In the boke whiche is cal­led the huntinge of purga­tory vnto deathe.I thyncke, that it is not yet ele­uen of the clock, therfore, I thinke it best, that according to the counsel, that our neyghbor Dydi­mus gaue vs yesterday, we do syt here a whyle tyl the feruent heate of the sunne be ouerpaste, and that we do talcke and common of those thynges, that do yet somwhat tro­ble my conscyence.

Ye may or­der vs, as it pleaseth you, and spe­cially, syth that ye be so ready al­wayes to geue place vnto the tru­the. And therfore, let vs hear what those thynges be, that do yet trou­ble your conscyence, that we may, as we haue done here to fore, my­nister vnto you, the salue of Gods worde.

I am muche bounde [Page] to you, brother Philalethes, for the great kindnesse that ye shew vnto me, beyng so ready at al tymes, to healpe and succoure me in thys great perplexity of mynde, that I am in God, I trust, who is the au­thor of all goodnes, and who hath inclyned your hart vnto me, shal reward thys your paynfull labor that ye take about me.

O moste mercyfull and bountious father, A thanks geuinge ioigned with a faithfull prayer. geuinge thee moste hartye thankes for these thy benefyttes, wherewith thou hast so graciouslie refreshed vs, we do humbly beseche thee, to sende thy holy spyrit in to oure heartes, that we may in this our communycation and talke, set­fourth thy glorye onely, to the vt­ter confusion and ouerthrowe of al the shamefull enemyes of thy free mercye and grace.

God of his goodnesse vouche­safe to graunte vs all, The ene­mies of goddes. grace. that we may so do. For, there be manye in the worlde, which are suche enemyes [Page] of the free mercy and grace of God, The pa­pistes. that whosoeuer doth accordinge to the scriptures, affyrme or say, that we are saued only by his free mer­cye and grace, they are most ready to persecute them wyth fyer and swerde, as most pernicious and ab­hominable heretykes, and as vtter enemies of all truth.

The Anabaptistes and free wil men.Ye shall not onely fynde of them amonge the papystes, but also a­monge them, that wyll be coump­ted most perfect christians, & most earnest fauourers of the gospel.

Where so euer they he found, my faythfull guydes dyd tel me, that we haue fre wil: whi­che thing ye do all denye. There­fore: I would fayne hear, what ye can say, concerning that matter.

What doe they vnderstand by fre wyll? For, they are wonte to speake of it ma­ny and sondry wayes. Some do by it vnderstand one thyng, and some an other.

They tolde me, What scole men vnder­stande by fre wyll. that by free wyll they do vnderstande a certaine facultye or power, beynge in seperably in the will of manne, wherby he mighte do or leaue vn­done any maner of thinge, as wit and reason dyd thinke or iudge it expediente. For, saye they, manne by hys wit and reason dothe consy­der, weyghe, and ponder a thynge, and dothe examyne and trye whe­ther it be good or not: and then by the vertue of hys free wyll, eyther he dothe it, or leaueth it vndone, e­uen as it pleaseth hym.

What mea­ned they, thynke ye, After the papistes iudgemēt we are masters of oure wyll. by that defy­nition?

As it appeareth both by that difynition, and also by other talke, that they hadde after­wardes, their meaninge was, that we are masters of oure owne wyll and iudgement, and that therfore, we canne by oure owne strengthe turne oure selues whiche waye we lyste, that is to say, that we be able [Page] by our owne vertue to do good or euil, how blas­phemous popishe doctrine is concer­ning free wyll. to saue or damne our selues.

O what blasphemye is this against God and his worde? If ye do well marke this defyniti­on, ye shall easely perceiue, that it is rather the difynition of pro­phane and heathenyshe Philoso­phers than of Christen doctours. Ye maye well vnderstande, that if this definition wer true, we shuld not neede to pray vnto God for his helpe & assistaunce, nor to call vpō him for his holy spirit. We shoulde haue no nede to saye: if it pleaseth God we wil do this thing or that thing. Do thei not thē bi their definitiō place mā in the stede & roume of god?

If these faithful guids of yours, had any zeale to setforthe the grace of God, & his free mercy & goodnesse, they wold haue geuē an other definitiō vnto free wil.

Which, I praye you?

They wold at least haue geuen the defi­nition that s. Augustine doth vse. [Page] Which is this: Liberum arbitrium, The defynition of free wyll after Sainte Augusti. est facultas rationis et voluntatis, qua bonum eligitur gratia adsistente, malum vero ea desistente. That is to saye: free wyll is a vertue or power of the reasonne and wyll, whereby the good is chosen, when the grace of God dothe adsiste, and the euill when it is awaye or is wythdra­wen. The meaninge is: The meaninge of Augusti­nes defy­nition. that by free wyll, if we haue the adsi­staunce and healpe of the grace of God, we are able to chuse that, whiche is good, but if the grace of God be awaye, or be withdra­wen, we can no more but embrace that, whiche is euyll, and hurte­full to oure owne soules.

Question And is there none other definition of fre wyll?

Aunswer The ma­ster of sentences. Li ii. senten. distin. xxv.Yea verelye. For, the master of Sentences, dothe wryte, that it is not sayed, that man hathe free wyll, because that he is as able to thinke and doo good, as he is to thinke & do euyll, but because that [Page] he is not subiect vnto necessitye or compulsyon. Lombar­dus his meaning

What shuld he mene by that?

Hys mea­nyng is, Schole­men. that the euyl, which man doth, he doth it frely, and wythout compulsion. And therefore, the schole men saye, that this fredome and libertye is not letted, thoughe we be wicked, and seruauntes of sinne, and can no more but synne stil and offend. But truely this cā not be vnderstanded of a man, that is regenerated or borne of newe. For, the holy ghost, that is in him dothe wythstande the euil, that he would do. And likewise by this definition or determinatyon of the master of sentences, it myghte be said, that a man, which is regene­rated or borne of newe hathe free will, How it maye be saied that a man which is regenerated hath free wyll Ecclesia. cus xv. chapi. because that the same lyttle good that he doth, he doth it frely, and frankly.

They dyd brynge in [Page] a place out of Ecclesiasticus, other­wyse called Iesus the sonne of Si­rach, wher it is thus written: God made man from the beginning and lefte him in the hande of his coun­saill. He gaue him his commaun­dementes, and preceptes. If thou wylt obserue the commaundemen­tes and kepe acceptable faythful­nesse for euer, they shall preserue the. He hath set fyer and water before thee, reache oute thine hande vnto whiche thou wilte. Before manne is life and death, good and euyll, loke what him liketh, shalbe geuen him. Episto. ad ctesi­phontem They did also aleadge many doctours, as Ierome against the Pelagians, where he sayeth thus: In this doo we dyffer from brute beastes, that we haue bene created with free will. Li. ii contra mar­tio. home ix. in gen Ei. xii. mora. They did aleadge Tertulian, Chrisostome and Hilary. Which all do affirme that man hath suche free wyll, as they did declare vnto me afore.

The place, [Page] that they aleadged out of Ecclesia­sticus, maketh nothinge for them. for, how the place of Ecclesia­sticus ou­ght to be vnderstā ded. it oughte to be vnderstanded of man being in the fyrst estate of his creation, and beynge in his origi­nall innocency and righteousnesse. And because that it shall not bee thoughte, that I bringe any thing of mine owne heade, ye shall heare what Saynte Augustine sayethe, whose wordes, are these: free wyll before the fall was an vprighte free wyll, De cāticonouo. ca. viii. before whiche, fyer and water was layed of God, and the fyrste manne dyd reatche hys hande to whyche he woulde, hee dyd choyse fier, and forsoke wa­ter. See the ryghteous iudge, the same, whiche manne beinge free dyd choyse, he dyd receaue, he woulde haue euyll, and the same did folowe him.

Contra fortu. Disputa. xi.And in an other place, these be also hys woordes: I saye that fre wyl was in that man, which [Page] was created fyrst. For, he was so made, that nothinge coulde withstande hys wyll, if he would haue kepte Goddes commaunde­mentes but after that hee hadde synned throughe free wyll, hee dyd cast vs all that come of hys stocke, into necessitye. And ther­fore, he writeth in an other place, In enche­rid ad lauren. Ca. xxx. De ver­bis apo­ser. ii. that manne vsinge not well free wyll, did bothe lose it & him self. Againe: It is true (sayeth he) that manne when he was made did receaue greate strength of free wyll, but he did lose it through synne.

These autorityes of Sainte Au­gustine doo sufficientely declare, how the place that they aleaged oute of Ecclesiasticus oughte to be vnderstanded.

For, there doubtelesse, the wise manne dothe speake of man, as he was first created in the estate of innocency and righteousnes, and not [Page] as he was wyth his posteritye af­ter hys fall, De eccle­dogm. ca. xxxii. whereby as Saynte Augustine saithe, all menne haue loste theyr naturall possibilitye, or ablenesse, and theyr naturall or o­riginall innocencye. And so ought the doctoures, that they dyd bryng in, for them selues, to be vnderstanded, for they do all speake of manne as he was afore his fall. Whyche thynge appeareth to be moste true by the saying of Saint Hierome, Iero in xxiii. cap. Iere. who wrytinge vppon Ieremy saithe plainly these wordes: And therefore, the heretykes be wonte to promyse felicity, and to open vnto sinners the kingdom of heauen, saying: Thou maist folowe the maiestye of God, and be without synne, syth that thou hast receyued the power or strength of free wyll, and the vnderstandyng of the lawe, whereby thou arte able to obtayne what so euer thou wylte. And so the saide Heretykes do deceyue the poore, symple, and [Page] ignoraunt personnes, and special­ly women, whyche beynge loden with sinnes, are ledde to and froe with euerye winde of doctrine, de­ceiuynge by theyr flattery al them that geue eares vnto them. Heare ye see that saint Ierome dothe call them all Heretikes, that saye, that menne be able by theyr free wyll, to do bothe good and euyll. Wheruppon we maye well conclude, that in his Epistle ad Ctesiphon­ [...]em, Existo ad ctesiphon tem. he dothe speake of the fyrste estate of manne, that he was in a­fore hys transgressyon and fall. And as for Chrisostome, although he dothe exceade in extollynge the naturall strengthe of manne, hom. i. in aduen. yet dothe he confesse plainelye, that euerye manne, is not onely of hys owne nature a synner, but also that he is synne altogether.

Whereby he doth ouerthrow, what so euer, he dothe wryte or saye in anye other place, in the commendacyon of free wyll, and [Page] of oure natural strengthe.

That must be mooste true. For, if accordynge to his owne sayinge, we be not only sinners of our owne nature, but also synne all together, where is oure gaye payncted free wyll be­come?

Ioh. viii.Dothe not the truthe hym selfe saye, that euery man that sinneth, is a seruaunte of synne? Againe, is it not wrytten that of whome so e­uer a manne is ouercome, ii. Pet. ii vnto the same he is in boundage? It ap­peareth then by thys, that we are verye farre from that liberty and fredome, that they doe so muche boaste of.

Wherefore did then these ancient fathers and wryters of the Catholike churche extoll so muche the free will and naturall strengthe of manne? Home. lii For, Chriso­stome, hath alwaies in his mouth: Let vs bring that, whiche is oure own, God wyl supply the residue. [Page] Where vnto Ierome doth agree, saying: Nostrum est incipere, Dia. iii. con. Pelagianes. dei au­tem perficere: Nostrum est, offerre quod possumus, illius implere quod non possu­mus. That is to saye: It is our part for to begin, and it is Gods parte for to performe. It is our parte, to offer that, whiche we can, and it is his part to supply or fulfyll that, that we can not.

It is moste playne, Why the aunciant fathers spake so of fre wil that they dyd seme to alowe it. that they did it to thys end, that they might driue awaye all slouggishnesse from menne. Which thing they that came after did not perceiue. And therefore, they did attribute so muche to the free will and naturall strength of man, that the fre mercy and grace of God was in a manner vtterlye forgotten.

Howe can it be pro­ued, that they did tt onlye for that purpose?

It is easy to be proued. For, if they shoulde [Page] meane as they write, they shoulde directly be against the plain scrip­tures and worde of God, and also against them selues. Fyrst and foremost, the LORD him selfe saieth: I wyll hencefourth curse the earth no more for mans sake. Gen. viii For, the ymagination of mannes heart is euyll, euen from the very youth of him. And Moses for to declare, Deu. xxix how vnable we be of oure selues to vnderstande heauenlye thinges, doth saye plainlye these wordes: Ye haue seene all that the Lorde did before youre eyes in the lande of Egipte, vnto Pharao and vnto and all his seruaunts. Thine eies haue sene these great tokens and wonders. And yet vnto this day, hath not the Lorde geuen you a harte, that vnderstandeth, eies that see & eares that heare.

What could he saye more, excepte he shuld call vs blocks and stones? And in Ezechiel the Lorde sayeth: A new heart, Eze. xxvi. wyl I geue you, and [Page] a newe spirit wyl I put in to you. As for that stony hearte, I wyll take it oute of youre bodye, and geue you a fleshy hart. I will geue you my spirit amonge you, and cause you to walke in my com­maundements, to kepe my lawes and to fulfyll them. This place onely doth sufficientely teache vs, that excepte oure stony heartes be taken away from vs, and flesshy, that is to saye, obediente hartes geuen vs in stede of them, yea and a newe spirit put in to vs (whiche shoulde worke in vs an obedience towards the Lordes commaunde­mentes) we are able to do nothing we can in no wyse kepe the lawes of God, nor yet fulfyll them.

In dede these wordes are very playne. For, by them we do learne, that all that we haue of oure owne, must either be renewed, or taken away, afore that we canne do any thinge, that pertaine to oure saluation. Wher­by [Page] any man may easlye perceaue, that the liberty and freedome that we haue to do well, is very small, or rather nothing at all.

Iohn. iii.Be not these the wor­des of Iohn zacharyes sonne: A man can receaue nothinge, except it be geuen him from aboue? Wher doubtlesse he speaketh, not of the comon giftes of nature, but of the speciall gyfte of the holye ghost. For, there dothe he complain; that his disciples were neuer the better for all hys preachinges, wherein he had set fourthe Christ vnto thē. As if he shoulde haue sayed: I do see and perceaue, that woordes are nothinge auaileable for to teach and instructe menne in hea­uenlye thynges, excepte the ho­lye ghost, woorkynge inwarde­lye dothe geue the vnderstanding. Vnto thys dothe oure sauyoure Iesu Christe agree, Iohn. vi. when hee sayethe: No manne canne come vnto me, excepte it be geuen him [Page] of my father. For this cause, when Peter hadde sayed: Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuinge God. This aunswere dyd oure sauioure Iesus Christ make vn­to him agayne: blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas: For, fleshe and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee, Mat. xvi. but my father that is in heauen.

And in an other place: whosoeuer (sayeth he) dothe heare and learne of the father, cometh vnto me. Iohn. vi. But the blessed Apostell doth most strongely heate downe the vayne pride of oure free wyll men, wher he writeth on this manner: The naturall man perceaueth nothing of the spirit of God. i. Cor. ii. Whereby he doth vnderstande, that the natu­rall man, which is not renewed in Christ, can not perceiue the things that be of y ^e spirit of god. For, why they are but folyshenes vnto him. And in his second Epistel to y ^e Co­rinthians, these be also his words: ii. Cor. iii [Page] Such trust haue we through christ to God ward, not that we are suf­ficient of our selues to thincke any thing, as it were of our selues, but our ablenesse commeth of God. Nowe if we be not able to thynke a good thought, except God dothe put it in vs: howe muche more vn­able be we, ether to wil or to do a­ny thing that good is, or accepta­ble in the sight of God? But let vs graunt vnto you by way of dispu­tation and reasoninge, y ^t we haue no such thing in the boke of God: what shall they winne by it? For, I am able to bring nowe, foure of the most principal doctors against theyr two.

Whiche are they, I beseche you?

Fyrste, the blessed mar­tyr Saint Cyprian, Li. de predest. sanc­torum ad bonifaciū Li. iiii. et alibi. cy­prianus. who is a most aunciente doctor, hathe lefte thys golden sentence vnto vs by wry­ting: De nullo nobis gloriandum est, quia nihil nostrum est, nisi vt [Page] homo apud se prorsus exinanitus, a deo totus pendere discat. That is to say: we oughte to boste of no­thinge: For, nothing is our owne, sauing only that man being of no reputation with hym selfe, muste learne to hange all to gether of God.

As farre, as I doe re­member, Saint Augustyne dothe many times rehearse the same saying of Cyprian.

Ye say true. For, he maketh mention of it in hys booke of the Predestination of saintes, and in manye other places besydes. But he hym self doth wryte much after the same manner, when he sayeth. Nemo se palpet, Hom. in. Iohannē xlix. de suo Sathanas est: id vnde beatus est, a deo tantum habet. Quid N. de tuo habes nisi peccatum?

Tolle tibi peccatum quod tuum est. Nam iustitia detest. Whyche wee maye Englyshe after thys sorte.

Let no man flatter him felfe: for, of hys owne he is a very Sathan he hath that of God only, wherby he is blessed. For, what haste thou of thyne owne but sinne? Take a­waye synne from thee, whiche is thine owne: For, righteousnesse is of God. Ye see howe well he dothe setforthe manne in hys owne co­loures. But ye shall heare also what Gregory saith: Grego. li moraliū. xxii. ca. x. Sciunt sanc­ti viri (sayeth he) se post primi pa­rentis lapsum, de corruptibili stir­pe editos, et non virtute propria, sed preueniente gratia superna, ad meliora se vel vota, vel opera commutatos, et quicquid sibi ma­li inesse cognoscunt de mortali propagine sentiunt meritum. Quic­quid vero boni in se inspiciunt, immortalis gratiae cognoscunt do­num.

That is to say: holy men do know that after the fall of the fyrste fa­ther, they be borne of a corrupti­ble stocke, and that they be not by [Page] theyr owne vertue, but by the su­pernall grace, that dothe preuent them, turned vnto better desyres or woorkes: and what euyl so euer they knowe to be in them selues, they feale that it is deserued and come of theyr mortall kynde. But what good so euer they see to be in them selues, they acknowledge to be the gyft of the immortal grace. And for this gyfte that they haue receyued, they be debtoures vnto hym, whych by preuentyng them, dyd geue vnto theym, that they shoulde wyll that good thynge, whyche they woulde not, and by followinge did graunte that they shuld be able to do that good thing that they would.

O that all faythfull Christians, A godlye wyshe. woulde haue alwayes this sayinge of Gregorye before their eies. For, they learne thereby, that they that be sanctifyed by y ^e holi gost, as thei do acknowledge that after the fal of the fyrste man, [Page] they are bothe conceiued and born in sinne, so do they vnfainedly confesse, that all the good mynde and will, that they haue to doe those woorkes, that God dothe requyre of vs, commeth not of them selues, nor of theyr owne naturall vertue and strēgth, but of the mere grace and goodnesse of God, wherewith he dothe preuent them, that they maye haue suche a good wyll and mynde to do good, and wherwyth he, as followinge, he dothe healpe and adsist them, that they maye be able to fulfill and perfourme that good thinge, that he hathe moued them to will.

Againe, the euil that they feele to be in them selues, they doe not abscribe it vnto their creation, nor yet to theyr creatoure and maker, but to theyr mortall generatyon, and corrupted nature: but all the goodnesse that they perceiue to be in thē selues, they attribute it not vnto their natural vertue & strēgth [Page] but vnto the grace and goodnesse of God, withoute whiche we can not as muche, as thincke a good thoughte.

And there­fore, Bernarde doth write verye well when he sayeth on this ma­ner: Quid igitur? Hoc ergo totum liberi arbitrii opus, In tracta tu de gratia & libe­ro arbi­trio. hoc solum eiꝰ est meritum quod consentit? Est prorsus. Non quidem quod velcon fensus, in quo omne meritum con sistit, ab ipso sit: cum nec cogitare, (quod minus est quam consētire) a liquid a nobis, quasi ex nobis suf­ficientes simus. Verba sunt non mea, sed Apostoli, qui omne, quod bonum esse potest, id est cogitare, et velle & perficere, pro bona vo­luntate, attribuit deo, nō suo arbi­trio. That is to say: what then? Is this therfore y ^e whole work of fre wyll? Is this the only merit of it, that it dothe consente, and agree? Truly it is. Not that the consent, wherin all the merit doth consist, doth come or is of it: syth that we [Page] be not of our selues, as of our sel­ues able to thinke any thing, whi­che is lesse than to consent or agre. Theese be not my wordes, but the wordes of the Apostle, which doth attribute vnto God, and not vnto hys free wyll, all that be good, that is to saye: to thyncke, and to wyll, and to perfourme accordyng to his good wyll and pleasure.

Here do we learne that Bernard doth adscribe al thynges vnto god, and nothing to fre wil: wherin he doth agree with S. Augustin, Li. de ec­clesi. dog­ma. xxvii say­inge: God dothe so woorke in the hartes of men, and in the fre wyll it self, that euerye good thoughte, godly counsel, and al good motion of the wil or minde is of God.

Obiectiō My faithfull guydes did tel me, that these be S. Augu­stines wordes: who of vs all wyll say that throughe the sinne of the fyrst manne, fre wyll is pearyshed from mankinde? It appeareth by thys, that notwithstandynge the [Page] fall of the fyrst man, we haue free wil stil.

Yea I doe remem­ber, that these woordes are also a­ledged out of S. Augustin: Let no man be slack and slouthful to serue God, nor trust so vppon grace, Li. iii. hy pogno cō tra Pela. as though God shuld not require the workes of his fre will: yea rather, let him shonne euill and do good. No man can deny but that theese be S. Augustines wordes. Wher­by he doth plainly declare, y ^e God doth require the workes of our fre wil. Which thing, he wold not do, except we had it.

It is a wonder to se howe craftye the deuil is, Aunswer both in wrasting of the scriptures, & also in peruerting of thancient fathers. In the firste sentence, that oure brother Albion dyd aleage, The de­uils sophistrie. they do bring but a smal piece god wot. For, al that doth declare most plainelye the righte meanynge of Saint Augustin, the same do they mooste craftely leaue of.

And because no man shal thincke, that I goe about to sclander them, ye shall heare al the hole sentence of that auncient doctour, The whole sentence of August. which is this: who of vs wil say, y ^t through the sinne of the first man, fre wyll is pearished from mankind? Truely, the fredome is pearished throu­ghe sinne: but the same that was in Paradise, to haue ful or perfect righteousnesse with immortality: Therefore mannes nature hathe neade of the grace of God, as oure sauioure Iesus Christe doth testi­fy, saying: If the sonne of god doth deliuer you, then are ye free in deede, to liue wel and iustly. For, free wyll is not so pearyshed vnto sinners, but that they sinne throu­ghe it, specially al those, that sinne wyth pleasure, and throughe the loue that they haue vnto synne, whyche they do desire, and whiche pleaseth them. What thinges are to be noted in saint Au­gustines wordes. Marke well theese woordes. Fyrst, he saithe that the same fredome is pearyshed & gon, [Page] whiche was in paradise, to haue perfecte righteousnesse with im­mortality: meaninge therby, that wheras man had in Paradise free liberty to purchase vnto hym self, a full and perfecte righteousnesse with immortality, y ^e same is now pearished and lofte, throughe hys disobedience and fall. Secondlye, he sayth, that free wil is not so pe­rished vnto sinners, but that they synne through it, specially al those that sinne with pleasure, whereby he doth vnderstand, that for to doe frely and frankly the thynge that is good, we haue nead of the grace of God, and that the same manne which hath not the holy goste, and which is not truelye regenerated, doth frely, and wythout compulsi­on serue vnto sinne, in so muche that he seemeth not to be the ser­uaunt of sinne, because that the e­uel that he doth, he dothe it volun­tarily, freelye and francklye. Who doth not see nowe, that S. Augu­stine [Page] speaketh nothinge of suche a free wyll, as your faithful guides do most shamefully goe aboute to maintaine and vphold. And there­fore in an other place, he wryteth on this manner: whye dare mise­rable and wretched men be proud, Li. de spiritu et li. tera. ca. xxx. or boaste theym selues either of fre wyll, afore that they be deliuered, or of theyr owne strengthe, if they be already deliuered? And doe not marcke that in the verye name of free will, libertye or fredome is signifyed.

But where the spiryte of the LORDE is, there is freedome and libertye: Therefore, if they be seruauntes of sinne: whye do they boaste theym selues of free wyll? For, of whome so euer anye manne is ouercome, to hym is hee delyuered to bee hys bounde manne.

And if they be delyuered, whye doe they boaste theym selues as of theyr owne woorke? Are they so [Page] free, that they refuse to be the ser­uauntes of him: that saythe: Iohn. xv. with­oute me ye canne doe nothynge? And in his booke, whyche he dyd wryte of grace and free wyl, these be hys woordes: Oure wyll is al­wayes free, capi. xv. but it is not alwayes good. For, eyther it is free from righteousnesse, when it serueth vnto synne, and then it is euyl, or it is free from synne, when it ser­ueth vnto righteousnesse, and then it is good.

Whyche sentence he doth both repeate, and also expound in hys other woorkes, sayinge playnely, Li. ad bo­nifa. cap. ii. that manne is made free from ryghteousnesse, by hys owne free wyll, but that he canne not bee made free from synne, sauyng on­lye by the grace of oure Sauy­oure.

Is not thys, I praye you, to de­ryde and laughe to scorne, the vayne Tytle and name of Free wil?

Yet, in the sayinge that I haue aledged, Obiectiō he dothe af­fyrme, and say, that God dothe re­quyre the workes of our free wyll, whych can not be vnderstanded of synne. For, God doth vtterlye for­bid it. Whereby I maye conclude, that oure wyll is free to doe good woorkes, els God woulde not re­quyre the workes of our fre wyll.

When I haue rehearsed vnto you the hole sentence, Aunswer as it lyeth wrytten in S. Augustin, then iudge ye your self, whether they do not followe the steppes of theyr greate graundfa­ther the deuell, in peruerting both the scryptures, and also the auncy­ent fathers. And that ye maye be the surer of it, ye shall haue it fyrst in Latin, and then afterwardes in Englyshe. Augu. li. contra pe lagi. hypo ge. The Latin is this: Ne­mo sit remissus et segnis ad ser­mendum deo, nec sic de gratia con­fidat, tanque deus liberi arbitrit eiꝰ, quod per mortē filii sui reparauit, [Page] et sibi preparauit, opera non requirat, imo declinet a malo et fa ciat bonum. That is to say: Lette no man be slacke and slouthfull to serue God, nor truste so vppon grace, as though God shoulde not requyre the woorckes of that free wyll, whych he hath both restored and prepared vnto hym self by the death of his sonne. Yea rather: let hym flye from euyll and do good. What free wyll saint Au. doth vnderstand. Any child may easely perceiue and vnderstand of what fre wil Saint Augustine doth speake there: euen of that same free will whiche God hath alreadye restored agayne and prepared vnto him self, by y ^e death of hys sonne Iesu Christ, who on­lye is able to deliuer vs from the seruitude and bondage of synne, and by his holye spirit to make vs to do frely those woorkes, whyche GOD hathe prepared for vs, to walcke in. Therefore in an other place, he saith plainlye these wor­des. Thinckinge diligentlye and [Page] faythfully on these and other lyke thinges, let vs not consent or a­gree vnto them, Idem lib. l. home. xiiii. which extollinge free wyll vnto pride, do rather go aboute, to cast it downe than to set it vp. But let vs consyder with all humilitye and lowlynesse the sayinge of the Apostell, where he sayeth: It is God that worketh in vs both to wyl and also to worke: and so geue thankes vnto oure Lorde and sauioure, whych with­oute any merytes goynge before, dyd heale vs beynge wounded, and dyd reconsyle vs beynge ene­myes, dyd delyuer vs from cap­tyuitye, dyd bryng vs from darke­nesse vnto lyghte, and from death dyd call vs vnto life againe:

And confessyng humbly our infir­mitye and weakenesse, let vs call vpon his mercy, that syth he hath preuented vs (accordinge to the Psalmistes saying) with his grace he vouchaf not only to kepe in vs, but also to augmente and encrease [Page] his gyftes or rather his benefites, whiche he dyd vouchaf to geue vs. These words ar so plain, that any childe is able to vnderstand them.

They did yet aledge an other place oute of his treatise, vpon the first epistel of Iohn. The wordes are these: And euery man that hath this hope in him, pour­geth him selfe, euen as he is pure. Se how he hath not takē away fre wyll, in so much that he did say: he purgeth him selfe.

The same fraude and de­ceate shal ye fynde in the aleaging of this place, that ye haue founde alredy in y ^e aboue reherced autoryties. For, it foloweth immediatly after who doth purge vs but god? But God dothe not pourge thee agaynste thy wyll. Therefore be­cause that thou doste ioygne thy good wyll vnto god, thou purgest thy selfe. Thou purgest thy selfe, not of thy selfe, but of hym that cometh to dwell in thee.

yet because that thou doste there somewhat willinglye, therfore is some thinge attributed vnto thee: that thou maist saye, as it is wryt­ten in the xxvi. Psalme. Thou art my healper, do not forsake me. If thou sayest: thou arte my healper, thou dost somwhat, for if thou dost nothing, how dothe he helpe thee. Fyrst, and foremost we may easely perceiue by the texte that he goeth vpon, Here. S. August. speaketh of the mā that is al redy re­nued. that he dothe speake of hym that is already renewed in Christ: els how coulde he haue anye hope of life euerlastinge? And for thys cause he sayth by and by: who doth purge vs but God? But it is not vnknowen vnto you, that GOD doth only pourge vs through faith in our sauiour Iesu Christ, which faith, is the mother of hope. Therfore, er we can haue this hoope of lyfe euerlastinge, whiche the bles­sed Euangelist Saint Ihon dothe speake of there, we muste be pur­ged throughe faythe. It is plaine [Page] then, that ther he speaketh of him, that is already made a newe crea­ture in Christe, by whose spirite, which commeth to dwel in vs, we are purged and made cleane, and not of our selues.

What meaneth he then, when he saythe: Question that GOD purgeth no manne agaynste hys wyll? where vppon he dothe con­clude, that we do pourge oure sel­ues, because that we ioygne oure good will vnto God. And a lyttle after it followeth: if thou sayste, thou art my helper, then thou dost somewhat: For, if thou doste no­thing howe canne he healpe thee? Here do we learne, as far as I can gather by his wordes. Firste, that we must bryng our good wyll vn­to God: for, he wil saue no man a­gainst his will. Secondly, that ex­cept we do somewhat, we can not say truelye, that God is oure hel­per.

Truelye that was [Page] wel marcked of you, brother Albi­on, I thought mi self to haue made the same obiection, excepte ye had preuented me.

Aunswer I do not de­ny but that we muste brynge oure good will vnto God. But of whom haue we this good wil? haue we it of oure selues, thincke ye? Heare what S. Paule saythe: It is God, that worketh in you, Phi. ii. both the wil, and also the dede, euen of his own good will. Where (as Saint Au­stine doth wryte) he doth sufficiently declare, Ad simpli ci. li. i. Questi. xi that it is God that worketh in vs, the good wil. For, if we should aske, whether the good wil be a gyfte of GOD or not, it is maruayle if any man dareth say naye.

Where vnto Fulgentius dothe agree, sayinge: Euerye good work then, whyche we doe woorke in god, the same dothe god woorke in vs. For, all thinges are of him, [Page] throughe hym, and in hym. Both oure good wyll then, and also oure good workes be of hym.

Whyche thynge, the doctour of the gentyles dothe affyrm with these wordes.

It is God that woorketh in vs, bothe the wyll and the deede, e­uen of hys good wyll and plea­sure. Ye see then of whome we haue thys good wil, that we must brynge vnto God, euen of hym selfe and not of vs.

For, it is he and none other that dothe worke it in vs, by hys holye spirit.

And therefore, where he sayeth: that GOD saueth or purgeth no manne agaynste hys wil, the same is mooste true: Home. ix. Ezechie­lem. but as Gregorye wryteth, he dothe preuente vs, wyth his grace that we maye be willinge, and with his healpynge hand he dothe followe vs, least we shuld will in vaine. And therefore [Page] the churche prayeth sayinge: Et nostras rebelles ad te compelle vo­luntates. That is to say: And com­pell or dryue oure rebellious wyls vnto thee. Beholde (sayeth he) ex­cepte oure rebellious wyll be dry­uen vnto God, it is not healed. So saith our sauiour: No man is able to come vnto me, excepte my fa­ther doth drawe him. We are dra­wen against our wils, but we are lead willinglye or with our wils. It appeareath by this, How of vn wyl­lnge we are made willing. that of vn­willinge persons, we must, by the inwarde drawing of our heauenly father, be made wylling: els oure wils cānot be healed frō their natural rebelliousnesse, which we haue of oure fyrste parents Adam and Eue. Thus then we maye righte well say, that God saueth no man against his wyll: For, why? He maketh them all wyllinge afore, whome he dothe saue. How this ought to be vnder­standed, that God saueth no man a­gainst his wyll. And whom he made wyllinge, them dothe he also healpe, aide, and adsist, that [Page] they maye doo the thinge, that he hathe made them wyllinge to do. And so maye we affyrme boldely, that God is oure healper. because that beinge throughlye regenera­ted or renewed in Christe, we do through the assistaunce and helpe of his holy spirit, worke with his grace.

Nowe maye ye perceaue and see, The faith fullnesse that the papistes do vse in aleaging the auncient wri­ters. what truth and faithfulnesse, youre spi­rituall gentyll men do vse, in a­leadginge the olde writers of the auncient Catholyke churche. And that all that they go aboute, is by hooke and by crooke, to bringe men, from the true and right vn­derstandinge of of Goddes worde: and to plucke them from the trust, that they oughte to haue in the meare mercye and goodnesse of God, and in his gratuite and free grace, in to a vayne confidence of their own natural vertu & strēgth. I woulde wyshe, that at the least they woulde alwayes haue before [Page] theyr eies, this goodly sayinge of Eucherius bishop of Lions: Christ saith he, is the tre of life, who so e­uer doth retch forth his hand vnto him, shal liue: but free will, is the tre of knowledge of good and euil: whosoeuer forsaking the grace of God, wyll taste of it, shall dye the death.

Now wyl I tell you, what obiections I made agaynste them. Fyrst, I dyd aske them why Ieremy did saye: Iere. x. Nowe I knowe, O Lorde, that it is not in mannes power, to order hys own wayes, or to rule hys owne steppes and goinges?

Ye did go oute of youre matter. For, your communication was of heauenlye and spyrituall thinges, that is to saye, of the knowledge of God, and of his bles­sed will, and whether we can rule oure selues accordynge vnto it. Whiche to doe, it lyeth not in the power or fre wil of man. But ther [Page] Ieremye dothe speake of earthlye thinges, and which do pertain vn­to this present life. In deede, God hath yet left in man a certaine na­tural light, wherby he may know what is good for this presente lyfe of the bodye and for the gouerne­ment of his house, Nothing can be broughte to passe by the in­dustrye of man with out the helpe of God. Pro. xvi. but yet nothing can be bring to passe, wythout the ayde and healpe of God. So muste the saying of the wyse manne be vnderstanded, where he saythe: A man deuiseth in hys hart, but the Lord ordreth hys goynges. Wher vnto the common Prouerbe dothe agre, that is to say: Man doth pur­pose, but God dothe dispose. How be it, I woulde fayne knowe, what aunswere, they made vnto you.

They dyd aunswere me, that in deede manne was not able manye tymes to bringe that thynge to passe, that he woulde withoute the grace of God: & that it lyeth not in the power of man [Page] to walke vprightly in the waye of righteousnesse without thassistāce and healpe of the holy ghoste. And for the probation of it, they dyd bryng in certayne places, whiche ye haue aleadged alreadi, as these: A man can receaue nothing at all, Iohn. iii. except it be geuen hym frō aboue. Again: ii. Cor. iii we are not able of our sel­ues to thinke a good thought, but all our ablenesse commeth of God. Also the saying of Sainte Iames, Iam. i. where he sayeth: Euery good gift and euery perfect gifte is from a­boue, and cometh downe from the father of light.

I chaunced once to rea­son with a great doctor of diuinity who did affirme, that it dyd lye in our power to receyue the grace of God when it is offred vnto vs, ma­king a great bragge, that he was able to proue it by manifest textes of the scripture. Then dyd I aske the gentle manne whether it was not a good gift to receiue the grace [Page] of God, when it is offred? whyche thinge he did graunte by and by. Then did I make mine argument after this manner: Euerye good gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the father of lyghte. But to receiue the grace of GOD when it is offred, is a good gyfte, ergo it commeth of God, that we do receyue hys grace, and not of our selues.

What answer did he make?

The sub­stantiall Aunswer of a po­pish doc­toure.What answer he made me? I warrante you, a doctor lyke aunswer. For, by and by he tooke hys gloues from vnder his girdle, and did cast them vnto me, saying: Loe, I geue you these gloues, bee they not yours, when I haue geuē you them? can it be said, that they be mine stil?

That was aunsweared like a doctoure. But go on stil bro­ther Albion, I praye you dyd they aleadge any more?

Yes. For, they dyd aleadge Gregory, who wrytinge vpon these woordes of the Psal­mist: Gregori­us in psalmos. My soule thyrsteth for thee in a barren and dry lande, where no water is: saith plainly these wor­des: Sith that fre wyll hathe bene corrupted in our fyrste father, we are not able to wyl a good thyng, excepte we be healped wyth the grace of God.

I knew ryghte well, that youre faythfull guydes, shoulde be fayn at length to crye peccaui, and to recante their dyuelyshe and erroneous o­pinyon.

The ene­mies of the truth are against them selues.For, if ye marcke well the defi­nition, that they gaue vnto free wyll: ye shall fynde, that they dyd attrybute nothynge at all vnto the grace of God, yea no mention at all, was made of it. Ye se nowe that they saye agaynst theyr own selues: wherein, they doe shewe [Page] theyr ignorance and beastishnesse. They hadde spoken so largelye wythoute the boke, that they wer fayne to goe backe, and to vnsaye agayne that whych they had sayde afore. But vppon this texte of Ie­remy I myghte make myne argu­mente after thys manner: If man canne not wythoute the healpe of God, A minori ad maius brynge earthlye thynges to passe: howe muche lesse shall he be able wythoute the grace of God, to come to the knowledge of hea­uenly thinges?

Herein may we see the beastishnesse of these bragging marchauntes of the cleargy. For, they do assone aleadge that, why­che maketh agaynste theym, as that whyche seemeth to make for theym. For, if all thinges be well consydered and marcked, the laste authorities of the scripture, which they dyd aledge wyth the sayinge of Gregory, doe make for vs all together.

I doe confesse that it so. Howe be it, they alwayes har­ped vpon this stringe, that manne hath free wil, and that such sentences and sayinges do not take awai fre wil from vs.

It is hard to take ought frō a naked man.I know well ynoughe, that such sayinges can not take a­way free wil from vs. For whye? we haue it not. And howe coulde that thynge be, taken awaye from vs, that we haue not? How so euer the matter goeth, suche sentences do plainly declare, that man hath not such fre wil, as they do mooste lyingly affyrme.

Therefore, I asked them, whye oure sauioure Iesus Christ did saye: No man commeth vnto me, Iohn. vi. excepte my father dothe drawe him. For, it appeareth by theese wordes, that man hathe no fre wyl at al to do wel.

What coulde they say to you againe?

They aleadged Chrisostome [Page] against me, wher he wri­teth in this maner. The Maniche­ans did go aboute to proue by this place, that we are able to do no­thinge of oure owne selues: But they do not vnderstande it well. For, by this sayinge free wyll is not abolyshed and put downe, but it is shewed and declared, that it hath alwayes neede of the healpe of God, and that God draweth no man against his wyll, but such, as do, to the vttermost of their power endeuour them selues to come vn­to him. And in an other place he sayeth, Home de conuer Pauli. that God compelleth no manne to come vnto him against his wyll: but that he doth drawe them, that be wyllinge or that retche theyr handes vnto hym, for to be drawen of him.

How the saying of Chriso­stome ou­ght to be taken.The expo­sition and sayinge of Chrisostome is partely true. For, I do graunt that God shall neuer saue them, that be obstinate in their wycked­nesse, [Page] or that do obstinately perse­uer and continue in their vnbelief. To be shorte, I do confesse, that God wyll saue no man, excepte he doth consente and agree first, and haue a wyll to be saued. But in this doth lye all the matter, whe­ther we haue thys wyll of oure selues or not. But we haue alre­dye sufficientlye proued bothe by the scriptures, and also by many autorities of the auncient fathers, that it is God onely that worketh in vs bothe the wyll, Phi. ii. and also the dede, accordinge to his good plea­sure. We must then vnderstand, that God saueth no man that is vnwyllinge to be saued, or that doth withstand and resist alwaies his blessed wyll and pleasure: but afore that he saueth any man, he maketh that same manne by his grace, to consente and agree vn­to his blessed wyll and pleasure: yea, he doth reatch fourth his hand vnto him, for so plucke him vp.

They did saye vnto me in dede, that by the same dra­winge, Marke the vnstablenes of the ene­myes of God. we must vnderstande the grace of God whiche dothe pre­uent vs: or his inwarde admony­tion and callinge, wherby we are moued to do good, and to be obe­diente vnto the lawe and cōmaun­dementes of God.

I knewe righte well that they shoulde be fayne at length maugry their smothe shauē faces to attribute al vnto the grace of God, wherby he doth moue, styr vp, and wake out of slepe the wil of man, geuinge it strength to rise vp, and to come vnto him, where­by also he dothe reuele and open vnto him, the miserye and wret­chednesse, that he was in, and whyche was hydden from hym, and whereby he dothe strengthen hym to walke in hys lawes and commaundementes, and to doe the thynge that is acceptable be­fore hym.

I did also, as occasion gaue me, aleadge vnto them this sayinge of Paule: I knowe that in me (that is to saye, Ro. vii. in my fleshe) dwelleth no good thinge. To wyl is presente wyth me but to per­fourme that, which is good, I find not. For, the good that I wyll, do I not, but the euyll, whiche I wyll not that do I.

I woulde fayne heare what aunswer they made vnto you.

They did by and by brynge in Chrisostome, An obiec­tion oute of Chrisostom. who ex­pounding this place, doth say that by these wordes the Apostell doth not take awaye free wyll, nor yet bring in any necessity or conpulsi­on. For els in stede that he did say, nolo, I wil not, he shuld haue sayed cogor, I am constreygned. Which thinge he did not.

AunswerIf the exposition of Chriso­stome wer true, then must we con­fesse, that. S. Paul did voluntarely & of his free wyl y ^e thing that was [Page] euil, and that he did willinglye, & of a sette minde forsake the good that he mighte haue done. But to say so, were to blaspheme, not on­lye the Apostle, but also the holye ghost, that was in hym. For, who would say, that after Saint Paule was once conuerted and renewed in Christ, he did sinne voluntare­lye, or that he did for the nonce, and of a set mind, forsake the good thyng, that he myghte haue done? I aske you: if ye shoulde doe that thyng, which ye wold not do, wer it not by compulsion, that ye shuld do it.

Yes verely.

Know ye then, A glosse of Orle­ans. Chrisost. maketh no dyfferēce betwixte the car­nall man and the man that is regenerated. that thys is a glosse of Orleans, whi­che destroyeth the text. For, Chri­sostome maketh there no dyffe­rence, betwyxt the carnal manne, and the manne that is renewed in Christe.

Where as Saynte Paule dothe speake there of the manne that is [Page] regenerated or borne of new, whi­che thing he doth vnder hys owne person, that we might be the surer that it is so. For, ye shal vnderstād that as the carnal and fleshly men do geue them selues frely to be the bounde seruauntes of synne, so in them that be renewed in Christe, In them that are borne of new ther is a contynuall battaile be­twixt the spirit and the flesh. and made newe creatures by hys holy spirit, there is alwayes a continuall batayle betwixt the spirite and the fleshe, so that the euil that they do, they do it, being ouercom by the flesh, which dothe alwayes lust against the spirite: And if they leaue anye good thinge vndone, whych they wolde do, it is because that the rebelliousnes of the fleshe wyll not let them, nor yet suffer them to do it.

They said moreouer that if I woulde well marcke, The fonde obiection of the ene­myes. to what purpose, Sainte Paule dyd speake that, wayghinge the wor­des that go before, and the wordes that come after, I shoulde fynde, [Page] that Saint Paul doth speke there of the sensuality of man, which is alwaies repugnant vnto reason, because of oure corrupted nature, and not of fre wyl. For, he saythe by and by after: It is not I that do it, but sinne that dwelleth in me.

AunswerAlthoughe this be the distinccion of a Philosopher, going about to defend mans strength, and to proue that reason is perfect in hym, I meane, in mā, yet if ye wil marke diligentlye the woordes and sayinges of youre faythfull guydes, ye shal find that there was a certayne repugnance in Saynt Paule.

It followeth then, that there was in hym no suche Free wyll, as they doe boaste of. For, it was not the wyll of Saynte Paule, that dyd the same euyll, but hys sensuality.

Therefore, the wyll oughte to haue resysted this sensualitye, if it be so stronge, that it is able to doe [Page] what soeuer it wil. Neuerthelesse S. Paule, afore he spake thus, had sayd: we know that the law is spi­rituall, but I am carnall, sold vn­der synne. Ye se how he sayth. E­go, I. Whereby he dothe vnder­stand all that was in hym of hys corrupted nature, as is both mans reason and wyll: he saythe not my sensuality is sold vnder sin, but he saith: I am carnal & sold vnder sin. And afterwardes he called all hys corrupted nature, synne, sayinge: It is not I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me: vnderstanding by sinne, the natural corruption that was in him. The holye scrypture doth put no difference betwixt sensuality and reason, In thin­ges that pertain to saluation mā is altoge­ther sensualitye. makinge reasō more perfect than the sensuality is in heauenlye thinges, or in thyn­ges that pertayne to saluation.

For, man hym self beynge not yet renewed, is altogether fleshly and carnall, he is nothinge els, I saye, but sensuality. Therfore, brother [Page] Albion, beware of such doctours, as your bragging faithfull guides be, whiche haue lieuer to followe heathenish philosophers, than the spirit of God. For, such doctoures do all that they can to caste manne headlong into hell, being like vn­to the serpent, whyche sayde vnto Eue: ye shall be as God, gene. iii. knowing bothe good and euell. For, to sette man vppon his fre wyl, is to sette man vppon a reede, and vpon va­nishing smoke.

What if I should re­son thus with you? Obiectiō Eyther synne is of necessity, or it lieth in the wil and power of man: If it be of ne­cessity: that is to saye, if a man by necessitye is dryuen to it, whye should he be punished for it. Again if it lieth in the wyl and power of man, then can it be shonned and a­uoyded, that is to say, a man maye chuse, whether he will sin or not. Where vpon I may conclude that eyther God is vnrighteous in pu­nishing [Page] menne for the thynge, that they be dryuen vnto dy neces­sitye, or that we haue free wyll to do what we list. Which thynge se­meth to be moste true, by the wor­des, that God dothe speake vnto Cain, gene. iiii saying: if thou dost euyl, thy synne lyeth open in the doore. Let it be subdued vnto thee, and rule thou it.

Aunswer Thys obiec­tion, were the Pelagians wont to make against Sainte Augustyne. Howe be it, I wyll not burden them wyth such abhomynable he­resyes, til we haue fully discussed the hole matter.

Fyrste and foremost I saye, that synne oughte neuerthelesse to bee imputed, thoughe it be of necessy­tye. For, if anye manne woulde dyspute wyth GOD, or woulde vnder thys pretence escape hys iudgement, because that he coulde do none otherwyse, he hathe thys answer ready.

Thy destruction commeth of thee, O Israell, Osee. iii. but in me onlye is thy healpe. For, whence commeth this vnablenesse or necessitye, that manne goeth about to excuse hym selfe by, but of the corruption of hys nature? And whence commeth thys corruptyon, but that manne dyd rebell againste God hys crea­tour? If all men be giltye of thys disobedience and rebellyon, lette them not thyncke, that they shalbe excused by necessity, wherein they haue a most euident cause of theyr damnation.

Saint Augustine doth expounde it none otherwyse than I do, Contra fortunat dispu. xi. whē he saythe: I do boldlye affyrme, that free wyl was in that manne, that was created fyrst, for he was so made, that nothing could wyth­stand his wil, if he wold haue kept the commaundements. But after that he hath synned throughe hys fre wyll, he dyd cast vs all that be come of hys stocke into necessitye. [Page] This necessity then, that we be in, commeth of the disobedience and rebellion of our fyrst parēt Adam. Therfore no vnrighteousnesse can be imputed vnto God, thoughe he punisheth vs for those synnes that we be dryuen vnto by the same necessitye, that we haue of the origi­nall corruption of oure owne na­ture. Secondlye where they saye, that if sinne lieth in the wyll of man, it may be shonned and auoy­ded, Man is not ma­ster of his that is to saye. We may chuse whether we sin or not, that same were moste true, if man were ma­ster of hys own wyl. But we haue alreadye proued, that the wyll of man, afore he be renued in Christ, and restored againe by his holye spirit, ss in the thraldome and bondage of sinne, and can in no wyse be deliuered from it, till the sonne of God hath made it fre by his ho­lye spirite. In the meane season, I meane, Iohn. viii while it is free from righ­teousnesse, and seruaunt vnto syn, [Page] it can do no more but sinne stil, ac­cordinge to his corrupted nature. Yea, we do learne by the woordes of Paule, Rom. vii whiche were rehearsed euen now, what strife and battail there is in the wyll of manne, be­ing already renewed in Christ, so that many times he cannot do the good thing that he would, and the euel that he woulde not, the same is he fayne to do, so violente is the remnaunte of sinne, that contynu­eth in manne alwayes vnto hys lyues end.

But what say ye to the place, Obiectiō which was aledged oute of Genesis, where the Lord saithe these wordes vnto Caine: if thou doste euill, gene. iiii. thy sinne lieth open in the dore. Lette it be subdued vnto thee, and rule thou it? do not these wordes declare plainly that sinne lieth in the power of manne, and that he maye rule it, as it pleaseth hym?

Ye shall vnderstande that Aunswer [Page] this place hath bene euyll transla­ted out of the Hebrewe. The place of genesis being ob­iected by the ene­mies hath ben per­uerted. For, wher they should haue sayed interroga­tiuely, and in the masculine gen­der: Shall he then be subdued vn­to thee, and wilt thou rule him? They did put awaye the interro­gatiue poynt, & did setfourth the sētēce w ^t tharticle of neuter gēder as though it ought to be referred vnto synne whereof he spake be­fore.

I would fayne heare what ye can make of it.

It is not vn­knowen vnto you, How the place of genesis ought to be vnderstanded. that both Abell and Cain had offred sacrifices vn­to the LORDE, Cain of the fruyte of the earthe, and Abell of the fyrstlynges of hys shepe and of the fatte of them, and that the Lord had a respect vnto Abell & his offring, but not vnto Cain nor yet to his sacryfice. Wherfore he was exceadinge wrothe, so that his countenance chaunged.

Nowe we must consyder the cau­ses, Why A­bels sacri­fice was accepted before god, and Cains sacrifice re­iected. Heb. xi. Ro xiiii. why Abell and his offring did please God, and why againe God had no pleasure in Cain nor yet in his offringe. Forsoth because that Abell did offer wyth faythe, and the other wythoute faythe. What soeuer then Cain did, was synne. For, wythoute faythe it is vnpossyble to please God? & what soeuer is not of faythe, is synne. Therefore, Caine had more iuste occasyon to be angrye wyth hym selfe, and wyth hys vnbelief, than wyth hys brother Abell, who was both innocent, and dyd walcke vp­rightlye before God, doing al that he dyd wyth a synceare and pure fayth. That therfore Cain might the better perceyue hys own saut the LORDE doothe playnlye declare vnto hym, that all that he dyd, was synne. Elsse if he had done well shoulde not he haue ben as well regarded, as hys brother Abell.

But his vnfaithfulnesse, that dyd lie in his hearte, did witnesse that he did not walke vprightly before god. Which thing he vnderstode, when he saide: if thou doste euyll, doth not thy sinne lie open in the dore? That is to saye: if thou doste the thing that thou dost vnfaithfullye, dothe not thy conscience beare record of the same, and is alwaies readye to condempne thee? What cause haste thou then to be angrye with thy brother, In thin­ges that pertain to the true worship­pinge of god we must be subiect vnto noman but vnto the word of god onely. because that he doth walke vprightly before me, and with a pure and sincere faith: shal he be subiect vnto thee in such thinges, or shall he be ruled by the in thinges that pertaine to the true worshippynge of me?

Some do reade it withoute an interrogatife poynt on this wise: he shall be subiecte vnto thee, and thou shalt rule him. Wherby they do vnderstande, that when Caine did see that his brother Abell was [Page] in such fauour with God, he was affrayed least he shoulde lose the righte of the first borne, and that Abell should be his Lord and ma­ster. And for this cause he did con­ceiue a deadly hatred against him, seekinge all maner of meanes to rydde him oute of the waye. The Lord therfore, for to put him out of that foolyshe feare, that he was in, did certifye him, that notwith­standinge the fauoure that he dyd beare vnto Abel, he shuld not lose one iote of his dignity and honour but that Abell shoulde accor­dinge to the ryght and order of his byrth be subiecte and obedient vn­to hym styll.

Thus doth Chrisostome expound thys place of Genesis. Chrsost. in gene­sim. Whose words but for tediousnesse I wold haue here aleadged, as they doe lye in his exposition vpon the first booke of Moses.

If both vertu and vice do not come of the free election of Obiectiō [Page] the minde: Whye shoulde man be punished for vice, or rewarded for vertue?

This argu­mente did the Pelagians vse also, as Sainte Ierome dothe write re­hercinge their very wordes which are these: Episto. ad ctesi­phontem & dialo. i. Quod si gratia dei in nobis agit, illa ergo, non nos qui non laboramus coronabitur. That is to say: If the grace of God dothe worke in vs, therefore it shall be crowned, and not we that laboure not. As tou­chinge punishementes, I saye, that we do deseruingly suffer thē, What we ought to iudge of the pu­nishment for synne sythe that synne cometh of oure selues. For, what dothe it skyll whether we synne throughe free wil or other wyse, syth that of our owne nature we be synne altoge­ther, yea and the bounde slaues of fynne? doth not Sainte Paul saye that of oure owne nature we are the chyldren of wrathe? Ephe. ii. If we be the children of wrathe, what are we elles but chyldren of damna­tion, [Page] and fyre brondes of hell? And as touching the rewards of righte­ousnesse, what absurditye were it to saie that they come of the free mercye of God, What we ought to iudge of the to­wards of righteousnesse. Rom. vi. rather than of our owne merytes and deseruinges? Doth not Saint Paule saye, that lyfe euerlastynge is the gyfte of God? How could lyfe euerlasting, whyche is the most sure rewarde of good woorkes, be the gyfte of God, excepte it were freelye geuen? But yf they woulde heare of what begynninge the holye A­postell dothe fetche the glorye of the Saints, they shoulde easely es­pye out their own errour: Whom (sayeth he) he hathe chosen, Ro. viii. them did he call, whome he hath called, them did he iustifye, and whom he hathe iustifyed them dyd hee gloryfye.

Wherefore then, by the sayinge of the Apostell are the faythfull crowned wyth eternall and euer­lastynge glorye?

because forsouth that by the free mercye of God, and not by their owne industrye, they be both cho­sen, called and iustifyed. Whye should any man fear then, y ^t ther shoulde be no more merites if free wyll were ouerthrowen? Or why shoulde any manne flye from that thinge, that the srcipture doth call vs to? What haste thou (sayeth saint Paule) that thou hast not re­ceyued? i. Cor. iiii And if thou hast receaued, why dost thou boast, as thoughe thou haddest not receiued? Ye see that he dothe therfore take awaye all thynges from free wyll, be­cause that he wold leaue no place vnto merites. But God as he is rych in doyng good vnto all men, so the gyftes that he geueth vnto vs, l e maketh them oure owne, and so rewardeth them as oure owne.

And therefore Sainte Augustine sayeth: Epist. lii Nihil es per te. Peccata tua sunt, merita autem dei.

Supplicium tibi debetur: et cum premium venerit, sua d [...]na coronabit non meritae tua: that is to saye: Thou arte no­thing by thy selfe. The sinnes are thyne owne, but the merites are of God. Punishment is due vnto the and when the reward dothe come, he shall crowne his giftes, In Psal. lxx. and not thy merits. And in an other place these be also his woordes: Si redde­tur tibi quod debetur puniendus es. Quid ergo fit? Non tibi reddit deus deb [...]tam penam, sed donat indeb [...]tam grati­am. Si vis esse alienus a gratia [...]acta me­rita tua. Whiche we maye English after this manner: if that be ren­dred or payed vnto thee, that is due, thou muste bee punyshed. What is done then? God dothe not render or paye vnto thee the pu­nishment that is due or deserued: but he geueth vnto thee, the grace that is neyther due nor deserued. If thou wylte be putte from the grace, boste forthe thyne own me­rites. [Page] But what nede I: to aledge any more sayings of his, syth that all his workes, be full of suche sentences? Whereby it dothe ap­peare, that he dothe adscribe no­thinge at all vnto the merites of men, but all together vnto the free mercy and goodnesse of God. And therfore the argument that ye did brynge, maye rather be called the argumente of an heathenish philosopher, than the argument of a Christian doctoure.

Obiectiō Thys was also one of theyr arguments, wherby they went about to proue that we haue free wyll.

Wherfore, say they, shoulde any exhortations be made vnto the people, or wherfore shoulde they be rebuked for their sinnes, if it lieth not in them to obey, or if it lyeth not in theyr power to shon vice and to embrace vertue?

Suche ob­iections [Page] were made vnto S. Au­gustine, Aunswer made out of sainte August. wherfore he was compel­led to make a boke de correptione et gratia, that is to say: of rebukynge and of grace. Wher he doth stout­ly confute all the obiections and argumentes that the aduersaryes can make, In his decorreptione & gra­tia. which maye be reduced and brought to this short and compendious summe: O man, knowe in the commaundemēt, what thou art bound to do. In the rebuking, learne that throughe thyne owne faut thou hast it not, and in praier learn whence thou must receiue y ^e thing y ^t thou wilt haue. First, we are not alone in this cause, but Christ & al his apostles. Let them se how they can shift, hauing to do with such aduersaries. Because y ^e Christ saith y ^t we can do nothinge without him, Iohn. xv. dothe he lesse rebuke them therefore that withoute him did euil? or dyd he lesse exhorte all men to geue thē selues vnto good woorkes? Howe sharpelye dothe [Page] Saint Paule inueighe against the Corinthians for the neglecting of christian loue and charity? and yet at lengthe he desireth of God, that he vouchsafe to geue them christi­an loue and charity. i. Cor. xvi Wrytinge to the Romaines, he doth testify that it lieth not in the wyl and renning of man, but in the mercye of God: yet afterwardes he dothe not cease to admonishe, Rom. ix. to exhorte and to re­buke. Why doe they not therefore warne the Lord, or geue him counsel, that he do not lose his labour, requiring those thinges of menne which he alone is able to geue? Or rebuking them for those thinges, which only throughe the lacke of hys grace are committed? Why do they not warn Paul to spare them in whose power it lieth not to wil nor to renne, without the mercye of God, wherof they be al together destituted? As thoughe the Lord is not able to shewe a sufficient rea­son or cause of his doctrin, whiche [Page] in dede doth offer it self vnto them that do godly and reuerently seke for it. Verely S. Paule dothe well declare and shew how much, i. Cor. i. both exhorting, and rebukinge are able by them selues to change the min­des of the hearers, when he wry­teth, that neyther he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watreth, but that it is the Lord that geueth the encrease, which only worketh effectuously. Question Wherfore then do the exhortations serue? Aunswer If they that be of an obstinate hearte doe con­temne and despise them, they shall be for a witnesse vnto them, when they come before the iudgemente seat of Christe. Yea nowe at thys present, they do already beate and smite theyr consciences: For, al­though they laugh them to scorn, yet they be not able to dysalowe them. But what shoulde they doe? Sith that the softnesse of the hart, which is necessary vnto obedience is denied vnto theym? yea rather [Page] what are they able to say, sith that they can impute the same hardnes of their own harts, but only to thē selues? but the chief vtility is to be considered in the faithfull: For, as the Lord doth woorke in them, all thinges by his holy spirit, so dothe he not neglect y ^e instrument of his word, nor yet occupy it, wythoute efficacy or effect. Let therefore the truth stand, that is to saye, let all menne be sure of this, that all the hole strengthe and vertue of the godlye dothe lye only in the grace of God. An other question. Whye be they warned of theyr duetye, and not rather per­mitted all together vnto the guy­ding or gouernment of the spirit? Why are they stirred and moued with exhortations, sythe that they can make no more haste, than the spirite dothe pricke them forwar­des: whye are they rebuked, if they go at any time out of the way: sith that they fall through the weake­nesse of theyr fleshe? O man what [Page] arte thou, that darest prescrybe a law vnto God? Aunswer If by exhortatyon he wyll haue vs to be prepared to receiue the same self grace, where by we are made obedient vnto his word: is there any thing that thou canst iustly reproue in this deuine policye of his? If exhortations and rebukings shuld serue for nothing els amonge the godlye, but for to rebuke synne, they oughte not to be cōpted vnprofitable. But now, The pro­fytte of exhortatiōs vnto the godlye. sith that the spirite workynge in­wardlye, they doe profyte muche for to kyndle in menne a desyre of goodnesse, to shake of slouggishnesse, to take awaye the pleasure of wyckednesse, and the poyson­ned sweetenesse of it: and con­trarywise for to engender in them a hatred and tediousnesse of vyce, and of this wicked and synnefull world, who dareth saye that they be superflue or vnprofitable?

Here in deede S. Augustin doth answer throughly the vain obiections of the Pela­gians, so that any reasonable man oughte to contente him selfe wyth his answer. How be it, me thinke that they were sufficiently answe­red already in our firste communi­cation, that we haue had this mornyng of the deuine predestinatyon of God.

Thys haue I gathe­red out of the wordes of S. Augu­stin: What maye be gathered of Saint Augusti­nes wor­kes. that God doth two manner of waies worke in hys elect and cho­sen: Inwardly wyth his holye spi­rit, and outwardly with his word with his spirite he maketh theym new creatures, lightenynge theyr mindes, and kindeling theyr har­tes with the loue of righteousnes. With his woorde, he dothe moue and styrre them to desire the same renewing, to seke for it, and to em­brace it. And to both of them doth he retch forth his hand effectuous­ly, [Page] according as he hathe appoyn­ted and ordained. Why god doth send his word vnto the reprate. And when he doth send his word vnto the reprobate, thoughe it be not for theyr a­mendment, yet it is to thys ende, that they may in this preset world be confounded with the testimony and witnesse of theyr owne conscience, and also be made vnexcusa­ble agaynst the day of iudgement. But what can ye say to these pla­ces of the scripture, Obiectiō that they did a leadge vnto me: I wyl willinglye offer sacrifice vnto thee. Agayne: I wyll of my free wyll praise and laude thee. Item: Let thyne hande be readye to saue me: For, I haue chosen thy commaundements? Do not these wordes of the prophette Dauid declare plainlye, that the thing, that he did, he did it willingly, frely and frankly?

I saye, Aunswer that they make or put no difference betwyxte the man that is alreadye renewed by the spirite of God, and the manne [Page] that is altogether carnal and fleshly. For, the man that is not rege­nerated or borne of newe, wyll speake no such woordes as Dauid dyd. For, they are the wordes of a manne, that is alreadye made a newe creature by the Spirite of God. This will then that was in Dauid did not come of hys owne self nor of his fre will that he had of his owne nature: but it did com of the spirit of God, who dyd geue this will vnto Dauid. For, Iesus Christ him selfe doth say: Verely, verelye I saye vnto you: Iohn. iii excepte a manne be borne from aboue, he can not see the kingdome of God. Where by he dothe meane, that manne is able to doe nothynge that is pleasaunte or acceptable vnto GOD. Nor yet taste the swetenesse of the heauenly king­dome, excepte it be geuen vnto him.

If (said thei vnto me) we haue no free wil, Obiectiō why shoulde [Page] God so manye times call synners vnto repentaunce? were it not la­bour lost so to do? How manye ty­mes doth he by his Prophets crye out and say: Turne ye vnto me, al ye endes of the earthe, Esay. xlv and so shall ye be saued? Againe: Tourne vnto me and repent. Eze. xviii If menne haue not fre wil to do these thinges the prophets do labor in vaine.

If ye marke wel the talke and communication of youre faithfull guides, aunswer ye shall easelye perceiue, that they be not throughlye exercised in the scryp­tures. For, God doth not so speake vnto menne by hys Prophettes, because that synners are able of theyr own selues to turn vnto hī.

Howe be ye able to proue that?

First, wher Esay saithe: Esay. xlv in the persons of the Lorde: Tourne ye vnto me, and ye shall be healed: by and by Iere­mye dothe crye oute and saye: O [Page] Lord, turne me, and I shalbe tur­ned. For, thou arte the Lorde my God. Yea, assone, as thou turnest me, I shal reforme my self. Again: the Lorde dothe commaunde, that we shoulde circumcise oure owne heartes: Iere. iiii. yet by Moses he dothe de­clare, that the same circumcision is made with his owne hande. Deut. xxx He doth also require the renewing of our heartes: but in an other place, he doth plainly testify, that it is he him self that geueth it. Loke ther­fore, what God doth promise, that do we not by oure free will or na­ture (as S. Augustine saithe) but GOD dothe it, by his grace. And this is the fift thing, The rule of Tiro­nius. that he dothe bid vs to marke amonge the rules of Tironius, that is to say, that we shoulde note diligentlye the dyffe­rence that is betwixt the law and the promises or betwixte the com­maundementes and the grace. I maye here bringe in, manye other lyke places: Act. xv. Paule and Barnabas [Page] do exhorte the faythfull to abyde and perseuer in the grace of God. But Paule in an other place doth shewe, whence, that vertue of con­stancye and perseueraunce dothe come: Ephe. vi. fynally my bretherne (saith he) be strong in the Lorde. Again: for this cause do I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure Lord Iesu Christe, that he woulde graunte you accordinge to the rychesse of his glory, that ye maye be streng­thed wyth might, by the spirit of y ^e inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hartes by faith.

Moreouer he sayeth: Greue not the holye spyrit of God, Ephe. iiii by whom ye are sealed vnto redemption.

But the thynge that he doth re­quyre there, because that it canne not be perfourmed by menne, he doth desyre God to graunte it vn­to the Thessalonians, sayinge: i. Thes. i. wherfore, we pray alwayes for you, that your god make you wor­thy of your callinge, and fulfyll al [Page] good purpose of his goodnesse and the worke of fayth wyth power, that the name of oure Lorde Iesu Christ, maye be glorifyed in you, and ye in hym throughe the grace of our God, and of the Lord Iesu Christ. These places do sufficient­ly declare, that what so euer God dothe requyre of vs, the same he must worke in vs by his holye spi­rite. For, of our selues we are able to do no maner of thing, y ^e good is?

Question Why doth God thē speake after this maner vnto men?

Aunswer God causeth men to be thus admonished and warned, because that it is a meane, that he hathe appoynted and ordayned. And whiche he dothe vse, for to illumi­nate and lighten those that be elected and chose vnto life euerlasting and for to make thē to know their sinnes. For, god by the preaching of his worde, & by the vertue of his holy spirite, doth geue vnto them that be chosē vnto lyfe euerlasting [Page] strength to turn vnto him. And although this doctrin of conuersyon or turning is directed vnto all mē generally, yet doth it most chieflye pertain vnto the elect and chosen, vnto whom by this meane, God il­luminating them, doth geue pow­er and strength to conuert or turn. Againe: Why God cau­seth obstinate syn­ners to be warned. God causeth obstynate synners to be thus warned by his Prophets, because that they shuld not pretend ignorance, nor excuse them selues by it in the iudgemēt of God. And also for to shewe y ^t he loueth vertue, & rightousnesse, and that he is not author of euil. Whē God did send Moses vnto Pharao, Exo. vii. God knew right wel that Pharao wold not turne. Yet we must not say that God did send him in vain.

Thus they said vnto me: Obiectiō wherfore do these promises serue: seke after the thing y ^t is good, and not euill, so shall ye liue: Amos. v yea the lord god of hostes shalbe with you accordinge to your owne desires. [Page] Againe: If ye be louinge and obe­dient, ye shal enioye the best thing that groweth in the lande: but if ye be obstinate and rebellious, ye shal be deuoured with the swerde. For the mouthe of the Lord hathe spoken it. Iere. iiii. Item: if thou wylt put away thy abhominations oute of my sight thou shalt not be dryuen oute. If thou shalt harken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God, to obserue and do all his commaun­dements, Deut. xxv Le. xxviii which I commaund the this daye, then shall the Lord thy God set the aboue all nations vp­on earth. And such other lyke: ex­cepte we haue free wyll, or except it lyeth in oure power to fulfyll and perfourme the condytions, that are annexed vnto them? we maye saye in deede that they be goodlye promyses, if the conditi­ons, that be annexed vnto them, canne not be perfourmed by oure owne strengthe and power: and that God dothe playe mocke holy [Page] daye wyth vs, if he promysethe thynges, that it lyeth not in vs to obtayne.

And I saye that it is a playne blasphemye, Aunswer to af­fyrme that God doth playe mocke holy daye wyth vs, when he doth prouoke vs to deserue his benefits although he knoweth vs to be vn­able to do it. For, when the promi­ses are offered vnto the faythfull & vngodly in lyke, The ef­fecte of Gods promises both in the godly and in the vngodly. they haue their effect and working in them bothe. For, as God dothe by his com­maundementes pricke the consci­ences of the vngodly, lest putting away altogether the remēbraunce of his iudgementes, they shoulde haue to much pleasure in synne: so by his promises he doth testify and declare vnto them, how vnworthy they are of his liberality, & good­nesse. For, who woulde saye that it is not mete and conueniente, Marke this dili­gentely. that the Lorde shoulde do good vnto them, that do worship him? [Page] And that againe, he shoulde accor­dinge to his seueritye and iustyce, take vengaunce of theym that are despisers of his maiesty? Therfore it cā not be said, but that God doth iustlye, when in his promises, he dothe prescribe and geue suche a law and condition vnto the vngodlye, whiche be wrapped in sinne, that they shall receiue and enioye hys benefites, if they doe forsake their wickednesse, althoughe hee shoulde do it onlye for thys cause, that they maye vnderstande that they are iustlye and deseruinglye put from those thinges, y ^t are due vnto y ^e true worshippers of God. Again: sith that God, dothe by all meanes prouoke the faithful to cal for his grace, why shuld not he as wel attempte the same by his pro­misses, as by his law and cēmaundements? being taught the wyl of God by his commaundements, we are warned of our owne miserye, because that of oure own nature, [Page] we do all together dissent and dis­agre from it: and also we are mo­ued to cal vppon the spirit of god, for to bring vs into the right way. But because that oure sluggysh­nesse is such, Why promises are made vn­to vs. that it can not be put awaye nor shaken of, by the lawe and commaundements of god: promisses are added, that so by some swetenesse we might be prouoked and allured to the loue of heauen­ly things. Now, the more desirous that we are of the true ryghteous­nes, the more feruent are we to cal for the grace of God. These thin­ges beynge well considered, who would say, that suche promises be vnprofitable, though we be not a­ble to fulfil the conditiōs, that are annered vnto them?

No manne, I trowe, What the repro­bate do learne by the promises of god that hathe anye cromme of godlye vnderstandinge in hys bellye. For, by them the reprobate & vngodlye do learne how vnworthy they are of the bounteous liberality [Page] and goodnesse of almighty God: & the godlye, What the godly do learne by the condition annexed vn­to the promyses. when they see in the conditions, that be annexed vnto them, their owne misery, weake­nesse, infirmitye and vnablenesse, are stirred and moued by the same to cal more earnestly, for the grace of God, and for the assistaunce and help of his holy spirit.

Obiectiō The Lord doth laye to the Israelites charge, that it was only longe of them, that they did not receiue all kinde of libera­lity and goodnesse at hys hande. As when the Prophet sayth: Amaleck and the Cananites are before you, numbers xiiii. Iere. vii. with whose swordes ye shall be destroyed, because ye wolde not obey the Lord. Because I haue called you, and ye haue not aunswe­red nor obeyed: therfore, will I do vnto this house, as I haue don vn to Silo. Again: This people hath not harkened vnto the voyce of the Lord theyr God, nor receaued hys doctrine: Therfore, the Lord hath [Page] caste them of. Item. Because that ye haue hardened your heartes, Ier. xxxii & woulde not be obedient vnto the Lorde: All these plages haue hap­pened vnto you. Howe coulde the Israelites be cast in the tethe with such thinges, except it had lyen in them to shonne and auoyde those thinges, that be there laied to their charge? For they might haue aun­swered by and by: We had a mind to prosperity, How the vngodlye do al­waies go aboute to excuse them sel­ues. and did fear trouble and aduersity: but that we did not obey the Lorde, nor harcken vnto his voyce, that we might obtayne the one, and eschue the other, it was because that we are vnder y ^e bondage of synne, and can not doe frely the thinges, that we would. Those thinges then are not iustly laid to oure charge whiche it ly­eth not in our power for to shonne or auoid.

As for the pretence of necessity, Aunswer wherby sin­ners go about to excuse thē selues, [Page] it hath ben al ready declared, what pore healpe can be had in it, sythe that the cause Originall, and of spring of it, is in our owne selues, by oure naturall corruption, that we haue of our first parent Adam. Therfore, I do aske whether they can proue them selues to be wyth­out faut or not? For, if there be a­ny faut in them: it is not wythout a cause, that God did caste them in the teethe, that it was throughe their owne wickednesse, that they did not feele the frute of his good­nesse and mercy. Can they say nay but that theyr wicked and corrup­ted will is the cause of their rebel­lyous contumacye and stubburne­nesse? If they fynde that the foun­tayne and well sprynge of theyr owne euyl and miserye is wythin them selues: what do they trauail to finde out outwarde causes, and all because that they wil not seme to be the authoures of theyr owne destruction? If it be true then, that [Page] synners throughe theyr own faut are both depriued of the benefites of God, and also punished and pla­ged: there is a good cause, whye they shoulde heare suche vpbray­dynges and reproches at the mou­the of the Lorde. That if they doe obstinately perseuer and continue in synne, they may learne in theyr miseries and calamities, to accuse and detest theyr owne wickednes, rather than to lay any vniuste and cruell seueritye vnto God: or if they be not vtterlye geuen ouer, they may, beinge wearye of theyr synnes, wherefore they see theym selues thus extreamelye plaged, come into the way again, acknowledginge the same wyth earnest confession, that the Lord doth laye to their charge. Note this This effecte haue the chidinges and rebukinges of y ^e prophets amonge the godly: as it doth appere by the solemne prayer of Daniell, Dani. vi. which is wrytten in y ^e ninthe chapiter of hys prophecye. [Page] But how such sharpe rebukinges of the prophets of God, take place amonge the obstinate sinners, we haue an example of it in y ^e Iewes, vnto whome Ieremye was com­maūded to shew the cause of their miseries and calamities, Iere. vii. although it shoulde be none otherwyse than God had appoynted, & told before. Thou shalt, saith the Lord, speke vnto thē al these wordes, and they shal not hear, thou shalt cal them, and they shal not answer.

Obiectiō For what purpose, were those thynges spoken vnto them, that would not hear?

Aunswer That, wold they, nild they, they should be fain to vnderstande, that the same was true, that was told vnto them, and that it was a plain sacriledge and robbing of the glory of God, to ad­scribe vnto him the cause of theyr calamities and miseries, whyche was in them selues. With theese few solutions & answers, any man [Page] may easely rid him selfe from ma­nye authorities, whiche the enne­myes of the grace of God, are wōt to heape together for to erect, and sette vppe the Idoll of theyr free wyll.

This is moste sure, that the Lorde dothe speake these woordes by his prophet Oseas: Obiectiō I wyll go, and retourn to my place, Osee. v. tyll they waxe faint, and seke me. It were a folish thing (said my gentle men vnto me) if the LORD should tary til Israel shuld tourne and seeke hym, except it dyd lie in theyr power to tourn which waye they listed.

Aunswer The ene­mies can wynne nothinge vpon vs by the threate­nings of god.As thoughe the Lorde doth not commōly in the prophets make as though he should forsake and caste of, hys people, tyll they amend and tourne vnto hym: but what are oure ennemyes able to gather of suche threatnynges? If they go about to gather by them, that men beinge forsaken of God, [Page] are of their owne selues able to turne againe, then haue they all the scriptures against them: If they saye that they haue neede of the garce of God, that they maye turne again: what neede they to contende or striue with vs?

They do not denye but that the grace of God is nece­ssarye: if ye wyll graunte that there is also in manne a certayne strength.

Howe shall they be able to prone that. Truely they can not proue it by this place nor by suche like. For, it is an o­ther thynge to go away from man and to looke, what beyng permit­ted and lefte vnto hym selfe he is able to do, and an other thynge to healpe hys small strength, as hys imbecilitye and weakenesse dothe requyre.

Question What doth the lord meane then by suche manner of speakyng.

It is euen as if he shoulde say: Aunswer Syth that this rebellious people wyll take no heede to my warnings and exhor­tations, nor yet to my sharpe rebukinges, I wyll for a tyme wythdrawe my self from him, and suffer him to be afflycted, and troubled. I wyll see whether this styfnecked people, wyll at length after theyr greate calamityes, mi­series, and troubles, remember me and seke my face. Nowe, What it is meant when the scripture sayeth that God doth withdrawe him selfe from this people. when the scripture sayeth, that God dothe wythdraw hym self, the meaning of it is, y ^t God doth take away hys prophecye and worde, wher in he declareth a certain presēce of hys. And to looke what men wyll do, it signifyeth that God wyll holde him selfe styll, and as he were a sleape, suffer them to be manye and sondrye wayes plaged.

And bothe these thynges, is he wont to doo, for to make vs to humble oure selues.

For we should rather by aduersi­tye be dryuen vnto desperatyon, than vnto anye amendemente of lyfe, except he should by his spirite make vs meete to receiue hys cha­stisement. Wherfore, to go about by suche places, for to proue that there is anye such strengthe in vs, or that we haue free wyll to doe what we list, it is a plain madnes. For, such thinges be spoken in the scriptures for none other purpose, but for to make vs to know oure own infirmity and weakenesse.

I dyd aske them, whether they could bryng anye autho­rities of the scripture, The ob­iection of the papi­stes. whereby they myght proue expreslye that a man hath suche free wyll, as they went about to maintaine and vp­hold. They dyd then aunswer me that Moses was so sure of it, that he did not doubt to say these wor­des vnto the children of Israell. Deut. xxx I take heauen and earth this day to record ouer you, that I haue layde [Page] before you, life and deathe, bles­sing and cursing. Chuse life there­fore, that thou mayest lyue thou and thy feede, and that ye maye loue the Lorde your God, and har­ken vnto his voyce, and cleaue vn­to him. Iosu. xxiiii. Iosua also did saye vnto the people: Chuse ye this daye, whome ye wyll serue: The God whome youre fathers serued be­yonde the water, or the Goddes of y ^e Amorites in whose lande ye dwell. Thinke ye that these true seruaunts of God Moses and Io­sua, would haue spoken thus vnto the people, except it had lyen in their power to chuse which they would? It is playne then that they had free wyll? elles suche things, hadde bene spoken vnto them in vaine.

AunswerSuche sen­tences and autoryties of the scrip­ture, do not proue that man hath free wyl to do what he lyst, or that he can at his owne pleasure chuse [Page] both good and euil. For, although Moses doth saye vnto the people: I do laye before you both life and death: yet it foloweth not, y ^t they were able of theyr owne selues to chuse lyfe, without the spirit and grace of God. Deu. xxix Whiche thinge he doth sufficientely declare in an o­ther place when he sayeth: Thyne eies haue sene these greate tokens and wonders. Yet the Lorde hath not geuen. thee a harte to vnder­stande, nor eares to heare, nor eies to see. As then it did profytte the people nothinge to haue seene the greate tokens and wonders, that the Lord did worke in Egipt euen in theyr owne sight, excepte he did geue them a harte to vnderstande, eares to heare and eies to see, that is to saye, except the Lorde did by his holy spirit lyghten their harts vnstop their eares, and cleare the eyes of theyr myndes: euen so, althoughe Moses, Iosua, and all the prophetes of God doe saye a [Page] thousande time: Behold, we laye before you lyfe and death, chuse whiche ye wyll: yet all this, wyll profytte vs nothinge, except God dothe worke inwardely wyth his holy spirit. Whiche thinge Saint Paule dothe neyther dyssemble nor hydde, when he wryteth on thys manner. i. Cor. i. I haue planted and Apollo hathe watred, But it is the Lord that geueth the encreace. But that ye maye the better per­ceaue the whole matter, ye shall vnderstande that God doth by the preachinge of his prophetes and Apostles: Mat. ix. as when oure sauioure Iesu Christe dyd saye vnto the manne that was sycke of the pal­sye: aryse, take vp thy bedde, and go home.

It dyd not folowe, that he hadde strengthe to aryse, excepte oure sauyoure Iesus Christe hadde ge­uen it hym.

But when Chryste dyd saye vn­to hym, aryse: [Page] He did streyght wyth it, geue him strength to aryse. Euen so, when God doth by his preachers speake vnto them, whom he hath chosen already; and doth commaund them to aryse oute of the bdde of synne, streyght wyth, hee geueth them strength to do it.

Obiectiō I maruayle that ye wyll haue no manner of strength to bee lefte vnto vs, in thinges that perteyne to our saluation and lyfe euerlastinge syth that oure sa­uioure Iesus Crhist him self doth testifye that the manne that went from Ierusalem to Iericho, luc. x. by whom he vnderstode al mankinde, was by the theues left halfe deade, and not dead altogether. Where­by anye man woulde iudge, that there is yet some parcell of lyfe in man, and that he hathe yet some sparkles of righte vnderstandinge and Godlye wyll remayninge in him. For, wherin els shoulde con­sist that halfe of his lyfe, that was [Page] lefte vnto him by the theues, that had so sore wounded him?

Aunswer What if I woulde not geue place vnto theyr allegory, what could they say vn­to me? Could they lay any heresye vnto me for it? For, it is wythout all doubt, that the fathers haue in­uented the same allegory, besydes the right meaning of our sauioure Iesu Christ. For, y ^e scope or marke that our sauior Iesus Christ dothe shute at there, is to teache, What marke that oure sauioure Iesus Christ doth shute at in the parable of the Samaritane How far parables ought to take place. who is oure neighboure, and not to mag­nifye anye naturall strengthe that was left in man. Let any manne, that wyll, reade the place, and he shall finde that it is so as I saye. Moreouer allegories ought to goe no farther, than they haue the rule of Gods word for their warrant: It is so farre of, that they shoulde suffise by them selues to grounde any doctrine. How be it let vs see what they shal gette by their alle­gory. We dyd all in oure first pa­rent [Page] Adam fall into the handes of the theues, What ought to be vnderstā ­ded by the allegorye of the wounded man. I meane, of our enne­mye Sathan the deuil, by whome we wer striped out of our clothes, wounded and left half dead. First, we were striped out of our clothes and lefte naked: what is mente by this, but that we were by our ene­my spoyled of oure naturall inno­cency and ryghteousnesse, yea and of all other heauenlye gyftes that we had receyued in our fyrst crea­cion? And not onlye this, but also we were wounded and lefte halfe dead. That is to say: we were left a liue vnto oure selues, vnto the world, and vnto sinne, but we wer lefte all together dead vnto God, and vnto heauenly thinges. Therfore, Ephe. ii. Saynt Paul speakyng of our redemption, dothe not saye, that we were healed beyng half a lyue, but that when wee were deade throughe synne, God dyd quycken vs agayne wyth hys sonne Iesu Christ. And vnto thys, dothe oure [Page] sauyoure hym self agree, Ioh. vi. when he sayeth: Verely, verely I saye vnto you: the houre will come, and is nowe already, that the deade shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of manne, and they that hear it shall lyue. Who durste sette an allego­rye inuented by menne agaynste so many playn textes of the scrip­tures?

In deede when I doe consider the circumstaunces of the texte, I doe perceiue that their al­legory is farre from the meanyng of oure sauioure Iesus Christe. A­gaine: we doe plainelye learne by the authorityes that ye aledged e­uen nowe, that we are all to ge­ther deade vnto GOD, and vn­to heauenlye thynges, beynge spoyled of al those excellent giftes that wee hadde receaued in oure fyrste creatyon, as Dauyd dothe testifye sayinge: Psal. xli. Manne when he was in honoure, he dyd not vnderstand [Page] it, and therfore he was made like vnto brute beastes. How be it there be yet certain places behind, which by your patience, I intende now to bring fourth, that I maye be deliuered from all doubt.

Apo. iii. ObiectiōThe one is in the Reuelation of Ihon, where the Lord speaketh on this manner: Behold, I stande at the dore and knocke. If anye man heare my voyce, and open the dore I wyll come in vnto him, and wyl suppe wyth him, and he with me. Thys place they haue alwayes in their mouthes, goinge aboute to proue thereby that we haue free wyll. Elsse why shoulde the Lorde say that he stādeth at the dore and knocke, and that if any man heare his voyce and open, he wyll come in vnto him? It were in vaine so to saye, excepte it did lie in man to heare the voyce of the Lord, and to open when so euer he doth knocke at the dore.

AunswerFyrste and [Page] foremost: what do they vnderstand by the doore, that the Lorde dothe knocke at?

By the dore, they doe vnderstand the harte of man. What it is to be vnderstā ­ded by the dore that the lorde dothe knocke at And they say that the lord doth knocke at our heartes by his word, when he doth by it cal vs vnto repentāce and amendement of life, and that we do opē vnto him, whē we do receiue his worde, and bryng forthe the frutes therof.

When our sauioure Iesu Christe, Question did preache in hys owne persone, and dyd knocke at mennes hartes by hys worde, cal­linge them vnto repentaunce and amendement of life coulde any mā open vnto him, that is to say, to receiue his word, and bryng fourthe the frutes of it, excepte it were ge­uen hym.

I thincke naye. For the truthe him self saithe: Aunswer No man can come vnto me except it be ge­uen him of my father. Againe in [Page] the same chapiter: Ioh. vi. Euerye manne (saith he) that hath hard & learned of my father, commeth vnto me. Wherby we do learn, that except God doth teach vs inwardly, and geue vs grace to receiue his word, when it is preached vnto vs, all the preaching in the worlde canne profit vs nothing.

Then ye may se, how well y ^e same text of the reuelatiō of Ihon, dyth serue for theyr purpose.

It serueth for their purpose, as al other authorityes and textes do, that they do aledge. For, in all thys matter, they worke by likeli­hodes. For why? in al the canoni­cal bokes of y ^e scripture, they haue not one expresse woorde, whereby they canne proue that manne hath free will, or that he is able of hys owne strength, to thinke or do any thing that good is.

Obiectiō Mat. xix.No? why doth Christe say then, if thou wilte enter into lyfe, kepe the commaundements?

Ye haue neuer don. Nothing as I perceiue, can cōtent you. Aunswer For if ye had well marcked, what was sayd before, ye might haue percei­ued y ^t it can not be proued by such places that man hath free wyll, or that he is able of his own strength to fulfyll the lawe and commaun­dements of God, wyth suche per­fection as he dothe requyre. For, then we shoulde haue no neade of Christ, gala. ii. as Saint Paule dothe te­stify, saying: If rightousnes com­meth by the law, then Christ dyed in vain. But because that ye shall not thinck, that I wil go about the bush with you: ye shal vnderstand, that Christ did attemperat & order his answers according to the per­sons y ^t he did talke withal. How the aunswer of Christ made vn­the yong man ou­ght to be taken and vnderstā ­ded A yong mā had asked him, by what meane he might obtain life euerlasting, & what good he shuld do for to come by it? This yong person was puft vp with a vain perswasyon of the righteousnesse of the lawe, and [Page] also blineded with a folishe confy­dence and trust, that he had in hys owne workes. Againe, he did aske whiche were the deedes of righte­ousnesse wherby eternall felicity, and saluation myght be obteined? Therfore, he is by good right sent vnto the law, whiche is a perfecte loking glasse or mirroure of rygh­teousnesse, and also whiche muste be fulfilled, if we wyll obtayn the rewarde of life euerlastinge. But who is able to fulfil it? No manne liuing, Christ onlye beinge excep­ted. Wherby it followeth that all they, that go aboute to be saued by the works of the law, are farthest of from saluation. The meaninge then of our sauiour Iesu Christ is that who so euer wyll be saued by workes, he muste obserue & keepe the commaundements, wyth such a perfection as God doth requyre, elsse he can not enter into lyfe euer lasting, so that the yong man per­ceiuing his lacke and vnablenesse, [Page] and how farre of he was from the perfection that he thoughte hym selfe to be in, mighte take an occa­syon to seeke for the true and only remeady, that our most mercyfull father hathe appoynted for vs, to be saued by, and for to be delyue­red from the malediction & curse of the lawe, that al menne, Gala. iii. for lacke of fulfyllynge of the same, are subiecte vnto by theyr owne na­ture.

Saye what ye wyll, my faythfull guydes dyd tell me, Obiectiō that it is a playne heresye, yea and a mooste detestable blasphemye to say that a man is not able to kepe the law and commaundementes, wyth such a perfection as GOD doth requyre. For, if God shoulde commaund thinges impossible, he shoulde not be righteous. And by the lawe of nature, whyche by the finger of God, is wrytten in the hartes of men, we be not bounde to thinges y ^t he impossyble, or that [Page] it lyeth not in oure power to ful­fyl. Li. ii. de peccato et merit. et remi. cap. vi. Saint Augustin dothe also te­stify, that no man dothe sin in that thing, that he is not able to shonne or auoid. Again, he wryteth thus: I can not thinke, that god did commaund any thing that is impossy­ble, Iero. ad damasū papam de simbobo fidei. or that it is impossible vnto God to help to do that thyng, whi­che he hath commaunded. Moreo­uer they haue alleadged s. Ierome vnto me, saying we do curse & de­test the blasphemy of thē that saye, that God hath commaunded man to do any thing that is impossible, and that the commaundements of god can not be kept. They did also bring in Chrisostō, wher he saith: let vs not thinke y ^t the commaun­dementes of God be impossyble. Hom. viii in mat. For, truely they be bothe profita­ble vnto vs and also very easye, if we wyll be dilygente or take good heede. And vnto this do the scryp­tures agree. For, after that Mo­ses had publyshed the law, he dyd [Page] say vnto the children of Israel: the commaundement, Deu. xxx. whiche I com­maund thee this daye, is not hyd­den from the, neyther to farre, nor yet in heauen: but it is very nygh vnto thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thine harte that thou maist doe it.

Again, Christ him selfe dothe say: Mat. xi. My yoke is easy, and my burdē is lyght. Moreouer these be the wor­des of the blessed Euangeliste S. Ihon: for, this is the loue of God, that we keepe hys commaunde­ments: i. Epi. v. and his commaundements are not greuous or heauye. These places do sufficiently declare, that man is able to fulfil the comman­dements of God.

As touching the fyrste sayinges of your fayth­full guydes, Aunswer wherein they doe affyrme and saye, that manne is able to fulfyll the lawe and com­maundementes of God, we muste vse a distinction, that so we maye [Page] vphold and maintaine the veritye and truth of Goddes word. For, if they vnderstande it of a man, that is graffed, or that hath fellowshyp with Christ, I saye, that the same manne doth obserue and kepe the hole law of God, How the man be­inge regenerated doth kepe the whole lawe of God. not really in him self, but because that he is conduc­ted and led by the spirite of God. And also we may right well say, y ^t he doth kepe the hole law of god, by the vertue of the fellowshyppe that he hath with Christ, wherby he is made partaker, or rather put in full possession of the perfect and consummate obedience, Rom. x. and that oure sauioure Iesus Christe dyd shewe and yelde vnto God hys fa­ther: Retract. xix. so that hys fautes shall not be imputed vnto him. For, Iesus Christ doth supply whatsoeuer is lacking or wāting in such a man. And so it may be true, that a man is able to kepe the lawe of God, in Iesu Christ, and by Iesu Christe, but not of hym self. For, as Saynt [Page] Augustine saith: al the commaun­dements of god be fulfylled, when the synnes and fawtes be not im­puted. But if they wyll saye, that a manne beynge separated from christ, is able to kepe y ^e law of god they ar in a great eror. For, christ him selfe sayeth, that a tree canne bringe fourth no good fruyte, Mat. vii. ex­cepte it be made good fyrst. But no man is good of his owne selfe, as it hathe bene declared alredye: Therfore, he can not bring fourth good fruite. Againe, these be the wordes of our sauiour Iesu Christ Byde in me, and I in you. Ioh. xv. As the braunche can not beare fruyte of it selfe, excepte it byde in the vine: no more canne ye, excepte ye abide in me, Ye see that oure sauioure Iesu Christe dothe shewe by thys simylitude, that it lyethe not in mannes power, to brynge anye good fruyte of hym selfe, excepte he be graffed in Christe.

If ye haue well marked, what [Page] hath ben sayd afore of fre wyl, ye shall well perceaue that it is so farre of, that manne of hym selfe, and by his owne strengthe is able to fulfyll the lawe perfectely, that he cā not wel vnderstād, one only poynte of it, as it ought to be vn­derstanded. For, ye must note that the lawe must be throughly obser­ued and kepte wyth a pure and cleane heart, Ro. vii. as Saint Paule sai­eth: The lawe is spirituall, but manne of him self is polluted, and carnall, whyche thinge he confes­seth of him selfe, sayinge: And I am carnall, solde vnder synne. How canne the lawe then, that is spirituall, and man whiche is carnall and fleshely, agree? More­ouer, the lawe wyll be kepte, euen from the conception of man, vnto the laste daye and houre of of hys lyfe, wythoute anye ma­ner of transgressyon or offence. For, Iam. ii. as Saynte Iames sayeth: [Page] he that fawtethe or offendeth in one, is gylty of the whole. Item, the Lorde hym selfe sayeth, that cursed are all menne, De. xxvii that do not abyde in al thyngs, that be writ­ten in the booke of thys lawe, for to do them. How is manne able then to kepe y ^e hole law of God, as it oughte to be kepte, and wyth suche a perfection as God dothe requyre, syth that he is a trans­gressour of it, afore he come in to thys worlde, and a synner from his conception? dothe not Dauyd wryte thus: My mother hath con­ceaned me in synne? Psal. ii. I saye vnto you, that excepte manne be con­ceaued of the holye ghoste, he shall neuer be able to kepe the whole lawe of God, as he doth wyl and requyre.

Nowe truly I do per­ceaue in deede, that it is a greate blasphemye agaynst Christ, to saye that man is able to fulfyll the hole lawe of God, of hys owne selfe [Page] and by his owne strengthe, and to do it with such a perfection as god doothe requyre. For that were to say, that man is conceyued of the holye ghost. But I pray you, now tell me, Question whether God be vnrygh­teous or not in commaundynge man to do that thing, whiche he is not able to do, and fulfil?

Aunswer What error or blasphemy were it to saye so? I aske you, Simili­tude if a man wer bound vn­to you in a hundreth pounde, and dyd owe you them in dede: though the same manne were not able to pai you, shuld ye do vniustly to ask him your C. pounde?

No manne, I trowe, would say, that I did him wronge in asking him my duety.

When the kyng did aske of his seruaunte the ten thousand talentes, Mat. xviii that he dyd owe vnto him, did he vniustlye or wrongfullye?

I wyl not say so.

Know ye then, that all the hole law of God, is nothing els but a commaundement, wher­by we are commaunded and biddē to pay that vnto god, that we owe vnto hym. For man is bounde of duetye to loue God wyth all hys hart, wyth all hys soule, and with all his strength: and his neighbor as hys owne self.

Therefore, Sainte Paule saythe: Ro. viii. brethren, we are debtours, but not vnto the flesh. Shall we saye then that God is vnryghteous, or that he doth vniustly, asking that thing of vs, that we do owe vnto hym of bound duety? It is so farre of, that he should do vniustly in askynge vs of his duety, Why god dothe de­maunde of vs his dutye. that rather he doth most iustly, godly, and ryghteous­ly to demaund such thynges of vs for the causes that I wyll now re­hearse and aledge.

Fyrste and foremoste, he doth it for to declare vnto men hys rygh­teousnesse, [Page] holynesse, and bountu­ousnesse. For, in this that God doth commaund vs nothing in his lawe but that, whych is iuste and good, he dothe declare therby that he him self is righteous, holye and good. Secondly, least men shoulde seke and go aboute to excuse them selues by ignoraunce, before the iudgemente seate of God, sayinge that they knewe not hys wyll and pleasure, therfore dyd he setforthe hys law and commaundementes, for to declare vnto men, what he wyll haue them to do, and what he wyll haue them to leaue vn­done. For, we are such, y ^t we wold styll plaid ignoraunce before God except we were conuicted by hys playne and manifest lawe and ex­presse commaundementes, that he hathe lefte vnto vs. Thirdlye, the law was geuen because of trans­gression, gala. iii. to the intent that they, that wold not for the fear of God, and loue of heauenly thynges, re­fraine [Page] from doinge of euill, should at least for fear of the punyshment of the lawe, be dryuen to keepe a good order, and to lyue quietlye a­mong them selues. Els they wold haue kylled one an other, no man hadde bene able to haue kepte hys owne, but all should haue gone to hauock. Forthly, God did setforth his law, that by it man shoulde be brought into the knowledge of his owne self. That is to say, The law is a mir­rour or lookinge glasse. the law was geuen and setforthe to thys end, y ^t it might be a lokinge glasse or mirrour, wherein man shoulde behold hys owne weakenesse, im­becilitye and vnablenesse to fulfil and perfourme the thynges that God dothe require of him, that so he may haue an occasiō to humble and submit hym self.

For, if it were not for the law, that doothe dyscouer, open and shewe, yea and set before our eies our owne filthynesse & abhomina­tion, we wold neuer acknowledge [Page] oure selues to bee sinners, nor yet thyncke, that we haue nead of the grace and mercy of God. God therfore, least men should swel against hym, dothe demaunde and ask the same of them, that they owe vnto him of duety. As if he shoulde saye by his law:

O man, thou seest howe muche bound thou art vnto me, Marke this dili­gentely and how that thou art not able to paye the tenth part of that, which thou dost owe vnto me, therfore, submit thy selfe and acknowledge thine own imbecillity and weakenesse, and so flye vnto my mercy, whyche is al­waies prepared for them, that be­inge of no reputation wyth them selues, do hang al together of me. And here may be gathered the fift cause, Gala. iii. whye the lawe was geuen: which is, that it myghte serue vs for a schole mayster, for to brynge vs vnto Christe, Rom. x. who is the end or perfourming of the law, for to iu­stify [Page] al them, that do beleue.

For, when we haue once learned by the Doctryne of the lawe, that of oure selues wee bee not able to escape the dāpnation, that we do deserue by the breakyng of the commaundementes of God, then are we fayne to put awaye all vayne confydence and truste, that we had in our own strength, and in our owne merytes, and to flye vnto Christe, who was made accursed for vs, that is to say, was punyshed and slayne moste oppro­pryouslye for oure sakes, that wee myght be delyuered from the curse of the law, and so receyue the bles­synge of Abraham, and the pro­myse of the spirit through faithe.

I perceaue that god doth by his lawe, Simili­tude. as a good schole­master is wonte to doe, when he hath a scholer, that for a lytle lear­ning that he hathe, thincketh hym self to know as much, as hys ma­ster doth. And therfore doth swell [Page] against his master, and beginneth to despise him. Nowe, when the master seeth that, he geueth vnto the same scholer, som difficult and hard lesson, wherin he vnderstan­deth nothing, or wherein he is as blinde as a beatell, and thys dothe he, that the scholer maye acknow­ledge the ignoraunce that is hyd­den in him, vnder such vain arro­gancy and pryde. Euen so is it of man. For, excepte God, shoulde geue hym Commaundementes, whyche he is not hable to fulfyll, he would compte hym selfe as ho­lye and as perfecte as God is: yea, he woulde saye playnelye, that he hadde no neade of God, nor of hys healpe.

But God, for to stop all mennes mouthes, he geueth them a lesson, wherein they be as blinde as bea­tles, that so they maye be dryuen to knowe them selues, and to ac­knowledge theyr owne infirmity and weakenesse.

Saint Augustine speaketh of thys matter very godly, saying: ad hilari­rp [...]s [...]o. lxxxix. Iubet lex vt iussa facere conati, et in nostra infirmitate sub lege fa­tigati, adiutorium gratiae poscere noueri­mus: that is to say: The lawe dothe commaund, that goyng aboute to keepe those thinges that be com­maunded and beinge wearied vn­der the law in oure infirmity and weakenesse, we may learne to call for the help of grace. And wryting vnto Asellius, he saithe plainelye these wordes: Vtilitas legis est, vt ho­minem de sua infirmitate conuincat, et gratiae medicinam, ad aselliū episto. C. quae in Christo est im­plorare compellat. This is (saith he) y ^e vtility and profit of the lawe, that it may make man to know his in­firmity, or cōuict him of his weak­nesse, and so compell hym to seeke for the salue and medicin of grace, whyche is in Christe. And in an other place he saythe: Iubet deus, ad valen­tinum. epi. xcix. quae non possumus, vt nouerimus quid ab illo petere debeamus.

God dothe cōmaund those thinges that we be not able to do, that we maye learne, what we oughte to aske of him. Again: The law was geuen, Psal. lxx. to condempn you, and that beyng condempned, ye should feat and that beynge afrayde, ye shuld craue for mercy, hauinge no truste in your owne strength. Moreouer vppon the hundreth and eightene Psalme, Ps, exviii and two and twenty ser­mon he wryteth thus: The lawe was geuen for this purpose, that it should make thee of a high min­ded persone, lowlye and humble, and that it should shew vnto thee, that thou hast not of thyne owne, strength vnto righteousnesse: that so being poore, bare, & naked thou shouldest flye vnto grace. And then turning him self vnto god, he saith So do, O Lord, so do, O mercyful Lord, commaund that thinge that can not be fulfilled: yea commaūd that thinge, that can not be fulfyl­led but throughe thy grace, that [Page] when men shall not be able to ful­fyl it by theyr owne strengthe, all mouthes maye be stopped, and no man should seme vnto hym selfe to be high. Let all men be litle ones, humble and lowli: let al the world be subiect vnto God. Manye other places might I aledge oute of the same doctoure, but these shal now suffise.

These be goodly say­inges, and worthye to be marcked. I could hear no such things of my faithfull guides.

No I warrāt you. For al that they go aboute, Why the enemyes of the truthe got a­boute to vrge the doctrin of the lawe. is by the doctrine of the lawe, eyther to dryue menne vnto desperation, or elsse to pufte them vppe with a vayn confidence and trust of their owne strength and merites.

Nowe do I perceiue that it is so. And I am ashamed that I dyd geue so sone creadyte vnto them.

But I pray you, brother Phila­lethes, [Page] tell me, how the same sen­tence of saint Augustine oughte to be vnderstanded, Question where he sayeth: No man doth synne in that thing, that he is not able to shunne or a­uoyde. For, some might gather by the same sayinge, that if it were impossible for mē to kepe the lawe they should not offend nor yet syn in doynge againste the lawe, nor in being disobedient vnto god, sith that they could do non otherwyse.

Ye shall vnderstand that there Saint Augustine dothe speake of those thinges, Aunswer How. S. Augustin ought to be vnder­standed. that man is naturally subiect vnto from his own byrth, as is: colde, heate, hun­ger, thirst, & slepe with such other like, which we maye well call hu­mayne infirmyties. His meaning then is, that man dothe not syn in doinge those thingss for the susty­naunce and preseruation of hys life, whyche he is not able to for­beare. As, if a manne doth warm hym selfe, when hee is a colde, [Page] or doth eate when he is a hungred and so fourth. If a man then doth, eat, drink, warm him self & slepe, when neede dothe require, he sin­neth not. For, why? he can not lyue wythout suche thinges. So both Saint Augustine doth vnder­stande it. Who dothe also procede & go farther, vnderstandinge the same of Adam before his fal. For, if it had not lien in hym to wyth­stand the temptation of the womā he shoulde not haue synned. But syth that he coulde haue resisted, if he hadde would, and dyd not, therfore is he wyth all hys sede, found gylty. And because that he did not vse well the strengthe, that was geuen hym, therefore, was it iust­lye taken awaye from hym, and from all hys posterity. No manne then ought to say, that Adam and his sede do not synne, in doynge a­gaynst the lawe of God, sythe that they theyr selues are cause of their vnablenesse.

This I do well vn­derstande. Obiectiō But yet I can not per­ceaue, but that the places of the scripture, whyche they aleaged do make against you altogether: For Moses sayeth: The commaunde­mente, Deu. xxx. which I commaunde thee this day, is not hydden from thee, neither far of, nor yet in heauen, but it is nyghe vnto thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thine harte that thou maist doe it. Christ him selfe who is the true expositoure of the lawe and of Moses saieth also?

Mat. xi.My yoke is easy, and my burdē is lyght. And the holye ghost by the blessed Euangeliste S. Ihon, doth plainely speake these words. This is the loue of God, that we kepe hys commaundementes: 1. Epist. v and his commaundements are not heauy. Who woulde not iudge by this that it lyethe in mannes power to kepe the commaundementes of God?

I cunne you thanke, [Page] brother Albion, I thought, that ye wold haue forgotten those places how be it I wold not suffred them to be past ouer so lyghtlye. For, there be manye, The free wyl men. euen among them that be fauourers, or at lest, wyll seme to be fauourers of the gos­pell, that haue alwayes these au­toryties in theyr mouthes.

That is not vnknowen vnto me, and therfore, Aunswer I am gladde that they haue bene setfourthe, that by the ryghte ex­poundinge of them, we maye de­lyuer those persons from the er­ror, that they be in, or if they wyl not, at least we may warne other, that they fall not in to it. As for the place of deuteronomi it is most playn, How the place of Moses ought to be vnderstā ­ded. that Moses doth not speake there of the bare commaundemen­tes, nor yet of any easynesse, that is in the kepynge of them (Some in deede doe vnderstande it of the facillity and easynes that is in the knowing and learning of thē) but [Page] of the couenaunte of mercy, which he had both comprehended and pu­blyshed wyth the lawe. For, he had taughte a lyttle before, that oure heartes muste be circumcised wyth the hande of God, els we could not loue hym, he doth not then, put the same facility and easinesse, whiche whiche he doth speake of there, in the vertue and strength of man, but in the helpe and ayde of the holye ghost, whiche worketh mightelye his worke, in oure infyrmitye and weakenesse▪ For if Moses, had spo­ken there of the bare commaunde­mentes onlye he shoulde haue puft vp the people with a most hurtfull and pernitious confydence, wher­by they must nedes to haue caste them selues headlonge in to vtter destruction, if they had attempted to obserue and kepe the lawe, by theyr owne strengthe.

For, when they hadde felt them selues vnable to doo it, woulde they not haue taken to playne de­speration: if they hadde knowen [Page] none other waye or meane for to obtayne saluation, and to escape death, but by the perfecte kepinge of the lawe? Sainte Paul then ha­uing then a perfect vnderstanding of this place, doth applye it alto­gether vnto the doctrine of fayth. For, hauinge spoken of the righte­ousnesse that cometh by the lawe, and how that they that obserue and kepe the commaundementes shal lyue by them, he doth adde im­mediatelye these wordes: But the righteousnesse that cometh of faith speaketh on this wyse: Rom. x. Saye not in thy hearte: Who shall ascende in to heauen? For that were to fetch Christ downe: Or who shall go down in to the depe? For that wer to fetch vp Christ from death. But what sayethe the scripture? The worde is nyghe thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thy hearte.

This is the worde of fayth, which we preache.

If thou shalt confesse or knowledge wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the [Page] Lorde: and shalt beleue wyth thy hart, that God raysed him vp from death, thou shalt be safe. For, the belyef of the heart iustifyeth, and the confession of the mouth maketh man safe. Who would requyre a more sounde exposition of Moses wordes than this is?

This exposition can in no wyse mislyke me, syth that it cometh from the same selfe spirit, that Moses did writ by. Nowe, therefore, come to the sayinges of Christ, and of Iohn the euangelist.

Such sayinges are moste true, as it dothe appeare by that, How the sayinges of Christ and Iohn the euāgelist ought to be vn­derstāded which hath ben sayed before. For, the cōmaundements of god, of them selues are easy, and if there be any dyfficultye or hardnesse in them: it cometh not of the nature and propertye of the commaunde­mentes of God, but of the corrup­tion of manne. Heare, what Saint Paule sayethe: what so euer the lawe coulde not fulfyll, Ro. viii. in [Page] as much as it was weake because of the flesh, that same did God per­fourme, sendinge his sonne in the similitude of synneful flesh, and by synne damned sinne. Two thinges to be learned in Pauls sayinge. Two things do we learne in thys saying of the Apostle: Fyrste, that it commeth not of the law, that menne are not able to fulfil it, but of the imbecili­ty and weaknesse of the flesh. The lawe then, and the commaunde­mentes be easy, and if ther be any difficultye or hardnesse in the ful­filling of them, it commeth of our naughty and corrupted nature.

Secondly we do learn, that God dothe by his sonne Iesu Christe, supply the same, that by reason of the weakenesse of our flesh, we be not able to fulfyl. Again: the com­maundements of god are easy and lyght vnto hym, that is graffed in Christ, and that hathe fellowshyp wyth him. For, those thyngs that afore were harde vnto manne, are made easy vnto him bi faith, wher [Page] by he is graffed in Christ, as saint Paule doth testify, saying: I am a­ble to do all thinges through him, that doth comforte me. And so the saying of S. Augustin shalbe true where he sayth: I can not thincke, that God hath commaunded anye thing that is impossible. Phi. iiii. Elsse S. Augustine doth graunte in many other places, that God hathe com­maunded thinges, that it is impossible for man to fulfyll, as in the boke of the spirit, and of the letter, and in his thyrde treatyse vppon Ihon. And so ought al to be vnderstanded, How Chrisostō and Ie­rome ou­ght to be vnder­standed. that they aleadge, bothe oute of Chrisostome, & of Ierome, that is to saye, that the commaun­dementes of God, were easye to kepe. For, the faithful man is per­swaded & dothe beleue, that what­soeuer is wanting or lackynge in him, the same is supplied by christ with whome he hath felowshyppe through faith. Whyche working through chariti & loue, causeth the [Page] commaundements of god to be ea­sy vnto the inner man, whyche is borne of newe, or which is renued by the holy ghost, God hauynge a chief respect vnto the wyll and de­sire, that such a man hath to kepe them actually, if it dyd lye in hys power, and wherby he doth ende­uor him self daily to fulfill them. For, it is the duety of him that is renued, What is the duety of him that is re­newed. to study daily and hourly to kepe the commaundementes of god, though he be not able by him self, and of hys owne strength, to attain to the perfect keping of thē. For we must not, because that we are not able to kepe the law of god as it ought to be kept, be slack therfore to do that, whiche lieth in vs, beinge sure that oure obedience, though it be vnperfect, shalbe ac­cepted before God, as longe as we be true members of hys sonne Ie­su Christe. Why the auncient fathers spake as they did. For thys cause did the auncyent doctours speake as they dyd, that so they myght take away [Page] from men, the vaine excuses, whi­che they be wont to make because of the impossibility of the law.

The foo­lishe and found ob­iection of the ene­mies.I was once in a place where I hard a stout champion of the Romish church say, that there haue bene, not one nor two, but many, that dyd besydes Christ, fulfyll the law of God, wyth a moste consummate perfection, as Iosua, and zacharie Ihons father, saying that this is wrytten of Iosua: As the Lorde commaunded hys ser­uaunte Moses, and as Moses com­maunded Iosua, Iosu. xi. euen so did Iosua so that there was nothing vndone at al of those things that god com­maunded Moses.

I aske you: whether was Iosua a man, that was conceiued after the common sort of other men or not?

I beleue that he was a man, and that he was conceiued betwixt man and woman as other men are.

Ye beleue wel: for, it is so in dede. We muste then confesse and graunt that Io­sua did go a stray from the law of God, that he was a lyer, and that he was filled wyth manye myse­ryes. For, it is sayd of all menne, Ro. iii. that be borne of man and woman, that they haue all gone oute of the waye, & that they be also al lyers: Psal. cxvi howe dare then youre bragginge marchauntes, be so bold to affirm, that Iosua hath kept the hole law of God. For, these be two contra­ry things: to be a lyer, and to haue kept the law of God perfectlye. A­gaine: I woulde fayne knowe of you, whether Ihon Baptyste, or Ihon the Euangelist, was not as perfect as Iosua? Or whether Io­sua was more perfecte, than anye of those two, that I named euen now?

I beleue, that Iosua was not more perfecte, than they were.

Mat. iii.Heare then, what Ihon Baptist did say vnto our sa­uiour Iesu Christe, when he came vnto him for to be baptised: I haue nead to be baptised of thee, & doste thou come vnto me? Sythe then, that S. Ihon doth confesse that he had neade to be baptised, it was a token, that he was infected wyth synne. And wherof doth come the same infection of synne, but of the transgression of the law? We can not deny then, but that Ihon was a transgressor of the law, and that therfore (if theyr opinion be true) Iosua was more perfecte than he.

I cannot beleue that Iosua was more perfect than Ihō Baptist. For, it is said of him, that amonge all those, Mat. xi. that be borne of a woman, there arose no greater than he was.

Ye muste then confesse that Iosua was a sin­ner: if he was a sinner, then did he offend against the lawe.

I canne not saye a­gainst it.

Heare also what the blessed Euangelist saint Ihon doth say: if we saye, i. epi. i. that we haue no sinne, we deceaue our sel­ues, and the truthe is not in vs. I am sure that Iosua, was not more perfect than the blessed Euāgelist Sainte Ihon was, who, as ye see, doth put hym selfe in the number of synners.

I would fain learn, howe the same that is wrytten of Iosua, muste bee vnderstan­ded. For, it is sayde plainelye, that he lefte none of those thyn­ges vndone, that Moses commaunded him.

Ye muste marke, How that whiche was saied of Iosua ought to be vnder­standed. that the same place muste bee vnderstanded of the Com­maundementes, that Moses dyd geue vnto Iosua, touchynge the [Page] gouernment of the people, and al­so touchinge the brynginge of the children of Israell into the land of Canaam, and not of y ^e moral law, that is wrytten in the two tables of stone. For, the same lawe was not geuen particularlye vnto Io­sua, but vnto all the people in ge­neral. That same place thē, must be vnderstanded of the commaun­dementes, that Moses did geue vnto Iosua, concerning the gouerne­ment and guidinge of the people, whyche he dyd fulfyl to the vtter­moste.

And what saye ye of zacharie the father of Ihon Bap­tist, Luc. i. and of hys mother? For, it is wrytten of them, that they were both ryghteous before God, & that they walked in all the commaun­dements and statutes of the Lord, vnreprouable.

What say ye, neighbor Dydimus, was not zacharie a priest, which did execute his offyce [Page] be­fore God, when his curse came, accordynge to the custome of the priesthode?

Yes verely.

Then was he a synner, and was fayne to of­fer sacrifyce fyrste for hys owne synnes, Heb. vii. and then for the synnes of the people. For, thus it is wryt­ten: It became vs to haue suche an hie priest, as is holy, innocent, vn­defiled, separated from synners, & made higher then heauen, whiche neadeth not daily, as yonder high priestes, to offer vp sacrifyce, fyrste for hys owne sinnes, and then for the synnes of the people. For that did he once for all, when he offe­red vp hym selfe. Here haue we a notable difference betwixt Christ our souerain priest, and the hyghe priestes of the law. Fyrst and fore most the high priestes of the lawe, were fain to offer sacrifyces often because that y ^e sacrifices that they offered continually euerye yeare, [Page] coulde not make them, that came there vnto perfecte. But Christe wyth one only sacrifyce, Heb. x. dyd make them perfect for euer that are sāc­tified. Again, the highe priestes of the law, were fayne to offer sacry­fices. Fyrst for theyr own sinnes, and then for the synnes of the peo­ple. For, thus sayde Moses vnto Aaron: Leui. xvi. goe vnto the aultare, and offer thy synne offrynge, and thy burnt offrynge, and make an at­tonement for thee, and for y ^e peo­ple. Then offer the peoples of­fringe, and reconcile them also, as the Lord hath commaunded. But our sauiour Iesus Christe, who is oure soueraigne and euerlastynge priest, is holye, innocente, vndefy­led, separated from sinners, andmade higher then heauen, so that he neaded not to offer for his own sinnes, as the priestes of the olde law did. i. epi. ii. For, why? he neuer com­mitted sinne, nor gile was founde in his mouthe: I am sure that ye [Page] will not saye, that Zachary Ihon Baptistes father, was such a one.

I wil not say so. For there is no man that synneth not. i. king. viii. Rom. iii. Againe: All men haue synned, and lacke the praise that is of valewe before God. Moreouer, we do rede that zachari was punished, because that he doubted of the promyse of God, Luc. i. which was reueled vnto him by the aungell.

Ye maye perceyue then that he was called righteous not because that he hadde fulfyl­led the lawe wyth suche a perfec­tyon as GOD dothe requyre of vs, Why za­chary was cal­led righteous. but because that by the meare mercye and goodnesse of almigh­tye GOD, taken holde vppon by faythe, hys synnes were not imputed vnto hym, but was compted ryghteous before GOD, Rom. iiii as Abraham was, vnto whome hys faythe was imputed for ryghte­ousnesse.

And of this faithe did it come, that both he and his wife Elizabeth did endeuour them selues to walke so vprightly in the commaundemēts and statutes of the Lorde, that no manne shoulde be able to reproue them, or to lay any thing to theyr charge. In the meane whyle, they cried bothe vnto God, and sayde: Enter not into iudgemente wyth thy seruauntes, Psal. cxlii O Lorde, for in thy syghte no manne shall be iusti­fyed.

iiii. kings xxiii. ObiectiōHee dyd also brynge in the example of Iosias, of whome it is wrytten after thys manner: There was no kynge be­fore, lyke vnto hym whych so con­uerted vnto the Lord wythall hys harte, wythall hys soule, and with all his strength: according to all y ^e law of Moses.

AunswerI wyll haue none o­ther but the words that ye haue a­leadged for to proue that Iosias was a transgressoure of the lawe? [Page] For, it is writen of him, that there was no kynge before, which so conuerted or tourned him selfe vnto the Lord, as he did. But how coulde he conuert or returne vnto the Lord, except he had gon away from hym? And we go awaye from God throughe or by synne, whiche is a playne transgression or brea­kinge of the lawe: Therefore Iosi­as was a transgressour of the law.

Yet it is written of him, that there was not hys lyke that did so conuert vnto the Lorde wyth all his harte, accordynge to all the lawe.

It foloweth not ther­fore, because it is sayed that Iosi­as obserued and kept the law more diligentely than al the other kings that he did kepe it perfectlye. For, neither he, How y ^t whiche is spoken of Iosias ought to be taken. nor any other besydes dyd euer kepe it perfectlye.

It is to be thoughte that Iosyas hathe bene a greater zelatoure of the lawe of God than all the other [Page] were, yet it foloweth not there­fore, that he kepte the lawe wyth such a perfection, as God dothe re­quyre.

What say ye, to these wordes of Dauid: Obiectiō I haue walked in all thy commaundementes, and haue hated all wicked wayes. A­gain: In thy testemonyes is my de­lyght, they are my counseyllers? Myght not a man gether, by suche sayings, that the holy prophet Da­uid kept the lawe, and the com­maundementes of God moste per­fectelye?

Aunswer If any man should so do, he shoulde greatlye be deceaued. For, by such words, Da­uid doth only declare the great zele and good affection, A declaration of Dauids wordes. that hee dyd beare vnto the law and commaun­dements of God, and the good esti­mation, that he hadde of them. For, if he shoulde saye and boaste, that he hadde kepte the lawe and commaundements of God perfect­lye: [Page] the scripture should proue him as lyar. For, it testifyeth and wit­nesseth of hym, that he was bothe an aduouterer and a murtherer. But to saye that an aduouterer or murtherer hathe kept the lawe of God wyth suche a perfection, ii. Samu. xi.xii. as God doth requyre that wer a blas­phemye against God and against his lawe. Moreouer, after that he hadde committed suche detestable and enorme crymes, and hadde ob­tayned forgeuenesse and pardone for the same, dyd he not synne a­gayne moste greauouslye agaynst God, ii. Samu. xxiiii. when he did rekynne his peo­ple? Ye see then, how Dauyd did manye and sondrye tymes offende against the lawe.

Therefore, Psa. cxxx dothe he crye oute say­inge: If thou, Lorde, wylte be extreame to marke what is done amysse, oh Lorde, who maye abide it?

By our brother Albions leue I [Page] wyll brynge fourth all the sayings of that most valyaunte champyon of the Romishe churche, syth that they serue so well for our purpose.

Ye shall haue good leaue of me, neighbour Didymus. For, through the occasion of them, many goodly matters are discussed whiche (as ye sayed before) serue verye well for this oure communi­cation, that we haue now in hand. Therfore, go on in y ^e name of God.

He did in his greate heate affyrme most stoutely that a man was able to fulfyll these two cōmaundements: The proud as­sercion of the papi­stes. Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy god, with all thyne hearte, wyth al thy soule, and with all thy strength. And thou shalt not couet.

If ye wyll marke diligentely all, that hath bene sayed afore, Aunswer vnto it. ye shall soone perceaue, that it is impossible for any manne to do it.

For, thys commaundemente: [Page] Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God wyth all thine harte, wyth all thy soule, and wythall thy strengthe, doth require a moste pure & cleane hart, whiche shoulde be wythoute spot or blemish. Pro. xx. But who in al the hole world can truely saye: I haue a cleane hart?

I do wel vnderstand all thys hole matter, God be pray­sed, and thanked for it. But I wyl only reherse vnto you, the commu­nication and talcke of thys noble and valiaunte knighte of the Ro­mish beast.

I praye you, brother Philalethes, that ye wyll geue me leaue to aunswer a while, that so ye may haue some brething tyme. For, sence ye came, ye neuer rea­sted:

I am well content.

Nowe then, neyghboure Dydimus, let vs hear all the wyse talcke and communi­cation [Page] of this noble knighte, and valiaunt champion of the Romish church.

He did saye, that by this Commaundemente. (Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with­all thine harte, with all thy soule, and wyth all thy strengthe) is not required an actual loue or motion of the hart towards God, but that it is inough, if it be not interrup­ted by some deadlye sinne: so that, he is compted to keepe thys com­maundement, whyche preferreth nothing before God, nor wold for all the goodes and rychesse in the worlde, breake one of hys com­commaundements.

Truelye this is a very substantiall diuinity, and worthye of suche an excellente de­uine, as he thinketh him self to be. How could it be, I praye you, that a man shoulde kepe him selfe from offending God, excepte he shoulde loue him actually, that is to say, in [Page] verye deede. For, all that is done, If the harte of manne be voyde of the loue of god he cā do no good. without the loue of God, is sinne. If the hart of man then, be voyde of the loue of God, what good can he do? I saye vnto you, that all the sinnes that a man committeth, do come of this, that he loueth not God actually. Consider & marke, what the Lorde hym selfe saythe, speakinge of his lawe. And thys shall be a signe vnto thee in thyne hande, and a token to thincke vp­pon before thine eies, Exo. xiii. howe that the Lord brought vs out of Egipt wyth a mighty hande. And when the true and faythfull seruaunt of God Moses, had said: Deu. vi. Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God wyth all thine heart. &c. He did adde by and by: These woordes, whych I com­maunde thee thys daye, shalt thou laye vppe in thine hart, thou shalt rehearse theym vnto thy Chyl­dren, and shalt talcke of theym, when thou sittest in thyne house? [Page] when thou walckest by the waye, when thou lyest downe, and when thou rysest vppe. And in an other place, he wryteth on this manner: Take heede to thy selfe nowe, Deu. iiii. and kepe well thy soule, that thou for­get not the thynges, whych thyne eyes haue seene, and that they de­parte not out of thine heart, al the dayes of thy life. Ye see that God dothe require bothe an actuall re­membraunce of hys wonderous workes, and also an actuall loue towardes hym. Ioh. xiiii. Iesus Christe also sayeth: if ye loue me kepe my com­maundemēts. Again: This is the loue of God (saithe the blessed E­uangelist s. Ihō) that we keepe his commaundementes. i. Ioh. v. It followeth then that we muste haue fyrste, an actual loue of God in our hartes, if we wil keepe his lawe, or keepe our selues from falling into sinne.

Now do I perceiue, y ^t the opinion of this master doctor is abhomynable, and diuelyshe. [Page] Therfore, I do vtterlye forsake it, as most erroneous and heretical. But now, tel me, I pray you, how this commaundement: Thou shalt not couet, ought to be vnderstan­ded. For, this galant doctoure dyd say, that God dothe not forbyd the concupiscence, but that he doth on­ly forbid & condemne the agreinge vnto it, affirming stifly, The opi­nion of the scole men tou­ching concupisence that con­cupiscence is no sinne, excepte we do consent and agree vnto it. For saithe he, the concupiscences and lustes of the flesh, after baptisme, be left vnto vs for an exercyse of vertue, and for an occasion to me­rit and deserue, that after we haue manfully foughten in this world, we maye in the other receyue the crown of glory, & of righteousnes.

By what authorityes of the scripture did he proue his saying?

By the saying of S. Augustine, wher he wryteth, that concupiscence is no synne in them that bee regenerated or borne of [Page] new, excepte we consente vnto the same wicked & naughtye workes.

This galant doctor of yours, doth great wrong to s. Au­gustin. For, he saith not only, that concupiscence is no sin, but that it is no sinne in them, that are born of new, as ye your self do wel per­ceiue by his woordes that ye haue aleadged. For, god saith not: thou shalt not go after thy concupiscen­ces: Thou shalt not bring them to effect, nor consent vnto them: but he saithe plainlye: Thou shalt not couet. And that concupiscence in them, that are born of new, is cōp­ted for no sinne, it commeth not of the concupiscence, but of the newe byrthe or regeneration, whiche bryngeth to passe that God dothe not vnto hym that is borne of new impute hys concupyscence for sin. For, it is wrytten: he that is born of God, i. Ioh. iii. sinneth not, that is to say: his sin is not imputed vnto him. Againe, it is saide, that be synneth [Page] not: because that he suffereth not synne to raigne in him. Moreouer I wyll proue by liuelye reasons, that concupiscence, that is to saye, all euyll motions of the harte are synne. Fyrst and foremoste I aske of you: wherof commeth concupis­cence? of the fleshe or of the spirite?

I graunt, that it co­meth of the flesh.

It followeth then that concu­piscence is fleshlye. For, as Christe saith. That which is born of flesh, Ioh. iii. is flesh.

I do confesse that to.

It followeth then that concu­piscence is synne. For, the flesh in it selfe is nothyng elsse but sinne, euer repugnynge againste the spi­rit, as it is wrytten: The flesh co­ueteth agaynste the spirit. And in an other place, Saint Paule say­eth also: gala. v. The workes of the fleshe are manifest, which are whoredōe, enuy, Idolatry. &c.

I aske this of you: he that geueth occasion of synne, is not he parta­ker of the sinne? He that biddeth to steale, and he that stealeth, be they not both theues? Now, it is so, that euery euel motion of the hart, doth stir vp man for to sinne, and if mā doth not assent nor agre vnto it, y ^e faut and lacke, is not in the concu­piscence, that dothe all that in it doth lie to cast man headlong into sinne, but it is the holy ghoste that dothe mortifye the same concupis­cence in them, that be regenerated or borne of newe. Seing then that all sinnes do come and proceade of the concupiscence, and euil motiōs of the hart, we muste neades con­fesse that suche concupiscence and euil motions of the hart, are euell. If they be euill, then are they for­bidden of God. For, God doth not only commaunde to auoide sinne, but also the occasion of sinne. Sith then that we do retein and kepe in vs, such euil motions of the harte, [Page] we do euil. For, vnderstād ye, that God by this commaundement. (Thou shalt not couet) dothe con­demne and forbid al euil concupis­cence and naughty motions of the hart, and not onlye the frutes that spring therof. That is to saye: be­cause that God wyll haue all oure whole soule to be filled and posses­sed with the affectyon of loue and charity, hys wyll and pleasure is, that we should banish and cast out of our harts al manner of things, that be contrary vnto charity and brotherly loue, so that no thought shoulde rise in oure mindes, for to kindle our harts wyth any concu­piscence, that might be hurtfull & noysome vnto our neighbor. For, it is the concupiscence, that pryc­keth and tickeleth the hart, for to in tice him to sinne.

It may be that man shall not consent to it.

If man should consent vnto it, then the same consent, shoulde no [Page] more be called concupiscence only, but a deliberate purpose. And truely, it is no meruel that God dothe requyre such a perfection, Why god doth require such a perfection and vp­rightuee in man. and vp­rightnesse in man. For, who wyll saye the contrarye, but that it is moste ryghte, that all the powers of the soule oughte to be applyed and geuen to charity? And if anye part of the soule dothe shrincke or swarue from it, I mean, from the loue, that we owe vnto God, and our neighboure, al men must nead confesse that it is fauty & nought. For, wherof dothe it come, that a­ny desire to hurt our neyghboure, entreth into our hart, but only be­cause that despisinge other, we do only seke our owne profit? For, if our whole hart wer fully possessed with charity and brotherlye loue, no such imaginations shuld haue entraunce into it. Therefore, we muste conclude, that the harte is void of charitye, for as muche as it doth conceiue such concupiscence.

But me thyncketh, that it is not meete and conueny­ent, that such vayne fantasyes, as do come into a mannes brayn, and afterwards do vanish away, shuld be taken and condemned for con­cupiscences, which properly haue their of spring in the hart.

I saye, that God by thys com­maundement. Thou shalt not co­uet, forbiddeth not only those ima­ginations, that rise in mans harte, but also, al vain thoughtes, y ^t may by anye meane moue & stir vp the hart vnto concupiscence. For, we can neuer so sone lust or desire any thing in our mind, but that y ^e hart is straightwais therwith touched and enflamed, whether it be lyttle or much. But the lord doth require of vs a most perfect charity, which should be farthest from all fleshlye concupiscence.

Sithens that thys matter, hathe bene suf­fycyentlye debated, I thyncke it good, that heare we make an end, [Page] praying most earnestly vnto oure heauenly father, to send his holye spirit into our harts, and to endue vs aboūdantly with the same, that our corrupted and poysened flesh, being through it, tamed and mor­tified, we may wholly geue our selues to serue him, in holy­nesse and righteousnesse, al the daies of oure liues.

God graunt it.