbe iudged a breaker of matrimonie, but if her husbande were deade, she is free from the lawe of the man, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] so that she is no wedlocke brea­ker, though she be with another man, as her husbande. Thys texte maketh euidently against them that saye, a man may put awaye his wyfe for aduoutrye & marye an other. For he saieth that the wyfe is so boūde to her husbande, during hys naturall lyfe, that he beinge yet aliue, if she marie to another man, she breaketh mariage, & she is an aduoutresse: he sayeth not, she is bounde to him by the lawe vntil he committe aduoutrie, but as longe as he liueth. Whiche is to be vnderstand of the newe law, and of the bonde of mariage of the same lawe, whiche can not be losed vntyl deathe of the one partye, as sainte Paule affir­meth, i. [...]or. vii. saying againe: The wyfe [Page] is boūde by the lawe to her hus­bande, as longe as her husband liueth. Yf her husbande do slepe, that is to saye, if he doe dye, she is at libertie, to marye with whome she wyll, onelye in oure lorde, that is, to a Christen man and godly. Saint Hierom, saint Austen, saint Bede, and manye other greate learned men, and more god [...]ye th [...]n Peter Mar­tyr, Iohan Hoper, and suche o­thers are, soo haue (as it appe­reth afore) taken these places of sainte Paule, as I haue vsed them here nowe. What can bee moore plainlye spoken of sainte Paule, then this is, against Peter Martyr, Iohn Hoper, and▪ suche others, that defende the contrarie opinion in thys mat­t [...]er? Agayne saint Paule saieth i. [...]or. v [...]. [Page] vnto them, whiche are maried, I commaunde not but our lord doeth, that the wife departe not i. Cor. vii [...]. from her husbande. Yf she be se­parated, let her abide vnmarri­ed, or let her be reconciled vnto her husbande againe. And let not the husbande put away his wyfe from him, excepte it be for aduoutrie (as Christe sayeth) and if he put her awaye for that cause, yet let him remayne vn­married, as y ^e wife must neades doe. This mente sainte Paule, as the letter it selfe declareth e­uidētly. And also saint Austen, S [...]rm. dn̄i in [...]onte, cap. xxv xxvi, xxvii. saint Hierom, Chrysostō, Ori­gen, and manye other auncient, and noble clerkes. Paule ment not of a womans departing frō her husbande, for anye lyghter cause than for aduoutrye (as [Page] Peter Martyr sayeth falslye that he did) for that was the on­lye cause whiche Christe did ex­cepte, and it is not lawefull for any other cause, the wyfe to for­sake her husbande, and to bee from him, because she is bounde to clea [...]e vnto him, and to ren­dre his duetie to him (as Paule witnesseth) and not to defraude him of it.

A coūsell called Mileuitane, at the whiche saint Austen was present, determined thys con­trouersie, sayinge. Placuit ut secundum Cap. xvii. euangelicam & apostoli­cam disciplinam, ne (que) dimissus ab uxore, ne (que) dimissa á marito, al­teri coniungatur, sed ita maneant, aut sibimet reconcilientur, quod si contempserint, ad poenitentiam re digantur. It pleaseth vs, that [Page] accordinge to thee learninge or doctrine of the Gospell, and of Mat. xix. i. Cor. vii. thapostle, nother the husbande forsaken of his wyfe for aduou­trie, nor the wyfe, whiche is put awaye of her husbande for the like crime, be maried to another, but let them so remayne vnma­ried, or be reconciled amongest them selfes. The whiche lawe or act, if they do or shal despise, let them be broughte to doe pe­naunce. Thys was also enac­ted of many other counsels, and Aphricanum cap. lxix. namelye in the counsell holden in Aphrica of. CCxvi [...]. byshops, at the whiche saint Austen was presente.

Origen was of the same Tom, iii. homi, vii, in Matth. minde and iudgemente, when he saie [...]. Scio quosdam qui praesū [...] eccles [...]s, extra scripturā permisi [...] [Page] se aliquam nubere, u [...]ro priori u [...] ­uente, & contra scripturam quidē i. Cor. vii. fecerunt, dicentem: Mulier alligata est legi, quamdiu uiuit uir eius. Itē Rom. vii. uiuente uiro adultera uocabitur, si iuncta fuerit alteri uiro. I knowe Idem habet. Augus. lib. [...]i. cap. xii, de co [...] ingus adultes rinis. that certen rulers of the chur­ches, haue with out y ^e scripture suffered a woman to marye, her first husbāde being alyue, & they haue done it, playne agaynst the scriptures, saying: A woman is bounde to the lawe, as longe as her husband lyueth. Also Paule sayeth, the woman shalbe cal­led a breaker of wedlocke if shee marye an other manne, her hus­bande being yet a lyue. Hether to Origen, which wrote a bo [...]e thirtene hundreth yeres paste a­fore oure tyme.

Christe mente euen the same [Page] thinge, saying: Who soeuer put­teth awaye his wyfe, excepte it Mat. 5. &. 19. be for her aduoutrie, and ma­rieth another wyfe, he breaketh mariage, and committeth ad­uoutrie. And he whiche marieth her so put awaye for aduoutrie, cōmitteth aduoutrie. For Christ teacheth vs here three leessons. The firste is, that a man maye [...]. L [...]a. not lawfullye put awaye hys wyfe, and that concerning bed and bourde onelye, but for her aduoutrie onelye, and for no o­ther cause at all. The seconde is [...] that if he forsake his wyfe for aduoutrie cōmitted of her, than he maye not marrye agayne, as longe as she lyueth: as sainte i. Cor. vii. Rom. vii. Paule intreatynge of the same mattier witnesseth playnlye. The thirde lesson is, that who iii. [Page] soeuer marieth a woman diuor sed from her husbande, for ad­uoutrie, he committeth aduou­trie, because he marrieth ano­ther mans wife, for the band of mariage remaineth styll, and shall as longe as bothe parties lyue. These thre thinges are di­rectly agaynst the beleife of the Pharisies, which thought that it was lawfull for them to put awaye their wyues for euerye lighte cause, and to marrye a­gayne, and that he committed not aduoutrie, whiche married a woman so put away from her husbande. S. Austen aunswe­reth to an argument made vp­on Christes wordes, after this [...]om. vi, lib. ii. cap. viii. de ad ulterinis [...]op­ti [...]s. cap. x. xi [...]. maner. Who so euer putteth awaye hys wyfe, but for aduoutrie, and marrieth another [Page] breaketh matrimonie, ergo, he that putteth awaye his wyfe for aduoutrie, and marieth an­other, breaketh not matrimo­nye. To this reason S. Austen (I said) answereth refuting it, by another like made vpō s. Iames wordes, sayinge: scienti bo­num et non facienti peccatum est Iaco. iiii. illi. He sinneth that knoweth what is good, and doeth it not. Thys argument made of the contrarie sense, ergo, he sinneth not, that knoweth not what is good, is nought: Because a mā synneth through ignoraunce as Christ witnesseth. Wherefore Christe ment that he synneth [...]. xii. more greuouslye, whiche put­teth awaye his wife without aduoutrie, and marieth ano­ther, than he doeth, whiche put­teth [Page] her awaye for aduoutrie, and marieth agayne, lyke as he sinneth more that sinneth wit­ting [...]e, than he which synneth ignorauntly, and yet both doth offende God. This S. Austen Lib. 2. cap. 10, de adulter [...] coniug [...]is. gathereth verye godly and ler­nedlye out of the Euangelie of Marke and Luke, whiche as it were, expoundinge Matthew, affirme absolutlye, that who soeuer for anye cause, putteth awaye his wife, and marieth another, committeth aduoutrie in so doynge.

S. Austen confirmeth thys Lib. de bono cō [...] iugali. cap. 3. saying when he expounded S. Paules sentence to the Ro­maines aboue recited. Confae­derationem maris & feminae. &c. The scripture so doeth cōmend the ioyninge together of man & [Page] man in mariage. That it is not lawfull to the woman to mar­rie agayne another man as longe as her husbande liueth, nor the man maye marye an o­ther wife, as long as his wyfe deuorsed for her aduoutrye ly­ueth. Interueniēte deuortio, cōfae­deratio illa non aboletur nuptialis, i [...]a vt sibi coniuges sint etiam se [...] parati, cum illis autem adulterium committant, cum quibus fuerint post suum repudium copulati. The cōioyning together of ma­riage is not abolished or taken awaye throughe di [...]orcement betwene the man & woman, in so muche as that they are man & wife, yea when they are sepa­rated. For they doe committe aduoutrie with them, whome they haue maried, synce theyr [Page] diuorcement.

S. Austen hathe agayne, se­mel autem initum connubium in Lib de beno ee [...] [...]ugali cap. xv. ciuitate deinostri, vbi etiam exprima duorum hominum copula, quoddam sacramentum nuptiae ge [...] quod nullo modo po­test ni [...]i alicuius eorum morte, disso [...]u [...]. The marryage once entred or begonne in the citie of oure. GOD, where, yea of the first couplynge together of man and woman, the mariage beareth a certaine sacrament, or a signe of a holye thynge, whiche bande can not be vn­done but by deathe of one of Tom. vi [...] [...]i. d [...] nuptiis. ca. x. li. 2. ca. 13. de com [...] g [...]is adulter [...]s e [...] de serm, dei in monte. ca 25 [...] them. He holdeth in many pla­ces of his workes many festlye, that death onely of the man, or of the woman, and no other thinge or cause, dissolueth and [Page] breaketh matrimonie once per­fited through carnall dealynge, excepte they consent to vowe chastitie.

Innocentius the fyrst Pope of that name, whiche was in Libro decreto­rum suorum cap. vi. S. Austens time hath the same. Wherefore we see euidentlye, that Peter Martyr, and Iohn Hoper, whiche was a white monke, and suche others erred shamefullye, when they dyd teache, preache, and sette forth the contrarye vnto thys doc­trine grounded vpon the scrip­tures, the counsails, and olde Doctours of the churche. But of this question lette this be sayed.

THys great Prophet of oure newe brethren, a­mongest many other detestable opinions and sayinges whiche he hath in his commen­taries written vpon the fyrste Epistle to the Corynthians, thus he setteth furth. Est prorsu [...] vt nostra, ita liberotum nostro­rum salus ex mera dei electione, [Page] et misericordia, &c. Bothe oure saluation, and our childrens al­so is vtterlye of the onely elec­tion, and mercie of God.

Agayn he affirmeth the same with these wordes. Tantum ex Rom. ix. dei gratia at [...] electione, siue pro­missione (ut dicit Paulus: Non om Fo [...]. clxxvi. nes, qui sunt ex Israel et c.) Nostra salus constat. Oure saluation cō ­sisteth onely (sayeth he) of or by the grace of God, & his election or promes, as S. Paule saieth. All that are of Israell &c. Is not this a perillous doctrine, and a pestilent errour, whiche Wylliam Tyndall taught in his preface vppon the Epistle to the Romaynes, and one Barnar­dyne, an Italian in his booke written in the Italiā tongue, & translated in to Englishe by a [Page] younge gentle woman. This o­pinion is not onelye agaynste mans free wyll, but also against manye euidente places of the scripture. For if oure saluation standeth onelye in Gods electi­on, Gods promisse, mercye, and grace: than it consisteth not in anye worke of man, not in the hearinge of Goddes worde, not in his faieth, not in hys repen­taunce, or penaunce, not in hys prayinge to God for the pour­chasinge of it, not in geuinge of Faith onely doth not i [...] stifie man. almes, not in fastinge, not in his fiaunce to God or hope of salua­tion, not in the receauing of baptisme, not in the dreade of God, not in charitee, finallie not in good workes, whiche all toge­ther are manistly against Gods holye worde. For touchinge the [Page] first, Peter saied: Thou hast, O Lorde wordes of euerlastynge life. Paule sa [...]ed: I haue showed i. Cor. xv. to you the Euangel [...]e, thorowe the whiche ye are saued. Wher­vnto agreeth, that he sayeth: I am not a shamed of the Euan­gelie, for it is the power of God Rom. x. to the saluation of euery man, that beleueth. Agayne he affir­meth the same thinge sayinge: Thys worde is the worde of fayeth, whiche we doe preache, For if thou confesse with thye mouthe that Iesus is our lord, and beleue with thy heart, that God raised vp him from death, thou shalt be saued. Corde enim With his hart, that is to say, frely and volen­tarilie. creditur ad iustitiam, ore fit confessio ad salutem. For a man dothe beleue with his hart, to receaue righteousnesse, and confesseth [Page] with his mouth to obtayne sal­uation. What can be more plain­lye sayd against this erronious Reade ye, that do th [...] ­ [...]e. Peter Martyr is a greate clerke. opinion? For affirmeth he not here manifestlye that we do be­ [...]eue with oure hearte to pour­chase our iustification▪ and with our mouthe confesse or acknowledge Christe, and his trueth, that we maye be saued? Is it then true, that oure saluation dependeth onlye vpon Gods e­lection, promisse, grace, & mer­cy▪ Dependeth it not vpon oure faieth, and confession of it, and of Christe? Howe often tymes Mat. xv. Ma [...]. x. Lu [...]. vii. Ephe. ii. sayed Christ: Thy fayeth hathe saued the? Sayeth not alsoo Paule: Ye are saued by grace thorowe faieth. Manye tymes Peter Martyr affirmeth that onelye faieth doth iustifie man, [Page] and saue him: & nowe he sayeth that his saluation cōsisteth on­lye in Gods election, promisse, mercye, and grace. What disa­greinge is thys with himselfe? Is it anye meruaile that he a­greeth not with vs, Whiche a­greeth not with him selfe, what mad men are they, that wyll yet folowe his vngodlye opinions, when he erreth thus playnly, & so shamefully against the scrip­tures? Dauid sayeth: Thou, o Psal. xvi. Psal. xxxvi. Psal. xxxi. Lorde, sauest them, that truste or hope in the: And God saueth them whiche haue their affi­aunce in him: And they shall ob­tayne mercye of God, which doe truste in him. S. Paule sayeth, that Abrahā did beleue against hope vnder hope to be iustified, and saulued, and that hope is [Page] the helmet of saluation, and yet Ephe. vi. Peter Martyr was not asha­med to saye that oure saluation standeth onelye vpon God. Christe sayed, who soeuer bele­ueth, and is baptised, shalbe sa­ued. Marci. V [...]imo. Tit. iii. Sainte Paule witnesseth that God saued vs by his mer­cie, thorowe baptisme. And S. Peter affirmeth also, that bap­tisme saueth vs, & Peter Mar­tyr sayeth that oure saluation commeth onlye of God. O ignorant Baptisme is not ama [...] [...]e onelye of our iustification, but a cause of it. man: he saieth that onelye faieth saueth vs, and that bap­tisme is but a signe, marke, or seale of oure iustification, and saluation. But Christe, sainte Paule, & sainte Peter, affirme that we are saued by baptisme▪ What follie is it then to geue [...]redence to Peter Martyr, or [Page] to anye other of that se [...]te, the Swinglians, and Sacramen­taries, which are deceaued af­ter semblable maner.

Dauid prayed to God, that Prayer sa­ueth vs. Psal. [...]xxxv. he might be saued, saying: Saluū me fac deus meus sperantem in [...]e. Saue me, o my God, whiche do truste in the. Is this our salua­tion to depende only vpon God? Howe blynde are they, whiche saye, that Peter Martyr was a singuler learned man in diui­nitee, and that his commenta­ries are verye learned lie made? Hathe not affection blynded them? But heare further the Prophete I [...]ell sayeth. Ioelis. [...]. We obtain oure saluatiō by pr [...]er and by not fa [...]eth onl [...]e.

Who soeuer shall call vpon thee name of God, shalbe saued: de­claringe therby, that our salua­tion consisteth in prayer: and [Page] Peter Martyr, Wylliam Tyn­dall, and the Italian Barnar­dine, say, that it is onlye in God, and nothinge in vs, nor in oure doinges. God saieth by his pro­phet. Conuertiminiad me, & sal­ui Isaye. x [...]v. We are saned by pe­naunce, and not by faith onelye. i. Lo [...]. v [...]. eritis oēs fines terrae. Tourne ye to me, all the coastes of the earth, & ye shalbe saued. Saint Paule sayeth that repentaunce worketh in vs oure saluation. Howe ignoraunte are these men then?

Zacheus promised to Christ Luc. xix. Wee are iustified by al­mes, & not by faieth onlye. to geue halfe of his riches to the poore, a [...]d if he hadde done wronge to anye man, to restore to him foure tymes so muche. Than Christe sayd. Hodie salus facta est huic domui, quia & hi [...] filius Abrahe est. Thys daye, health or saluation is cōmen to [Page] this house, because he is alsoo the chyld or sonne of Abraham. Whiche oure sauiours wordes, declare that we are saued by re­storing of goodes gotten wrōg­fully, & by almes, & not by onely faith, & that our saluatiō stādeth not only in god, as Pe. Martyr most falsely saieth that it doeth.

Ionas the Prophet saied. Quaecun [...] uoui, reddam prosa­lute mea domino. I wyll rendre Uowes. to oure Lorde for my saluation, euerye thinge, that I haue vo­wed. But Peter Martyr sayed oure saluation consisteth onelye in God, & that no man is boūde to perfourme hys vowe made vnto God, that he maye be sa­ued. One of the causes of thys his erroure, was that he was a Chanon of saint Austens ordre [Page] and yet married a wyfe, not withstandynge he had vowed chastitie. And God requireth of Psal. [...]xxv. vs the perfourmaūce of all god­ly vowes, as the holie scripture Eccle. v. witnesseth playnelye.

The prophete sayed I wyll shew to the, o man, what thing Mi [...]h. vi. is good, and what oure Lorde doth require of the. Truelye, to doe right or iustice, to loue mer­cie, and with care to walke be­fore God, that is, to serue him diligentlye. This is the voice of our lorde to the citie. Et salus We are sa­ued by the feare of god [...]rit timentibus nomen eius. And healthe, or saluation shalbe to them whiche feare his name. Is this our saluation to confist onlye in faieth, or in God onely?

Malachie the prophet trea­ting malach [...]. of Christes cōming, saieth. [Page] And the sonne of righteousnesse shall ryse vnto you, that feare my name, and saluation in his fethers. Zacharie saied by the inspiration of the holie ghoste: [...]. His mercie shalbe frō progenie to progenie, vnto thē that feare his name. Salomon saied. Ti­mor domini fons ui [...]. The dread Prou. xiiii. of oure lorde, is a fountayne of lyfe. Agayne, feare putteth a­waye sinne. Was not then Pe­ter Martyr plainlie ignorant, to saye, that oure saluation stā ­deth onelye in God, or that one­lye Fayth doth not only i [...] ­stifie vs. faieth is the meane to ob­ [...]ayne of God oure iustification and saluation? S. Paule saieth Gala. v. that, that faieth auaileth, which doeth worke by charitee, and that with oute charitee, faieth can not sa [...]e vs. He also sayeth, [Page] the womā shalbe saued thorow i. Tim. [...]. bearing of children, if she do continue in faieth, charitee, and ho­lynes with sobriete. Also he said vnto Timothe the byshop. i. Tim. iiii. Take hede to thy selfe, and vn­to learninge, or teachinge of the people, and continue therin. For if thou so doe, thou shalte saue thy selfe, and them, that heare thee. Brieflye, he saieth. Worke ye youre owne saluation with feare and tremblinge. O howe blinde then was Peter Mar­tyr to saye, that oure saluation consisteth onelye in God, or in faieth alone, and not in vs, and the workes of oure freewyll, aidid of God by hys especiall grace? But I wyll make nowe an ende of this trai [...]te, and in an other booke set furth dyuers o­ther [Page] shamefull errours, and de­testable heresies of this man, and of some others also. More­ouer Peter Martyr saieth. Ilico ut quis credit, & salutem habet, & iustificatur. Strayghte after a man beleueth, he is boeth saued, and also iustified. Whiche hys sayinge is clearlye agaynste the scriptures alleadged in the laste chapiter, and these also.

Miserere mei deus etc. Haue mercie vpon me o God, accor­dinge Psalm. I. to thy great mercye, and after the multitude of thye mercyfull workes, put thou awaye mine iniquitie. Who can denye but Dauid the prophet beleued when he thus praied, seeing S. Paule witnesseth, that no man [...]om. x. can praye or call vpon God for remission of his sinnes, and hys [Page] saluatiō, except he beleue afore, and yet Dauid was not incon­tinente iustified and saued.

Saieth not y ^e prophet Ioel, that whosoeuer shall call vpon thee Ioel. [...]. name of GOD shalbe saued? Whiche sayinge proueth that a man muste neades firste beleue in Christ, before he can be saued thorowe his prayer. The same thing, appeareth most euident­lye, by the Publican, that bele­ued Luc. xix. before he went into the temple to praye, for to pourchase his iustification and saluation throughe hys calling vpon God to haue mercye vpon hym.

Dyd not the Iewes beleue when S. Peter badde them Act. ii. &. [...] tourne to God, to repent, and to be baptized, that they might obtayne their iustificatiō, by re­mission [Page] of their sinnes? Sayeth not Paule also, let vs go with an affiaunce, hope, or boldnes, [...]eb. iiii. vnto the seate of Godes grace, that we maye receyue mercie, and finde grace for our helpe in due season? Who seeth not then that we must nedes beleue, and put our affiaunce and truste in God, to obtayne of hym mercye and grace, through our praiers, afore we doe praye to him ther­fore? Sayd not likewise Christ: Quecumque petieritis in oratione credentes, accipietis. What thinges Math. xxi. so euer ye shall aske in your prayers, ye shall haue them, yf ye doe beleue. S. Iames saieth that we must aske in faythe, yf Iaco. i. we wyll obtayne our petition. Muste we not then haue fyrste a beleife in God, & a confidence [Page] or hope to obtayn our petition, when we desier of God to for­geue vs our trespasses, & to saue vs, and than after through our prayers, and repentaunce pur­chase those benefites of hym? S. Austen sayeth in many pla­ces of his bookes. Fides primum datur, ut caetera impetrentur.

Fayth is first of al geuē to mā, that other thynges necessarie for his saluation, may be gottē through it. But this is sufficiēt for y ^e confutasiō of this grosse & perilous error taught of Peter Martyr. Nowe I wyll refute and improue another abhomi­nable heresie of his, whiche he defendeth in his commentaries Fol, 273 [...] vpon the fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians. And it is of the baptisynge of children, whiche [Page] he defendeth to be saued, if they were neuer baptised, but departed without baptisme.

SAyn [...]t Austen in this matter [...]i. [...]or. 7. Fol. 173. et 174. 175. 176. is manifestlye agaynst Peter Martyr, whi­che defendeth in his commentaries He made baptisme but a signe or a marke of our iusti­fication. fol. 177, &, 178. vpon the Corinthians, that a christian mans chylde hath remission of his synne, and the spirite of God, before he be baptised, and shalbe saued al­though [Page] he were neuer baptised. Whiche doctrine is agaynst the scriptures, and al the olde doc­tours sayinges, and not onelye agaynst these sentences folow­inge. In paruulis gratia Dei per Aug. lib. i. cap xxxix. de pecc [...] [...]orum et [...]. baptismum eius qui veni [...] in simi­litudine carnis p [...]at [...], id agitur, vt euacuet [...]r caro peccati. That thinge is done by the grace of Reade you that [...]auon [...] Peter Martyr ou [...] muche. God, throughe the baptisme of hym, whiche came in the like­nes of synneful fleashe, that the fleashe of synne shoulde be ta­ken a waye.

Item he sayeth, because S. Paule affirmeth that through Epistol lxxxix. [...]. v. one mans synne (Adam) all were condemned, the baptisme of children is not superfluous, for asmuch as they which were cōdēned throughe their byrthe, [Page] shoulde be deliuered from that condemnation throughe baptisme. Agayne he sayeth. Potest Lib. i. cap. xvi. de peccatorum. recte di [...]i paruulos sine baptismo de corpore exeuntes, in damnatio­ne omnium mi [...]issima futuros. Multum enim fallit & fallitur, qui eos in damnatione praedicat non futuros. It maye be well sayed, that the children whiche do die Than Pe­ter Martyr deceaued men, and he him selfe was muche deceaued. withoute baptisme shall be [...] moste easie damnation of all o­thers. He is much deceiued himselfe, and no lesse deceyueth other, whiche sayeth that they shall not be damned. Also he saith. Periturus erat paruulus, nec habiturus vitam aeternam, si per Lib. i. [...]. xxxiii. d [...]peccatorum. sacramentum baptism [...] nō crede­ret in vnigenitum filium. The childe should haue perished, and not haue had euerlastynge life, [Page] yf he had not beleued throughe the sacrament of baptisme, in the only begotten sonne of god.

Item vpon these wordes of Lib. i. cap. 27. de peccatorum. Ioan. iii. S. Iohn, he that hathe the son, hath euerlastinge life. Non igi­tur regnum caelorum, sed nec vitā aeternam habebunt paruuli, si filiū non habebunt, quem nisi per bap­tismum habere non possunt.

Therfore younge children shall not haue the kingdome of hea­uen, Thā Peter Martyr [...]r­reth shame­fully and so do all that follow him. nor yet euerlastinge lyfe, yf thei haue not the sonne of God (Christe) whiche they can not haue, but by baptisme.

Omnino in remissionem peccato­rum baptizantur et paruuli, alio­quin non habebunt in regno celo­rum uitam. Younge children are Lib. v. Hypo [...]. baptised vtterlye for to obtaine remission of their sinnes, or els [Page] they shal not haue life in y ^e king­dome of heauē. Likewise in the same boke he saieth. Paruulo nisi baptis mi gratia subuenerit, dispe­riet de populo suo. If the sacrament of baptisme shall not help the infante, he shall not be saued Tom. iii. lib. i. cap. xxiii. de. p [...]ccatorū &c. with other folke. Againe he writeth. Nulla ex nostro arbitrio, pre­te [...] baptismum Christi salus eterna promittatur infantibus, quam non promitti [...] scriptura, omnibus humanis inge [...]s preferenda. Let not eternall saluation be promised to infantes, after our own will, without the baptisme of christ, whiche saluation the scripture, which ought to be preferred be­fore all mennes wyttes, promi­seth Aug. Tom. ii. Epist. xxviii. et lib. de origine [...]īae cap. xviii. & xxi. not to them. In an other place thus he saieth. Quisquis dixerit, quòd in Christo uiuificabū tur etiam paruuli, qui sine sacra­menti [Page] eius participatione de hacuita exeunt, hic profecto & co [...]tra apostolicam praedicationem uenit, & totam condemnat ecclesiam. V­bi propterea cum baptizandis par uulis festinatur, & curritur, quia sine dubio creditur eos aliter in christo uiuificari non posse. Qui autem nō uiuificatur in Christo, restat ut in eadem condemnatione maneat, de qua dicit apostolus, per unius Rom. v. delictum in omnes homines in cō demnationem. Whosoeuer shall saye, yea that children shalbe made aliue in christ (spiritually) whiche doe departe out of this lyfe, without any partaking of Christes sacramente of bap­tisme, he without doubte doeth bothe againste S. Paules preachinge, and also he condemneth the whole churche. When men [Page] and women therfore, doe haste and runne to haue their childrē baptized, bycause they without doubte beleue, that other wyse they can not be made alyue in Christe, but he that is not made aliue in or by Christe, it resteth that he abydeth still in the same damnation of the whiche the a­postle speketh saying: Through Rom. v. one mannes sinne iudgemente came vpon all men to their con­demnation. Who seeth not now that Peter Martyr, and hys disciples erre manifestly in this matter, & ought not therfore to be beleued in other their naugh tie opiniōs. Infātes à peceato ori­ginis Aug. [...]pist. 89. immunes esse non possun [...], nisi ab eius reatu per Christi bap­tisma resoluantur. Younge chyl­dren can not be without origi­nall [Page] sinne, excepte they be absol­ued from it, by the baptisme of Christe. Noli credere, noli dicere, Lib. iii. cap. ix. aīa et [...]ius orig. ad Vincentiū. noli docere, infantes antequàm baptiz [...]ntur morte preuentos, posse ad originalium peccato­rum indulgentiam peruen [...]re: si uis esse catholicus. Beleue not sayeth saint Austen, saye not, teache not, that infantes whiche The Peter Martyr was not ca­tholyke. Lib. iii. car. xii de pe [...]catorum. depart before they maye be baptised, can haue forgeuenesse of their sinnes, if thou wilt be ca­tholyke. Nec paruuli de quibus l [...]bet sanctis iustis [...] procreati, ori­ginalis peccatireatu absoluūtur, nisi [...] christo fuerint baptizati, pro qui­bustāto impensius loqui debemus, quanto pro se ipsis minus possūt. Younge chyldren that be borne of neuer so holye and righteous parentes, are not absolued from [Page] originall sinne, excepte they be Peter Martyr teacheth the cōtrarie baptized in Christ, for whom so muche the moore we oughte to speake, bycause they canne not speake for them selfe.

Nos dicimus, aliter infantes sa­lutem Aug. To [...]. x. Serm. x [...]iii. de v [...]rb [...]s ap [...]. & uitā eternam non habitu­ros, nisi baptizentur in Chr [...]sto. We saye, that younge chyldren shall not haue otherwyse saluation and life euerlastinge, except they be baptized in Christe. Par uulus non baptizatus pergit in dā ­nationē. Apostoli enim sunt uerba: Ex uno &c. Et dominiest sēten [...]: Rom. v. Ioan. iii. Lib. de g [...]ne. x. cap. xliiii. Lege, Aug▪ [...]pi. [...]7. [...]07. 157. 90. [...]0 [...]. nisi quis renatus fuerit &c. [...] resistit, nisi non christianus. The younge childe not christened go­eth into damnation. For Paule sayth: Throughe one mans syn all are damned, and oure lorde sayeth. Excepte a man be borne [Page] agayne of the holye ghoste, and Tract. xxxviii. in Ioa [...] de g [...]r. ad [...]ram [...]. x. cap. xiiii. se [...]. de tēp x [...]v. water, he can not enter into heauen. The whiche thinge, no man agayne saieth, but he that is no christen man. Howe blinde is then Peter Martyr to saye that a christen mans chylde is iustified, before it be borne a [...] christened, and that it shal [...] [...] ued if it were not christen [...] membred he not, that [...] and saint Paule sayeth: [...] [...] borne originallye the [...] Gods wrathe, and in [...] anye person whiche is [...] throughe Adams offe [...] Paule witnesseth all m [...]n [...] be made alyue, w [...]th [...] owne faieth in Christ, or [...] sayeth of his God fathers [...] the church, applied to him by [...] s [...]ament of faieth (baptis [...] [Page] Saint Austen testifieth euidēt­lie in sondrie places of his wor­kes, Lib. i. cap. xii [...]. contra duos. Pelag. Lib. d [...]. peccat. cap. xxvii. that original sinne hurteth al children, not yet baptized, and that they are not gotten of chri­sten parents, in that, that their parents are baptized, whiche thinge toucheth the soule, but in that, that they are men and wo­men, they are begotten & borne in sinne, and shalbe damned for euer, excepte they be throughe baptisme borne agayne the son­nes of God.

Sainte Cyprian was of the same belefe, saying: Ad remissio­nem Lib. 3. epist. 8. ad [...]dum. peccatorum accipiendam ho [...] ipso facilius ad baptisma accedit, quód illi remittantur, non propria, sed aliena peccata. The younge [...]hylde commeth to baptisme so muche the more easly to receaue [Page] remission of his sinnes, because Originall sinne came frō Adam. an other mans sinne & not hys owne is there forgeuen hym. Peter Martyr defendeth that the chylde hath remission of his sinne, be fore he be baptized. Oh blindnes of the man, and of his scholers.

Sainte Ambrose is of the same iudgemente sayinge. Ne (que) Lib 2. cap. 8. de vocatione gen­tium. credi fas est, eo [...], qui reg [...]nerationis non adepti sunt sacramentum, ad ullū beatorum peruenire consorti­um, ueruntamen quare tanta infan tium multitud [...], non regenerato­rum, á perpetua alienatur salute, nō conturbabitur cor nostrum, si fir Read ye Swing [...] and Ma [...] ­tyrians. ma & stabili fide omne iudicium dei iustum esse credamus, nec ap­petamus habere cognitum, quod uoluit esse secretum, ut ubi in uesti gari non potest, qu [...]re ita i [...]di [...]et [Page] sufficiat scire quis iudicet & ce. Yt is not lawefull to be beleued, that they whiche are not bapti­sed, do go to heauē. But yet, we neade not to trouble our selues to thinke, whye so great a num­ber of babes vnchristened shuld not be saued, if we doe surelye and stedfastlye beleue, that all Gods iudgementes he righte­ous, and desire not to knowe that thinge, whiche God would haue secrete, that where it can not be searched out, why he doth so iudge, it shoulde be sufficient, to knowe who iudgeth.

Saint Gregorie Nazianzene, [...]. [...]. La [...]crū. saint Hieroms maister, sayeth. Melius est infantes, si pe [...]culum a­liquod imminet, non dum rationis cōpotes sanctificare, quàm non signatos, & initiatos uita excid [...]r [...].

It is better that younge chyl­dren, whiche haue not yet the vsage of reason, be made ho­lye (through baptisme) if ther be anye daunger at hande, rather than they shoulde loose euerlas­tinge lyfe, being not christened, before they doe departe oute of this lyfe.

Sainte Austen woulde, that [...]o. xvi, ser. [...] de temp [...]re. baptisme of chyldren should not be differred, but be ministred to them, as sone as they are borne. Also he saieth that saint Cypr [...] ­an, not makinge a newe decree Lib. iii. epi. [...] Lib. i. ca. xx, de origine aīae [...] Hieron [...]. of it, but kepinge the most sted­fast faieth of the churche, to cor­recte them, whiche iudged that the chylde shoulde not be bapti­sed, before theight daye of hys birthe: saied, that the soule, not the bodye, shoulde perishe, if he [Page] were not baptised, and he with other byshoppes thought, that the chylde streighte after hys birthe mighte be well baptised. Sainte Hierome confirmeth this belefe, saying. Infantuli bap­tizātur, Lib. [...]. dialogorū contra Pelag. Ad latū idem ut eis peccata in baptismate dimittantur. Younge chyldren are baptized, that their sinnes maye be forgeuen by it. What can Peter Martyr and his dis­ciples saye to this? Wyll they haue vs beleue them before the scriptures, and the olde godlye doctours of Christes churche? What blyndnes is this? Oure lorde of his tendre and greate mercie open their eyes, that they may see the trueth of his word, & seing it, recule and retourn a­gain to y ^e catholyke churche, out of y ^e which no mā can be saued.

Origen beleued euen as these other fathers did, part of whose sentences are nowe recited, for Hom. xiiii. in Lucam, he saith thus, vpō these wordes of Iob. No man is cleane from the filthynesse of sinne, no al­thoughe hys lyfe were but of one daye vpon the earth. Et quia Ca. 25. [...]. 70 per baptismi sacramentum natiui­tatis sordes deponuntur, propterea baptizantur & paruuli. Nisi enim quis renatus fuerit &c. Because the filthynes of mans naturall birthe is put away thorowe the sacrament of baptisme, children are for that cause also baptised. For excepte a man be borne a­gayne of water, and the holye Ioan. iii. ghoste, he can not entre in to the kingdome of heauen. Innocen­tius the first, which was in S. Austens tyme, and to whome he [Page] wrote, holdeth the same bele [...], saying, as saint Austen re [...]teth Lib. ij. cap. iiij. contra duas epist, [...]ripta [...] [...] & [...] uita [...]m. pelagiorum▪ Illudu [...]ro. quod e [...] vestra fraternitas asserit predicare, paruulos a [...]ternae uitae praemijs, e­tiam sine baptismatis gratia posse donari, perfatuum est. It is a verie foolishe thing, that thei do preache (as youre brotherhoode affirmeth) that chyldren should be saued withoute baptisme. It appeareth then nowe moste playne [...]ye howe this opinion, whiche Peter Martyr, folow­inge the Swinglia [...]s, hathe taughte, to defende that onelye fayth iustifieth man, is against the holy worde of God, and the holye doctours bothe of the Greke churche▪ and also of the Latyue, and thereby it is eui­dent [Page] that Peter Martyr, and his scolers are not membres of the catholike churche, but schis­matiques. I beseche God of hys gracious goodnes tourne their heartes, that they maye imbrace the trueth agayne, and continue therin to hys ho­nour and glorie, and their own saluation. But heare once a­gayne Origen, whiche was a­bout. M. thre hūdred yeres passed, Orig. lib. vi. Coment. in ca. vi. ad Rom. and writeth after this ma­ner: Pro hoc, scilicet corpore pec [...] cati abolendo, & ecclesia ab apo­stolis traditionem suscepit etiam paruulis baptisma dare. Sciebant enim illi, quibus mysteriorum se­creta commissa sunt diuinorum, quod es [...]ent in omnibus sordes pecc [...]ti [...]enuinae, quae peraquā e [...] spiritum ablui deberent. That is [Page] to saye. For this bodie of sinne to be defaced or put awaye, the An vnwrit­ten veritee of our beleif churche hathe receyued also a tradition of the Apostles, to geue baptisme, yea, to children. For they, to whome the secre­tes of Goddes mysteries were committed, dyd knowe that there shoulde be in all men na­turall fylthines of synne, which oughte to be washed awaye through water & the holy ghost This authoritie is againste Peter Martyr, the authours of the articles annexed vnto the Catechisme sette furthe in kinge Edwarde the vi. tyme, and all them, that saye eyther that childrē not baptised shulde be saued, or that baptisme is no cause of oure iustification, but fayth onely, or that baptis­me [Page] is but a signe or marke of our iustification, or finally that the baptisme of children is set furthe in the Scripture, where it is lefte to the churche by the holy Apostles without writing only by traditiō, as Origē here De eccles. Hierar, c [...], xii. sayeth manefestlye, and S. Di­on [...]se S. Paules scoler, of the which S. Austen writeth thus. Lib. x. cae. xxii [...] in cene ad [...] ram. Lib. iii. c [...]. xiii. de lib arb. Lib. iiii. cap. 4. de bapti [...] con­tra dona [...] Consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis paruulis nequa [...] sper nenda est ne [...] ullo modo super­flua deputanda, nec omnino cre­denda, nisi apostolica esset traditio. The accustomaunce of oure mother the Churche in bapti­singe of children is in no wyse to be dispised, nor to be recke­ned superfluous by anye mea­nes, nor vtterlye to be beleued, if it had not ben a traditiō of y ^e [Page] Apostles. What cā our new tea­chers, and the makers of the articles afore mentioned, saye to these authorities for the de­fense of their doctrine, that men are boūde to credite and beleue nothing, but that onlye, whiche the scripture setteth furthe? Woulde they, that men shoulde beleue them afore these aunciēt, godly, & great learned fathers? But of this mattier I haue written moore at large in my booke of traditions, & therefore I now make an end of this chapiter, wisshinge grace and the knowledge of the trueth vnto all that erre in Christes religiō, that they may come at the lēgth vnto y ^e ioyes of heauē thorough Christe oure sauiours glorious passion, to whome with the fa­ther [Page] and the holie ghoste be ho­nour and prayse for euer Amen.

TOuthinge this mat­ter I wyll be verye shorte, because I thinke that fewe of oure countree men are infected with this opiniō. Christe saied to the theife hanginge with him vpon the crosse. Hod [...]e mecum e­ris in paradiso. This daye thou Luk. xxiii. shalte be with me in paradise, that is to saye (as saint Austen [Page] expoundeth it verye truelye.) this daye of my death thy soule being departed out of thy body, shall see the de [...]te, and god head clearly. Also sainte Paule saied Phil. i. Cupio disolui & esse cum Christo. I desire to die and to be with Christe, whiche is as muche as if he had sayed, when I shall de­parte out of this worlde, I shall be streighte waye with Christ, as he himselfe declareth to the Corinthians, sayinge thus. [...]. Cor. v. Scimus quod si terrestris do mu [...] nostra &c. We know that if our earthlye house of this dwelling be brooken, we haue a house of God in heauen not made with mans hande. Agayn he sayeth. Audemus & bonam uoluntatem ii. Cor. v. habemus, magis peregrinari à cor­pore, & praesentes esse ad domin [...]. [Page] We are bolde, and we haue a good wil, rather to be strangers from the bodye, and to be pre­sent with our lorde. Whiche is as muche as if he had sayed, when I shall goo oute of thys worlde, than I haue a house in heauen, & shalbe presēt with our lord God. Whiche saint Hierom Hier [...], To. i. epist. ad Marcellam de obitu Leae. affirmeth saying thus. Nunc illa pro breui labore, aeterna fruitur be­atitudine, excipitur āgelorū choris. Now she hath the pleasure of y ^e euerlastinge blisse, she is recea­ued with the compaignie of An­gels. Sainte Austen writtinge Aug. in psal, 10. Phil. i. vpō this Paules sentēce. Cupio d [...]ssolui &c. saieth. Viuit Paulus nunc cū christo▪ sicut illi prophetae omnes viuunt cū christo. Sainte Paule liueth nowe with Christ, as all those Prophetes doeth. [Page] Agayne Sainte Austen spea­kinge of the gate or porte of pa­radise, whiche Christe opened the daye of his death, writeth thus. Per hāe ingressus est Petrus, per hanc ingressus est Paulus, per hanc omnes sancti Martyres intra­uerūt. Thorow this port S. Peter entred into heauen, through this gate s. Paule wēt into hea­uē, through thys gate al the ho­lie Martyrs entred into heauē. Saint Basill beleued the same, Basil. epist. 67. when he saied thus. Mortuus est uir, qui columna erat, & stabilimē tum ecclesiae, imo magis ad beatā uitam sublarus à nobis, abscessit. The man is deade, whiche was the piller, and the establishemēt of the churche: Naye rather hee taken frō vs, is goone into heauen. Abdias, which was of the Abdi. lib. i. [...]ist. [...]postilic [...]. lxxii. disciples which Christ sent [Page] in to the worlde afore him to preache, saieth that Saint Pe­ter saied, when he shoulde be crucified: Quare scito [...]e me ad hoc ip­sum fest [...]are, ut carne exutus; do­mino assistam. Wherfore knowe ye that I make haste vnto this same thinge, that I beinge vn­clothed of the fleashe, maye be present with our lorde.

Again he witnes [...]eth that S. Lib. v. [...]ist. ap [...] Iohn euangelist sayd vnto one Andronicus, weping muche for the death of Drus [...]ana. Ita ne fle­ueris quasi ignores, quo illa concesserit? Nescis illam conu [...]rsationem esse meliorem, quae in coelo est ad quam sācta & fidelis, Drusiana trā siuit, expectans spem resurrectionis ex mortuis? Doest thou so weape for her as thoughe thou knewest not, whether shee is [Page] goone? Doest thou not knowe that that conuersation is bet­ter, whiche is in heauen, vnto the whiche the holye and faieth­ful Drusiā is passed out of this life, looking for the risinge vp a­gaine from death vnto lyfe? Oe­cumenius a Greake writter, expoūding these wordes of s. Steuen: Actes. vii. receaue O lorde Iesu, my spirite, sayeth. Hinc ostendi­tur iustorum animas á cor­poribus liberatas ne­quaquā in infernum descēdere, sed trās mitti in manus Dei viuen­tis▪

THe Prophet did putte trust in his good works, when he sayed. Memento Psal cxxxi. do mine▪ Dauid, & omnis mansue tudinis eius. Remembre Dauid, O lorde, and all hys mekenes. Euen so did the good kinge Eze iiii. Reg. xx. chias sayinge. Memento, domi­ne, quo modo ambulauerim, coram [...]e in veritate & in corde perfecto &c. Remembre, o Lorde, howe I haue walked, that is to saye, [Page] howe I haue liued before thee with a perfite faieth, and haue d [...]ne those thinges, whiche pleaseth Phil. iii. thee. Sainte Paule con­firmeth this doctrine, when he saith: Nostra conuersatio est in coelis, vnde & expectamus dominum nostrum Iesum Christum & ce. Our liuynge is heauenlye, and therfore we looke for oure lorde Iesu Christe, whiche wyll re­fourme oure vile bodyes, and make them lyke vnto his glori­ous bodie. Christe sayed. Sunt Matth. xix. eunuchi &c. Ther be some men, whiche haue chosen a continent lyfe for the kyngdome of heauē, as their stipende, and rewarde. Mooreouer, saied not the holye Prophete Dauid. Inclinaui cor Psal. L. xix meum &c. I haue bowed mye heart to kepe thy righteous cō ­inaundementes [Page] for a rewarde. Commendeth not sainte Paule the Colossians, because they ex­ercised Loloss. i. Hebr. i [...]. xii▪ char [...]ee, and gaue al­ines, propter spem repositam eis in coelis, for a rewarde layed vp in heauen, whiche they so doing hooped to haue? Saieth he not that Moyses preferringe the He. xi. & xii. reproches, which he suffered for Christes sake before the riches of Aegypte, looked vpon the rewarde to come▪ Saith he not also, that Christ, when he suffe­red, looked vpon the ioyes, whiche he shoulde haue by hys passion Now heare what some The doc­tours s [...]n­ [...]ences. of the olde doctours saye in this matter, and first saint Austens min [...]e, whiche sayeth. S [...] pro re­missione Tom. s [...]r. lx, de tempore. peccatorum, & amore vite ae [...]e [...]nae, eleemosy nà dederis, [Page] [...]otum dextera facit. If thou doe geue an almes for to ob­tayne remission of thy syn­nes, and for the loue of euerla­styng lyfe, thy ryght hande doth altogether, that is to saye, it is well doone.

Saint Basyl saieth. Iustus est is, qui nos ad tolerandos agones, Basil. epist. lx. Lege Bas. de ve ra virginitate et ad interrogationem, 135. praemijs inuitat. God is righte­ous, which sterreth vs w ^t rewardes to suffer fightes. Howe of­ten tymes did Christ moue the people to lyue godlye by promy­sing to them euerlasting lyfe? Saith he not amongest the rest, Hoc fac, & viues? Do y ^u this, that Luke. x. is to say, helpe thy neadie neigh­bour with almes geuinge, and thou shalt liue euer? Why then maye not I leafullie lyue well, vpon hope of that euerlastinge [Page] lyfe whiche he promiseth to vs that doe well, and continue in doinge well vnto our liues end, as Paule dyd? Saint Paule, saieth. Non sunt condigne passio­nes &c. The afflictions, or tribulations Rom. ix. of this lyfe, are not worthye the glorie to come. Whiche he wrot to prouoke vs, to suffre aduersitees patientlie, hopyng to obtain thereby that reward. This is manifestlye taught by the scripture, sayinge: Fiducia Tob. iiii▪ magna erit omnibus, coram Deo summo, ele [...]mosyna, facienti­bus eam.

S. Chrisostome expresseth the same playnelye writynge Chrisost. h [...]m. v [...]u Math. thus. Vnusquis [...] nostrum in nulla re alia, spem suam, nisi post dei misecordiam, in morum honesta­te constituat. Let euerye one of [Page] vs put his affiaunce and truste in no other thynge, nexte after Gods mercie, but in the hone­stie of maners. Agayne he say­eth Homi. lxvi. in. Ioannem. Math. xx. expoundinge these Christes wordes Non est meum dare vo­bis & ce. Dominus illo compelle­bat, in gratia Dei primum, deinde in Iaboribus proprijs, omnem sa­lutem & spem gloriae reponere. Our Lorde moued vs thither, to put first all our saluation, & all our hope and esperaunce of the glorie to come, in Gods grace, and then afterwarde in our owne labours. Thirdelye To [...]ii. cōtione▪ 4. delazaro. he writeth after this sorte. In­gens bonum in tuis ipsius bene­factis collocare spē. It is a very good thynge to putte truste in thyne owne good dedes. Vt sci­res quód eleemosina est benefici­um, [Page] opus (que) tuū non simpliciter i [...] [...]norum amicitijs sed in amieitijs per māmona p [...]rtis, Christus iust [...] te cōfidere, dicens. Facite v [...]bis a­micos et [...] Christ cōmaūded thee to trust in amities gottē throw Luc. xvi. almes, sayinge. Make you frendes by the mam man of iniqui­tie. &c. To make an [...]de of this Chapter, dyd not S. Paule ii. Tim. iiii. bothe truste in hys good wor­kes, and also loke to haue a rewarde in heauen for them, and not onely for has faith, when he sayed? [...] certamen. &c. I haue foughten a good batte [...], I haue kepte my faythe, and haue ended my course of pr [...]achynge and of good lyuynge, there nowe resteth a crowne of ryghteousnes, whiche God a ryghteous iudge shall render [Page] to me at that daye, and not on­lye vnto me, but vnto them al­so, whiche doe loue hys com­mynge vnto that iudgement. Wherfore I molte humblie and heartelye beseche God of hys great mercie geue them grace, that are agaynst thys Catho­like doctrine, to retourne vnto the veritie agayne, and leade their liues godlye in obseruyng of Gods holy commaundementes, that they maye iustlye put their [...]aunce and trust in their owne good workes, as Gods [...]. giftes, and loke stedfastlye to haue and inioye the glorye of heauen thereby, throughe the merites of Christ our sauiours blessed Passion, to whom with the father & the holy ghost be all [...]rayse, & honour for euer. Amē.

THys erroure, good chri­stian reader, is so mani­festlye againste Goddes worde, [...]s nothing can be more. Therfore if mē haue any grace, and regarde to Gods [...]rueth, hys honoure, and their owne soul [...]s health, or saluation, they wyll, that yet are not inferte [...] with these newe opinions, be­ware of them, and abhorre the [Page] teachers of them, and they that are poysoned with any such doctr [...]ne, wyll for sake it, and em­brace againe the verie true doc­t [...]ne of the cathelyke churche, when they shall see that there guides teachers, and preachers do so [...] erre against the worde of GOD, as they do in thys pre [...] matter of Bap­tisme: but to entrepruise & be­ginne this treatise, sa [...]d not S. Iohan Baptist▪ that Christe shoulde baptise the people [...] the holy ghost? What is that, if it [...]e Math. ii [...]. not Christe, as [...]aye God, to geue hys: holy espi [...] thorowe grace▪ & forgeuenes of [...]nes, to the personage that is bapt [...] ­sed in baptisme? Agayne was Peter Martyr, and the makers of the articles annexed to the [Page] aboue re [...]e [...]sed cathechis [...], [...]ither so ignoraunt, that they knewe not, or so malitious a­gainst the trueth y ^t they would not beleue this christes, saying? Quisquis crediderit, & baptizatus fuerit salu [...] Who soeuer, shal Mar. vl [...]. beleue & [...]e baptised, shal be sa­ued? Is not this playne enough against this heresie, and also a­gainst Peter Martyr, with all others the Lutherans, and Swinglians, whiche saye that Fayth only iustifieth not man. we are iustified, and saued by faieth onelye? For doeth not Christe [...]oyne here faieth, and baptisme together for the pour­chasemente Reade ye that are in­fected with Peter Ma [...] [...]rs doctrine and repent in tyme. of oure saluation? Seest thou not then, reader, that oure newe brethren were verie blinde to saye, that bap­tisme is but a marke of our sal­uation [Page] and a sealyng of it onlie. Wyll anye man be yet so madd [...] to followe their doctrine, or to beleue their teachinge, and cor­rupted bokes? But heare Christ againe to their further reproch, & conīutation, sayinge. Nisi quis &c. Excepte a man be borne a­gaine Ioa [...]. [...]. of water, and the holye ghost, he shall not entre into the kingdome of heauen. What is it, I beseche the, Christien reader, here to be borne agayn, of the water and the spirite, if it be not a man to be borne spi­ritually thorowe grace, and for­geuenes of his sinnes the chyld of God, whiche was borne na­turallye of his mother the sōne Psalm. [...]. of Gods ire, or wrathe, as saint Paule witnesseth playnlye? Af­firmeth not also Christe heare Ephes. ii. Note this. [Page] that a manne entreth into the realme or kingdome of heauen thorow [...] his newe byrth in bap­tisme, and that without it, he shall not, [...]e can enter into it? Is this baptisme to be but a Faieth one­lye [...]ueth vs not, as our newe brech [...]en sa [...] it do [...]th. signe and a cōfirmation of our saluation, or faieth onlye to iu­stifie man? Is it any other thing a man to be iustified, than to be borne agayne throughe the workinge of the holye ghoost, which is geuen to vs in baptisme? Ti iii. Seest thou not thē ones again, reader these Gospellers blind­nesse, and ignorance in the scriptures? Moreouer, saith not S. Paule, that we are grafted into Rom. vi. Christes mysticall bodye, the churche, throughe baptisme▪ Sayeth he not in an other place that the Corrinthians were [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] washed, made holy, and iustified This is a­gaynst Pe­ter Martyr which saith that a child is a mēbre of the chur­che befo [...]e he [...]e [...] bapti­sed. in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ, and in the spirite of god, meanynge by that washinge of them, their baptisme? See wee not then, that saint Paule be­leued a man to be made righte­ous, or iustified throughe bap­tisme, and not by fayeth onlye? Is this baptisme then to be but Faith onely i [...]stifieth vs not. a marke of oure saluation, and iustification? O notable and straunge blyndnes of these pro­ceders, yea of these goers back­ward from the trueth, and new preachers. Why wynked they at thys sayinge of saint Paule, Gala. iii. Ye all are the sonnes of GOD, thorowe faieth, whiche is in Christe Iesu? Quot quot nam [...] in Christo baptizati estis, Chri­stum induistis. [Page] For as manye of you as be baptised in Christe, haue putte on Christ. What els ment sayn [...]t Paule here, by puttynge on of Christ in Baptisme, but the re­ceauinge of hym by grace, that we made the children of God his father, not onely by faythe, (as this letter declareth) but also by baptisme, shoulde be clothed with him, and our synnes so remitted throughe his deser­tes and speciall grace, that they should be therby as it were co­uered and hidde from the syght of God, that he wyll not looke vpon them to punishe vs for them? Dyd these men neuer reade, and vnderstande say [...]et Paule, affirmynge, that Christ cleanseth vs through the foun­tayne Ephe. v. of water, and the worde [Page] of lyfe, to make vs glorious without spotte, and wrincle of synne? Wyll then anye learned wyse man yet beleue this doc­trine, Faith onely [...]usti [...]eth vs not. whiche is, that only fayth iustifieth man, and that baptis­me is but a sygne, or a marke onelye of it? Adde to these say­inges thys testimonie of S. Paule. Cum apparuerit benig­nitas &c. After the bounteous­nes and loue of oure sauioure God, whiche he bare towarde man appeared, he of hys mercie saued vs, & not of oure ryghte­ous workes, throughe the fountayne Baptisme is not only a mark of our iustifi [...]ation but a cause of it. of renewynge and regeneration, or bearyng vs againe of the holye ghost, whiche he powred into vs plenteouslye, throughe Iesus Christe oure sauiour, that we beynge iustifi­ed [Page] by hys grace, shuld be heires of eternall lyfe, thorowe espe­raunce or hoope. Who may not see here moste playnly, that S. Paule affirmeth a man to bee saued, renewed, borne agayne, and iustified by baptisme, and the holye Ghoste also to bee geuen to vs in it? Where was then these mens learnyng in the scriptures, when they so ignorauntlye taughte the con­trarye, sayinge: that baptisme is but a token, marke, seale, and confirmation of our iustification Fayth only iustifieth not man. and saluation, and that only fayth doeth iustifie vs? Oure Lorde tourne theyr heartes to his trouth agayne, out of thys straunge blyndnes, in whiche they are. Finallye touchyng the rehearsall of the Scriptures, [Page] saith not s. Peter that as N [...]es i. Peter. iii. a [...]ke or shyppe saued hym, and seuen other from drownynge in the floude▪ euen semblablye baptisme saueth vs▪ Wherefore retourne ye Swinglians and Lutherans to the Catholyke churche, and forsakynge youre errours and▪ naughtye opini­ons, embrace the trueth agayn, whiche the holye & notable doctours hath taught vs in theyr bookes, as it appeareth mani­festlye by some of theyr senten­ces, whiche I haue annexed to these scriptures, that thereby men maye playnelye see, that oure newe brethren are not membres of Christes catho­like churche, nor beleue as those fathers dyd, whiche are nowe Sainctes in heauen. [Page] [...] of some of the auncient wri­ters mi [...]des, and iudgementes, tou­chy [...]ge the [...]ce and strength of baptis [...], against Peter Martyr & al the [...] of [...]e. Swinglians & [...] w [...]h do affirme that it is but onely a signe and a confir­mation of our iustification, and no cause thereof.

Saint Austen writeth after thys manie [...]. Vnusquis [...] [...]am in Serm [...]. xvi. [...] verbis apost. iustificatione constitutus, accepta sc [...]licet. remissione peccatorum per [...]auacrum regenerationis, accepto [...]piritu sancto, proficiens de die in diem, uideat, ubi sit. Let euer mā, We dooe r [...] ceaue for­geuenes of oure sinnes & the holye ghost in and by baptisme [...]han he is iustified, and remis­sion of his synues beyng recea­ [...] thorowe the fountaine of baptisme, in which man is born agayne, and also when he hath the holye Ghoost throughe the same baptisme, take heede, loke [Page] or considre in what estate he is profitinge or goinge forwarde daylye in grace, and vertuous lyuinge. Thys is veraye plain­lye written, but heare hym a­gayne writing more playnlye in To [...]. lib. con­tra [...] Pelag [...]anum. thys matter. Iustificato [...] in ha [...] ui­ta secundum [...]sta tria confertur, prius lauacro regenerationis, quo remittuntur cuncta p [...]ata. Dein­de congressione cum uitijs, à quo [...] reatu soluti sumus. Tertio dum no stra exauditur oratio, qua dicimus. Dimitte nobis debita nostra & ce. That is to saye, iustification is Mat. vi. geuen to vs in thys life by these We are in­stified by in thinges [...]nd not by faith only as our new ghoos­ [...]el [...]rs do sai falslye. three thynges▪ Fyrste throughe baptisme, in the whiche we are borne agayne and a [...] ou [...] [...] are forgeuen vs. Secondlye we are made righteous by figh­tinge with our vices, from the [Page] gylte, or faulte of whiche, we be loosed. Thirdlye iustification is geuen to vs, when thys oure petition is gratiouslye harde: Forgeue vs, O father, whiche arte in heauen, oure trespasses committed againste the, as wee do forgeue them, that trespasse againste vs. Aqua exhibet forin­ [...]ecus Grace is geuen by bap­tisme. sacramentum gratiae, & spiritus operatur intrinsecus benefici­ [...]m gratiae, soluens uinculum cul­pae, reconcilians bonum naturae, regenerat hominem in vno christo, ex uno Adam generatum. The water exhibiteth outwardly the sacrament of grace, and the ho­lye ghoste worketh inwardelye the benefite of grace, loosynge the bonde of synne, and reconciling the goodnes of nature: it doeth regenerat a man in, or [Page] thorowe one Christe, begotten of one Adam. What can our brethren Faith onlie tustifieth not man. thren say to this, which defende that faieth onlye iustifeth man, and that baptisme is but onelye a marke of our iustification, and a seale of it? Heare him agayne saying. Illo sacrosancto lauacro in choatur renouatio noui hominis. Lib. i. demo [...]i­ [...]us Ma [...]ae. orum, ca [...] ▪ xxxv.

The renewinge of the newe man is begon throughe the ho­lye lauatorie, or fountaygne of baptisme. Dicimus baptisma dare Then oure new brethrē are not catholyke mē, but playne scismatikes. in dulgentiam omnium peccato­rum, et auferre crimina, nō radere. We catholyke men doe affime, that baptisme geueth to vs remission of all oure synnes, and taketh cleane away our sinnes, & not as it were to shaue them, that the rootes of them remayn styll. Baptisma abluit peccata om­nia, [Page] prorsus omnia, dictorum facto Lib. i. ca. xiii. contra duas epist [...]alogi [...] rum. rum ac cogitatorū, siue originalia, siue addita &c. Baptisme was­sheth awaye all synnes, vtterly al, of wordes, deedes, & though­tes, whether thei be originales, or added, that is to saye, or ac­tuall Baptisme putteth a­waye oure synnes, and not faieth onlye. synnes, cōmitted by mans owne acte and free wyll. Howe shamfully then are Peter Martyr and all the newe brethren deceaued, whiche saye that baptisme is no cause of our iustification, but faieth onelye, and that baptisme is but a marke of it, and a confirmation, and yet say that they do setfurth the faieth, and religion of the fathers and of the olde catholyke churche? He that lusteth to reade more of thys matter in sainte Austens workes, let hym go [...] to the pla Lib. de [...] ad catech. lib. [...] cap. x. [Page] ces alleaged here, and noted in the margent of thys treatise, & [...]o. ix. tract. v. in primam. Io. epist. To. x. ser. 128. de tempore tract. 80. in Io. he shall be fullye satisfied of his beleife herin, notwithstanding, that these sentences alreadye recited, maye satisfie euerye good man. Heare howe what was sainte Hieroins beleife in thys mater, whiche sayeth. Euā gelij mihiplacet religio, vt baptize mini in fanguine meo, per lauacrū Hieroni. in ca. i. Esai [...]. regeneration is, quod solum potest dimittere peccata, iuxta illud. Nisi quis renatus fuerit &c. The reli­gion of the Euangelie (sayeth Hierō in Christes persone) pleaseth me, that ye be baptised in my bloude, through the lauato­tie of regeneration, whiche on­lye can remitte synnes, accor­dyng to thys saying of Christe. Excepte a man be borne againe [Page] of water and the holie ghost, he Ioan. iii. Note this reader. shall not entre into the kyng­dome of heauen. What can Peter Martyr and his followers saie to thys playne sentence?

Wyll they arrogantlye denye these doctours sayinges and those that follow here, desiring that men shoulde rather credit and beleue them, than those ho­lye aunciente great clerkes, as Latymer did of late in the dis­putations kepte at Oxforde, Latimer. when he coulde not aunswere to them? Saint Hierom sayeth, onlye: baptisme is the meane to obtaine forgeues of our sinnes, and Peter Martyr saieth, faith onelye is, and that baptisme is onely a signe of it, and no cause. He saieth againe. Christus bap­tisma Hieroni. in c [...] ii [...]. ad Gala [...] in Iordanis fluento, [...]dcir [...] [Page] quasi poeni [...]ens, quū esset à pecca­tis liber, accepit, ut coeteros edoce­ret mundandos esse per baptisma, & in filios noua spiritus adoptione regenerari: Christe receaued baptisme in the ryuer of Iordane therfore, as a penitent persone, althoughe he was free frome synne, that he myghte thereby, Note this good reader well. teache other menne, that they must be made cleane frome the filthynes of synne throughe baptisme, and be borne agayne the sonnes of God by the adoption of the holye ghost. Origen was of the selfe same beleife in thys Origenes hom. v. in losu [...]. mattier, whiche wrote this. P [...]r baptisma regenerationis expurga­tae sunt animae nostrae. Our soules are cleansed throughe baptisme of a newe byrthe. Agayne [...]e Homi. ii. in Le­ [...]cum. Cy [...]illus. and sainte [...]yrill followynge [Page] hym, doe saye thus. A [...]di nunc, quantae sunt in euangelijs peccato­rum remissiones. Est prima, qua baptizamur in remissionem pec­catorum. Heare now how many wayes there are in the euange­les to obtayn remissiō of sinnes. The fyrst is, by whiche we are baptised to pourchace forgeue­nes of synne. Deus abolet sine du­bio uitium primae natiuitat is per regenerationem. God withoute doubtaunce putteth awaye the syn of oure fyrst byrth through oure newe byrth in baptisme. Chrysostome establisheth thys doctrine saying. Futurum erat Chry [...]ost. hom. xxxv. in eua [...], Ioann [...]s. baptisma plenum maximae potes­tatis, & gratiae purgaturum peccata pro mortuo viuum effecturum. Baptisme was to come, full of greatest puissaunce, or power, [Page] and of grace, whiche shoulde pourge or cleanse mens soules from their synnes, and make a man alyue spirituallye, whiche was deade afore thorowe sinne. Agayne he saieth Aufert quidem Serm. iiii. in ca. i [...]. ad Ephesios deu [...] in praesenti uita iniquitates, et per lauacrum regenerationis, et per poenitentiam. God taketh a­waye mennes synnes in thys Note this againste the solif [...]dians. present lyfe, bothe throughe baptisme, and also throughe pe­naunce. Iustificauit deus per laua­cri Serm. xv. in ca. ix. ad Rom. regenerationem. God hathe iustified man throughe the la­uatorie of regeneratiō. He saith also that oure circumcision (baptisme) bringeth to vs goodes without numbre, and that it fil­leth Hom xxxix. in Genes [...]os ca. 17. vs full of the holye ghostes grace, and that it hathe no time appointed for the administratiō [Page] of it: Tertulliā beleued y ^e same, sayinge. Caro abluitur, ut anima emaculetur. The body of man is Tertul. de re [...] sur. car [...]. is washed, that his soule may be made cleane frō the spottes of sinne. Saint Cyprian, con­senteth to these fathers, when he sayth thus: Gratia de baptismi Lib. i. [...]pist. iii sanctification [...] percipitur. Grace is receaued throughe the halo­winge of mannes soule in bap­tisme. per baptisma spiritus sanc­tus percipitur. The holy ghost is receaued by or throughe bap­tisme. Oportet mundari, & sancti­ficari Lib. ii. epist. iii. & lib. i. [...]pi. xi▪ aquam prius à sacerdote, vt possit baptismo suo peccatà homi­nis, qui baptizatur, abluere. The water must be first made cleane and holye of the prieite, that it [...]alowinge of the fo [...]te Lib. in [...]. cp [...]. vii. maye throughe the washinge of it, washe awai the mans sinnes [Page] whiche is baptised. To be short he sayeth that all the Deuels myght and power is taken frō him in baptisme, and the grace of the holye Ghooste is equal­lye geuen to vs in it.

Sciat diaboli nequitiam pertina­cem Lib. 4. epist. 7. us [...] ad aquam salutarem va­lere, in baptismo autem omnes vires nequitiae amittere. Lette [...] man knowe that the dyuels stubborne euelnes or malice is stronge continually vnto the water of saluation, but in bap­tisme he loseth all his power to do euyll. Quos parentalis labes infecerat, sic lauat baptismus, vt Marke this sayinge. nec actualis, nec originalis macula aliqua post ablutionem il [...]am ve­stigia derelinquat. Baptisme doeth so cleane washe theym, whiche Adams synne had in­fected [Page] or defiled, that no spotte nother of originall synne nor of Thē the cō ­cupisence remaininge in the chylde baptised is no synne. actuall after that washynge a­way of fylth, leaueth any print, token, or signe. Is this baptisme to be but onelye a marke of our iustification, or a sealynge of it? Is this faythe onelye to iustifie vs, and baptisme to bee no cause of our ryghtuousnes, and iustification? O how blinde are these brethren, whiche doe teache that, & semblable other wicked doctrine. Our lord geue them grace to recule and retier to the trouth from their here­sies. Heare S. Basyll, whiche Bas. de exhor­tati [...]ue ad baptismum. was almoste twelue hundred yeres sence. Baptisma captiuorū est redemptio, debitorū remissio, mors peccatorum, animae rege­neratio, amictus splendens, chara­cter [Page] indeprehensibilis, coeli ite [...], regni coelestis conciliatio, adopti­onis gratia. Baptisme is a raun­som Many benefites obtay­ned by baptisme. Marke. Ioa [...]. iii. of prisoners, a forgeuenes of debtes, the death of synnes, a regeneration of the soule, a bright apparell, a figure that can not be perfitlye perceaued, the iourneye of or to heauen, the purchasyng of the heauen­lye kyngdome, the grace of ad­option, or chosynge of a man to be the chylde of God, and hys heyre. He hathe also these sen­tences amongest manye moe. Tempus aliud alij opportunum negocio quaerunt, ad baptismi ve▪ ro salutem, tempus quodlibet accō modum Ho [...]. [...]. [...]. [...] baptism [...]. sit, siue dies, siue nox, siue hora, siue quodcun [...] temporis momentum. Men doe seke dy­uers tymes conuenient for di­uers [Page] busynesses, but euery sea­son maye or shoulde be meete Our newe brethren ap­poynted a time to re­ [...]eyue bap­tisme. to receaue saluation throughe baptisme, whether it be daye, or nyght, houre, or anye other shorte tyme. Agayne he sayeth, Peccatum gratiam nobis per bap­tismi regenerationem datam abo Hom. [...] in psal. xxviii. let. Synne putteth awaye grace, geuen to vs throughe baptisme, in whyche we are borne agayne. Seruamur, autem, quo modo? Nimirū regenerati per De exhorta, ad baptisma. gratiam, quae confertur in baptismo. We are saued, but howe? Vndoubtedly throughe Gods grace, whiche is geuen to vs in baptisme. Was not then Peter Fayth! only saueth not, howe be it our new brethren saye that it doth. Martyr very ignoraunt, when he affirmed and defended that our saluation consisted onelye in God, and that baptisme is [Page] but a [...]igne, and an establishmēt of our saluation? S. Martiall Epist. i. cap. 5. S. Peters disciple [...]areth. Re­uiuiscit anima per baptisma. Iam sanctificat [...], & mundati estis aqua regenerationis. The soule of mā waxeth alyue throughe bap­tisme: You are now made holye and cleane from the fylthynes of synne, by or with the water of baptisme, in whiche ye are borne agayne. S. Gregore, Hieroms mayster, affirmeth the same thynge sayinge Laua­crum eorum qui peccauerunt, non [...]ratione in s. [...]auacrum. qui peccant, remiss [...]onem conti­net. His scoler Eucherius was of the same belief, which wrote thus. Salutis vnda nos à primi parentis culpa absoluit. The wa­ter [...] libres regū. of saluatiō louseth vs from the synne of our first father A­dam, [Page] whiche is originall synne. Erred not then Peter Martyr when he taughte at Oxforde, that a Christian mans chylde obtayneth remission of original synne before he bee baptized, and that he shall be saued yf he be not baptized at all? Whyche doctrine ryseth of that other, that fayth onelye doeth iustifie vs. Arator an olde writer hol­deth Lib i. cap. ii [...] in act, apost [...]. with thys catholyke doc­trine sayinge:

S. Alch [...]mus Archebyshop of An. domi [...] Lib. 5. cap. 2 [...] Genes. Vienna an ancient writer hath thus. [Page] Quū purgata sacris debitur culpa fluentis [...] noua parientis lympha lauacri, Pro [...] post veteres, quos aedidit Eua, reatus. C [...]audius Varius Victor, whiche was aboute xi. hundred yeres passed, hathe sette furthe Lib [...] i [...] Gen. this godlye doctrine, when he wrote thus.

S. Pauline, that was in Au­stens tyme and wrote to hym, Natali. x. f. [...]l. cis is in thys matter agaynst Pe­ter Martyr, and suche others, writynge thus.

Eusebius confirmeth this ca­tholike L. b. 9. capita. Euangelica demonstra. doctrine, when he saith. Non amplius per legitima sacri­ficia [Page] Mosaicae legis, remissio illis peccatorum conciliatur, sed pe [...] lauacri purgationē, quod in colle­cta ex gentibus ecclesia tradeba­tur. Remission of synne is no longer purchased of theym throughe the lawfull sacrifices of Moyses lawe, but throughe the cleansynge of the fountaine of baptisme, which was geuen in the churche assembled of the Gentils.

Thys is playnelye sayde, and as playne is thys sentence, pro­nounced and published in the fyrste counsayle holden at the citie of Nicea, almoste twelue hundred yeres sence. Confiteo [...] v [...]m baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. That is to saye. Note thi [...] reader.

I do confesse, or acknowledge, that there is one baptisme, or [Page] that a man must be ones bapti­sed to obtain remissiō of sinnes. Thys is the Crede and beleife Ephes. iiii. Peter mar­tyr and the new brethrē beleue not a [...] the holye catholyke church doth. of al christian nations, and ther­fore. I maye well conclude a­gainst Peter Martyr, and the makers of the afore recited ca­techisme, and the articles adioyned to the same, that they are not membres of Christes holye churche, because they saye that baptisme is but a signe, token, marke, and confirmation of our iustification, and of the remissi­on of our synnes, but that they are forgeuen vs by fayeth onlye before we be baptised, yea wee beinge chyldren latelye borne & hauing no fayth of our owne. Saint Ambrose agreeth herein with the other fathers speaking Ambros [...] in i. Cor. of our wasshing in baptisme, of [Page] our being halowed in baptisme, Faieth onlye doeth not iustifie man, but baptisme al­so. & of oure iustification obtained therin, as Paule witnesseth in that place. Haec omnia beneficia puritatis, in baptismate consecuti noscuntur, quod est fundamentū [...]uangelicae ueritatis. Illic enim omnibus pec [...]ati [...] depositis, abluitur credens, & iustificatur in nomine domini, & spiritu dei nostri, filius deo adoptatur. The people are knowen to haue gotten all these benefites of purenes in baptism Note this, reader, dili­gentlye. whiche baptisme is the foūdation of the trueth of the euangell. For in baptisme he that bele­ueth is wasshed cleane from his synnes, and is iustified in the name of our lorde, and thorowe the spirite of God is chosen the sonne of God, al hys s [...]nnes be­ing put away from hym. Seest [Page] thou not here playnelye, reader, The vertue and strēgth, of baptisme. that saint Ambrose expo [...]nding saint Pauls wordes, declareth that he mente, that we are iustified in baptisme, and do receaue therby the holye ghost, obtayne remission of al our sinnes, & are made the sonnes or chyldren of God by adoption, whiche alto­gether Peter Martyr denieth vngodlye? Ought he then to be credited & beleued in his other opinions, whiche doeth so igno­rauntlye erre in this mattier a­gainste the holye scriptures, the general coūselles, the doctours, the auncient custome, and the beleife of the catholike churche? Heare the holye man Leo the fyrst Pope of that name, which [...]eo sermone primo de [...]a [...] ­ [...]ate Christi. was aboue M. C. yeres synce, and saieth. Per baptismatis sacra­mentum, [Page] spiritus sancti factus es templum. Thou arte made the temple of the holye Ghooste throughe the sacrament of bap­tisme. Maximus an auncient great learned man was of the Homi. de sym­bolo apost. [...]ame beleife, when he wrote thus. Sancta est ecclesia, quae bap­tismi sacramento, peccatorum con­tagione detersa, terrarum incolas transmittit ad coelum. The church is holye, whiche sendeth the dwellers of the earthes vnto heauen, throughe the sacrament of baptisme, the infectiō of syn­nes being therby wyppen or ta­ken awaye. This is manifestlye spoken of these holye doctours. I passe ouer all the reste of the olde doctours sentences, boeth because these are sufficiente to persuade euery man, that is not [Page] obstinatlye geuen to abyde in his errour, and also for that, that I woulde not be ouer te­dious to the reader. Our lorde of hys infinite goodnes, & moste tendre mercye graunte them grace to amende, and to forsake thys wicked errour, and all o­thers their abominable opini­ons, and to retourne agayne vnto Christes catholyke church leauinge their schisme, to the honoure of God and the saluation of their own soules. which Christe bought most dear [...]e with the shed dynge of hys preci­ous bloude▪

Amen.