Whether Man Be in the Estate of Damnation or Grace, Dialogue 1
A Dialogue of the state of a Christian man, betweene Eusebius a perfect Christian, and Timotheus a wise Christian, and the most of it was gathered here and there out of the sweete and sauorie writings of Maister Tindalland Maister Bradford.
TImotheus.
Because of our auncient acquaintance and familiaritie (deare friende Eusebius) I will make bolde with you to aske such questions as may be for my edification and comfort, and of no other matters but euen of religion, whereof I see you are an olde professor. And first of all, let me be bold to aske this question of you, how it pleased God to make you a true Christian, and a member of Christ Iesus whom I see you serue continually with a feruent zeale.
Eusebius.
For that olde acquaintance that was betweene vsus, and for that you are desirous to liue a godly life in Christ Iesus, I will not conceale the good worke of my God in me: therefore I pray you marke a little what I shall say, and I will declare vntounto you the truth euen foorth of the feeling of mine owne conscience. The fall of Adam did make mee the heire of vengeance and wrath of God, and heire of eternall damnation, and did bring mee into captiuitie and bondage vnderunder the Diuell: And the Diuell was my Lorde and my ruler, my heade, my gouernor, and my prince, yea, and my god. And my will was locked & knit faster vntounto the will of the Diuell, then coulde an hundred thousand chaines binde a man vntounto a post. VntoUnto the Diuels will did I consent with all my heart, with all my minde, with all my might, power, strength, will and life: so that the lawe and will of the Diuell, was written as well in my heart, as in my members, and I ran headlong after the Diuel with full soule, and the whole swing of all the power I had: as a stone cast vp into the aire commeth downe naturally of it self with al the violent swing of his own weight. O with what deadly & venemous heart did I hate mine enimies? with howe great malice of minde inwardlie did I sley and murther? With what violence and rage, yea with what seruent lust committed I adulterie, fornication, and such like vncleannes? With what pleasure and delectation like a glutton serued I my bellie? With what diligence deceiued I? Howe busilie sought I the things of the world? whatsoeuer I did worke, imagine or speak, was abhominable in the sight of God, for I could referre nothing vntounto the honour of GOD: neither was his lawe or will written in my members or in my hart, neither was there anie more power in me to followe the will of GOD then in a stone to ascend vpward of it selfe. And besides that I was a sleepe in so deepe blindnesse that I could neither see nor feele in what miserie, thraldome, and wretchednes I was, till Moses came and awaked mee and published the lawe. When I heard the lawe truelie preached how that I ought to louelove and honour God with all my strength and might from the lowe bottome of the heart, because hee did create mee lord ouer it, and my neighbour, yea mine enemies as my selfe inwardlie from the ground of my heart, because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne Image, and they are his sonnes as well as I, and Christ hath bought them with his bloud, and made them heires of euerlasting life as well as I: and howe I ought to doe whatsoeuer God biddeth and to abstaine from whatsoeuer God forbiddeth, with all louelove and meekenesse, with a feruent and burning lust from the entire of the heart. Then beganne my conscience to rage against the lawe and against God. No sea, bee it neuer so great a tempest was so vnquiet, for it was not possible for mee a naturall man to consent to the lawe that it should be good, or that God should be righteous which made the lawe: in as much as it was contrarie vntounto my nature, and damned mee and all that I could doe, and neuer shewed mee where to fetch helpe, nor preached any mercy aRom. 4.: but onelie set mee at variance with God, and prouoked and stirred mee to raile on God, and to blaspheme him as a cruell tyrant. And indeed it was not possible to doe otherwise, to thinke that God made me of so poisoned a nature, and gaue me an impossible lawe to performe: I beeing not borne againe by the spirite, and my wit, reason, and will beeing so fast glewed, yea nailed and cheined vntounto the wil of the Diuell. This was the captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered mee, redeemed and loosed me. His bloud, his death, his patience in suffering rebukes and wronges and the full wrath of God, his prayers and fastings, his meekenes & fulfilling the vttermost points of the lawe, appeased the wrath of God, brought the fauour of God to mee againe, obtained that God should louelove mee first, & be my father, and that a mercifull father that would consider my infirmitie & weaknesse, and would giuegive mee his spirit againe which hee had taken awaie in Adam, to rule, gouerne, and strengthen mee, and to breake the bandes of Sathan wherein I was so straight bound. When Christ was on this wise preached, and the promises rehearsed which are cōtained in the booke of God, (which preaching is called the gospell or glad-tidings,) and I had deepelie considered the same: then my heart began to waxe soft & melt at the bounteous merciemercy of God and kindnesse shewed of Christ. For when the gospell was preached, the spirite of God (me thought) entred into my heart, and opened my in warde eyes, and wrought a liuely faith in me, and made my woful conscience feele and taste how sweet a thing the bitter death of Christ is, & how merciful & louing God is through Christs purchasing and merits, and made mee beginne to louelove againe, and to consent to the lawe of God how that it is good and ought so to bee, and that GOD is righteous that made it: lastlie it wrought in me a desire to bee whole, and to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse and more strength to fulfil the law more perfectlie: and in all that I doe or leaue vndone to seeke Gods honour and his will with meeknesse euermore condemning the imperfectnes of my deeds by the law.
Now then this good work of God to my saluation standeth in two pointes, the working of the law, and the working of the gospell: the preaching of the lawe was a key that bound and damned my conscience, the preaching of the gospell was an other key that loosed me againe. These two salues (I meane the lawe & the gospell) vsed God & his preacher to heale and cure mee a wretched sinner withall. The lawe did driue out my disease and made it appeare, and was a sharpe salue and fretting corasiue, & killed the dead flesh, and losed and drewe the sore out by the roote, and all corruption. It pulled from me all trust and confidence I had in my selfe, and in mine owne workes, merits, deseruings, and ceremonies, and robbed me of all my righteousnes, & made me poore. It killed me in sending me downe to hell, and bringing mee almost to vtter desperation, & prepared the way of the Lord, as it is written of Iohn Baptist. For it was not possible that Christ should come vntounto mee as long as I trusted in my selfe or in any worldly thing, or had anie righteousnes of mine owne, or riches of holie workes. Then afterwarde came the Gospell a more gentle plaister, which …oupled and swaged my wounds of my conscience and brought me health: It brought the spirit of God, which loosed the bandes of Sathan, and coupled me to God & his wil through a strong faith & feruēt louelove. Which bands were to strong for the Diuell, the world, or anie creature to loose. And I a poore & wretched sinner felt so great merciemercy that in my selfe I was most sure that God would not forsake mee, or euer withdrawe his merciemercy and louelove from mee,. And I boldlie cryed out withRom. 8. Paul, saying. Who shall separate me from the louelove of GOD, &c. Finallie, as before when I was bound to the Diuell and his wil, I wrought all manner of wickednes, for I coulde doe no otherwise, it was my nature: euen so nowe since I am coupled to God by Christes bloud, I do good freelie, because of the spirit and this my nature. And thus I trust I hauehave satified your first demaund.
Timoth.
Yea, but mee thinkes you doe too much condemne your self in respect of sinne. For I can remember that from your child-hood your were of a good and gentle nature, and your behauior was alwaies honest and ciuill, and you could neuer abide the companie of them which were roisters and ruffians, and swearers, and blasphemers and contemners of Gods word, and drunkards, which nowe are tearmed good fellowes. And your dealing with all men hath beene euer commended for good, faithfull and iust. What meane you then to make your self so abhominable and accursed, and to say, you were so wholie addicted vntounto wickednesse, and your will so fearefully and miserablie in captiuitie vntounto the will of the Diuell.
Euseb.
Brother Timoth. I know what I say, God giuegive mee grace to speake it with more liuelie feeling of my weaknes, & with a more bitter detestation of my sinne. By nature through the fall of Adam am I the childe of wrath, heire of the vengeance of God by birth: yea and so from my first conception: And I had my fellowshippe with the damned diuels vnderunder the power of darknes and rule of Sathan, while I was yet in my mothers womb: and although I showed not the fruites of sinne as soone as I was born nor lōg after: yet was I full of the naturall poyson, frō whence all wicked deeds do spring, & cānot but sin outwardly, as soone as I am able to work (be I neuer so yong) if occasion be giuen: for my nature is to sinne as is the nature of a serpent to sting: and as a Serpent yet young, or yet vnbrought foorth is full of poyson and cannot afterwarde (when time and occasion is giuen,) but bring forth the fruites thereof. And as an Adder, a Toad, or a Snake is hated of man, not for the euill it hath done, but for the poyson that is in it, and hurt which it cannot but doe: so am I hated of God, for that naturall poyson which is concieued and borne with mee before I doe anie outwarde euill. And as the euill which a venemous worme doth, maketh it not a serpent, but because it is a venemous worme therefore doth it euill, and poysoneth: euen so doe not our euill deedes make vsus euill first, but because wee are of nature euill, therefore doe we euill, and thinke euill, to eternall damnation by the lawe, and are contrarie to the will of God in our will, and in all things consent vntounto the will of the fiend.
Timoth.
As yet I neuer had such a feeling of my sinne as you hauehave had: and although I woulde bee loth to commit anie sinne, yet the lawe was neuer so terrible vntounto me, condemning me, pronouncing the sentence of death against mee, and stinging my conscience with feare of euerlasting paine, as I perceiue it hath beene vntounto you: therefore I feare oftentimes least my profession of religion should be onelie in truth meere hypocrisie, I praie you let me heare your minde.
Euseb.
A true saying it is that the right waie to goe vntounto heauen, is to sayle by hell, and there is no man lyuing that feeleth the power and vertue of the bloude of Christ, which first hath not felt the strange paynes of hell. But yet in these paines there is a difference: and it is the will of God that his children in their conuersion shall some of them feele more and some lesse. Ezechias Esai 33.on his death bedde complaineth that the Lorde breaketh his bones like a Lion, that he could not speake by reason of paine, but chattered in his throte like a Crane, and mourned like a Doue. Iob saith, that God isIob. 6. 4. Iob. 13. his enemie and hath set him vp as a marke to shoote at, and that the arrowes of the almightie are vponupon him, and that the poison of them hath dronke vp his spirite. Dauid Psal. 130.bewaileth his estate in manie Psalmes, but especiallie in the 130. Psalme, where he beginneth on this manner: Out of the deepe places hauehave I called vntounto thee O Lorde, which is as though hee shoulde saie; O my poore soule fall not flatte downe, vexe not thy selfe out of measure: the burden of thy sinnes presse thee sore indeede but bee not for all that quite ouerwhelmed: thou art thrust downe so lowe into the depth of deepes that thou had neede crie aloude to bee hearde of him which dwelleth in the highest heightes: and the euerburning hell fire is not farre from that lake whither thine iniquities hauehave plūged thee, …o that thou maiest perceiue as it were the Eccho of their cries and desperate how…nges which bee there cast out of all hope of euer comming forth. But the Lord which bringeth foorth euen to the borders of hell his best beloued when they forget them selues, knoweth also how well to bring them backe againe. Goe no further then downwarde, but li…t vp thy heart together with thine eie, and seeke vntounto the Lord, to reach vntounto thee his mercifull and helping hand. Againe in the scriptures wee finde examples of men conuerted vntounto the Lord without anie vehement sorrowe of their sinnes. What anguish of cōscience had the theefe vppon the crosse for his former life in his present conuersion at the houre of death? How was Lidia dismayed and cast downe in respect of hir wickednesse, like as Dauid was or Iob, whose heart God onelie is saide to hauehave opened to giuegive attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas, who also euen presentlie after was readie to entertaine them, and to make them a feast in hir house, which she could not hauehave done if shee had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias or Dauid. The same may be spoken of the Iailer, and of them which hearde Peters Sermon at Ierusalem, who for all that they had murdred our Sauior Christ, yet in their conuersiō, their harts were onelyonly for the time pricked. So then God in preparing vsus, which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stincking doung-hils of sinne, nay verie vncleannesse & pollution it selfe, I saie, in preparing vsus to be the tēples of his holy spirit to dwell in, & the store-houses to horde vp his heauenlie graces in, doth otherwhilesvse a milde and gentle remedie, & maketh the law to looke vponupon vsus, though with no louing & gentle, yet with no feareful countenance, & otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vponupon the law, & maketh it to wound the hart very deepe, and as a strong corasiue to torment them, & to frette & gnawe vponupon their consciences. And we see by experience that a botch or a bile in a mans bodie, is as wel eased of the corruptiō that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser. Wherfore if God by his spirit hauehave wrought in you sorrowe for sinne in anie small measure, though not in as great measure as you desire, you hauehave no cause to complaine: and in that you are greeued & sorrowfull for your sinnes, it is a good token of the grace of God in you.
Timoth.
Surelie this is a great comforte …ou giuegive mee, God make mee thankefull …or it. And I praie you more plainely shew me the state of your life till this houre, that I and all other may take warning by it.
Euseb.
That which may doe good vntounto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame. As I was conceiued & born in sin, so my Parēts brought me vp in ignorāce & neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law: & I liued a long time, euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance, and in truth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell, neither God nor Diuel. And the Diuel himself (as now I perceiue) did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of God, and shoulde be saued as well as the best man in the world: and I yeelded to this perswasion, and did verilie thinke it: so that when the preacher for wickednesse and securitie denounced Gods iudgementes and hell fire, I hauehave saide vntounto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued, and he should goe to hell: and when I was asked whether I could keepe all the commandements of the lawe I saide that I coulde, and being asked whether I neuer sinned: I saide I thought that otherwhiles I did, marrie for them which were but fewe, I hoped God woulde hauehave merciemercy, and hauehave me excused. And all my neighbors were glad of my company, they spoke well of me, and I was taken for an honest man, when as indeed, before God I was a vile beast, & the childe of wrath, inspired with the spirite of the Diuell continuallie. Well; afterward I heard the law preached and I sawe and remembred manie fearefull iudgements of GOD vponupon men whom I in reason thought were as good men as I, then I beganne to consider mine owne estate, and to perceiue my sinnes, and my cursednesse, and vponupon a time aboue all other, the curse of the lawe made mee inwardlie afraide, and my flesh then beganne to tremble and quake: then I could not sleepe in the night season, I was afraide of euerie thing. If I were in my house, I thought the house would fall on my head; if abroade, I thought euerie crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallow me. I started at euerie strawe, and at the moouing of a flie: my meate was lothsome vntounto me, and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God, and that God might iustlie turne it to my bane: the greefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of tears: and vponupon that I remembred (that I had heard read in the Church, in Dauids Psalmes, that his teares were his drinke, and that hee did wette his bed with teares. And now the Deuill changed both his coate and his note, & in fearefull manner cryed in my eares, that I was a reprobate, his childe: that none of Gods children were as I am, that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell. And the greater was my paine, because I durst not open my minde vntounto anie for feare they shoulde hauehave mocked mee, and hauehave made a iest of it. Wherefore I was fayne to go to a godlie learned Preacher: I shewed myne estate vntounto him? after I had continued with him the space of two or three daies. I receiued comfort both by the promises of merciemercy, which hee shewed mee in the booke of God, and by his feruent godlie and effectuall prayers: and I thanke God euer since I hauehave had some assurance (in spite of the Deuill) that I doe apperteine to the kingdome of heauen, and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ, and shall so continue for euer.
Timoth.
How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne?
Euseb.
Because I am a sinner & he is both able and willing to forgiue me.
Timoth.
I graunt that hee is able to forgiue you, but how know you that he will? you know your sinnes are very great.
Euseb.
I graunt: but Christs passion is far greater: and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple, yet they shall be as white as snow, and as soft as wooll.
Timoth.
Oh but you hauehave sinned verie often.
Euseb.
Tell mee not I pray you what I hauehave done, but what I will doe.
Timoth.
What will you doe?
Euseb.
By Gods grace it is my full purpose, and my earnest praier to God is, hereafter to take better heede, and to amend my former life.
Timoth.
Is that inough thinke you?
Euseb.
What lacketh?
Timoth.
The fauour and merciemercy of God, that may cleane forsake you.
Euseb.
Nay that I will neuer graunt: for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour & merciemercy of God euen to the saluation of my soule.
Timoth.
Oh shewe mee that, that is the thing I earnestly desire, to bee assured of Gods speciall goodnes, euen by your feeling.
Euseb.
According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so will I shewe it you. And first of all the dealing of God towards me is a good argument to mee. In the first commandement, God hath commaunded me to take him to bee my God, and in the Lords praier he teacheth me to call him father: he hath created the world generallie and euerie creature particularlie for man & so for me, to serue for my commoditie, necessity, and admonition. Also he hath made me after his owne image, hauing a reasonable soule, body, shape, where he might hauehave made me a Toad, a Serpent, a Swine, deformed, frantick. Moreouer, he hath wōderfullie preserued me in my infancie, childhood, youth, middle age hitherto from manifold dāgers & perils: all which do confirm in me a perswasion of Gods fatherlie louelove: & that I should not doubt hereof: where I might hauehave beene borne of Turks, lo it was the wil of God that I should be borne of Christian Parēts, & be brought into Gods Church by Baptisme, which is the Sacrament of adoption, & requireth faith, as wel of the remission of my sins as of sanctification and holines to bee wrought of God in mee by his grace and holie spirite: where I might hauehave been borne in an ignorant time and region, God would that I shoulde be borne in these daies and in this countrie where is more knowledge reuealed then euer was here or in manie places els is. Where I might hauehave beene of a corrupt iudgement & entangled with manie errours of Papistrie, & of the familie of louelove, & of that hypocritical Brown, by Gods goodnes my iudgement is reformed, and he hath lightened mine eies to see & my heart to imbrace his sincere truth. By all which things I doe confirme my faith of this that God alwaies hath beene, is, and wil be for euer my father, & at my departing forth of this world will giuegive me the crowne of euerlasting glorie. Secondlie when as man is euermore doubting of the promises of God be they neuer so certain, God of his infinite merciemercy to preuent all occasions of doubting, promiseth to giuegive his owne spirit as a pledge, pawne, or earnest pennie vntounto his children of their adoption & election to saluation. Now since it pleased God to call me from hypocrisie to bee a member of his Church, I feel that in my self which I neuer felt or heard of before. In times past, I came to praiers and to the preaching of Gods word euen as a Beare commeth to the stake, now the word of God is meate and drinke to me, and praier is no burden vntounto me, but my ordinarie exercise. If I rise in the morning I am not well till I hauehave praied and giuen thankes to God, if I doe any thing it commeth into my minde to pray. In my praiers I finde great ioy and comforte and the exceeding fauour of God, I neuer think I can well take my rest, or doe anie thing else except first I aske it at Gods hande in Christ. Lastlie, when my minde and heart is whollie occupied in worldlie matters, I am stirred vp, and as it were drawne to pray vntounto God for the remission of my sinnes, and the assurance of my saluation, and in praier I hauehave had those grones which for their greatnes cannot bee expressed. Nowe from whence commeth all this? From the Diuell? No. In these actions I hauehave found him my enemie, and a continuall hinderer of them. For he by his craft when I hauehave beene heauie and weake, hath assailed to prouoke me to some sinnes whereunto my cursed nature was most giuen. and I hauing yeelded to him, hauehave beene so hardened and blinded by those sinnes, that for a time I hauehave made light account of the worde of God and praier. Well then, peraduenture this came from mine owne selfe? No neither. This cursed nature of mine hath beene more pleased and delighted with sinne, and with the pleasures of the world, then with such exercises, from which it draweth mee & presseth me down as lead. I cannot think that such a poisoning Cockatrice can laie such good egges, or that wild crabbe trees (such as all men are in Adam) can bring foorth sweete fruites according to the will of God, except God plucke them foorth of Adam, and plant them in the garden of his merciemercy, and stocke them, and graft the spirite of Christ in them. Wherefore these are the workes of Gods spirit, and my conscience is thereby certified that God hath giuen me the spirite of adoption, and therefore that his fauour and merciemercy shall continue towardes me for euer. For the giftes of God are without repentance, and whome God once loueth, him hee loueth for euer. Thirdlie, there bee certaine fruites of Gods children which I finde in mee, by which I am confirmed in Gods fauour. Saint Iohn in his first epistle saith, that hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because we louelove the bretheren. Truelie … feele in my heart a burning louelove towardes them which are good Christians though I neuer knewe them nor saw them, and I am verie desirous to doe anie good for them: and if drops of my heart bloude would doe them good they should hauehave them. Moreouer I hate all sinne and wickednesse with a bitter hatred, and I long to see the comming of my sauiour Christ to iudgement, I am grieued and disquieted because I cannot fulfill the law of God as I ought, all which I hauehave learned foorth of Gods word to be tokens of Gods children. And thus you see what euidence I hauehave to shewe that I am a true member of the Church militant and in the fauour of God.
Timoth.
HaueHave you a stedfast faith in Christ (as these arguments seeme to proue) without all wauering, doubting, and distrusting of Gods merciemercy?
Euseb.
No, no. This my faith which I hauehave in Christ is euen fought against with doubting, & euer assailed with desperation, not when I sinne onelyonly but also in tentations of aduersitie, into which God bringeth me to nurture me & to shew me mine owne heart, the hypocrisie & false thoughts that there lie hid, my almost no faith at al, and as litle louelove, euen then happily whē I thought my self most perfect of all; for when tentations come I cannot stand, when I hauehave sinned faith is feble, when wrong is done vntounto mee I cannot forgiue, in sicknes, in losse of goods, in al tribulation I am vnpatient, whē my neighbor needeth my helpe that I must depart with him of mine owne, then louelove is cold. And thus I learne & feele that there is no power to do good but of God only. And in al such tentations my faith perisheth not vtterlie, neither my louelove and consent to the law of God: but they be weake, sicke, wounded & not cleane dead. As I dealt with my parents being a child, so now deal I towards God my louing father. When I was a child my father and mother taught me nurture & wisedome, I loued my father & all his commaundements, and perceiued the goodnes he shewed mee, that my father loued mee, and all his precepts are vntounto my wealth and profit, and that my father commandeth nothing for anie need he hath thereof, but seeketh my profit onelie, and therefore I hauehave a good faith vntounto all my fathers promises, and louelove all his commaundements and doe them with good will, and with good will goe euerie daie to the schoole: And by …he waie happilie I sawe companie plaie, and with the sight was taken and rauished of my memorie, and forgot my selfe, and stoode, and beheld, and fell to plaie also forgetting father and mother & all their kindnes, all their lawes, and mine owne profite also. How beit the knowledge of my fathers kindnes, the faith of his promisses, and the louelove that I had againe vntounto my father, and the obedient minde were not vtterlie quenched, but laie hid, as all things doe when a man sleepeth or lieth in a traunce. And as soone as I had plaied out all my listes, or else by some had been warned, in the meane season, I came againe to my olde profession. Notwithstanding manie temptations went ouer my heart, and the lawe as a right hangman tormented my conscience, and went nie to perswade mee that my father would thrust me awaie, and hang me if hee catched me, so that I was like a great while to runne away, rather then to returne to my father againe. Feare and dread of rebuke, and of losse of my fathers louelove and of punishment, wrastled with the trust which I had in my fathers goodnesse, and as it were gaue my faith a fall. But I rose againe as soone as the rage of the first brunt was past and my minde was more quiet. And the goodnes of my father and his olde kindnes came vntounto my remembrance either by mine owne courage or by the comfort of another. And I beleeued that my father would not put me away or destroie me: and hee hoped that I woulde doe no more so. And vponupon that I got me home againe, dismaied but not altogether faithlesse: the olde kindnes would not let me dispaire, how beit all the worlde coulde not set mine heart at rest, vntill the paine had beene past and vntill I had heard the voice of my father, that all is forgotten.
Timoth.
Seeing that you hauehave thus plainelie and truelie shewed the weaknes of yours, and consequentlie of all mens faith, shewe mee I praie you howe by the weakenes of faith a Christian is not rather discomforted then comforted and assured of his saluation.
Euseb.
God doth not so much regarde the quantitie of his graces as the truth of them, hee approoueth a litle faith if it bee aMath. 20. true faith: yea, if faith in vsus were no more but a graine of mustard seede (which is the least of al other seedes) it should be effectual, and God would hauehave respect vntounto it. The poore diseased beggar with a lame hande, hauing the palsie also, is able neuerthelesse to reach out the same and receiue an almes of a king: and so in like manner a weake and languishing faith is sufficiētly able to reach out it selfe and to apprehende the infinite mercies of our heauenlie king offered vntounto vsus in Christ. Faith in the 3. of Iohn, is compared vntounto the eie of the Israelite, which although it were of dimme sight, or looked a squint, yet if it could neuer so little beholde the brasen Serpent, it was sufficient to cure the stings of the fiery serpēts, & to saue life.
Timoth.
Seing that you satisfie me in eueryevery point so fully, shew me I pray you, whether a man may be wicked & hauehave faith, & whether faith entring expelleth wickednes. For I hauehave heard some saie, that a mā might beleeue the word of God; and yet be neuer the better in his life, or holier thē before he was.
Euseb.
Many there are which when they heare or read of faith at once they consent thereunto & hauehave a certain imagination & opiniō of faith: as whē a man telleth a storie or a thing done in a strāge land that perteineth not to thē at al: which yet they beleeue & tel as a true thing, & this imagination o… opinion they call faith, Therfore as soone as they hauehave this imagination or opinion in their heartes, they saie, verilie, this doctrine seemeth true, I beleeue it euen so: thē they thinke that the right faith is there, but afterward when they feele in themselues no maner of working of the spirite, neither the terrible sentence of the law, & the horrible captiuity vnderunder Satan, neither can perceiue any alteration in thēselues & that any good works follow, but find they are altogether as before, & abide in their old state, thē think they yt faith is not sufficient, but that works must be ioined with faith to iustificatiō: but true faith is only the gift of God, & is mightie in operation, euer working, being full of vertue: it renueth man, & begetteth him a fresh, altreth him, changeth him, & turneth him altogether into a new creature & conuersatiō: so that a mā shal feel his hart clean changed, & far otherwise disposed then before, & hath power to louelove yt which before he could not but hate, & delighteth in that which before he abhorred, & hateth yt which before he could not but louelove. And it setteth the soul at liberty & maketh hir free to follow the wil of god, & is to the soul as health to ye body after yt a mā is pined with lōg sick…es: the legs cannot bear him, he cannot lift vp his hands to help him, his tast is corrupt, sugar is better in his mouth, his stomacke longeth after slubbersauce and swash, at which a whole stomacke is ready to cast his gorge: when health commeth shee changeth and altereth him cleane, giueth him strength in all his members, lust and will to doe of his owne accorde that which before he could not doe, neither coulde suffer that anie man should exhort him to doe, & hath now lust in wholsome things, and his members are free and at libertie, and hauehave power to doe all things of his owne accord which belong to a sounde and whole man to doe. And faith worketh in the same manner as a tree bringes foorth fruite, of his owne accorde; and as a man neede not bidde a tree bring foorth fruite, so is there no lawe put to him that beleeueth and is iustified through faith, neither is it needefull. For the lawe is written and grauen in his heart his pleasure is dailie therein, and as without commaundement euen of his owne nature he eateth, drinketh, seeth, heareth, talketh, goeth: euen so of his owne nature without anie compulsion of the lawe bringeth foorth good workes: and as an whole man when hee is a thirst tarrieth but for drinke, and when he hungreth abideth but for meate, and then drinketh and eateth naturallie. Euen so is the faithfull euer a thirst, and an hungred after the will of God, and tarrieth but for an occasion: and whensoeuer an occasion is giuen hee worketh naturallie the will of God. For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloude, that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods will. He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith, and workes, and neither worketh what hee bableth, nor whereunto his words pretend. For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart, but interpreteth the scriptures which speake of faith and workes after his owne blinde reason, and foolish fantasies, not hauing any experience in himselfe.
Timoth.
Euerie member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more, & some lesse, for it is written, 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie we hauehave no sin we deceiue our selues, and the truth is not in vsus. And Paule, Rom. 7. That good which I would, that do I not; but that euill which I would not, that doe I. So it is not I that doe it (saith hee) but sinne that dwelleth in mee. So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner, which how it can be shew it me by your experience.
Euseb.
I being one man in substance and two men in qualitie, flesh and spirite, which in me so fight perpetuallie the one against the other, that I must goe either backward or forwarde, and cannot stand long in one state. If the spirite ouercome in tentations, then is shee stronger and the flesh weaker. But if the flesh get a custome, then is the spirit none otherwise oppressed of the flesh then as though she had a mountaine on hir backe, and as we sometime in our dreames thinke we beare heauier then a milstone on our breasts: or when we dreame nowe and then that wee would runne awaie for feare of some thing, our legges seeme heauier then leade: Euen so is the spirite oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh through custome, that shee strugleth and striueth to gette vp and to breake loose in vaine, vntill the God of merciemercy which heareth my grone through Iesus Christ come and lose hir with his power, and put something on the backe of the flesh to keepe hir downe to minish hir strength and to mortifie hir. So then no sinner I am if you regard the spirit, the profession of my heart toward the lawe of God, my repentance and sorrowe that I hauehave both because I hauehave sinned and am yet full of sinne, & looke vntounto the promises of merciemercy in our Sauiour Christ, and vntounto my faith. A sinner am I if you looke to the frailty of my flesh which is a remnant of the olde Adam, and as it were the state of the wild oliue tree, euer and anone when occasion is giuen, shooting forth his branches, leaues, bud, blossome, and fruite also: which also is as the weakenes of one that is newlie recouered out of a great disease, by the reason whereof all my deedes are imperfect, and when occasions be great I fall into horrible deeds, and the fruit of the sinne which remaineth in my members breaketh out. Notwithstanding the spirit leaueth me not but rebuketh mee and bringeth mee home againe vntounto my profession, so that I neuer cast of the yoke of God from of my necke, neither yeelde vp my selfe vntounto sinne to serue it, but fight a fresh, and beginne a new battaile. And I had rather you should vnderstande this foorth of the Scriptures, by the example of Ionas and the Apostles. Ionas was the friende of God, and a chosen seruaunt of GOD, to testifie his will vntounto the worlde. Hee was sent from the Lande of Israell, where he was a Prophet to goe amongest an Heathen people and the greatest citie of the worlde, then called Niniuie to preach that within fortie dayes they shoulde bee destroyed for their sinnes: which message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest hearted woman in the worlde had power, if shee were commaunded to leape into a tubbe of liuing snakes and Adders: as happelie if God had commanded Sara to sacrifice hir sonne Isaac, as he did Abraham, she would hauehave disputed with God ere shee had done it, or though shee were strong enough. Well Ionas hartned by his owne imagination, and reasoning after this manner; I am here a prophet vntounto Gods people the Israelits: which though they hauehave gods worde testified vntounto them daylie, yet despise and worshippe God vnderunder the likenesse of Calues & after all maner of fashions saue after his owne worde, and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthie of punishment. And yet God for louelove of a few that are among them, & for his names sake spareth and defendeth them: how then shal God take so cruel vengeāce on so great a multitude of thē to whō his name was neuer preached, & therefore are not the tenth part so euill as these. If I therefore shall goe preach, I shal lie & shame my selfe, and God too, & make them the more to despise God. VponUpon this imagination hee fledde from the presence of GOD, and from the countrie where God is worshipped. When Ionas entred into the ship, he laide him downe to sleepe: for his conscience was tossed betweene the commandement of God which sent him to Niniuie, and his fleshlie wisedome which disswaded and counselled him to the contrarie, & at last preuayled against the commaundement, and carried him an otherway as a shippe caught betweene two streames as the Poets faine the mother of Meleager to be betweene diuers affections? while to aduenture hir brothers death shee sought to sley hir owne sonne: wherevpon for verie payne and tediousnesse shee laye downe to sleep to put the commandement out of minde, which did so gnawe and fret hir conscience: as the nature of all the wicked is, when they hauehave sinned in earnest, to …eeke all meanes with riote, reuell, and pa…time to driue the remembrance of sinne …oorth of their hearts, as Adam did to co…er his wickednesse with apperns of figge…eaues. But God awoke him out of his …reame, and set his sinnes before his face: for when the lott had caught Ionas, thē be sure that his sin came to remēbrance again, & that his conscience raged no lesse thē the waters of the sea. And then he thought he onelyonly was a sinner, and thought also that as verilie as he had fled frō God, as verily God had cast him awaie: for the sight of the rod maketh the naturall child not onelyonly to see and acknowledge his fault, but also to forget all his fathers old merciemercy and goodnes. And then hee confessed his sinne openlie, and of verie desperation to hauehave liued any longer hee had cast himselfe into the Sea betimes except they woulde bee lost also, for all this God prouided a fish to swallow Ionas. When Ionas had beene in the fishes bellie a space, the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted, and hee came to himselfe againe, and had receiued a little hope: and the qualmes and panges of desperation which went ouer his heart were halfe ouercome, then hee prayed to God, and gaue thankes vntounto him. When Ionas was cast vppon the lande againe then his will was free, and he had power to go whether God sent him, and to what God commanded him, his owne imagination laid apart: for he had ben at a new schole & in a fornace wher he was purged of much refue & drosse of fleshlie wisedom which resisted ye wisedom of God. For as far as we be blind in Adam we cannot but seeke and will our own profit, pleasure & glorie: & as far as we be taught in the spirit, we cannot but seeke and will the pleasure of God only. Then Ionas preached to Niniuie, and they repented: thē Ionas shewed again his corrupt nature for all his trying in the Whales bellie. He was so displeased because the Niniuits perished not, he was weary of his life & wished death for very sorrow, that hee had lost the glory of his prophecying in yt his prophecy came not to passe, but hee was rebuked of God, as in his prophecy you may read. The apostles Christ taught thē euer to be meek & to humble thēselues: yet oft they striued among themselues who should be greatest: the sons of Zebede would sit one on ye right hand of Christ, the other on the left. They would pray that fire might descend frō heauē & consume the Samaritans. Whē Christ asked, who say men that I am? Peter answered Thou art the sonne of the liuing God, as though Peter had beene as perfecte as an Angell. But imediatlie after when Christ preached …nto them of his death and passion, Peter was angry and rebuked Christ, and thought earnestlie that hee had raued, and not wist what hee had said, as at another time when Christ was so feruentlie busied in healing the people, that he had no leasure to eate, they went out to holde him, supposing that hee had beene beside himselfe. And one that cast foorth Diuelles in Christes name they forbadde, because hee waited not on thē, so glorious were they yet. And though Christ taught alway to forgiue, yet Peter after long going to schole, asked whether men should forgiue seauen times, thinking that eight times had beene too much. And at the last supper, Peter woulde hauehave died with Christ, but yet within fewe houres after he denied him both cowardly & shamefullie▪ And after the same manner, though he had so long hearde that no man must auenge himselfe, but rather turne the other cheeke to the smiter againe, yet when Christ was in taking, Peter asked whether it were lawfull to smite with the sworde, and taried no answere, but laide on rashlie. So that although wee bee once reconciled to God, yet at the first we be but children and yong scholers, weake and feeble, and must hauehave leasure to growe in the spirite, i… knowledg, louelove, and deeds thereof, as yong children must hauehave time to growe in their bodies: and so in like manner the sting of the serpent is not pulled out at once, but the poyson of our nature is minished by little and little, and cannot before the houre of death be wholie taken awaie.
Timoth.
I perceiue by your godlie discourse, the manifolde conflictes betweene the flesh and the spirite, and that the flesh is like to a mightie Giant, such a one as was Goliah, strong, lustie, stirring, enimie to God, confederate with the Diuell: and the spirite; like to a little childe, such a one as was little Dauid, new borne, weake and feeble, not alwaies stirring: nowe then what meanes do you vse to weaken the flesh, and strengthen the spirit.
Euseb.
I vse to tame my flesh with praier and fasting, watching, deedes of merciemercy, holie meditations & reading the scriptures, and in bodilie labour, and in with-drawing all manner of pleasures from the flesh, and with exercises contrarie to the vices which I finde in my bodie most inclined to, and with absteining from all things that encourage the flesh against the spirit: as reading of toyes and wanton bookes, seeing of plaies and enterluds, wanton communication, foolish iesting, & effeminate thoughts and talking of couetousnes, which Paul forbiddeth Eph. 5. magnifying of worldly promotions. If these will not mortifie my flesh, then God sendeth me some troubles, and so maketh me to grow & waxe perfect, and fineth and trieth me as gold in the fire of tentations and tribulations. Thus verie often he maketh me to take vp my crosse & naileth my flesh vntounto it, for the mortifying thereof. Marke this if God send thee to the sea, & promise to go with thee, he wil raise vp a tempest against thee, to prooue whether thou wilt abide by his word, and that thou maist feele thy faith & weakenes and perceiue his goodnes: for if it were alwaies faire weather and thou neuer brought into such ieopardie, whence his merciemercy onlie deliuereth thee, thy faith should bee onelie a presumption, & thou shouldest be euer vnthankefull to God, and merciles vntounto thy neighbour. If God promise riches, the waie therevnto is pouertie: whom he loueth him he chasteneth: whom he exalteth, hee casteth downe: whom he saueth he first damneth: hee bringeth no man to heauen, except he send him to hell first: if hee promis… life he slayeth first: when he buildeth he casteth downe all first: he is no patcher, hee cannot abide another mans foundation: he will not worke till all bee past remedie, and brought to such a case that mē may see how that his hād, his power, his mercy, his goodnes, his truth hath wrought altogether: hee will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glorie: his works are wonderfull & contrarie to mans workes▪ who euer saue he deliuered his own sonne, his only sonne, his deere son, his darling vntounto the death, & for his enimies, to win his enimies, to ouercome thē with louelove, that he might see louelove & louelove again, and of louelove likewise to doe to other men, & to ouercome them with well doing. Ioseph saw the Sun and the Moone, and seauen starres worshipping him, neuertheles ere that came to passe, God laid him where he could see neither sun, nor moone neither anie star of the skie, and that many yeres, and also vndeserued, to nurture him, to make him humble & meeke, & to teach him Gods waies, and to make him apte and meete for yt roome & honor: again he came to it, that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it well. God promised the children of Israel a land with riuers of milke & honie. yet hee brought them foorth the space of fortie yeares into a lande where in riuers of milke and honie were, but where so much as a drop of water was not, to nurture and teach them as a father doth his sonne, and to doe them good at the latter ende, to seduce their cankred nature, to make them strong in the spirite to vse his benefites aright. Lastlie God promised Dauid a kingdome, and immediatelie stirred vp Saul against him to persecute him, and to hunt him as men doe hayres with gray-houndes and to ferret him out of euerie hole, and that for the space of manie yeares, to turne him, to make him to mortifie his lustes, to make him feel his own diseases: in fine to make him a good man, and a good King.
Timoth.
But how if it come to passe that you be tempted to anie great sinne, and the fleshe ouercome the spirit, in what case are you then?
Euseb.
There is no bodie here but you & I, and I take you to bee a Christian and a faithfull friende: therefore I will shewe a little of my exhortation. The last yeare by reason of the dearth, I and my familie were put to great pinches, and most commonly we had nothing but bread and water: here vponupon I bethought mee howe I might get somewhat to releiue my familie: It came into my minde that in our Towne a rich man had a great flocke of sheepe, and that I might take one of them without any hurt of him. I was verie loath at the first: but because there was such great stealing of sheepe, & I was in extremitie, in the night I went among his sheep and tooke a lambe, and told my familie that it was giuen me: I presently killed it, the skinne and the entralles I burned on my backeside, the fleshe wee dressed by quarters, and did eate it with thanksgiuing (as my manner is) but surely verie coldlie, and mee thought my prayer was abhominable in Gods sight. After I had thus done, we fared wel for the space of two daies, but I felt my heart hardned, and my lips were almost locked vp, that I could not as I was wont praise the Lord. The third night after, I went with a quiet conscience (mee thought) to my bedde, and then I slept soundlie till three of the clocke in the morning, but I dreamed that one came to carrie me to pryson, vponupon that on a sudden I awaked and beeing afraide looked about mee and fell to consider why I should be afraide, and I remembred that I had sinned against God by robbing my neighbor: ô then my feare increased, and I thought that hell gaped to deuoure me, and the law looked vponupon me with such a terrible countenaunce, and so thundred in myne eares, that I durst not abide in my bed, but vp & to goe. Then the Diuell assailed me on euerie side, to perswade that God had cast mee awaie: saying, they that be Gods, hauehave power to keepe his law, thou hast not, but breakest them: Therefore thou art a cast-awaie and a damned creature, & hell gapeth and setteth opē his mouth to deuour thee. And I thought with my selfe that I had beene alwaies a ranke hypocrite, for as the cloudes of the ayre doe couer the sunne, so that sometimes a man cannot tell by anie sense that there is anie Sun, the clouds & windes hiding it from our sight: euen so my cecitie and blindnesse, and corrupt affections, and the rage of my conscience did so ouershadow the sight of Gods seed in me, and so ouerwhelme his spirite as though I ha… beene a plaine reprobate. And thus i… came to passe that Dauid making his praier to GOD according to his owne sens… and feeling, but not according to the truth, desired of God to giuegive him againe his spirite. Which thing GOD neuer doth indeede: although hee made mee to thinke so for a time: for alwaies hee holdeth his hande vnderunder his children in their falles, that they lie not still as other doe which are not regenerate. I being thus turmoiled and stong with the conscience of sinne and the cockatrice of my poisoned nature, hauing behelde hirselfe in the glasse of the righteous law of God there was no other salue or remedie but to runne to the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus which shedde his blood, hanging vppon the crosse, and to his euerlasting testament and mercifull promise, that it was shed for mee for the remission of my sinnes, therefore I got me speedilie into a close corner in my house, and there vponupon my face groueling, I confessed my sinne and prayed after this manner in effect. Father, what an horrible monster am I? What taytor? what rascall and villaine? thy merciemercy is woonderfull that hell hath not deuoured me hauing deserued a thousand damnations. I hauehave sinned, I hauehave sinned against thy godly, holy & righteous law and against my brother by robbing him, whome I ought to louelove for thy sake as dearlie as my selfe, forgiue mee father for thy son Christ his sake according to thy most mercifull promisses and testament: forget not good Lorde thy olde mercies shewed vppon me, let them not at this time in me be quite remooued. On this manner praiing I continued fiue howers, and GOD which is neere to all them that call vppon him, heard me, eased my paine, and assured mee of the remission of my sin. After presently, for the more easing of my conscience I went to my neighbour, & betweene him and me vponupon my knees confessed my fault with teares, desiring him to forgiue me, & I woulde (as Gods lawe requireth,) restore that which I stole foure folde: he (I thanke him) was contented and toke pittie on me, and euer since hath beene by Gods merciemercy my good friend. So by little and little God restored mee to my first estate, but (mee thinkes) I hauehave not that feeling which I had before, and hauehave bene worse euer since▪ God of his merciemercy amende me, and increase his graces in me.
Timoth.
Praised be God that we fel into this communicatiō; for I had thought that no mā had ben in such a case but I, for I frō my hart detest that babbling which in time past I hauehave vsed and I hauehave vowed with my selfe to vse it no more, and God hath giuen mee strength and will to paie my vowes & to keepe them halfe a yere or tweluemonth together, and then falling into a companie of the honester sort of good fellows, I take otherwhiles a cuppe of Nimis, for which afterwards I am so touched in my conscience and so grieued inwardlie: that often I hauehave no delight in my meate: and then I vse praier and reading and meditating of the scriptures, and do receiue much comfort. But I praie you what thinke you, will not God condemne his children if they sinne?
Euseb.
No, for the ground-worke of our saluation is laide in Gods eternall election, and a thousande sinnes, nay all the sinnes in the worlde, nay all the Deuilles in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election. And it maie bee that sins doe harden our hartes, weaken our faith, make sadde the spirite of God in vsus: but take awaie faith, or altogether quench the spirit, they cānot. God cō demneth no man for his sinnes, if he bee adopted in Christ. For then Ioseph, Abrahā, Dauid, Peter, Marie Magdalene, should bee condemned. God is like a father: & a father if his childe be sicke, and therefore be froward, and refuse and cast away his meate, & hauing eaten it spew it vp againe, and in his fit be impacient, and raue, and speake euill of his father, yet I say the father wil not cast him forth of his dores, but pittieth him, and prouideth such things as may restore him to health, and when hee is whole remembreth not his disordered behauior in his sicknes.
Timoth.
What means do you finde most effectuall to strengthē your faith, to increase Gods graces in you, and to raise you vp againe when you are fallen?
Euseb.
Surely I hauehave very great comfort by the sacrament of the Lords Supper: for whereas I am spirituallye diseased, and am prone and readye to fall, and am most cruelly oftentimes inuaded of the feend, the flesh, and the law, when I hauehave sinned: and am put to flight, and made to runne awaye from God my father: therefore hath God of all merciemercy and of his infinite pitty & bottomlesse compassion set vppe his sacrament as a signe vponupon a hie hill, whence it may be seene on eueryevery side far and neare to call againe them that be runne awaye. And with this sacrament he (as it were) clocketh to them, as a hen dooth for hir chickens, to gather them vnderunder the wings of his mercy▪ and hath commanded his sacrament to be had in continuall vse, to put vsus in minde of his cōtinuall mercy laid vp for vsus in Christs blood, and to witnesse and testifie it vntounto them, and to be the seale therof. For the sacrament dooth much more liuely print the faith, and make it sincke downe into the hart then do bare words onelyonly. Now when the words of the testament and promises are spoken ouer the bread (this is my body that was broken for you: this is my blood that was shed for you) they confirme the faith; but much more when the sacrament is seene with the eies, and the bread broken, the wine powred out and looked on: and yet more when I taste it and smell it, As you see when a man maketh a promise vntounto another with light words betweene thēselues & so they departed, he to whom the promis is made beginneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestlye or mocked, & doubteth whether he will remēber his promise, to abide by it or no. But when any mā speaketh with aduisement, the words are more credible: & if he swear, it cōfirmeth the thing more and yet the more if hee strike hands, if hee giuegive earnest, if hee call recorde, if he giuegive hand-writing & seale it: so is the more & more beleeued, for the heart gathereth: …o, he spake with aduisement, deliberation, & good sadnes, he clapped hands, called recorde, and put to his hande and seale: the man cannot bee so faint without the feare of God as to denie al this: shame shal make him abide his promise, though hee were such a man as I could not compel him, if he woulde denie it. And thus we dispute, God sent his sonne in our nature, and made him feele our infirmities that moue vsus to sinne and named his name Iesus, that is a Sauior, because he should saue his people frō their sinnes, and after his death he sent his Apostles to preach these glad-tydings, to thrust them in at the eares of vsus, and set vp a sacrament of them to testifie them & to seale them, and to thrust them in, not at the eares onelyonly by rehearsing the promises of the testament ouer it: neither at our eies onelyonly in beholding it, but beat them in through our feeling, tasting & smelling also, and to bee repeated dailie & to be ministred to vsus. He wold not (think we) make half so much a do with vsus if he loued vsus not, & wold not hauehave his Sacrament to bee a witnes and testimonie between him & vsus, to confirm the faith of his promisses that wee should not doubt in them, when we looke on the seales of his obligations wherewith he hath bound himselfe: & this to keepe the promisses & couenants better in mind, and to make them the more deepely to sinke into our hearts, and be more earnestlie regarded.
Timoth.
Considering that this which you saie is too plaine, great shame it is that there is such neglect of the Sacrament as there is, and that it is so seldome vsed: but surelie want of faith, and the security which ouerspreadeth this our Countrie is the cause of it, the Lord if it be his will remoue the same. Now let me heare a litle how you lead your life, and hauehave your conuersation among men.
Euseb.
I hauehave my conuersation among men as sincere as I can in righteousnes and holines which is after Gods commaundements: our Sauiour saith, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heauen.
Timoth.
It is but a dim light which wee can carrie before men, and small are our good works and to be esteemed of no value. If we were preachers, or rich men, or noble men, then we might saue soules, giuegive good coūsel, help manie by our almes, but you & I are poore men, of base birth, & of low degree, how can we then do anie good works.
Euseb.
As touching good works by that measure of knowledge that God hath giuen me, I thinke that all works are good which are done according to the obedience of Gods law in faith & with thankesgiuing to God, & with a mind desirous of his glorie alone, & I think that I or any mā els in doing thē, please God, whatsoeuer I do within the law of god, as when I make water. And trust me if either winde or water were stopped, I should feel what a pretious thing it were to do either of both, & what thāks ought to be giuen God therfore. Moreouer I put no difference betweene workes, but whatsoeuer commeth into my hands that I do as time, place, & occasiō giueth, & according to my degree. For as touching to please God there is no work better then other: God looketh not first on my works, as the world doth, or as though he had neede of them: but God looketh first on my hart what faith I hauehave to his word, how I beleeue him, trust him, and how I louelove him, for his merciemercy that he hath shewed mee, hee looketh with what heart I work, & not what I work, how I accept the degree hee hath put me in, not of what degree I am. Let vsus take an example. You are a Minister and preach the worde, I am a kitchen boy, & wash my maisters dishes. Of the ministerie hark what the Apostle saith: if I preach I hauehave nought to reioice in, for necessitie is put vponupon mee: if I preach not the gospel, as who should saie, God hath made me so, woe is to me if I preach not. If I do it willinglie (saith he) then I hauehave my reward; that is, then am I sure that Gods spirite is in me, & that I am elect to eternall life. If I do it against my wil, the office is committed to me, that is, if I do it not of louelove to God but to get a liuing therby, & for a worldlie purpose & had rather otherwise liue: then do I that office which God hath put vponupon mee, but do not please God. So then if you preached not, or in preaching had not your hart aright you minister the office & they that hauehave the spirit of God heare his word, yea, though it were spokē by an Asse, & the woe belongeth to you: but & if you preach wil…ingly with a true hart & cōscience to God, then shal you feel the earnest of eternal life and the working of the spirit of God in you. And your preaching is a good work in you. Now I that minister in the kitchin, and am but a kitchin boy, receiue all thinges at the hand of God, knowe that God hath put me in such an office, submit my selfe to his wil, and serue my Maister, not as a man but as Christ himselfe, with a pure heart, according as Paul teacheth me, putting my trust in God and of him seeke my reward. Moreouer there is not a good deede done, but mine heart reioiseth therein, yea, when I heare that the word of God is preached by you, and see the people turne vntounto God: I consent to this deede, my heart breaketh out in me, yea it springeth and leapeth in my breast that God is honoured, and in my heart I doe the same that you doe with the like delectatiō & feruency of spirit. Now he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, receiueth a Prophets reward, that is, he that consenteth to the deede of a Prophet and maintaineth it, the same hath the same spirite and earnest of euerlasting life which the Prophet hath, and is elect as th… Prophet is. Nowe if wee compare worke to work, there is a difference betwixt washin… of dishes, and preaching the word of God but as touching to please God none at all▪ For neither that nor this pleaseth God, bu… as farre foorth as God hath chosen a man, and hath put his spirite in him, and purified his heart by faith & trust in Christ. As the Scriptures call him carnall which is not renued by the spirit & borne again in Christs flesh, & al his works like, euen the verie motions of his heart and mind, as his learning, doctrine, and contemplation of hie things, his preaching, teaching, and studie in the Scripture, building of Churches, founding of Colledges, giuing of almes, and whatsoeuer he doth, though they seeme spirituall, & after the law of God neuer so much: So contrariwise he is spirituall which is renued in Christ, and all his workes which spring from faith seeme they neuer so grosse, as the washing of the disciples feete done by our Sauiour Christ, and Peters fishing after the resurrection, yea deedes of matrimonie are pure spirituall if they proceede of faith, and whatsoeuer is done within the laws of God though it be wrought by the bodie, as the verie wiping of shooes and such like, howsoeuer grosse they appeare outwardlie, yet are sanctified.
Timoth.
What be the speciall thinges in which you lead your conuersation?
Euseb.
One thing is the reading of the Scripture.
Timoth.
It is dangerous to read the scriptures, you that hauehave no learning may easilie fall into errors and heresies.
Euseb.
As he which knoweth his letters perfectlie, and can spell, cannot but read if he be diligent: and as hee which hath cleare eies without impediment or let, and walketh thereto in the light, & open daie, cannot but see, if he attend and take hede: euen so I hauing the profession of my Baptisme onelie written in my heart, and feeling it sealed vp in my conscience by the holie Ghost cannot but vnderstād the Scripture, because I exercise my selfe therein, & compare one place with another and marke the manner of speech, and aske here and there the meaning of a sentence of them that be better exercised then I. for I feele in my hart and hauehave a sensible experience of that inwardlie, which the spirite of God hath deliuered in the Scriptures. So that I find mine own feeling as a good cōmentarie vntounto me.
Timoth.
We are all baptized, belike the… we shall all vnderstand the Scriptures.
Euseb.
But alas verie few there be that are taught & feele their ingrafting into Christ, their iustification, their inwarde dying vntounto sin & liuing vntounto righteousnes, which is the meaning of their Baptisme. And therefore we remaine all blinde generallie, as well the great Rabbins which brag of their learning, as the poore vnlearned laie man. And the Scripture is become so darke vntounto thē, that they grope for the dore & can find no waie in, & it is become a maze vntounto thē in which they wāder as in a mist or (as we saie) led by Robin goodfellow. And their darkenes can not comprehend the light of the Scriptures but they read them as mē do tales of Robin hood, as riddles, or as olde priests read their Ladies mattins, which they vnderstand not. And vntil a mā be taught his baptisme, that his heart feele the sweetnes of it, the Scriptures are shut vp frō him, & so dark that he could not vnderstād it, though Peter, Paul, or Christ himself did expound it vntounto him, no more then a man starke blinde can see though thou set a candle before him, or shew him the Sun, or point with thy finger vntounto that thou wouldest hauehave him looke vponupon. As for heresie there is no danger if a man come to the Scripture with a meeke spirit seeking there to fashion himselfe like vntounto Christ according to the profession and vowe of his Baptisme: but contrariwise hee shall there finde the mightie power of GOD to alter and chaunge him in the inner man by litle and litle til in processe he be full shapen after the image of our Sauiour in knowledge and louelove of all truth, & power to worke thereafter. Heresies spring not of Scripture, no more then darkenes of the Sunne, but are darke cloudes which spring out of the blind hearts of hypocrites giuen to pride and singularitie, and doe couer the face of the Scripture and blind their eies that they cannot beholde the bright beames of the Scripture.
Timoth.
By this I also can gather that the Papists which cannot reade the Scriptures except they fall into errours hauehave not the spirite of Christ working in them, and teaching them, but the lying spirite of Antichrist the Diuel, and that if God woulde giuegive them anie true feeling, and open their eies they would quite change their minds. But what other exercises hauehave you?
Euseb.
Praier and thankesgiuing to God. For God hath promised verie bountifullie vntounto them which praie in truth, and it is one of the greatest comforts I hauehave at all times. Again, God which commandeth me not to steale, commandeth me also to pray, and his will is, that one commandement should be as well kept as an other: and therfore I am perswaded that condemnation will befall me as well for the one as for the other. And that praier ought to be continuallie euen in euerie thing a man doth, me thinketh it most agreeable to Gods will. For if I shoulde come into my neighbours house and take his goods, and vse them, not borrowing them or asking anie leaue, they would laie handes on mee, and make mee a thiefe. The world and all the thinges in the world are the Lords, not mine: so then if I shall dailie vse them, neuer seeking to the Lorde by praier for the vse of them, before God I am an vsurper, nay a ranke thief, and therfore I desire of God heartily that I may vse all his good creatures with feare and reuerence, and that I may sanctifie his name in thē, which Paule sheweth me to be done by the worde of God and praier, the worde showing me the lawful vse of his creatures: praier obtaining at Gods hands, that I may vse them aright. If this practise were vsed of men in their professions and callings, I am perswaded there would be a thousand vices …ut off which are in euerie mā most aboun…ant and are committed without shame.
Timoth. I thinke the rest of your Christi…n exercises bee the practising of the commandements of the lawe.
Euseb.
Yea they are indeed.
Timoth.
Me thinkes it is an hard point of the law for a man to louelove his enemie.
Euseb.
It is indeede: yet in the faithfull it wilbe so: for they hauehave in their harts a perswasion, that wheras they are dāned in thē selues, yet in Christ the merciemercy of God is most plentiful to their saluation, and all this God confirmeth and sealeth vntounto them by his holie spirite, and therefore they cannot but louelove God again, and that with a feruent louelove euen aboue al things in the world, and so they louelove all Gods creatures, and euen their enemies, because they beare the image of God whom they louelove: like as if I hauehave a friend and louelove him, I louelove all of his name, all his kinred, and all that appertaine vntounto him. And by the waie, here is a good waie to know whether we hauehave faith or not Though faith onelie iustifie and make the marriage betweene our Soule and Christ and is properlie the marriage garment, yea and the signe Tau, that defendeth vsus from the smiting and power of euill Angels, an… is also the rocke on which Christs Churc… is built, and standeth against all weather o… winde and tempest: yet is faith neuer seu… red from hope and charitie: then if a man will be sure that his faith is perfect, let him examine himselfe whether he louelove the law, and in like manner if he will know whether hee louelove the lawe, that is, louelove God and his neighbour, then let him examine himselfe whether he beleeue in Christ onelie for the remission of sin, and obtaining the promises made in the scripture. And euen so let him compare his hope of the life to come with faith, and louelove, & to the hatred of sin in his life, which hatred the louelove of the law ingendreth in him. And if they accompanie not one another all three together, then let him be sure all is but hypocrisie.
Timoth.
Yet by your leaue faith cannot make a man iust before God without hope and charitie: then they also with faith hauehave some stroke in iustification.
Euseb.
I answere, though they be inseparable, yet I praise God I doe conceiue howe these three hauehave three separable & sundrie offices. Faith onlie is an vndoubted & sure …oue in Christ, & in the father through him …ertifieth the conscience▪ that the sin is forgiuē & the dānation of the law taken awaie. And with such perswasions mollifieth the …art & maketh it louelove God again & his law. And as oft as we sin, faith only keepeth that we forsake not our profession and that louelove vtterlie quench not, & hope faile, & onlie maketh the peace again: for a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ alone and not in his own workes nor ought else for the remission of sins. The office of louelove is to powre out againe the same goodnes that it hath receiued of God vponupon hir neighbor, to be to him as it feeleth Christ to be to it self. The office of louelove is onelie to hauehave compassion, and to beare with hir neighbour the burden of his infirmities. 1. Pet. 4. LoueLove couereth the multitude of sins: (that is to saie) cōsidereth the infirmities & interpreteth al to the best, & taketh for no sin at al a thousand thinges of which the least were inough (if a man loued not) to goe to lawe for, & to trouble & disquiet an whole Towne, and sometime a whole Realme too. The office of hope is to comfort in aduersitie, and to make patient that we faint not, nor fall downe vnderunder the Crosse, or cast it of our backes. Thus these three inseparable hauehave separable offices & effects, as heat, & drynes, being inseparable in the fire hauehave yet their separable operations, for drynes onelie expelleth the moistnes of all that is consumed by fire, and hea… onelie destroieth the coldnes. And it is notFides sola non est sola. all one to saie, the drynes onelie, and the drynes that is alone, neither is it all one to saie, faith onelie, and faith that is alone.
Timoth.
You are to be commended, you are so perfect in these high points of religion, but I know you speake of experience, for in you faith & hope towardes God & charity towards your neighbor are inseparable.
Euseb.
I require no commendations: shame and confusion befall mee eternallie, that all glorie may be vntounto God.
Timoth.
But let vsus talke on further of our dueties which we must performe if we will liue Christian like among men. And I praie you tell mee what doe you meane that you giuegive so much vntounto the poore, considering you are so poore your self, I speake my conscience, if you had abilitie you woulde doe more thē an hundred of those rich men do.
Euseb.
God knowes my heart, it is a hell vntounto me to see my brother for whom Christ shed his bloud to want if I hauehave anie thing in the world to giuegive him. Among Christian men louelove maketh all things common: euerie man is others debter, and euerie man is bound to minister to his neighbour, and to supplie his neighbours lacke of that wherewith God hath indued him. Christ is Lord ouer all, & euerie Christian is heire annexed with Christ, & therefore Lord ouer all, and euerie one is Lord of whatsoeuer another hath: if then my brother or neighbour need, I hauehave to helpe him: and if I shew not merciemercy but withdrawe my hands from him, then rob I him of his owne, & am a thief. A Christiā mā hath Christs spirit, now Christ is merciful, if I shall not be mercifull, I hauehaveRom. 8. not Christs spirit: if I hauehave not Christs spirit thē am I none of his. And though I shew merciemercy vntounto my brother, yet if I doe it not with such burning louelove as Christ did vntounto me, I must knowledge my sinne and desire merciemercy in Christ.
Timoth.
If a man must be franke and free, then a man must giuegive of his owne stocke to the poore and diminish his own substance.
Euseb.
Yea indeed we are made stewards of those goods which God hath giuen vsus, & shal a steward take all vntounto himself without reproof. I am sure that they which were couetousAct. 2. at Peters first Sermon after Christs ascention, diminished their substance when they sold them & gaue them to the poore. I am sure that the Churches which were in2 Cor. 8. Macedonia which sent reliefe vntounto their Churches euen aboue their abilitie, they beeing in extreame pouertie did dimisse their possessions: and God graunt our conuersations may be like theirs. And that wee should be like thē, their examples of great compassion are recorded in the Scriptures.
Tim.
Many of vsus hauehave our selues, wife, children, father, mother, & kinsfolke to relieue, so yt it wil be hard to deale after this manner.
Euseb.
Had not these men I named, so? yea I warrāt you had they. And the wāt of louelove which you deeme of the Gospell of Christ, knoweth not yt a mā should begin at himself & thē descēd I wot not by what steps. LoueLove2 Cor. 12. seeketh not hir own profit, but maketh a ma to forget himself, & turn this profit to another mā, as Christ sought not himself or his own profit but ours. This terme (my self) is not in the gospel, neither yet father, mother sister, brother, kinsmā, yt one should in louelove be preferred before another. The louelove that springeth out of Christ excludeth no man, neither putteth difference betweene one & other. In Christ wee are all of one degree without respect of persons. Notwithstanding though a Christian mans hart be open to all men & receiueth all men, yet because his abilitie of goods extendeth not so farre, this prouision is made that euerie man should care for his owne housholde, as father, mother, thine elders that hauehave holpen thee, wife, children and seruants. When a man hath done his duetie to his houshold, and yet hath further aboundance of the blessing of God, that he oweth to the poore that cannot labour and cannot get worke, and ar… destitute of friendes, to the poore I meane which he knoweth, and to them of his owne parish. For that prouision ought to be had in the Church, that euerie parish prouide for the poore. If his neighbours which hee knoweth bee serued, then is hee debter to the brethren a thousand miles off, if he heare of their necessity, & hauehave himself anie plentie: yea, to the verie Infidels he is a debter if they need, as farre forth as he doth not maintaine them against Christ. Thus is euerie mā that needeth my help, my father, mother, sister, & brother in Christ: euen as euerie man that doth the will of the father, is father, mother, sister, and brother vntounto Christ.
Timoth.
Now ye somewhat perswade me of that which me thought at the first blush, was against common sense.
Euseb.
By Gods grace I will perswade you more yet. How if our sauiour Christ Iesus should, now dwell vponupon the earth in pouertie & want, could you not be contented, to bestow halfe your goods on him?
Timoth.
Halfe my goods? Nay truely all: and my heart blood: for I knowe if I should loose my life for him, I should saue it.
Euseb.
Verie well. Christ is all in all. Euerie Christian man to another is Christ himselfe, and whatsoeuer is doone to the poore, is doone to Christ himselfe and therefore your neighbours neede hath as good right in your goods as hath Christ himselfe which is heire and Lord ouer all. And looke what you owe to Christ that you owe to your neighbours neede: to your neighbour owe you your heart and life and whatsoeuer you hauehave or can doe.
Timoth.
Wee need not giuegive our reliefe except the poore require it.
Euseb.
Aske or not, if they want you are bound to relieue them, As Christ loued you, so louelove them. Christ loued you being his enimie, when I am sure of it you neuer asked remission of sinnes.
Timoth.
Wee neede not releeue them often, need we?
Euseb.
Yes, as long as you are able, and as oft as they want. If Christ should forgiue vsus but once, we should come short of heauen.
Timoth.
The world is full of naughtines, and lewde people take pleasure in dooing wrong, and in slandering, and in hindering their brethren: how can you liue among them in quietnes, do you vse to giuegive like for like?
Euseb.
No, you must vnderstand that there bee two states or regiments in the worlde: the kingdome of heauen which is the regiment of the Gospell: and the regiment of the worlde, which is the temporall kingdome. In the first state there is neither father nor mother, neither maister, mistres, maide, nor seruant, nor husband, nor wife, nor Lord, nor subiect, nor inferior woman, but Christ is all, & each to other is Christe himself, there is none better then other, but all alike good, all brethren, and Christ onlie is Lord ouer all, neither is there any other thing to doo, or other law, saue to louelove one another as Christ loued …: In the temporall regiment, is husband, wife, father, mother, sonne, daughter, mistres, maide, manseruant, subiect, Lord? Now eueryevery person is a double person, and vnderunder two regimēts: in the first regiment I am a person of mine owne selfe vnderunder Christe and his doctrine, and maye neither hate nor be angrie, and much lesse fighte or reuenge: but must after the example of Christe, humble my selfe, forsake and denie my selfe, and hate my selfe, and caste my selfe awaye, and bee meeke and patient, and let eueryevery man goe ouer mee and treade mee vnderfoote, and doo mee wronge: and yet I am to louelove them, and praye for them as Christ did for his crucifiers: for louelove is all, and whatsoeuer is not of louelove, is damnable, and cast foorth of that kingdome. In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of an other, thou art husband, father, mother, daughter, wife, lord, subiect, and there thou must doe according to thine office. If thou be a father thou must doe the office of a father and rule, or else thou damnest thy selfe: thou must bring all vnderunder obedience, whether by faire meanes or by foule: thou must hauehave obediencc of thy wife, of thy seruants, and of thy subiects, if they will not obeye in louelove, thou must chide, fight, and correct, as farre as the lawe of GOD and the lawe of the lande will suffer thee: Now to the purpose: whether a man maie resist violence, and defend or reuenge himhimselfe: I saie naie, in the firste state where thou art a person for thy selfe alone, and Christs disciple, there thou must louelove and of louelove doe, studie and enforce: yea & suffer all thinges (as Christ did to make peace, that the blessing of God may come vppon thee, Which saith, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall bee the children of God. If thou suffer & keepe peace in thy selfe onelyonly, thy blessing is the possession of this worlde: but if thou so louelove the peace of thy brother that thou leaue nothing vndoone or vnsuffered to further it, thou shalt possesse heauen. But in this worldlie state where thou art no priuate man, but a person in respect of other, thou must and art bounde vnderunder paine of damnation to execute thine office. Of thy seruants thou must exact obedience, and must not suffer thy selfe to bee dispised. If thou art a ruler, thou must take, imprison, and sley to, not of malice and hate to reuenge thy selfe, but to defende thy subiectes and to maintaine thine office: the ruler must not oppresse his subiects with rentes, fines and customes, at all, neither pill them with taxes, and such like to maintaine his owne lustes: but bee louing and kinde vntounto them as Christ was to him: for they be the price of his bloode. I will shewe my minde more plainelie by one example. You are in your fathers house among your brethren and sisters, there if one fight with another, or if anie doe you wrong, you maie not reuenge or smite, for that pertaineth to the father onelie. But if your Father giuegive you authoritie in his absence and commaunde you to smite, if they will not bee ruled but abuse you, then you are another person. Notwithstanding yet you hauehave not put off the first person, but are a brother still, and must euer louelove and proue all thinges to rule with louelove: but if louelove wil not serue, then you must vse the office of an other person, or sinne against your father. Euen so when you are a temporall person you put not of the spirituall: therefore you must euer louelove, but when louelove will not helpe, you must with louelove execute the office of the temporall person. You must louelove your neighbour in your hart, because he is your brother in the first state, yet you must obeie your ruler who hath power ouer you, and when neede requireth at his commandement you must goe with the constable or like officer and breake open your neighbors doore, if hee will not open it in the kings name: yea if he will not yeld in the kings name, you maie smite him to the ground till he bee subdued, and looke what harme he getteth, that be vppon his owne heade.
Timoth.
I vnderstand you well. As I am a member of the spirituall bodie of Christ I must in all my conuersation follow him with patience, meekenes, and long suffering, ouercomming other mens euils with weldoing: yet if the hurt be greater then I can beare, I must take a new person on me, and if I be a ruler, with louelove seeke amendment, if a subiect, then in the feare of God, complaine to my ruler. But further I pray you soile me this doubt. If I shall be taken for a soldier, me thinks that I should then shake off all louelove and meekenes, & then I could not practise this Christian rule.
Euseb.
Yes, if our Queene (God saue her grace) should send you on warfare into another countrie, you must obeie at Gods commandement, and go and auenge your Princes quarrell, which you knowe not but that it is right. When you come thether, remember the two stats in which you are: and knowe that in the firste state, that is, the regiment spiritual, you must louelove them with whome you fight, and that they are your brethren bought with Christes blood, as well as you, and for Christes sake hate them not, yet as you are in the second state a Souldior at your Princes commandement, you must fight against them, and mainteine your Princes quarrell, and bring them vnderunder hir power: and therewithall be content with your Princes wages, neither desire your aduersaries life or goods, saue to aduantage your Prince. So then a Souldior neede not cast away meekenes, for he may fight with his enemie and slaye him, and yet louelove him.
Timoth.
Another thing I would knowe of you, which now commeth to my minde, I hauehave a Landlord, he seemeth to be a verye good man, he countenanceth all the good prechers in our country, & he rideth vsually ten miles to hear sermons: I hold of him an house & a little land, not scarse enough to find my poore family: my lease is come out & I hauehave taken a new lease, but I hauehave paide such a great fine, and my yearly rents are so racked, that I feare I & all my houshold are like to beg our bread, this is it disquieteth me, and almost maketh me at my wits end, what is your counsell and aduise?
Euseb.
Surelie it maketh my hearte to bleede to see how manie men bragge of the Gospell, and yet what little fruite the gospell hath in them, and what little louelove they shew, euen they which abound in rents and landes. My poore aduise is this, that you would with patience depende vppon Gods prouidence. It is said, blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the earth, Then let all the world studie to doe you wronge, yea let them studie to bring you to extreeme miserie, and doe it too: yet if you bee meeke, you shall hauehave foode and raiment enough for you & yours: And no doubt, God (who is alwaies true of his promise) shall raise vp some to helpe you. And my counsell is that you giuegive your landlorde now and then a Capon, now a pigge, now a Goose, and if you bee able a lambe or a Calfe, and let your wife visite your Land-ladie nowe and then with spiced cakes, with apples, peares cheries and such like: and bee you readie with your Oxen, or horses, fiue or sixe times in the yeare, to fetch home thei… wood, to plowe their land, then no doubt God maie soften their hartes & moue them to hauehave some pittie & compassion on your …oore estate.
Timoth.
I hauehave done all this. Naie (maie …t be spoken betweene you and me) I am at commandement, & am as a drudge to thē, …o do their busines, and to leaue my owne …ndone, and yet hauehave neither meat, drinke, …or monie.
Euseb.
More is the pittie. But remember …hat they which cannot come to see men …eale vprightly in the world, yet do in their …arts hunger and thirst after this righteous…es, are pronounced blessed.Matth. 5.
Timoth.
To let this passe: shew me one …ule howe I might generallie in all matters …e hauehave my selfe among men: and then for …his time I will cease to trouble you.
Euseb.
Aske your own conscience what …ou maie or ought to do. Would you men …id so with you? then doe you it. Would …ou not bee so delt with? then doe it not. …ou would not that men should doe you …rong and oppresse you. You would not …at men should doe you shame & rebuke, …e on you, kil you, hauehave your house frō you, …tice your seruant away, or take against …ur wil ought that is yours. You wold not …at mē shold sell you false ware, when you put thē in trust to make it readie, or to lay it out for you: and you woulde not that men should deceiue you with great othes, swearing that to be good which is indeed verie nought: you would not that men should sel you ware that is nought, & too dere, to vndoo you: doe no such thing then vntounto your neighbours, but as loth as you woulde bee to buie false ware, and too deere, for vndoing your selfe: so loth bee you to sell false ware, or too deere, for vndooing your neighbor. And in al cases how glad would you be to bee holpen, so glad bee to helpe your neighbour. So in all things aske your conscience what is to bee done betweene your neighbour and you, and she wil teach you. But because you are wearie of reasoning I will also end. Desiring God to encrease in vsus his heauenlie graces, as faith and repentance, and louelove according to his good pleasure.
Amen.