FIrst tell me (freend Veriloquus) what opinion ought men to haue of the holie Trinitie?

THe same which the Church hol­deth and alloweth of, that there is one, true, liuing and eternall God, Iohn. 4. Iohn 1. 1. Tim. 6. 2. Cor. 13. Ioh. 1.4.6. Sap. 11. the which is without bodie, partes and passions, bicause he is a spirit, whom neuer anie man yet saw neither can sée, nor know, but Christ; for he can not be séene with carnall eies, and he is the God of peace and loue, louing all, and hating nothing that he hath made: he is of infinite power, wisdome, goodnes, and mercie, the cre­atour, preseruer, and nourisher of all things, visible and inuisible, which deliuereth vs from euill. Esai. 43. Iohn. 3. Rom. 5. And in the vnitie of this same diuine na­ture, there are thrée distinct persons, of the like power, essence, wisdome, glorie, and eternitie, that is to saie, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holie-ghost, which are the blessed Trinitie.

And the sonne of God, [...] patris, Iohn. 1. the word of the father, is the second person in this Tri­nitie, the true, euerlasting, glorious, and om­nipotent [Page 2] God, 2. Cor. 4. Col. 1. begotten before all worlds of his eternall father, and is his verie image, be­ing of like substance togither with him: Col. 2. in whome are the treasures of wisdome, and of knowledge, and fulnes of diuine power. He tooke vpon him, in the wombe of the blessed virgin Marie humane nature of hir sub­stance, and was borne in the world: in somuch that there is conioined fullie and perfectlie in the vnitie of person, a double nature neuer to be separated, that is the nature of God and of man, wherof is made one Christ, perfect God, and perfect man (sinne onlie excepted) who suf­fered vnder Pontius Pilate, 1. Tim 2. 1. Ioh. 2.4. Eph. 3. Rom. 5.8. Act. 2. and became the mediator betwéene God and man, that in him onlie should be found the sufficiencie of remis­sion of all sinnes, both originall and actuall, for all them that euer were, or shalbe vpon the face of the earth. And the Holie-ghost is the third person in this Trinitie, which procéedeth from the father and the sonne, and is the holie and diuine power, 1. Rom. 10 whereby mens harts are renewed from heauen, he is of like essence, power, glorie and maiestie, with the father, and the sonne, with whome he is coequall, co­eternall, and God euerlasting, by whome we comprehend the things of God, for he giueth witnesse to our harts, 1. Iohn. 2. that we are of God, by [Page 3] the which also, Rom. 1. Gal. 5. 1. Pet. 2. we call vpon the father with confidence & faith to be saued by Christ, which is the bishop of our soules.

God made all things, and with­out him was made nothing, that was made, Iohn. 1. Wisd. 1.

But God made not death, sin, nor the diuell,

Therefore God made not all things.

The fallacie lieth in the consequent which must be denied. Almightie God, that is all wisdome, infinit power and goodnes, crea­ted all things in such excellent goodnes, that it is said: Valde sunt bona, Gen. 1. They were all passing good, and God saw that they were good; then he blessed them, and his sentence is not to be re­uoked, bicause he being without bodie, parts and passions, cannot repent. And as the di­uell was not euer a diuell from the begin­ning (for the Apostle saith Angeli qui non serua­runt originem suam: Iude. The Angels which kept not there first estate) so he was created, and that an Angell of light, and not a diuell. Colos. 3. For God being most perfectly good, could not consent to make anie thing but that, which was good, and his owne pride made himselfe a diuell, the au­thor of sinne, the heire of eternall fier. Matt. 25. Then he tempting our first parents, by the apple of dis­obedience, made them likewise so sinfull, that by Adam we are all sinners, Rom. 5. of whome we [Page 4] haue the inclination to doo euill, and then con­sequentlie followed death, and was engen­dred of our said parents déeds, as the onelie fruite of their lewd & stubborne disobedience, which they learned of Sathans disobedience: Sic diaboli inuidia, Wisd. 2. mors intrauit in mundum: So by the enuie of the diuell, death entred into the world. Rom. 6. And S. Paule saith: Stipendium peccati mors est: Death is the reward of sinne, which still increased, and wickednes multiplied, by the reason men were tempted, drawne awaie and entised of their owne concupiscence; Iacob. 1. then lust conceiued and brought foorth sinne, and sin, when it was finished, brought foorth death. So that then God tooke vnto him death, for the punishment of sinne, that therewith he might correct the wicked, teaching them that transgressors might not lawfullie sin without punishment. So it is said in another place: Ignis, Eccle. 39. grando, fames, & mors, omnia haec creata sunt ad vindictam: Fier, haile, hunger and death, all these are created for vengeance; that is to saie, after the fall of man, God appointed and exer­cised all these things for the punishment of the wicked, wherby he tooke vengeance of his eni­mies, Rom. 1. and dooth vse them as an instrument to strike the wicked withall: and oftentimes dooth punish one sinne with another. Thus we [Page 5] doo now see, Iaco. 1.17. that Omne donum bonum ac perfectum à patre luminum: Euerie good and perfect gift commeth downe from the father of lights, and that he made not death, sinne, nor the diuell in his diuelishnes, from the beginning; Wisd. 1. for he is not delighted in Perditione viuorum, in the de­struction of the liuing, nor can be the author of anie damnation, though his wrath and iustice powreth downe his plagues vpon the children of disobedience and vnbeléefe dailie, Esaie. 5. bicause they drawe sinne vnto them, as it were with a cart rope, according to the prophets saieng.

How much shall adulterie be pu­nished by the censure of Gods holie word?

Adulterie (which is the violation and breach of the faith promised in mariage) a thing odious and forbidden of God, Exod. 20. Leui. 18. Deut. 5. is so grée­uouslie punished of him, that all adulterers shall (without they doo truelie repent) bée cast awaie into vtter darkenes, 1. Corin. 6. Hebru. 13. Ierem. 8. which is without the kingdome of God. And if men doo not pu­nish adulterers, God himselfe will surelie pu­nish them. 2. Reg. 12. As we haue an example of king Dauids sonne, which Vrias wife bare vnto him, whom the Lord so stroke with sicknes, for the adulterie of his father, that it fell sicke and di­ed the seuenth daie after. Mala. 3. Thus the Lord him­selfe verelie will be a swift witnes against all [Page 6] adulterers.

Carnall copulation is the ordi­narie meanes onelie for mankind to be en­creased and multiplied, and to fill the world,

Genesi. 1.God commanded Adam and Eue to en­crease and multiplie, and fill the world,

Therefore God commanded carnall copu­lation.

The inconuenience lieth in the con­sequent, which ought to be denied. For though the minor be true, that God commanded them to encrease and multiplie, and fill the world: yet he would haue it to be doone by such law­full meanes, as he himselfe hath ordeined, and not by euill anie other waies. Because he can­not agree vnto sinne, nor allowe thereof in anie case, his commandement in these words was so holie, Genesi. 1. that he blessed them a litle before in the same chapter, for that they should en­crease and multiplie, to acknowledge him, and to yéeld him the more honor, which was the finall end of their creation, and must be the scope of all their actions. And then he ordeined the honorable estate of matrimonie, Hebru. 13. Genesi. 2. 1. Thes. 4. and the bed vndefiled shortlie after, that euerie one should knowe how to keepe his vessell in holi­nesse, which he constituted in such a mysterie and vertue, that man and wife are made there­by [Page 7] one flesh, and so to encrease and multiplie, and to liue togither in the feare of God, Marke. 10. and procreation of children in such a mutuall socie­tie each to other, Matt. 19. that they ought rather to for­sake father and mother than to forsake each o­ther. Wherefore, such as commit carnall copu­lation, contrarie to this ordinance, wresting the sacred scriptures therby to mainteine their sensualitie, doo incur the heauie wrath of God, and haue no part in the kingdome of heauen, as it is written: 1. Cor. 10. Hebru. 13. Fornicatores & adulteros iudica­bit Deus: God will iudge fornicators and adul­terers, and their children shall not prosper, as it is likewise said: Wisd. 3. Filij adulterorū in consumatione erunt: The children of adulterers shall come to an end. So that they shall not onlie haue anie ioy and comfort of their children, as other pa­rents haue, but they shall be a testimonie of their wickednesse against them, as it is said: Ex iniquis qui nascuntur, testes sunt nequitiae aduer­sus parentes: All the children that are borne of the wicked, must beare record of the wicked­nes, against their fathers and mothers. And to conclude: Eccle. 15. Nemini mandauit Dominus impiè agere: The Lord hath commanded no man to doo euill.

Ought christian folkes children to be baptised or no?

Yes verelie: for though parents be themselues baptised before the birth of their children, yet must their children be baptised likewise, séeing that they be conceiued and borne in sinne originall, which liueth in them, as soone as they come into this world. Bicause baptisme (which is a wetting or washing) is so necessarie to followe faith and beléefe, that they two ioined togither, haue the most cer­teine and sure promise by Christ, Marc. 16. of saluation and eternall life. And it is not the parents ho­lines that can hallowe and sanctifie their chil­dren: wherefore we must flie vnto faith, and then baptisme must be had, the outward signe whereof representeth in vs the renewing of the spirit, Rom. 6. Colos. 2. and mortifieng of our members in Christ Iesus (as we are bound to doo) whereby we are buried in death with him. God ordei­ned baptisme, and it was ministred by S. Iohn the baptist: Iohn. 1. yet it bringeth not grace with it, as it appeareth by Simon Magus the southsai­er and sorcerer. Act. 8. But beléefe, mercie, grace, and the Holie-ghost himselfe is receiued before baptisme, as it appeared in S. Paule, which be­leeued and then receiued the Holie-ghost, Act. 9. be­fore he was baptised. Cornelius the centurion capteine receiued the Holie-ghost, Act. 10. before he was baptised. And the gelded chamberlaine [Page 9] of Candace the quéene of the Aethiopians be­léeued, Act. 8. and therefore had grace before he was baptised. But baptisme is so necessarie, that Christ saith: Iohn. 3. Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua & spiritu, non potest intrare in regnum Dei: Except a man be borne againe of water and of the Holie-ghost, he cannot enter into the king­dome of God.

Christ said: All they which be­leeue and are baptised shall be saued,

Theeues and harlots beleeue and are bap­tised, Marc. 16. New birth is in do­ctrine by the holie-ghost.

Therefore théeues & harlots shall be saued.

The consequent is false: & the minor may be answered by distinction. There is a double faith and beleefe. The one being grounded on the testimonie of a good consci­ence, is not onelie the common beleefe of all the articles of our christian faith, but it is also a sure confidence and trust of the mercie of God, through our Lord Iesus Christ, and a stedfast hope of all good things to be receiued at Gods hand, for Christes sake. This faith is a most strong brasen wall against the assaults of the diuell, and is not idle, but alwaies wor­keth in charitie and loue, still readie to doo our brother good, and seeketh oportunitie thereto, wherefore, it is a liuelie faith, and comprehen­deth [Page 10] all the merits and mercies of God, be­stowed on mankind, as our creation, redemp­tion, and sanctification. But the other is the faith and beleefe of harlots and diuels; Iacob. 2. Qui credunt & contremiscunt: Which beleeue and tremble, knowing that God is true, and iust, yet haue they no goodnes at all ioined with their faith, but dooing all euill, and nothing well, therefore it is dead in it selfe: whereby it commeth to passe, that their faith and baptis­me dooth nothing preuaile, or further them vn­to saluation: bicause they haue no desire to continue in that estate of innocencie, and per­fection, which they promise at the time of their new birth in baptisme, but they reuolt from God, Iohn. 3. and turne awaie from his mercies. And as Christ died for none, but for such as laie hold on him by a liuelie faith (for his death shall be rather to the death of infidels, than to their life) so the faith and beléefe of hypocrites, théeues, and harlots, which haue an outward shew, and nothing in substance, couered ouer (as it were) with the smooth skinne of words, is nothing worth. For the people of Israel in the old time could saie; Iere. 7. Matt. 7. Templum Domini, tem­plum Domini; The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. And we can saie now a daies, Domine, Domine, Lord, Lord; and hy­pocrites [Page 11] will so saie to the worlds end. But here is no new obedience to God, nor his word, which is required of the penitent; here is no loue to God nor man, which God comman­deth; here is no goodnes towards God, nor man, therefore it nothing auaileth them to their saluation.

How necessarie is inuocation and praier?

So necessarie, 1. Thes. 5. Colos. 4. that S. Paule saith: Sine intermissione orate: Praie without ceasing. And againe: Orationi instate, vigilantes in ea: Continue in praier, and watch in the same, meaning thereby, that in all our actions and attempts, we must still be prest and rea­die to praie, Luke. 12. séeking after the kingdome of God first before all things in faith. Rom. 10. For he cal­leth not truelie vpon the name of God, which beleeueth not in him; and without a sure con­fidence in God, that he is both omnipotent, whereby he is able to doo it, and also mercifull, whereby he is willing to doo it, when it shall seeme good to his infinite wisedome, and that our praier be so made in acknowledging of our sinnes, that it may redound to Gods glo­rie, to the furtherance of our saluation, and the promoting of his church, else is it but vaine, and lippe labour. Christ praieth for vs, that be [Page 12] his: Iohn. 16.17. Hebr. 7.9. Iohn. 11. Rom. 8. for he knoweth that he is heard of his fa­ther. We manie times knowe not what to praie for, but the spirit aideth our infirmitie. And praier is of foure kinds. Deprecation, which is to beg, either to mitigate the punish­ment due for our sinnes, or else that God will turne awaie his heauie displeasure concei­ued for our sinnes. Supplications are requests whereby we craue such things as be necessa­rie, either for the sustentation of this life, or for the life to come. Intercessions, are praiers made in the behalfe of others. And thanks gi­uing is when we praise God, and celebrate his name, for all his benefits conferred both vpon our soules, and also vpon our bodies.

1. Cor. 12. S. Paule writeth: No man can saie that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holie-ghost,

Hypocrites, theeues, & harlots, doo saie that Iesus is the Lord,

Therefore hypocrites, theeues, and harlots, haue the Holie-ghost, and by a consequent doo beléeue, and they calling vpon God, doo please him, are heard of him, and so be saued.

I answer by distinction: for Paule speaketh of the true inuocation, accor­ding to this saieng: Zachar. 12. Effundam super eos spiritum gratiae & pre [...]m: I will powre out vpon them [Page 13] the spirit of grace & praier. Againe, Rom. 8. Accepi­stis spiritum adoptionis, per quem clamamus Abba Pa­ter: Ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption, wherby we crie Abba Father. But the coun­terfeit and false inuocation nothing auaileth at all, which is not doone by the confidence, and in the knowledge of our mediator the sonne of God, but in the trust of their owne merits and worthines, as plainelie it appeareth in the gospell by the talke of the Pharisie. Luc. 18.

What is the gospell of Christ?

It is the glad tidings of the for­giuenes of our sinnes, the gift of grace, and e­ternall life, freelie by the death and passion of Christ the sonne of God, and our mediator, of the Gréeke word [...]. And it is the power of God to saluation, for all them that beléeue; as S. Paule saith: Rom. 1. Virtus Dei est in salu­tem omni credenti: by the voice whereof, the church and houshold of God is congregated, and gathered together.

Christ said to his disciples: Marc. 6. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospell to all creatures,

Beasts are Gods creatures, comprised in the generalitie of all,

Therefore we may preach the gospell to brute beasts.

The consequent much deceiueth: and the minor may be answered by distincti­on. For God made his creatures of two sorts, namelie reasonable, as men and angels: and vnreasonable, as brute beasts, which though they be Gods creatures, and haue manie sen­ses common togither with man, as their be­ing, moouing, seeing, tasting, hearing, smel­ling, and féeling; yet they can not in anie case be capeable of the gospell, which is eternall life for all beléeuers, and was ordeined onelie for the comfort of man, that did beare the liue­lie image of God, which is most absolute righ­teousnes, and most perfect holines, vntill man by blots of sinne did marre that image, and hath yet some semblance with God in the eter­nitie of the soule, consisting of these powers, will, wit and memorie, whereof beasts are de­priued, & can neither haue abilitie of reason, of number, or of beléefe. If such cauillers as propound these syllogisticall obiections and quarels, had but a little more wit than beasts, they might vnderstand by these words follow­ing, Marc. 16. Qui crediderit, & baptisatus fuerit, saluus erit: He that beléeueth, and is baptised shall be sa­ued, that this later clause cleane taketh awaie this cauill, and expoundeth that which goeth before, and that brute beasts haue no possibili­tie [Page 15] of either of these two conditions, as to be­leeue or to be baptised. But there are some happilie of the same follie, as I read a learned mistres had, who finding in S. Paules epistles these words: Si vir dormierit, mulier est liberata: 1. Cor. 7. If the husband sleepe, the wife is at libertie, vsed (by the authoritie of these words) licenti­ous and incontinent liuing, when hir husband slept, as well by night as by daie, and being reprooued thereof by the Ordinarie, she allea­ged the same scripture, affirming that she had doone nothing, but that which was lawfull and allowable by the testimonie of Gods word. Turne the leafe & read furder (saith the iudge) and you shall see, that by this word (Sleepe) is meant the naturall death. Nay sir (quoth she) turne you, and read you, for I take that which best serueth for my purpose. Thus we see that there be some: Qui deprauant scripturas, 2. Pet. 3. ad suam ipsorum perditionem, which peruert the scriptures vnto there owne destruction. And further, though it be written, that: Fides ex auditu, Rom. 10. au­ditus autem per verlum Dei: Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God: Hebr, 4. yet such as heare the word of God, and couple it not with faith, take no more profit thereby than the brute beasts doo by hearing, which haue no proportion of reason in vnderstan­ding [Page 16] such mysteries. The popes holy power. And the old popish San­cters tooke vpon them to blesse, consecrate, hol­low, & sanctifie crosses, wood, mettall, stones, belles and bones, yea (and whatsoeuer ye will) by sprinkling ouer of holie water, crossing, an­nointing and blessing: yet all these trumpe­ries could take no more holines and goodnes by all their circumstance of charmings, than beasts can by offering them the word of God. For brute beasts haue no hearing with vnder­standing of such matters. Dead and senseles things haue no hearing at all. If they haue no hearing, they haue no faith; if they haue no faith, they haue no goodnes; if they haue no goodnes in them, then sprinkling ouer of wa­ter, crossing, annointing, blessing of words, can not make them better than trumperies, as they were before.

When, and how was the Holie-ghost made manifest and knowne?

First, in the work of the creation, where it is said: Gen. 1. Spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas: The spirit of the Lord was caried vpon the waters, that is to wit, he nourished all the worke that was made, as an hen nourisheth hir chickens, which generall act of the Holie-ghost was after transferred to the Church, which he nourisheth by singular meanes, and [Page 17] defendeth it. Next the holie-ghost spake by the prophets. Thirdlie, he appeered in the likenes of a dooue, at the baptisme of Christ. Fourthlie, Matt. 3. he was manifested to the disciples in the daie of pentecost, in the shape of firie toongs, Act. 2. which patefactions are certeine testimonies that the Holie-ghost is an other person than the fa­ther and the sonne.

Christ saith: Iohn. 16. The Holie-ghost shall lead you into all truth,

Therefore Christ taught not his disciples all truth: but the Holie-ghost will reueale some new things, as the masse, traditions, and wor­shipping of the papisticall church.

I denie the consequent, and an­swer by distinction: for Christ speaketh of the same veritie which is reuealed in his word, as he saith in another place, Sermo tuus est veritas, Iohn. 17. quam spiritus sanctus illustrabit: Thy word is the truth, which the Holie-ghost shall open. He speaketh not of those things which God hath not opened to his church in his holie word, as to know the time of our deaths, when the daie of iudgement shalbe, or such like, the curious searching out whereof is the rashnes of man, forbidden by this saieng: Scrutator maiestatis opprimetur à gloria: The searcher out of the ma­iestie of God shall be confounded with his [Page 18] glorie.

What is the certeine note and marke of the presence of the Holie-ghost?

The spirituall or good motions of the hart, as is praier and inuocation, the loue to heare the word of God, and the true imbra­cing of the same: whereas there are no such motions felt, there the Holie-ghost is not, and such as are without these good féelings are no true members of the church, according to that saieng: Rom. 8. Qui non habet spiritum Christi, non est eius: He that hath not the spirit of Christ, is none of his: 2. Reg. 11. Iohn. 18. except they doo returne to God by repen­tance and conuersion, as Dauid, Manasses, Pe­ter, and such other did, which receiued againe the Holie-ghost by repentance and faith, that was put awaie from them by their falles, con­trarie to their owne conscience.

What is the office of Christ?

First, Christs office is by his preaching to open to vs and his church, his fa­thers eternall will. Next, to offer him selfe vp a sacrifice to his father, for the redemption of all the world, and to deliuer his vniuersall church from death, sinne, and the tyrannie of the diuell.

Act. 12. Nero killed Paule, Herod killed Iohn and Iames,

Therefore Christ deliuereth not his church, giueth hir no peace, nor victorie against hir enimies.

Christ giueth vs the eternall vic­torie, which hereafter we shall behold. And now we haue the victorie also, howbeit we can not see it with corporall eies, for the church is preserued, though the diuell rage and horriblie inuade it. God defendeth it maruelouslie, without anie mans power or strength: as the father himselfe saith: Seruabo vos non in arcu, Ose. 1. nec in gladio, sed in Domino Deo vestro: I will not de­liuer you through my bowe or sword, but in the Lord your God, that is, in my sonne, which is your Lord and your God. Also God saith in Zacharie: Ego ero igneus murus vester: Zachar. 2. I will be to you a wall of fier round about.

When began the kingdome of Christ in mankind?

The kingdome of Christ, or the presence of the sonne of God, was in man­kind streightwaies from the beginning of the making and receiuing of man among the fa­thers, prophets, and the godlie people of the old Testament, as Irenaeus saith, Semper adest [...] humano generi: The word (that is the sonne of God) was alwaies present with mankind. Also S. Paule saith: Christus hodie & heri, Hebr. 13. & in [Page 20] omnia secula: Christ yesterdaie and to daie, and the same continueth for euer the author of truth and goodnes.

The taking awaie of an other mans thing against the owners will, is theft,

Matth. 21.Christ commanded the asse and hir colt to be brought vnto him, and that against the owners will,

Therefore Christ did not well.

The minor is to be denied, Christ was the superior Lord of this people, although he vsed not that his externall power and right, bicause he came to be made a sacri­fice for our sins: yet notwithstanding he had power ouer this people, as he himselfe saith: Dominus hijs opus habet: Matth. 21. The Lord hath néede of them. Againe, he tooke not awaie the asse a­gainst the owners will, but with his good will, when the disciples had alleged vnto him the cause of taking hir awaie, declaring their message, which the Lord gaue them in charge to doo.

When shall the kingdome of Christ (which is the collecting of his church) end?

In the last daie, when as the Apo­stle saith: 1. Cor. 15. Regnum patri suo tradet: He shall deli­uer vp the kingdome to his father, ouercom­ming [Page 21] all his enimies, and his churches, as sin, death, sathan, hell, & all tyrants, for then shall we see the verie sonne of God, which is corpo­rall, & he will bring vs vnto his father, there shall he present his church before his eternall father, then shall we beginne to see and know the father visiblie, whose fruition is eternall life. In the meane season, the kingdome of Christ is named in vs, bicause it dwelleth in vs by his ministerie. And trulie therefore is his word sent vnto vs, for he is called [...], both in respect of vs, and of his father also. And the Apostle here speaketh of Christs king­dome in this world, 1. Cor. 15. whereby he congregateth his church together, and dooth mightilie de­fend it by his infinite power and mercie with­out corporall violence.

The minister of the gospell ought not to vse corporall violence,

Christ vsed corporall violence in whipping the biers and fellers out of the temple, Iohn. 2.

Therefore Christ did not well.

This may be answered thrée 1 waies. First, I denie the minor: bicause Christ mooued not sedition, neither vsed cor­porall violence. Act. 5. But as Peter killed Ananias and Saphira his wife, without corporall vio­lence (yea God him selfe quicklie destroied [Page 22] them) so Christ here saieth: Zelus domus tuae com­odit me: Psal. 69. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me, that was a certeine diuine force and in­dignation, enflamed with the loue and desire of the affirming, and propagation of the honor of God.

2 Secondlie I answer to the minor. As the minister of the gospell ought not vse corporall violence truelie, but in his owne house: so Christ did well in casting out of these chaffe­ring hucsters out of the temple, Iohn. 2. bicause it was his house and his place.

3 Thirdlie, Christ is not onlie a minister of the gospell, but also a king, yet he shewed not him­selfe as a king, but vsed the spirit without vio­lence, that he might signifie, that he punish­eth all the wicked at the daie of iudgement. And it is also a signification of the daie of iudgement.

Wherefore dooth God take men to grace and mercie, and not the diuels?

Bicause the sinne of the diuels is blasphemie, and the sinne of our first pa­rents was imbecillitie and weakenes. God also sheweth his iustice in the eternall punish­ment of the diuell, and his mercie in deliue­ring of man. Matt. 25. And Christ said: Ite in ignem a­ternum, qui paratus est diabolo & angelis suis: Go [Page 23] into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the diuell and his angels. Againe, Iude. Seruabit diabolos aeternis vinculis: God will reserue the diuels to euerlasting chaines. Thirdlie the diuell sinned against God wittinglie and willinglie, both in pride and contempt of the sonne of God, whom therefore he contemneth, bicause he cast him awaie to be worse than all creatures; and man sinned by the instigation and deceipt of the diuell. Genesi. 3. And bicause the diuell sinned both of malice, and wittinglie, and hateth the sonne of God our mediatour, with a perpetuall and insatiable hatred, God receiueth him not into fauour. For that the onelie sonne of God is the onelie mediator betwéene God offended, and his creatures offending, which mediatour the diuels persecute and blaspheme, to the vt­termost of their power, alwaies labouring to contrarie the immutable will of God.

The will of God is immutable, Prou. 19.

Moses gouernement was appointed by the will of God,

Therefore it is immutable.

I answer to the minor by distinction. The will of God is immutable as he himselfe hath decréed. To the minor, the politike gouernement of Moses was or­deined [Page 24] by the will of God, but so, that it should be abolished againe, when the Messias came, which is the sauiour of mankind, and that by thrée waies; first, by merit; next, by efficacie; and thirdlie, by intercession, when he wrought in the world the mysterie of our redemption, with other his signes, wonders and miracles.

What are miracles?

Miracles are the workes of God, such as creatures, No imitati­on of Gods miracles. men, and angels cannot imitate. That is to saie, the creation of the world, the stopping of the course of the sunne, the continuall moouing of the celestiall bodies, the raising vp of the dead, and to make the fruitfull barren. And miracles are of two sorts, ordinarie, and inordinarie; ordinarie are the creation, the preseruing, and propagation of mankind; inordinarie, to stop the course of the sunne, to make the fruitfull barren, and to raise vp the dead, which the diuell can in no case imitate and followe. Therefore he dooth alwaies maligne and take an offense against God.

Matt. 18.He that giueth cause of an of­fense dooth euill,

Christ geue cause of an offense,

Therefore Christ did euill.

I denie the minor; for Christ is [Page 25] no cause of an offense giuen. There is a double offense, one giuen, and an other taken. The of­fense giuen, is an euill doctrine, or a wicked example of life, whereby others deceiued are made the worse. In Catalogo haereticorum, lib. 2. As Arrius the heretike bishop of Alexandria was the author of a most horri­ble offense giuen, which affirmed Christ to be a creature onlie, and confounded his Godhead. It is written therefore, that he burst asunder in the middest, and his bowels gushed out. Of which offense it is said, Vae mundo a scandalis: Wo vnto the world, bicause of offenses. And a­gaine: Vae illi per quem scandala fiunt: Matth. 18. Wo vnto the man by whom offenses doo come. The of­fense taken is, when some are offended in ha­tred of the true doctrine, as the Bishops, the Pharisies, the Saduces, and the Scribes were with the gospell. Therefore Christ said, Sinite eos, Matth. 23. caeci sunt, & duces caecorum: Let them alone, they are blind, and the guides of the blind.

What is the lawe?

The morall lawe, which is holie, and is established by the gospell (as S. Paule saith) is the eternall, Rom. 7. & immoueable wisedome in God, and the rule of righteousnesse in the will of God, discerning the good from the euill, the which lawe is made manifest to the reaso­nable nature in his creation, and after often­times [Page 26] repeated, and established by the voice of God, shewing in the church, that God is a iudge, binding all naturall creatures, that they shall be conformable to that rule of the commandements of God, declaring his hor­rible destruction to all them which will not re­forme themselues according to that rule, ex­cept they haue remission for Christes sake.

Luke. 16.Christ said: The prophets and the lawe reigned to Iohn the baptist,

Matth. 11.Therfore the morall lawe is abrogated, and must no more be preached.

I denie the consequent, and an­swer to the antecedent by distinction. Christ speaketh of Moses policie, that is, the ceremo­niall and iudiciall lawe, and not of the ten commandements, which are the stedfast and perpetuall wisdome, iustice, and will of God, which is immutable: and God will haue all men to obeie his wisedome and iustice, and would haue all men, at all times, to be in their maners and vsage conformable vnto the same, Exod. 20. wherefore he saieth by Moses: Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus: I am the Lord thy God.

What is the peace of God?

It is the tranquillitie of consci­ence, and ioy, resting and reposing it in God, that he is at peace with vs, by his sonne Christ, [Page 27] of the which peace Christ himselfe speaketh sai­eng: Pacem meam do vobis, Iohn. 14. pacem meam relinquo vobis: I giue you my peace, I leaue you my peace, which is without all grudge, worme, Marc. 9. or sting of conscience, and without all contrarie­tie, diuision, or schisme.

It was not lawfull to depart from the temple of Hierusalem, and to make a schisme,

Iohn the baptist departed from the temple, Christian mens cere­monies are spirituall things. 1. Cor. 10. and made a schisme, bicause he taught not in the temple but in the desert, and ordeined a new ceremonie of baptisme, and misliked the sacrifices commanded by God,

Therefore Iohn the baptist did not well.

I denie the consequent, and an­swer by distinction. There is a double schisme. One is necessarie, which is done by the com­mandement of God, peculiar vocation and calling. So Iohn the baptist departed from the temple of Hierusalem in which his father Zacharias the préest taught and sacrificed, bi­cause he was called therevnto by the most ex­cellent and singular commandement of God. The other is schisme rash and vnaduised, ha­uing no commandement, nor iust cause of re­uolting, which is to be denied and vtterlie to be eschued.

Tyndall and Luther had no com­mandement of God, nor especiall calling,

Therefore they did naught, in separating themselues from the holie father the popes church.

I denie the consequent, bicause that separation or schisme was necessarie and godlie. For either it was a singular calling, as Iohn the baptist departed from the ordinarie power: or else they did it for the vniuersall commandement of God, which bindeth and compelleth all men, that they must depart from the companie which imbraseth wicked doctrine, and false worshippings, according to such commandement as this is: Fuge idola, and Non habebis deos alienos coram me. Exod. 20. Thou shalt haue none other gods but me. This vniuer­sall commandement is greater, and of more force than a singular calling, therefore all men must willinglie obeie it.

What is the cause that Turkes, Iewes, Infidels, and manie Christians are not partakers of Christs benefits, but are damned?

The cause is, they cannot a [...]e vnto themselues the benefits of the sonne of God by faith, which is the redéemer of all men. Et dedit vitāsuā redemptionē pro multis; 2. Cor. 1. And gaue [Page 29] his life a redemption for manie, 1. Tim. 2. Matt. 20. Exod. 15. and it was prefigured in the deliuering of the children of Israell. But they being reprobates contemne these things, and as it were cast awaie from them, the sonne of God, blaspheming him, as the Turkes, Iewes, and manie others doo, which beare the onelie names and outward shews of Christians, but in their déeds and ac­tions they are woorse than Pharisies, that out­wardlie séeme to blesse him with their mouths, and cursse him with their liues and manners. Therefore they are not heard of God, when they aske of him.

Whatsoeuer (saith Christ) ye shall aske the Father in my name, Iohn. 16. he will giue it you,

If I aske a kingdome of him, he will giue it me,

Bicause he is true.

The minor is not true. And dis­tinction may be vsed in answering hereof. For though that God be the author and giuer of euerie good and perfect gift, both spirituall, Iacob. 1. and bodilie, yet he giueth them and bestoweth them on such as pleaseth him, when, where, and in such sort and quantitie as it best séemeth to his good and fatherlie prouidence. So that we must not appoint him either the time, measure, [Page 30] or meane of his gifts: but in all causes what­soeuer we must tarrie the leasure of the Lord: Qui benedictus est in omnibus vijs suis, Psal. 145. & sanctus in operibus: Which is blessed in all his waies, and holie in all his workes. And as his giftes be in number infinit, in quantitie vnmesurable, and in nature euerie one most excellent good, both spirituall and corporall: so he bestoweth them alwaies vpon his, both spirituallie and corporallie. Spirituallie, for the furniture and beautifieng of the mind and soule of man, as faith, grace, will, wit, memorie, learning, cun­ning and science. And corporallie, for the en­dowing and encreasing the outward happines of the bodie of man, as helth, beautie, strength, riches, power and possessions. In all which pe­titions made for the gifts of God, we must fol­low the generall rule that our sauiour Christ hath prescribed vnto all flesh: saieng, Primùm quaerite regnum Dei & iustitiam eius, Matth. 6. & adijcientur vobis omnia haec: First séeke ye the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof, and all these things shall be giuen you; meaning thereby that we shall haue all worldlie things the easi­er and with lesse trauell. Then we must aske nothing hurtfull to the right of the church, wherby the seruice of God shall be diminished, our neighbour or common wealth impaired, [Page 31] nor anie thing that should be an hinderance to our owne saluation. To aske a kingdome, when we cannot well guide our owne priuate estate, we shall offend God; because we haue not to appoint him the measure of his giftes, happilie hurt the condition of manie, & hazard our owne soules. Therefore we must content our selues with our owne calling, remem­bring the holie Apostles saieng: 1. Tim. 6. Quastus mag­nus pietas cum sufficientia: Godlinesse is great riches, if a man be contented with that he hath. For, 1. Cor. 7. Vnusquisque donum suum proprium habet ex Deo: Euerie man hath his proper gift of God, and he dooth sometimes (as it were) bridle and hold backe his seruants from committing sinne and wickednes togither with the world, by the bit and bridle of scarsitie and penurie, knowing (bicause he is the searcher of the hart & reines) that if some might haue their harts desire, and might enioy the fruit of their owne inuentions, they would ignorantlie seeke their owne destruction by excesse. Therefore it is written: Rom. 8. Penuriam multo meliùs feras quàm satu­ritatem: A man may better awaie with penu­rie than with saturitie. God that made man knoweth what is in man, and what estate is best for euerie man.

Wherefore doo the philosophers [Page 32] saie, that mans will is cause of his owne mi­series?

Bicause men willinglie (though vnwares) procure to themselues manie mise­ries, as for example. Antonius at Rome wil­ling to wage warre against Augustus, was causer of his owne harmes. 2. Reg. 11. King Dauid, by taking awaie Vrias wife, procured himselfe manie calamities. Thus oftentimes mans wilfull mind is his owne miserie, for that they are snared with pleasures and voluptuous li­uing without Gods spirit; as fishes are taken with the bait.

He calleth vpon the true God, which calleth vpon one God maker of heauen and earth, which is almightie, wise, iust, & good,

The Turkes and the present Iewes doo call vpon one God maker of heauen and earth, which is almightie, iust and good,

Therefore they call vpon the true God, and shall be heard.

I denie the minor: because the Turkes doo call vpon their idoll, yea (rather I may saie) they doo call vpon nothing. For they doo not call vpon that God, which is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, or which is the father, the sonne, and the Holie-ghost, the which God hath manifested or opened himselfe in his [Page 33] word. And because they doo not call vpon God in faith and knowledge of our mediator, they are not heard, for Christ saith: Iohn. 16. Nemo venit ad pa­trem nisi per me: No man commeth vnto the fa­ther but by me. Againe, Iohn. 14. Quicquid petieritis pa­trem in nomine meo dabit vobis: What so euer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will giue it you. Therefore Turkes and Iewes doo erre from God two waies, in essence & will: wher­of, without Christ our mediator, there can be nothing rightlie determined.

What are the true & principall causes of death, and other the calamities of mankind?

There be two causes, the first and principall cause is sin, which Adam com­mitting departed from God, and afterward spred into all men, that is to saie, the infirmitie of our corrupt nature, and inclination to all euill. The second cause is, Rom. 5. the tyrannie of the diuell increasing by Gods wrath, mans mise­rie & horrible fast, & stirring vp still in man­kind, anger, furie, warre, slaughters, mur­thers, and such like, with all other kind of wic­kednes.

Had not the old fathers the true worshipping of God, before the politike gouer­nance of Moses?

Yes verelie: because they had first the morall lawe, or knowledge thereof, wherby they should liue vertuouslie. For God said in paradise: Genesi. 3. Erunt duo in carne vna: They shall be two in one flesh, which saieng forbid­deth all wandring lustes and licentious appe­tites. Also they had the doctrine of the promi­ses, Genesi. 22. De semine contrituro caput serpentis: Of the séed that should quash the serpents head, wher­in all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Thirdlie, they called vpon the same God, which declared himselfe to his church, in his most cer­teine word, and by manie excellent testimo­nies, and that in knowledge and trust of his sonne, the promised redéemer of the world.

Wherefore was the Iewes po­litike gouernance ordeined, séeing that it should be afterwards abolished?

It was ordeined, because God would haue the place to be certeine, where his sonne should be borne, where he should teach, and shew foorth the testimonies of his doc­trine, where he should be crucified and rise a­gaine, and from whence the gospell should be first sent into all the rest of the world, accor­ding to the prophets saieng: Psalm. 18. Exiuit sonus eorum in omnem terram; Their sound went out into all the world. Therefore Hierusalem was (as it [Page 35] were) the towre of the church, where the true doctrine was manifested, opened and purged by Christ and his Apostles. But when Christ was exhibited and profered, and the voice of the gospell was published in all the world, then it behooued this politike gouernance to be put awaie and abolished. First, that there might a testimonie remaine, that Christ was offe­red to all the world, and that the Leuiticall worshipping was not the true and principall worshipping of the eternall & spirituall wor­shipping of the kingdome of Messias: but the true acknowledging of God and his sonne, inuocation, setting foorth and confessing the heauenlie doctrine, the feare of God, patience in aduersitie, and other spirituall motions agréeing with Gods mind and will. As Christ saith: Iohn. 4. Veri adoratores Deum adorabunt spiritu & veritate: The true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.

Whether was the sinne of Eue greater in eating the apple forbidden by God, Luke. 2. or the sinne of the virgin Marie, in léesing the child Iesus in Ierusalem?

The sinne of Eue was the grea­ter sinne.

Obiects discerne sinnes accor­ding to maius and minus. Obiection is any thing that may be seen before our eies.

The sinne of Marie was greater in obiect, for the child Iesus was the son of God, & bet­ter than an apple, as a man excelleth a beast,

Therefore Marie sinned more grieuouslie, in léesing by negligence the child Iesus, which is the sonne of God, than Eue did in eating the apple.

First, the maior may be thus an­swered. Obiects discerne sinnes, according to maius and minus, but not principallie. And a principall distinction of she causes of good or euill workes must be had, and the mind vn­derstanding what they are, and considering the commandement, and then the will obei­eng or repugning, chooseth some thing, either contrarie to the commandement of God, or according to his commandement. He therfore that sinneth willinglie and wittinglie, com­mitteth a more grieuous sinne, than he that sinneth by ignorance, Diuersitie of sinne. and common imbecilli­tie and weaknes. Againe, answer may be made to the minor: Marie sinned ignorantlie and not wittinglie, because she thought that the child Iesus had béene with Ioseph: but Eue sinned willinglie and wittinglie, contrarie to hir conscience, breaking the commandement of God, fréelie choosing the eating of the apple forbidden of God. He that so sinneth, putteth [Page 37] awaie his faith, the Holie-ghost, and looseth the fauour of God, and is damned without repen­tance, because: Stipendium peccati mors est: Rom. 6. The reward of sinne is death. Of the sinnes of ig­norance, which are not committed wittinglie and willinglie, the prophet speaketh thus: Psal. 18. De­licta quis intelligit? Who vnderstandeth his of­fenses? And, Ab occultis meis munda me Domine: Psal. 19. Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes. Affe­ctate or coueted ignorance is a sinne against our conscience, but ignorance not affectate is mans weakenes, which dooth not condemne vs, so that we acknowlege it, and aske forgiue­nes thereof at Gods hand, with faith and re­pentance in newnes of life following. But to speake brieflie of our first parents offense, no man ought to make it a small fault, weighing it by the eating of an apple, séeing that by Sa­thans allurements they reuolted and turned awaie from Gods truth to a lie by infidelitie: and gaue credence to the wicked and false suggestions of the old serpent the diuell, which accused God of vntruth, enuie, and of malici­ous withdrawing some goodnes from them: and so much they forgat Gods great goodnes and benefits, which had made them after his owne image, Gen. 1. Coloss. 3. that by pride and ambition they sought to be equall with his maiestie also.

What dooth mariage signifie?

First, it signifieth the coupling to­gither of the diuine nature with mans na­ture, and that maruelous league, true, and ar­dent loue, wherewith the sonne of God entier­lie loueth mans nature, which he tooke vpon him. Next, it signifieth the loue of the sonne of God, the defense & preseruation of his church, whereof S. Paule speaketh: Ephes. 5. Christus dilexit ec­clesiam, & semetipsum tradidit pro ea: Christ loued his church, and gaue himselfe for it.

The consequent is not good from a particularitie, to a generalitie,

Matt. 8.Miracles are particular deliuerings, as of the leper and palsie man,

Therefore, we make an euill argument of these examples, to saie: that God will likewise deliuer all other men.

First, I denie the consequent. Although examples be particular, yet the pro­mise is vniuersall, Rom. 10. as: Omnis qui inuocauerit no­men Domini saluus erit: Euerie one that calleth on the name of God shall be saued. Againe, Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, Matt. 11. & ego reficiam vos: Come vnto me all ye that be heauie laden, & I will refresh you. These promises are declared by examples, which therefore are not vniuer­sall, because all men doo not receiue them in [Page 39] faith. Next, there is vnlikenes in bodilie aids and cures: for God deliuereth not vs by one meanes alwaies. So Ionathas, 1. Macab. 12 although he were good & godlie, was killed togither with his father, by a craftie policie. Manasses, who repented, was brought out of captiuitie, and manie other saints caried awaie into captiui­tie to Babylon, neuer returned againe. Third­lie, a spirituall promise simplie made is vni­uersall, and is Gods commandement, and is vnmoueable, that we should beléeue to receiue forgiuenes of our sinnes, righteousnes and e­uerlasting life, fréelie by faith, onelie for Chri­stes sake our mediator, Iohn. 3. according vnto these words: Sic Deus dilexit mundum, vt filium suum daret, vt omni qui credit in eum non pereat, sed vi­tam habeat aeternam: So God loued the world, that he gaue his sonne, that euery one that be­léeueth in him, should not perish, but haue life euerlasting. Also: Rom. 5. Omnes qui credunt in eum ha­bent vitam aeternam: All that beleeue in him, haue euerlasting life. And: Iustificati fide, pacem habemus: We are at peace with him, being iu­stified by faith. The psalmist saith: Psalm. 1. Beati omnes qui confidunt in eo: Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

What is circumcision?

It is the cutting of the foreskin [Page 40] of the priuie member, which is called in Latin Praeputium: and it was commanded Abraham and his posteritie, that they might be admo­nished by this outward signe, chieflie of the promise made vnto Abraham, that Messias the promised seed should be borne of his posteri­tie. Next, that it should be a signe of encrea­sing his posteritie as the starres of heauen, and the sand of the sea. Gen. 22. Thirdlie, of giuing the land of Chanaan to his successors, that it might be certeinlie knowne, in what place the Messias should be borne, Gen. 17. teach, and die. Abra­ham was ninetie yeere old and nine, when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised, and the mankind, obseruing this ceremonie, did san­ctifie their women thereby. For the manchild onelie was commanded to be circumcised, when he was eight daies old, being bond or frée, without exception.

Wherefore should not circumci­sion be yet vsed among vs that be Christians?

Gala. 5.Because S. Paule dooth saie: Quòd si circumcidamini, Christus pro vobis frustrà mortuus est: If you be circumcised, Christ is become but in vaine vnto you. For the lawe contei­ning the ceremonies, decrees and commande­ments, Ephes. 2. 2. Cor. 3. Act. 15. is abolished by Christ. Because the lawe brought no man vnto the perfection of [Page 41] christianitie, which the knowledge of Christ re­quireth generallie of euerie man, for that it is said: Estote vos perfecti, Matt. 5. sicut pater vester coelestis perfectus est: Be you perfect, euen as your hea­uenlie father is perfect.

Why dooth S. Paule call circum­cision then the seale of righteousnesse, if it bring vs not vnto righteousnesse?

Not because Abraham by this externall signe was iustified before God, or pleased God, as the Iewes supposed: but that by this signe he applied vnto himselfe the pro­mise of GOD of the reconciliation, attone­ment, forgiuenes of sins, Gen. 22. and the gift of eter­nall life fréelie for the promised séed vnto him, and that he should by this signe confirme his faith. For the sacraments are testimonies, pledges and tokens of the applieng of the be­nefits of God vnto vs, and confirmation of our faith.

The lawe forbiddeth vs to touch lepers, Leuit. 13.

Christ touched a leper, Matth. 8.

Therefore Christ did not well.

I denie the consequent. First, be­cause the lawe forbiddeth the touching of le­pers to this end, not for that it is sinne or euill, but that the harme and contagiousnes of the [Page 42] leprosie, should not spread it selfe abroad fur­der among the people. Therefore it is lawfull to touch lepers to cure them. For morals are to be preferred before ceremonials, as the prophet saith: Ose. 6. Misericordiam volo, non sacrifi­cia, scientiam Dei volo non holocausta: I will haue mercie & not sacrifice, I will haue the know­ledge of God and not burnt sacrifices: which saieng comprehendeth both tables, whereof the first speaketh of the knowledge of GOD, Two tables of commā ­dements. and his true worshippings, by the meanes whereof we deale with God, as in feare, faith, loue, inuocation, giuing of thanks, and so foorth. The second table conteineth the works of mercie, or of loue towards our neighbor, and so did Christ reason when he cured the man of the dropsie on the sabboth daie: Luc. 14. Vos ex­trahitis pecudes in sabbato ex fosis, quanto magis licet in eo sanare hominem? You plucke beasts out of the pit on the sabboth daie, how much more is it lawfull to cure a man on the sabboth daie? Also Christ was not tied vnto this lawe, which was ordeined of God for the politike gouer­nance of the Iewes: and Christ was the son of God, and therefore as he saith in another place: Matth. 12. Luc. 6. Dominus erat sabbati: He was Lord of the sabboth. Thirdlie, the curing of the sicke man so presentlie was the worke of God, and [Page 43] the confirming of Christes vocation and cal­ling. Therefore Christ was not tied vnto the ceremoniall lawe.

What is the church visible?

The church visible is a companie of people imbrasing and profes­sing openlie the pure doctrine of the gospell, confessing the sonne of God, his benefits, and reteining of a lawfull and perfect vse of the sacraments of Christ, according to this sai­eng: Oues meae vocem meam audiunt: Iohn. 10. My shéepe doo heare my voice. And this church of Christ is but litle, contemned, & subiect to persecuti­on in this world. Therefore it is said: Luc. 12. Noli ti­mere pusille grex: Feare not litle flocke. Againe, Non multi sapientes secundum carnem, 1. Cor. 1. non multi no­biles, sed quae contempta, & ignobilia coram mundo, elegit Deus: God hath not chosen manie wise­men according to the flesh, not manie of high degrée, but the despised and foolish things of the world. And in another place: Iohn. 16. In mundo af­flictiones habebitis: You shall haue trouble in this world, and that chieflie before potentates, and monarchs.

How manie monarchies hath there béene in time past?

There hath béene foure monar­chies. [Page 44] 1 The first, was the kingdome of Baby­lon, which continued a thousand yeeres, euen vntill the time of Cyrus, from the daies of A­braham, who liued in the time of Ninus the first king of the Babylonians.

2 The second was the kingdome of Persia, which continued two hundred yeeres, Cyrus was the first gouernor thereof.

3 The third was the kingdome of the Graeci­ans, which continued three hundred yéeres, A­lexander Magnus was the first gouernour thereof.

4 The fourth and the last monarchie was the empire of Rome, which began from Iulius Cae­sar, and continued about foure hundred yeeres vnto Constantinus, or Valentianus the later, and a monarchie is the rule of one, of whome all other doo hold.

Saint Paule was behea­ded at Rome, af­ter Christ 37. yeeres by Nero.Good and iust men ought to be well vsed,

S. Paule was a good and iust man,

Therfore he ought to haue béene well vsed, and not to haue lost his head.

The maior may thus be answe­red. Good and iust men ought to be well vsed, but according to the will and ordinance of God, and that trulie in their due season. And God will haue his church in this life to be sub­iect [Page 45] to persecution. For the bloud of martyrs is the séed of the gospell. And God dooth suffer almost the chiefest members of his church, and his best seruants, to be murthered of tyrants for their good and well dooings, and not for anie faults that the persecutors can find in them, that they should confirme their doctrine with their owne deaths, and that they might be made somewhat like vnto Christ vpon the crosse, by the sealing vp of their words and workes in their bloud. But after this life cer­teinelie good and iust men shall be well vsed, and contrariwise, wicked men shall be euill vsed, as the example of the rich glutton and poore Lazarus dooth witnes the same. Luc. 16,

Wherefore dooth God suffer his church, which he loueth, to be so hardlie intrea­ted, séeing she is iust in afflictions, as he saith in the prophet: Ierem. 12. Dedi dilectam meam in manum ini­mitorum meorum: I haue deliuered my belo­ued into the hand of mine enimies?

There be two especiall causes. The first is, that the church hath yet sins and much filthines, which God would haue to be acknowledged, purged and mortified in the godlie. As the Apostle saieth: Rom. [...]. Corpus destinatum est morti propter peccatum: The bodie is dead be­cause of sinne which hangeth in our nature. [Page 46] And S. Peter saith: 1. Pet. 4. Iudicium (id est poena) incipit à domo Dei: Iudgement (that is to saie punish­ment) shall begin at the houshold of God. The second cause is, for that God would haue the power of his sonne, by that meanes to be the more manifest, when he ouercommeth the di­uell by the weake, as he deliuereth and preser­ueth his church, against the which the diuell and his members with great furie dooth rage and stirre; as he restored our first parents falling awaie from him, and preserueth his church at all seasons, by his diuine and mightie power.

God alwaies heareth vs not be­neuolentlie, neither deliuereth he vs in afflic­tions,

Therefore it is lawfull for vs to doubt of him.

The consequent must be denied. Because, although God dooth sometimes defer our deliuerance in corporall perils, yet we ought not doubt of his good will and deliue­rance in the end. Let vs com­mit our soules to God with well doing. 1. Pet. 4. For God would haue vs in corporall things to be subiect to his will, and that we should be prepared to obedience, and he dooth not deliuer vs, or mitigate our cala­mities after one manner alwaies. Therefore we ought first to determine in faith, that God will receiue vs, and forgiue vs our sinnes for [Page 47] his sonnes sake our mediatour. Next, that we should craue deliuerance at Gods hands one­lie, and none other waies, and that we should expect the same according to his good will and pleasure. Thirdlie, that we should obeie, and emploie our calling, and then commit all cor­porall successe vnto God. Fourthlie, we must put our selues in subiection to the pleasure of God, and shewe our obedience in afflictions, and tarrie his leasure, vntill that he deliuereth vs, and dooth mitigate our sorrowes. As Da­uid saith: Si velit Dominus, reducet me: si non velit, 1. Reg. 15. fiat voluntas Domini: If it please the Lord, he will bring me out of captiuitie; if not, the will of the Lord be fulfilled. Therefore, although God deliuereth vs not presentlie in bodilie harmes, yet we ought not be doubtfull of his deliuerance in the end, neither of his promise of grace, which is the fruit of the gospell, but most certeinelie to determine that God will receiue vs, be mercifull to vs, and forgiue vs our sinnes for his sonnes sake. As it is writ­ten: Omnis qui credit in filium habet vitam aeternam: Iohn. 3. Euery one that beléeueth in the sonne of God hath eternall life. And againe: Iob. 13. Etiamsi occide­rit me Dominus, tamen sperabo in eum: Although the Lord kill me, yet I will put my trust in him.

Did you euer heare or read of a [Page 48] riuer or poole called Asphaltites?

Yea, it is a place mentioned in Genesis, & a poole in the later part of the tribe of Iuda: & this Asphaltites is otherwise called either the salt sea, or the dead sea: for in this place the flue cities, Sodome, Gomorrha, Ada­ma, Seboim, and Segor, were destroied with fier from God, for their incestuous lusts and other sins, Genesi. 19. as it is mentioned. And this poole is a monument of the punishment and wrath of God, against the sinnes of that time, and all others: it is in bignes about the space of eight miles, it dooth smoke and breath out firie pitch and brimstone of a most stinking sauor, by a secret and a meruelous working of God euen to this daie. Moses writeth thereof thus: Pluit Dominus ignem à Domino: Genesi. 19. The Lord rained vp­on them brimstone and fier from the Lord; that is to saie: The son of God receiued fier of his eternall father, and was the executor of that fier and punishment.

Matth. 9.Whosoeuer dooth attribute vn­to him selfe that which is proper to God, he is a blasphemer,

Christ did attribute that vnto himselfe which was proper to God,

Therefore (saie the Phariseis) Christ was a blasphemer.

I denie the consequent. Yet this kind of reasoning were true, if Christ had beene like vnto the Phariseis, that is, if Christ had béene a méere man, and not God withall. Because he said vnto the sicke of the palsie; Fili confide, remittuntur tibi peccata: Ibidem. Sonne be of good chéere, thy sinnes be forgiuen thée, they thought him to be a blasphemer. But sée (I pray you) how much worse our papists and monks are, than the Scribes and Phariseis. For they being instructed by Gods word could saie: Quis potest remittere peccata nisi solus Deus? Marc. 2. Who can forgiue sinnes but God onlie? Yet our pa­pists attribute the forgiuenes of sinnes to the merits of saints, masses & indulgences, which they depart not with for naught, but sell this trash verie deere. Sure it is a strange kind of merchandise, they sell that which they haue not they sell smoke and receiue gold, they promise men heauen but deliuer them hell. But what shall we saie concerning the ministers of the word of God? Doo they forgiue sinnes or no? They themselues as of themselues doo not for­giue sins, Matt. 9. but they pronounce & declare the re­mission of sins to all such as they find like to the man sick of the palsie; they giue nothing of their owne, but offer that which is anothers, by the commandement of Christ. They offer the [Page 50] release and forgiuenes of sins in the voice of the gospell. Whosoeuer receiueth this voice faithfullie, doubtles he receiueth the full forgi­uenes of all his sinnes. For Christ himselfe dooth saie: Luc. 10. Qui vos audit me audit: He that hea­reth you heareth me.

Tell me I praie you, are all chri­stian men priests or no?

Yea that they are trulie. For, as euerie one regenerate by the participation of water and the Holie-ghost is called a Chri­stian, of Christ; so by him, he is made a king and a priest, Apoc. 1. as it is written: Fecit nos reges & sacerdotes patri suo: He hath made vs kings and priests to his father. And hereof S. Peter cal­leth vs Regale sacerdotium, 1. Pet. 2. A roiall priesthood. For by Christ, we haue right and authoritie to preach the word of God, yet euerie man in his calling. We haue right & libertie to call vpon God, according to this saieng: Inuoca me in die tribulationis: Call vpon me in the daie of trouble. Againe: Quicquid petieritis patrem in no­mine meo dabit vobis: Whatsoeuer ye aske the fa­ther in my name he will giue it you. We haue also power and authoritie to offer vp sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing. Propitiato­rie is pacifi­eng Gods wrath. For no mortall man can offer vp a propitiatorie sacrifice, be­cause that honor onlie belongeth to Christ, our [Page 51] high bishop and Lord. There are fiue kinds of christian mens sacrifices: a troubled spirit, the sacrifice of righteousnesse, the sacrifice of praise or the calues of our lips, confessing the name of God, the sacrifice of beneficence and communion, and our owne bodie which is a reasonable sacrifice. The prophet Micheas as­ked the Lord, what acceptable thing he should offer vnto him? His answer was; I will shew thée (O man) what thing is good, and what the Lord requireth of thée: Vtique facere iudicium, Mich. 6. & diligere misericordiam, & humilem ambulare co­ram Deo tuo: Namelie that thou doo right, loue mercie, and walke humblie before thy God. But touching them which are called priests a­mongst vs now adaies, you shall vnderstand that they are so called for thrée causes. First, because they are dedicated to Christ, togithers with other Christians, and are rightlie called priests, because and in as much as they are true Christians. Next, in imitation of the peo­ple of Israell, which called them priests that were occupied in the ministerie of the word of God, and in the sacrifices of the law, and this honor was onelie granted vnto the tribe of Leuy. Thirdlie, it pleased the holie fathers, the successors of the Apostles, to adorne before o­thers, with this worthie sacerdotall title, those [Page 52] which teach the word of God, minister the sa­craments, and declare vnto men, that sinne, death, and damnation, are abolished by the on­lie sacrifice of Christ our high priest. The old priests of the lawe did offer vp beasts, but the Apostles and other priests of Christ and his gospell, doo as it were slea men, and offer vp a liuelie sacrifice to God by the gospell. S. Paule testifieth that he made the like sacrifice, when he slue the Gentiles with the sword of the go­spell: Rom. 15. Vt fieret oblatio acceptabilis Deo, sanctificata per spiritum sanctum: That the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable to God, & san­ctified by the Holie-ghost. The papists would so make a sa­crifice, of a sacrament. But the papisticall sacrifice is plaine sacrilege, for it was not or­deined to teach Christ, and to slea men to God by the sword of the gospell; but to offer vp Christ for the quicke and the dead: by that meanes defiling, and treading vnder foote the sacrifice of Christ, which by his priesthood hath found eternall redemption, for it is written: Hic autem vnam pro peccatis offerens hostiam in sem­piternum sedet ad dextram Dei: Hebr. 10. This man after he hath offered one sacrifice for sinnes, is set downe for euer on the right hand of God, and from henceforth tarieth till his foes be made his footestoole. For with one offering he hath made them perfect for euer that are sanctified. [Page 53] Therfore the popish priests are verie wicked, which impudentlie dare reiterat, and eftsoones beginne afresh that which is made perfect for euer by Christ our high priest.

The scripture reporteth Abra­ham, Noe and Iob, with others, to be good men and iust,

But Christ saith, Marc. 10. there is none good but God onelie, and Christ is true,

Therefore Abraham, Noe, and Iob, with o­thers, are not good men and iust.

I denie the consequent. For as no man shineth but by Christ Iesus, Iohn. 1. which is the true light, lightening euerie man com­ming into this world, and beléeuing in him: so, there is none good, godlie and holie, but by Christ onelie, which is Summum bonum, The chie­fest felicitie, the truth, the righteousnes, the life, wisedome, and the word of the father: 1. Cor. 1. Qui fa­ctus fuit nobis sapientia à Deo, iustitiáque, & san­ctificatio & redemptio: Which is of God made wisedome vnto vs, and also righteousnes, and sanctifieng, & redemption. Iam vos mundi estis, Iohn. 15. propter sermonem quem loquutus sum vobis: Now you are cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you. The gospell of Christ Iesus doth clense vs and sanctifie vs, if it be recei­ued in faith: Rom. 1. Est enim virtus Dei ad salutem omni [Page 54] credenti: For it is the power of God vnto sal­uation to euerie one that beleeueth, Marc. 16. Cui qui cre­diderit saluus erit, Whom who so belieueth shall be saued. Iacob. 1. So we sée, Omne bonum esse à Deo: That all goodnes commeth of God, which onlie doth purge vs, and regenerate vs by his word, to be made the sonnes of God, of the children of wrath. There is none good but whome Gods goodnes doth make good; there is none holie but whom God doth make holie; there is none vertuous but by Gods vertue. No man by nature is good, but onlie God, which is almigh­tie and omnipotent. Man is changed by the spirit and grace of God, and is made a good trée, righteous & holie, as man may be good, and as it were in a second kind of goodnes, not comparable to Gods most excellent good­nes in anie case.

How manie causes be there of ciuill punishments?

1 Thrée chiefe causes. First, the righteousnes and iustice of God, which will haue sinnes to be punished with corporall and eternall paines, according to the immoueable rule of his diuine iustice. His reasonable crea­tures therefore be bound either to the obedi­ence of GOD their creator, or to his punish­ments.

Next, the publike peace and tranquillitie, 2 without the which the gospell cannot be prea­ched, neither the church collected togither, and preserued in mankind.

Thirdlie, example; that others, by the pu­nishments 3 of the wicked might be admoni­shed, and terrified from the committing of the like sinne.

The tares in the gospell must not be taken awaie, Matth. 13.

Adulterers be the same tares spirituallie,

Therefore adulterers must not be taken a­waie.

The consequent is false. And an answer may be made to the maior, by distinc­tion. The tares, as the adulterers, and such other wicked and disobedient to the gospell, are not to be taken awaie of the apostles and ministers of the gospell, touching the ministe­rie of the word, but touching the ciuill power. Bicause the ciuill magistrate hath authoritie to take awaie adulterers, mankillers, théeues and such other wicked, as the apostle saith: Magistratum gerere gladium in terrorem malis, Rom. 13. vt puniar eos: That the magistrate beareth the sword for the terrour of the wicked, to punish them. And againe: Lex est iniustis posita, 1. Tim. 1. inobse­quentibus, impijs, parricidis, matricidis, homicidis, scor­tatoribus: [Page 56] The lawe is giuen to the vnrighte­ous and disobedient, to the vngodlie, and to the sinners, to murtherers of fathers, and murtherers of mothers, to mansleiers, and whooremongers.

What thinke you? Is it not law­full for a man some times to make a lie for aduantage and profit, or for pleasure?

No truelie; it is not lawfull in anie case for christian men to lie, howsoeuer the matter standeth. There be some that make such distinction of lies, Three kind of lies. that they hold opinion that there be thrée kinds of lies, sporting lies, officious, and pernicious lies: but of what sort so euer they be, truelie they be not tollerable, nor to be borne withall amongest such as pro­fesse God: Ephe. 4. bicause he hath forbidden it by the apostle, writing thus: Deponite mendacium, lo­quimini veritatem cum proximo suo vnusquísque: Laie awaie lieng, and speake euerie man truth to his neighbour. The mouth that speak­eth lies dooth slaie the soule.

Psalm. 5.God will destroie all them that speake lies,

Genesi. 12. Abraham did lie, and yet was not destroied,

Therefore God dooth not destroie all them that speake lies.

The consequent is not true▪ [Page 57] And distinction may be well vsed in this an­swer. Exod. 23. Leuit. 19. For though in the lawe lieng be forbid­den, and that euerie man should speake truth vnto his neighbor: Quando sumus inuicem mem­bra: Séeing that we are one anothers mem­bers, yet is it difference, when men lie to saue life by compulsion: and when they doo it of a set purpose and a malicious mind to destroie life. And Dauid saith: Psalm. 5. Thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie, Et perdes omnes qui loquun­tur mendacium: Thou wilt destroie all them that speake lies. Therefore S. Peter by his aposto­licall authoritie (or rather God himselfe) slew Ananias and Saphira his wife, Act. 5. bicause they li­ed by agréement, and of a set purpose to tempt the spirit of the Lord. Abraham and other saints of the Lord, taken in this fault, perished not, bicause the Lord imputed not their sinnes vnto them: and they committed not lieng in the malice of their mind, or for anie pleasure they had in sinne, but for bare néed to saue their owne liues and others. Ge. 12. &, 20 So Abraham lied vn­to Pharao and Abimelech, to saue his owne life, and Sara his wiues. Gene. 26. Likewise Isaac his sonne lied, in denieng his wife Rebecca to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. And Dauid counterfeited himselfe to be mad before Achis the king of Geth. 1. Reg. 21. Iudit. 11. Iudith like­wise [Page 58] deceiued Holophernes, to saue hir citi­zens by craft, falselie declaring the cause of hir comming. Prou. 24. Furthermore: Septies in die ca­dit iustus, & resurgit: The righteous falleth se­uen times a daie, 3. Reg. 8. and riseth againe. There is no man that sinneth not, yet the Lord impu­teth not our sinnes vnto vs, but rather for­giueth the same, when he séeth and trieth our harts, knowing in what intent and mind we commit euill. Esaie. 43. Titus. 1. He it is that putteth awaie our iniquities; Peccatorum nostrorum non recordans am­plius: Rom. 8. And no more remembreth our sinnes. Mundis omnia munda: To the cleane all things are cleane. And all things worke for the best, to them that loue God. But the Lord destroi­eth them that delight in wickednes, and haue a pleasure in their mind to lie in their ordina­rie traffike & talke, to deceiue others thereby.

Séeing that Christ was not subiect to Moses lawes, whie did he then obeie them?

1 First the especiall cause is, whie the Sonne of God obeied these lawes and o­thers, that he might signifie thereby that he made himselfe subiect to the whole lawe for vs: that is as much to saie, he deriued, and put vpon himselfe the wrath of God, and the punishment which was due to vs.

Next, that he might shew himselfe the one­lie and first begotten sonne of the eternall fa­ther, 2 for whom, and in whom all things were made; and the lawe of the first begotten was ordeined, to signifie vnto vs, that this first be­gotten sonne of God eternall should come in the flesh, to worke the mysterie of our redemp­tion, and to be made sinne for vs, Rom. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Cor. 5. that is to saie, a satisfaction for our sinnes; and euen so by sinne, that is by sacrifice offered vpon the trée of the crosse, he hath taken awaie, con­demned, and doone awaie our sinne.

It is wrong to giue to equals vnequallie,

God sauing Dauid, and damning Saule, gaue to equals vnequallie,

Therefore God is vniust, receiuing some, and sauing them, and casting awaie others, and damning them.

I answer first to the maior, which is not true vniuersallie: bicause that God gi­ueth diuerse gifts to equals, for diuerse func­tions and ministeries, as God gaue king Cy­rus more and greater gifts than to anie of his common soldiers for the gouernement of his kingdome. Therefore the maior is not true in things not necessarie to all mens saluation. God is equall to all men in things necessa­rie [Page 60] to all mens saluation. God is equall to all men in things necessarie to their saluation, sauing repentant Dauid, Dauid re­pented and not Saule. and condemning Saule that did not repent. And yet Dauid and Saule were not equals touching repentance. Therefore God is equall to all men, according to this immutable rule; that he receiueth all them to saluation, which beléeue on our medi­ator: and contrariwise, he casteth all them a­waie, Hebr. 4. & 7. 1. Tim. 2. which beléeue not on our onelie mediator Christ Iesus. For God would haue all men to repent, and applie the promise of grace in faith vnto themselues, and so consequentlie to be saued. And S. Chrysostome saith: Quem Deus trahit, volentem trahit, non repugnantem: Whom God draweth, he draweth him willing­lie, and not against his will. Therefore, there is no cause of damnation in God, but in them­selues which are damned, bicause they doo not repent and receiue the promise of grace in saith. Iohn. 3. For he that beléeueth in Christ shall not die, that is, he shall not be damned, and the wrath of GOD shall not abide vpon him. Matth. 4. Deut. 8. Luke. 4.

How dooth a man liue by the word of God?

Séeing that [...], the word, is the second person of the diuinitie, it is imme­diatlie [Page 61] effectuall in them that beléeue, when it is spoken: susteining and comforting them, and bringing it to passe maruellouslie, that they are nourished and defended thereby: as Christ speaketh of himselfe: Ego sum via, Iohn. 14. veritas, & vita: I am she waie, the veritie, and the life. And in another place: Iohn. 10. Egò vitam aeter­nam do eis: I giue them eternall life.

The church is the house of God, 2. Reg. 12. and the piller of truth,

Therefore the church dooth not erre.

I may answer the maior by dis­tinction. First, the church is the house of God, 1 and the piller of truth, which is vniuersallie true. Bicause some members of the church (though they be verie few) do alwaies obserue the truth. Such were these among the people of God, Marie, Ioseph, Zacharie, Elizabeth, Iohn the baptist, Simeon, Anna the prophetesse, and others, in the time of Christ. So Iohn the baptist certeinlie knew the Messias to be the sacrifice for all the world, when he saied: Iohn. 1. Ecce agnus Dei, qui tollit peccata mundi: Behold the lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world. Which thing the apostles knew not, before the Holie-ghost was giuen them. And except this error had béene corrected amongst them, they had perished. Secondlie, manie doo 2 [Page 62] erre in the church, yet diuerslie, some in the foundation, that is, in the knowledge of the lawe, and of the gospell, or in the articles of our faith, and stubbornelie defend their error, as the papists defend their error, of the doubt whether we be in the fauour and grace of God or no, Articl. 10. contrarie to the article of our faith: Cre­do remissionem peccatorum: I beléeue the forgiue­nes of sinnes. Also they mainteine inuocati­on, and praier to saints. As long as they wil­fullie continue in these errors, and others like, they are no true members of the church. And others erre in common traditions, as about eating of flesh, and such others: as S. Peter noluit edere de immundis, Acts. 10. would not eate of vn­cleane things.

Dooth the diuell giue the king­doms and riches of this world?

No, bicause it is written in the prophet: Dani. 2. Dominus transfert regna, atque constituit illa: The Lord dooth transferre kingdomes, and appoint them. And againe it is said: Do­mini est terra, Psal. 33. & plenitudo eius: The earth is the Lords, and the fulnes thereof.

Abraham beleeued that his po­steritie should inherit the promised land of Canaan: Gen. 12. and that his posteritie should be in­creased as the starres of heauen, and as the [Page 63] sand of the sea,

Therefore S. Paule erred, in applieng the ex­ample of Abraham to the faith of spirituall things, as the forgiuenes of sinnes, and eter­nall life.

I denie the consequent. Bicause corporall promises doo include in them the spi­rituall promise; namelie, the reconciliation of sinnes: for without that, the corporall promise is vnprofitable. If truelie a man doo not de­termine, that God is at peace with vs, and dooth iustifie vs, for the loue of Christ Iesus, Rom. 8. he can neither aske, neither beléeue to receiue corporall gifts, as his liuing, and defense­ment in safegard. Therefore it is verie requi­site, that faith touching spirituall things be manifest in our praier. Hereof it is, that Abra­ham beléeued the first and principall promise of God, Gene. 22. for the séed that should be borne of his posteritie, whereby he himselfe, and all his of­spring, with all nations should be blessed: like­wise it is said: Ero Deus tuus, & seminis tui post te: I will be thy God, and the God of thy séed after thée.

What be the causes of our temptations, and falling awaie from God?

There be two chéefe [Page 64] 1 causes. First, mans imbecillitie and weake­nes, bicause by Adam we are all sinners, and haue of him the inclination to doo euill. And the apostle saith: Rom. 5. Vnusquisque dum tentatur a pro­pria concupiscentia abstrahitur & inescatur: Eue­rie one, when he is tempted, he is drawne a­waie, and entised of his owne concupiscence. Then sinne groweth consequentlie: Iacob. 1. first by suggestion, next by consent of our spirit, and last of all by the pleasure that our flesh taketh to fulfill that suggestion and consent. Then we fulfill our lewd desires with gréedinesse, contrarie to the mind of the apostle which saith: Desideria carnis non perficietis: Galat. 5. Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

2 Secondlie, the diuell intiseth vs by innume­rable meanes secretlie to commit much wic­kednes; yea, and that some time against na­ture: as Medea by temptation killed hir owne children. Sodome, Gomorrha, Adama, Sebim, and Segor sinned against nature; and also Iu­das in betraieng Christ his redéemer, of whom the euangelist saieth: Iohn. 13. Diabolus in Iudam post sumptam offulam ingressus est: The diuell entred into Iudas, after that he had receiued the sop. So the diuell still letteth our right iudgement, in the vnderstanding of the doctrine necessa­rie for our saluation, he putteth darknesse into [Page 65] our harts, & confirmeth errors in our minds, wherefore S. Peter saith: Diabolus circuit nos, 1. Pet. 5. quaerens quem deuoret: The diuell goeth about vs, seeking whom he may deuoure, and spred­deth abrode such nets of temptations and vi­ces alwaies, as he perceiueth vs to be most ad­dicted and giuen vnto.

What ought christian men to doo, when the sting of sinne and worme of con­science dooth bite them?

First, they must in no case des­paire, 1 as though they were not written in the scroll of the liuing. And although we be most sinfull all the whole packe of vs in déed: yet we must learne of the apostle to saie: Rom. 5. Ex­superat gratia super peccatum: Grace is more a­boundant than sinne, we must confesse our sinnes, and be trulie repentant for them, then may we, Cum fiducia ad thronum gratiae accedere: Hebru. 4. Drawe néere to the throne of grace, with hope and confidence in him that is the onelie pro­pitiation and obteiner of mercie for them all that be such. We must set before vs the exam­ple of such as truelie repented, as Manasses, Marie Magdalene, Peter, and the théefe vpon the crosse: we must fullie persuade our selues to be predestinate and elected to saluation, if we assent to the word of God, and beleeue the [Page 66] gospell: according to this saieng: Quos elegit, hos & vocauit: Whom he hath chosen, those hath he also called.

2 Next, we must thinke that the commande­ment of God is alwaies immutable, how that we must beléeue the sonne of God which saith: It is not the will of your father which is in heauen: Matth. 18. Vt pereat vnus de pusillis istis: That one of these little ones should perish.

3 Thirdlie, we must thinke that the comman­dement of dooing repentance is vniuersall, and the promises therevnto annexed be like­wise vniuersall, and includeth all people, as: Venite ad me omnes: Matt. 11. Esaie. 53. Come vnto me all yee. And againe, Delicta omnium nostrum tulit: He hath borne all our sinnes. Thus haue the ser­uants of God alwaies wrestled with sin, that the pricking thereof should not perse them to death. Thus did the woman the Cananite, which acknowledged hir selfe vnworthie of Christs benefits, obteine grace and mercie by faith, and constancie in hir inuocation and praier.

The diuell dooth miracles and strange works, what difference therefore is there betweene true miracles and false?

1 There is a three double diffe­rence. The first is taken of the substance o [...] miracles, bicause that the diuell truelie can­not [Page 67] imitate or followe the true miracles, or the miracles of the church: as to raise vp the dead to life againe, to let the course of the sun, to stop the course of flouds, and to make the barren to beare children.

The second difference may be taken of the 2 accident, that is to wit, in confirmation of false worshippings, and false doctrine, as the [...]racles which were doone among the gentils and papists were doone of the diuell, for the confirmation of idolatrie, and false worship­ping, as the inuocation and praier to the dead, contrarie to the expresse word of God, saieng; Thou shalt haue none other gods but me. Exod. 20. And this rule is alwaies immutablie to be obser­ued: that we must beléeue no miracle doon con­trarie to the expresse word of God. Also, Deut. 18. Thou shalt not enquire the truth of the dead.

The third difference is, that the miracles in 3 the church doo repell and cast out the diuell, whe­ther he will or no; Luc. 11. as Christ did cast out the dum diuell, and afterward the dum spake, & the peo­ple maruelled, the like he did other times also.

Can the holie and elect people of God fall, and léese the Holie-ghost, their faith, [...] grace of God, and be damned?

No, they cannot, for our sauiour Christ hath said; Matth. 24. Except those daies (of trouble) should be shortened, no flesh (that is, no man) [Page 68] should be saued: but for the sake of the elected, those daies shalbe shortned. And againe, False christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall giue great signes and wonders, insomuch that (if it were possible) the verie elect should be brought into error. By these words it appea­reth manifestlie, that God in mercifull proui­dence will shorten the daies of trouble that shall be towards the end of the world, bicause his elected and holie people may not there­by be brought to euerlasting destruction: and that it is not possible for them to be so brought into error by false christs, and false prophets, that they should by error be brought into euer­lasting damnation. 1. Cor. 10. And S. Paule hath writ­ten thus to the Corinthians; God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your power, but euen in the midst of the temp­tation he will make a waie, that you may be able to beare it. Rom. 8. And againe to the Romans; Who will laie any thing to the charge of Gods elect? 2. Tim. 2. And againe to Timothie; The firme foun­dation of God standeth stedfastlie, hauing this seale; God knoweth who be his. But least this doctrine should encourage any man to lead a carelesse life, the apostle saith in the next sen­tence; Let euerie one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord, depart from iniquitie. And to the Romans, There is no condemnation to [Page 69] them that be in Christ Iesus, which walke not after the flesh. Eph. 4. And to the Ephesians the apo­stle saith; Gréeue not the holie spirit of GOD, in whom you are sealed against the daie of re­demption. Our care is to liue without sinne, according to the exhortation of th'apostle Iohn, 1. Ioh. 2. My little babes, I write these words to you, that you should not sinne: but if any man doo sin, we haue an aduocate with the father, euen Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propi­tiation for our sins. Gods elected doo sinne (as the wise man saith) verie often: but they rise againe by repentance. Prou. 24. The righteous person (saith he) falleth seuen times, and riseth againe, but the vngodly fall downe headlong into mis­chiefe.

The elect people are alwaies be­loued of God: therefore they cannot fall.

The elect people are indéed belo­ued of God, and so beloued, that nothing can se­parate them from his loue. Rom. 8. As the apostle wri­teth; I am sure that neither death, neither life, neither angels, neither principalities, neither powers, neither things present, nor things to come, neither fortitude, neither higth, neither depth, neither any other creature can sepa­rate vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But yet they may and doo fall [...]s Salomon saith, Prou. 24. and being downe they rise [Page 70] againe, being lifted vp by that louing Father, from whose loue their often and horrible falles cannot separate them. For so God loued the world (that is, Iohn. 3. his elect in the world) that he gaue his onlie begotten son, that all that beleeue in him shuld not perish, but haue euerlasting life.

Tell me, what is blasphemie, and whether the sinne therof be remissible and par­donable, or no?

Blasphemare, est maledice­re ac malè precari al [...]js, per nomen seu inuocati­onem Dei.Blasphemie is a sinne against the Holie-ghost: a curssing and reproching, com­monlie referred vnto the despite of GOD: when one knowing and willinglie would adni­hilate and make void the power of God, and withstand the truth that a man knoweth; as the Phariseis reuiled & reiected Christ, oppugning the truth manifested vnto them by the te­stimonies of God, and attributed the works of Christ to the diuell; Matth. 12. Marc. 3. Luc. 11. Exod. 10. and to take vpon him aboue the might of God, as Pharao, Senacherib, and Holophernes did. And touching pardon there­of, I answer by distinction, that they are forgi­uen which sinne therein by ignorance, and af­terward truelie repent them thereof, as S. Paule did, 1. Tim. 1. which saieth, that he was a blasphe­mer, but yet he receiued mercy & forgiuenes of his sinne; bicause he persecuted the congrega­tion of GOD ignorantlie. And this is a ge­nerall rule, euer inuiolablie to be obserued [Page 71] Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis: Matth. 11. Come vnto me all ye that are heauie laden with the burthen of sinne, &c: Vius ego dicit Dominus: Eze. 18.33. 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 5. As sure as I liue (saith the Lord) I will not haue the death of a sinner, but rather that he should conuert and liue. And that God would haue all men to be saued. Againe: Gratia exuberat super delic­tum: Grace is more aboundant than sinne. We must déeme of the will of God according to these saiengs of scripture and promises; and not after our owne opinions, or according to the omnipotencie of God, which although he can condemne some, and can saue other some, yet he onelie saueth those that vndoubtedlie beléeue the voice of his onelie Sonne Iesus, and condemneth them that striue against him, and withstand his diuine calling of them, perseuering still in their blasphemies, as the apostle saith: Nolite errare, non enim idololatrae, 1. Cor. 6. moechi, homicidae, &c. Be ye not deceiued, for nei­ther idolaters, whooremongers, mankillers, neither theeues, neither the couetous, nor droonkards, neither cursed speakers, nor pil­lers and pollers shall inherit the kingdome of heauen. And there is no sinne so great and horrible, but that the death of Christ, the onelie sonne of God, is a sufficient price and redemp­tion thereof. As the holie apostle saith: 1. Iohn. 2. Ipse est [Page 72] propitiatio pro peccatis nostris: He is the obteiner of mercie for our sinnes, and not for our sins onelie, but for all the sinnes that euer were or shall be doone in the whole world, from the first Adam to the last man, if we our selues lées [...] not the benefit of his passion, death, resurrecti­on, and ascension, by our owne wilfull con­tempt and disobedience.

No man ought to praise him­selfe,

Iohn. 8.Christ praised himselfe, when he said, Which o [...] you can reprooue me of sinne?

Therefore Christ did not well.

I answer vnto the maior by di­stinction. No man ought to praise himselfe, that is to wit, for his owne righteousnesse, or for his owne priuate vertues, except it be for that euerie one ought to kéepe a good consci­ence before all men, according to the saieng of the apostle: Haec est gloriatio nostra, testimonium conscientiae nostrae: This is our reioising, euen the testimonie of our conscience. And S. Au­gustine saith: Bona conscientia mihi opus est, propter me ipsum, sicilicet coram Deo; bona fama propter proxi­mum: I haue need of a good conscience for my selfe, that is before God; I haue néed of a good name, for my neighbour. But the teacher of the congregation of God ought to boast of the [Page 73] truth and certeintie of his doctrine, that he teacheth no foolish vanities, nor is a false pro­ [...]het. So Christ boasteth here, of the truth and veritie of his doctrine, saieng: Quis arguet me de peccato? Who can reprooue me of sinne? Iohn. 8. That is, of errour in my doctrine, or of anie false opinion. Which thing when the Iewes could not doo, yet notwithstanding they accused Christ without cause, reprooued, and persecu­ted his doctrine, which is the verie voice and commandement of almightie God the hea­uenlie father.

I haue heard of Neuters in re­ligion: I praie you tell me what are they?

Neuters are epicures, scorners and contemners of the true religion and hea­uenlie doctrine, and there are found too manie such now a daies, which are of no religion, and such force not whether there be anie seruing of God or no, so that they may liue in iolitie, and féed the humor of their lewd lusts and concu­piscence. Of whom Christ speaketh thus: Luc. 11. Qui non est mecum, contra me est: He that is not with me, is against me; and he that dooth not gather with me, scattereth abroad. Contrariewise, there be some that be weake, which doo not scorne at religion, but yet for feare they doo not professe the true doctrine, but fall by frailtie, [Page 74] and would happilie learne, if they were better taught, of whom the holie apostle speaketh thus: Rom. 14. Infirmum in fide assumite: Take him vnto you, that is weake in faith, that is to say, helpe and aid him, that he may increase further in faith. Luc. 17. And the apostles themselues were fraile and weake, before they had receiued the gift of the Holie-ghost: wherefore they praied; Domine adauge nobis fidem: Lord increase our faith. So likewise God receiued Darius to re­pentance, Dan. 6. which cast awaie Daniel to be de­stroied of the lions, bicause he knew not that Daniel was innocent and guiltlesse in the crime that was laid against him; wherfore the kings sinne therein was committed by igno­rance.

What is Christian religion: and how manie parts be there of religion?

Christian religion is the true worshipping of God, and kéeping of his com­mandements. There be foure parts thereof. Obedience, Parts of re­ligion. which the lawe of God comman­deth; faith, which the gospell requireth; praier, and sacraments, which Christ hath ordeined, and left vnto his church, there to be vsed vn­till his second comming to iudgement.

I haue heard some to haue beene doubtfull of Christes descension into hell, but [Page 75] tell me what thinke you thereof?

I thinke it is lamentable, that curious heads should spread such a schisme, and put such errour into the minds of men simple and vnlettered. And I beléeue that as Christ in his bodie descended into the bowels of the earth, so his soule seuered from the bo­die, he descended into hell. And after the same sort, he kept his promise with the théefe vpon the crosse, when he said: Hodie mecum eris in pa­radiso: To daie thou shalt be with me in para­dise. Although his bodie was committed to the graue, yet was his soule, his power, and his Godhead in paradise, & wheresoeuer else it pleased himselfe to be. Therfore, there be some that affirme that he descended into hell thrée waies: in power, spirit, and person. In pow­er, when the vaile of the temple did rent; Matth. 26. in spi­rit, when he said, Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem: My soule is heauie euen to the death; and in person, when he was laid in the graue.

Christ saieth: Iohn. 8. If a man kéepe my saiengs, he shall neuer sée death. But no man dooth kéepe the word of Christ, bicause it is impossible to satisfie the lawe of God, through our corrupt nature. Therefore no man dooeth liue by kéeping the word of Christ, and by a consequent, Christs promise is impossible, ab­surd, [Page 76] and vaine.

I denie the minor, bicause Christ speaketh héere not properlie of the lawe, which requireth perfect obedience, as it is said: Qui facit legem, Leuit. 18. Deut. 15. viuet in ea: He that fulfilleth the law, shall liue thereby: but of the Gospell, which is a frée promise of remission of our sinnes, the gift of righteousnes, and of eternall life, in faith, for Christ, and by Christ, the son of Go [...] our mediator and redéemer. And they doo ob­serue the Gospell and kéepe the word of Christ, which assent and agrée to the promise of God, touching his mercie, and doo begin a new obe­dience, as Marie Magdalen, Zachee, the théefe vpon the gibbet, Paule, and such other truelie repentant did: all which receiued forgiuenesse of their sinnes, according to this pro­mise of Christ, and did not sée death; that is, they tasted not of the horrors of death, though the remnant of sinne (to wit) naturall weake­nesse did still hang vpon them, whereby they fell sometime into externall or actuall sin, but they repented, Rom. 8. asked forgiuenes, & beléeued in Christ according to this saieng: Nulla est con­demnatio his, qui insiti sunt in Iesu Christo, qui non se­cundum carnem viuunt, sed secundū spiritum: There is no condemnation for them that be grafted in Christ Iesu, which liue not according to the [Page 77] flesh, but according to the spirit. So the apo­stles also did kéepe the word of Christ, as Christ himselfe saith: Tui erant, & mihi dedisti eos, Iohn. 17. & ser­m [...]nem tuum seruarunt. They were thine (O fa­ther) and thou gauest them me, and they haue kept thy word: that is as much to saie as, They had the beginning of their faith of me, and new obedience, although there were in them much infirmitie, darkenesse, and doubtfulnes, and their faith verie féeble, Luke. 17. as they themselues did testifie, saieng: Domine adauge nobis fidem? Lord increase our faith.

Is it not lawfull to giue men thanks, sith we receiue benefits of them?

Whatsoeuer benefits and good­nesse men do to vs, 1. Cor. 12. 2. Cor. 9. we ought to account them receiued of GOD, bicause he alone in verie déed dooth giue vs them, by the ministerie of men, which are second meanes and instru­mentall causes therein; so that our thankful­nesse redoundeth to the glorie of God, Matt. 5. 1. Pet. 2. the true and finall end of all our actions or dooings.

The gentiles knew the power of God, Christ is the power of God, therefore the gentiles knowe the power of Christ; and by a consequent, the gentiles are saued.

I denie the consequent, bicause there is a double power of God, that is to wit; [Page 78] there is one power of his creation described in the lawe, and this power onlie did the Gen­tiles knowe, without the promise of the medi­atour, how that God requireth righteousnes, and punisheth the vnrighteous. Gods dou­ble power. And there is another power of saluation by Christ the son of God, which is two waies called the power of the father, first naturall, and next of salua­tion. For although the sonne was with the father, yet the scripture speaketh of him that he is God and man, which was sent into the world for this purpose, that he should be the propitiatour, or obteiner of mercie, and the quickener of mankind. Therefore there was a farre other and greater light of the know­ledge of God and faith in Abraham, than there was in Cicero, Plato, and Xenophon, &c.

What is it to keepe the word of Christ?

It is not to kéepe his testament safe in our bosome, or in our chests: but it is certeinlie to determine in our faith, that God is reconciled and at peace with vs, and that our sinnes are freelie forgiuen vs for his sonne Christes sake, and that righteousnes is imputed vnto vs by him, whereby we haue e­ternall life, and also doo beginne a new obedi­ence, without the which no man can haue the [Page 79] true faith, as the apostle saieth: 1. Tim. 1. Milita bonam militum, retinens fidem & bonam conscientiam: Fight a good fight, kéeping the faith, and a good conscience.

Tell me, Iohn. 8. what is it neuer to sée death, nor to taste of hir, as Christ saieth?

It is, not to feele the sorrowes of death, and of hell, whereof the psalmist saieth: Circundederunt me dolores mortis, & dolores infer­ni inuenerunt me: Psalm. 17. The sorrowes of death haue compassed me round about, and the paines of hell haue gotten hold on me. Those that are quickened in their faith, doo not sée nor taste of such sorrowes: Quia pacem habent cum Deo per fi­dem: Rom. 5. Bicause they are at peace with God tho­rough faith.

Wherein ought a man to take comfort in the time of his persecution? Iohn. 8.

In the example of Christ, at whom the Iewes did cast stones, but Christ escaped from the hands of his enimies, without anie harme. First, bicause the time of his passion appointed of God his father from the begin­ning was not yet come. Next, bicause that the Messias or the sauiour ought not to die with anie kind of death, Deut. 21. Gala. 3. but by hanging on the tree of the crosse, as it is said: Maledictus pro nobis factus est: He is made accurssed for vs. 1. Cor. 15.

1. Cor. 15.Saint Paule saith, that in the later daie, the sonne will deliuer vp the king­dome to God the father,

Luke. 1.Therefore, the kingdome of Christ shall not be euerlasting, as the angell said it should be.

In this place S. Paule speaketh of the kingdome of Christ in this world, wher­by he gathereth together his church and pre­serueth it against hir enimies. This kingdome of Christes truelie shall end in the last daie, and then he will present his church before his father, who together with the sonne and the Holie-ghost shall be all in all.

Exod. 12.When did the Iewes offer vp their pascall, or figuratiue lambe?

Euer in the first mo­neth of the yeare, which is March with vs, vp­on the twelfe daie in the vernall equinoctium, which lambe signified Christ, whose death is called sinne, Rom. 8. as the apostle saith: Peccato damna­uit peccatum in carne: By sinne he damned sinne in the flesh, Hebr. 10. Hebr. 8. when he was offered vp once suffi­cientlie for our sinnes. No sacrifice then is left vs after the death of Christ, but the sacri­fice of righteousnesse, and of thanks giuing. Further, Psalm: 4. Psalm. 50. as the Iewes were woont to offer vp lambes in their ordinarie sacrifices, and euer one lambe at Easter: so Christ is our pascall [Page 81] lambe, as it is said: Ecce agnus Dei, Iohn. 1. qui tollit pecca­ta mundi: Behold the lambe of God, that taketh awaie the sins of the world. The Iewes kept this ceremonie about 1540. yeares. For there are so manie yeares from their comming out of Aegypt, to the yeare of the passion & resur­rectiō of Christ, after which time the ceremonie of eating the pascall or typicall lambe ceased.

No man is iustified by onelie knowledge, as the diuell is not iust, nor saued, although there be excellent knowlege in him,

Therefore, it is not rightlie said, The know­ledge of God shall iustifie manie. Esai. 53.

I answer to the antecedent. It is a figure of spéech: for the Hebrues in their words of knowing, doo comprehend the effect: as in this saieng: Nouit viam Dominus iustorum: The Lord knoweth the waie of the righteous, Psal. 1. that is to saie; The Lord considereth & regar­deth their waie. Also, knowledge here dooth sig­nifie light in our minds; next, the motion of our heart, or the trust of our mind resting on God the father, 1. Tim. 2. Hebr. 4.7.8.9.12. 1. Iohn. 2. Ephes. 3. Rom. 5.8. Iohn. 15. through Christ the onelie me­diator betwéene God & man. The diuell and the wicked people haue not this trust & confi­dence in God, bicause they doo not apprehend and take hold on the sonne of God by faith, neither doo they comfort themselues by his be­nefits, [Page 82] in the time of fearefulnes of death and sinne; for it is thus said of the diuels: Dami­nes credunt & contremiscunt: Iacob. 2. The diuels be­léeue and tremble.

Esaie. 53. Esaie saith of Christ, that he did beare the sinnes of manie,

Therefore, he did not beare the sinnes of all,

[...].And by a consequent, Christes death is not a sufficient sacrifice for all men, and God hath a scroll of those that be elected to eternall life, for which onlie the sonne of God died.

I denie the consequent. For the promise of the gospell is vniuersall, as Christ saieth: Matth. 11. Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis: Come vnto me all ye that labour. Rom. 3. S. Paule saieth: Non est distinctio: There is no difference. A­gaine: Rom. 10. Deus est diues in omnes: God is rich to­wards all. Therefore the prophet maketh no distinction touching the benefits of Christ his death, which is auaileable and sufficient for all men, 1. Ioh. 2. as the apostle saith: Et ipse est propitia­tio pro peccatis totius mundi: And he is the propi­tiation, and the obteinment of mercie for the sinnes of all the whole world: but touching the men themselues, whereof some apprehend the benefits of Christ by faith, and other some wil­linglie reiect and cast awaie the same from them, so that they themselues be the causers [Page 83] [...]o themselues of their owne damnation, ma­king Christes death rather to serue to their damnation, than to their saluation by their disobedience, and lacke of faith, as it appéereth by them in the parable that were bidden to the mariage, and yet they would not come. Matth. 22. Others expound this word [manie] for all mankind, as here is the like: Matth. 26. Hic calix est noui testamenti, qui pro vobis, & pro multis effunditur in remissionem peccatorum: This cup is of the new testament, which is shed for you and for manie (that is) for all, for the forgiuenes of sinnes.

Died Christ (I praie you tell me) then for all men, or no?

No. Christ died for none, Iohn. 3. Act. 13. but for such as laie hold on him by a liuelie faith, and as for infidels, blasphemers, obstinate sin­ners, and all such as take plesure to perseuere and continue wilfullie and gréedilie in wic­kednes, contrarie to their owne conscience, contemptuouslie casting (as it were) Gods mercies from them, his death truelie shall be to them death, and not life.

He that is dead (saith S. Paule) is iustified from sinne, Rom. 5.

Iudas is dead,

Therefore he is iustified, and by a conse­quent is righteous.

I denie the consequent. First, bicause there is an vnlikenesse in the example. For Christ (of whom the apostle speaketh here) died innocentlie and willinglie, as it is writ­ten: Hebru. 5. Voluntate eius sanctificati sumus: We are sanctified by his will. He praied for vs with teares, Et exauditus est propter reuerentiam: And was heard for his reuerence or willing obedi­ence. But Iudas and all other wicked doo die vnwillinglie, and against their wils, by the compulsion of sathan, with fretting and re­pining against God. Christ truelie percei­ued and felt (as it were) a strugling and wrest­ling in his flesh, Matt. 26. like as he saieth: Spiritus est promptus, caro autem infirma: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is fraile: yet notwithstanding he fretted not, nor was angrie with God; as were Iudas, Saule, and Caine: but willinglie made himselfe obedient to his fathers will, as he himselfe confessed: Non voluntas mea, sed tua fiat: Not my will, but thine (oh father) be ful­filled. Againe, it is written: Oblatus est, quia vo­luit: He was offered vp, bicause he would wil­linglie. And so the saints of God, as Iohn, Paule, Peter, and such others, were obedient to the will of God, in their death, and crosse; but yet their will and obedience was farre other­waies, & differing from the will of the sonne [Page 85] of God, as Christ himselfe said to Peter: Ali­us te cinget, & ducet quò non vis: Iohn. 21. Another shall girt thée, and lead thée whither thou wouldest not. Further, all saints also are sinners and trespassers, and therefore their obedience is no merit or desert sufficient to purchase ei­ther their owne righteousnesse, or anie other mans: as the obedience of Christ is a suffici­ent merit or desert for to worke the righteous­nesse of all the true faithfull people dispersed through the whole world, vpon the face of the earth wheresoeuer.

What is that which we doo call the propitiation of sinnes?

It is the death of the sonne of God, which in Gréeke is [...], a satisfaction and a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Ther­fore it comprehendeth both the cause efficient promeriting for vs the forgiuenes of our sins, and the effect, which is the reconciliation of vs with God, and the gift of eternall life.

We are the swéet bread (as S. Paule saith) therfore we néed not to be pur­ged. 1. Cor. 5.

I answer by distinction, we are indéed the swéet bread by imputation, and inchoation, but not in perfection. There­fore it is necessarie that we alwaies increase [Page 86] in new obedience, as the prophets, Christ, and the apostles doo still crie vnto vs, saieng: Agite poenitentiam: Repent, repent; and our sinne therefore is not imputed to vs, bicause Christ is offered vp for vs, Et deleuit chirogra­phum aduersus nos scriptum: And hath put out the hand writing that was written against vs, and hath fastened it to his crosse, whereby he hath wiped awaie our sinnes. The theefe hanging with Christ vpon the crosse is a suffi­cient testimonie thereof. And further, S. Paule saith: Exuite veterem hominem, & induite nouum: Put off the old man, and put on the new man.

What vse and fruit haue we Christians of the resurrection of Christ?

We haue our iustification. For God dooth forgiue vs our sinnes for Christes sake, which died for vs, and rose againe for our iustification, and reckoneth vs righteous, though the remnant of sinne still hangeth on vs, as S. Paule saith: Christus traditus est in mor­tem propter peccata nostra, Rom. 4. & resurrexit propter iu­stificationem nostram: Christ was put to death for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustifi­cation, that is to saie, Christes death is a satis­faction for our sinnes, whereby the wrath of God the father is pacified, and by Christes [Page 87] resurrection, the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed vnto vs, which is begunne in vs here in this world, and finished and perfected with eternall life in the world to come. Whereby Ieremie calleth Christ our iustification. Ierem. 33. And Christ himselfe speaketh of this righteousnes in Oseas, where as it is said: O mors ero mors tua, Ose. 13. morsus tuus ero inferne: Oh death I will be thy death, oh hell I will be thy destruction; that is to saie: I will destroie and abolish death and hell, in such sort that they shall not anie more be able to hurt me, nor my church or congre­gation from henceforth.

Whie did there manie others rise with Christ after his passion, Matt. 27. as the euan­gelists doo make mention, and came into the holie citie?

To the end that we should be­léeue, This was a figure of the resur­rection. that Christ would raise vp his whole church in the latter daie, and that his church should haue eternall saluation, wherein the faithfull shall enioie the fruition and the sight of God, with the most swéete loue of him, du­ring all eternitie; the beginning of which e­state of life is perceiued and knowne in the resurrection of Christ, that we should not be doubtfull of the remainder of another and better life, after our temporall death in this [Page 88] world, and that at the generall resurrection, all, both the quicke and dead, shall be rewar­ded according to their works doone here in this world, good or euill.

He that calleth vpon one God, the maker of heauen and earth, calleth vpon the true God,

The Turkes and Iewes call vpon one God, the maker of heauen and earth,

Therefore they call vpon the true God.

I denie the minor. For the Turkes and Iewes calling vpon one God, they denie him to be the true God, the maker of all things, which is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. The infi­dels call not vpon the true God. Therefore they call vpon an idoll, and not vpon the true God. Further, they cannot be certeine by hearesaie; first, bi­cause they haue no promise; next, bicause they reiect, and (as it were) cast from them the sonne of God, the mediatour, cruellie blas­pheme him, and tyrannouslie persecute him in the members of his church, and chosen vessels to saluation.

What is the finall end of Chri­stes incarnation?

It is to béecome a sacrifice for his church, and that he might be present with hir, quicken hir by the gift of the Holie-ghost, [Page 89] and might raise vs vp vnto eternall life. Ther­fore the sonne of God is not onelie a redeemer reconciling vs to his father by the merit of his death, but he is a sauiour in effect, Esaie. 7. Matth 1. Dani. 12. whereby he is called Emanuell, that is to saie, God with vs. And the prophet saith, Christ standeth: Pro filijs populi, propugnans eos: For to defend the chil­dren of the people.

For how manie cau­ses is the church of God subiect to the crosse of afflictions?

There be sixe causes of the churches afflictions. The first cause is 1 common, and pertinent to all men, that is to wit, sinne, or the corruption of nature, follow­ing the fall of our first parents, and spred a­broad by generation into all their posteritie. And of this cause it was said: Gene. 3. In quacunque die comederis, morte morieris: Whensoeuer thou doost eate of the trée, thou shalt die the death. And againe: Rom. 5. Per vnum hominem peccatum in mundum intrauit, & per peccatum mors: By one man sinne came into the world, and by sinne came death. The philosophers make will and matter the cause of sickenesse and of death, as the sub­stance of an apple is the cause of his putrifac­tion. But these are not the principall causes. The principall and chéefe cause of sickenesse [Page 90] and death, is sinne, for the which mans nature is subiect to corruption and death.

2 And the second cause truelie, whie the church or congregation of God is more subiect to the crosse and miserie than other men are, is the diuell, which bicause he hateth God, he inua­deth his church the more gréeuouslie than anie other companie.

3 The third cause is, bicause God would haue his wrath against sinne to be perceiued and knowne; which the wicked companie and the epicurean sort doo securelie contemne and scoffe at.

4 The fourth cause is, for that the church hath also hir sinnes, which must be mortified by the crosse of afflictions.

5 The fift is, bicause God would haue our af­flictions to be the testimonies of his presence in his church, when he deliuereth vs by his di­uine power.

6 The sixt cause is, that we should be certeine that there remaineth another iudgement, in the which the godlie that haue béene afflicted in this life, as Iohn the baptist and Paule with o­thers shall be rewarded; and the wicked, as Herod, Nero, and such other shall be punished with eternall death: bicause it is impossible, that the godlie people should be alwaies in mi­serie, [Page 91] and the wicked contrariewise should be still in pleasure.

Whie dooth Christ call the diuell, Iohn. 16. the prince of the world?

He dooth not call him so, in respect that he is the maker and the guider of the world, which is the onelie worke of God; but bicause he dooth beare rule in worldlie men, and such as are not new borne, which securelie giue themselues ouer to sinne, whom the di­uell leadeth whither it listeth him, according to his will and pleasure, holding them still to be his bondslaues, captiues, and thralles, as long as they liue licentiouslie. The holie apostle also calleth him the gouernour of such liuers, Ephe. 2. saieng: Ye walked in time past according to the course of this world: Ac iuxta principem, cui potestas est aeris, qui est spiritus nunc agens in filijs cō ­tumacibus: And after the gouernour that ruleth in the aier, the spirit that now worketh in the children of vnbeléefe and disobedience.

What dooth Christ meane by the world, in the gospell? Iohn. 16.

He meaneth worldlie and car­nall men, which falslie and wickedlie iudge of Christ, and of the doctrine of his church, of whom there be foure sorts. First, the mightie men of power iudge the doctrine of the gos­pell [Page 92] to be Seditiosam, Luc. 23. seditious.

1. Cor. 1.The wisemen of the world suppose it to be Stultitiam, foolishnesse.

Matt. 26.The iusticiaries accompt it to be Blasphemi­am in Deum, blasphemie against God.

The Epicures doo esteeme the gospell to be Anilem fabulam commentitiam, an old wines fai­ned fable; Psalm. 14. as for example: The foole said in his heart, Non est Deus: There is no God. And the first psalme calleth such persons, Derisores, scor­ners. Thus we sée that these foure kind of peo­ple; mightie men of power; worldlie wise­men; iusticiaries, that is, such as suppose they can make themselues righteous in the sight of God, by the merit of their owne workes; and Epicures, which do make Summum bonum, their chéefe felicitie, to be in all voluptuous, carnall, and licentious liuing, with greedines thereof, beléeuing as the Saduces did, that after our death there is no part of man remaining. These foure sorts are taken for the world, in the scriptures of God.

Iohn. 9.God dooth not heare sinners, All men are sinners,

God therefore dooth heare no man.

I will answer by distinction: first vnto the maior, God dooth not heare sin­ners, that is; such sinners as doo not repent. [Page 93] Againe, to the minor: All men are sinners in respect of their corrupt nature, but such as doo repent, that is to wit, such as acknowledge their sinnes, conuert from them, and flie vnto God for the mediatours sake, and haue not a­gaine anie purpose of wickednesse in their minds, such certeinlie are heard of God, not for their owne worthinesse, but for Christes sake, as he himselfe saith: Iohn. 16. Quaecunque petieritis patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis: Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will giue it you.

Manie martyrs praied to be deliuered from tyrants, but they were not heard,

Therefore this promise of Christ: Iohn. 16. Whatsoe­uer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will giue it you, is not vniuersallie true.

I answer to the antecedent by distinction. The things which we desire of God, are of two sorts. Some be spirituall, as the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, and the inheri­tance of eternall life, which are granted vs, ac­cording to this saieng: Nolo mortem impij, Ezech. 18. sed vt conuertatur ac viuat: I will not the death of a sinner, but that he should conuert and liue. A­gaine, My shéepe heare my voice, Iohn. 10. Et ego do eis vitam aeternam: And I giue them eternall life. [Page 94] Other gifts of God are corporall, which he dooth not streightwaie giue them when we aske them, or not after that sort as we doo aske them, bicause God will haue his church subiect to afflictions, and to shew hir obedience vnto him therein. Therefore corporall things are to be asked with the condition of the glorie of God, of our saluation, and the profit of our neighbour. And often times God giueth not that that we aske, but that which is much bet­ter than that we aske: bicause we haue not the perfect knowledge, to aske such gifts as are most requisite and necessarie for vs. As it well appeareth by the answer that Christ made vnto the mother of Zebedeis children, which would haue hir two sonnes Iohn and Iames, to sit the one on his right hand, and the other on his left hand, in his kingdome, saieng vn­to them: Matt. 20. Nescitis quid petitis: Ye wot not what ye aske.

What is the kingdome of Christ?

The kingdome of Christ is to sit at the right hand of his eternall father, de­fending his church, preseruing the ministerie of his gospell, gathering together his congre­gation by the voice of his word, quickening the hearts of his faithfull people by the gift of [Page 95] the Holie-ghost, and finallie raising them vp from death, and afterwards giuing them eter­nall life. And therefore he is called Emanuell, Matth. 1. that is, God with vs. And S. Paule speaketh of the ascension of Christ, and of his spirituall kingdome out of the psalme: saieng; Psalm. 68. He as­cended on high, and led captiuitie captiue, Ephe. 4. that is to wit: he hath ouercome, and as it were caried awaie in a triumph, sinne, death, hell, and the diuell, his enimies and his chur­ches, which before held vs captiues; and hath giuen gifts vnto men, as the Holie-ghost, pro­phets, apostles, euangelists, doctors, and pa­stors, for the edifieng of the saints, and is effec­tuall in them, euer preseruing his church. This is the spirituall kingdome of Christ, e­uen vnto the latter daie: and then this king­dome shall cease, as S. Paule saieth: 1. Cor. 15. Tunc tra­det regnum patri: Then he shall deliuer vp the kingdome to his father, that is to saie, this spi­rituall kingdome, which in his church is gathe­red together by the outward voice of his gos­pell, he alwaies preseruing and defending the same. And afterward, the father, the sonne, and the Holie-ghost, visiblie shall reigne together in their saints, and that kingdome then shall be for euer without end: 1. Cor. 15. Quum Deus erit omnia in omnibus: When God shall be all in all. This [Page 96] is, that kingdome which all true christians do hope to haue, earnestlie looke for, and dailie praie for in the Lords praier, Matth. 6. saieng: Adu [...] ­niat regnum tuum: Thy kingdome come, which is also in this world, by promoting and set­ting foorth of his glorious word.

Iohn. 17.Christ said, he praied not for his disciples, that is, for his church,

And S. Paule saieth, that Christ still maketh intercession for vs,

Therefore Christ and Paule are contrarie.

This saieng of Christ is not to be vnderstanded exclusiuelie, but comprehen­siuelie. Bicause he dooth not exclude himselfe, which saieth: Ego non solùm oraturus pro vobis, I will not onelie praie for you, but you also be­léeuing in me, shall praie, and you shall come vnto the father, which will heare you calling on him, bicause you haue confidence and trust in mine intercession and merits.

Exod. 14.Must men praie in expresse words, or onelie in their thought, after the ex­ample of Moses?

No, but we must vse the recitall of words, bicause the Holie-ghost, and affect is stirred vp and kindled by the word, as Da­uid soong his psalmes not onelie in heart and spirit, but also with voice and musicall instru­ment. [Page 97] And so Christ prescribed a certeine forme of praieng to his disciples and church, Matth. 6. saieng; Ye shall praie thus: Our father, &c.

Christ said to his disciples: Hi­therto ye haue asked nothing in my name.

Therefore, Iohn. 16. the apostles did not truelie call on Christ, neither were they heard before this time.

Christ here speaketh of the cros­ses, corporall afflictions, and the necessaries of this world, which they had plentiouslie while Christ was present with them; therefore they trusting in his visible presence, did aske by Christ no corporall gifts of God, for that they thought with themselues they could lacke nothing as long as they had such a Lord & mai­ster present with them, which gaue them all things necessarie for this life, & alwaies defen­ded them against their Iudaicall enimies and others, & finallie would giue them eternall life.

Christ maketh intercession for vs to his father, Rom. 5.

The Holie-ghost also praieth for vs with vn­speakeable gronings,

What difference is there then, betwéene the praier of Christ and the Holie-ghost?

I doo answer: that the Holie-ghost is not the mediatour betwéene God and [Page 98] man, neither offereth he vp anie merit, or price of our redemption to the father. But the sonne is our mediatour and redéemer, bicause he hath pacified the wrath of his father. The Holie-ghosts praier is the inclining of our hearts by the voice of the gospell, with a cer­teine inward motion to inuocation, and cal­ling vpon God, and helpeth all such as call vp­on him. The sonne of God offereth vp [...], or the price of our redemption for vs, as Christ himselfe saieth: Iohn. 17. Ego meipsum sanctifico pro eis: I doo sanctifie my selfe for them, that is as much to saie, as I die for them, and doo pacifie the wrath of mine eternall father by the sacrifice of my death.

The rich man that wore purple and silke, and banketted delicatelie, was damned,

Luc. 16.Therefore fine clothes, as silke and purple, with delicate fare, are naught, and damned things.

I denie the consequent: bicause it is the fallacie of the accident. For the rich man was not damned for his purple and silke, neither for his delicate fare, which in­déed are all the good creatures of God, and ma­nie good and godlie men haue well vsed the same, as Dauid, Salomon, and others. But [Page 99] [...]irst he was damned, for that he did abuse the [...]ame good gifts, to wit: he put his whole trust and confidence in those things, as though they should helpe and deliuer him in the daie of wrath and vengeance. Next he was damned for his securitie, and the contempt of God and his neighbour, whom he did not succour with his riches as he ought to doo, therefore he was cast awaie from God, and damned, according as the holie apostle saieth: Iacob. 2. Iudicium absque mi­sericordia erit ei, qui misericordiam non praestiterit: He shall haue iudgement without mercie, which sheweth no mercie. The same sinnes therefore were reigning in this rich man, which God re­prooued in the Sodomites, saieng: Ezech. 6. Peccatum So­domae, superbia, saturitas panis, prosperitas & otium, & manum pauperi non porrigebant: The sinne of Sodome, was pride, fulnesse of bread, prospe­ritie, and idlenesse, and they did not reach out their hands to the poore. These were the sinnes wherefore the rich glutton was damned, and not his riches, good clothes, and delicate fare, which are the great blessings of God, and are to be vsed alwaies with thankes giuing, with­out anie offense. For thus it is written of ri­ches: Benedictio Domini diuites facit: Prou. 10. The bles­sing of the Lord maketh men rich. And out of all question, if men would followe Christes [Page 100] proposition and rule, touching riches, where he saieth: Primùm quaerite regnum Dei, & iustici [...] eius: First séeke ye the kingdome of God, and the righteousnes thereof, and then all these other things, meaning thereby riches, and worldlie blessings, shall be giuen vnto vs more easilie, and with the lesse trauell, bicause it is a small thing in the sight of the Lord, to make a poore man rich, and a rich man poore.

The Stoiks argument.That thing is good, which ma­keth men good,

Riches doo not make men good,

Therefore riches are not good.

First I answer by distinction to the maior. A good thing is twofold, morall and naturall: morall, which maketh good things, as vertues; and a naturall good thing, as riches, health, and honors. These doo not make things good, yet they are themselues the excellent and good gifts of God, which men oftentimes a­buse to euill purpose, Luc. 16. as did the rich man in the gospell to his owne destruction.

What is ment in the scripture of God, by the bosome of Abraham?

Thereby is ment the gathering togither of them which are graffed into the promise of Abraham: into this companie (to wit) of the holie patriarchs, prophets, apostles, [Page 101] martyrs, and saints, all they are caried by the angels of God, that depart out of this life in [...]he true state of faith and saluation, bicause [...]uch cannot miscarrie, as doo commit them­ [...]elues in sure confidence to the mercifull tui­ [...]ion of Christ.

What is the chéefest thing, whereof euerie one ought to be most carefull [...]uring all his life time?

Euerie one ought to be most carefull; first, Matth. 16. how he can be saued in the daie of iudgement, before Gods tribunall seate, and so to come to euerlasting life; next, to [...]iue according to Gods holie will, during our [...]ife, 1. Pet. 5. whereby we shall receiue an vncorrupti­ble crowne in the end, when euerie man shall go to the reaping of that fruit which he hath sowne in this world.

Are not all people discharged of their sinne, Rom. 8. seeing that Christ hath paied the punishment due for them?

None are discharged from the paines which our sinnes deserue, Iohn. 3. Colos. 2. sauing those that take hold vpon Christ and his mercies with a true faith.

Lazarus is saued,

Lazarus was a poore man, &c. Luke. 16.

Therefore pouertie dooth saue vs, and by a [Page 102] consequent, other good works also, so that we are not iustified and saued by faith onelie.

I denie the consequent, for that there is a fallacie in the word, according that it is simplie spoken. And the euangelist making mention of Lazarus pouertie, compriseth therein all his obedience, that is to saie, his re­pentance, his faith in the promised Messias his deliuerer, his patience, and other vertues, which were testimonies and signes of his faith. Rom. 3.4.5. For we are iustified and saued by faith onelie, therefore, bicause faith taketh handfast on Christ; not for anie merit or vertues of ours, which are too weake and beggerlie to sa­tisfie the wrath of God expressed in his lawe.

Luke. 14.Wherefore is God the father in the parable ment to be the rich man, which had his ghests to supper?

Genesi. 2.Bicause God hath made man after his owne image. Then next, bicause God dooth loue man well being made after his image for Christes sake, which tooke vpon him the massie lumpe of our flesh. Iohn. 14. 1. Cor. 6. And third­lie, bicause man is, Templum Dei, the temple of God.

Such things as hinder and let the studie and loue of godlines, are euill, meet to be refused and reiected,

Riches, power, honors, and mariage doo hin­der and let the studie and loue of godlinesse, Luc. 14. as in the parable of the gospell,

Therefore they are euill, and to be refused of Christians.

I denie the consequent, bicause riches, power, honours, and mariage doo not hinder and let the studie and loue of godlines onelie of themselues, or of their owne nature, but by an accident, that is to saie, through the euill disposition of men, which preferre bodilie gifts before heauenlie and eternall gifts. The abuse therefore of these things is reprooued, and not the things themselues, which are the good gifts of God: and all the good gifts and creatures of God may be vsed, as meat, drinke, cloth, and so foorth; yet not for pleasure, and vnto riot, but for necessitie, Matth. 14. and that with thanks giuing alwaies, as Christ himselfe gi­ueth vs in example, that he neuer brake bread, without the giuing of thanks. Ephe. 5. And the holie a­postle also teacheth vs alwaies to vse Gratia­rum actione: The giuing of thanks.

What is the house of God and who are they that are called into it?

The house of God, is the number of the elected people, or the church, or congre­gation, which is congregated or gathered to­gether [Page 104] vnto repentance, and to the know­ledge of the truth in Christ; first by the pro­phets, next by Iohn the baptist, thirdlie by Christ himselfe and his apostles: and there are some dailie called into that houshold, by the ministers of the church. But bicause the Iewes did not obeie the calling of God, he re­iected and refused them, Act. 14. as S. Paule saieth: Vobis oportebat primùm loqui sermonem Dei: It was meet that the word of God should be first prea­ched vnto you: but séeing you put it from you and thinke your selues vnworthie of euerla­sting life; lo, we turne vnto the gentiles: S [...] enim nobis praecepit Dominus: For so the Lo [...] commanded vs. Againe the prophet saieth Posui te in lucem gentium, Esaie. 49. vt sis salus mea, vsque [...] extremum terrae: I haue made thée the light [...] the gentiles, that thou maist be my health, v [...] to to the end of the world.

Contrition, faith, and new obedience, are the thrée parts of repentance but canst thou make me a seuerall descriptio [...] of these thrée particularlie?

Contrition.I can. Contrition is therefor [...] a compunction and pricking in our consci­ence, rising and comming of the knowledge of the wrath of God against sinne and wic­kednesse, and a certeine sorrowe, for that w [...] [Page 105] haue offended God, as the prodigall sonne said to his father, when he did acknowledge his sinnes: Pater peccaui in coelum & coram te, Luke. 15. & non sum dignus vocari filius tuus: Father I haue sin­ned against heauen and against thée, and I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne. 1. Cor. 5. Colo. 3. Rom. 6.8. Ephe. 4. And S. Paule calleth contrition the mortifi­cation or killing of the old man, meaning thereby our fleshlie lusts, sensualitie, and car­nall liuing.

Next, Faith. faith is the assenting and agréeing to euerie word of God, and to his promise of grace made vnto vs in his gospell, whereby we haue an assured knowledge of his father­lie good will towards vs, Coloss. 2. Hebru. 10. through the bloud of Christ, and an affiance in the same fatherlie goodnesse towards vs alwaies witnessed in his said gospell, for Christes sake onelie, and not for anie merit or vertue of ours, which we vnprofitable seruants can be able to doo.

And thirdlie new obedience is described by S. Paule, where he saieth: New obe­dience. Milita bonam militi­am, retineto fidem, & bonam conscientiam: 1. Tim. 1. Fight a good fight, kéepe the faith, and a good consci­ence, that is to saie: when we obeie our vocati­on or calling, and commit nothing wickedlie and contrarie to the testimonie of a pure and a good conscience, then we shew that new obe­dience. [Page 106] For the performance whereof we haue néed of the presence and aid of the Holie-ghost, Iohn. 15. in the infirmitie and weakenes of our nature, as it is said: Sine me nihil potestis facere: Without me ye can doo nothing. Rom. 8. Phil. 2. Againe, Spi­ritus opem fert infirmitati nostrae: The Holie-ghost helpeth our infirmitie. Therefore it is God which worketh in vs both the will and also the déed, euen of good will, whereby we are able to doo such things as may be acceptable in his sight. And then this obedience is the fruit and testimonie of a true faith, and of our conuersi­on to God, which hath coupled with it alwaies an endeuour of godlie life.

How manie errors doo the pa­pists vse and teach, touching the doctrine of re­pentance?

1 They doo vse six errors. The first is, they hold an opinion, and teach, that we must haue sufficient contrition. Although it be necessarie, that we haue some contrition or sorow for the sinnes which we haue commit­ted against God, Ioel. 1. as the prophet saith, Scindite corda vestra, Rent your hearts and not your garments; againe, Tristitia quae ad poenitentiam est, vtilis est, The sorrow that causeth repen­tance is profitable: yet contrition is not suffi­cient to merit or deserue anie goodnesse at [Page 107] Gods hand.

Their second is, they saie that contrition is 2 the merit of reconciliation and forgiuenesse of our sins. Which is an horrible contumelie and a reproch against God, and a snare of conscience; bicause we can neuer know when our contrition is sufficient. Therefore we can­not be certeine of the remission of our sinnes, and reconciliation with God. And this false opinion is a derogation, and as it were a di­minishing of the death and passion of Christ, which is a full, equiualent, and sufficient price and ransome for the sinnes of all true and faithfull beléeuers. [...],

Their third errour is, that they make no 3 mention of faith in the definition of their re­pentance. For thus they describe their repen­ [...]ance: Repentance is, to lament our sinnes [...]hat be past, and not to commit & doo againe [...]he same lamented sinnes. This is an insuffi­ [...]ient and false definition; bicause it is not suf­ [...]cient to acknowledge our sinnes, and to be [...]orie for the committing of them, Genesi. 4. Matt. 10.26. as Caine, A­ [...]hitophel, and Iudas was; but it is requisite [...]hat we flie vnto faith, which resteth in the pro­mises of God, and susteineth hir selfe therein, [...]hat she should not despaire in the terrours of [...]nne, as Peter and the théefe on the crosse did, Iohn. 21. [Page 108] through their faith, rid themselues from the dread and feare of sinne and death.

4 Their fourth error is, they saie, that the numbering of all the offenses which a man dooth knowe and remember is verie necessa­rie, which is the torment of conscience, and vn­possible to be doone, as the prophet saieth: De licta quis intelligit? Psalm. 18. Who knoweth his sinnes▪ And, Ab occultis meis munda me: Clense m [...] from my secret sinnes. Yet priuate confession is to be reteined; first, for the vtilitie and profit of priuate communication; next, [...] the reteining of absolution and concord of the church.

5 Their fift error is, of satisfactions, which th [...] haue taught to be works, not of dutie, or com­manded of God. And they feine falselie, tha [...] satisfactions are the merit of our reconciliat [...] on with God, or that God dooth forgiue vs o [...] sinnes for these externall rites and outwar [...] workes sake, and that eternall punishment are fullie recompensed and satisfied in the [...] Which is a most detestable and wicked opin [...] on. For the passion and death of Christ onl [...] is the merit of our reconciliation with Go [...] and is the full debt and price of mans redem [...] tion. And Christ saieth: Frustrame colunt ma [...] datis hominum: They worship me in vaine aft [...] [Page 109] mens traditions.

Their sixt error is, they teach men, that al­though 6 they be sufficient repentant for their sinnes, confessing them vnto almightie God, and vse satisfaction or restitution; yet they can­not, nor ought (saie they) to be certeine, whether they be in the grace and fauour of God or no, haue remission of their sinnes, and so to be­come heires of eternall life; contrarie to the manifest words of the scripture, which requi­reth faith in vs, and then certeinlie promiseth to such as be truelie repentant, and beléeue in Christ, the reconciliation with God, forgiue­nesse of sinnes, righteousnesse, and eternall life, according to this saieng: Iohn. 3. Sic Deus dilexit mundum, vt filium suum vnigenitum daret, vt om­nis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed vitam habeat ae­ternam: So God loued the world, that he gaue his onelie begotten sonne, to the end that all that beleeue in him should not perish, but haue life euerlasting.