Sermo i. Vhat thinge God is.

IGnoraunce specyallye of the heavēly things / is the greatest lack that cā be in man and aboue all other the ignoraunce or lack of knowledge of God. For as it is impossible to attaine the science of Philosophye Astrologie Geometrye or of any other lyke / without the grounde or fyrst prīcipailes. So without the know­ledge of God the true beginnyng and pri­cypall of true deuynite it is impossible to have any lyght of the trouth / necessary ād [Page]proffitable to the ghostly health. And like­wyse / as the knowledge of the first princi­palles of one sciēce / depēdeth the knowled­ge of all the trouth ād conclusiōs that that science conteineth. So of the true know­ledge of God / depēdeth the knowledge of all the circūstaunces ād trouth of Theo­logie or Deuinité Wherfore seing howe moche pestiferous and detestable the ignoraunce of God is / and howe moche neces­sarie the true knowledge of him is / I ha­ue thought it expedient / fyrst to consyder what thinge God is.

It is a moost easye thīge to knowe that God is / or that there is a god / sithens that there is no Nation so barbarous / but that it beleueth that there is a God / being a ge­nerall knowledge that God hath so im­printed in the hartes of al men / that if the man haue any iudgemēt at all / it behoueth him with the harte to cōfesse that there is a God. For albeit there haue bene many wicked whiche with their mouthes haue sayde / there is no God. Neuertheles the self same / when they haue fallen into any peril or necessité / haue been ēforced of that [Page]onely light and religion of God / to recō ­mende them selues vnto him / so that we must of force repute hī a very ydeote / that demeth God. Psal. 13. Ande being therfore an eui­dent and easy thinge to endwe that there is a God / we most nowe travaile āde la­bor (though it be moost [...]) to knowe what that god is. [...] haue beē of opi­mō that it is impossible that [...]e shulde I­magin what God is because infinitene a­boue all propor [...]ions h [...] exced [...] to the weakenes of our vnderstāding [...] / spe [...]ally be­cause our wi [...]es are drowned in the bo­die / occupied of fan [...]as [...]s / ād [...] by the derke vaynes of thinges [...] / far­re of from God. We be weake of [...] [...]e­ke and impolēt through the [...] and our owne synnes. Wherefore they [...]a­ye that we cā haue noue other knowledg of God / but the negatiue / that is to witte / we maye knowe that God is not materi­all nor forme imperfect nor yet soule of the world / that he is not Earth / Water / Ayre / Fyre / Winde / seecre / Mons / Son­ne / Corporall light nor any vertue spred­de abroade. He is not the beaultie that we see / the swetenes that we taste / nor other [Page]thinge sensible / imaginable or intelligible of vs / but that infinitely he exceadeth all creatures / and all things that we vnder­stand. In him ther is an inaccessible lyght such as they / which with theyr thoughtes in maner have been raysed so hyghe / that they have founde what God is have de­ceued them selves. Tim. 6. And they who ymagin in theyr myndes to have founde God / do fabricate an ydoll / oute of all measure dis­taunt from the true beyng of God / as ap­peareth by his commaundemente to the Iewes / whan he prohibited thē the sculp­ture or grauinge of ydolles / vnderstan­dyng not of the materyall ydolles onely / but also of the imaginable. Erod. 20. For our wit­tes are extreme darknes / in comparyson of gods inestimable fyrst light. So that it behoueth vs with Aarō to enter in Sāc­ta Sanctorum and with Moses into the Celestiall Clowde / if we will knowe / that is to say / to knowe that we knowe not / in so the wyse that the more fervently a man will professe not to knowe somoch the better he doth knowe / and who presumeth to knowe / is farthest of frō the knowledge. [Page]And why? because God in his power and lyght standeth so hidde in darkenes from vs / that with blindnes we see him / wyth ignoraunce we knowe him / with retuing or with going backe we comprehend him / in fleing we finde him and with scylence we prayse him. Psal. 1 And it behoueth him that will knowe what thinge God is / to study in the scole of simpliene and rest vanquis­shed of that inestimable / inaccessible ande incomprehensible lyght.

And I confesse that we cā not compre­hend God / in such maner as God comprehendeth him selfe. That is to saye / we can not have ā infinite knowledge of him / as do the blessed saintes that is to saye / to ha­ve as they have the clere naked / open and visible sight of him / to beholde hym in the founteyne of his bryghtnes / face to face in the verye being that he is. 1. Cor. 2 But we may very well attaine a knowledge what God is though not so perfectly as we shall knowe in the other lyte. For it is not possible we shuld knowe what thig God is not / if fyrst we learne not to knowe what thing he is / and that his being is so pertect that [Page]it repugneth thimperfectiōs of those thin­ges that be not. Wherfore considering all the negatiues [...] are rehearsed of god a­re grounded vppon [...] posy [...]i [...]e ād affir­matio [...] that [...] / we must saye of for­ce [...]a [...] we know [...] God more perfertly / in knowing that is to be knowē / then in knowing nothīg at all. And therfore speaking of more h [...]e knowledge affyrma­tiue / that in this present lyfe the electe cō ­munly and without speciall priuiledge ād miracle had of God / I saie / that fyrst thou oughtest to cōsyder that the creature hath hys beyng / although imperfect. Ande God hath his being without anie imper­fecciō Yea his beyng is infinitely perfect. wherfore to knowe what thinge God is / it behoueth the to do as he doth that wyll make an Image. Fyrst he cutteth of ma­ny peces / before he parforme the forme that he deforeth / and afterwardes payn­tech and apparcelleth it.

So is it necessarie that with the minde / thou thou fyrst consyder the beyng of the crea­ture. Ande because thou shalt fynde hym [Page]repleate of iperfectiō / beynge terminable create / temporall / corruptyble and other lyke / therfore it behoueth the to clense / pu­ryfye and take from him all those imper­fectyons / and ymagyn him infinite / interminable / icorruptible ād in effect abstract and lyfte vp aboue all imperfectyon. Ney­ther doth that suffise / but also it is neces­sarye that thou floryshe ande adorne him of all perfectyō possyble / in soche wyse th­at thou conceaue to see him aeterne / neces­sary / simple immutable ād infinite. Ney­ther yet doth all that suffise / but morouer it behoueth the with thy thought to puri­fy ād clense of all īperfectyon the Wyll ād mynde created / the wysdome created the iustice bountye / pitye / power / Charitye / treuth / beaultye and all the other vertues ād perfections / to which imperfectyon is contrarye / ande consequently to entythe hym of infynyte degrees of perfectyon / ande so to beholde hym in God as a thin­ge puryfyed / to be vnto him / dyvyne ande intynite. BƲT because those powers / vertues and operatyons with imperfec­tyō in maner ruleth in vs / will not suffer [Page]our wittes to conceaue that creature in his beyng and to clense and spoile h [...]m of all imperfectyons / and so to make him in­finite / we can not in our beyng see him in God in whome there can be nothing im­perfect▪ but it must suffise vs to see hym in vertue and eminencie. So that albeit in gods propre beyng ther is the corporall vysyon / the imaginatyon / credulyte opinion / discourses ād other actions essential­ly. Nevertheles it must suffise vs to se thē in vertue and eminencye. For to see God clerely / it includeth and conteyneth all perfection / lyke as the golde conteyneth the perfection of all other metalles. He then that seeth that diuine being wyth all per­fectyon possible / seeth what thing God is / because he seeth a spirituall lyght / moost pure moost clere / moost simple and exel­lently fayre / aeterne / immutable / necessary and infinitely perfect / replete of Celestiall faelicite / iustice / powr / bountie / verite / wisdome / mercye / charite and of all the other perfect [...]ōs ād vertues infinitely parfect and that in it / in vertue and eminencye be all the colours / odours / sauours / soūdes / [Page]songes / swetenes / fairenes / honours / dignityes / treasures / pleasures and faelici­ties of the woorld / infinitely ād without proporcyon / more perfect then they be of them selues here.

And moreouer it behoueth the to kno­we that the beyng of the creature is a sha­dowe and a moost fleyght vanité in com­parison of Gods beyng / and the differēce more / then is betwene our shadowe ande our selues. Exod. [...] It is to be sayde of God / that surely he is onely the thinge that is. Lyke wise I say of our powers / beaulte trueth / charité / iustice / wysdome and of all our o­ther vertues / that compared to the diuine they be as moost vaine Images / and sha­dowes / infinitely distaūt frō them of god. Iohan. 5. Also it behoueth to knowe / that God is not ydell / but that he cōtinually worketh (as Christ saith) in such wise / that he hath not onely geuē vnto the worlde his beige / but also continuallye conserueth all the thinges created / and all the vertues / that of all the myracles and straunge effectes / we konwledge only God to be Aucthour and to him we gyue all thankes honor ād [Page]glorie. So likewise ought we to knowledge of him all the naturall effectes and ope­racions / and not to extolle or praise natu­re / but God onely / who grueth and preser­ueth the bring ande vertue to all thinges. Neither ought there any other chaunce or fortune to be named / but all to be confes­sed of God / and he onely to be thanked / e­uen as he continually worketh for vs.

And as his power is neuer ydell / but con­tinuall working in all creatures. So his wisdome continually seeth / disposeth and ordeineth all thinges moost best / and his bountie likewise cōtinually communica­teth vnto vs his benefyttes and graces.

Furthermore it is necessarie thou knowe that all that god hath wrought / worketh or shall worke in his creatures / is all for man / for whome they be created and pre­serued. For all the giftes ande benefittes that from the beginning haue bene made or shalbe made to the creatures / Man is bounde to knowledge them as made to hym / and accordingly therfore to thanke God. Ande especially the chosen or electe / to whome all creatures do serue / both the [Page]predestinate and reprobate. Rom. [...]. Yea the Ann­gelles and the deuelies / euen to the very sines. And because God doth here mani­fest and discouer him selfe / with his omni potent wisdome / trueth / iustice / bountie and his other vertues ande perfections / not onely in his creatures / but moch mo­re in his scriptures / ād specially in Christ on the crosse / chefely to them that by faith conceaue him with spirite. Therfore it behoueth him that will knowe what this GOD is / to beholde him particulerly in Christe / and to beseche him to giue him ly­uely ande clere light to knowe him not o­nely in his creatures and scriptures / but specially in Christe crucifyed / to thende that in him ād by him / vnderstanding the great bountie of God / we maye ren­dre vnto hym all honour and glory / by our Sauiour Iesu Christ. Amen.

Section. ij. Howe to knowe God by hys creatures.

GOD in his maiesté apparelled with his perfections / ād in the well of his brightnes (as sayth Paule) is a certaine light inac­cessyble and hidde. 1. Tim [...]. [...]. But here he somwhat discouereth him self by his creatures / as who will entre into Rome / must of force knowe by the pyllers / sepultures / Ima­ges ande by the great ruines that he shall fynde there / that the Romaines in times past / haue been of great power / dominion and wisdome. Esay. 15. So he which entereth into this worlde / seing this great engine / must of force knowe the maker therof to be the God omnipotent. And beholding the or­dre of his creatures / must not onely see but also maruell at the wisdome of God. Psal. 1.3. And wyth Dauid crye and saye. Lorde thou hast created all thinges in wisdome. Ande moreouer it behoueth hym to saye that GOD is best / seyng that continu­ally he disposeth newe gyftes vnto hys creatures. And seyng that by due meanes [Page]he leadeth them to theyr ende / he is forced to confesse GODS deuine prouidence / ande so in conclusion by the thinges crea­ted / to come to the knowledge of GOD / and of all his perfections / as farre forth as they appeare in his creatures / and that because the creatures be vnyted so to ge­thers that eche one hangeth on other / and all of GOD / in soche wise that they ma­ke a ladder to the vnderstandinge of the naturall / by the whyche they clyme ande ascende euen to GOD. They see that this inferiour worlde / is gouuerned of the heauens / ande that the heauens kepe theyr courses vniformely / by continuall mouing / and therof be constrayned to cō ­syder / that the vertue whiche moueth thē / beyng infaticable ande neuer wery / is spirituall / for if it were corporall / it shul­de ende or at the least waxe weake. Ande so goyng farther / they consyder that that spirituall vertue / not being the supreame / is gouuerned by an other. Ande becau­se they can not attayne the infynite euer­lastinge / they are forced to come to a fyrst supream [...] intelligence / the whiche moueth [Page]without being moued / and to a fyrst cause independent / ande so they ascend to the knowledge of GOD. Moreouer / by the beaulté of the creatures / they ascēd to the knowledge of the beaulté of God. By the ordre / Armonie and consent that appeare in the creatures / they attaine the consyde­ration of Gods infinite sapience or wis­dome. Psal. [...]5. Ande so by the visyble workes of God (to the regarde wherof Dauid cal­leth vs / sayinge Come ande beholde the workes of the lorde) they attaine to con­syder the inuisyble perfections of God / his euerlasting power ande Diuinité as Paule wryteth. [...]om. [...]. There is no creature so bace nor so vyle / in whome there shineth not the glory of God / in which thou maist see hys greate power / wysdome / bounté beaulté and the other perfectiōs. And by howe moche the creatures be more noble / hyghe / worthie and excellent / by so moche the more do they discouer God. Psal. 8. Lyke as the heauens which particulerly do shewe the glory of God. And the more perfectly we knowe the creatures Yea God in thē / so moche the more we ryse to the know­ledge [Page]of God / ande by so moche the more our vnderstādīges wholy ād with perfect light is vnited and copulate vnto hym.

It is true that many consyder the creatu­res in thē selues / without respect to hym that hath created them / ande so cōserueth and gouuerneth them. But those are of more grosse condicion then is the owle / which / because he can not beholde the Sō ne / forceth him self and taketh pleasure to beholde hym in the sterres. And they / not seing God in his glorie / seke not / at the le­ase wise / to see him in the mirrour of hys creatures.

But knowe thou fyrst that this ladder of the creatures to clime vnto God is pe­rillous / because that God hauing put in them a certeine beaultie and swerenes / to thende that mannes vnderstandinge of the taste of the swete running water shuld be prouoked to seke the fonteine or sprin­ge / ād therby to seke God with more vehe­mencie. Many staye or rather fyre them selues in the degrees / ande neuer arriue to the heigth.

And sōme of the sight of the beaulté crea­ted [Page]/ fall into vyle / base / vnclene and fylthy thoughtes. And other swelle in pryde of that theyr vayne science / without climing to taste the swetenes of Gods boūtie / fyxe them selues in the degrees / and there she­we them selues contented for rewarde to be seen and reputed for learned / of the blinde folysh and frantyke woorlde.

Furthermore / this ladder is very hard and imperfect because that by the synne of our fyrst parentes we are so blynded of sight / that wyth great difficulté we maye see god in the darkenes of things created / specyally because the wise of the woorlde / coueting to search all the properties / vertues and qualyties of the creatures / have entangled them selves with their curious thoughtes to the vayne shadowes of the worlde / that fyrst they are attrapped of death or ever they are a lytle elevated their mindes towardes God.

It is also a very longe ladder / for the great distaunce that is betwene the lowe sensyble creatures (at the which / as at the fyrst steppe or degree it behoueth to begin at to elyme) and God. For it requireth extreme [Page]labour to arryse to the knowledge of the material substaūces / ād moch more thē to clime with the thought to the kno­wledge of the imateriall. And whē thou art arrived at the perfet knouledge of the supreame creature / because betwene that and God there is infinite dystaūce / before that with the thought thou arrive at god / thy wittes shalbe ī maner so wekened th­at in the ende thou shalt attayne none o­ther but a weake inparfect and darke cō ­cept.

Therfore to have sufficiente lyght of God to the knowledge of him by the cre­atures / suffiseth not to our saluatyon.

For though with all naturall lyght we dyd arryve by the creatures at the know­ledge of God / yet can we be none other but good Metaphisici or natural theolo­giens / ād not therfore good ād superna­turall diuines / because the woorlde shuld allwayes haue more operatyon in vs and in our hertes then God. We myght well leave our goods for pleasure / ande one an other for honour / as in tymes past certei­ne Phylosophers have done / whyche left [Page]one vice perceauing other. But no man cā willinglie forsake the world / him selfe and all thinge / and haue God for God / and for his onely laste ende / but he alone to who­me the bountie of God is discouered / in soche wyse that he maye more in him / then all the richesses / pleasures and dignities of the worlde. Wherunto suffyseth not the bountie of God discouered in his creatures / nor all our naturall light / as Paul writeth to the Romaines. [...] 1. Whome he she wech that the naturall light / whiche lea­deth to the knowledge of god by the crea­tures / was not ynough / because thereof they had not light to glorifye nor yelde the due thankes vnto GOD.

wherfore they are not to be excused whiche / thinking the naturall light to suffyse / ād trusting in their propre forces or strēg­thes / demaunde none other light of God / but are to be reputed wicked. For as mo­che as we all haue nede of the deuine gra­ce and lyght to knowe GOD suffycient­ly. Neyther is it ynough to beholde hym in his creatures. But it behoueth wyth the spirite and supernaturall lyght to vn­derstand [Page]hym in Christe / where he disca­uereth hym selfe with so greate excessyue bountie / that he rauissheth ande draweth vnto him the hartes / in soche wyse / that deliuering them of the worlde / he saueth them. Let vs therfore fyxe our eyes in that diuine spectacle / to thende / that fea­ling in him and by hym the bountie of the father / we maye rendre vnto him all honour ād glorie by our Saui­our Iesu christ. Amen.

Sermon. iij. If Phylosophie serue to true Theologie or diuinite / and in what maner.

THere be sōme the which deny­ing al supernatural light / thin­ke that in the worlde there is none other Theology or diuinité but the naturall / whiche they call Meta­physyca. And because that a Man can not be a Good Metaphysiens / vnles [Page]he be fyrst a good Philosopher / therfore they be constrained to saie / that Philoso­phie serueth to Theologie or Diuinite. Somme other / not being able to denye Theologie or diuinitie to be supernatu­rall / saye that it is groūded vppon the na­turall / in such wise that (after their sayig) as the knowledge intellectiue requireth the sensytiue / because therof it hath origi­nall / groweth and hangeth or dependeth / so hath Theologie or diuinitie nede of Philosophie / because of it it taketh begin­ning groweth and is establisshed.

Philosophy then after theyr opinion / is the guide that leadeth vnto Santa Sā torum / to beholde the celestiall thinges.

The ladder by the whiche it behoueth / to clime to true Theologie or diuinitie. And mannes reason is the rule to the whiche (according to theyr iudgementes) resorte all the knowledge of the diuine light. And in so moch do they allowe thē / in as moch as they agre / not with the holy scriptures nor with the spirite / but with theyr blinde humaine iudgemēt / which they holde for the sceptre that she with all / euen to God.

[Page]But I saye / that as our humaine reasō by the sinne of our fyrst pareutes / is wea­ke / blinde / frenetike and foolish. So is ly­kewise theyr Philosophie. Ande that be­cause that albeit after the synne / God left vnto man a litle light of the naturall thin­ges / necessarie to the humaine life and cō ­uenient to our miserable state. Man ne­uertheles / in whome resteth a certeyn pri­de and curiosytē / wolde not content hym self with so symple a knowledge. As whe­re a certeyn Philosopher / geuing him sel­fe thurtye yeres to studye the knowled­ge of all the properties of the bee / coulde never perfectly attaine his desyre. The o­thers haue geuen thē selues to search the knowledge of al the properties / qualities / vertues and operations of euerie sensyble thing ande not onely of the base ande cor­ruptyble but also of the celestiall bodyes. Yea (and which is more) they haue enter­prysed to speake of the Soule / of the An­gelles / of God and of the thinges super­naturall / In soche wyse that (passyng the lymytes of theyr small light / and walking blyndely) eche one hathe fabrycate in hys [Page]minde his owne fantasie / and to the pur­pose have so spoken and written every o­ne according to his propre frenesye / wher of is growē so great varieté of opinions / so many confusions / errours / sectes ande heresies / that (as saint Ierome iustly cal­leth them) the Philosophers are the Pa­tryarkes of the heretykes / ande the fyrst begotten of Egipte. Ande it is an olde prouerbe / a great Philosopher a great he­retyke.

The naturall reason therfore / that is not healed by faith / is frenetyke and foo­lysh / as thou mayest well thinke when th­ou considerest the presumptyon / in that it pretendeth to be the guyde / foūdacyon ande ladder of the diuine knowledges. Where as it serueth not to rayse the man to the knowledge of God / but moche les­se geueth him cause to confesse with So­crates that not only he knoweth not / but also that / wythout the diuine grace he can do nothinge. Albeit that that Phylo­sophye is nowe so proude / that with the suppressinge and persecutinge of Chryst / the Gospell / the grace ande fayth / it hath [Page]alwayes magnifyed the carnall man / his lyght ande his powers / And is become so frenetike / that oneles it be healed by faith / it wyll beleue nothing to be true / but that it thinketh good / neyther is it possible to persuade him in any treuth / yf fyrst declared vnto him by his frenetyke reasons / it be not conformable to hys blynde iudge­ment. Conclude therfore / that Phyloso­phye lyeth lowe in the darke vale of vn­derstandyng / and can not lyft the head to the hygh ande supernaturall thynges / in respect wherof / it is vtterly blynde / ande knoweth not / neyther by experience nor reuelation / so that in it / it is impossible to establysh the foundacion of the faith. For as the feling passeth not the region of the sensible thinges. So likewise can nothne mayne reason nor phyiosophye passe the regyon of the naturall thynges. The na­turall man (as wryteth Paule) vnderstā deth not the thīges of the spirite. And be­cause he is not capax / that is percea [...]eth it not / he mocketh ād scorneth it. Yea he persecuteth / banisheth withstandeth / denyeth ande repugneth the myracles / reuelatids [Page]propheties / the grace fayth the holy scrip­tures / God / Chryst and hys membres. Iohe [...] 10. Yf they heare the Gospell preached of a faithfull man / they saye he is madde / fu­ryous or possessed of the deuell / as was sayde of Christ. Warr. 8. If of a learned man / they saye his great studye hath brought hym oute of hys wyttes / whyche also was lay­de to Paule. Act. 7. If of an ignorant / howe / sa­ye they can he be learned that neuer studi­ed letters? And if of a poore wretche (as touchinge the worlde) they saye to hym as was saied to the boren blinde man. Thou wast borne in synne / and wilt thou teache me? Iohan. 9 And so in effect can in no wyse abyde to heare the thinges of God. Go reade the holy scriptures / ande thou shalt fynde that the carnall wysdome ande humayne reason hath alwaies rebelled agaīst God. She is the same that / fygured by the ser­pent / persuaded our fyrst parentes to tas­te of the prohibited apple / ande that bele­ued not the worde of God / and that after­wardes taught them to excuse them sel­ues. That made Caim to slea his brother Abell / ande that persuaded the worlde in [Page]the time of Noe / that the generall diluge or floude shulde not come. She caused the building of the towre of Babel. She pro­uoked Pharao to resyst God. She indu­ced the people of God to murmur against him / and to worship the golden calse / and mouéd the Gentiles to ydolatrie. It is that harlott that made Salomon / loose hys wittes / and stirred his Father to kyll Vria. And finallie / she is the same that persecuted the Patriarckes / Prophetes / A­postles Martirs / and sainctes of the old and newe Testament. Beholde whether she be a wycked foole or not that putte Christ on the crosse / and where as Christe crucified is the right wisdome of God she accounteth it for a mere madnes. Surely there is nothing that hath so moch fauou­red the kingdom of Antechrist as she / whiche hath introduced all the supersticions / Hypocrisies. Ydolatries and euelles that haue been committed vnder colour of ho­lynes. The faith hath not had a greater ennemy then she. The Church of Christe was a Paradise whiles the symple fayth reigned. But taking in hāde the Scepter [Page]of humaine reason / it is become a confu­sed Babylon. And where as the clere / sure and infallyble faith / by geuing light of the trueth / magnifyeng Christe / his grace ād the gospell / doth aonichilate or bringe to nought the fleshly man / ande maketh the parson symple / pure / immaculate / vertu­ous ād houe. The darke / blinde deceitfull freenetike foolish and hereticall carnall reason / wysdome and Philosophie / cōdemp­neth ād oppresseth the trueth. And to pro­ne ande extolle the errours persecuteth / crucifieth and burieth Christ th [...] grace ād the gospell ād magnifieth the caruall mā euen to the heauen. All the harlots to ge­ther haue not so moch corrupted the worlde as this onely carnall reason / prudence and salse Philosophie. No nor the symple ignoraunce hath not so moche cōfused the worlde as the humaine science / wisdome and Philosophi [...] / which maketh men bol­de / vnshamefast / hoote / l [...]ers / proude / con­tencious / frenetike foolysh and wicked. Wherfore Paul exhorted the Colossians to beware of her deceypt / because (as God sayth by the Prophet Esaye) she begyleth Colos. 3. Esay. 47. [Page]the parsons. For the wyse or the worlde be the moost deceaued / moost fooles / most wicked and moost contrarie to Christe. And it requireth a speciall miracle to con­uert one of thē. Reade the Christian his­tories / and thou shalt fynde that those be they which euermore haue been the fyrst to persecute the Gospell. And they are ve­ry wycked and foolish that will grounde Christ vppon Aristotell / euen like vnto them that will buylde a Towre vppon a wheaten strawe. Christ and not the Phi­losophie is the onely true foūdaciō of his Churche and of the true supernaturall diuinitie of the which he is the onely work­master / and not Aristotell. I praye the what hath Aristotle to do wyth Christe? Manie haue enforced them selues to agre Aristotle with Plato / but they coulde ne­uer bringe it to passe / because Aristotle be­ginning at the lowest of the sensible thin­ges / ryseth in the ende to as high as maye be. And Plato begineth where as Aristo­tle ēdeth. Cōsidre nowe howe it is possible to agre hī with christ / though many will make hym a piller of the Gospell ād a lad­der [Page]to clime to heauen. Let vs therfore re­pute the sciences of the worlde as vaine / beīg like vnto the harlots / that with their flattering woordes and false deceipts cor­rupt the mindes. And let vs consider that if the priestes of the old Testament were prohibited to take a comune woman for a wife / howe much more the Christian that is all wholy consecrate ande dedicate to God / ought to flee and eschewe the vayne sciences and onely seruing him self of thē as of moost vile handmaidens / to knitte hym selue in spirite and with harte ande minde to applie him selfe to that pure and immaculate virgin of the holy Theolo­gie or diuinité? To the intent that euerla­stingly we maye render to God all laude honour and glory / by our Sauiour Iesu Christe. Amen.

Sermon. iiij. Howe we ought to vse the holy scriptu­res / in attaining the knowledge of God.

THe knowledge of the holy scriptures is not ynough to proue that we haue suffycient light of God / because it is possible that a man maye by his prōpte memorie attaine the holy scriptures ande their interpreta­cions in his minde / and by force of his na­turall wytte / naturally vnderstand them / and be neuertheles for all that without faith / spirite and lyuely light of God. Lue: 24. For therto it behoueth hym to haue the spirite and supernaturall light / that God with his fauour do open ād penetrate the min­de by his diuine grace. So that therfore we must not accompte the holy scriptu­res for our last ende / or for our supreame Quene or Emperesse / but for meanes that serue to the faith / to the spirite ande to the true knowledge of God / muche more thē the creatures. And we ought to serue our selues of them in diuers wayes / for that they first incite and teach vs to repaire to [Page]God / sayinge / in him is the chief boūté / go to him / for he is faithfull / and hath promised to make you taste all vertue and good­nes in him. Yea. though they do not make the liuely to knowe God / yet worke they / as the Samaritane did / that sent the Sa­maritanes to Christ / who otherwise ma­de them taste ād feele that which the Sa­maritane had said of him vnto them / in soche wise that when they returned / they confessed / saying we beleued not at all by thy wordes / we our selues haue hearde ād knowe / that this is truly the sauiour of the worlde. John. 5. And so the holy scriptures do send the to christe / to the ende that he maye opē thy hart / ād make the ī spirite liuely to vnderstande that which already thou hast redde in the dead letter / that thou maist sa­ye vnto the scriptures / we neuer beleued by thy wordes / the which / being without spirite / coulde not make vs taste liuely the great bounté of God. It is true that by thy wordes we haue beē prouoked to go to Christe / who / speaking vnto vs in spi­te hath made vs to fele in the harte / a mo­re clere / high and diuine effect of that thou [Page]hast spokē. They erre therfore that / fedig them selues of the letter ād not of the spy­rite / do fixe thē selues in the holy s [...]riptu­res / ād seke none other light but that. Yea I saye that for one houres studie / they ought to praie a thousand / ād to demaūde of god the true vnderstanding of thē. And like as the Placonistes helde opinion / that the sensyble thīges geueth vs occasiō to studie in the booke of the minde in whiche (they saye) is imprynted all the very­té. So must we consyder that the holye scriptures do call vs to Christ / in whome (as Pause sayth) be hidde all the treasu­res of wysdome and knowledge. This is no lesse then true / that lyke as if thou had­dest a frende whome thou hast not tryed (though alwayes thou hast trauayled to proue hym) thou woldest not inwardely knowe hym for a frende (though he were euer in thine eye) because the profe hath not rooted hī in thy minde. So albeit the holy scriptures do call ande exhorte the to seke god in spirite / it is yet impossible that thou shuldest finde god ī trueth ī the scriptures / if first by spirite / thou haue him not at the harte.

[Page]They serue also an other maner / that many tymes happeneth. As where God maketh the in spirite with lyuely faith to feale a deuine trueth. Afterwardes / redīg the holy scriptures / thou findest that tru­eth writtē that thou hast so cōceaued. And therof resting contented / thou confirmest thy self in the fayth of that trueth / not­withstāding that it ought to suffise the / of the fyrst inspiration of the holighost. And so moreouer because that in Christ is the ende of the lawe / all the promisses fulfyl­led ād all the prophecies verified / the sha­dowes / figures ād scriptures of the olde Testament / he that redeth it and seeth all fulfylled in christ is forced to satisfye him self of the trueth / and to establish him self in faith. Rom. 10. 2. Cor. 1. For Christ sent the Iewes (that wold not beleue hym) to the holy scriptu­res / as to them that witnessed of hym. Afterwardes / albeit that in the Churche of God / to be satisfyed / grounded ād esta­blisshed in the diuine / celestiall and super­naturall verité / it behoueth in effect to co­me to the inwarde wytnes of the holy­ghoost / without whome we can not kno­we [Page]whiche scriptures of god be holy and whiche not. Neuertheles / after that by spirite we are assured that our holy scrip­tures be of God / we ought to serue our selues of them as of a certeine infailyble ād supreame outwarde rule to teache / repre­hende / correct and exhort the others ande to conumce thē that speake against it. For (as Paule writeth) amongest the extery­our thinges we haue not a more sure cle­re / parfect ād stedfast rule / then this / with whiche we ought in spyrite to rule all our wordes / workes / dedes and lyfe. 2. Tmo. 3. Tit. 1.

The holy scriptures moreouer shewe vnto vs (though farre of) our countrey. By her we haue lyght of God of his pro­misses ād also of his threateninges. Roma. [...]. And they nourish in vs / the faith hope / charité feare and other vertues. They comforte vs in our troubles / and in prosperite ex­horte vs to be temperate. They discouer the vanities of the world / our miseries ād the bountie of God. And who that studi­eth them must of forie recyre or withdra­we him self from the worldly thoughtes / and settle his minde to mortifie his vices / [Page]inordinate desires and affections. So that the studie of them is very proffitable to them that duely vse it. But it behoueth not to studie as the Iewe (who fyxeth hī in the vttermust rynde of the letter / whi­che) as Paule saith) killeth / and beholding Moses wyth the face couered / ande not entering into Sancta Sanctorū / but as the true Christian / to whome is geuen the knowledge of GODS celestiall Reyg­ne or Kingdome / without parables / that with the lyuely spyrite doth penetrate to the lyuelie taste ande fealing of GOD in Christ / beholding hym with lyuely faith in the face discouered / ande entryng into Sancta Sanctorū / to see wyth clere su­pernaturall lyght / the hygh resplen­dent secretes of God. To who­me be geuē all laude / honour and glory by our Sa­uyour Iesu christ. Amen.

Sermon. v. Of thinconueniences that are happened and dayly happē by the abuse of the holy Scryptures.

T The holy Scriptures of them selues be the good giftes of got and of the holyghoost. Neuer­theles they maye be vsed of vs wel or euell / as by experiēce it is manifest. For where as Gods elect serue thē selues of it to Gods honour / the reprobate con­trary wyse serue thē selues of it to his dis­honour / through their owne faute ād not of the scriptures In so moch that in res­pect of their wicked malignité it hath per chaunce done hurte in some wayes to the worlde / though at length / god of his infy­nite bounté reduceth all thīges to his ho­nour ād glorie. For first the scriptures ād specially the holy scriptures / haue ānoied thē who haue been diligēt to gather to ge­ther manie bookes / and negligēt to studye thē. Thīking thē selues fully learned whē they haue had their librarie full of bokes. Other some studying / haue not attayned [Page]to imprynte the trueth that they founde in theyr mindes / and therfore haue wryt­ten it in papers / so that / resting moost ig­noraūt / all their learnīg cōsysteth in their wrytinges / ād loosing them / they also loo­se their science. Which was one of the Ar­gumentes that caused Plato to cōdemp­ne lettres / sayinge that before scripture was founde / the men were moche better learned then sence / because they were for­ced to write in theyr mindes that that af­terwardes they haue written in paper. I passe ouer that many haue cōsumed theyr time in the dishonour of god / in readīg ād wrytyng of thinges curious ande perni­cious to the health. And that manie trans­ported of Curiosyté / haue willed to see so many bookes that in the ende they remai­ned confused wythout frute. As doth the felde wheron they cast ouermoch seede. And of some that by those meanes haue lost their wittes. But that which impor­teth moche more is that they thynke the true knowledge of Theologie or diuinité cōsisteth in lettres / which is vtterly false / because they giue not true and lyuely light [Page]of the supernatural thiges that can not o­therwise be knowen of vs but by spyrite / reuelation / faith spirituall taste / lyuely vnderstanding and sure experience. For like as the Phylosopher without experience can haue no knowledge although he beare in minde all that is written / ande nor ha­uing practysed / he must rest onely in opy­nion grounded vppon Aristotle / Plato and the other Philosophers / whiche mo­ueth hym to beleue theyr wrytyng to be true / being neuertheles in very dede more ignoraunt then is the poore paisaunt or husbandman / that by labouring of the Earth / without sekinge lettres / fyndeth the operacion of many naturall thynges / that proueth his science to be somwat and theirs none / though well they study for e­uer ād wante experyēce. So likewise one symple ydeote without learning / if he ha­ue faith / lyuely taste / and spirituall vnder­standing of God / is a greater diuine then all the learned men of the worlde that be wythout spirite. Yea he is a diuine ande they none. For that of the heauēly super­naturall thinges he knoweth so moch as [Page]he tasteth / and exper [...]n [...]ateth by faith [...] the learned mā hath onely a barraine / y [...]le colde ād d [...]ade opintō which stādeth with­out faith in desperaciō / accompained of e­uery vice. Nowe therfore it appereth that of this errour / by thiking that true Theologie or diuinite cōsisteth in learning / the­re are innuaerable inconuemēces growē / and chefely that many / wantīg letters / ād not hauing tyme to studie / thinking that by other wares it is impossible to become diuines / haue not disposed them selues to demaunde of God with meke harte ande feruent desyreth: lyght of the diuine thin­ges. And moreouer they haue fledde ande withdrawen them selues from the intelly gence or vnderstāding of the holy scriptu­res / as from a terrible ruyne / because their wyse learned and holy men haue persua­ded them that no man may vnderstand it but they onthe that are learned. Condēp­ning them that write in the vulgare ton­gue / as if the true diuinite depended of the Hebrue Greke or Latin lettres / or of that witte that hath well studied them. Behol­de nowe therfore whether this be not a [Page]moost rawe ād wicked opiniō / beig the ve­ry cause that hath moued me thus to wri­te ī my natural tōgue to thintēt that (knowing the true Theologie to be opē to eue­ry langdage and to the symple) our owne natiō shulde not be priuate / who haue no­ne other but the mother tongue. Ther be many that / studying the holy scriptures without spirite / lyuely faith and superna­rall light / haue not onely not attayned the true knowledge of the bountie of God ād theyr owne propre miseries / but the more they haue studied / the more / by the drie ād deade letter / they are become blynde of God and of them selues. Yea vnfaithfull / vnkind / proude arrogaūt presumptuous contentious ande repleate of all other by­ces. Where as the supernaturall true Theologie or diuinité stewing the great bounté of God / and declaryng in our sel­ues our owne myseries maketh vs faith­full / thankfull / iuste / humble / modest / gentle / quiet and conformable.

And moreouer they be so blynde that not knowing theyr owne wretchednes / they not onely forbeare to hūble thē selues [Page]before God / ād of him hartely to demaū ­de helpe lyght and grace / but also leauing praier for their studie / and the spirite for theyr learnig / they presume to be masters of the others as Paule wryteth / ande so inflambed of theyr science / haue staunde­red the worlde where as charyte edifieth. Rom. 2. And being consequently without spyryte / they study and vnderstand the holy scrip­tures according to their owne iudgemen­tes / diuersly as their wyttes ād studie are varyable / and euery one according to hys fantasye expoundeth them / thynkyng he hath perfectly and iustly conceaued them / Wherof are growen infynite sectes ande herespes. 2. Cor. 8. In steade of that / if they had beē good ād true diuines ād had had the spirite of Gods gyfte / they had vnderstāde thē in treuth and verité / wherof followeth none other but vnion of faith both in spy­ryte and charité.

Many also beleuing by the studie of the holy scriptures / to attayne true Theolo­gye and parfect knowledge of God ande consequently the chefe felycyté possyble to the lyuing man / haue geuen them selues [Page]to studye the scriptures / and walkinge by them to ioyne to the supreme faelicité of Gods knowledge / because they wanted the spirite / they neyther can arryve at the true ande lyvely lyght / taste and spirituall vnderstanding of God nor yet to the true felicité. Wher of it groweth that they fall to the botome of infidelyté / in suche wise / that they beleue that there is none other light / faith or diuinité then that their bar­reine and deade opinion / nor other felyei­ré then that theyr myserye / and so / seming to have attained the heigth of vertues / be­fore they have ones tasted of them / they disprayse them. These and soche other in­conveniences are growen ande continual lye growe through them that knowe not how they ought to vse the holy scriptures in soche wise / that by theyr default / ande not of the scriptures / they have perchaū ­ce done hurte to the worlde. But for that we ought not to cōdempne the letters (as many have done) but the men that knowe not to vse them as they shulde be vsed to the honour of God. To whome be all ho­nour ād glory by our sauiour Iesu christ.

Sermon. vj. If to bee good diuines it behoue vs to ha­ue the humaine sciences or not.

THere be many that thinke it is not possyble to attaine the per­fection of Theologie / if fyrst a man learne not Grāmer / Dia­lec: ica / Philosophie and metaphisica / Yea Scotus Thomas bonauenture ande so­che other. I confesse my selfe to haue been in that errour and therfore am nowe mo­ued to compassion of them that rest blin­ded withall. If it were as they saye / we shulde be moost bounden vnto the inuen­tours of those sciences / syns that by them we maye be good diuines / ād without thē not. And then I praye you if they happe­ned to perish or those aucthours to be lost shulde it not followe that also the worlde shuld lacke diuinité? And lykewyse if the learned men in those sciences be onely the good diuins and consequently Sainctes (the contrary wherof is clerely seen) then myght well the symple ande vnlearned people despaire of all ghoostly health / and [Page]the true and necessarie diuinité hange vp­pon humaine sciences. So by that reason it shulde behoue vs to saye that the Apost­les and in maner all the sainctes / Yea and the blessed virgin Marie weare not good diuines / notwithstanding that they haue taught others. No nor Christ neuer lear­ned those humayne sciences / and yet was he the moost excellent diuine. Iohan. 7. Therfore we must knowe that one humaine science leadeth vs to clyme to an other / moche vnworthie of the name of Theologie or diuinité / but rather to be called Meta­phisica / the which neither hath nor geveth so moch light of God as can suffyse to our saluacion / being a knowledge / that by for­ce of mannes witte / eliming the degrees of humaine reason / maye be attained. Where as the true ande supernaturall Theologie or diuinité is a science of the spirite / a gifte ande light that by grace cō ­meth from God aboue / in soche wise / that not he that hathe the pregnaūt witte / hath moost studied and is best learned / is grea­test diuine / but he that hath faith / liuely light and vnderstanding of God / that ly­ueth [Page]better and more christianly. Ephe. 2. And be­cause faith is a gifte of God / and the true diuinite a supernaturall light / not attay­nable or can not be attained of vs / but gy­uen of God to hys Electe. Therfore eue­rie symple. Yoeote and ignoraunt of the humaine sciēces / maie by the grace of god / sodenly become a parfect diuine and chri­stian / as in the actes of the Apostles it is redde of the Eunucho. Act. 8. It is possyble thē / that a simple olde womā maye haue mo­re of the true Theologie or diuinité / then all the learned men of the worlde. For the humaine sciences do fyll our myndes of smoake and pryde / ād occupie them in so­che wise (that distracte with Marta) they be not attentiue with Marie to receaue the knowledge of God. It is seen by ex­perience that rather and more lightly the symple haue accepted the Gospell thē the learned mē of the worlde. Yea where the symple / the ydeotes / the litle children ande the Samaritanes magnified Christ / the learned scribes and Phariseis persecuted him euen to the death of the crosse. Ande whan the worlde conuerteth / seldome the [Page]learned men come to the fayth / but haue been euer the laste. There coulde none entre into Sancta Sanctorum by tholde lawe / but the hygh Bysshop. But Christe dying on the crosse / hath ouerthrowen the vaile of the temple / so that the resplēdent treasures of Gods wisdome hidde ī christCol. 2. are manifested so openly / that the symple and ydeotes / yea the publicanes ād comu­ne women haue vnderstanded them. Wherof Dauid speaketh saying Thy wordes be open / they lyghten ād giue vn­derstanding to the litleones. Psal. 118. That highe and diuine wisdome is become so lowe ād opē in Christ / that euery symple maye vn­derstande. For that Christ is not come as an humaine man to teache vs letters but is diuinely ād spiritually descēded to kind­le the spirite / light charite and grace in the hartes of his electe / ande so hath he made them to vnderstand / euen to the Children whiche magnifie hym / saying Blessed is he that is come in the name of the lorde. Math. 21. And Christ reproued his Apostles when they letted the Childeren of comming to him / though nowe their be many that wil Luk. 18. [Page]not allowe the holie scriptures to be had in the vulgare tongue / nor redde and declared to the simple / as if they coulde not vnderstand them / nor were not bounde to knowe that which is conteined in them. And yet it is certeine / they conteine none other but proffytable and necessary thin­ges to the health / and that being of the ho­lyghoost / those diuine verities be in ma­ner so expressed / that in what tongue soe­uer it be written / so it be truly declared / ād with pure harte hearde and vnderstande / they must nedes edifie without offendig. Christe thanking his father / sayde vnto hym. Wath. 11. I praise the (father and lorde of heauen and earth) that thou hast hidde these thinges from the wyse and prudent / ande opened thē vnto babes / not for that they haue studied / but because it hath so plea­sed the. Ieremy. 3. In this is fulfilled that that God promised by his prophet Ieremie / that e­uen to the least of all they shulde knowe. Nowe beholde if they be blind or not / that wyll buylde the true Theologie vppon Philosophie / and vppon the humaine sciē ces: where as christ is the true fondaciō / [Page]and vppon him it behoueth to buylde / not woode strawe or haye / but syluer golde ād pretious stones / that is to saie / not the in­uencions of mā / but the onely true reue­lacions of God. Sainet Iohan Baptist / and not Aristotle / was the precursor or forerūner of Chryst. It is not possyble with the light of a litle burning candell to augment the great light of the Sonne ād lykewise Christ can not be clarified by the humayne sciences. Iohn. 5. He him selfe saith that he hath taken his beaulte / not of men but of his father / who saide vnto hi. Iohn. 13. And the I haue glorified / and the I shall glorifie. And wilt thou then that Chryst / which is the light of the world / shulde haue node of the light of Aristotle? Iohan. 1. That theyr drye / colde and dead Theologie serueth to ma­ke them proude / to presume of them sel­ues / to contende and to deceaue the blinde ignoraunt people with persuading them falsely to repute them for diuines / yea ād to begile them selues / that albeit that they be darkenes in dede / yet they thinke them selues to be the light of the worlde / ande therfore humble not theyr hartes to praie [Page]vnto God to giue them light. I wyll not saye that we cā not serue our selues of all the humaine sciences in the honour of God / yea and of our synnes / in asmoch as of them we maye take occasyon of vertue. But I saye in dede that they be not neces­sarie to make vs good diuines. For to that it behoueth a supernaturall lyght of God / with clennes and purité of harte. And this light we ought euermore to de­maunde of God with feruent prayer / we ought also to seke the hearing of Gods worde / and with humilité to exercise our selues in studying the holy scriptures / to the intent / that as true ād good di­uines / we maye rendre vnto God all honour and glo­rie by our sauiour Iesu Christ. Amen.