The mînde and iudgement of maister Fraū ­ces Lambert of Auenna of the wyll of man, declarynge and prouynge howe and after what sorte it is captyne and bonde, and not free: taken out of hys commentaries v­pon Osee the Prophete, wherin vpō the .iiii. Chapter of the sayd pro­phet, he most Godly, plain lye and learnedly, en­treateth and wri­teth of the same, as hereafter euidētly shal appere. Newelye trāslated in­to Englishe by N.L. Anno Do. M.D. xlviii. the xviii. day of De­cēbre.

Philippians .ii. ¶It is God that worcketh both the wil & the perfourmaunce.
‘DIEV ET MON DRO [...]T’

To the most gratiouse, and vertuouse Ladye Anne, douthesse of Somerset. &c. Hyr most fayethfull and dayle Oratoure Nicholas Lesse, desireth the swete blessing of god, wyth a ioyfull and earneste loue to read hys worde and fo­lowe the same.

WHat tyme my little worcke, en­tituled the iustificatiō of faith only, was in the handes of the Printer (moste gentyl Ladye) it fortuned me to reade in a certayne exposition, whyche Frances Lambert of Auenna dyd wryte vpon Osee the Pro­phet, that the wyll of man naturally is cap­tyue to sinne (as the Apostle ryght wel wit­nesseth sayinge. He whyche doeth syn is the seruaunt of synne. There is not one iust mā, there is not one whyche seketh after God. All men haue erred & gone forth of the way and are altogither made vnprofitable. Ther is not one manne whych doeth good, no, not so muche as one) and also bonde frome do­ynge of any good thynge of it selfe, as wit­nesseth the Apostle Iames with these words [Page] Euery good and perfecte gyfte is frome a­boue, discendinge downe from the father of lyght, whyche article beynge very well dis­cussed, and wyth the file and touchstone of the scriptures proued and made playne: I thoughte it necessarie and expediente that it shoulde be broughte forthe of the Latin into oure vulgar tonge. Partlye bycause the con­trarye erroure (that man hathe power to do good of hym selfe) beyng the doctrine of the Papystes, of the Anabaptistes, & of the Pe­lagiōs, is so inueterated and roted in the sto­makes of moste men, that almoste they can skante fynde in theyr herte to geue to God any parte of the praise of good worckes, but ascribynge the worthynes thereof to theym selues, do make claime and title vnto heauē for theyr owne deseruynges.

This errour hath caused them to forsake the workes prescribed to vs of God, and to inuent newe worckes on their owne braine Thys erroure caused them to builde mona­steries, to go on pilgrimages, to set vp can­dels before stockes and stones, to make ho­ly water and holye breade, to weare thys or that disguised cote, to faste thys or that pre­scribed daye, to synge masses for the deade and quicke to make of the blessed supper of the Lord, a sacrifice for the quicke & dead, [Page] to make of breade and wyne (as they moste falselye do affirme) the naturall fleshe and bloude of oure sauioure Iesus Christe, and to be shorte to applye the mooste fruitefull & benefitial fruites of hys passiō to the health of bruite beastes, as shepe oxen, and swyne, as wel as to the soule of man. Wher hadde they any of thys beggery in the scriptuers?

Thys is a foule and a detestable erroure whyche bringeth man into so many whyrle­poles of dishonouring of God, that there is almost nothinge at all lefte vnto hym but a bare name of God, none otherwyse then as they had vsed in times paste to make kinges and quenes in maye games. Into so greate and palpable darckenesse are they fallen for theyr vnthankefulnes.

The seconde cause whyche moued me to the traunslation of thys smale worke is, that thys erroure of fre wyl to do good in man, standynge styll and not remoued forthe of the hertes and consciences of menne, the con­trary Article for iustification by fayeth one­ly muste nedes be infringed and broken.

For if we do wel of our own propre strēgth thē do our owne workes make vs good and rightuouse, whiche is directlye contrarye to the scriptures, to the wordes of Christe say­inge. No man can come to me, except my fa­ther drawe hym. These wordes do declare [Page] that all men are alwaye so stubourne and so muche agaynste God that excepte they be drawen, they can not come to Christ. Christ doeth saye also. Of those whyche thou hast geuen me, I haue not loste one.

It folowethe therfore that god was the gyuer, & Christ the keper of thē. They were not the geuers nor the kepers of thē selues, no more then they were the callars of theim selues, what tyme that Peter & hys felowes at the callynge of Christe forsoke theyr ship and netes and folowed hym. But contrary wyse if al menne be liars, as wytnesseth the Apostle Paule. If all the imaginations of man from hys youthe be euyll, and nothing but synne, as it is wrytten in the Genese .vi. Chapte. then are we not made good, & righ­tuouse by our dedes. Then must thys Ar­ticle (by fayth onely we are iustified) stande faste, that is to saye, for the confidence and sure truste whyche we haue in the promises of God for hys swete sonne Iesus Christes sake, by the whyche sonne we haue bouldnes and fre passage to come to god, as teacheth vs the Apostle Peter.

For so much therfore as these .ii. Articles. manne can worke any goodnes of hym selfe and the iustification of man frely, by fayeth only, are so faste and nighe lincked togither [Page] that either they muste boeth stande togither or boeth be destroyed and broken togyther: the people beinge I truste (what with lear­ned preachers, what wyth writers) suffitiēt­lye instructed and taughte the waye of theyr iustification: I toke on me to traunslate this into our mother tonge, and wyth like auda­citie, as I dedicated the worcke of iustificati­on vnto your moste dearly beloued husbāde my Lordes Protectours grace: so I haue bene so bolde to name youre grace a mooste Godly mother & setter forth of this worcke vnder whose name it cometh abrode into the handes of the people, to whom nexte vn­to God they shall yelde thankes for the fruite therof. Whose graces boeth togyther, I desire the Lorde longe to pre­serue with a ioyfull continuaunce, to the shynynge of his glorye, and settynge forthe of hys word, wyth increase of al Godlines ther­to correspōdēt. Amen.

Q.L. to the gentle reader.

HEre in this worke (moost gentle reader) thou hast set before thyne eyes the wil of man so playnely, so liuely that no Appelles coulde with al his craft in a table with his colours set furth the phisiouomie of anye man lyke. Thou dost perceiue and behold him in this boke, as he is in his owne propernature and kynde, altogether nakid, altogether myserable, wretched, and bound. Not that there by thou shouldest thynke thy self more at libertie to offend bycause thy wyl is bound and captiue: or elles that thou cast not chose but offend: but that rather thyne owne weke­nes and pouerte being known, thou sholdest knowledge▪ prayse and glorifie the myghtie and infinit power and strength of the Lord, with the aboundaunt and plentifull fulnes of ryches in al goodnes, to whom only eue­ry good gyft, and euery perfect gifte from heauen aboue, from the father of lyght is to be attributed & ascribed as witnesseth Ia .i. Thou must be also in this case lyke a man, which through long sicknes is so feble and weeke, and brought so low: that he is not a­ble to stand without a staffe, fearynge to set his foote to the ground least he shoulde fall doune, not able to ryse agayne of hymselfe without the helpe of another. This mā get­teth [Page] to him a staffe to stande vp or to go by: or els he leueth on another mās arme which is stronger than he: and so goth furth by ly­tle and lytel euer fearing to fal. So doyng thou shalt not fal, nay though thou dost stō ble, or trippest a litle with thi fote, that is the carnalconcupiscēce of the flesh, yet shalt thou not fal to the ground: the spirite of the Lord is so strong, that he wyll holde the vp. But if thy staffe be weake or rotten: or that man whom thou dost trust, be not altogether thy frynd: thou canst not chose but fall and that miserably to thine vtter confusion, with out another takyng compassion and pitie on the of his goodnes wyll come and take the vp. Lykewise is thy doyng whē thou dost trust and put thy confidence in thyne owne meri­tes, in thyne owne workes, in thyne owne strength, in thyne owne wit and power: thē is thy fall moost greatest, when the truste of thyne owne power semeth moost strongest, and when thou art most inflamed wyth the loue of thy selfe, that is of thyne owne dea­des and workes, which are altogether flesh if they be not wroughte, by the spirite of the Lord, the which spirite of the Lorde being in the, the Lord doeth make althy wayes godly & straight be fore his eyes, so that thi sinne is not imputed to the, nor thou art not fleshly, [Page iii] yea, though the fleshe hath some pryckyng in the. For to the iust man the lawe is not made as witnesseth Paul: that man I saye whose iustice is Christes iustice, which alredy in his hert hath done al that thing which the law requireth not of hymself but by the power of the spirit of the Lord which wor­keth his wil in hym. What hast thou (saith Paull) that thou hast not receiued: if thou hast receiued, wherfore, art thou proud of it as thoughe thou hast not receiued it but as it were thyne owne of thy self: For asmuch then as al godlines is receiued: we must cō sider & cōfesse, that ther is a geuer in whose hande and power it dothe rest, whether he wil geue it yea or nay, so that we must say, not vnto vs Lord, not to vs. but to thi name be glory & prayse. What worke dyd Paull worke to optayne the fauoure of the Lorde, When he was most strongest in persecutiō and sheddyng of the christian bloud? sodenly he was taken from hym selfe (that is to say) the Lord alterid him of his owne goodnes and mere mercy his cruel affectiōs, and in the steade of the spirite of persecution: he put in hym the spirite of mekenes, the spirit of loue, of preaching his glory, of preaching Iesu Christ crucified, and in the steade of a persecutour of Christ, he became a sufferer [Page] for Christ. When Peter was most stronge to fyght wyth dente of sworde as appered by his bolde and manly deades and great crakes, how sodenly became he in the stead of a defēder, a denier? And wher as he wold dye with Christ, he would not so much as once knowe hym, nay he denied him vtter­ly. Who did subdue the naughtie spirite of Paul when he was in his most rage & fury agaynst the preachers of Christes glory? Was it ani other, thā the power of the lord vnder whose fete all thynges are made subiect: yea, from the reasonable to the vnrea­sonable, as oxen and sheepe. At the whiche tyme of persecution, Paull was in durate because he had not in hym the spirite of the Lord, and therefore he coulde not chose but with al extremitie persecute the lord as far as the fleshe woulde geue hym leaue. The flesh alway as Paul wytnesseth resystyng and strinyng agaynst the spirit. The cause then why that Paull had not the spirite of the Lord, was only the pleasure of the Lord whiche taketh mercye on whom it pleaseth him selfe. Paul myndyng nothing lesse thā to be called, it pleased the Lorde to cal hym frō dishonour to honor, to the setting furth of his glory. Paull for this tyme of perse­cution was indurate none otherwyse than [Page iiij] was Pharao in the persecution of the chil­dren of Israel. If it had pleased the Lord to haue taken Paull as he dyd take Pharao, the one shulde haue perished as well as the other. Yf the Lord had lefte Peter in his deniall and styll to hym selfe, if he had not loked on hym wyth the eye of fauoure, it had ben euyll with hym, as it was with Pharao. But to declare that all men are ly­ars, and God only true as the prophet saith The Lord toke the spirit of stedfastnes and knowledgyng of God from hym: leauyng hym to hymselfe, to fraylenes, to the verye counsel and motion of the flesh, which flesh had rather lyue a whyle and dye for euer, than to suffre a smal temporal death and al way after to lyue. Therfore, if any manne do fall, let not hym dispayre, for the Lorde is merciful. It is not the fall whiche decla­reth induration, it is the contempte of the Lord, when thou dost delyght in thy synne not fearyng the Lordes iudgement, that is a fearful token of induration. What canst thou tel whether the Lorde wyl take the in this tyme of thy wyckednes and vnfayth­fulnes yea or nay? as he dyd Pharao in the mydest of hys madnes? If he so doo what shall become of the? Thou caust not denye but that he may, if it please hym so to doo. [Page] Thou hast a good cause therfore alway to fear and mystrust thy wayes, for thou arte altogether of thy selfe, fleshe, thou canst do nothyng of thy selfe but synne. And lyke­wyse as the trust of the mercy of God promysed for Christes sake, whiche foloweth streyghtway the hatred of vyce and synne with ful intent and purpose to liue after the wyll of the father, is a certayn token of ele­ction and of the fauour of God, wherin so long as thou doste remayne and continue thou art sure that thou art of the ryght fort Euen so the loue to lyue vngodly, to wal­low in all kynde of vyce, and to lye styll in impuritie of lyfe, declareth to the that for that same season thou art nothing ells than the chyld of wrath, curssed of God, indurat as was Pharao. This is a good cause to make the to be alway in feare, to make the suspect thyne owne selfe, and begyn to hate synne, the deuyl, and the fleshe with al con­cupiscence, then the spirit of God beginneth to worke his worke in the, to crucifie thi spiritual enemy in the and to subdue them in the. Then hath the Lord put a new his spi­rit into the, which before he dyd plucke frō the, leauyng the to thyne owne stynckynge affections and carnal cōcupiscences. What caused the proud heady and obstinate Pha­rises [Page v] that thei would not beleue in Christe, for al the myracles that he wrought? Thei beleued not in him, saith Christ in Ihon .xii. that the saiyng of Esay the prophet mighte be fulfilled, whych he spake. Lord, who shal beleue our saiyng, and to whō is the arme of the Lorde declared. Therfore coulde not they beleue because Esay sayth agayne, he hath blynded their eyes and hardened their hertes that they shuld not se with their eies and least they shuld vnderstand with their hertes. et c. So because they were blynded the could not se. What thing can moue and styrre vs to the loue of God, what thynge can setfurth the glory of God and his ho­nour: more thā the perfit knowledge of this article whiche maketh hym a whole God, which setteth hym in his owne seat a highe which declareth him to be authoure & wor­ker of al goodnes, he that doth both begyn and maketh an ende? Whych article I saye setteth mā in his owne place here in erth, naturally geuen to the earth, to al curruption both bodely and gostly disposed to doo no­thyng of himself that is good. What thing to man is more necessary thē that doctryne whych teacheth hym howe he shall knowe when he is the sōne of God and of the cho­sen sort, that he may pray the Lorde to pre­serue [Page] his spirit in him, wherbi he shal know which way he is the sonne of the deuil & of out cast furth of the fauour of God. Ther is nothing more necessary thā this. I wold wysh and desyre wyth all my hert that all men would reade this boke with a godlye desyre and entente, not to contention, and mayntenaunce of their lewde lyfe whose dampnation is iust▪ but to know God how strong he is, howe myghtie a prynce he is howe good and mercyfull he is, on whose mercy all thyng dependeth, and to knowe mā, howe weake and how myserable he is that he can do nothynge of hymselfe, that he is the instrument of God to al goodnes and the instrument of the deuyll in al vyce and synne. The euyl and most iustly con­dempned personnes come to this boke, to fetche a lycense of synne to make their lyfe more lycentious, more dissolute, to make them selfe more bolde in all kynde of vyce most like to the spider & venemous worme which from the swete flowers doo drawe and sucke furthe venym and poyson. The vertuous and godlye disposed, meane no thyng lesse, they do gather hence all good­nes. Here fynde they a brydle to plucke in their vicious affections. Here fynd they the swete libertie of God and bondage of the [Page vi] deuel. Here do they learne their owne con­demnation, and theyr saluation by Christ The flesh taketh al thyng fleshly and lyke itself. But therfore the faythful may not be depriued of theyr foode and sustenaūce. Let vs therfore pray the Lorde to put in vs hys spirit: that it may be our guyde to al godli­nes and vertue, that we be none occation of slaūder to his worde, but that al our actes, dedes and alwrytinges, teachyng, reading and communicatiōs maye bee to edi­fie, to the settyng furth of his glory, to whom be honour and praise for euer and euer wythout ende. So be it.

IN the declaration and expo­sition of the holy scriptures both the olde and new: ther be many places whych can not be wel perceyued what they do meane, except the article of the wyll of man (whyche troubleth mens myndes very much) be made playne and open (that is to say) whether a man can of him selfe perfourme and do any thynge which pertaineth to eternal felicitie and life euerlastyng yea or nay.Proposicion. As the kepyng and obseruyng of the Lordes commaundemen­tes. The whiche thynge to be declared and made playn. that it myght be perceyued of all men, that al men may know the truthe, therof, manye places of the scripture, but a mōg al other, these places and texes of this Prophet do moost ernestly requyre, and in specially this verse followyng of the sayde Prophet, that is to saye, The spirite hathe bounde hym in hys wynges.Osee .iiij. For by these wordes it is euydent, as appereth by that which is written before in the sayd chapiter That by this spirit is mēt a reprobat mind and the vnderstandyng or knoledge of the flesh, which is the spirit of fornication.

Fyrst of al therfore, before that I do take on me to interprete and declare my mynde [Page vij] in this matter I desyre the gentle readers, that they would not thynke and coniecture that in the declaration hereof I do folowe the mynde and iudgement of many and di­uers writers. But only the very mynd and sence of the scripture, as nygh as I myghte and as it pleased Christ to geue me know­ledge and vnderstanding therin, not myni­shyng therby nor improuyng the iudgemē tes of other christian writers and doctours those principally, which do cleaue and stike fast to the true and pure word of God, whō we also do couet for to immitate and folow And after whose godly myndes and iudgementes, we can geue and ascribe nothynge to the wyl of man of hymselfe, as we shall hereafter plentifully God willyng declare and shewe.

Furthermore, in discussyng of thys mat­ter, I would be loth that men shuld thynke that I do runne hedlong into a thing which is depe, and far from all mens knowledge (as they say) and therfore not necessarye to be knowne. Which thyng I do for none o­ther cause, but to search furth the truth and also to satisfie the myndes of those whych are desireous of the knowledge therof. For truely I can by no meanes alow, nay I cā ­not but much disalow and discommend the [Page] manifolde contentions and reasonynges in darcke and hyd matters, whyche are more mete (as some men do wryght) for the excellencie and profound depenes thereof, to be had in a godly reuerence, and to be committed to God, rather than with contentious and brablyng reasonyng of euery man to be discussed. But as for this matter, it is no such thyng,How necessa­ry the know­ledge of thys article is for all men. the knowledge wherof (that is whither the wyll of man be free or bonde) doth geue vs to vnderstand and know, how weake we bee of our owne selfes howe we can dooe nothynge our selues, and contra­ry wise how meruelous, how myghtie, and howe stronge the Lorde is, whiche is not a voyde or an vnprofitable matter to be de­clared and set open to al mē. For this thing being opened, we do learne to perceiue and se, howe glorious and triumphant a Lord, the Lord is in vs, and howe brickel & miserable we be on euery syde on our owne selfe.

The obiectiō of the papistes against the o­pening of this article.Notwithstanding al this, ther be many which do affyrme that it is not, expediente ether to wryght or teach the people the knoledge of this article, and that for none other cause, but because the carnal and flesly peo­ple (as they think) do receyue hereby great occasion,The declara­tiō of the wyl of mā: geueth not occasion of vyce, for the euyl per­sons thereby wyl not bee the better: nor the good the worse. and as it were a large wyndowe made open to thē, for to practise and conti­nue [Page viji] styl in the detestable vyces and vngodly licencious kynd of liuynge. As thoughe such persons as are naghtie and lewdly di­sposed, myght other do or thinke any thing otherwyse than fleslye and carnallye, yea, though this article were neuer spoken of to them. Or elles, as thoughe the declaration and openynge of this article shoulde bee the cause that the elected and godlye sorte should be pluckt and drawne therby frome the hand of the Lord and so through errour sedused to perish for euer, which is nothing so, for they whiche are gone from vs, were not of vs. Yf thei had bene of vs thei wold haue contynued wyth vs. As wytnesseth i. Ihon the .ij. The Lord doth holde fast the hertes of his elect, that they be not slaundered by the worde of his veritie.

Such as these be, do teach,Another ob­iection. that al maner of men ought not to know asmuch as we that are learned do know, & that we ought not to disclose, wherin and in what poynts the general counsayls haue erred. Because (as they say) men should not regarde,Whether the errour of the fathers ought to be hyd yea or naye. or e­steme the authoritie of the fathers the lesse in those thynges whych they haue wel or­deyned and made, forasmuch as they haue in diuers thynges erred also. At whose er­rours they would that we shoulde wynke, [Page] and notse thē, nay most ernestly, as most certayne, verities and truthes learne thē. Shal we neglect the most pure veritie,We mai not do euyll that good may come of it for to flat­ter with the errours and ignoraunce of the fathers: Doth God nede any thyng of our inuention and lyes to hide the veritie of the Lord, for errours of the aunciente councels? is it any thyng elles than to prefer man be­fore god? & the fathers bifore verite▪ God is true, all men are lyars. Psal. Cxv. Where­fore do we feare, whiche do professe the ve­ritie and truth of the Lord, considering that he hath ouercome al thyng, as Esd. iij. And he is permanēt for euer. Psa. Cvi. & .Cxviii. Finally the almyghtie Lorde loueth veritie and truth,The Lord hateth lies, whi shall we lye for counsels, to hyde their faultes as thoughe they were not mē and hateth with greate hatred all lyes and falshed.

Forsoth to teach after this maner, is an er­rour not to be borne. I cannot saye the con­trarye but often times the preaching of the truth, maye be defferred and put of tyl ano­ther tyme, that it may be with the more opor­tunitie declared, but yet for all that, a man may not teach,Preach no lyes. nor preach lyes, and false doctrine. And if thou dost perceyue or fynde an errour where as none admonition can help or preuayle, you may wel make, as thoughe ye sawē it not and so wynke at it: but in any wyse beware you do not excuse and defend [Page ix] the errour to be good and true. If so be the matter belonge to your fayeth, or to any thynge therto perteynyng, wherein you be demaunded to answeare,Cōmaunded to answeare, forsake not the veritie. of the enemies to your fayth, then if you do not confesse the truth, you haue denyed Christe. For thou art ashamed of his wordes. And who that is ashamed of my wordes (sayeth Christ) I wyll be ashamed to knowledge him before my father and his Angels. Luke .ix.

It was lawful for Paule to eate of those thynges that were offered vp to Idolles, who also had in his choise,Thynges in­differēt, how they are to be vsed. if it had pleased him, not for to eate therof, for it was a thing indifferent. Therfore some time he dyd eate thereof, because he thoughte it expedient: o­ther whyle agayne he would not eate ther­of because he thought it more profitable for his neighbour. So became he to al men af­ter al fashions .i. Corhin .ix. Chap.i. Cor. ix. Ca. But to preache any other thyng then was receyued of the Lorde at any time: that was not law­ful neither for Paule nor any elles of the A­postles. If they had: they shoulde haue er­red and become false prophetes. Paule dyd cōtrary Peter openly in his fare because he dyd that thynge which was not profitable. Paule dyd not cōpel the gentyls to vse and obserue the Iewishe ceremonies (a thynge [Page] moste wicked) He dyd not say (as many do now adayes (walkynge in the fleshe) God forbid that I shoulde speake or say agaynst Peter,Paul did dis­close the offēce of Peter, ha­uynge no re­gard of his a­posto [...]ship. lest I shoulde minishe his authoritie and estimation, which he hath amonge ma­ny: but he sayed rather let mā giue rowme and place to God. Therefore where Peter doth erre I wyll speake agaynst hym: lest that those men whiche do knowe Peter to be an Apostle should make of Peters faulte or errour a lawe: & so folowyng hym ther­in at the laste shoulde perishe.The errours of general co­unsels maye not be winc­ked at, for iust causes. Lykewyse the errours of the counsels are not to bee coue­red and hid: but to be declared and shewed vnto the people, lest vnder the name of the counsels and title of the churche, the people being deceyued, should attribute somthing more to man then to God, in the steade or place of the veritie, embrasyng falshead and lyes. If any godly man or els any counsel dooe teache that thynge whiche is veritie: therto menne muste stande and rest, not for their sakes whiche dyd teach it, but because it is the trouth and veritie, which is taught.

Thys is the wholesume of thys poynte,Vnlawfull thynges. that those men whiche be of God shoulde teache the people nothynge which is vn­lawfull: because they doo perfectly knowe that it is not expedient for their neighbour [Page ix] nor profitable.Thinges lawful, and not necessary. As for those thynges which are lawful and not necessary: they may at al tymes be preached: they may be deferred al­so for a tyme: as it shal appeare expedient and profitable for the hearers.An other ob­iection.

There be some men which do deme and iudge that thys mattier of the wyl of man and suche other places of the scriptures of God, which are some thyng harde & darke:The papistes wil not al mē knowe the truth. are not to be spokē of, nor yet once touched: but amonge those whiche are perfecte men: and none other, By the which perfecte men they do meane and vnderstande great cler­kes wyth the hooded and capt maisters of the diuinitie scholes:Who be per­fect men after the popes sort aledgyng the testimo­ny of Paule: saying to the Corhin. the fyrst Epistle and the second Chap. That he dyd teache nothynge amonge them whiche are carnal men: although he taughte nothynge els but onely Iesu Christe, and hym to be crucifyed: and shortly after he sayed that he taught the wisedome of God among them whiche be perfecte.

These men do teache and write, that it is not al one thynge to preache the wysedome of God, and to preache Iesu Christe cruci­fyed. The knowledge of whom is the very wysedome of God: & to preach Iesu Christ crucifyed. The knowledge of whom I say [Page] is the very wysedome: and the preachyng of whom is the declaration of the wysedome of God.

Who be per­fit after Christes lawe.To the whiche obiection we answer and saye: that al those whiche do beleue are per­fecte. Whose perfection is Christe: so that there be a true fayth.

Secondly we saye that it is often tymes sene, that the simple & vnlearned do receyue and admit the worde of God and his wise­dome soner and better, then a greate meany of the diuinitie scholes, and of those whiche are greate clerkes learned after the fleshe.

Math. xi. Luke. x. Psal. xviij.Our maister Christe doeth render glory and prayse to his father: because he hath hid his misteries from the wyse men, and made them open to the litle chyldrē, Matthew .xi. Luke .x. and Psalme .Cxviij. He doeth gyue vnderstandyng to the litle ones. The trueth therfore & the secrete misteries of the worde of God: is to be declared and made open, to the simple & playne chyldren of God which do beleue in Christe: and not to a fewe in numbre: as the papistes woulde.

Thirdly, the wisedome of God and mi­steries of oure fayth, are to be opened to the pore cōmu [...]e people, rather thē to the proud arrogant lokes of those great clerckes. For to their proude hertes the Lorde wyl not [Page xi] haue those priuities and secretes of his ma­iestie made open,Proude her­tes cā not re­ceyue the mi­steryes of God. whiche he voucheth safe to shewe to the meeke and low spirited per­sonnes. It is not the degres of scholes, nor the philosophical knowledge which gyueth vnderstanding of the heauenly doctrine: nor yet the crafte and wysedome of this world.Degrees of scholes. For it is wrytten, I wyl destroye the wyse­dome of the wyse men, & the vnderstanding of the wittie mē shal hyde it selfe.Esai. xxix. i. Cor. i. Cha. Esai. xxix. and the fyrste Epistle and first Chapter to the Cor. It pleased the Lorde thorowe the opprobry and folishnes of the crosse:Beliefe. and by preachynge therof to saue al them which do beleue.

Finally there is not to be found one sparcle of the spirite of God in those puffed vp wyse men: whiche is gyuen plentuously to the simple and meke children,Esai. lxvi. as Esai. xxvi. Chap. On whom shal my spirite reste, but on hym whiche is meeke, lowly, and quiet, which feareth and trembleth at my wordes. For the veritie of God can not be percey­ued, but onely by the spirite of God, as Paule to the Corhin. the fyrste Epistle, and seconde Chap. It is vnpossible that by thine owne senses humayne,i. Cor. ij. Cha. and proper industrie or laboure, thou canst perceyue and vnder­stād the scriptures of God. Wherfore who [Page] that goeth about to expounde and make o­pen the scriptures by mannes reasons:Mans reasō in scriptures beareth small rule. shal neuer atteyne to the trueth.

❧The Scriptures often tymes speake muche after the maner of the speakynge of men, and of our vnderstāding, which muste be for al that,Howe the spe­kynge of the scriptures are to be taken in certayne pla­ces. taken after the meanyng and spirite of the Lorde. Thou doest read in thē, that God some tyme is as it were in a fury, that he is heauy and sorowful, that he is an­grie, that he doeth hate, and threaten wyth such other like maner of affectionat speking. Whiche wordes, if thou doest vnderstande after the fleshe, and after thyne owne sence, thou shate fal into foule errour. And yet for al that, to oure perceuerance, he semeth some tyme to rage, he is angrie, he repenteth hym of this or that, he doeth lament and sigh. &c. But not after our iudgemēt and vnderstā ­dyng.The Gospel speaketh after our speaking but not after our vnderstā ­dynge. For lykewyse as the speache of God hath his proper tonge and maner of spea­kynge: so it hath his owne propre spirite, sence, and meanynge. The whiche wordes howe they are to be taken, we haue made playne in other places, whereof we haue wrytten.

What it is to buylde on the rocke, and on the sande.Furthermore howe tedious and labori­ous a thynge it is to take thys matter in hande of the declaration of the wyl of man, [Page xi] howe vnthanckful and not pleasaunt it shal be to many, to those specially whiche would build, not on the stronge rocke stone, which is Christe, but on the sandes, that is to saye, the glosinges of men, as they do in deede in al those thynges, whiche they woulde make mē beleue to haue their foundations on the scriptures, or rather to be the very scrip­tures them selues, beinge as cleaue contra­ry as blacke is to whyte. I am not so igno­rant and blynde, but I do see and perceyue their craftie iudgelyng, & subtil cōueiaunce. They do thynke in them selues, that they haue done & wronghte no smal feate, if they do brynge furth for the cōfirmation of their blynde and false doctrine, a greate numbre & heape of sophistical wryters, whose brab­lyng, scouldyng, and cōtentious reasonyng and mad disputations, the holy goste doeth abhorre and detest. The faythful do not al­lowe the bare iudgementes of men,The veritie for verities sake, not for any respecte of man is com­mendable. bicause thei do seme & appere holy, as of the Mar­tyrs and bishops and suche other lyke. But if the trueth of God be in them, yea though they were women, ploughmen, chyldrē, yea what so euer they be, that is the thynge whiche is acceptable & pleasant to the right faithful. This is the whole summe of those wordes which I haue spoken, that we haue [Page] not our eyes open on the authoritie of men,Olde custom and continu­ [...]ce proueth [...] the veri­tie. but onely to gyue eare to the trueth and ve­ritie of Goddes worde, to embrase that, to folowe that wyth al our hert.

Finally, what certeyneth that to the church of God, which they do alledge, that is to saye, the moste wicked consent of men, continuing many yeres in blyndnes and er­rours. Are we sworne, or haue we taken our othe to be true to the numbre of yeres, and to the doctours,we are sworn [...] Christ, not [...] tea­ [...]ge and [...]. whiche were then lyuynge and taught? Or rather to be true and fayth­ful to the moste pureste worde of the moste highest Lorde. Away with the name & num­bre of their yeres, and lette vs haue in oure heades, the euerlastynge tyme of the Lorde, hauyng neither begynnynge nor endynge. We wyl not haue before our eyes these la­ter dayes, [...]. but the olde and auncient tyme, although they do cal vs in despite the prea­chers and teachers of the newe Gospel, as who shoulde saye that thys Gospel whiche we do preach, were not the eternal Gospel, whiche the holy Prophetes and Apostles dyd teache from the beginnyng.The Gospel [...]. But where as they do laye and cal it the newe Gospel, and new learning, they do not therin speake otherwise then the trueth. For the Gospell whiche is of it selfe euerlasting and eternal, [Page xii] to the olde bottels of their carnal and flesh­ly vnderstādyng, it is newe boylyng wyue and swete muste. Wherfore they are not a­ble to conteyne and keepe it styl within thē, excepte they be renewed wyth the spirite of Christe. What thyng do we teache contra­ry to the doctrine of the Prophetes and A­postles? We maye not folowe the errours whiche were more then .xiij. hundreth yeres paste. But we must embrase those thynges which were taught by the Apostles in their tyme or there aboute of necessitie, if we do wel, if we wyl not erre & be deceyued. For it is a thynge very certeyne that they decla­red moste purely and syncerely the veritie and trueth of Goddes worde, whiche they dyd leaue to vs in wrytyng, hauing the spi­rite of God to their enterpreter, gyuyng to them the ryght and perfecte meanyng.

But nowe as touchynge the spirite of God,A most wyc­ked doubte. some men do doubte whether the gift of the spirite & holy goste, that is to say, the gift of prophesy of exposiding the scripturs of healinge diseases and sicknes, of the ton­ges, is not now amōg mē as it was in that tyme of the Apostles. Wherunto I answer that the gyfte of healinge of maladies doth not cease, as I my selfe haue sene and do knowe of a suertie by experience. But when [Page] fayth doeth fayle, then that doth no lōger a­byde. And as touchyng the gifte of tonges, it doeth remayne amonge vs styl.The gyfte of tonges. For the knowledge of the diuersitie of tōges, which many men haue, is the gyfte of the spirite of God. It is not so openly perceyued & sene, as these nowe a dayes externe & outwarde monstrous miracles, for thys cause, that the power of the worde of God maye be kno­wen, by the whiche worde onely, the high toppes of Antichriste his kyngdome shal be ouerthrowen and caste downe, as I haue wryten in the boke entituled the causes of our great blyndnes.

God forbyd that we shoulde say that the spirite of God, & of prophesy, is extingui­sed. For what man can denie, but the worde of God muste be preached. And to preache is nothynge els then to prophesy,To preach is to prophesie. as Paule witnesseth, the firste Epistle to the Corhin. and .xiiij. Chap. Furthermore no man can preache wel wythout the spirite of the holy goste,Who prea­cheth well. for the deepe secretes of God, no­thynge but the spirite of God doeth or can search. For lykewyse as no man knoweth what is in mā,A goodly sy­militude. but the spirite of man which is in hym: euen so the profounde misteries of God, no man doeth knowe but the spi­rite of God, as Paule, i. Corhin. ij. Chapter.

[Page xij]Also. If there be any of those giftes now in these dayes, they woulde knowe,In whom are the giftes of the holy gost on whō those giftes of the spirite are bestowed, who hath them. Whiche they with al their reso­ning can not fynde out, nor once perceyue their vnderstandynge is so carnal & sleshly. But the trueth is that the gyfte of the spi­rite hath remained alway in the elected peo­ple, al that longe tyme of blyndnes and of errour, as well as the gyfte of fayeth, al­though in many thynges the elected people were deceyued.The lord hath had his elects and faythfull in the tyme of most blynde­nes. By the whiche spirite and puernes of fayeth, they obteyned saluation, as in the boke inscribed, the causes of blind­nes I haue declared sufficiently. They dyd not al perishe whiche lyued in those erroni­ous tymes, they were not all caste awaye. But likewise as in the tyme of Helias, whē the saied Helias thought, that there were no mo persons but hym selfe, whiche worship­ped the lyuing Lorde. It was answered and sayd vnto hym, as in the thyrde boke of the Kynges .xix. Chap. I haue lefte and kepte for my selfe seuen thousande men, whiche neuer haue done so muche, as to bende their knees, no not before Baall. So it was in those tymes, whiche they speake of. For what so euer the errours & blyndnes was, those whiche were reserued, that is to saye, [Page] the elected were saued (as I haue sayed) by the spirite and puernes of faith in the Lorde.Who semeth to haue the spirite of god in their expo­sitions. But to our purpose, where as diuerse per­sons do make sundry and diuerse expositi­ons on the scriptures, it is easy to perceyue whiche of those expositors haue in them the holy spirite.The word of God is the witnes of the wyl of God. None other veritie, but he or they whiche do fetche their testimonies and authoritie out of the word of God. For that worde is the certeyne testimonie and wyt­nes bearer,The scrip­tures do opē them selues. of the wyl of God. Therefore the worde of God is called a testimony or wytnes. Psalme .Cxviij. Besyde that one place of the scripture is declared by an o­ther, the darcker, by that whyche seemeth more playne & open. To be shorte the more nighe the declaration or exposition cōmeth to the textes of the scripture, the more pure and perfect it muste be of very necessitie.

Many of them whiche do teache & shewe (I wyl not saye the maners and facions of gentils) the authorities of men, the allegati­ons of decrees, thys ordre or that ordre, thys holynes or that holynes, thys or that mira­cle: they do require that men shoulde beleue them in all their sayinges. But oure prea­ching is after an other maner. For we in the steede of mannes authoritie and so furth, do declare the moste purest and vnchaungable [Page iiij] worde of God, whiche beareth true wyt­nes of his wyl towarde vs, wisshynge and desirynge hertely that all those whiche do beare the name of Christ, callyng them sel­ues Christians,A Christian lyfe is requi­red to the set­tyng furth of of the Gospel professynge his moste holy worde, that they woulde haue a lyfe con­fourme to that spirite. It doeth greue and payne me (I say) to see many howe they do lyue, by whose noughtines of lyfe, the E­uangel of the kyngdome of God is litle re­garded or rather sclaundered.Iustifyed by fayth onely. For we do knowe (although by fayth we are onely iu­stified) yet the vnseparable fruites of fayth are the workes whiche are done by fayth.Workes. As for the promotions and degrees of scho­les whereon they do brag wyth the autho­rities of men (as of mē) they be to be abhor­red and detested more then any fylthynes that falleth from man.Authorities of men. Degrees of scholes. Religiōs and ordres of knaues. Holynes. Miracles. By their religiouse orders we set not a good beane. As for their holynes and miracles, so that they be con­fourmable to the truth, we do allowe them. And yet for all that we do not gyue credit to the veritie for that holynes and miracle sake, but contrary wise, because we do leane and cleaue to the veritie and trueth, therfore those thynges are pleasaunt to vs.

Of these thynges we haue spoken more largely, then some men woulde thynke ne­cessary [Page] or meete. But to answer to those mē, whiche wyth longe prefaces set before their workes, do improue and fynde great faulte wyth our opinion of the wyll of man, as er­ronious and contrary to al godly doctrine, therefore in thys preface we haue ben some thyng the more prolix and longe, to the rea­der (I trust) not vnprofitable.

Myne entent and purpose is (God wyl­lyng) to declare vnto you these foure poyn­tes folowyng accordyng to the scriptures.

  • ❧Fyrst. What the wyl of man is.
  • ❧Seconde. That the wyl of mā is captyue & bonde.
  • ❧Thyrde. In what thynge the wyl of man is free.
  • ❧Fourth. How these textes of the scriptures which appeare to gyue libertie and fredom to the wyl of mā, are to be vnderstande and taken a ryght.

❧The fyrst.

IN al the whole scripture, both olde and newe, you shall not fynde one place whyche ma­keth mention,These wor­des free wyll, are not found in the Scrip­tures. or once nameth these two wordes, free wyll, that therby it myghte haue some grounde. [Page iiij] But it is drawē furth of the dregges of the proude and carnall Philosophy, whiche is craftely crepte into the doctrine of Christe, wherby they had obscured and made darke the bryght glisteryng clearnes of the word of God. Therfore the maisters of the high and proude arrogant scholes folowyng the Doctrine and teachynge of Aristotle make thys diffinition of free wyll, sayinge,Free wyll af­ter Aristotle. it is a wyl ioyned and annexed to vnderstanding. They do make of man as it were a certeine kyngdome, wherein the wyll is as Lorde president and chiefe ruler, and the vnderstā ­dynge to be the counseler: sayinge also that vnderstanding in man, doth both iudge and counsell, & the wyl lyke a Prince commaun­deth either to do, or to leaue vndone, that thynge whiche the counseler doeth saye, yea or naye to.What man wythoute the spirit of the Deuil would speake these wordes? They do saye also that the wyll is a free power, which no man, no not God hym selfe (marke their diuelishe doctrine) cā compell or constrayne, althoughe they do graunte that he maye chaunge the wyll.

O Lorde God what a pestilente doctrine is this in the churche of Christ, of free wyl, whiche in deede hath no libertie nor fre­dome? We do not deny, that the wyl of mā, is a wyl annexed vnto vnderstanding. But we do saye, that thys wyll, whiche is mans [Page] owne iudgement, choyse, or election, is in no wyse free, but contrary wyse, bonde and captyue, as we wyll proue by the firme te­stimonies of the worde of God.

❧The seconde parte declarynge that the wyl of man is captyue.

FOr as muche as the election of man includeth in it both an vn­derstandynge and also a wyll, First we wyl declare, that both as well the one as the other is bonde, the whiche bondage shall be strong­ly proued by the scriptures. But fyrste we wyll proue oure entente wyth certeyne rea­sons manifest and knowen of al men.

The fyrste reason.What man is he (beinge not altogether blynde) that doeth not see and perceyue the vnderstandynge and knowledge of man to be captyue and bonde. Cōsidering that eue­ry man doeth vnderstande and hath know­ledge by measure after the quātitie that the Lorde, whiche is the gyuer of thynges, doth distribute and giue to euery man. To some knowledge and vnderstandynge, to some one thynge, to some an other. Some gyue their studies to be good Rhetoritiās. Some settyng by that kynde of study nothynge at al, apply thēselues to be Logicians, some to be Phisicians, some Lawyers, some to be [Page xviii] diuines, some woulde haue of euery thynge a piece. An other sorte couet to be good han­dy craftes men, to be excellēt in this or that. There be a thousande sortes of men, and as greate [...] of thynges, wherunto they be addicted and gyuen. Euery man lyueth after his owne facion and mynde. Euery man in that thynge whereunto he applieth his wyttes hath knowledge after a mea­sure? One man more, an other lesse. He that hath lesse knowledge, woulde fayne knowe as much as he whiche excelleth therein, and yet for all the peynes he can take, he can not atteyne thereunto. Also that man, whyche knoweth one thynge, woulde fayne haue the knowledge of mo thynges, as wel as of that, which he knoweth already, and yet he misseth of his purpose. He that is sene in the artes, and cā play the partes of a good phi­sicion, woulde become fayne a good diuine. He that hath the vnderstandyng, but of one lyne or verse of the Bible, coueteth in his hert to haue the intelligence and vnderstan­dynge of the whole Bible. But it is not as the wyssher and as the woulder (accordyng to the prouerbe) do couet and desire,Wyshars & woulders are but smale housholders. but as it pleaseth the Lorde to shewe his mercy. An other desireth to haue a perfecte good me­mory, that he maye keepe well those thyn­ges, [Page] which he hath heard and reade, and so­denly he doeth forget altogether. Suche is the wyll of the Lorde often tymes. The vn­derstandynge therefore truly, and knowe­ledge of all men is bonde and captyue. For let hym be neuer so careful, let hym take ne­uer so muche peyne, let hym study as much as any man maye, it shall profit to hym no more then the Lorde hathe ordeyned frome the beginning, which doth weigh al thinges in iuste numbre,Knowledge is the gyft of God. weyghte and measure. It doth depende and hange on his goodnes to haue knowledge of this thynge or that. For it is not in euery mans free electiō, to knowe euery thynge that he woulde at his owne pleasure. The knowledge, vnderstandinge, and election of God onely is free in deede, and of none other person or persons, whose wyl (I meane the wyl of man) what so euer they be, are in seruitude and captyne, limited to and fro,The wil, vn­derstandyng, and election of God only is free. as farre & as nere, as muche and as litle as it shal please the Lorde. For there is no learned man be he neuer so e [...]nuynge: nor yet none other Artificer, be he neuer so much expert: that can tell what to do, more or lesse, or otherwyse than he hath receyued of the Lorde. Then I pray you, what good­ly fredome haue we whereof we do bost so­much, what is it worth I pray you of it self, [Page xviii] considering that our wyll vnderstandynge, and election is obedient to the wyll of the Lorde almyghtie, to his ordinaunces, to do al thynges, so far as it is commaunded, and no more? What more euident token and er­gument can you haue of the captiuitie and bondage of mans wyl thē thys? Vnder this decree all thynges created and made, are o­bedient and subiect to the Lorde, bycause thei can do nothing, but after the pleasure & most free wyl of the Lorde, whych wylleth what hym listeth alone and none but he.Example of bondage in beasts and in the elements▪ The Ly­ons could not deuoure Daniel. The fyre in the fornace coulde not consume the .iii. chyl­dren, because it was not the Lordes pleasure whyche alone of hymselfe is free, to whom al creatures aswel reasonable as contrarye, although thei do seme and appere to our re­son in thynges disobediente, yet for all that thei are in very dede in the selfe same thynge to the pleasure of God, most of al obediente and bond, albeit the iudgement of man is to the contrary. For hys godly wyl & pleasure must alway be fulfilled,Our vnder­standyng is bonde. Wherby it folow­eth that the vnderstandynge of man is cap­tiue and bonde to the commaundement and vnuariable decree of the Lorde.

To this Lorde, not onely the vnderstan­dyng whiche in man (as they saye) is bothe [Page] iudge and counseler,Wil and wil not are the dedes of the wyl. but also the wyl which thei do cal the lorde president is also captiue and bond. For to wyl or to not wil any ma­ner of thyng, are the deedes and the actes of the wyl. I maruel wherfore some men dooe wryte and holde opinion, that the actes and dedes of our wyl are free and at libertie, ey­ther to be done or vndone as the wyll wyl­leth. Ther is no freedome verely in theym. For if al thynges which are made and crea­ted,The fyrst re­son, prouyng the wyll bonde. be vnder the decree and vnuariable sen­tence of the Lorde: then it foloweth that the wyl of man, must be vnder the decree and sē tence of the Lorde. And lykwyse as we haue written of the vnderstandynge of man, that it can nether knowe, nor yet seke for any fur­ther knowledge then the Lorde doth permyt and suffre:Comparison euen so muste mē vnderstande of the wyl of man. Which is a very easy thing to perceiue, to him that wyl marke and con­sidre the diuersitie of affections wherewyth mā is combred and led oftentymes agaynst his wyl.The seconde reason. The affecti­ons of menne declareth bō ­dage. If the wyl of man be free, then may he wyl and nyl what shal please hym, at his owne free election But what is that manne that can so do? Lette vs haue knowledge of such one, Bryng hym furth that we may ex­toll and prayse hym. Howe often haue you sene that a man would wyth al his hert that [Page xx] he myght not couet and desyre,The cōfirmation of the se­cond reason. that thynge which he cannot chose but wyshe and desyre after? Contrarywyse there be many whych woulde that they coulde wyll and lo [...]e that thynge, whyche they cannot chose but hate. Wher is nowe the libertie of this mans wil A man oftentymes casteth his mynde on an euyl woman, whose conuersation he cannot hate & abhorre bycause he is bounde in most harde bondage and captiuitie. Manye men done abhorre their owne filtie conditiōs and maners and lewde vices,Wherfor do we folowe those vices who came knowe euyll. and yet they cānot those but loue them, folowe them, & kepe thē styl, bicause the affections and desyres of the fleshe are not subiect, but contrary to the law of God. Rom. viii. I my selfe myse [...]able mā oftentymes do those thynges whyche I doe abhorre and hate. Truth it is that I do those thynges in dede, yet it is not my selfe which doth them (for in my hert I do abhorre thē) It is synne, that is to say, the concupiscences of the fleshe whych dwelleth in my fleshe kepyng me in bondage and captiuitie.What thyng worketh euyl in vs. There­fore in many thynges our wyl is redye and at hand, but how and which way to brynge our wyl to passe, beyng led captiue of synne and of the deuil, with al the wittes we haue, we cannot thynke nor deuyse. I desyre often tymes with al my hert that I myghte haue [Page] my desyre pluckt away from thys thyng or that, and yet in spyght of my teeth I am vi­olently drawne into the loue therof, whyche I would fayne haue in hatred, and cannot. For although that outwardli I do seme and appere to hate a thyng,The cōcupis­cences of the flesh be so ro­ted naturally in vs, that thei cannot be pluckt out all together, and therfore we cā not do that we woulde. which is not good: yet at the rote of my hert I do loue it, which I would not if I myght chose. Let euery mā in hymselfe wey this matter, and so doynge he shal tel me a newe tale. He shal fynde hys libertie very pore and bare. As for my selfe, I wil render glorye, prayse and thankes, to the Lorde: I wil in the presence of his church confesse and knowledge myne impietie with fayned and paynted holines in Hypocrisie: not doubtyng, but to optayne mercye at the handes of the most mercifull Lorde. What time (a great whyle agone) I was of the sect and church of Antechrist, I did lead my lyfe many yeres in the cōcupiscences and naugh­tie desires of the body, burning in vnlawful and stynckyng lustes of the fleshe, the which affections truelye I dyd hate and abhorre, & yet I could not resist, nor cast theym awaye furth of my mynde. For to punyshe the bo­dy with labour, with watching, with fasting yea, and with scourging, and such other like hard and sharpe punyshmentes of the fleshe [Page xx] maye well tame and make weake the power and strength of thy body. But as for the cō ­cupiscences of the mynd it could not thereby be drideled,Wherfor serueth the chastening of our bodyes. yea those harde chasteninges of the fleshe dyd rather profet to the increase of hipocrisie and counterfeited holines in vs, causyng the outward man to appere godly and holy. The cōcupiscence of the flesh reig­ning styl in our hertes, which from the eyes of the lord cannot be hyd.

You dose the great seruitude & bondage wherein we are knit & tied. Howe are we thē fre and at our owne libertie? Truely no mā l [...]uyng can either wyl or not wyl this thing or that, more or lesse, then the Lorde doeth geue strength. For lykewise as fire and all other creatures ar in bondage and seruitude vnto the firme decre and ordinaunce of god: euen so is man. Fire doth consume al thyng that the fire hath power ouer,Fyre. except the lord doth take away the natural strength therof. Man also cānot chose but thinke that thinge which is ful of all impietie and wickednes,Manne. and sinneth in all his doynges, except he bee brideled with the spirit of Christ.The bridle of our affections is onely the spirit of Christ Our impi­ [...]tie and sinfulnes can go no further than it hath pleased the Lord from the beginnynge to suffre. For he hath limitted al the though­tes, cogitations, and willes of men within [Page] certayn limittes & termes, the which no man cā passe or go beyond. Wher is now beco [...]e that free election and libertie to do what we lust? which thei affirme to be in vs. Is it not altogether captiue and in bondage?

Another diffini [...]io [...] of free­wyl.Ther be also which do make this diffini­cion of free wyl, saiyng, that frewil is a po­wer and strength of mans will, wherewyth he doth apply or plucke awaye hymselfe, to or from those thynges which do leade vs to eternal felicitie, and euerlastynge saluation. But I pray you, what strengthe and power haue we when the vnderstandyng and wyl of man can do nothynge of it selfe, but that which is carnal & fleshly.What thyn­ges can mans knowledge of it selfe perceyue and attayn to. Our owne vnder­stādynge & knowledge dothe iudge, richesse, health of bodye, honoures, promotions, & the glory of this world to be good thinges, and the cōtrary to these for to be euil & naughtie As for the knowledge of good and of godly matters, of those I say which partayneth to eternal saluation, it perceiueth nothyng at al of it selfe. Yea, though a man would peruse and reade ouer all the holye scriptures and teach them also to other mē, or els be taught of other, hys owne vnderstāding and knowledge of it selfe, shal neuer truely and (as he ought to do) knowe the Lorde and his wyll, his power, his iustice, his goodnes, his mer­cie, his anger. He shal not beleue and rest on [Page xxii] the truth and veritie of God, but after a li­yng fashiō and hypocrisie. The which thing is nothing l [...]sse then to beleue. For it is writ­ten. The folyshe man sayd in his hert there is no God. Beholde the knowledge of man of himself, doth not only not know god: but also doth deme god to be God, saiynge that ther is no God.i. Corin. ii. The carnal man dooth not perceiue those thinges which be of the spirit of God, for the spirit of God & the thynges therto pertaining ar folishnes to hym. He cā not vnderstād & iudge that thei ought to be spiritualy demed & takē. These wordes ar to be takē not onely of the vnderstādynge, but also of the wyl of man. For lykewyse as the vnderstandyng doth se nothynge of it selfe but that whych is carnal, euen so the wyl of man doth hate and abhore of it selfe al thing which is good, and loueth that which is euil carnal, and nothyng durable.The profe of bond wyl by the scripturs. It can neither loue nor feare God nor his truth It folow­eth then that the wyl of man is not free but captiue and bond, as nowe we wyl proue by the testimonies of the scriptures of God.

And fyrst of al by this testimony of Ose the Prophet saiyng. The spirit hath bou [...]de him in his wynges. The which wordes are manifest to bee spoken of the carnall people of Israel. The whiche people, the Prophet declared before to be deceiued by the spirite [Page] of fornication: that is to sai, by the iudgemēt and sens of the fleshe, in the wynges wherof he affirmeth them to be bound fast.

First he declareth theim to be deceiued, & afterward to be bound, that nowe thei colde do nothyng els but commyt fornication be­yng seperated from God. For al their iud­gementes, knowledge, vnderstandinge, and wyll, al their dedes were nothynge elles but fornication from the lorde, bycause thei wer not of fayth.The carnall are tied wyth bondes. Who bee the bonde daughters of Syon To the cap­tyue and bōd prisoners, is preached re­mission of syn As before in the exposition of this Prophet I haue made opē to you. Thus it foloweth that al those which be carnal and fleshly ar tied and made fast in bondes. The carnal Sinagoge is called in the scripture, the bond daughter of Sion. As Esaye. liii. Our sauiour also preached remissiō of sinne to the captiue and bond, and deliueraunce to them which were shit fast in prison. Esa. lxi. Luke. iiii.

The second profe by the scripture.

Genes. vi. THe Lord said in Genes. vi. My spirit shal neuer be parmanent in man because he is fleshe, Hierome and other writers dooe wryte that these wordes are in the Hebrue rog after this trāslation. My spi­rite shal neuer iudge in mā, because he or thei be fleshe. The fyrst trāslatiō is good inough [Page xxii] by the which wordes a certayne writer doth vnderstand and expound, the clemencye and great mercy of God towarde man: and but his most dreadful austeritie and anger. But the Lorde kepe vs from that clemencie. For the blyndnes of that man (as by his writing oppereth) did take this worde iudgement to signifie, in this place no thyng elles but punishment, as though the lord would say:The iudge­ment is not takē for a dre­adful sentēce of God as of a iudge, but for the godly and spirituall knowledge. my spirit shal not punysh man, which is a verye wrong sens. For the vniust shalbe punished and the seede of the wicked shall perishe as Psalm. xxxvi. And the fire whiche is prepa­red for the deuyl and his angels, wherwyth the reprobates, and vngodly persons, shalbe tormented, is euerlastyng. Therfore this is not the right sens and meanyng of this text as he hath expounded, but contrarye wyse. My spirit shall not iudge alwayes amonge these menne bicause they be fleshe, that is to say, the iudgement of my spirit shall not al­way be permanent in theym because thei be flesh, that is altogether natural, carnal,The iudge­ment of the spirit of God is not in the wycked. and deceiueable, because I say the wicked iudge­mēt of the flesh, which is repugnaunt to the iudgement of the spirit doth reigne in them.

Is this the clemencie and mercie of God to be destitute of the right iudgement of the spirit of God? to be forsaken and left, to the [Page] wycked and execreable iudgemente of the spirite of Fornication and of lyes: that is to say of the spirit of man which is a lier. Psal. C.xv. I do beleue verely that ther is no pu­nishment of God more bytter, more sharpe, then to be forsaken of him,There is no plage more sharpe, thē to be forsakē of of God, and lefte to thy selfe. to be left to thine owne iudgement without the iudgement of his spirit. I pray the good Lorde kepe from me this most fearful and dreadful wrath of the. Let thy spirit whiche is true and holye and not my spirit ful of fornication and lyes iudge and geue true knowledge and vnder­standing in me. Whippe me good Lord and scourge me, rather then to forsake me to my selfe, if it semeth to the expedient for the set­tyng furth of thy glory. Confyrme & make thi seruaunt stronge with thy spirit, and ne­uer take it from me. In the same .vi. of Gen. the wycked are called flesh,The wicked are called fleh after the maner of speakyng of Paul in many places of hys Epistles. For the wicked with al their cogi­tations, affections, and workes are nothyng elles but fleshe, because they want and lacke the holy spirit. Yea the very spirit of manne is fleshe, bycause it cannot beholde the spirit of God, but al carnal thynges, therto beyng geuen and addicte.

This sens and meanynge of this texte, which I haue declared is not true (sayth he) [Page xxiiii] bycause this texte of Genesis doth not per­tayne to al men (as he sayth) but to those mē only which liued in the time of Noe. What thyng can be more aslycke spoken and sayd than this? Were not those men also fleshe, which lyued after the floud as well as thei which were before the floud. Verely so was Cam the sonne of Noe, whiche did mocke & scorne his father as was Cain and Iudas the traiters: as Lamech, which did slei Cain Peraduenture this manne doth thynke and coniecture in his mynd, that ther was an o­ther maner of spirit of fornication in manne before the floud then was after: or elles he fantasieth in his brayne, that God hath al­tered and chaunged the nature of man other wyse, then it was from the begynnyng ma­kynge an other nature differente from that which he hath made with his most mightie and strong hand in them which do beleue on hym.The nature of man of it selfe hath ben alwaye lyke. We do reade and fynde that the yeres and tymes hath bene chaunged and altered, but we fynd not that the nature of man was euer altered. I do graunt that those wordes were spoken at that tyme of those which ly­ued in the tyme of Noe. But not onely of them, but also of them which came after the floud. For al men of them selfes are flesh, all fleshe, haye, and the glory of it as the floure of the fielde, Esay. xi. Al the children of Adā [Page] of their selfe ar of an heuy and sad hert thei do loue vanitie, thei do seeke after lyes and vntruth. Psal. iiii.Omnes de­clinauerunt, & simul [...]utiles facti sunt. Non est, qui faciat bonum non est vsque ad vnum. All men without exceptiō haue gone out of the rightwaye, and are be­come vnprofitable. There is none that can do any good, no not one in the world. Ps. xii

If he wyl not he satisfyed with this an­swer: but wyll contende that this text of the iudgement spoken and written in Geneses, pertaineth to the time of Noe. I wil demāde this question of hym. For what cause were those men of Noes tyme rather called flesh then thei which folowed after Noe, and ly­ued after hym?Syns, now a dayes ar mor greuous and detestable, thē were in the tyme of Noe. Truely of muche more gre­uous vices and offēces haue we read of many other men, yea, and with oure eyes haue sene in our tyme, then was written of those men in those dayes of whom the wordes were first written and spoken. Of them we do read in Genesis the .vi. these words. The sonnes of God did see & perceiue the daughters of men that thei were fayre and bewti­ful,Cōpare oure smale fautes and dayly v­sed vices with this offence of the sonnes of God, & it shal be no vice but a singuler vertue, For they dyd take the Maydens to their wyues in Matrimo­ny, and not to make thē harlotes in whordome. and they toke to thē wyues from amōg them, those which thei had chosen. Thei did not seke after those daughters whiche were good, but for those which were goodly and fayre, the children of whom, became mygh­tie men and of greate renowme. The Lorde sayd then that the malice of man was great [Page xxiiii] in the earth, and all the imaginations and thoughtes of his hert were euyl euery daye The which wordes are to be vnderstande, not onely of that age and tyme: but of al mē in al tymes of ages as in the .viii. Chapi. in the same booke apereth. The imaginacions of mans hert are euil from his youth. Therfore it is vngodly done to wrieth and wrest those wordes to the tyme of Noe onely.

Yet thei doe go further, saiynge and rea­soning on this maner. The propens and re­dy inclinatiō and towardnes to euyl whiche is in many men (as though it were not in al men) doth not take away al together the ly­bertie and fredome of mās wil, yea, though the said naughtie inclination cannot be ouer come and cleane subdued without the helpe (as thei confesse) of the grace of God. Is it not a great bondage and captiuitie, not to be able to ouercome and subdue that thynge which we would fame haue furth of vs? By these premisses it dooth folowe, that we are seruauntes to that cōcupiscence and naugh­tie inclination to euyl, tyl the tyme that we be deliuered and made fre in dede by Christ

The .iii. profe by the scripture.

It is said in the Prouerbes. xvi The Lord doth al thynges for his owne sake: yea, whē he reserueth the vngodlye for the daye of [Page] wrath. This place is manifest and open de­claryng to vs that the Lorde hath alredye iudged the reprobate and outcast persones from the begynnyng to eternal punishmēt. Ther be many which contrary to all rygh­teousnes do inquire & busely search, to know those thinges which do partain to the onely maiestie of God in this place and such other lyke,A ful wicked question puttyng furth this question. Wherfore did the Lorde make the wicked man s [...]e [...]h he hath decreed from the begynnyng that the wicked shal peryshe? Wherfore did not the Lorde reuoke and plucke hym from hys im­pietie and wickednes after [...]hat he had made hym? Wherfore hath he not geuen to al men of his spirit? With these scrupulous and cu­rious questions more then nedeth:The great in conuenience and foule ab­surditie whi­che foloweth these questiōs thei are blynded and deceiued, beynge at the last by such reasonyng brought to that poynt, that they do make the Lorde not to be a merciful Lorde, but a cruel Lorde, and as it were a ti­raunt. I wyl desire and exhort all men, that wyth al reuerence they haue in fear and sted fastly beleue the iudgementes of the highest that he is in all his workes iust, faythfull & true, and that we be of oure selues mysera­ble, false, vniust and synnefull. The Lorde then hath made the wicked man for the euil day, beyng hymselfe iust and ful of clemen­cie. [Page xxv] The wicked man of himselfe, tan do no­thyng that is pleasaunt and exceptable to God. O the profound depnes of the iudgementes of the Lorde, howe vnsearcheable, how incomprehensible are his wayes? For of hym, by hym, and in hym are all thynges To him therfore be only glory and empire for euer and euer. Amen.

The .iiii. profe by the scriptures.

IT is written in the Prouer.The kynges herte is in the handes of the lorde xxi Lyke as the riuers of the waters: euen so the herte of a kyng is in the hand of the lord The Lord may turne his hert which way soeuer it shal please him. In this place first thou dost see that the riuars, and the diuision of waters are the worckes of God and all other thynges which can be named in heauen, or in earth or in the waters. The text is so playn that it neadeth no long declaration,The herte & the will is all on in scrip­ture by the which we dooe perceyue that the herte or wyll of a Kynge (for in the scriptures the hert and wyl is taken for one thing) is not free and at his libertie and pleasure, but captiue and bond, to the pleasure & wyl of the Lord, causynge it to encline and leane to whych part it pleaseth hym, to god­lines and to the fulfyllynge of hys wyll or contrarye. Yet for all that (good Reader) be [Page] ware you do not mistake & wronge vnder­stande me, bycause I saye that God doeth turne & incline the herte:What is sig­nyfied by these wordes god turnethe god makethe to inclyne as though he shold in so doynge worcke vngodlines. For this worde and vocable to incline or to turne, is asmuch to say after the speaking of the scripture: as to indurate or harden: or to let a mā runne into a reprobate mind, holding away his hand frō him: whyche is asmuch to saye (to make it more playne) as the Lorde doeth relinquish and leaue hym to hys owne mere naturall frailenes:To harden thy hart, is to leaue the to thyn owne weaknes as in many places, & spe­cially in that boke whyche I dyd write inti­tuled the causes of our blyndnes I haue de­clared. That lesson, which you do reade here of the hert or wyl of a king: take it as wel to be vnderstande of all other men, for if that one be true, that the kynges herte and wyll is subiecte to the wyll of God, muche more all other mennes cogitations, thoughtes, wylles, and dedes.

They saye and obiecte agayne, that the inclination and mouynge of the hand of the Lorde doeth not cause or worcke bondage or necessitie in the will of man,When dothe the lorde moue to god­lynes wherein they be foule deceyued not geuynge glory to the Lorde as they oughte to do. For the Lorde doeth moue and stirre a manne to Godlines as often as he doeth poure into hym hys [Page xxvi] spirite and true fayeth. Then canne not that man sinne by the vertue and strenght which he hath receyued of the Lorde,Faythe can­not do euell wherby he is moued. For fayeth can not worcke euyll.

Agayne, although the fleshe in the fayethful men do synne, yet the spirite of God where­by the fayethful do lyue canne not sinne.The right­wyse man lyuethe by faythe Pe­ter by the strength of the flesh synned, being offended and displeased at the wordes of his maister Christe, sayinge that he shoulde su­ffer. Whiche Peter dyd saye before to hys maister by the power and strength of the spirite.The fayth­full synneth not Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God. Math. vi. Chapter. To be short in al thinges wher the spirite of God doth moue and stirre vs, is conteined a necessitie & bon­dage of the spirite beinge so decreed and or­deyned from the begynnynge. Lykewise al­so of all those thynges whyche a man doeth worcke, inclined to vngodlynes, that is to saye, geuen to a reprobate minde, beyng left to the spirite of fornication, to hym selfe, to hys owne natural fragilitie and weakenes. For the wicked cā not chose but do wicked­ly, for as muche as he is fleshe,The presci­ence and for knoledge of the lorde is vnfallible and therfore all hys worckes synne. It is also vnpossible but that wyckednes muste be committed at that tyme whyche the Lorde by hys presci­ence and fore knoweledge dyd knowe frome [Page] the begynnynge woulde be done. Hereby we do reason and gather that all these thin­ges whereto they do moue and styrre vs, or otherwyse doeth harden leauynge vs to our owne selfe, are done or committed of necessi­tie ineuitable.

Take hede once agayne gentyll reader, and beware thou doeste not reason to farre in thys matter, least thou doeste fall into in­conuenience and wronge iudgement or opi­nion of the Lorde to thyne owne destruction and death. Reuerence thou alway hys most blessed iudgemente to the profound deapnes whereof no man at anye tyme is able to at­tayne.

❧The .v. profe and authoritie

Hieremy. x,HIeremye sayeth the .x. Chapt. I do knowe very wel good Lorde that the wyl of man is not in hys own hande, nor yet in hys owne power to rule and gouerne his owne steppes and goinges which wordes are not to be meant and vnderstande of sadde or pleasaunt thin­ges (as some mē do interpretate) but of eue­rye thought, wyll, and dede of man. As ap­peareth by that whiche foloweth. Chasten vs O Lorde but wyth fauour, not wyth thy wrath. But if thys can not satisfy their min­des, nor perswade them suffitientlye that it [Page xxvii] is spoken of all the wayes of man boeth of hys thoughte, wyll, and dede: let theym an­swere me by theyr own experience,Let euery man aske him selfe this question in that uicious affection wherto he is most in­clyned whyther theyr owne wayes be in theyr owne power yea or naye, to do or to forsake all that shall please them, to wyll or nyl that them lusteth If he be an aduonterouse person, an hunter of whores, a couetuouse man, a man full of Enuye and suche lyke: can he hym selfe as he woulde of hys own strength, roote oute and put awaye cleane all these lewde affecti­ons forth of hys herte, that nothynge therof shall remayne behynde? If he find that he cā not do it of hym selfe, howe can he saye that the waye of man is in hys owne hande and power. Verely no man hath the rule of hys own wayes as he woulde.

Therfore let vs pray wyth holy Dauid, Lorde do thou directe and make straight my waies before thy syght, Dauid sayeth in thy syghte, that is as muche to saye that it maye please the, as though he woulde saye, suffer not my wayes to be inclined and turned a­gainst the. Such like saying of him is in the Psa. cxviii. Turne my eyes (good Lord) that they se no vanitie, quyckē and make me liue­lye in thy wayes. Also, Turne and incline my hert to thy testimonies, & not to Auarice.

❧The .vi. profe and authoritie.

[Page] Esay. lxiii.THe electe and chosen people do cō ­fesse and graunt openlye that oure wyll is captiue and bonde as Esai lxiii. Thou Lorde our father, oure redemer, thy name is and alwaye hath bene Wherfore hast thou made vs to erre and to declyne frō thy wayes? Wherfore hast thou hardened our hertes that we should not fear the, the whyche place Paule doeth alleadge for that same purpose in the .ix. Chapter to the Romaynes.

❧The .vii. profe and authoritie.

Pharao hardenedTHys veritie is confirmed in Pha­rao, whose herte the Lord dyd har­den as Exodi. ix. Chapter. and to the Romaynes .ix. Chap.

❧The .viii. profe and Authoritie.

Exodi. ix. Rom. ix.IT is wrytten in Exodi the .ix. Chap. and to the Romaines the .ix. Therfore haue I kepte the, sayeth the Lorde, to shewe in the my strength, and that my name should be spredde and blased thorowe all the erath. Thys place the flesh wyl not haue to be vn­derstande aryghte as it oughte to be in hys owne natural meanyng. But after the flesh­ly wysdome reasoneth on this fashion▪ It is a foule inconuenience (saye theye) to say that the Lorde hathe hardened anye mans herte, to the entent, that by the wickednes and vn­godlines [Page xxviii] of him which is hardened, he shold sette forthe and shewe abrode hys myghtye power and glorye. This is the reason of the fleshe. But I praye you brethren, lette vs be wyse and sober, not to rashe nor more wyse then nedeth or is profitable. Wherefore do we go aboute to fynde faulte and to repre­hende the worde of the Lord. The miserable & vngratiouse flesh doeth fynde fault at that whiche she doth not vnderstande nor knowe Let not the fleshe anye more be in vs a iudge But let the spirite of god iudge in vs by his worde.Let vs not iudge and deme after the sygnes and vnder­standynge of the flesh The wycked and forsaken people of God in this place myght reason and gather that the Lorde hathe nede of the vngodlines of man, to the settynge forthe of hys glorye to the worlde. Suche kynde of gatheringes cometh from the deuyll, and so lette it go a­gayne to hym from whom it came,God nedethe none of our helpe for God hathe nede of nothinge, it pleaseth hym so to do, to vse his creatures after hys deuine and most Godly pleasure & wyl. The Lord did leaue Pharao in the spirite of fornicatiō, that is to saye in the vnderstandyng and iudge­mente of the fleshe.What is to be hardned Thys is to be hardened or stirred againste God. For the sence of the fleshe is harde and ryseth alwaye agaynste the spirite of God. Wherefore he beynge so lefte and forsaken of God, coulde not chose [Page] but be hardened and so to striue agaynst the Lord, whose decre and ordinaunces Pharao went about to stop and let, the Lorde preuaylynge agaynst him ouerthrowing & casting downe the pride and glory of Pharao, trea­dyng it vnder his fete. Whereby the greate strength and myghtye power and glorye of God was made manifest and open to al the worlde thorowout al the earth.

I haue kept the: howe is it to be takenTherfore the Lord sayed vnto hym these wordes I haue kept the, whiche is as muche to say, I haue lefte the wythoute my spirite, and therfore of necessitie thou must nedes resiste me & striue agaynste my wyll. For the studies and cogitations of men, worcke all­way agaynst my wyl, thei can not chose but resiste and striue contrary to it. Therefore I haue set and lefte the in thyne owne sence & knowledge of the fleshe, by the whych sence and vnderstandynge of thine owne selfe as of man naked without my spirite, thou shalt be stirred and raysed vp agaynst me. Thou shalt withstand me with all thy power whē I wyll brynge and leade forthe my people out of Egypte. Thou shalt not rest but eue­ry day, thou shalt growe more styffe necked agaynst me. But I shall in greate sygnes & maruayles brynge oute of Egypte Israell, treadynge the and all thy people whiche re­sisteth [Page xxix] me to pouder & to dust, wherby al the whole earth shall knowe my strengthe and power.Whether the sufferance of the lorde be a token of in­duration ye or naye Be thou no­thinge the bolder to synne for this but feare the great wrathe of god Some men do thinke that if a synner be not straight waie punished and chastened of the Lorde, but suffered of the Lorde, & born wyth to the entent that he should repent his former lyfe, whiche amēdeth nothing at all, but rather waxeth worsse & worsse, they saye that by this token he is strayght way indu­rate & hardened. The which thing is not al­way true. For ther be many synners whom the Lorde doeth not punishe as sone as they haue offended, & yet before they be punished by the gift of God, they do amend & correct theyr life. Wherfore to vnderstād this point wel, you must cōsider that ther be .ii. kind of mē, that one is of the faithful,Two kindes of men. the other is of the sort whiche be indurate & hardened. The faiethfull are they whiche haue the spirite of Christ, by the whiche spirite beynge taughte learned & enstructed they do cleane to the cō ­maundement of the Lorde obeying his word & voice without long tarying.The fayth­full Those which be indurate, are they which haue not the spi­rite of Christ, without the whiche spirite,The indurat people. no mā can do any thing that is good. The wāt & lacke wherof causeth that thei wil not herkē to the Lord but shew thē selues to be hard herted and rebelliouse agaynste his mooste Godly wyll and commaundemente.

[Page]Therfore they whych do make this doubt do holde opinion, that God doeth harden & make man go frome hys wayes, what tyme the Lorde doeth prolonge and differ hys pu­nishment for theyr synne. The Lorde decey­ueth him (say they) whē he doth not straight waie as sone as he hath offēded plucke and reuoke hym wyth sharpe punishment from his lewednes. Thys is theyr expositiō in di­uerse places of the scripture,These worldly simylituds and carnally imagined examples do deceyue and blynde the eyes of many men from the syghte of the scripturs whiche are spirituall Correction is no token of induration nor of the contrary. prouynge their exposition & minde to be true by the exemple of a father hauynge an vnruly & disobediēt chylde, whome for hys vngraciousnes he hath not corrected. Wherfore men saye that he hathe caste awaye hys sonne for lacke of due correction in tyme.

Contrarye wyse by the selfe same reason and exemple they do thynke that if God do correct and punishe a man strayght way for hys faulte, that then he doeth not indurate and hardē him whō he hath chastened for his offence. Al thys is but phantasies & peruers imaginations & interpretations of mannes mynd, far from any soundnes of the trueth.

For we do se daylye that there be manye whyche are wyth punishmentes corrected, beyng for al that not a whitte the better but the worsse and more indurate. If that correc­tion shoulde make a man not to be indurate, [Page xxx] but to reuoke hym frome hys synne, and to be obediente to the Lorde: wherfore was not Pharao nor the Israellites therefore the bet­ter?Pharai Israelites Idolateye The Israelites in the myddest of theyr bitter & sharpe correctiō, committed fornica­tion goynge frome the Lorde, in worshyp­pyng of images, stockes, and b [...]ocbes made wyth mannes hande perpetratynge mooste filthy, stinkynge and abominable Idolatrye not onely not minisshynge, but augmentyng and encreasynge theyr detestable and moste damnable vices, Euerye wher they were a­postatas and forsaken of the Lorde, yea whē they were in Egypt as you may se in Eze­chiell the .xxxiii. Chapter.

And agayne after that Hierusalē was o­uerthrown, whē they came into Egipte they did sacrifice to the quene of heauen Hierem. xliiii. You cā not therfore say that God doth molifie, make softe and turne the hertes of men, when for theyr synnes he doeth chasten and punishe thē,When dothe the lorde con­uert man to his will: and wher wythe dothe he it For thē Pharao shold haue bene turned and not indurate still as he was But what tyme that the Lorde doeth poure forth hys spirite into the herte of man, that the obstinate hardnes of an euyl false and li­ynge herte myght be broken, then you maye say that God doth molifie & turne, that is to saye doeth make man to incline to hys wyl [Page] and commaundementes. As Ezech .xi. Cha. and in the .xxxvi. testifieth saying. I wil take away sayth the Lorde the stony herte fort he of youre fleshe.A herte of stone A herte of fleshe I wyll geue you an herte of fleshe. I wyl geue you a newe herte and put my spirite in the middest of you. Truly nei­ther infirmities nor syckenes, neither honger norswerd, nor any other kynd of correction, no nor anye externe and outwarde gyfte of God,The lacke of the spirite is the cause of oure reuoca­tion or indu­ration nether knoledge and vnderstanding of things, nor any maner of carefulnes and so­row cā make the hert of mā to be either a re­bell, or to be pliable & obediente to the wyll of the Lord, but onely the fruition and lacke of the holye spirite. As for the correction and chastisynge of the Lorde, it profiteth if the spirite of God be presente, otherwyse it dri­ueth to desperation. The correction and pu­nishmente of the wicked, maye outewardlye cause thē to refrayne & abstaine from doing of euyll,What dothe correction worke in vs But the herte is not the better. The correctiō of the wicked maketh thē to be hy­pocrites and not the seruauntes of God as the .iiii. Chap. of Oseas declareth.Bycause the harte is not the better The Lord threatened the Israelites bycause they dyd forsake hym in theyr fornication saying that theyr doughters and wynes should be pol­luted & defiled with fornication and adultry The Lord also declared to thē that he would [Page xxxi] not punishe theyr daughters nor theyr wy­ues, bicause they should not amēd their liues outwardely from theyr vnchaste liuinge, to the greate ignominie and shame of their hus­bandes and parētes, beynge a iuste & a mete correction of the carnall and naughty affec­tions of the mē which were carnal in Israel, which detested and abhored the defilinge of their wyues and doughters (a thyng whych al men may se outwardli) theyr owne hertes beinge full of al fylthynes, & fornication frō the Lord, Bicause they feared the ignomini­ouse opprobry and shame of man,God is to be feared more then man more then the rebuke of God, the Lord most iustly su­ffered them to fall into that whiche they fea­red most. Likewise as the Lorde doeth in­durate & harden, so he doeth also deceiue and begile. as Hieremie .xx. Chap.The lorde deceyueth For Hieremie him self being strickē of Phassur, & cast into prisō for declarynge of the veritie, did make his praier to the Lord saying. Thou hast de­ceyued me good Lord, & I am deceiued. Thou art strōger thē I, & haste preuayled, I am made a mockyng stocke al the day long This place of Hieremie is bi those mē which I dyd speake of before, wrōge expoūded, as they did the place & scripture of induration, saiyng that the Lord deceiued, & begiled him whē he did not straight way rebuke him of his erroure. But it is otherwise to be taken.

[Page]For the prophete beynge beaton and cast into prison and (as you do ther reade) being of all menne skorned and made a laughynge stocke for the veritie sake, he dyd abhore and despise those whyche dyd sette lyghte by the worde of God, and yet peraduenture other whyles thorowe the weakenes of the fleshe was in daunger to haue fallen frō the word of God, and so to haue prophesied no more But the Lorde dyd conforte hym, as it is manifeste in the sayed chap. But yet before that the Lorde dyd conforte hym, Hieremi sayed Thou haste dereyued me. &c. For the Lorde commaunded hym to go and he went bold­ly, not knowynge that therefore he shoulde haue bene so handeled as he was, Therfore he sayed, thou hast deceyued me, As though he woulde haue sayed. Thou Lorde dideste not geue me warnynge before that I should be scourged, emprisoned, and that thou wouldest that I whom thou dideste send, shoulde be taken of them to whom I was sent, whō thou myghtest haue saued and kept forth of theyr handes. In fewe wordes, thys doeth declare thre thynges to vs.What is de­clared to vs by the taking of hieremy Fyrste the hea­uines and sorowe of the Prophete bycause the worde of God was dispised. Seconde hys own griefe for the euilles whych he su­ffered whyche he thought not on. Thirdelye [Page xxxii] that hys takynge and enprisonynge was of God, that is to saie, it was the wyl of God that he shoulde be taken.

They do obiecte also agaynst our opini­on of bonde wyll sayinge that our wyl doth nothing of necessitie bycause that al thinges are in the hande of the Lorde. They confesse also that God after hys own secrete coūsell doth turne mans purpose and endeuers oftē tymes other wayes then man hym selfe en­tended, the whyche entent, purpose, and first endeuoure of man, they do ascribe to the fre wyl of man saying that the fyrst m [...]tion and styrryng is in mannes libertie and power.

Wherto I saye and answere, that the wil of man worcketh of necessitie and by violēce bycause that all thynges are in the handes of the Lorde, and vnder the euerlastynge wyll of god (whych they do confesse of their owne gentilnes) whose will what man is a­ble to resiste? What is the wyll of God but hys worde and the spirite of the scripture? And the worde of the Lorde is permanente for euer. Psalme. Cxviii. and Esai. xl.The scotyst diuinitie hath made darcke the diuinitie of Christ before mennes eyes

What neade the fayethfull menne passe or care how the Dunse scholemaisters haue brawled amonge them selues of the wyll & pleasure of the Lorde, they can not tell what theyr selfes, Hys purpose, hys decre, hys or­dinaunces [Page] must neades be perpetuall & stand for euer. The Lorde purposed frome the be­gynnynge, yea and before the begynnynge, that the kynge of Egypte shoulde be indu­rate and styfnecked agaynste hym, that he should lyue wythout his spirite in the spirit of fornication, that is to saie in his owne na­turall and fleshly sence and vnderstandinge for the whyche cause he coulde not chose but be agaynste the Lorde and hys people. The affectiō of the flesh,The spirite of god and of the fleshe are at continuall warre or of the spirit of the flesh beyng not subiect to the law of God whiche is alway repugnaunte therto, as to the Ro. the .viii. chap, The spirite did bynde hym in hys wynges as it dyd the Israelites, draw­ynge hym by hys power to al kynde of euil headlynge. Is not hys wyll then bound and cōstrayned of necessitie to thys or to that? The whyche induration is to hym as a bri­dle in hys mouth drawynge and pluckynge hym frome God, and pryckynge, and styr­rynge him agaynst the will of the Lord. And yet iustely he perished althoughe it was not in hys power to do well or Godly. If thou wylt nowe go about to reason and argue, after the spirite of fornication and of the fleshe thou shalt strayght waye fall into fornicati­on agaynste God. Be contente therfore and reason no further, for to reason otherwise it [Page xxxiii] doeth dishonoure to the Lorde, and it passeth thy capacitie. Pharao beynge miserable and vniuste, iustlye indurated and made harde, coulde not applye hym selfe to the Lordes wyll. Wherefore most iustely at the laste he perished.

Many do thynke, bycause that God did stirre vp Pharao agaynst him, therfore they do saye that God wroughte those synnes in hym whyche he dyd. And that lykewyse as God doeth hys good worckes in vs, whiche are hys good worckes beinge good, euen so (saye they) doeth he punishe hys own euyll worckes in vs, God forbid I shoulde eyther speake or thynke anye such thynge whych I do knowe to be far frō any Godly doctrine But thys I dare be bolde to saye, that Pha­rao was indurated, that is to saye forsaken of the Lorde and lefte to hym selfe, for the whyche cause in hys herte he was agaynste God, by whome afterwarde he was styrred vp to vtter and shew openlye in the face and syght of all menne thys greate wyckednesse whyche he had by induration to the greate and excedyng glory of god. And yet for all that we do not say that god did worke that wickednes in Pharao bycause that al wyc­kednes: and vngodlynes procedethe not of hym: but of the lacke & want of the spirite of [Page] the vnderstandyng of the fleshe and spirit of fornication. O moste inscrutable and vnser­chable depnes of the iudgemente of God. What man knowethe these thynges? They be to thyne owne selfe secret o lorde. To the onlye it perteynethe to conclude and deter­myn these things: wherto no man els is able to penetrate and attayne. Wherfore who so­euer dothe feare thy moste godlye and mar­uailouse name: let him commit those thinges vnto the.

By this that we haue sayd a mā may easely make answer to them whych holde opynion that the entente and endeuour, or to purpose a thynge is in the will of man: contendynge that the wyll of man shall be fre to entend,The fleshe will know­ledg no bon­dage endeuour, or to purpose any maner of thing. The whych purpose entent or mynde to do a thinge eyther it is wycked and vngodly, & then it spryngethe from induration whyche dothe force a man to all euell (for an indurat person muste nedes do that which is euell) is not he then forced therto?

Induration is the worke of the lordeThis maner of speaking the flesh can not abyde to here whyche dothe crake and bost that she is fre and at her libertie. But what man can wythstande the eternall decres of the lord. The compulsion is not of god: but [Page xxxiiii] of induration. The whyche is the worcke of god most ryghtwyse: and also most terrible and to be feared. In this matter all sophisti­call and dialecticall reasonnynge profetethe nothynge at all: but rather doethe muche hurte concludynge that god workethe synne and wyckednes: that god compelleth a man to worke that whyche is euel. The lord kepe suche wordes from oure mouthes. But ra­ther lette vs saye that herein dothe lye hyd the secretes of god whyche no man is able to take.

Contrarye wyse yf mans study,To thynke well is of god. entent or endeuour or purpose be godly: it commethe from the holy spirite from whō no wycked thynge can proced. Wherfore then done we gyue lyberty to oure owne will which is al­togyther captyue and bonde. For either it is captiue and bond to the spirit of fornication: or to the spirite of god. Althoughe this cap­tiuitie of this spirit of god is most swete and plesaunte lybertye,The capti­uitie and bon­dage of the lord is liberty as we shall here after in hys owne place and tyme conuenyente de­clare.

Paule also in the ix chapiter to the Roma. confyrmynge the captiuitie and bondage of the will of man: concludethe on this wyse. It is not in hym that wyllethe nor in hym that [Page] runneth, but in the Lorde whyche hath mer­cye and compassion. The whyche place of Paul some expositours do expound on this maner, sayinge. The mercy of God preuen­ted our wyll, the whyche mercye oure wyll doeth accompany and go wyth it togyther in oure indeuorynge and purposynge, bryn­gynge at the laste to some good ende and ef­fecte. Yet for al that (saye they) we do runne, we do wyll, we do couet, we do attayne, and obtayne oure purpose. But so that the selfe same thynge whyche is ours in dede, we do ascribe whollye & altogyther to God whose handyworcke we be all.

What is that thynge, whyche we cal our owne, what is in vs but synne, impietie and vnryghtuousnes? If we be iuste, that is not ours, but it is Gods owne. If our running our wyllynge, our obtaynynge be ours, thē is it wicked.All our wais are vanitie For al the wayes of man is va­nitie. Psalm. xxxviii. If we wyll ascribe to God, and make to be hys, that which is our owne propre,Wherfore doth the mer­cye of god that is to saye, our synnes, by­cause he hath hardened vs, what erroure can be more greater?

No boubte the mercye of God dyd pre­uente oure wyll to destroye oure wyll. For wyth hys spirite in vs, he doth reueage and vtterlye denye vs, he doeth crucifie vs daye [Page xxxv] by daye, he wylleth in vs his wyl, he purpo­seth & endeuoureth in vs hys wyll, he pray­eth, he runneth, he obteyned, he doth al thing in vs,The lorde doth croune his goodnes in vs. and at the laste he doeth crowne in vs that thynge whyche is hys owne proper.

For euery fayethful man sayeth wyth Paul I do lyue nowe not I, but in me Christe ly­ueth. I do runne, I do praie, nowe not I,Our good runnynge is Christ his rynnynges but these thynges and all other Christe doeth in me. The whyche altogyther muste be ascri­bed to God, whyche is graunted of our ad­uersaries to be true.

Nowe wyll I demaunde and aske theim whether they be to be ascribed to hym, as the worckes of hym (for so they be in dede) or els as our workes proceadynge from the endeuoure and industry of our will. If they saye that they be hys owne workes, they do saye trulie and Godly, If they say that they be fyrste oure worckes and afterwarde we make theim to be the worckes of God: lette them shew me whyther God hath any nede of vs, that we shoulde ascribe to hym anye thyng, that is not hys own already. No ve­rely. Let them gyue credite, and hearynge to the trueth whyche sayeth. The earth is the Lordes, and all that is therein. Then is his, manne and other thynges whyche he wor­keth in hym. To whom onely be glory and [Page] empyre worlde wythoute ende. Amen.

Yf our will be bond how do we meriteThey haue an other obiection, wherein they do demaunde, when, howe, and whiche waye we do beginne to merite. If we do all thynge of force, by a continuall vrgent nece­ssitie, If our wyll be fre at no tyme?

Christ dothe merite for vsTo thys obiectiō I answere and say that all merites are the merites onely of Christe and that all confidence and truste of the me­rites of oure worckes must be taken awaye from vs,In what workes must we perseuer and yet we muste perseuer and cō ­tinewe styll in good worckes, those I saye whyche are of fayeth, For trulye we maye pype in an iuie bushe for anye thynge that we can merite vnto our selfe. As the .iiii. cha. of the reuelation.What is ment by the eldars leying downe ther crowns befor the throne of god. Cornelius Centurio

The .xxiiii. elders did laye downe theyr crownes before the throne and seate of the Lambe of God, knowledginge therby that by the merites of Christe, they dyd receyue the same crownes of glory at the Lords hād

Cornelius the Centurion did not obtaine by hys owne merites & worckes to be pray­sed & cōmēded of the Lord, but by the grace of the Lorde and goodnes of Christ.

Paule.What shoulde I speake of Paule, whiche dyd not wynne the crowne, after he had en­ded hys course by hys owne deades, but by hym, by whose healpe he ended and finished [Page xxixvi] hys course. Finally, neyther cornelius obtei­ned the fauoure of the Lorde, nor Paule the crowne of glorye, by the merites of theyr owne industrie and trauaile, but only by the gyfte of the Lorde, by the lyghtenyng of his spirite, and by the fre election of God.

❧The ningth proffe,

I Maruayle that men wyll so steflye con­tend and stryue agaynste so open and manifest texte of the scriptures and testimo­nies of the Lorde, to proue the wil of man which is bonde & captiue, for to be fre and at liberty, the which bōdage we do find & proue dayly by experience in our selues,The simily­tude of the potter euery one of vs beynge in the handes of the Lord none otherwyse then is the cleye in the handes of the potter, to be fashioned to what vse the potters mynde and pleasure is, as it is writ­ten Esai, xiv. Chap.

Woe be to hym that striueth wyth hys maker, the potshard with the potter.Esai. xlv.

Wyl the clay say to the the potter what do­este thou make?Hieremy. xviii. Thy worcke serueth for no­thynge? Also Ieremie speaketh more plaine­ly the .xviii Chap. Maye not I do with you as the potter doeth. O house of Israell. Ye are in my hande euen as the clay in the pot­ters hande.Rom. ix. Paule to the Rom. the .ix. Chap.

[Page]Hath not the potter power and libertie of one clotte of claye, to make one vessell to ho­noure, an other to vilenes. What so euer did cause the Prophetes & the Apostles to write this, I am sure that this is true, that the pot­ter hath no more power on the piece of claye thē the Lord hath ouer man. Nay the power that the Lorde hath ouer man, is much more a thousande tymes. Also it is certayne, that lykewyse as the potter doeth make certayne vessels to honeste vses & seruice, as to receiue and kepe meate and drinke, and water, wyth suche other lyke: and other to a more vile of­fice: euen so the Lorde hath created the electe to hys glorye, the reprobate to perpetual ig­nominie and shame.

Furthermore, the potter doeth breake the vessel and maketh it anewe, greater or smal­ler, as it doth lyke hym best, at whose work­māshyp the vessel is content & resisteth not, nor grudgeth any thynge at al, but that he maye make thereof what so euer shall please hym.As longe as thou dost de­light in synne thinke and beleue that thou art indurat: tyl thou doeste abhorre it. So trulye the Lorde worcketh and fa­shioneth man. The Lorde doeth harden and make indurate, he doeth agayne take awaye and remoue the hardnes frō the hert of man And as long as the mā is hardened: so long is the vessell full of all ignominie and filthi­nes. After that hys hardenes of herte is ta­ken [Page xxxvii] awaye, and hath receyued a newe herte he is then made agayne the vessell of glorye So you may se, that it is not in the hande of hym that wylleth, or that runneth but in the Lorde whyche is full of mercy.

Obiection They make a certayn obiection to proue the wyll of man free, by a sayinge of Paule the seconde epistle to Timothe and .ii. chap. If a man sayeth Paule doeth purge him self from suche men, he shall be a vessell sanctifi­ed to honoure, mete for the vses of the Lorde. These wordes (saye they) were foleishly to be spoken to a potsharde, but to the sharde whyche is indued wyth reason, it maye be wel sayd. I do graunt this, but that whyche they do inferre, and gether hereof I wyl not graunt to.Indeuour of mans. wyll is when a man purpo­sethe and set­tethe his mynd to do thinges and begynneth to go about it which is called in latē Conatus The reasonable shard (say they) beynge warned and admonished maye ac­commodate and make mete it selfe to the wyll and pleasure of the Lorde. The whiche thynge they do call the endeuoure of fre­wyll. I do holde the contrary opinion, affir­mynge that no man, haue he neuer so fyne & quycke a wytte, be he neuer so muche & well learned, thoughe he were euery houre in the daye admonished and taughte hys dutye, that he is not able to accōmodate and make mete hym selfe to the wyll of the Lord, with out he haue receyued the spirite of Christe, [Page] the whyche spirite doth make hym apte and readye to the wyll of the Lorde.

An other obiection they do laye agaynste vs, sayinge. If you do speake thys thynge playnlie without any exception, that we are in the handes of the Lorde, as the elaie in the handes of the potter, then must we say (saye they) that likewyse as the potter is the cause why the vessell is a vessell of ignominie ser­uynge for a vyle office, and so folowing not the vessell to be blamed bycause it was no better: euen so it is wyth the reprobates the cause of theyr reprobatiō, whi they be naughty vessels to be imputed to the Lorde which myght haue made theim vessels of honoure if it had pleased him, and not the reprobates worthy to be blamed.

To thys obiection I answer saiyng that these argumentes and reasōs are altogither of the fleshe and carnall makynge conclusi­on of the premises whyche they vnderstand not aryght, beynge not able to attaine to thē wherein manye thynges do lie hyd passinge all mens vnderstandynge and power to a­ryse vp to the knowledge therof. It is good therfore in thys casse to staye and search no further. But rather with all humilitie to re­uerence those thynges whyche the Lorde ke­peth for his owne knoweledge.

[Page xxviii]An other obiection of oure aduersaries is thys. If they wyll (saye they) that the simili­tude of the potter whyche Paull speakethe of, muste be vnderstande and taken simplye and playnlye, as it lyeth: whye shoulde we not (saie they) vnderstand that place of Paule as it lyeth in the letter, saying. If a manne do pourge hym. &c. Wherto I saye that we do take it none otherewyse then as it doeth lye: so that they do take it and vnderstande it af­ter that maner, as all such places of the scriptures are vsed to be taken. For thys poynte you muste marke well, that to kepe the com­maundementes which we are commaunded to kepe, it is vnpossible for manne wythoute he haue the spirite of the Lorde, the whyche no sophisticall cauillation can denye.By the com­maundemēts we do know what is sinne & our owne weakenes. Naye they graunte theyr selues that it is vnpossi­ble that anye man can kepe the commaun­dementes of the Lorde, after the mynde, in­tente, and wyl of the Lorde whyche doth cō ­maund them wythout his spirite. It folow­eth that what so euer the Lorde cōmaundeth vs to do, is to vs vnpossible. Yet the Lorde willeth vs to kepe and obserue hys cōmaundemētes. Wherby both we haue the know­ledge of synne,The lawe is spirituall and therfore it must be spiri­tually obser­ued: or els you worcke in hypocricie. & we knowe also how weake feble and of no strength we be of our selues For the lawe is spirituall whych can not be [Page] kepte wythout the spirite of God. And ther­fore he hathe geuen hys spirite to the electes to kepe hys wyll, whyche they were not a­ble els for to do. Iames hathe suche an other sayinge as they do rehearse forth of Paules sayinge. Clense your hertes, you wauering of mynde. The whyche thynge they cā not do without the hertes be purified and made cleane by fayth in Iesu Christ. Thus ought these wordes (purifie your hertes) to be takē and vnderstanded, that is. Beleue you in Christe, that by hys spirite you maye be pu­rified. But no man can beleue, but he which is drawen of the father as witnesseth Iohn the syxte Chapter. Whiche we muste nedes graunte. Let vs desyre and praye, that God wyll kepe in vs his cōmaundemētes whiche of our selues,We can not call on the lord wythout the spirit of the lorde in our selfe, we are not able to do. Let vs aske, cal, and crye, after that with greate diligence and fayeth, and it shall be graunted to vs. But se how captyue & bond our wyll is, that for to desyre and aske anye thing of the lord we ar not able of ourselues They wil answer to me againe: saying that the sayinges which are spokē of the saintes & godlye faithful people:Man wor­keth good or euell as the spirite drawethe are fales & not true that is. Thei haue purged & made clene ther hertes they haue sanctified thē selfes. They loued the Lorde, they prayed wel, they dyd good workes and so fourth suche other lyke [Page xxxix] sayenges. The whyche wordes are not false but true so that you do presuppose these thin­ges to be done by them thorowe the spirite of god & fayth so that we must confesse all thin­ges well done to be the dedes of the spirite of god of whom they be wrought.

Ther is none of vs whyche denye the that man worketh: but we do denye that he wor­kethe at his owne frewyl For either he wor­kethe that whiche is euell being drawen bye the spirite of fornication: or els he doth worke that thinge which is good by the spirit of the lord allmightie.A similitud by a knyfe Marke this similitude which folowethe whiche makethe not small for this purpose. A man takethe a knyfe and cutteth bread wyth it. The knyfe also doth cutte: but not wyth out the hand of hym which holdeth the knyfe.This knyfe cutteth well or yll not of hym selfe but by the cutter For the knife is not fre of him selfe either to cut or not to cut. Yet for all that whē a man doeth cut any thynge wyth a knyfe he sayth this knyfe cutteth well or yl althoughe of hym selfe he doeth cut nothynge at all but by the power and force of the cuttar. So wee can do nothyng of our selfe that is good and ryghe except the spirite of god worketh it in vs, we do no euyll excepte we be bound with the spirite of fornication and of thē fleshe. To the which spirite the lorde by his most right­wyse iustyce dothe leaue vs: by his iudgment I saye whych we knowe not. And so he suf­fereth [Page] vs to be hardened. In this place muste the fayeth full be taught to take heade and be ware of that pestilent opinion, which sayethe that euery man is made the vessel of honour or reproche by our own merytes goynge be­fore. What thynge is or euer was before the eternal decre and ordinaunce of the lorde? If thou wylt saye that god hath decreed and or­deined these thynges, whyche is euerlastynge bycause of those thynges whych he knew bye his forsyght and knowledge, that euery man woulde do in tymes: we answer seynge that-no thyng whych is done in tyme: and is tem­porall can be the cause of a thynge whiche is eternal & before all tyme. We shold do greate wronge and iniury to the lorde to saye that he was cōpelled to ordayne and decre any thing in hys euerlastyng beynge,The electes for those thynges sake whyche are done wythe in the lymyt of tyme By the onely worthynes and grace of God the elect are predestinated to be in tyme vessels to glory and honoure,The repro­bates by whose moste iust iudgemēt to vs vnknowen, the reprobates are made in tyme the vessels of ignominie, to dishonour & shame. The Lorde is marueylouse in al hys iudgmētes.

❧The .x. profe.

THe captiuitie and bondage of oure wyl is proued by Esay the .x. chap. Shall the ax boste it selfe agaynste hym whiche doeth hewe wyth it,Esai. x. Example: by an ax and by a sawe or shall the saw make any braggynge againste hym that ruleth it? That were euen lyke as if the rodde whyche a man doth beare wold exalte hym felfe and rise vp against the bea­rer,An euel kyng is called an axe: a rode, a sawe or as though the stafe would magnifye it selfe whyche is made but of wod and tre. Behold the Lorde doeth call a wycked king an axe, a saw, a staffe, a rodde, whych thyng men do vse to occupie to one thynge or an o­ther, to declare that the Lorde doeth make al men to be hys instrumentes,Man kynde is the lorde his instrumēt by the whyche he doth fulfil & accōplyshe hys iudgementes and worcketh al that pleaseth him. And tru­lye a man is nothynge els then an instrumēt of the Lorde wherwyth he doeth worcke.

❧The .xi. profe

PAule sayth to the Romaynes in the .ix. Chapter.Rom, ix. Yt was said (sayeth he) to the two childrē Iacob & Esau: before they were borne before they had done either euell or good (as it is written in the Gene­sis the .xxv▪ Chapter) The elder shall be ser­uaunte to the yonger for thys entente that by election the purpose,Let vs praye the lorde that we maye be his callyng Iacob Esau. and ordinaunce of [Page] God shoulde be stedfaste and certayne, not by oure worckes but by God, whose plea­sure is to cal whom hym pleaseth. It is wri­ten also in Malachy the fyrst Chapt. I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau. It is manifest that before the beginninge he hated the wic­kednes of Esau and hys chyldren, that is to say those that folowed hys incredulitie and vnfayethfulnesse.The lorde dyd hat the wyckednes of Esau be­for that Esau was. Who be the childryn of Esau and of Iacob. He loued Iacob and hys sede that is to saye, those whyche folowed & had the fayth of Iacob. These wordes may not be taken and vnderstande of the children of theyr own bodies begotten naturally.

For likewise as al the Israelites, are not coū ­ted in the sede of Iacob but those which haue faith, as Paule to the Romains the .ix. chap. So all the Idumites were not the sonnes & chyldrē of Esau. But those which folowed the vnfaythefulnes & vngodlynes of Esau. Euery vnfayethfull man be he an Idumite,Who be Is­ralytes. Who be Idumytes or an Israelite, a Greke, or of any other men, is of the sede of Esau.

And contrarie wyse euerye fayethfull man if he be an Israelite, an Idumite, an English man, or a frenchman, is of the sede of Iacob

These thynges I wyll referre to the expo­sition of Abdias and Malachias, where I wyll copiouslye declare thys matter of the loue of Iacob, & of the hatred of Esau God wyllyng. This which I haue spokē is suffi­cient [Page xli] cōcerning our purpose for this tyme.

❧The .xii. proffe.

THe wordes of oure Sauioure do confyrme thys same captiuitie and bondage of oure wyll in Iohn the vi. Chapter.Iohn .vi. What is to folow Christ No man can come af­ter me and folowe me, that is to saye, beleue in me, excepte my father whyche dyd sende me do drawe hym. Is not oure wyl thē cap­tyue and bonde, when it canne not beleue in Christ, without it be drawen?Iohn. xv. And Iohn the xv. Chap. Wythout me you can do nothing The whyche place when that Christe dyd speake to hys disciples althoughe he dyd speake of the fruite of his Gospel callynge him selfe the vyne, & them the braunches,Which is a good worke yet he dyd speake it generallye and vniuersally to all men sayinge, wythoute me you can do nothynge, that is to saie, no good fruite at al whyche is a good worcke. And there is no good worke but that onely which is of faith otherewyse it is an euyll worcke and synne as to the Romains .xiui. For lykewise as by fayth cometh the goodnes of the worke,Rom. xiii. euē so by vnfayethfulnes and incredulitie is the contrarye. But those thynges onely whiche be of fayeth do profitte vnto saluation and nothynge els. The whych, considering that we can not perfourme of oure selues, no not to begynne nor to procede, nor to endeuoure, [Page] nor to make an ende and finyshe. Wherfore shoulde we not saye that oure wyll is bonde and captiue & withoute all libertie?The obiecti­on of the ad­uersaries

They do obiecte agaynste vs, saiynge. We do nothyng wythout Christe, but whē he doeth sende his spirite, eyther we do agre to hys spirite, or els we do refuse it. The cō ­sent and agremente to the wyll of the Lorde is of vs, saye they, is oure owne and of oure selues. The Lorde (say they) doeth put vs in mynde to praye, to repente our naughtye li­uynge, to be liberall to the pouertye and so forthe, the whyche suggession for to folowe or to resist is in our libertie & wil. I do say & answer to thys obiection, saying. If thys ob­iection be true, then are the wordes of Christ faulse, whyche doeth saye, withoute me you can do nothinge. For after your reason you maye do some thynge wythoute hym, to en­deuour & applie your wil to his wyl. And so were the worke of god, which doth inward­lye monish & teache you: no greater thē that whyche manne doeth in preachinge and tea­chynge outwardely. As by exemple. A man doeth pronounce and shewe forth the veritie of God, to the whych (if theyr obiection be true may) he apply him selfe: maye go about and endeuour to do it, and also to perfourm it of hys owne power and strength.

[Page li]O erroure and mooste execrable heresie. Thys is the verye trueth. God doeth moue and styrre that thynge whiche pleaseth him,Euery good worke is the worke of Christe in vs no man can applye him selfe thereto, excepte he receyue the spirite of God, whereby he doeth it. No he can begynne to do nothynge be it neuer so little, wythoute Christe doe worcke in hym the beginnyng and the mind to do well, we do our endeuoure, we do ap­ply our selues to the veritie and to the Lorde not by the lybertie & fredome of our wyl but by the spirite of God whiche worcketh in vs mercifully vsynge vs as his instrumētes in all good dedes, in shewyng obedience to hys wyl, in prayer, in inuocation, to lyue soberly chastelye, and so forth to his honour.

Obiection Agaynste thys answere they do obiecte sayinge. If God worcke all thynges in vs by hys spirite, if he wylleth hys wyll in vs, if he praieth, if he geueth almes, if he stu­dieth, worketh and speaketh in vs: wherfore do we then endeuour oure selues to do anie thinge, wherefore are we so anxiouse & care­ful? I wyll not speake of all othere thynges that we do, for what cause (saye they) did the holye Euangelistes prepare theim selues to the declaration of the worde of God. Sythe it was sayed to them, when you be brought before Kynges and rulers, be not carefull [Page] thynkyng how and what you shold speake. For it is not you (sayeth the Lorde) whyche speaketh, but the spirite of my father whych speaketh in you. Whereto I saye that who so euer doeth go aboute anye thyng or is carefull for thynges, or studieth howe to set forthe the Gospell of Christe: he doeth it eythere of a pure fayeth towarde God, and then is it the dede of the holye Gooste, or els wythout fayeth trustinge in hys owne ver­tue and industruouse laboure and diligence and then it is the worke of the sense and vn­derstandinge of the fleshe. That other a mā doeth beynge bound and drawen by the spi­rite of the Lorde, as for that whyche he doth by the confidence of hys owne strengthe, it is done by compultiō of the spirite of forni­cation, bicause he is bounde in the winges of fornication, as it is written. Where is be­come oure libertie? For that one thou canste not do wythoute the spirite of God, the se­conde can not chuse but be done after the spi­rite of euil whiche leadeth the.We do good or euel as the spirit doth drawe It is vnpossi­ble that thou of thy self canste ouercome the spirite of fornication, in the whiche he draw­eth the whither it pleaseth that spirite, bi the whyche you maye perceyue that our wyl is farre from al libertie, and fre workynge be­ynge drawen on boeth sydes, eyther by the [Page xliii] spirite of God, or els by the sens of the flesh As towchyng to the ministers of the church if they preparynge them selues to preach do studie and ponder before what they shal say they do wel in so doyng,All oure stu­dies and la­bours must be referred to Christe. so that they do not put theyr trust and confidēce to theyr owne studye and laboure, but to the goodnes and promise of the Lord.

Where as we alleged the texte of the .vi. Chap. of Iohn, that is. No man can. &c. some do thynke, that that drawynge wherewyth the father draweth, is no violente drawinge whyche importeth anye necessitie,Whether the drawinge of the father do importe any uiolence or necessitie in it yea or maye. that thou maiste not chuse but go whereto thou arte drawen, but that a man maye (as they saye) haue the wyll to do or to leue vndone, as it pleaseth him. Which opinion of theyrs they do proue by an exemple saying. Likewise as a chylde when a man doeth shewe to hym an apple, doeth runne to the man for the apple And as a shepe doth folowe the man which hath a grene wilowe bow in his hande: euen so, saye they, doeth the Lorde moue and styrre our mindes with this or that, leauyng to our choise whether we wyll come or not.

I do thynke this exposition, to be erroni­ouse, peruerse, & heretical the solution wher­of must be made as I haue to you before suf­ciētly declared. For this entēt haue I shewed [Page] to you other writynge of the scriptures that you maye se howe they do striue and strug­gle agaynste the veritie of the Lorde. Suche maner of drawynge is thys, that a man can not chuse but folowe him that draweth. For euery man that is drawen of the father and taught by hym, cometh to Christe, as Iohn the .vi. Chap. When the Lorde doeth drawe the, and in the time of hys drawing, the wic­ked spirite of fornicatiō is bound faste with­in the by the spirite of Christe that he cā not styrre,Wher the spirite of god is in place the spirit of the fleshe is made subiect of force that he can do nothinge in the, to lette the frō that wherto the spirite of God which is in the doth draw the: so long as the spirite of God reigneth in the, so long the spirit of fornication can do the no maner scathe, nor beare anye rule in the. It geueth place a­gaynste hys wyll to hys better and superi­oure. Therfore the spirite of God doeth vse the at hys libertie wythoute anye stoppe or let and kepeth the commaundementes in the of the high Lord. Thou maiste not chuse but runne whē he draweth the after him in those thynges wherto the spirite wyll haue the to folow him. For he hath put a bridle & a strōg bit into the month of the spirite of fornicatiō whyche before was all thy hinderaunce and let, that thou myghteste not be appliant and agreable to the wyll of the Lorde. Therefore [Page xliiii] we are drawē of God,It is an euy­dent knowe­ledge that we are not dra­wen when we are not folowers. Who is the drawer and are forced to run after hym whyche goeth before drawynge vs as his owne wyll pleaseth. If there be a­nye man whyche thynketh that he is drawē and yet runneth not, he is fowle deceyued, for he is not drawen. Christe which suffered death for vs doeth drawe al men after hym Which al mē, be the childrē of Israel, that is to saye the elected, for whom onelye he was sent. To them pertayneth the heritage of the worlde thorow Christe as appeareth Paule the .xiiii. Chap. to the Rom. For when the e­lected be drawen, they do hye theym as faste as they can after Christe, bycause they can not chuse the spirite of Christe bearyng rule in thē.It is a great token of elec­tion: if thou doest fele in thy selfe the hatred of sin To the elect their sinne is not imputed Although the elected do offende and sinne sometime by weakenes and infirmitie the cōcupiscence beyng not altogither quen­ched in them, yet they do lyue by the vertue of God, by the whyche vertue they do hate sinne, that same vertue beyng the cause wherfore theyr synne is not imputed to them. For the fleshe hath hyr concupiscence against the spirite, yea in them whych be elected, but she doeth not preuaile or beare any great swing in them, beynge made subiecte to the spirite,In the elect is some car­nalitie whyche is of higher dignitie and power ke­pinge the spirite of the fleshe vnder and short frome ragynge to farre.

[Page]For the spirite of god hathe the spirite of the fleshe fast bounde:As the hat­tred of synne is token of election so the reioysynge of synne is tokē of induration causeing that the sinne of them in whome some sparkle of the fleshe remayneth is odyouse and detestable to thē selues. They whyche be elected doe hatte ther owne naughti dedes with al ther herts the whych hatred doth come of the spirite of god. Therfore the man which is lede by the spirite of god can not syn the whiche is lede by the concupiscence of the fleshe: must nedes worke synne and wickednes. The doienges of Christe: and the dedes or worckes of man are contrary.Marke this well: and ex­amyn thy self after this lesson and feare not. That spirite in the which thou haste thy delyghte wherto thou art addicted and geuen in thyne herte: that same doeth reygne in the.

Thou art geuen: & addicted to one when thou doest beleue and workest by faith after the worde of the lorde. Thou art seruante to that other when thou arte vnfaythefull, and bringest forth deadly frutes of thy infidelitie that is to saye workes agaynst the worde of god which be not of fayth.The electe hathe the pryckynge of the fleshe in them du­rynge ther lyfe.

The fleshe is not all togethere subdued & quelled in the electe, as longe as they be on lyue. And yet it is dayly crucifyed in them if is mortified by the prescence of the heauenly spirit: wherin the fleshe is bounde brydeled & made subiecte. The spirite of the lorde if it [Page xlv] please hym maye drawe the quyckelye alto­gyther and whole after hym, quenchyng in the power, strength & heat of the fleshe.Wherfore doth not the lorde take a way cleane the pryckyng of the fleshe in his elect But it pleaseth hym not so for to do, bycause he knoweth it to be better as it is & more to his glorye, and to the profit of the electe people howe so euer the spirite of fornication doeth iudge and take it otherwyse.

Many men do thinke in them selues, that they coulde fynde the causes of al these thin­ges, why and wherfore the Lorde doeth this thynge or that. But verelie as it is saied be­fore,What man doth knowe the cause of the lordes workes the spirite of fornication hathe receyued them, and bounde them in hys wynges. For what so euer they can saye, it is muche lesse then the trueth in dede.

They do saye furthermore that it is per­mitted to the fleshe to beare some rule in a man, bycause that man knowelegynge hys owne frailtie,The fleshe doth hynder the electe frō the perfetnes that they de­syre and that by the ordy­naunce of the lorde. should meake and lowly hym selfe. I do knowe that it is neadfull that we be meke and lowlye, but for all that it is not well sayd, that for that cause the fleshe is not extinguished in vs, bicause we shoulde meke and submit our selues. For the true and per­fecte mekenes, lowlines and humilitie com­meth from the spirite of God. But the fleshe doeth plucke them somewhat backe, making them lesse obedient & meke then they should [Page] or woulde be. For if the fleshe were cleane a­bolished and subdued in vs, that it shoulde haue no maner of styrring: then should ther be in vs no pride, nor none other corrupt af­fection, but a true humilitie a perfecte iustice and ryghtuousnes. No man doeth knowe thys misterie but the Lorde onelye, and to whome it pleaseth hym to open it. He wyll reueyle and open it to hys electes in time, to theyr glorye, and then we shal knowe howe maruailouse are the iudgemētes of the Lord aboue mans reason.

Those whiche do subuerte the right sen­ces of Gods word do suppose that the wor­des whyche the spouse in the Gospell dyd speake sayinge. Drawe me after the (& those whyche the yonge women did speake in the Canty-sayinge. We wyll runne) do make muche for theyr purpose to confyrme theyr blynde forged libertie of mans wyll, saying that the desyre of the yonge man, and to be drawen after him, and of the yonge women for to runne doeth come of theyr owne pro­pre, endeuoure, and fre wyll. But if they do loke well on the matter, they shall fynd that it is cleane contrarie, and that these wordes do proue strongely the miserable captiui­tie and bondage of mannes wyll, as in that place of the Canti. & by that whych we haue [Page xlvi] declared alreadye doeth appeare.

❧The .xiii. proufe.

PAule writeth to the corhinthians the se­cond Epistle and .iii. chapter.The lorde doth worke in vs both to wyll and to do the ded Not that we (sayeth he) be suffitiente of oure sel­ues, to thynke anye thynge as of oure selues. But all our suffitiency is of the Lord This texte and suche other the defenders of fre wyll do expound by thys worde. Potest that is in Englyshe to saye, can, or maye, as it maye or can be vnderstande thus or thus, it maye be true in thys sence. We wyll not consent and graunte that they shall wryth & wreste the scriptures makynge diuers sen­ses and vnderstandynges, whyche are vn­possible to be true, we wyl that the scripture be taken in hys owne kynde & naturall mea­nynge. For the more simple and playne the declaratiō is made, the more neare it is to the trueth. Truly of our selfe we can thinke no­thinge that is pleasaunt to the Lorde. Thou wylt saye peraduenture. I do graunte that we can thynke no Godly thynge of oure sel­ues, muche lesse perfourme any such thinge. But to applye our selues to his wyll, which doeth put suche thynges in our mindes, that is in oure owne power and wyll. As witne­sseth Paule to the Rom. the .vii. chap. saying To wyll I haue in my power, but to per­fourme [Page] my wyll that I can not by no mea­nes. The whyche authoritie of Paule ma­keth nothynge agaynste vs beynge takē as it ought for to be, expoundynge as before I haue declared after thys maner. To wyl is in my power, that is to saye, by the spirite of God. But to perfourme it I can not bicause that no man can perfourme the wil whyche the Lord doth gyue, except the Lord do gyue the spirit aswell to perfourme it, as he did to wyll it.Philip. ii. The selfe fame thyng teacheth Paul to the Philip. the second Chapt. declarynge that to wyll cometh of God sayinge these wordes. The Lord doeth worcke in vs, both for to wyll and to perfourme. Forsoth if we can not of our selues wyll to do good, howe can we saye it at our owne libertie we maye chuse to do thys or that at our own pleasure Yet will not they forsake thys opinion of fre will. For if a man wold aske thē, howe and by what reasō they cā proue & affirme theyr sayinge to be true, they do answer, that the wil of man worketh with the spirite of god.You may se how darkely they do teach Nay they wyll leaue out this worde spirite and say. The wil worketh with grace wor­kinge in vs. They thinke that thys vocable grace is an habite or affection of the minde: as other affections be, being in dede nothing lesse. For grace is the fauoure of God. For ther is no man whych is indued wyth grace [Page xlvii] but he onelye whyche is pleasaunte to the Lord or whō the Lorde doth fauour.Grace I do not regard or pas much for that grace which is a qualitie of the mind, for ther is no such grace. But I would fayne haue those gyftes which be by the grace of God, that is to saye those giftes whiche he vseth to geue to his electe people, bycause it pleaseth hym of his good­nes first to fauoure and loue thē, and so tho­rowe the fauour of God they become plea­saunt & acceptable to hym. To be short, that man hathe the grace of God whō the Lorde doth fauour according to his owne pleasure whō he doth accept.Who hath the grace of god. It were better said therfore that the will of man worcketh wyth the spirite working in vs, thē to say that it wor­keth with grace. For to that oure wil worc­keth with the spirite, I do agre & cōsent well therto,The lybertie of the chil­dren of god consideringe that we do worcke not frely at our own libertie, but by the libertie of the holye spirite. And that is called the li­bertie of the childrē of god, to the whiche li­bertie we are led by the spirite after that he hath drawē vs. But what do we meane whē we do say, that the sainctes haue done manie thinges & the godly mē thē selues haue said that they haue preached, praied, & laboured. &c. And in other places they do saye againe that God hath done all thinge, as Paule to the Corhin. the .i. Epistle. and .xv. Chap.

[Page]I haue laboured more fruitefully (sayeth Paule) not I but the grace of God whyche is present wyth me. That is to say, the Lord whom it pleaseth to accepte and fauoure me hath wrought these thynges in me.

Wee do answere to theyr obiection and authoritie sayinge. Fyrste that God doeth worcke all these thinges hym selfe. Second­ly, the Lorde doeth saye that hys electes, hys fayethfull and Godlye doe manye good dedes, bycause he doeth vse them as his in­strumentes to do hys worckes. As by ex­emple. A man whyche doeth cut bread wyth a knyfe, sayeth the knyfe cutteth well, suche is the speakynge of the Lorde by vs. If the knife coulde speake it woulde saye. I do cut bread. Euē so the Godly and vertuouse mē do saie, we haue laboured, we haue preached we haue prayed. &c. knowynge them selues to be nothynge els but the instrumentes of the Lorde whyche worcketh.The lorde calleth hys workes our workes. And where as the Lorde doeth saye that we do worcke it is of hys vnspekeable goodnes, whyche vou­cheth fate to cal hys workes in vs, our wor­ckes, whyche are hys instrumentes.

A certaine man writeth, that in the holye scripture it is often tymes beaten into oure heades, that euerye good thinge is of God, that he worcketh all thynges after the decre [Page xlviii] ordinaunce and purpose of his eternal wyl, that all our suffitiencie and ablenes is of him that we haue nothynge, that we haue recey­ued nothynge, but of hym, and suche other manye thynges more, for that entente and purpose that we shall not sette and put anye truste in our selues, that we shoulde not pre­sumptuouslie presume and arrogantly boste of our own dedes and for none other cause. As to the wordes of the Lorde what man cā denye but that they be true, and that they were spoken to take all proude & presump­tuouse lokes frome vs. But the sayinges of the holye scripture as they be infallibly true so they are playnelye and symplye to be vn­derstande that we shoulde in no wyse, in no case, after no maner of fashion ascribe anye thyng to vs,Wherfore is it sayede that the lorde speaketh in his elect Mathew. x. but all thynges wholy to him and oure selues to confesse and knowledge trulye, mekely and lowlie, that we be the in­strumentes of hys maiesty and goodnes. After thys maner of speakynge the holye wytnes bearers in Christe are sayed not to speake of them selues, but that the spirite of theyr father speaketh in them. As Mathew the .x. It is sayed by theym that they do not speake, bycause they can speake no trueth of themselues. By the mouth of them whyche are hys creatures as most mete instrumētes the Lorde maketh open hys wyll to all men. [Page] For so did the Lord speake in Stephā, which no man coulde resist. As Act. vi Chap.

So dyd Christe liue and worke in Paule and Paule by Christe liued and worcked, as to the Gala. the seconde Chapter. Lykewyse Christe doth lyue in the iuste, that is to saye in the fayethfull, and they by fayeth do liue thorowe Christ, as Abacuch the second cha. and to the Rom. the .i. Chap. and to the He­brues the .x. Chap.

Iuste men do lyue by faythe.I maruaile wyth what spirite they be led when they do speake sayinge. God wil that we do ascribe nothyng to vs, although ther be some thynge in vs, whyche wee myghte iustlye and rightly call our owne. God (say they) semeth to commaund these thinges but for a face prouynge theyr wycked opiniō by the .xvii. Chap. of Luke,What a dy­uelyshe doc­ [...]ryne is it to say that god vseth disimu­lation wher­in they wold make god a lyar. not ryghtlye taken sayinge. When you haue done all that you can, saye you: we be vnprofitable seruaunts. Whereto I answere on this wyse. God is not an enuiouse person. Wherefore if there were anye thynge in vs of oure selfe that we myghte be proude of: he woulde not take the prayse thereof from vs, for he doeth loue veritie and trueth, as Psalm. l. But he wil­leth that we cōfesse vs to be his instrumen­tes as we be in dede. He commaunded thys sayinge, When you haue done all thing. &c. [Page xlix] not for a face or faynynge in anye maner of wise, but al that he speaketh is in veritie and trueth The seruauntes of God workynge well are nothinge els then the instrumentes of God,What is ment by this saying we are vnprofytable seruantes whyche worcketh all goodnes in them. He willeth that they shal take no more on theym, then they be in deede. He wylleth thē to confesse, knoweledge, and name theyr selues to be the instrumentes of God, & no­thynge els. Therefore he doeth commaunde them that vnfaynedlye and with a true hert they shoulde saye we are vnprofitable ser­uauntes, whyche is as muche to saye, as we be the creatures, we are the instrumentes of thy worckes, we do but serue the, and not that of oure owne vertue and power. For that we be thy seruauntes, it is of thy moste tender mercye, whyche wyth thy mooste lo­uynge spirite doest make vs so to be Wher­fore to the onely for al thinges which we do by thy spirite we do render thankes, and all glory be to the, knowynge that of our selues we are vnprofitable seruauntes, and that we can do nothynge, be it neuer so little that is good, of our selues. If any manne doeth not thynke that same in hym selfe, he maketh God a lyar. He maketh God an enuiouse person, whyche commaundeth vs to walke in hypocrisie, for to saye, as the proude Hy­pocrites [Page] vsed for to saye,The most blouddy ty­raunte of all the worlde doeth call hym selfe the seruaunt of seruauntes of god. How the po­pyshe hypo­crytes doe subscribe ther letters. I am a pore synner vnworthy to holde vp myne eies to heauen, I am one of the leaste seruauntes of God, I haue synned much more greuousely thē al o­ther men. Suche wordes vse they to speake when they be praysed, bycause they woulde not appeare outewardelye to be praysed & called thys or that, beynge in all the worlde nothynge that they do desyre & couet more.

These do subscribe theyr letters, whiche they do sende to greate menne, or to theim of whome they do gape after some benifite, af­ter thys maner. Your lowely meke and pore bedmā, the vnworthy shepherd of the flocke of Christe, and yet they be nothynge els, thē most raueninge and blougredy wolues.

The holy father of Rome.The greate Antechrist and horned beast, the fowle and abhominable strumpet & har­lot of Babilonicall Rome calleth hym selfe the seruaūt of the seruauntes of god, which is the most cruel enemy and bloudy tyraūte that euer God had.

Obiection They do obiecte agaynste vs sayinge. God doeth callIn this word (doth call) is the cauilla­tion. those hys chyldren whyche do call them selues vnprofitable seruauntes And therefore the Lord wyll saye to them. Come you my blessed. &c.

We answere & saye, that not these which do call them selues vnprofitable wyth their [Page l] tonge outwardly, but they whych vnfained­lye in theyr hertes do knoweledge them sel­ues to be no lesse in dede then they haue de­clared with theyr mouthes and so to professe it openlye,The children of god, when so euer the glorye of God should require, these are the chyldren of god whyche in the iudgement shall be numbred amonge the electe sorte. The Lorde sayeth, not euery man whych sayeth to Christ Lord Lorde shall enter into hys glorye.The herte muste speake in the faythe­full. Finallye these wordes whyche the Lorde dyd speake sayinge. Saye that you be vnprofitable. &c. are to be vnderstand of the speakyng of the herte, and not of the mouth outwarde only. As for the outward pronouncynge of suche wordes by the mouth,To what vse serueth the outward behauiour it sildome doeth any profit, but to augmente encrease, and norishe hypocrisie. For there be many whyche out­wardlye do beare so holye a face, so lowelye a loke, so religiouse & frier lyke countenaūce, as though al Godlines, all holines were in­cluded in theym, beynge nothynge els then vesselles full of all crafte, deceite and gile malice and rancoure the verye horde of all myschiefe.The mother of christ must knowledge her felfe an vnprofitable seruaunte.

These wordes muste be spoken inwarde­lye wyth the herte, yea of the mother of god the immaculate virgin. The Angels muste cōfesse that they be vnprofitable seruauntes

Obiection Yet saye they againe, Christe dyd not say when you haue done all thynges well and Godlye, I wyl iudge you vnworthy my fa­uour, or wyll take you for vnprofitable ser­uauntes. But Christe sayed (saye they) saye youWhat a fo­lyshe c [...]ila­tion is of this word saye ye that you be vnprofitable seruauntes. Fyrste I do answere sayinge that Christe is the veritie whyche doeth hate and abhore al lyes, And therfore it can not be possible that he woulde preach and teach one thyng with hys mouth and thynke an other thyng with hys herte, If he hadde not iudged them to be vnworthy of hys grace of theyr selues, and vnprofitable seruauntes, he would not haue layed as he dyd saye. For wyl house doubte what so euer we do, what so euer we do go aboute, what so euer we do thynke of oure selues we are vnworthy of the grace of god we are hys vnprofitable seruauntes. So he dyd esteme and take all hys. Godly seruaū ­tes, not to be worthy seruauntes, but vnworthy of hys grace of theyr owne worthynesse. So he toke hys blessed mother to be of hyr owne selfe an vnworthye seruaunte. So he toke al the companie of the angels, What cā our worckes do to purchaise and wyne the grace of the Lorde?Christ only dyd merite and purchaise fauour for his people This knarke is of the de­uels diuise studye. Grace. Dyd not Christe hym selfe onely merite and deserue grace and fa­uour for hys elected people, whō the father [Page li] dyd geue to hym [...] verelye.

The sophisticall bablers do graunte that Christ onely may merite and deserue for vs the fyrste grace (as they do cal it) We truly do knowe none other grace but one. Grace is the fauour of god which Christ fyrst receiued, by whom of hys most plentifull abun­dancye we are made partakers of the same grace. Therfore when the Lorde sayed, whē you haue done all thynge well, &c. it is as muche to saie, as if you haue done any thing whyche is good, it cometh of me, for you are my instrumentes to all good worckes, of youre selfe you canne do nothynge. By no worcke of yours can you wynne my grace, bycause you shoulde knowe your selfe to be vnprofitable seruauntes, and so wyth all youre herte to knoweledge it, makeynge no better of your selues then you are in dede.

Obiection Yet once agayne saye they, better it is that we make the Lord to be the whole ow­ner and doer of all thynge, as well of that whyche we do, as of hys owne, and that he doeth beare the name therof, for as much as he beynge boeth good & liberall wyl render agayne to vs, not onely that whyche is oure owne, and of our owne doynge, but also wil name and call hys own dedes and worckes to be ours.

[Page]I answere sayinge that whyche pertay­neth to oure selues, whych we may ryghtly call oure owne propre, are these folowynge. Sinne, errour, blindenes, & the spirite of for­nication, whyche the electe and chosen peo­ple woulde fayne were taken frome them, & that cleane, neuer to be rendered and resto­red agayne.What are oure owne workes The Lorde doeth of hys good­nes call ours, that and these worckes which are hys owne, but vnder hym, wherfore we muste geue al thynges to hym. As for those thynges whych maye be called ours in dede as sinne. &c. they are to be ascribed vnto our selues and not vnto God.

They do argue and reason subtillye by the exemple of the prodigale and riotouse sonne with these words If we haue nothing in our owne hande and power, howe can we saye that the riotouse and prodigall sonne dyd consume, waste, and riotousely spende hys owne parte,Of thys word (his owne part) do they make this cauill and portion of substaunce geuen to hym. We do saye that the mooste gentyle Lorde doeth make those thynges whych be hys to be ours, but as I haue said vnder hym, that we shoulde vse and order hys gyftes after the rule and iudgmente of hys spirite and accordeynge to hys worde. The whyche thynge thys riotuose yonge man dyd not. [Page lii] For that thing which the Lord of his good­nes called & named to be his: this yonge mā would not haue vnder the Lorde as the gyft of the Lorde, but forsaken and goynge from the house of the churche and from faieth did dissipate and spende wastablye to hys owne destruction all that he hadde receyued of the Lorde, which is called in that place the parte or portion of hys substaunce.i, Corin. xv. Obiection This cauila­tion is made of the word (uoyde in me) as who sayeth he did me pleasure & I dyd pleasure agayne to hym. Out of these wordes (with him) is the cauyll. Paule writeth in the fyrst Epistle and the .xv. Chap. to the Corhin. By the grace or thorowe the grace of God. I am that I am, & the grace of god (saye they) was not voyde in me, that is to saye, he did not for nought receyue me in to grace. For after I had receyued the grace I dyd worcke these thynges whyche were ac­ceptable and pleasaunt vnto hym. Also it is written the .ix. Chapter of the boke of wise­dome. That the wyse man dyd wyshe and desyre that the heauenlye wysedome would assiste hym, that it myght be wyth him, that it woulde laboure wyth hym. You maye se and perceyue (saye they) that Paule and the wyse manne do confesse and acknoweledge the grace of the Lord, and yet they do not o­mit and forget theyr owne labour, thinking that it is in thys case as a maister carpinter, instructynge and teachinge hys seruaunt in hys worcke what he shall do, & the seruaunte [Page] in doynge and fulfyllyng his maisters will and commaundemente. The whych simili­tude is nothing lyke nor true. For although the ma [...]ster commaundeth hys seruaunte to do thys or that, yet hath he not power ouer the wyll of hys seruaunte. But the Lord is ruler and gouernoure boeth of the wyl and dede, and of all other thynges. More ouer in that same similitude the seruaūt doeth not nor can not obey hys maister as he ought to do, except the Lord did fyrste incline and ap­plye hys wyll thereto. Doubtlesse it is that Paule & other seruauntes of god did worke but not of them selues, but by the spirite of God. For the wysdome and spirite of God was wyth them, and laboured wyth them, so that if the spirite of God hadde not bene wyth them and laboured wyth theim, they might haue done no suche thynge. So is the wyl of man by the spirite of fornication cap­tiue & bonde: that except it be bounde by the spirite of God, the wyl of man can do no­thynge that good is, but all contrarie.

Yet say they that we do deny that mā doeth worke any thing which is not true, we saye not so. Oure denial is, that we haue of oure selues, anye libertie to worke. This answer whyche I haue made to thys obiection, will serue to put away an other of their cauilla­tions [Page liii] where they say that ther is no helper, but where as is also a worker.

Obiection If it be so (saie they once agayne, for they wyll not leaue of so sone) then fare well all merites. And where as is no meritynge nor desertes there is nother punishmente nor re­warde,Merite Rewardes To thys obiection I wyll in fewe wordes make answere. There is place in vs to merite and deserue euyll, ergo, then there is place for punishment for our naughty de­seruyng. As for good merites in vs we haue none, but onely the merites of Christ whose merites, it hathe pleased hym to make oure merites if we do beleue in hym, and so by Christe also we haue our rewardes.

By these testimonies of the scripture, and by manye more whyche I myghte re­herse it is made euident and playne, that the wyll of man is all togyther cap­tyue and bonde beynge by the scriptures sufficiently pro­ued, and that in no case it is fre and at libertie to do of hym selfe, what hym ly­steth.

❧The thyrd parte of thys boke decla­reth in what thynge the wyll of man is made fre. But so that it remaineth bonde to eternal felicitie & saluation.

Iohn. viii. The fredom of man. THe Lorde sayeth in Iohn the .viii. Chap. If the son hath set you fre & at liberly, thē are you fre in dede From what thyng doeth the son deliuer you, and from what bondage are you set fre. Frome the naughtye and corrupte sense, iudgmente and vnderstandinge of man, and from all o­ther proceadinges thereof. He doeth deliuer none but hys seruauntes vnder that condi­tion,The condi­tion of mans fredome that they shall be alwayes subiect. To whom? To hym selfe onelye for hys owne sake, and to all other for hym. They are set at libertie from all outward thynges which may be anye let or impedimente,From what thynges are we made fre that a man shoulde not gyue hym selfe to the obseruati­on and kepynge of hys holye ordinaunces This is the libertye and fredome of all the children of God (that is to saye) of the faithfull, whiche onelye are the children of God and none other.

Mans in­uentions swaruing frō the worde of god are to be de­tested and abhorred of all men Howe are the faythfull both fre and bond at one tymeThis chaūg & alteratiō worketh the hād of the almighty, that a mā shal deteste & abhor the spirite of fornication wyth all the filthi­nes and impuritie of it, and al other thinges [Page liiii] dependynge therof, that is to saye, all the in­uentions of man, & all hys traditions or de­crees whyche doe neuer so lyttle swarue from the word of the Lorde. The which hād of God doeth cause also that man shall not desyre and seke hys owne pleasure and wil, but the will and pleasure of Iesus Christe, and profit of hys neyghbour.

Hereby it is manifeste, that the fayethful are both seruauntes and also fremen. They are free and at libertie, beynge set at libertie from all those thynges, whyche doeth pro­uoke and plucke a man backe from the word of God.Rom. vi. They be seruauntes to the obedi­ence of the word of God, as to the Rom. vi. Chap. Beyng made fre from synne, you are made the seruauntes of God.i. Corin. ii. ii. Corin. iii. And the firste epistle and .vii. Chap. to the Corhin. He that is called a seruaunt in the Lord, is a fre man of the Lorde. And the seconde epistle,Gala. iii. and .iii. Chap. to the Corint. Wher the spirite of the Lorde is, there is libertie. And to the Gala. iii. chap. We are not the chyldrē of the bond mayde, but of the fre woman, in the whyche libertie Christ hath deliuered & made vs fre his elected.i. Peter. ii. And the .i. epistle of Peter the ii. Chapter. As those whyche are fre, and not makynge oure libertie to be a cloke and co­loure of iniquitie, but as the true and fayth­full seruauntes of the Lorde.

[Page] Esechy. xxx. vi. A herte of stone. A herte of fleshe.The seynge of Ezechiell is fulfilled in them, whyche obtayned thys moste necessa­rye and profitable lybertye thorowe Christ in the .xxxvi. Chapt. I wyll take awaye the stonye herte, whiche is indurate, that is as muche to say, the spirite of fornication from them. And I wyll putte in theim an herte of fleshe, that is to say a tractable mynd which can be content wyth all hys herte to agre to the cōmaundement and the wyll of the Lord The whych saying of Ezechiel, they which do denye the bondage and captiuitie of the will of man, do vnderstand and take it to be none otherwise, thē as a maister would saye to his scholer speakinge incōgrue & false la­tin with these words. Wel I wil plucke this barbarouse tonge forth of thy head, and put in the stede thereof a cleane latin [...]ong, in the whych thynge is required the industrie and diligence of the scholer and hys good wyll to be ready for to folowe and obey hys ma­sters teachynge.Marke and learne how thou mayst answer such lyke symili­tudes & ex­āples as they do bring for their purpose To the whyche and such o­ther lyke we do answere and saye, that these exemples do halt and fayle in .ii. thynges. Fyrst the maister can not alter, nor chaunge nor drawe, the wyll of the scholer after his owne pleasure and mynde, nor none othere man any mans wyl.

Secondlye they are deceyued in theyr si­militude, [Page lv] bycause the maister oftymes tea­cheth his scholers and yet they are nothyng the better.

The Lorde doeth neuer take awaye the stonye herte of man in vayne, puttynge in­to hym a new herte of fleshe. For it is in hys power at hys owne pleasure and wyll, to chaunge the wyll of man hauynge no nede of our industrie or laboure.

For by oure owne industrie and laboure what do we els then dayly commit fornica­tion [...] departynge and goinge from the Lord we are dayly hardened. From the electe the Lord taketh awaye the industrie of the wise­dome of the fleshe, pourynge into them the industrie and diligence of hys spirite.

Obiection They do laye agayne agaynste vs the words written in Ezechiell the .xviii. Chap­ter.In these wordes cast a way and make to you, is ther cauell Caste awaye frome you all youre ini­quities wherein you haue fayled and gone asyde, and make your selfe a newe herte and spirite.

You maye se (saye they) in thys place that a manne maye do some thynge of hym selfe that is good. And yet they are decey­ned. For the Lorde doeth requyre that wee shoulde worcke not of oure owne power and diligence, but by the power and dili­gence of hys spirite.

[Page]Bysides that thys commaundement and all other commaundementes of the Lord are vnpossible to be done if the spirit of God be not in vs, whyche maketh all thynges to be possible, as in other places we haue proued.

Trulye the Lorde wylleth that hys com­maundementes be obserued and kept of vs not by oure owne spirite of fornication, but by hys spirite. For that whiche the Lord cō ­maundeth can not of anye man, but by hys owne spirite be kepte. What mā of his own power can caste of frome hym selfe hys olde accustomed wickednes and corrupte desyres of the fleshe? What man can renue, turne, & alter hys owne herte to Godwarde & keepe hys wyll without hys spirite. It is the Lor­des owne worcke, and no mans els. Wher­unto the wordes of Ieremy are respondente and agreynge, whyche sayeth. Is it possible that an Ethiop can turne the coloure of hys face,Hieremy xiii. This is a strong and an inuincible bulworke agaynst fre­wyll. and put on a newe skynne? Cā the Leo­pard take frō him self the spots which are in hym? Can youre selues do & worcke good­nes, whiche haue learned al naughtines and euyll. By the whyche texte it is declared o­penlye, that a man by hys owne power can do nothynge to the alteration of hys herte, nor anye other thynge whiche pertaineth to eternall felicitie.

[Page lvi]Yet the defenders of this moste false and deceytfull libertie do go about stil to deceiue vs makinge vs beleue that we do expownde the scriptures on thys maner. Make you a newe herte, that is to saye. Lette grace make you a newe herte. And also, Streche forthe your hande wherto you wyll, that is to saye Let grace streach forth your hande whereto you wyl. Againe in an other scripture. Eue­rie man that hathe this hope. He doeth sanc­tifie hym selfe in hym, that is to saye, grace doeth sanctifie hym. Let vs caste awaye the worckes of darckenes, that is to saye.Thus dothe antichristes disciples sclaunder wyth ther lyese the true preachers of fayth ma­kyng the people beleue that they woulde haue no good workes Lette grace caste awaye. &.c. What man euer I pray you (as for the reste of theyr sclaunde­rous lies here I wil not speake of) did heare me at any tymes reade and expownde after thys maner. What man knowynge them to be suche shamful and shamles lyers wyl be­leue them in anye thynge they speake? For oure exposition & declaration of those textes hath bene alwaye after thys maner. Make you a newe herte by the spirite of God. What man can make hys herte new wyth­out the spirite of God? Considerynge that by our owne deceytfull spirite we are made worsse and worsse, much lesse can we be alte­red of our selues from the worsse to the bet­ter. Streach forth thy hande, that is by the [Page] wyl and dede of the spirite of God to good­nes, or to euyll by the spirite of fornication, and of the fleshe. Also, he doeth sanctifie him selfe by the spirite of Christ, not by his own deceiuable spirite. Furthermore, let vs caste awaie the worckes of darckenes, by the spi­rite of God, whyche we are not able to do wythoute it.

There is none of vs whyche doeth saye that god commaundethe grace to doe anye thynge, as thoughe he would saye: let grace doe this or that. For grace is nothynge els but the fauour of the lord,Grace. by that reason we shoulde saye that god doth commaunde him selfe to doe thys or that if we did expounde the scripturs as they doe falslye belye vs. For to saye these wordes folowynge: Lette grace extende, let grace do. Let grace caste a­waye what is it els then a precepte or com­maundemente let them therfore cease from there blasphemous reportes and dyuelyshe lyefe wher wyth they doe nothynge els but declare to al men their peruers and froward malice of their hertes. Wherfore do they go aboughte to make darcke and obscure the grace of god and the goodnes of oure faui­our Iesu Christe? Wherefore do they make so muche of mans strenghte, whyche of him selfe can do nothynge but go and depart frō [Page lvii] the Lorde,The spirite of god draw­eth to good, the spirite of the fleshe to all euell. and not that neyther of theyr own free wyll, but by the spirite of fornication, whyche plucketh theym that they canne not chose but do euyll. If they do make so much by theyr vnhappy and lewde libertie or fre­dome of theyr wyll (whyche they haue not in dede) lette theym thense if they canne be riche whē them pleaseth. Let thē se if they cā saue thē selues therbi. And that is vnpossible We do esteme & regarde their goodlye false libertie, to be muche more vyle and stinking then the ordre of man, then anye other styn­kynge donghyll, whyche is nothyng els but the inuentiō & deuise of the Deuyll,Fre wyll inuented by the deuell to obscure the glory of god of Satā that, intendynge nothynge els thereby but to minish and hynder the veritie of the Lord obscurynge and hydynge frome the eyes of men, the mooste mercifull gentilnes of hys goodnes, to make theim to be ingrate & vn­thankefull people.

The dreame and phantasye of thys fre­wyl is suche a thynge,Either God must be true and the wyll captiue: or els god must be faulse and the wyll fre that if it be true as they do saye and holde that it is, then the veritie of the worde of God can not stande And contrarywyse if the worde of God be true, whyche the deuyl and all hys disciples can not denye, then of necessitie muste thys forged wyll be as it is, false and contrary to al trueth. But lette the speache of veritie of the hygh Lorde be parmanent and stande [Page] styl for euer. Let this false perswation of fre wyl, with al other inuētions of man contra­rie to scripture perishe & fall awaye. Amen.

Let therfore thys false, wycked, and bond libertie, be put forthe of the doers. Let the li­bertie of the chyldrē of God be sought forth by the fayeth in the Lord Iesu Christ which is our Sauioure. Thys libertie the churche of God hath loked for manye yeres, it hath desiered it of longe tyme, and many dayes. From this desyre did the wordes in the cāti­cles springe of mooste perfecte and vnfay­ned loue, as. Let him kisse me with the swete kysse of hys mouth, as: Plucke me after the. as. Come hyther my beloued, as. Shewe to me, hym whome my soule doeth loue, wyth suche other lyke sayinges.

The sinagoge of Antichriste, in the daye whych is dedicated and hallowed to the na­tiuitie of the Lorde do graunt thys, pronoū ­cynge wyth theyr owne lyppes,The prayer of the church on Christ­mas daye the holye prayer of the churche of God sayinge after thys wyse. Graunte to vs good Lorde we pray the, that thys newe natiuitie of thy son in fleshe maye deliuer vs, and make vs fre whom the olde seruitude and bondage doth hold fast bownd vnder the yoke of sinne,The yoke of synne &c. The yoke of synne is the yoke of concupis­cence. As Paule in manie places but special­lye to the Romayns communelye vseth to [Page lviii] speake. By synne cōcupiscence (sayeth he) &c. The whyche concupiscence maye well be named a yoke bycause it holdeth manne in moste cruell seruitude, in so muche that ex­cepte he be fyrste deliuered from that, he can do nothynge that canne be pleasaunte to the Lorde. Thys is the yoke of bondage to the beleuynge people. Thys is the rod of hys shoulder and the scepter whych the litle child borne into thys worlde and geuen vnto vs hath ouercome.The names of god. Whose empyre is aboue his shoulder which is called by these names The marueilouse, the counseler. The strōge and myghty Lord. The father of the world to come. The prince of peace,Esai. ix. As Esay. ix. O moste ioyfull libertie to the electe which is annexed & ioyned vnseperablye wyth the most blessed seruitude & bōdage of the Lord. This libertie is far from the power of Sa­tan & most miserable sinagoge of Antichrist whyche is departed & fallen from the Lorde and sauiour,The sinagog of antichriste hath not this lybertie that the faythfull maye do ser­uice to the Lorde without impedimente, and afterward one to an other for Christes sake This holy and sacrete seruitude & bōdage of the Lord is not a bitter, hard, or heauy yoke,Math. xi. it is lyghte, amiable and swete, As Christe wytnesseth. Mathew. xi. Chap. My yoke is swete, my burthen is lyghte. By thys yoke whyche is to be coueted of all men, and by [Page] thys bonde al men do kepe the commaunde­mentes of the Lord, frely, gladly & diligent­lye. For they be neuer wythout the spirite of the Lord and hys gyftes, whyche are these. Wisedome, vnderstandyng counsel, strēgth of the spirite, knowledge Godlines, feare of the Lorde, ioyfulnesse, peace of conscience, a sure and certayne hope. &c. After these thin­ges foloweth the loue of the Lorde. Confi­dence in hym onelye, charitie and loue to­warde thy neyghboure, pouertie and lowli­nes of the spirite, mournyng and lamenting thy neyghboures hurt & griefe, full of com­passion, and all other goodnesse. Wyth thys yoke very necessarie for vs, wyth these ami­able bondes it pleaseth the goodnesse of the Lorde to bynde vs, so that therby we should attayne to perfecte libertie in him,

❧The fourthe parte wherein you are taughte howe to vnderstande those textes and places of the scriptures, whyche do applie to permit and geue libertye to the wyll of man.

WE haue sufficiētly taught and proued to you what the wyll of man is. Secondelye that it is verye captiue and bond. Thyrdly, that it is in Christe boeth fre, and also moste ioyfully and plea­sauntly [Page lix] bonde. You haue sene and learned in the same thyrd parte how and in what thin­ges the wyll of man is fre, and howe like­wyse it is bonde. Nowe there remaineth no­thynge els behynde but to make playne cer­tayne places and textes that you maye vn­derstande them. The which textes, the mai­sters and founders of free wyll do falselye alledge, and as them thynketh do sufficient­ly proue theyr purpose and entent.

❧The fyrste text.

IT is wryten in the boke of Iesus Syrach the .xv chap after thys wyse. The Lorde from the begynnynge dyd make man and left hym in the hande of hys owne coun­sell and minde, he hathe gyuen him cōmaun­dementes and preceptes sayinge if thou wilt obserue my commaundemētes and kepe ac­ceptable faythfulnes for euer: they shall preserue the. He hathe set water and fyer before the reache out thy hand to which thou wilte. Before man is life and death good and euel, that whiche dothe lyke and please hym beste shalbe gyuen to hym.

By this authoritie they do thinke that they can proue man to haue fre will from his first creation. If they wyll vnderstande and also graunt that the holy spirit was also at the beginning geuē to mā, we wyll striue no lēger [Page] wythe them ther in. But if they do saye that god made the nature of manne to be alwaye fre of hir owne selfe and at lybertie: it is al­together agaynste god and his honour that they do speake wherfore in fewe wordes we wyl declare and open to your eares the plain and true vnderstandynge of thys texte. The lorde from the begynnynge created manne deckyng and adornynge hym wyth hys spi­rite, this do I graunt to them (though we be be not able to proue it) leauinge man before he dyd fall in the hand of hys owne counsell that is to saye to hys own selfe, to his owne nature, whyche is the most greuouse & fear­full iudgement that can be. For he whyche is so lefte in the hande of hys owne counsell is forsaken and made a straunger to the spi­rite and counsel of the Lorde. And so becom­meth strayght waye indurate blynded, and brought into temtatiō. &c. and can not chuse but erre from the waye of the Lorde.

Therefore as sone as oure fathers were lefte to theyr selues in the handes of theyr owne counsell, they strayghte waye trauns­gressed the commaundemente of the Lorde. Mankynde dyd fall by little and little to synne,Wherfore the lawe is gyuen in so muche that synne so increased that they could not deserue and iudge good frome euyll. For the whyche cause that men myght haue the knowledge of synne, and of [Page lx] that whyche is euyll and naughty, the Lord gaue to theym a lawe or preceptes, whyche lawe was and is vnpossible to be kepte and obserued of vs, but wyth hys spirite it is made not onelye possible but also easye and lyghte.The lawe is spirituall What is the worke of the lawe. For the lawe beynge spirituall can not be kept, but by the strēgth of the spirite.

The lawe teacheth what is euyl, what is good, what we ought to do, and what wee ought to refuse, But the lawe doth not gyue to vs a spirit to do that whiche it commaun­deth. It doth sende vs to Christe, that we be­leuyng in hym maye be made parteners of his spirit:The lawe sendeth vs to Christe for helpe. The kepyng of the lawe wythout the spirit of god is hypocrisie by the whiche spirit we maye kepe the lawe. Wherfore if we do kepe these cō ­maundementes and preceptes by the spirite of God, then they shall preserue vs. For to kepe them without his spirit is no keping of them▪ but playne hypochrisie and dissimula­tion. The Lorde hath set before vs both fyre and water, lyfe and death, good and euyll, that is asmuche to saye, as he hath set before vs the kepynge of his diuine wyll and plea­sure, and also the transgression & offendynge of the same wyll. He hath set before vs, eter­nall health and euerlastynge perdicion. To whether of these we wil, le [...] vs reache furthe our handes. Yf so be that we do chuse to ap­prehend the transgression of the lawe: being [Page] bounde in the wynges of the spirite of for­nicatiō & falsheade, we shall haue death, and perdition of our soules withoute remedye. If we do applie oure selues to the wyll and commaundementes of the Lorde, by the cō ­fort & drawyng of the holye spirite of God, health & lyfe euerlasting shal folow. By the spirite of the Lorde we do apprehende & seke after the lyfe prepared for the faithfull. By the spirit of our flesh and of falshed, we loke after no goodnes, but al wickednes & traūs­gression of the cōmaundemētes. If we haue the spirite of the Lorde wee shall not faile of lyfe most happi and blessed. If we be led by the spirite of fornication & of the fleshe, what remayneth but death & vtter destruction?

There is no man which can mislike this exposition, except it be those whyche are led wyth a peruerse spirite which holde opinion that the wyll of man of it selfe can wyl that thyng whych is good, and also of his owne power kepe the cōmaūdemētes. Hereby you mai perceiue that nether this text of the scripture nor any such like doth make any thyng at al for this forged & fained libertie of oure fre wil. Obiection Against this do they argue & reason, saying. If man had no knowledge nor iudg­mēt of him self to know good and euyl, & to iudge also what is the wyll of the Lorde: It oughte not to be imputed to hys faulte if he [Page lxi] did chuse and take that way whyche is euil.

Obiection An other reason.If so be, mans wil be not fre, & at libertie, wherefore should he be blamed for sin, for as muche as sin is to him no sin, if it be done by coaction & not voluntarie of hys owne wyl.

Solution of the fyrste ob∣iection. To the fyrste reason we saye, that if their obiection be true thē must it folowe of nece­ssitie, that all the reprobate persons, are pu­nished wrongfully, whych dyd neuer know perfectlye the wyl of the Lorde, for as much as they are blynde, for the whyche cause the Lorde prayinge his father for them whyche dyd crucifie hym sayed. Forgeue thē father for thei do not know what they do. And tru­lye they dyd not know. For euery euil persō is ignoraūt & blind. And therfore it was spo­kē of them whiche did murmure & speake a­gainste the lawe of God in Deuteron .xxxii. I woulde to God they were wise & had vn­derstandyng,Deut. xxxii. as though he would haue said they haue nether wit nor knowledge. Wher fore to our owne destructiō are we so busye serchers of the heauēlye maiesties hidden se­crets, syth that we know that he is in al thinges iust, & true, & our selues wretched, blind & ful of lies He doth iustly reiect & cast from him the reprobate & blind, whō he hath suffe­red to be blind and indurate, that in no wise they can cōfirme thē selues & be agreable to the cōmaundemēt & wyl of the Lorde. [Page] The profounde and hyghe depenes of hys iudgement what manne can vnderstande? I wyll holde my lyppes therefore togyther, & kepe scilence worshyppynge the inscrutable iudgementes and decrees of the Lorde.

Solution of the second obiection To theyr second reason, I saye that sinne is voluntarie in the wicked, whyche syn co­meth not of a free wyll, but frome that will whyche is bounde and captiue by the spirite of fornication whych is the sence and vnder­standynge of the fleshe. For the wyll of the fleshlye, that is to saye, of theym whyche do lacke the spirite of the Lord, is nothyng lesse then free and at libertie, bycause it is not vn­der the lawe of God, nor neuer canne be, as to the Rom. viii. Chapter.Rom. viii. It doth not folow therefore after theyr reason that sinne should not be imputed to the reprobate and wic­ked, which syn is imputed to thē & that most iustly. To the faithful, & to thē which do be­leue:Rom. iiii. Psalm. xxxi. The author doth lamente the fall of certayne men which are gon from syn, that is to say, cōcupiscēse, is not im­puted for theyr faith sake, as Paule teacheth to the Romains the .iiii. Chap. and the Psal. in the .xxxi. Psal. beareth also wytnes.

But (Alas) there be certaine (howe they haue bene deceued the Lord knoweth) which sometime as al the worlde (almost) can testi­fye, abhorrynge and detesting the fowle and stinkynge synagoge of Antichriste wyth all the abhominable rites, and craftes, and lyes [Page lxii] therof, wyth all theyr vaine curiouse & phā ­tasticall maner of speakynge are nowe tur­ned to theyr madnes forsakeynge the veritie of the Lorde,Christe to Antichrist in preachynge and teachinge of men those thynges, whyche by the power of the worde of God hath hytherto bene reiec­ted and forsaken, bicause they myght therby stablishe and confirme theyr opinion, which is that the wil of man is fre and at libertie. The which men peraduenture in theyr sel­ues shal fynde true by experience. Yea, they do fynde it alreadye, what a pore and small libertie that is whych is in the wyll of man or rather howe certayne a bondage and ser­uitude it is, for as much as by no studye, no crafte, no knoweledge they are able to van­quish or to ouercome theyr own propre affec­tiōs. Yt had bene better for thē, & more profi­table for al men, yf they had not so vndiscret lie and vnwysely as they did, confirme their blynd libertie: brought and leyd forth before men the folyshe phantasies, dreames, particions, and distinctions of Duns,It can not be spoken how much hurt these brab­lyng questi­onaries do of Thomas of Aquine, of Capireold: wyth suche other brabling and scoldyng sophisters: in whom a man can fynd no substance nor pyth of substanciall matter: but a fewe folyshe and idle termes and wordes (as these be which do fo­lowe) It semeth to be so: it maie be so: it may [Page] be saied. &c. Which wordes to the godly and faithful sorte are nothing els but the strong deadlye and deceauable poyson of the deuil spokē and writtē without good foundation:It a uidetur fieri potest dici potest without substance & strength of godlie con­firmatiō which do knowe that to cleaue and stycke only to the eternall word and testimo­nie of the veritie of God: is the only shote anchor of oure healthe.

❧The secōd text of the scripture wrōg­fully taken and alleged.

THey do alledge forthe of the fyrste boke of Moyses called the Gene­sis in the iiii. Cha. these wordes fo­lowing, which the Lord dyd speake to Cain. Vnder the shal thy appetite & desire be, and thou shalt gouerne and rule it.

The whiche wordes are nothing els but a precept or cōmaūdemēt, being in the Hebrue tonge the presente time, as to the pertayneth the desyre therof, Otherwise the Lord hadde not prophesied that thinge which was true For Cain had not his own wyl in subiectiō & at his cōmaundemēte. But cōtrarywise he did follow & obey his owne wyl & desyre to his own destructiō. He myght not chuse but folowe that lewde desire & appetite bicause he did lacke the spirite of the Lord. Therfore it is a precept and cōmaundemente cōmaun­dyng Cain to forsake & not to obey & folow [Page lxiii] the desyres of the flesh, whych thing to hym was so vnpossible as all other commaunde­mētes to be kept without the spirit of God. Wherfore this text doth no more make, for the profe & cōfirmatiō of the liberty of mans wil thē al other precepts & cōmaūdemēts do.

❧The thyrde texte.

THine eares haue hearde the prepa­ryng of theyr hertes. And also it is writtē in the Pro. the .xvi. Chap.Psalm. ix. Prou. xvi. A mā may wel purpose a thing in his herte, but the answer of the tonge cometh of the Lord. The fyrst text you must vnderstād after this maner. O Lorde thine eare hathe harde. &c. that is to say, to thine eare the pre­paratiō of their herte is acceptable, I saye of thē which are pore, of whō the Psal. speketh. The whiche pore men are not to be taken in this place for those, whiche do axe the almes & charitie of other mē, but for such mē as do gyue thē selues altogyther to Christ whiche haue renounced the affectiō & loue of al their substaunce & riches for Christes sake, beinge in a redines to sel, & geue awaye al that they haue to the setting forth of the word of God & to the succoring of their neyghbours nece­ssitie if nede shold require. These men do al­waies say, my hert is ready Lorde, my herte is ready, by whom they are euery daie made more apt & readye then they were before.

[Page]Thys is the preparation whyche is only acceptable to God, it is not the endeuour or begynnynge of oure owne wyll as the defē ­ders of frewyll do cal it. For they do thinke that by these endeuours and begynnynges they may prepare and make them selues apt to receyue the grace of the Lord, The which can neuer be. For thorowe Christe onely to them whyche do beleue in hym is hys grace geuē, not for our own preparing or workes. As towchyng the Prophetes & ministers of the word of god & of those whose office is to expound and declare to the people the word of God: maye not thynke that they shoulde neglecte and not regarde to prepare theym selues to the doinge of theyr office, that is to saye, to studie to ponder, and waye with thē selues, to premeditate what they wyll saye and declare. It is a thyng to be done: and yet they maye not ascribe any thynge thereof to theyr owne studyes, diligence and prepara­tion hauing and putting theyr trust and confidence in their own dedes and laboures: but onely in the Lorde.

For we do knowe that though a man do speake and preach neuer so well preparynge him selfe with all diligence that maye be, yet he can pronounce nothynge well, and to the edifiynge of the audience: excepte the Lorde [Page lxiiii] with his spirit doth gouerne his tonge. The whiche thyng is proper only to the Lord.The lorde must gouerne the tonge of the prechar if he shall edifie. It is also conueniente and meete that a man do premeditate and thinke with him selfe before what he wyll declare wyth a full truste and confidence in the Lorde: and not in his owne worcke laboure or payne.

The fourthe texte.

IN the fyfthe boke of Moyses called the Deuteronomie,Deut. xxx. and xxx. chap. it is wryt­ten. This commaundemente which I do cōmaund the thys daye is not aboue the, nor seperated frome the, nor farre from the. It is not in heauen that thou shouldest com­playne and saye: what man shall ascende vp to heauen, and fetch to vs the commaunde­ment that we maye heare it & do it. It is not beyond the sea that thou shouldest say, who shall go ouer the sea for vs and fet it vs that we may heare it and do it. It is hard by the, yea, it is in thy mouth & hert that thou maist do it. The defylers of the ryghte iustice, whiche we haue by Christe, the patrones of free wyll do make exposition of thys place as foloweth. It is not aboue the, that is to saye aboue thy strength so that thou mayst obserue it with thy owne strength & power. Agaynste whom Paule speaketh, whiche is more to be beleued then they: writing to the [Page] [...] [Page lxiiii] [...] [Page] Roma. the .x. Chapter. The iustice whyche is of fayeth speaketh thus. Say not in thine herte who shall ascende to heauen, that is to plucke Christe downe frome aboue to make vs partakers of iustice, and of the grace of God. Or who shall go downe into the dep­nesse, that is to call and to reuoke agayne Christe from death, that we myght be iusti­fied by hym. But what sayeth he, the worde is nyghe to the, not far of, in thy mouth, and in thy hert,Confession Belefe. that is the worde of fayth which we do preache. Trulye if thou doeste cōfesse wyth thy mouthe the Lorde Iesus Christe & beleuest in thy herte, that God hathe raysed him vp from death, thou shalt be saued. For by the beliefe of the herte cometh our iustice and by the confessiō of our mouth,This is not auricular cō ­fession. Esai. xxviii. we do ob­tayne oure saluation.

The scripture sayeth in Esaie the .xxviii. Chapter. All men whyche do put theyr con­fidence in hym, shall not be confounded. Be­holde howe openlye the Apostle doeth teach that thys texte of the scripture is not to be taken and vnderstande of the strengthe and worckes of man,What is to do the com­maunde­mentes but of a pure faieth on and in Christe, & in the professynge of the trueth and veritie of the Lorde. For the wordes of the commaundemētes of the Lorde are nigh at hande, in our herte and mouth to do them [Page lxv] that is to saye to beleue & to professe Christe For the fulfillynge and ende of the lawe is Christe, as to the Rom. x. By whome onelye the lawe is fullfilled in vs. The lawe doeth require of vs those thynges whyche to fleshe and bloud are vnpossible. And for that cause sin is multiplied & increased aboue al measure the cōcupiscēs,Rom. x. The requeste of the lawe, are vnpossi­ble. strynynge and struglynge a­gaynste the lawe, yea although we do seme outwardely to kepe and fulfyll the lawe.

For verely the lawe doeth commaunde and require a perfecte iustice and ryghtuousnes at oure handes, whyche iustice neyther the lawe can geue, nor no man of hym selfe ey­ther hath or cā perfourme. But wher a pure fayeth in Christe is, there Christe is in them which do beleue, a whole iustice,Christe is our perfecte iustice. sanctifica­tion, and redemption. Hereby maye you per­ceyue that the wordes of the fyrste boke of Moyses called the Deutero are cleane con­trarye to free wyll, and makynge nothynge at all for theyr purpose.

❧The .v▪ texte.

IT is wrytten in Mathew the .xxiii. and Luke the .xiii. Chap. Hierusalem,Math. xxiii. Luke. xiii. Hieru­salem whyche killeste the Propheres, and stoneste theim whyche are sente vnto the. Howe often woulde I haue gathered togy­ther thy chyldrene, as the hen doeth hir chic­kens [Page] and thou wouldest not. Beholde saye they, Christ sayth. I woulde & thou woldest not. Hereby do they gather that the wyll of man is free, the Lorde shoulde do wronge els (saie they) to threaten and punishe them if they myghte not haue chosen whether they woulde haue bene gathered togither yea or naye. Thus and after lyke maner of fashiō doeth the wycked and miserable fleshe pre­sume to iudge of the most ryghtwyse & iuste iudgemēt of god, whych is far frō this mat­ter, as Iohn the .x. Chapt. You do not beleue me because you are not of my shepe, that is to saye, of my electe people whyche onelye are the very shepe of Christe, whom no man can take forth of hys hand. Thou mā which arte nothinge els but corruption & wormes meate, what art thou that wilt reasō against the Lord. Be thou afraied rather & maruaile wyth al lowlines & mekenes of the profoūd and impenetrable depenes of hys iudgemēt Learne how thou must take these wordes of Christ rehearsed out of Mathew and Luke. I would (sayth Christ) and thou which arte the carnal sinagog, wouldest not. Wherfore wouldest thou not? For thou arte not of my shepe and electe chosen people. Thou haste not my spirite without the which thou canst not fynde in thy herte to be agreable to my [Page lxvi] commaundementes, nor yet do anye thynge els that should be pleasant before me. Al the desyres of the fleshe, that is to saye, of a man wythoute my spirite, do fyghte and striue a­gaynst me, bicause he is a liar, as witnesseth the Psalm. C .xv. Therfore by those wordes Christe did meane, not for to shewe that it was in theyr fre choyse to do otherwise thē they did. But to declare to them how much he dyd hate and abhore al the desyres of the fleshe, whyche laboureth continuallye to do those thynges whyche are contrarye to my wyll whych is all Godlines and vertue.

¶The syxt profe.

TO make for theyr purpose they do brynge forth Mathew sayinge.

If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the cōmaundemētes. If thou wilte be perfecte. &c. And Luke. If any man wyll come after we. & cetera. He that wyll saue and kepe hys lyfe shall lose it. And all other places of boeth the Testamentes, where as anye thinge is spoken conditionally: they do brynge for the confirmation of fre wyll. As thys. If you wyll. If you wyll not. If you wyll heare. If you wyll not heare. If you do seke. If you do turne. If you do seperate. If he do. If he turne awaye.

[Page]In all the whych places they do erre bicause they do not marke what the spirit did meane in those textes. For to perfourme those thin­ges it is geuē of the spirit, wherfore it must be vnderstande after thys fashion. If thou wylte do thys or that with all thy herte, and thorowe my spirite, then shalt thou obteyne thys or that. If you do otherwyse, beynge faste bounde wyth the spirite of fornication, you shall peryshe.

❧The .vii. profe.

TO proue the libertie of mans will they do obiect the promises, the cō ­maundementes, the threateninges, and rebukynges of the Lorde, say­ing that al this had not bene worth a straw. Yea and foleishly written, if so be there were no libertie and fredome of oure wyll.

We answere and saye that the sens & vn­derstandynge of al these places doth hereof depende that the spirite of God shoulde be knowen seuerall and distinke frome that o­ther spirite, & that we shoulde acknowledge and confesse, that God wylleth hys lawe to be kepte and obserued, not by oure deceyua­ble spirite of fornication, and fleshly carnall knowledge, but by hys mooste holye spirite onely. He promiseth to thē greate rewardes [Page lxvii] whyche do kepe hys lawe by hys spirite. Lykewyse he doeth threaten and condemne those whyche do breake hys lawe by the spi­rite of fornication and of the fleshe.

❧The .viii. profe.

THey do laye againe that oftē times in the scripture rewardes are pro­mised to the fayethfull seruauntes of God, thynkynge that there can be no rewarde but wher as is merit and de­seruinge, and on that other syde there can be no merite or deseruynge where as is not a fre wyll. Trulye there muste nedes be me­rite where a fre wyll proceadeth or doth go before. But there is no merite in vs,Whether man do merit ye or naye bicause we are bounde of oure selues. Therfore all our merites are the merites of Christ onely, whych alone and none other is fre and with out all bondage. Psalm. lxxxvii.

But as to the vocable of rewarde,Rewarde wee muste marcke and note, that the rewarde of the electe and chosen is called therefore a re­warde, bycause that Christe hathe merited and deserued that reward in vs, and bicause it is promised of God to hym whyche bele­ueth in Christe.

Thus muste the wordes of the Geneses in the .xv. Chapter, be vnderstand and taken whych are these. I am thy reward thy great [Page] rewarde.What was Abraham his rewarde for his be­lefe. Bicause that Abraham dyd stedfastli beleue in the promise of the sede (which is Christe) he receyued hys rewarde. What rewarde? God hym selfe which is the verye rewarde of al them whych do beleue, as the Lorde in hys euerlasteynge beynge hathe sworne decreed & ordeyned. Lykewyse are the wordes of Christe wrytten in Mathew to be taken sayinge. Reioyce you, for youre reward is plentifull in heauen. Which is as much to saye, as. That thing whiche I haue deserued for them whych do beleue in me, & is promised of God for their fayth, is muche aboundaunt and greate. In the wyich sens and vnderstādyng must you take this word (crowne) and this word giftes or rewardes, as you do reade in many places of the scrip­ture

¶The .ix. text.

IOhn the fyrst Chap. He gaue thē power to be made the children or sonnes of god. That is to say, to them which do beleue in hys name. Hereby do they reason, if he hath geuen to theym power to be the sonnes of God, then they are fre, and not captiue or bonde. Herein they do not conclude well.

For thys texte doeth declare rather that mā is captiue and bond then the cōtrary, whiche [Page lxviii] texte beynge opened is as muche to saye, as thys.

So manye as haue receyued the faith of Christe beleuynge in hys name, at that time that they beleued, they receyued power to be made the sonnes of God. Or rather, they were then made the sonnes of god.

For as sone as a manne beleueth, straight waye he is made the sonne of God, so that whē they do beleue, they do receyue the said power to be therbi without delaie made etc.

Then is the spirite of fornication, and all vncleannes crucified in theym and bounde, that he shall not playe the tyrante anye more nor presume to rule in the herte of manne, where the spirite of God oughte to be ruler and gouernour.

The fayethfull manne is deliuered from the wycked and deceyuable spirite and the sens of the fleshe, wherto he was before sub­iecte and bonde, and nowe is gone to serue and folowe the commaundemente of the spi­rite of God whyche hath bounde man with the swete and pleasaunte bondes of charitie. Thys text therfore of Iohn doth make full littel for theyr purpose to con­fyrme and stablyshe that thing whyche they do go a­boute.

❧The .x profe.

THe Lorde demaunded thys questi­an of hys Apostles sayinge. Wyll ye also depart and go from me.

By the which wordes they do rea­son, that it had bene a uery foleish demaund of Christe, if they were not at libertie and at choise, whether they woulde go frome hym or byde and styke by hym styll.

I answere, that God had bound thē with hys spirite, and therefore they coulde not go from hym, but rather sayed. Lorde to whom shoulde we go? Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe. There were other whyche be­ynge also bounde with the euyll spirite that wroughte in theym, sayed. These are verye hard wordes: what man can heare him? So at the laste they dyd forsake hym. I doubte not but that Christ did demaūd this questi­an of them, whether they would depart. &c. Principally bycause that after it was suffiti­ently perceiued what the wycked spirite had wrought in the vnfaithful, that men (I saye) myghte perceyue and se what the spirite of God had wroughte in the fayethfull, & that it shoulde be putte in writyng to the instruc­tion and learnynge of other men in tyme to come. Thys texte maketh little or nothinge for theyr libertie, by the whyche texte it is [Page lxix] made open how these .ii. spirites do alwaies worcke cōtrary thynges, one to the other in the fayethfull, and in the vnfayethfull.

❧The .xi. texte.

HE shall render and geue to euerye man after hys worcke.Psalm. lxi. Whereby they wyl cōfyrme & stablishe, not onelye the fredome of mans wyll but also the iustice of workes, which is light to be answered. Eyther our worckes be of oure owne naughtye and deceyuable spirite and then they are wycked and dānable wor­ckes, or els they be of the spirite of God and not of oure fleshlye and carnal spirite, wher fore they are good worckes, beinge vnpossi­ble to be any otherwyse. You se that by this texte they do proue nothynge lesse then that which they do purpose & pretēd. The whych wordes do declare nothing els then that the Lorde doeth geue euerlastynge lyfe to them whyche haue the worckes of fayeth, and of the spirit of God, and those whych haue the worckes of fleshe he rewardeth with euer­lastynge paines and punishment.

❧The .xii. profe.

IT is wrytten the .i. Epistle and syxt cha. to Timothe. Fayght a good fayght. La­boure as a good souldiour of Iesu christ, the seconde Epistle to Timothe .ii. Cha.

[Page]To hym that ouercommeth I wyll geue. &c. Reuelation of Iohn the seconde & thyrd. Chapt. We saye that thys fayght againste wyckednes, and thys laboure in the war of the Lorde, and thys Victorye canne not be but by the spirite of God. Ergo, not by our owne wyll and industrye. Then canne not thys libertie be proued and stablished by thys texte of the scripture.

¶The threttenth text,

IN the seconde Epistle and fyrste Chap. of Peter. Bryngynge al diligence se that you do minister in your fayth vertue. &c. Wherfore brethrē rather endeuour your selues to make stronge and affirme youre vocation and election, If you do thys you shall neuer fal. By thys place they do proue that Peter would our industrie and diligēce should worcke with the spirit. If they do vn­derstād by this industrie & diligēce, that dili­gence, whyche the spirite of God worcketh in vs: then they do make a good exposition. For of hys greate goodnes he calleth those dedes our dedes, whyche he worketh in vs. The which spirite of him doeth worcke and draw our wil, making it obediēt & agreable to the cōmaundemētes of the Lord. The wil of vs beynge so drawē cānot chuse but run straight way after the Lorde, not of it selfe, [Page lxx] that is to say, of mans wil, but by the wil of God. If they do hold opiniō that this place is to be vnderstand of our propre industrye or natural inclanation & motiō (as though a mā of him selfe might worke any thing at al or be coadiutor with god) it is boeth a wic­ked & also a pernitiouse opiniō. For of hym selfe mā is altogither flesh, & therfore he can not rise vp to those thinges which are of the spirite of god, wherefore these textes whiche are rehearsed for frewyl in this place muste be thus takē & vnderstād.

You brethen beynge adourned and decked with the spirite of God, by God made par­takers of hys veritye in that fayeth whyche you receyued of the Lorde, minister wyth al diligence and vertue. &c. And endeuoure to make your vocation and election stable and fyrme, that is to saye, do all that you maye to declare wyth good worckes, that youre vocation & election is substanciall & stronge.

¶The .xiiii. texte.

OVt of the thyrtye Chapter. of the fyfte boke of Moyses they do ob­iecte, Wher as the Lorde had laied before Israell, good & bad, life and death. It was sayd, Electe and chuse to you lyfe. & cete. Whyche wordes they do thynke verye slender and of small effecte, if mannes [Page] wyl were not fre. We haue oft tymes saied, that the lawe doth require of vs thinges vnpossible to be done for oure owne strengthe, whyche the spirite of God doeth make po­ssible. For Christe is the fulfillynge and perfectnes of the lawe. Therefore lyke as it is vnpossible to obserue and kepe the commaū ­dementes wythoute the spirite of God: so is it impossible for vs, to chuse life with out the spirit of god.

For we can not chuse life except the spirit of perfecte libertie were in vs, that is to saye of Christe, and where as often tymes wee do offende and cleane to the euyll, oure election whereby we be elected of God, is not the cause thereof, but the workynge of our cap­tyue and bond nature.

❧To diuers obiections whyche are ob­iected and layed for the defence of free wil, we haue answered somthing brief­ly, but so: that hereby anye man maye dissolue and put a syde all maner of ob­iectiōs, whiche for this matter the defē ­ders of frewyll can deuise. Therefore with fewe wordes we wil cōclud al the whole matter & so procede further.

i ¶The fyrste conclution. OVr opinion and certayne beliefe is that the wyll of man is captiue and bonde, and that of it selfe it can do [Page lxxi] thynge that is good or pertaynynge to eter­nall felicitie.

ii. The choyse and electiō to do thys or that is the worcke and dede of the wyl and of the vnderstandynge.

iii. That the wyll of man is captiue, it com­meth by the spirite of fornication, that is of the naturall sens and knowledge of synne or concupiscence, for as muche as the deceytful spirite doeth reynge in the hert.

iiii. And then the wyll can not be obediente to the worde of the Lord, but in hypocrisie & lies, after a deceiuable maner, fayre without and foule wythin.

v. For the wordes of the veritie can not be pleasaunte to it, wherefore it is alwaie con­trary and repugnaunte to them.

vi. By the commynge of the spirite of the Lorde and by fayeth manne is deliuered and made fre from the spirite of fornication, frō the whiche euyll spirite by no mans craft or wysdome he can be losed and set at libertie.

vii. Then the spirite of God reygneth in the herte of the fayethfull bringynge the spirite of fornication euery daye in subiection more and more makynge it bond and captiue and crucifiynge it.

viii. Then doeth the spirite of God worcke in man hys knoweledge and vnderstandynge [Page] causyng hym to know God and hys veritie of hym selfe vnable to either of them.

ix. It worketh also the wyll of man whyche is bonde of it selfe, makynge it to wyll the thynge whyche God wylleth and to be con­tent wyth hys swete wordes.

x. Then, man doeth wyl that thyng whiche God wylleth, not of hys owne vertue, but by the vertue and power of God him selfe

xi. And is set at libertie, and made fre frome all traditions and inuentions of men, to captyue and make hym selfe bonde altogyther, to the obedience and seruice of God and his veritye.

xii. And so he is made fre from the captiuitie and bondage of perdition, and doth go into the bondage and libertie of the chyldrene xiii. of God.

xiiii. Then he serueth the Lord most frely and fayethfully, he runnneth forwarde, the spi­rite of God, workynge that same Alacritie and redines in hym.

xv. All the preceptes, threatenynges, promi­ses, rebukynges, and praysinges of the sain­tes, and the cursses of the wycked, do de­clare howe much God doeth loue the holye spirite, and howe he doeth rule the spirite of fornication.

xvi. The wyll of the beleuer doeth worcke, [Page lxxii] wyth the spirite, worckynge in hym not of hys owne strengthe and vertue, but by the strength and vertue of the spirite.

xvii. God doeth harden, he doeth waken and styrre vp, he doeth also excecate and make blynde, and whom so euer he hath thus de­termined and iudged for to be, that same mā must nedes go forth of the waie of God.

xviii Yet do I not therfore conclude that God is vniuste, nor that he worketh any iniquitie.

xix. In thys matter mans sens and iudgmēte is dimme, and manye there be whyche do searche these thynges not wythoute greate peryll of fallynge into heresie.

xx. Whither thou wilt make ought or nought of free wyll, yet this questian of the mer­cye and iustice of God is insoluble, for it is so profound and depe, that it can not be tho­rowlie persed and attayned vnto.

xxi. God hath no nede of our leasynges or lies that a manne shoulde thynke it to be lawe­full for hym to deuise and inuent a frewyll agaynste the manifeste and opē textes of the scriptures thynkynge thereby to come the soner to the perfecte knoweledge of the que­stian concernynge the iustice and ryghtu­ousenesse of God, whych he shal neuer come to so longe as he lyueth.

Those whiche mayntayne free wyll, do [Page] speake directly contrarye to the marrke and ende of the lawe affirmynge that a man can so guide hym selfe that he canne of hym selfe kepe the lawe, or that he can any thynge be­gyn of hym selfe towarde it when he can do nothynge lesse.

xxii. The schope and principall parte of the spirite, bicause the whole lawe is spirituall, and therfore may none otherwyse be kepte then by the onely spirite God.

xxiii. Those same frewill makers do attribute and geue to fleshe and bloude that thynge whych is propre onely to the spirite of God that is to saye, to wyll any goodnes, whiche fleshe and bloude can do nothinge but stray from God in fornication & whordome.

xxiiii. But these men (whyche are instructed & taught by the testimonies of God) do saye that the wyll of man is captiue and bonde, and that of it selfe it canne do nothynge lesse then kepe the lawe of God wherein they do saye truely bycause they speake not againste the marke and chefe parte of the lawe, which is the spirit.

xxv. These men doe gyue to man in dede that thynge which is his properlie that he is the bondeman of synne that is to saye of con­cupiscence except he be made fre of god

xxvi. They do geue vnto the holye Goste that [Page lxiii] whyche is due to the holye Gooste, that is to say, boeth to thynke, to wyll, & perfourme that thynge whyche is good, and so they do geue to God, not vnto man all vertu, power and glorye.

xxvii. The founders of free wyll are the foun­ders of merites and of the iustice of worckes as they call it.

xxviii. Those men whyche do stablishe mannes merites, and the iustice of worckes, do deny and treade vnder the fote the iustice and me­rites of Christe.

xxix. Christ only & not our filthy iustice & own rightuousnes hath merited to vs the fauour and grace of God and eternall iustice.

xxx. The confirmation of our captiuitie and bond wyll is the confirmatiō of the merites of Christ, and of the iustice of God, by him, beynge the contempt of the vnworthy righ­tuousenes of our worckes.

xxxi. I do not deny that a mā shoulde do good workes bicause it is neadful that a faythfull man should be alway wel doyng, and neuer to be idle that he maye declare and testifie hys fayeth by his worckes. For a true faith is neuer idle, but spreadeth abrode in good worckes, whyche are the testimonies & wyt­nes of our fayeth.

xxxii. But I saye that a faythful man doth not [Page] truste nor geue confidence to hys worckes & therfore not to him self nor to hys own wil.

xxxiii. The patrons and defenders of frewil cā not receiue and take the worde of God sim­ply, ryghtlye and in hys kynde, for the free wyll of manne and the worde of God are contrarye.

xxxiiii. He that defendeth the contrarye muste neades vnderstande the scriptures as they ought to be. For in thys defēct he swarueth not from the worde of God.

xxxv. No manne can saye in the spirite of God that the wyll of man is fre.

xxxvi. No manne can wyth a pure herte thynke that the wyll of man is bonde, but in the ho­ly spirite whyche speaketh in hym and wor­keth a Godlie loue and desyre of the know­ledge of the veritie of Gods worde, rather then curiouse reasoninge.

xxxvii. For he whych is of that opinion that the wyll of man is fre, doeth so much minishe & plucke frō the mercy and merites of Christ, as he doeth permit and geue to the strength of mans wyl whych is cōtrary to the holye spirite.

xxxviii. He that is of the contrarye opinion doeth geue nothynge to the strengthe and wyll of man, but altogyther to the mercye of God and gratiouse fauoure of Christe, whych fa­uour [Page lxiiii] and mercye thorowe Christe, in whom they do beleue, the fayethfull do obtayne. And in so doynge they do confesse the Lorde Iesu Christe as they oughte to do geuynge to hym onely the prayse of our iustification and redemption, whiche thynge they can not do but in the holye Goste.

xxxix. The summe and finall conclution of this matter is, that the defence of fre wyll is the begynnynge the role and fundation of per­uers sectes of men of all impietie and wyc­kednes, of all hypocrisie, and counterfayted holines of al abhomination & the very stabli­shinge of Antechrist hys sinagoge.

xl. The contrarye opinion is the well and fountayne of all vertue, of iustice and rygh­tuousnes, of grace and fauoure thorow Christ onelie, and the kepe of know­ledge of all Godlye and hol­some doctrin. Wherin the Lorde continue vs to his onely glory & praise for euer.

Finis.
Nicolas Lesse. ❧ ❧ ❧
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❧ Imprinted at London, by Iohn Day, and William Seres, dwellynge in Sepulchres perish, at the signe of the Resurrecti­on, a litle aboue Hol­bourne conduite. ❧ ❧ ☞

❧Cum gratia & priuelegio ad imprimendum solum.

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