Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1, Dialogue 1 · Argument – Dialogue
❧ The content of the firſt Dialogue, Intituled of the holy Inquiſition, Dependaunces, or the Acceſſories.
THe principall ende whereunto I tende in this Dialogue, is to procure men to ſearche and to enquyre of the will of God, by ſuch meanes as he hath gyuen vsus in his holy worde, & ſacred Scriptures, to the end ye they may know how to frame & gouerne them ſelues according to the ſame: and that they gyue thē ſelues to that ſtudy before all other thinges, in the moſt diligent and earneſt wiſe that ſhalbe poſſible for them to do, without any delay at al: And that they do therof very well conſider, ſeyng the great miſchiefes and inconueniences into the whiche men may fal, for not ſo doyng, and the great profite and commoditie that may come vntounto them, if they do ſo diligently employe them ſelues in the ſtudie therof, as they ought to do.
And for ſo much as the harte of man is ſo froward, that he will in no wiſe be gouerned accordyng to the rule of the will and worde of God, and yet for all that he will in no wiſe acknowledge and confeſſe the ſame openly, but ſearcheth all excuſes and colour that may be foūd to couer and hide his hipocriſie and wickednes: I do ſhew playnly a nō ber of the principal and chief excuſes and coulour that men alledge at this preſent, to hinder and empeach them for cō ming to God, and to procure their owne health and ſaluation. After that we will ſpeake of ſuch as arme them ſelues for their defence, with their predeceſſours, with antiquitie, with the nomber and outward apparance of the world, and of thoſe that thinke that their ignoraunce ſhall excuſe thē, and of the diuerſitie of ignoraunces, and of the ſimplicitie and malice that may be in thē, and of their obſtinacie, and perſecutions, and of the negligence of all men in matters of Religion. I will alſo ſpeake of thoſe that couer them ſelues with the obedience that they doe owe to their princes, & make them their ſhieldes and their Gods, and of the meane that both the princes and people ſhould kepe in ſuche affaires. There ſhal alſo be mention made of ſuch as excuſe thē ſelues by meanes of their great buſines: moreouer of Epicurians and mockers of Gods word. Beſide theſe there ſhal be mention made of ſuche as are of opinion that all natiōs ſhalbe ſaued eueryevery one in his law. I will alſo ſay ſomwhat of the certayntie of Gods word, and of the conſtancie, and aſſurednes of his will, and of the law. And afterward in the Dialogues following, I wil ſpeake of thoſe that dwel vponupon Counſels, and wil ſhewe vponupon what Councel we ought to dwell. I hauehave intitled this Dialogue the holy ſearch, or enqueſt: bycauſe that in it mencion is made, not onelyonly of that inquiſition whiche falſly is called holy, the whiche is made by the miniſters of Antechriſt, which wrongfully are called the tryers of the faith, and worcke continually againſt the true Chriſtians that will acknowledge and confeſſe none other doctrine or Religiō to be Chriſtiā, but onelyonly that doctrine whiche Ieſus Chriſte hath taught, whiche is the holy enquirie of the knowledge of Gods word, neceſſarie for the ſoules health of all true Chriſtians. It may alſo be named the Acceſſories, for ſo muche as I do ſet forth in this ſame, the ſhiftes by the whiche men hauehave bene accuſtomed to wage, the lawe with God, and to excuſe thē ſelues and couer their rebellion, whiche they hauehave committed agaynſte hys Maieſtie.
The firſt Dialogue is entituled, the holy Inquiſition, or the Dependaunces.
Of the blindneſſe and diſorder that is among men, in the matter of Religion, and of their Saluation.
Tymothe.
Daniell.
THe more that I do conſider the great diſorder that is in the world, in al eſtates, and chiefly in the matter of Religion, the more I do meruell. Daniel. And truely for my parte, I meruell not at all, although the diſorder be great, but I meruell greatly to ſee that it is no gretter: albeit it wer a hard matter to adde any thing therunto. Tymothe. Why ſayeſt thou ſo? Daniel. Bycauſe that men are ſo blind and wicked, as though they had determinatly conſpired agaynſt their owne ſaluation and health, and to thruſt all, euen heauen and earth, into diſorder, confuſion & ruine, they could do no worſe then they do.
Of the Authours and cauſes of all order and diſorder amonge men, and of the goodnes of God, and of the ingratitude & malice of men.
T. I Would be very glad if thou wouldeſt declare and opē vntounto me ſomewhat particularly the cauſes herof. D. I firſt aſke thee, who is the authour and cauſe of all good order? T. God onelyonly, who hath created and made all thinges, and hath ſet an order amongeſt his creatures, ſuche as he knoweth to be meete for them. D. And who is the authour and cauſe of all diſorder? T. The deuill, aduerſarie to God and to all his creatures: who continually employeth all his forces to ouerthrow and confound the whole order whiche God hath ſet amongſt his creatures. D. Seyng that it is ſo, and that men eſtraunge them ſelues from God, and flee from his councell as much as in them is, and on the contrarie, endeuour them withal their power to ioyne them ſelues to the deuill, pleaſuryng in nothyng ſo much as to folowe his councels, and therfore dooſt thou meruell if all be in diſorder and extreme confuſion? Haſt thou not rather occaſiō much more to wonder at the great goodnes and ineſtimable ſuffraunce of God, how he can endure ſo long, not onelyonly on ſo greate an ingratitude, but rather ſo great a furie and rage wherwith men are fylled, by the whiche they enforce them by all meanes poſſible vtterly to deſtroye them ſelues, and to haſten their deſtruction and to make it more fearefull and horrible? T. It is very true. And the whole beyng wel cōſidered, it ſemeth that we hauehave made a league with Satan, our mortal enemy, to ayde him to deſtroy our ſelues, and to hinder the goodnes that God of his grace, beyng moued of his owne onelyonly goodwil, will beſtow vponupon vsus: and cōtrarely that God by his great goodnes and mercy doth fight agaynſt our malice and frowardnes, euen as to beſtowe of hys graces vponupon vsus, will we, nill we, and to withdraw vsus frō theſe bottomles pittes of wickednes, into the which we go about to throw our ſelues moſt willingly.
¶ Of the cauſe of the fall and …uyne of mankind, and of the remedy and meane hovv to recouer the ſame.
D. THat ſame was the firſt fountaine and ſpryng of all the diſorders & miſchiefes that euer entred into the worlde. That ſame was the very pathe that our firſt parentes tooke: That ſame was the very meane by the which they fell from that hye degree and ſtate of felicitie, peace, quietnes, and ioye, in the whiche God had placed thē in the beginnyng, throughe the whiche they hauehave dampned them ſelues withall their raſe, and are fallen into this greate diſorder and confuſion, in the whiche we are euen at this preſent, bycauſe that we as their proper children folow euē the ſelfe and ſame councell that they folowed. Therfore ſeyng that we do knowe the cauſe of the euill, why do we not trauayle to finde out the remedies contrary to the ſame? for ſo much as the euil doth procede of that, that we refuſed to folow the councell and will of God, and folowed the councell and perſuaſiō of the deuil. Let vsus now leaue the deuill withall his intiſementes and perſuaſions, and let vsus enquire at the mouth of God and take councell of him, howe to learne to knowe his will and to folow the ſame: and then all diſorder and confuſion ſhalbe cleane put away, and eueryevery thing ſhalbe brought into good order. For in dede the onelyonly wil of God, and the obedience thereunto belongyng, is the mother and nource of al good order. It is onelyonly ſhe that doth beget it, nouriſh it, and maintayne it, and is the onelyonly rule wherwith, if you meaſure all things wel, al diſorder ſhalbe chaū ged into good order.
¶ Of the difficultie that is in men to acknovvledge their errours and faultes, and of the argumentes that they hold of aūcient cuſtom, and of the authoritie of their predeceſſors, and of auncientie, and of the multitude, vvherevvith they arme them ſelues.
T. I Do like all that whiche thou haſt ſayde very well, but there are very fewe that will take that waye, for there are, that are ſo hard harted and obſtinate, that a man ſhall not make them beleue that they ar in errour: what reaſon ſoeuer he bryng agaynſt them out of the booke of God, nor they will not acknowledge their abuſes & faultes: although they be ſo filthie and apparent that eueryevery man doth ſee thē, and that eueryevery man doth handle them. Theſe men alledge their predeceſſours, and ſay that they wilbe no wiſer, nor better then they: for they ſay that they wer honeſt men, and wiſe ynoughe for to know the wil of God. Wherupon they conclude that if thoſe wer dampned, they wilbe alſo dampned with them. An other ſort alledge aunciēt cuſtomes and the multitude of men, and the continuance of tyme, and the auncienti of their order of lyfe.
¶ Of the proces that men brynge agaynſte God, and of the ſhyftes that they ſeeke to cloke their rebellion agaynſte hy… vvorde.
D. FOr ſo muche as men wil not be brought to that paſſe, to yelde that obedience vntounto God whiche they owe vntounto him, but will go to the lawe with hym, it muſt nedes come to paſſe that they ſearche out ſome ſhifte and ſome ſtarting holes and excuſes to giuegive ſome ſhew to their cauſe. Wherefore if we ſhall gyue them place, they will neuer be vnfurniſhed of ſhiftes. But it is greate follie for them to pleade their cauſe with God, for he muſt be the iudge, and not they: wherefore they may well aſſure them ſelues that all their reaſons and excuſes ſhalbe of no greate value before hym, when they ſhalbe wayed in the ballances of hys iuſtice and iudgementes. But bycauſe that men hauehave bene alwayes accuſtomed to flatter them ſelues, and that they do ſo dilighte in their errours, that it is a hard matter to bryng them to acknowledge them ſelues to be ſo foule and filthie, as they are: I am well contented that we do examine their fayre diſcourſes, and their goodly allegations. T. I would be very glad therof.
¶ Hovv that al falſe Religion may be vvel defēded: if that antiquitie & the authoritie of predeceſſours may hauehave place.
D. LEt vsus nowe ſee, what foundation that hath, whereof you hauehave nowe ſpoken. There is no errour, ſecte, hereſie, falſe doctrine, nor wickedneſſe ſo greate, but that it may eaſely be defēded, if ſuch reaſons mought be allowed, For a Iewe, a Turcke, and a Pagane, may well alledge as much. T. I confeſſe the ſame. D. If then theſe Chriſtiās (as they name thē) were Iewes, Turkes, or Pagans borne, they woulde ſo continue, becauſe they were ſo borne & alſo their predeceſſours before them. T. There is no doubt of it. D. Theſe kind of men hauehave none other reaſon to main tayne their order and maner of lyfe, but onelyonly wilfulnes & obſtinacie, by the which they do right wel declare that they hauehave not well conſidered what ye Lord ſayth by his Prophet Ezechiell: Walke not in the wayes of your fathers, nor be Ezech. 20you filed with their Idoles, for I am ye Lord your God: you ſhall walk in my commaundements, & ſee that you ſwarue neither to the right hād, ne yet to the left hād. It is alſo writtē, you ſhal not do as thoſe ye ar gone before you, neither file Leu. 18you your ſelues as they hauehave done. Take hede that you do not according to ye cuſtome of ye land of Egypt, in the which you hauehave dwelled: Nor yet after ye cuſtome of ye land of Chanaan. So ye you walke not in their ſtatutes: but ſe ye you obſerue my ordinaunces, & that you giuegive good hede to my cō maūdemēts: to ye end that you may walke in thē. Let vsus cō ſider alſo how ye ſpirite of God, did blame & reproue ye aūciēt 1. Reg: ….Samaritanes: Theſe people did not hearken at all, but did liue according to their aūcient cuſtome. Theſe people then feared ye Lord: but yet they ſerued their Idols notwtſtāding. They folow their auncient cuſtome euen to this very day. They do not feare the Lord, nor kepe yt ceremonies & yt iudgements, & the law, & the cōmaūdemēt that ye Lord gaue to the ſon of Iacob, which is ſurnamed Iſraell. If our predeceſſours hauehave walked in ye wayes of ye Lord, we may iuſtly alledge thē: for God hath cōmaūded vsus to folow ſuch perſonages: not for their own worthynes, for they are but mē as we are, & not Gods: but bycauſe yt they hauehave followed in the way of the Lord, which ſaith yt it is he, yt is ye Lord our God, not our fathers. For he is ye moſt aūciēt father yt we hauehave, which onelyonly is ye father of veritie & truth, as the deuill is the father of lyes, who is in dede a very aūcient father, but not ſo auncient as is God the father of all truth.
¶ Of the argumentes taken of the multitude.
T. WHat ſayeſt thou of the argumentes taken of the multitude? D. If it were lawefull to alledge the multitude of mē, the fooles and wicked ſhould alwayes hauehave the better: for they are alwaye the greateſt nomber. Wherfore we are forbidden in law, to folowe the multitude, for to do euill. And our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt hath willed vsus to paſſe thorow the ſtraite way, for it is yt waye that leadeth to eternall life: & cōtraryly forbiddeth vsus to folow ye large, thorow the which many paſſe, for that way leadeth to deſtruction.Eſech. 20
¶ Of the argumentes of tyme auncientie.
T. WHat ſayeſt thou of thoſe that alledge long time & auncientie? D. Ther is no greater reaſon in the alledging of time & auncienti, then in the alledging of the multitude. For what is more auncient in this world, then lying, rebellion, and diſobedience, manſlaughter, violence, extorcion, whoredome, Idolatrie, villeny, and all kinde of wickedneſſe and abhomination, for they hauehave had their beyng euen immediatly after the beginning of the world, as ſoone as men were borne into the world. T. Theſe thinges hauehave begon at the leaſt euen from the tyme, that the deuil hath bene in the world, whiche is as ancient as any man that euer was: for he is the auncienteſt of al creatures, and the father of al the euill that euer was, is, or ſhalbe in the worlde, and it is by him, that it is entertained, encreaſed, and maintained.
¶ Of the fall of the deuill, and of his children, vvhoſe predeceſſour he is.
D. IN dede it is very well ſayd of thee, for our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt doth call him not onelyonly a lyar, but alſo the father Iohn. 8.of lyes. For albeit that God did creat hym an Angell, and in ye ſame truth that is in God: yet he could not ſo continue, but did falle from truth into lyes, whiche is the originall of all other euils, euen as truth is the fountaine of Iohn. 8.all goodnes. He is alſo called a manſleyar and a murderer from the begynning. And bycauſe that Cain did by and by folow him, S. Iohn ſayeth that he is the ſonne of the deuill, Iohn. 3.and that he ſlew his brother bycauſe he was of the wicked. And in the ſame place he ſaith alſo: he that ſinneth is of the deuil: for the deuil ſinneth euen from the begynning. In the whiche Saint Iohn hath folowed the maner of ſpeakyng of his maſter Ieſus Chriſte: who called the Iewes, childrē Ioh. viii.of the deuill: for that they were lyars and murderers of the ſeruauntes of God, and of hym whiche was and is the very ſonne of God, which thyng proceded of the very hatred that they had agaynſt the truth, which was preached vntounto them by Ieſus Chriſt and his Diſciples.
¶ Of the predeceſſours of the vvicked and infidels, and hovve the auncientie of ſinnes doth procure Gods vvrath vponupon men, and doth not excuſe them.
T. IT foloweth then by this accoumpt, that ſuch as folow and do the worke of the deuill, ar ye deuils ſonnes & ſucceſſours. D. The matter is playne, wherfore thou mayeſt eaſely perceyue by this what predeceſſours ſuch kynd of mē may alledge, that will folow any other order of lyfe, then yt whiche hath ben taught vsus by God: & what cauſe they hauehave to glory of auncientie and of old worldes. Let them thē alledge the deuill for their moſt auncient father, and with his lyes fight againſt the eternal truth of God: let the manſleaers and murderers alledge Cain, and the Sodomites, thoſe whoſe name they beare. All theſe kyndes of mē and al other wicked ones hauehave fathers very auncient, they do folow one doctrine and one ſorte of lyfe, whiche is very auncient: but truth, vertue, holynes, innocencie, & God which is there father, are yet more auncient, for the deuil, ſinne, and lyes, of the whiche he is author, hauehave had their begynnynge, and raigne, and therfore they ſhall once hauehave an ende. But God is eternall, without begynning and without end, and ſo is his truth, whereof he is father, and of all vertues els. And therfore God doth not onelyonly not ſupporte hereſies, errours, ſuperſtitions and Idolatries, bycauſe of their auncientie: but contrarylye he threateneth the Idolaters and wicked ones, that the longer that they hauehave continued in ſinne and folowed the ſame, the greater vengeaunce he will ſend vppon them. Wherfore it is ſpoken by the Prophet Eſay: Behold Eſay. 65.it is writtē before me, I will no longer hold my peace, but will yelde and throwe into their boſomes, your iniquities, with the iniquities of your fathers alſo, ſaith the Lord, and immediatly after: whereby I will yelde agayne vntounto them in their boſome the meaſure of their firſt worcke. The Lorde ſpeaketh this vppon good occaſion, for if the father hauehave ben wicked, and the ſonne is yet more wicked, the iniquitie of the father doth not amende that of the ſonne, and make it vertue and not vice. T. No, but doth encreaſe it much more, for the more of our predeceſſours that hauehave ben rebels againſt God, ſo much the greater is our faulte. D. It ſemeth vntounto me, that thoſe which alledge their predeceſſors & aūcientie, to maintaine therby their errors and abuſe, do euen like as doth a traitor, whiche would excuſe and purge him ſelfe to ward his prince, whom he hath offēded, through his treaſons, that ſhould alledge in his defence that his predeceſſours hauehave alway bene traitours, & liued in ye like infidelitie towardes their prīces, as he hath done towardes his. Thinckeſt thou not y• this excuſe wer very lawful & mete to appeaſe the prince? T. Euē ſo mete that it mought occaſiō him to cut cleane frō the earth ſo wicked a race, to the ende they ſhould neuer be any more heard of. D. It is euen ſo.
¶ Hovv that none may ſo vvell alledge aūciētie, as the faithful may, & hovv that al the allegatiōs of the vnfaithful, are nothing els but clokes, to couer their hipocriſie & vvickednes.
T. FOr ſo muche as it is ſo, it ſemeth vntounto me, that if auncientie might hauehave place, there are none that may ſo wel alledge auncientie as may the true childrē of God. D. No mā may deny yt. For God is the aunciēt of all worldes, Eſay. xli. Daniel, vii Apoc. 12. 13the firſt & the laſt, whoſe truth they folow, by the which they are made his true & lawfull children. Wherfore theſe men may lawfully alledge, & cōmaunde vntounto their children, that whiche the Lord ſpake by Ieremy, ſearche you out among Ierem. vi.the auncient pathes, whiche is the good way, & walke in the ſame. T. I do thincke that thoſe reaſons, whiche thou haſt alledged, are ſufficient ynoughe to confute and ſhame thoſe kindes of mē, ye vſe theſe colours of predeceſſours, of ye multitude, of times, & ages, to cloke therwith their diſobedience & rebellion againſt the word of God: for whē al is ſaid theris but one thing, that hindereth all this, to wit that ſuch mē will not be obedient to the voyce of the Lord, nor take coū ſell of him, nor folowe him. But for ſo muche as they dare not ſay and declare the ſame openly, bycauſe that they will not be knowen to be ſuch as they are in dede, but would be thought of mē to be honeſt, and ſuch as feare God, they ſeke theſe ſhiftes and ſtarting holes. They are lyke to thoſe aduocates yt pleade an euill cauſe, who hauehave determined to do no right to their contrarie partie, but ſeeke onelyonly by cauilling, how to ſhift out the matter, bycauſe that they will neuer be enforced to grow to any honeſte ende.
¶ Of the langage that is in the heart of the hypocrites & vvicked, and hovv they cloke it before the vvorld.
D. THou haſt ſtricken the white in the middeſt, and haſte touched the very pithe of that vniuerſall diſeaſe that raygneth throughe out the worlde, the whiche Ieſus Chriſt doth thorowly open vntounto vsus, when he ſayeth, ſpeakyng of hys doctrine: That he, that is deſirous to do the, will of hys Iohn. vii.father, ſhall ſoone knowe whether it be of God or no. There is but one thing, that diſguiſeth this whole matter: which is that ſome of them can couer and cloke otherwiſe and more finely then can the others. T. It is certayne, without any circumlocution, that thoſe whiche ſearche out ſuch ſtarting holes, ſhould rather ſay euen at one worde, that whiche the wicked ones ſpake, of whom the Scripture in the boke of ye Prophetes declareth ſayinge, we hauehave nothyng to do with Eſay. lviii. Pſal. ii.God: We will not knowe hys wayes: nor walke in the ſame, nor yet beare hys yoke. D. It is very true. But that ſhoulde not bee ſo honorable for them: nor hauehave ſo good a grace. For although they ſpeake it in theyr heart, they will in no wiſe that the world vnderſtand it, yea and that which is more vile, they ar ſo beaſtly, & do ſo much delight in their folly and filthy ſophiſtrie, that they thincke euē by the ſame to be able to abuſe and mocke God, euen as they abuſe and mocke men: as though he ſawe not the wickednes of their hartes, and wanted wiſedom & vnderſtanding how to trap the ſubtil and craftie in their cauteles and fineſſes.
¶ Of the perſecutours of the veritie, and of the diuerſe ſortes of them.
T. NOw if thoſe of whō we hauehave already ſpoken, hauehave very ſlender reaſon to alledge: howe do you thincke of thoſe that are not contented with ſuch excuſes, but employ their whole forces to perſecute the truth of God, and as many as will teach & folow the ſame? D. There are thre ſortes of theſe kinde of people: there are of them that perſecute the truth and thoſe that folowe it, of a certaine malice, euen againſt the witneſſe that ye ſpirit of God yeldeth in their own conſciences, onelyonly for hatred that they beare agaynſte God and his truth. There ar alſo others which do it not ſo much for hatered that they beare agaynſt the truth, as for the honors and riches which they hope to obtaine, by reſiſting the ſame, or els that they hauehave already obtayned. The third are thoſe that do the like throughe ignoraunce.