The firste chapiter. That it is not lawfull for a man to forsake his wife but onely for aduoutrie, and that, if he forsake her for that cause, yet he maye not marrye a­gayne, as longe as shee lyueth, althoughe Peter Martyr, Iohan Hoper, and suche other did teache the contrarie, against Gods lawe and mans.

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

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

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

Also he sayeth, I founde a­briefe Tom. iii. epist. ad. Amandū. letter ioyned vnto thine Epistle, and thy commentarie, in whiche these wordes were written. Aske or demaunde of him, that is to saye of me, whe­ther a woman, which, her hus­bande being forsaken for aduoutrie, & another married thorow force, maye without penaunce be receaued in to the communi­on [Page] of the churche that man yet alyue, whiche she had forsaken for his aduoutrie. The whiche thing when I readde, I remembred thys verse of Dauid. Psalm. 140. They doe it to finde excuses for the defense of their synnes. We al are men that fauour our owne vices, and doe impute vnto the necessitie of nature, that thinge, whiche we doe commit through our own frewyl. As if Mans free wyll. a yoūg mā should saie: I suffer force, or violence of my bodye, the heate of my fleashe driueth or inforceth me to synne. The instrumentes of my priuie membres, and the complexion of my bodie desier a womans com­panye. Aunswere therefore to the sister, whiche asketh of vs touchinge her estate, not with [Page] mine, but with the Apostles sentence. Mulier quae sub viro est, viuente viro, astricta est legi: quòd si mortuus fuerit vir eius, liberata est á lege viri. Ergo viuente viro, adultera est, si duxerit alterum vi­rum. Marke this wel, reader. Et in alio loco. Mulier alli­gata est legi quanto tempore vi­uit vir eius: si autem dormierit vir Rom. vii. eius, liberata est, cui vult, nubat, tantum in domino. Omnes igitur causationes Apostolus ampu­tans definiuit apertissime, viuente viro, adulteram esse mulierem, si alteri nupserit. That is to saye, the woman that is maried, is bounde to the lawe, as longe as her husbande liueth. But yf her husbande be dead, she is fre from the lawe of him. She is then a breaker of wedlocke, yf [Page] she be maried to another husbande, her first husbande being alyue. And in another place S. Paule hath the same, affirming that there is no cause, but death [...]. Cor. vii. onelye, to breake the bonde of mariage. Wherfore the Apostle takinge awaye all causes, that can bee alleged, determineth moste plainelye, that the wo­man committeth aduoutrie, yf she doe marrye another man, her husbande liuinge. S. Hie­rome [...]. Hierom. addeth these woordes there. I wyll not that thou brynge forthe to me the raui­shers violence, the mothers persuasion, the authoritie or styr­ringe of the father, the compa­nie of the kinsfolke, the deceite of the seruitours, and the con­tempt of them, or others, the [Page] endomages of the housholde goodes. Quamdiu viuit vir eius, licet adulter sit, licet Sodomita, licer flagi [...]ijs omnibus coopertus, & ab vxore propter haec scelera dereli­ctus, maritus esus reputatur, cui alterum virum ascisere non li­cet. Nec Apostolus haec propria authoritate decernit, sed Christo in ii. Cor. [...]iii. seloquente, Christi verba secutus est, qui in euangelio ait. Qui di­mit [...]it Math. xix. vxorem suam, excepta for­nica [...]ione, facit eam maechari, et qui dimissam accepiret, adulter est. Animaduerte quid dicat, qui dimissam acceperit, adulter est, s [...]e ipsa dimiserit virum, siue à viro dimissa sit, adulter est qui [...]am ac­ceperit. As longe as her husbād liueth (sayeth S. Hierom aunsweringe to the question before spoken of) althoughe he be an [Page] aduouterer, althoughe he be a synner agaynst nature, or elles Note this against all y^• whole rablement of the [...]utherans and Sw [...] ­glians. full of all kindes of vices, and be also forsaken of his wyfe for these synnes, he is iudged her husbande, and she maye not lawfully marrye another, whi­les he liueth. And the Apostle decreed or determined not thys thing of his owne authoritie, but he folowed Christes wordes, whiles he spake in hym, whiche sayeth in the Euange­lie. He that putteth awaye hys wyfe, except it be for aduoutrie, maketh her commit aduoutrie, and he whiche marieth her, that is so putte awaye, is an aduouterer. Note well what Christe sayeth. He that recey­ueth her to his wyfe, that is putte awaye from her husbād, [Page] is an aduouterer, whether she had forsaken her husbande, or els her husbande had forsaken her, he whiche taketh her, committeth aduoutrie. Then S. Hierom making an end of this doubt, in the whiche his iudge­ment was required. Sayeth: Ergo & ista soror, quae vt dicit, vim passa est, vt alteri iungeretur, si vult corpus Christi suscipere, non adultera reputari, aga [...] poeni­tentiam, ita dumtaxat vt secundo viro, qui maritus appellatur, sed ad­ulter est, à [...]empore poenitentiae non copuletur. Wherefore, let this syster, which, as she saieth, was enforced and compelled to marrye vnto an other man, doe penaunce, if shee wyll rece [...]ue Christes body, and be not coū ­ted an aduoutresse, but so onely [Page] let her doe penaunce, that from the [...]yme of it, shee be no more coupled with the seconde man, which is called a husbande, but he is an aduouterer. Heather to S. Hierom. Is not this mani­festlie written in this mattier? What mā that is wise, wil not beleue S. Hierom following y^• scriptures, rather thē the luthe­rians hauinge for their opinion no scripture rightlye taken?

S. Bede our countreye man i [...]dged the same, writynge thus: Nulla causa est, dei lege praescripta, vt viuente ea, quae re­licta [...]ib. 3 in Marcū fol. xxx. est alia ducatur. There is no cause written in Gods lawe, This was wrytten a­boue viii. C. yeres past. that another wyfe shoulde bee maried whiles she liued, which was lefte or forsaken. What madnes was in Peter Mar­tyr, [Page] Iohn Hoper, and suche o­ther of that forte, to teache and defende the contrarye to thys doctrine grounded vppon the holye Scriptures, the old god­lye Doctours, and the Coun­sels? Is this to refourme Chri­stes religion (as they pretende) to her purenes, whiche they falsely affirme that she had lost here? But I wil go forward, for the further confutation of thys opinion.

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

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

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

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

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

S. Austen hathe agayne, se­mel Lib de bono coniugali cap. x [...]. autem initum connubium in ciuitate dei nostri, vbi etiam exprima duorum hominum co [...]ula, quoddam sacramentum nuptiae gerunt, quod nullo modo po­test nisi alicuius eorum mor [...]e, dissolui. The marryage once entred or begonne in the citie of oure GOD, where, yea of the first couplynge together of man and woman, the mariage beareth a certaine sacrament, or a signe of a holye thynge, whiche bande can not be vn­done but by deathe of one of Tom. vij. li. [...] nuptiis. ca. x. li. 2. ca. 13 de coni [...] giis adulteri [...]s et de serm, dei in monte, [...] 2 [...] them. He holdeth in many pla­ces of his workes manyfestlye, that death onely of the man, or of the woman, and no other thinge or cause, dissolueth and [Page] breaketh matrimon [...]e once per­fited through carnall dealynge, excepte they con [...]ent to vow [...] chastitie.

I [...]nocentius the fyrst Pope of that name, whiche was in [...]ibro decreto­rum suorum cap. vi. S. Austens time hath the same. Wherefore we see euidentlye, that Peter Martyr, and Iohn Hoper, whiche was a white monke, and suche others erred sha [...]lefullye, when they dyd [...]eache, preache, and se [...]te forth the contrarye vnto thys doc­trine grounded vpon the scrip­tures, the counfails, and olde Doctours of the churche. But of this question lette this be sayed.

The second Chapter. A confutation of an abhominable er­roure of Peter Martyrs. settynge furth, which Williā Tyndale taught in his preface vpon the Epistle to the Romaines before his trans­lation, which is that our sal­uation cōsisteth only in god, and nothinge in vs, whiche wicked opin [...]on taketh cleane away mans frewyll from hym.

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

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

Dauid prayed to God, that Prayer sa­ueth vs. Psal. lxxxv. he might be saued, saying: Saluū me fac deus meus sperantem in te. Saue me, o my God, whiche do truste in the. Is this our salua­tion to depende only vpon God? Howe blynde are they, whiche saye, that Peter Martyr was a singuler learned man in diui­nitee, and that his commenta­ries are verye learned lie made? Hathe not affection blynded them? But heare further the Prophete Ioell sayeth. Ioelis. ii. We obtain oure saluatiō by praier and by not [...]eth onlie. Who soeuer shall call vpon thee name of God, shalbe saued: de­claringe therby, that our salua­tion consisteth in prayer: and [Page] Peter Martyr, Wylliam Tyn­dall, and the Italian Barnar­dine, say, that it is onlye in God, and nothinge in vs, nor in oure doinges. God saieth by his pro­phet. Conuertiminiad me, & sal­ui Isaye. xlv. We are saued by pe­naunce, and not by faith onelye. i. Lor. vii. eritis oēs fines terrae. Tourne ye to me, all the coastes of the earth, & ye shalbe saued. Saint Paule sayeth that repentaunce worketh in vs oure saluation. Howe ignoraunte are these men then?

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

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

The prophete sayed I wyll shew to the, o man, what thing Mich. vi. is good, and what oure Lorde doth require of the. Truelye, to doe right or iustice, to loue mer­cie, and with care to walke be­fore God, that is, to serue him diligentlye. This is the voice of our lorde to the citie. Et salus We are sa­ued by the feare of god erit timentibus no men eius. And healthe, or saluation shalbe to them whiche feare his name. Is this our saluation to confist onlye in faieth, or in God onely?

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

Miserere mei deus etc. Haue mercie vpon me o God, accor­dinge Psalm. [...]. to thy great mercye, and after the multitude of thye mercyfull workes, put thou awaye mine iniquitie. Who can denye but Dauid the prophet beleued when he thus praied, seeing S. Paule witnesseth, that no man Rom. x. can praye or call vpon God for remission of his sinnes, and hys [Page] saluatiō, except he beleue afore, and yet Dauid was not incon­tinente iustified and saued. Saieth not y^• prophet Ioel, that whosoeuer shall call vpon thee Ioel. ii. name of GOD shalbe saued? Whiche sayinge proueth that a man muste neades firste beleue in Christ, before he can be saued thorowe his prayer. The same thing, appeareth most euident­lye, by the Publican, that bele­ued Luc. xix. before he went into the temple to praye, for to pourchase his iustification and saluation throughe hys calling vpon God to haue mercye vpon hym.

Dyd not the Iewes beleue Act. ii. & iij▪ when S. Peter badde them tourne to God, to repent, and to be baptized, that they might obtayne their iustificatiō, by re­mission [Page] of their sinnes? Sayeth not Paule also, let vs go with an affiaunce, hope, or boldnes, Heb. iiii. vnto the seate of Godes grace, that we maye receyue mercie, and finde grace for our helpe in due season? Who seeth not then that we must nedes beleue, and put our affiaunce and truste in God, to obtayne of hym mercye and grace, through our praiers, afore [...]e doe praye to him ther­fore? Sayd not likewise Christ: Quecum que petieritis in oratione credentes, accipietis. What thinges Math. xxi. so euer ye shall aske in your prayers, ye shall haue them, yf ye doe beleue. S. Iames saieth that we must aske in faythe, yf Iaco. i. we wyll obtayne our petition. Muste we not then haue fyrste a beleife in God, & a confidence [Page] or hope to obtayn our petition, when we desier of God to for­geue vs our trespasses, & to saue vs, and than after through our prayers, and repentaunce pur­chase those benefites of hym? S. Austen sayeth in many pla­ces of his bookes. Fides primum datur, ut caetera impetrentur. Fayth is first of al geuē to mā, that other thynges necessarie for his saluation, may be gottē through it. But this is sufficiēt for y^• confutasiō of this grosse & perilous error taught of Peter Martyr. Nowe I wyll re [...]ute and improue another abhomi­nable heresie of his, whiche he defendeth in his commentaries Fol. 27 [...] ▪ vpon the fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians. And it is of the baptisynge of children, whiche [Page] he defendeth to be saued, if they were neuer baptised, but departed without baptisme.

The. iii. Chapter. The baptisme of children, against all the Swinglians, and not Peter Martyr onely, and the Ana­baptistes.

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

Item he sayeth, because S. Paule affirmeth that through Epistol. lxxxix. Rom. v. one mans synne (Adam) all were condemned, the baptisme of children is not superfluous, for asmuch as they which were cōdēned throughe their by [...]the, [Page] shoulde be deliuered from that condemnation throughe baptisme. Agayne he sayeth. Potest Lib. i. cap. xvi. de peccatorum. recte dici paruulos sine baptismo de corpore excuntes, in damnatio­ne omnium mitissima [...]uturos. Multum enim f [...]llit & fallitur, qui eos in damnatione praedicat non futuros. It maye be well sayed, that the children whiche do die Than Pe­ter Martyr beceaued men, and he him selfe was muche deceaued. withoute baptisme shall be in moste easie damnation of all o­thers. He is much deceiued him selfe, and no lesse deceyueth other, whiche sayeth that they shall not be damned. Also he saith. Periturus erat paruulus, nec habiturus vitam aeternam, si per Lib. i. ca. xxxiii. de peccatorum. sacramentum baptismi nō crede­ret in vnigenitum filium. The childe should haue perished, and not haue had euerlastynge life, [Page] yf he had not beleued throughe the sacrament of baptisme, in the only begotten sonne of god. Lib. i. cap. 27. de peccatorum. Ioan. iii.

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

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

Omnino in remissionem peccato­rum bapti [...]antur et paruuli, alio­quin non habebunt in regno c [...]lo­rum uitam. Younge children are Lib. v. Hypon [...] ▪ baptised vtterlye for to obtaine [...]emission of their sinnes, or els [Page] they shal not haue life in y^• king­dome of heauē. Likewise in the same boke he saieth. Paruulo nisi baptis mi gra [...]ia subuenerit, dispe­rie [...] de populo suo. If the sacrament of baptisme shall not help the infante, he shall not be saued Tom. iii lib. i cap. xxiii. de. p [...]ccatorū &c. with other folke. Againe he writeth. Nulla ex nostro arbitrio pre­ter baptismum Christi salus [...]terna promittatur infantibus, quam non promittit scriptura, omnibus humanis ingeni [...]s preferenda. Let not eternall saluation be promised to infantes, after our own will, without the baptisme of christ, whiche saluation the scripture, which ought to be preferred be­fore all mennes w [...]tes, promi­seth Aug. Tom. ii Epist. xxviii. et lib. de origine aīae cap. xviii. & xxi. not to them. In an other place thus he saieth. Quisquis dixerit, quòd in Christo uiuificabū tur etiam paruuli, qui sine sacra­menti [Page] eius participa [...]ione de hac uita exeunt, hic profecto & contra apostolicam praedicationem ueni [...], & totam condemnat ecclesiam. V­bi pro [...]terea cum bapti [...]andis paruulis [...]estinatur, & curritur, quia sine dubio creditur eos aliter in christo uiuif [...]cari non posse. Qui autem nō uiuificatur in Christo, restat ut in eadem condemnatione maneat, de qua dicit apostolus, per unius Rom. v. delictum in omnes homines in cō demnationem. Whosoeuer shall saye, yea that children shalbe made aliue in christ (spiritually) whiche doe departe out of this lyfe, without any partaking of Christes sacramente of bap­tisme, he without doubte doeth bothe againste S. Paules preachinge, and also he condemneth the whole churche. When men [Page] and women therfore, doe haste and runne to haue their childrē baptized, bycause they without doubte beleue, that other wyse they can not be made alyue in Christe, but he that is not made aliue in or by Christe, it resteth that he abydeth still in the same damnation of the whiche the a­postle speketh saying: Through Rom. v. one mannes sinne iudgemente came vpon all men to their con­demnation. Who seeth not now that Peter Martyr, and hys disciples erre manifestly in this matter, & ought not therfore to be beleued in other their naugh tie opiniōs. In fātes à peccato ori­ginis Aug. [...]pist. 89. immunes esse non possunt, nisi ab eius reatu per Christi bap­tisma resoluantur. Younge chyl­dren can not be without origi­nall [Page] sinne, excepte they be absol­ned from it, by the baptisme of Christe. Noli credere, noli dicere, Lib. iii. cap. ix. aīa et eius [...]rig. ad Vincentiū. noli docere, infantes antequàm baptizentur morte preuentos, posse ad originalium peccato­rum indulgentiam peruenire: siuis esse catholicus, Beleue not sayeth saint Austen, saye not, teache not, that infantes whiche Thē Peter Martyr was not ca­tholyke. Lib. iii. car. xii de peccatorum. depart before they maye be baptised, can haue forgeuenesse of their sinnes, if thou wilt be ca­tho [...]yke. Nec paruuli de quibus libet sanctis iustis (que) procreati, ori­ginalis peccarireatu absoluūtur, nisi ī christo fuerint baptizati, pro qui­bustāto impensius loqui debemus, quanto prose ipsis minus possūt. Younge chyldren that be borne of neuer so holye and righteous parentes, are not absolued from [Page] originall sinne, excepte they be Peter Martyr teacheth the cōtrarie baptized in Christ, for whom so muche the moore we oughte to speake, bycause they canne not speake for them selfe.

Nos dicimus, aliter infantes sa­lutem Aug. Tom. x. Serm. xiiii. de verbis apost. & uitā aeternam non habitu­ros, nisi baptizentur in Christo. We saye, that younge chyldren shall not haue otherwyse saluation and life euerlastinge, except they be baptized in Christe. Partrulus non baptizatus pergit in dā ­nationē. Apostoli enim sunt uerba: Ex uno &c. Et domini est sētentia: Rom. v. Ioan. iii. Lab. de gene. x. cap. xliiii. Lege. Aug. epi. 47. 107. 15 [...]. 90. 102. nisi quis renatus fuerit &c. Cui nō resistit, nisi non christianus. The younge childe not christened go­eth into damnation. For Paule sayth: Throughe one mans syn all are damned, and oure lorde sayeth, Excepte a man be borne [Page] agayne of the holye ghoste, and Tract. xxxviii. in Ioan. de gen. ad literam lib. x. cap. xiiii. ser. de tēp. xlv. water, he can not enter into heauen. The whiche thinge, no man agayne saieth, but he that is no christen man. Howe blinde is then Peter Martyr to saye that a christen mans chylde is iustified, before it be borne and christened, and that it shalbe sa­ued if it were not christened? Remembred he not, that Dauid, and saint Paule sayeth: We are Ephe. ii. Rom. v. i. Cor. xv. borne originallye the sonnes of Gods wrathe, and in syn? Can anye person whiche is dead throughe Adams offense (as Paule witnesseth all men are) be made alyue, with oute hys owne faieth in Christ, or els the fayeth of his Godfathers and the church, applied to him by the scrament of faieth (baptisme)? [Page] Saint Austen testifieth euidēt­lie in sondrie places of his wor­kes, Lib. i. cap. xiij. contra duos. Pelag. Lib. de pe [...]cat. cap. xxvii. that original sinne hurteth al children, not yet baptized, and that they are not gotten of chri­sten parents, in that, that their parents are baptized, whiche thinge toucheth the soule, but in that, that they are men and wo­men, they are begotten & borne in sinne, and shalbe damned for euer, excepte they be throughe baptisme borne agayne the son­nes of God.

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

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

Saint Gregorie Nazianzene, In. S. Lauacrū. saint Hieroms maister, sayeth. Melius est infantes, si periculum a­liquod imminet, non dum rationis cōpotes sanctificare, quàm non signatos, & initiatos uita excidere. [Page] It is better that younge chyl­dren, whiche haue not yet the vsage of reason, be made ho­lye (through baptisme) if ther be anye daunger at hande, rather than they shoulde loose euerlas­tinge lyfe, being not christened, before they doe departe oute of this lyfe.

Sainte Austen woulde, that To. xvi. ser. xv [...] de tempore. baptisme of chyldren should not be differred, but be ministred to them, as sone as they are borne. Also he saieth that saint Cypri­an, not makinge a newe decree Lib. iii. epi. viii Lib. i. ca. xx. de origine aīae ad Hieroni. of it, but kepinge the most sted­fast faieth of the churche, to cor­recte them, whiche iudged that the chylde shoulde not be bapti­sed, before theight daye of hys birthe: saied, that the soule, not the bodye, shoulde perishe, if he [Page] were not baptised, and he with other byshoppes thought, that the chylde streighte after hys birthe mighte be well baptised. Sainte Hierome confirmeth this belefe, saying. Infantuli bap­tizātur, Lib. 3. dialogorū contra Pelag. Adlatū idem ut eis peccata in baptismate dimittantur. Younge chyldren are baptized, that their sinnes mayē be forgeuen by it. What can Peter Mar [...]yr and his dis­ciples saye to this? Wyll they haue vs beleue them before the scriptures, and the olde godlye doctours of Christes churche? What blyndnes is this? Oure lorde of his tendre and greate mercie open their eyes, that they may see the trueth of his word, & seing it, recule and retourn a­gain to y^• catholyke churche, out of y^• which no mā can be saued.

Origen beleued euen as these other fathers did, part of whose Hom. xiiii. i [...] Lucamo sentences are nowe recited, for he saith thus, vpō these wordes of Iob. No man is cleane from the filthynesse of sinne, no [...] al­thoughe l [...]ys lyfe were but of Ca. 25. iuxta. 7 [...] one daye vpon the earth. Et quia per baptismi sacramentum natiui­tatis sordes deponuntur, propterea baptiz [...]ntur & paruuli. Nisi enim quis renatus fuerit &c. Because the filthynes of mans naturall birthe is put away thorowe the sacrament of baptisme, children are for that cause also baptised. For excepte a man be borne a­gayne Ioan. iii. of water, and the holye ghoste, he can not entre in to the kingdome of heauen. Innocen­tius the first, which was in S. Austens tyme, and to whome he [Page] wrote, holdeth the same beleife, saying, as saint Austen reciteth Lib. ij. cap. iiij. contra duas epist. pelagiorum. Epist. rescripta ad concil. Carthag. & Mile uitanum. Illud uero, quod eos vestra fraternitas asserit predicare, paruulos aeternae uitae praemijs, e­tiam sine baptismatis gratia posse donari, perfatuum est. It is a verie foolishe thing, that thei do preache (as youre brotherhoode affirmeth) that chyldren should be saued withoute baptisme. It appeareth then nowe moste playnelye howe this opinion, whiche Peter Martyr, folow­inge the Swinglians, hathe taughte, to defende that onelye fayth iustifieth man, is against the holy worde of God, and the holye doctours bothe of the Greke churche, and also of the Latyne, and thereby it is eui­dent [Page] that Peter Martyr, and his scolers are not membres of the catholike churche, but schis­matiques. I beseche God of hys gracious goodnes tourne their heartes, that they maye imbrace the trueth agayne, and continue therin to hys ho­nour and glorie, and their own saluation. But heare once a­gayne Origen, whiche was a­bout. Orig. lib. vi. Coment. in ca. vi. ad Rom. M. thre hūdred yeres passed, and writeth after this ma­ner: Pro hoc, scilicet corpore pec­cati abolendo, & ecclesia ab apo­stolis traditionem suscepit etiam paruulis baptisma dare. Sciebant enim illi, quibus mysteriorum se­creta commissa sunt diuinorum, quod essent in [...]mnibus sordes pe [...]cati genuinae, quae per aquā et spiritum ablui deberent. That is [Page] to saye. For this bodie of sinne to be defaced or put awaye, the An vnwrit­ten veritee of our beleif churche hathe receyued also a tradition of the Apostles, to geue baptisme, yea, to children. For they, to whome the secre­tes of Goddes mysteries were committed, dyd knowe that there shoulde be in all men na­turall fylthines of synne, which oughte to be washed awaye through water & the holy ghost This authoritie is againste Peter Martyr, the authours of the articles annexed vnto the Catechisme sette furthe in kinge Edwarde the vi. tyme, and all them, that saye eyther that childrē not baptised shulde be saued, or that baptisme is no cause of oure instification, but fayth onely, or that baptis­me [Page] is but a signe or marke of our iustification, or finally that the baptisme of children is set furthe in the Scripture, where it is lefte to the churche by the holy Apostles without writing De eccles. Hierar. ca. xii. only by traditiō, as Origē here sayeth manefestlye, and S. Di­onise S. Paules scoler, of the which S. Austen writeth thus. Lib. x. ca. xxiii in cene ad [...]eram. Lib. iii. ca. xiii. de lib arb. Lab. iiii. cap. 4. de bapti. s. con­tra donatistas. Consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis paruulis nequa (que) sper nenda est ne (que) ullo modo super flua deputanda, nec omnino cre­denda, nisi apostolica esset traditio. The accustoinaunce of oure mother the Churche in bapti­singe of children is in no wyse to be dispised, nor to be recke­ned superfluous by anye mea­nes, nor vtterlye to be beleued, if it had not ben a traditiō of y^• [Page] Apostles. What cā our new tea­chers, and the makers of the articles afore mentioned, saye to these authorities for the de­fense of their doctrine, that men are boūde to credite and beleue nothing, but that onlye, whiche the scripture setteth furthe? Woulde they, that men shoulde beleue them afore these auntiet, godly, & great learned fathers? But of this mat [...]ier I haue written moore at large in my booke of traditions, & therefore I now make an end of this chapiter, wisshinge grace and the knowledge of the trueth vnto all that erre in Christes religiō, that they may come at the lēgth vnto y^• ioyes of heauē thorough Christe oure sauiours glorious passion, to whome with the fa­ther [Page] and the holie ghoste be ho­nour and prayse for euer Amen.

The fourthe chapiter. That the soules of men departed doe not sleape, but either they goe to heauen for their good workes or els to Hell for their euell before do­mes daye.

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

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

The fifte chapiter. That it is lawfull and good to put fi­aunce, esperaunce, or trust in our good workes, nexte after God, as in his gif­tes, whiche thinge Luther, Buce [...] Peter Martyr, & semblable others denie. Also that we maye lyue god­lye for the heauenlye rewarde.

THe Prophet did putte trust in his good works, when he sayed. Memento Psal cxxxi. domine Dauid, & omnis mansue tudinis eius. Remembre Dauid, O lorde, and all hys mekenes. Euen so did the good kinge Ezechias iiii. Reg. xx, sayinge. Meme [...]to, domi­ne, quomodo ambulauerim, coramte in veritate & in corde perfecto &c. Remembre, [...] Lorde, howe I haue walked, that is to saye, [Page] howe I haue liued before thee with a perfite faieth, and haue done those thinges, whiche pieaseth Phil. iii. thee. Sainte Paule con­firmeth this doctrine, when he saith: Nostra conuersatio est in coelis, vnde & expectamus dominum nostrum Iesum Christum & ce. Our liuynge is heauenlye, and therfore we looke for oure lorde Iesu Christe, whiche wyll re­fourme oure vile bodyes, and make them lyke vnto his glori­ous bodie. Christe sayed. Sun [...] Matth. xix. eunuchi &c. Ther be some men, whiche haue chosen a continent lyfe for the kyngdome of heau [...], as their stipende, and rewarde. Mooreouer, sa [...]ed not the holye Prophete Dauid. Inclinaui cormeum &c. I haue bowed mye Psal. C. xix heart to kepe thy righteous cō ­maundementes [Page] for a rewarde. Commendeth not sainte Paule the Colossians, because they ex­ercised Coloss. [...]. Hebr. ij. xii. charitee, and gaue al­mes, propter spem repositam eis in coelis, for a rewarde layed vp in heauen, whiche they so doing hooped to haue? Saieth he not that Moyses preferringe the He. xi. & xii. reproches, which he suffered for Christes sake before the riches of Aegypte, looked vpon the rewarde to come Saith he not also, that Christ, when he suffe­red, looked vpon the ioyes, whiche he shoulde haue by hys passion Now heare what some The doc­tours sen­tences. of the olde doctours saye in this matter, and first saint Austens minde, whiche sayeth. Si pro re­missione Tom. ser. lx, de tempore. peccatorum, & amore vite aeternae, eleemosynà dederis, [Page] totum dextera facit. If thou doe geue an almes for to ob­tayne remission of thy syn­nes, and for the loue of euerla­styng lyfe, thy ryght hande doth altogether, that is to saye, it is well doone.

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

S. Chrisostome expresseth the same playnelye writynge Chrisost. hom. v. in Math. thus. Vnusquis (que) nostrum in nulla re alia, spem suam, nisi post dei misecordiam, in morum honesta­te constituat. Let euerye one of [Page] vs put his affiaunce and truste in no other thynge, nexte after Gods mercie, but in the hone­stie of maners. Agayne he say­eth Homi. lxvi. in. Ioannem. Math. xx. expoundinge these Christes wordes Non est meum dare vo­bis & ce. Dominus illo compelle­bat, in gratia Dei primum, deinde in laboribus proprijs, omnem sa­lutem & spem gloriae reponere. Ou [...] Lorde moued vs thither, to put first all our saluation, & all our hope and esperaunce of the glorie to come, in Gods grace, and then afterwarde in our owne labours. Thirdelye To. ii. cōtione. 4. delazaro. he writeth after this sorte. In­gens bonum in tuis ipsius bene­factis collocare spē. It is a very good thynge to putte truste in thyne owne good dedes. Vt sci­res quód eleemosina est benefici­um, [Page] opus (que) tuū non simpliciter in bonorum amicitijs sed in ami [...]itijs per māmona partis, Christus iuss [...] te cōfidere; di [...]ns. Facite v [...]bis a­micos etc. Christ cōmaūded thee to trust in amities got [...] throw Luc. xvi. almes, sayinge. Make you frendes by the mammon of iniqui­ti [...]. &c. To make an ende of this E [...]apt [...]r, dyd not S. Paule ii. Tim. ii [...]. bothe truste in h [...] good wor­kes, and also loke [...] h [...]ue a rewarde in heauen for them, and not onely for his faith, when he sayed? Bonum certa [...]. [...]. I haue foughten a good battell, I haue kepte my faythe, and haue ended my course of prea [...]hy [...]ge and of good lyuynge, there [...]owe resteth a [...] of ryghteousnes, whiche God a ryghteous iudge: shall, render [Page] to me at that daye, and not on­lye vnto me, but vnto them al­so, whiche doe loue hys com­mynge vnto that iudgement▪ Whe [...]fore I moste humblie and heartelye beseche. God of hys great mercie giue them grace, that are agaynst thys Catho­like doctrine, to retourne vnto the veritie agayne, and lead [...] their liues godlye in obseruyng of Gods holy commaundeme [...] te [...], that they maye iustlye put their fiaunce and trust in their owne good workes, as God [...] Peroratio. giftes, and loke stedfastlye to haue and inioye the glorye of heauen thereby throughe the m [...]tes of Christ ou [...] sau [...] blessed Passion, to whom w [...]it the father & the holy ghost be [...] prayse, & honou [...] for euer. Am [...].

The sixte chapiter.

That Baptisme is not onlye a signe and a marke of [...] iustification and profession▪ nor onl [...] a scale an [...] confirmation of the same, as Peter Marty [...] T. Cr [...]me [...] Rydleye. Catechisme fo. 35. 36. & art. xxvi. &. xxix. and the a [...]thours of the catechisme, and articles [...] the [...] kynge Edwardes the [...] tyme [...] wickedlye do [...] saye, and teache.

THys [...]r [...]ure, good chri­stian reader, is so mani­fe [...]lye againste Goddes worde as nothing can be more The [...] or [...] any grace, and regarde to Gods t [...] [...] hys honou [...], and their owne soules health, or saluation they wyll, that yet are [...] f [...]rce [...] with these [...] be­ware of them, and abhor [...]e [...] [Page] teachers of them, and they that are poysoned with any such doctrine, wyll forsake it, and em­brace againe the verie true doc­trine of the catholyke churche. when they shall see that their guides, teachers, and preachers do so euidentlie erre against the worde of GOD, as they do in thys presente matter of Bap­tisme: but to entreprinse & be­ginne this treatise, sayd not S. Iohan Baptist, that Christe shoulde bapt [...]se the people in the holy ghost▪ What is that, if it be Math. ii [...]. not Christe, as [...], God, to geue hys holye spirite thorowe grace, & forgeuenes of synnes, to th [...] personage that is bapti­sed in baptisme? Agayne, was [...]ete [...] Martyr, and the makers of the articles annexed to the [Page] aboue rehearsed cathechisme, either so ignoraunt, that they knewe not, or so malitious a­gainst the trueth y^• they would not beleue this christes, saying? Quisquis crediderit, & baptizatus [...]uerit saluus erit; Who soeuer shal Mar. vlt [...]. beleue & be bapti [...]ed, shal be sa­ued? Is not this playne enough against this heresie, and also a­gainst Peter Martyr, with all others the Lutherans, and Swinglians, whiche saye that Fayth only iustifieth not man. we are iustified, and saued by faieth onelye? For doeth not Christe ioyne here faieth, and baptisme together for the pour­chasemente Reade ye that are in­fected with Peter Mar [...]rs doctrine and repent in tyme. of oure saluation? Seest thou not then, reader, that oure newe brethren were verie blinde to saye, that bap­tisme is but a marke of our sal­nation [Page] and a sealyng of it onlie. Wyll anye man be yet so madd [...] to followe their doctrine, or to beleue their teachinge, and cor­rupted bokes? But heare Christ againe to their further reproch, & confutation, sayinge. Nisi qui [...] &c. Excepte a man be borne a­gaine Ioan. ii [...]. of water, and the holye ghost, he shall nor entre into the kingdome of heauen. What is it, I beseche the, Christi [...]n reader, here to be borne agayn, of the water and the spirite, if it be not a man to be borne spi­ritually thorowe grace, and for­geuenes of his sinues the chyld of God, whiche was borne na­turallye of his mother the sōne Psalm. [...]. of Gods ire, or wrathe, as saint Paule witnesseth playnlye? Af­firmeth Ephes. it. Note this. not also Christe heare [Page] that a manne entreth into the realme or kingdome of heauen thorowe his newe byrth in bap­tisme, and that without it, he shall not, [...]e can enter into it? Is this baptisme to be but a Faieth one lye sau [...]th vs not, as our newe breth [...]en s [...] it doeth. signe and a cōfirmation of our saluation, or faieth onlye to iu­stifie man? Is it any other thing a man to be iustified, than to be borne agayne throughe the workinge of the holye ghoost, which is geuen to vs in baptisme? [...]i. iii. Seest thou not thē ones again, reader these Gospellers blind­nesse, and ignorance in the scriptures? Moreouer, saith not S. Paule, that we are gra [...]ted into Rom. vi. Christes mysticall bodye, the churche, throughe baptisme: Sayeth he not in an other place that the Corrinthians were [Page] washed, made holy, and iustified This is a­gaynst Pe­ter Martor which saith that a child is a mēbre of the chur­che befo [...]e he be [...]e bapti­se [...]. in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ, and in the spirite of god, meanynge by that washinge of them, their baptisme? See wee not then, that saint Paule be­leued a man to be made righte­ous, or iustified throughe bap­tisme, and not by [...]ayeth onlye. Is this baptisme then to be but Faith onely iustifieth vs not. a marke of oure saluation, and iustification? O notable and straunge blyndnes of these pro­ceders, yea of these go [...]rs back­ward from the trueth, and new preachers. Why wynked they at thys sayinge of saint Paule, Gala. iii. Ye all are the sonnes of GOD, thorowe faieth, whiche is in Christe Iesu? Quot quot nam [...] [...] in Christo baptiz [...]ti estis, Chri­stum induistis.

For as manye of you as be baptised in Christe, haue putte on Christ. What els ment saynct Paule here, by puttynge on of Christ in Baptisme, but the re­ceauinge of hym by grace, that we made the children of God his father, not onely by faythe, (as this letter declareth) but also by baptisme, shoulde be clothed with him, and our synnes so remitted throughe his deser­tes and speciall grace, that they should be therby as it were co­uered and hidde from the syght of God, that he voyll not looke vpon them to punishe vs for them? Dyd these men neuer reade, and vnderstande sayn [...]t Paule, affirmynge, that Christ Ephe. v. cleanseth vs through the foun­tayne of water, and the worde [Page] of lyfe, to make vs glorious without spotte, and wrin [...]le of synne? Wyll then any [...] learned wyse man yet beleue this doc­trine, Faith onely [...]ust [...]eth vs not. whiche is, that only fayth iustifieth man, and that baptis­me is but a sygne, or a marke onelye of it? Adde to these say­inges thys testimoine of S. Paule, Cum apparuerit benig­nitas &c. After the [...]ounteous­nes and loue of oure sauioure God, whiche he bare towarde man appeared, he of hys mercie saued vs, & not of oure ryghte­ous workes, throughe the fountayne Baptisme is not only a mark of our [...]ustification but a cause of it. of renewynge and regeneration, or bearyng vs againe of the holye ghost, whiche he powred into vs plenteous [...]ye, throughe Iesus Christe oure sauiour, that we beynge iustifi­ed [Page] by hys grace, shuld [...]e heires of eternall lyfe, thorowe espe­taun [...]e or hoope Who may not see here moste playnly, that S. Paule affirmeth a man to be [...] saued, tenewed, borne agayne, and iustified by baptisme, and the holye Ghoste also to bee geuen to vs in it? Where was then these mens learnyng in the scriptures, when they so ignorauntlye taughte the con­trarye, sayinge: that baptisme is but a token, marke, seale, and confirmation of our iustificati­on Fayth only iustifieth not man. and saluation, and that only fayth doeth iustifie vs? Oure Lorde tourne theyr heartes to his trouth agayne, out of thys straunge blyndnes, in whiche they are. Finallye touchyng the rehearsall of the Scriptures. [Page] saith not s. Peter that as Noes [...]. Peter. iii. arke or shyppe saued hym, and feuen other from brownynge in the floude: euen semblablye baptisme saueth vs Wherefore retourne ye Swinglians and Lutherans to the Catholyke churche, and forsakynge youre errours and naughtye opini­ons, embrace the trueth agayn, whiche the holye & notable doctours hath taught vs in theyr bookes, as it appeareth mani­festlye by some of theyr senten­ces, whiche I haue annexed to these scriptures, that thereby men maye playnelye see, that oure newe brethren are not membres of Christes catho­like churche, nor beleue as those fathers dyd, whiche are nowe Sainctes in heauen. [Page] Certayne of some of the auncient wri­ters mindes, and iudgementes, tou­chynge the force and strength of baptisme, against Peter Martyr & al the whole nombre of the Swinglian [...] [...] [...]utherans, which do affirme that it is but onely a si [...]ne and a confir­mation of our iustification, and no cause thereof.

Saint Austen writeth after Sermo. xvi. [...] verbis apost. thys manier. Vnusquis (que) [...]am in iustificatione constitutus, accepta scilicet remissione peccatorum per [...]auacrum regenerationis, accepto spiritu sancto, proficiens de die in We doo [...] receaue for­geuenes of oure sinne [...] & the holye ghost in and by baptisme diem, uideat, ubi sit, Let euer mā, whan [...]e is iustified, and remis­sion of his sy [...]ues beyng recea­ued thorowe the fountaine of baptisme, in which man is born Agayne, and also when he hath the [...], Ghoost throughe the same baptisme, take heede, loke [Page] or considre in what [...] sta [...]e he is profitinge or goinge for warde daylye in grace, and vertuous lyu [...]nge. Thys is veraye plain­lye written, but heare hym a­gayne writing more playnlye in To [...]. Lib [...], con­tra lu [...]anum Pelagianum. thys matter. lustificatosin hac ui­ta secundum ista tria confer [...]ur, prius lauacro regenerationis, quo remittuntur cu [...]cta peccata. Dein­de, congressione cum uitijs, à quo [...] reatu soluti sumus. Tertio dum ne [...] ­stra exauditur oratio, qua dicimus, Dimitte nobis debita nostra & ce. That is to saye, iustification is Mat. [...]. geuen to vs in thys life by these We are iu­stified [...]y i [...] thinges [...]nd not by faith only as our ne [...] ghoos pe [...]rs do sai falslye. three thynges. Fyrste throughe baptisme, in the whiche we are bori [...]e agayne, and a [...] our sinnes are forgeuen vs. Secondlye we are made righteous by figh­tinge with our vices, from the [Page] gylte, or faulte of whiche, we be loosed. Thirdlye iustification is geuen to vs, when thys once petition is gratidusiye harde: Forg [...]ue vs, O father, whiche acte in heauen, oure trespasses committed againste the, as wee do forgeue them, that trespasse againste vs. Aqua exhibet forin­secu [...] Grace is g [...] uen by bap­tisme. sacramentum gratiae, & spiritua operatur intrinsecus benefici­ [...]m gratiae, soluens uinculum cul­p [...], reconcilians bonum naturae, regenerat hominem in vno christo, e [...] uno Adam generatum. The water exhibiteth outwardly the sacrament of grace, and the ho­lye ghoste worketh in wardelye the benefite of grace, loosynge th [...] bonde of synne, and recon [...] the goodnes of nature: it doeth regenerat a man in, o [...] [Page] thorowe one Christe, begotten of one Adam. What can our brethren Faith onlie iustifieth not man. say to this, which defende that faieth onlye iustifeth man▪ and that baptisme is but onelye a marke of our iustification, and a seale of it? Heare him agayne saying. Illo sacrosancto lauacro in choatur renouatio, noui hominis. Lib. i. de mori­bus Manichaeorum, ca [...]xxxv.

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

Wyll they arrogantlye denye these doctours sayinges and those that follow here, desiring that men shoulde rather credit and beleue them, than those ho­lye aunciente great clerkes, as Latymer did of late in the dis­putations kepte at Oxforde; Latimer. when he coulde not aunswere to them? Saint Hierom sayeth, onlye baptisme is the meane to obtaine forgeues of our sinnes, and Peter Martyr saieth, faith onelye is, and that baptisme is onely a signe of it, and no cause. He saieth againe. Christ [...]s bap­tisma in [...]ord a [...] [...] in [...] [Page] quasi poenite [...]s, qu [...]esset [...] pecc [...] ­tis liber, accepit, ut c [...]teros edoce­ret mundandos esse per baptisma, & in filios no [...]ra spirit [...] adoption [...] regenerari: Christe re [...]eaued baptisme in the ryuer of Iordan [...] therfore, as a penitent persone, althoughe he was free frome synne, that he myghte thereby; Note this good reader well. teache other [...]enne, that they must be made cleane frome the filth [...]nes of synne throughe baptisme, and be borne agayne the sonnes of God by the adoption of the holye ghost. Origen was of the selfe same beleife in thys Origenes hom. [...]. in Iosua. matt [...]er, whiche wrote th [...]s. Per baptisma regener [...]tion is expurga­ [...]ae s [...]n [...] animae nostr [...]. Our s [...]ules are cleansed throughe baptisme of a nowe byrthe. Agayne he Homi. ii. in Le­ [...]ticum. C [...]llus. and saunte Ey [...]ill followynge [Page] hym, doe saye thus. Audi nun [...], quantae sunt in euangelijs peccato­rum remissiones. Est prima, qua baptizamur in remissionem pec­catorum. Heare now how many wayes there are in the euange­les to obtayn remissiō of sinnes. The fyrst is, by whiche we are baptised to pourchace forgeue­nes of synne. Deus abolet sine du­bio uitium primae natiuitatis per rege [...]erationem. God withoute doubtaunce putteth awaye the syn of oure fyrst byrth through oure newe byrth in baptisme. Chrysostome establisheth thys Chryssost. hom. xxxv. in euan. Ioann [...]s. doctrine saying. Futuru [...] erat baptisma plenum maximae potes­tatis, & gratiae purgaturum peccata, pro mortuo vi [...]um effecturum. Baptisme was to come, full of greatest puissaunce, or power, [Page] and of grace, whiche shoulde pourge or cleanse mens soules from their synnes, and make a man alyue spirituallye, whiche was deade afore thorowe sinne. Agayne he saieth Aufert quide [...] Serm. iiii. in ca. ii. ad Ephesios deu [...] in praesenti uita iniquitates, et per lauacrum regenerationis, et per poenitentiam. God taketh a­waye mennes synnes in thys Note this againste the solifidians. present lyfe, bothe throughe baptisme, and also throughe pe­naunce. Iustificauit deus per laua­cri Serm. xv. in ca. ix. ad Rom. regenerationem. God hathe iustified man throughe the la­uatorie of regeneratiō. He saith also that oure circumcision (baptisme) bringeth to vs goodes Hom xxxix. in Geneseos ca. 17. without numbre, and that it fil­leth vs full of the holye ghostes grace, and that it hathe no time appointed for the administratiō [Page] of it? Tertulliā beleued y^• same, sayinge. Caro abluitur, ut anima Tertul. de re­sur. carms. [...]maculetur. The body of man is is washed, that his soule may be made cleane frō the spottes of sinne. Saint Cyprian, con­senteth to these fathers, when he sayth thus: Gratia de baptismi Lib. i. epist. iii sanctification [...] percipitur. Grace is receaued throughe the halo­winge of mannes soule in bap­tisme. per baptisma spiritus sanc­tus percipitur. The holy ghost is receaued by or throughe bap­tisme. Oportet mundari, & sancti­ficari Lib. ii. epist. iii. & lib. i. epi. xii aquam prius à sacerdo [...]e, vt possit baptismo suo peccatà homi­nis, qui baptizatur, abluere. The water must be first made cleane and holye of the prieste, that it Halowinge of the foute Lib. iiii. epi. vii maye throughe the washinge of it, washe awai the mans sinnes [Page] whiche is baptised, To be short he sayeth that all the Deuels myght and power is taken frō him in baptisme, and the grace of the holye Ghooste is equal­lye geuen to vs in it.

Sciat diaboli nequitiam pertina­cem Lib. 4. epist. 7. us (que) ad aquam salutarem va­lere, in baptismo autem omnes vires nequitiae amittere. Lette a man knowe that the dyuels stubborne euelnes or malice is stronge continually vnto the water of saluation, but in bap­tisme he loseth all his power to do euyll. Quos parentalis labes infecerat, sic lauat baptismus, vt Marke this sayinge. nec actualis, nec originalis macula aliqua post ablutionem illam ve­stigia derelinquat. Baptisme doeth so cleane washe theym, whiche Adams synne had in­fected [Page] or defiled, that no spotte nother of originall synne nor of Thē the cō ­cupisence remaininge in the chylde baptised is no synne. actuall after that washynge a­way of fylth, leaueth any print, token, or signe. Is this baptisme to be but onelye a marke of our iustification, or a sealynge of it? Is this faythe onelye to iustifie vs, and baptisme to bee no cause of our ryghtuousnes, and iustification? O how blinde are these brethren, whiche doe teache that, & semblable other wicked doctrine. Our lord geue them grace to recule and retier to the trouth from their here­sies. Heare S. Basyll, whiche Bas. de exhor­tatione ad baptismum. was almoste twelue hundred yeres sence. Baptisma captiuorū est redemptio, debitorū remissio, mors peccatorum, animae rege­neratio, amictus splendens, chara­cter [Page] indeprehensibilis, coeli i [...]er, regni coelestis conciliatio, adop [...] ­onis gratia. Baptisme is a raun­som Many benefites obtay­ned by baptisme. Marke. Ioan. iii. of prisoners, a forgeuenes of debtes, the death of synnes, a regeneration of the soule, a bright apparell, a figure that can not be perfitlye perceaued, the iourneye of or to heauen, the purchasyng of the heauen­lye kyngdome, the grace of ad­option, or chosynge of a man to be the chylde of God, and hys heyre. He hathe also these sen­tences amongest manye moe.

Tempus aliud ali [...] opportunum negocio quaerunt, ad baptismi ve­ro salutem, tempus quodlibet accō modum Ho [...], 12. [...] 13. de baptismo. sit, siue dies, siue nox, siue hora, siue quodcun (que) temporis momentum. Men doe seke dy­uers tymes conuenient for di­uers [Page] busynesses, but euery sea­son Our newe brethren ap­poy [...]ted a time to re­ceyue bap­tisme. maye or shoulde be meete to receaue saluation throughe baptisme, whether it be daye, or nyght, houre, or anye other shorte tyme. Agayne he sayeth. Peccatum gratiam nobis per bap­tismi regenerationem datam abo Hom. 2. in psal. xxviii. let. Synne putteth awaye grace, geuen to vs throughe baptisme, in whyche we are borne agayne. Seruamur, autem, De exhorta, ad baptisma. quomodo? Nimirū regenerati per gratiam, quae confertur in baptismo. We are saued, but howe: Vndoubtedly throughe Gods grace, whiche is geuen to vs in Fayth! only saueth not, howe be it our new brethren saye that it doth. baptisme. Was not then Peter Martyr very ignoraunt, when he affirmed and defended that our saluation consisted onelye in God, and that baptisme is [Page] but a signe, and an establishm [...]t of our saluation? S. Martiall Epist. i. cap. 5. S. Peters disciple sayeth. Re­uiui [...]cit anima per baptisma. Iam sanctificati, & mundati estis aqua regenerationis. The soule of mā waxeth alyue throughe bap­tisme: You are now made holye and cleane from the fylthynes of synne, by or with the water of baptisme, in whiche ye are borne agayne. S. Gregore, Hieroms mayster, affirmeth the same thynge sayinge Laua­crum corum qui peccauerunt, non Cra [...]ione in s. lauacrum. qui peccant, remissionem conti­net. His scoler Eucherius was of the same belief, which wrote thus. Salutis vnda nos à primi parentis culpa absoluit. The wa­ter In libros regū. of saluatiō louseth vs from the synne of our first father A­dam, [Page] whiche is originall synne. Erred not then Peter Martyr when he taughte at Oxforde, that a Christian mans chylde obtayneth remission of original fynne before he bee baptized, and that he shall be saued yf he be not baptized at all? Whyche doctrine ryseth of that other, that fayth onelye doeth iustifie vs. Arator an olde writer hol­deth Lib i. cap. ii [...] in act. aposto [...] with thys catholyke doc­trine sayinge:

S. Alchymus Archebyshop of An. domi. [...]. [...]b 5. cap. 23. [...] Genes. [...] an anti [...] writer hath thus.

[...] purgata sacris debetur culpa [...]; nouā parientis lympha lauacri, [...]r [...]post vet [...]ros, quos [...]didit E [...]a, re [...]us. Cl [...]dius Varius Victor, whi [...]he was a [...]oute xi [...] hundred yeres passed, hathe sette furthe Lib [...]. in Gen. this godlye doctrine, when he wrote thus.

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

Euse [...]ius confirmeth this ca­tholike L. b. 9. capit, [...] Euangel [...]c [...] demonstra. doctrine, when he saith, Non amplius per legitima. sacri­ [...]icia [Page] Mosaicae legi [...], remissi [...] illi [...] peccatorum conciliatur, sed per lauacri purgationē, quod in colle­cta ex gentibus ecclesia tradeba­tur. Remission of synne is no longer purchased of theym throughe the lawfull sacrifices of Moyses lawe, but throughe the cleansynge of the fountaine of baptisme, which was geuen in the churche assembled of the Gentils.

Thys is playnelye sayde, and as playne is thys sentence, pro­nounced and published in the fyrste counsayle holden at the [...]itle o [...] N [...]ce [...], almoste twelue hund [...]ed yeres [...]e [...]ce. Con [...]iteor vn [...] baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. That is to saye. Note this reader.

I do confesse, or acknowledge, that there is one baptisme, or [Page] that a man must be ones bapti­sed to obtain remissiō of sinnes. Thys is the Crede and beleife Ephes. iiii. Peter mar­tyr and the new brethrē beleue not as the holye catholyke church doth. of al christian nations, and ther­fore. I maye well conclude a­gainst Peter Martyr, and the makers of the afore recited ca­techisme, and the articles a [...]i [...]yned to the same, that they are not membres of Christes holy [...] churche, because they saye that baptisme is but a signe, token, marke, and confirmation of our iustification, and of the remissi­on of our synn [...]s, but that they are forgeuen vs by fayeth onlye before we be baptised, yea wee beinge chyldren latelye borne & hauing no fayth of our owne. Saint Ambrose agreeth herein Ambros. in i. Cor. with the other fathers speaking of our wasshing in baptisme, of [Page] our being halowed in baptisme, Fa [...]eth onlye boeth not iustifie man, but baptisme al­so. & o [...] oure iustification obtained therin, as Paule witnesseth in that place. Haec omnia beneficia pu [...]tatis, in baptismate consecuti noscuntur, quod est fundamentū e [...]angelicae [...]eritatis. Illic enim omnibus peccatis depositis, ab luitur c [...]eden [...], & iustificatur in nomine domini, & spiritu dei nostri, filius deo adoptatur. The pe [...]ple are knowen to haue gotten all these benefites of pur [...]nes in baptism Note this, r [...]ader, dili­gentlye. whiche baptisme is the foūdati­on of the trueth of the e [...]angell. For in baptisme he that bele­ueth is wasshed cleane from his synnes, and is iustified in the name of our lorde, and thorowe the spirite of God is chosen the sonne of God, al hys synnes be­ing put away from hym. Seest [Page] thou not here playnelye▪ reader, The vertue [...]nd strēgth, of baptisme. that saint Ambrose expounding saint Pauls wordes, declareth that he mente, that we are iustified in baptisme, and do receaue therby the holye ghost, obtayne remission of al our sinnes, [...] are made the sonnes or chyldren of God by adoption, whiche alto­gether Peter Martyr denieth vngodlye? Ought he then to [...]e credited & beleued in his other opinions, whiche doeth so igno­rauntlye erre in this mattier a­gainste the holye scriptures, the general coūselles, the doctours, the auncient custome, and the beleife of the catholike churche? Heare the holye man Leo the fyrst Pope of that name, which Leo. sermone primo de nati­ [...]tate Christi. was aboue M. C. yeres synce, and saieth. Per baptismatis sacra­mentum, [Page] spiritu [...] sancti fa [...]us [...]s templum. Thou arte made the temple of the holye Ghooste throughe the s [...]amen [...] of bap­tisme. Maximus an anu [...]ie [...]t great learned man was of the Homi. de sym­bolo apost. same b [...]leife, when he wrote thus. Sancta [...]st ecclesia, quae bap­tismi sacramento; peccator [...]m con­tag so [...] deter [...]a, terrarum in colas transmient ad coelum. The church is holye, whiche sendeth the dwellers of the [...]arthes vnto heauen, throughe the sacrament of baptisme, the infectiō of syn­nes being therby wypp [...]n or ta­ken awaye. This is manifestlye spoken of those holye doctours. I passe ouer all the reste of the olde doctours sentences, boeth because th [...]se are sufficiente to persuade euery man, that is not [Page] obstinat [...]e geuen to abyde in his errour, and also for that, that I woulde not be ouer te­dious to the reader. Our lorde of hys infinite goodnes, & moste [...]endre mer [...]ye graunte them grace to amende, and to forsake thys wicked errour, and all o­thers their abominable opini­ons, and to retourne agayn [...] vnto Christes catholyke church leauinge their schisme, to the honoure of God and the saluation of their own soules, which Christe bought most dearlie with the shed [...]ynge of hys preci­ous bloude▪ (▪)