Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1, Dialogue 1 · Dialogue · Part 43 – Part 48
¶ Of ſuche as alvvayes excuſe them by theyr great buſines, and can neuer fynde conuenient tyme to hearken to the vvorde of God, and to laye their handes to his vvorke
T. I Am of your opinion: but there are yet an other ſorte which ſeme to hauehave more reaſon, & are better affected toward the word of God, then are thoſe, of whom we did euen now ſpeake. But yet when I conſider their workes, I can not commend them. There are that will ſoone graunt vsus all that wherof we hauehave heretofore diſputed: they will confeſſe that we muſt enquyre of ye wil of God in his word: They will well allowe the doctrine of thoſe that do truelye preach the word of God, and follow the ſame, and employe them ſelues in the buſines of the Lord: but yet for all yt they wil not be ouer buſie in it, but wil find a thouſand excuſes. They will alledge an infinite number of empeachmentes and empedimentes, which let them. Tere is amonge theſe men a number of mockers, which ſay, we muſt let God alone with the matter, and that he will well accomplyſhe his worke without vsus. D. I do well vnderſtand of what kinde of men thou ſpeakeſt: they are of the number of thoſe which our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt telleth vsus of in the paſſage of thoſe Math. xx…i Luke. xiiii.conuited geſtes to the mariage, of the which the one excuſed himſelfe by his farme, the other by his oxen newly bought, and the other by his newe maryed wife: to be ſhorte, eueryevery one had ſuch plentye of excuſes, that not one of thē came to the mariage, of thoſe that were bidden, but that of neceſſitye ſtraungers were called. And as touchyng thoſe men which ſay that God will well bring his works to paſſe without them, they ſay truth, for God nedeth not any man to accompliſhe any of his workes, For when he ſetteth vsus to worke, it is not for neede as though he coulde not doe all that pleaſeth him to do, without vsus. But when he calleth vsus into his workes, he doth it to doe vsus honour, in that we honour him, making vsus the miniſters of his grace. And therfore we ſhoulde bee the more diligent to take the matter in hand, which if we do not, he will aſſuredlye geue vsus to vnderſtande that he hath workes to do, the which he will not do without vsus: to wit, when he ſhall punyſh vsus for our ſlothfulnes and ingratitude. T. Thou ſayeſt very well: for we muſt needes be there in proper perſon, for that worke ſhall not go in hand without vsus. D. Theſe mockers which ſo play with God, ſhall feele this ſooner then they would. We may well ioyne alſo with theſe mē, thoſe of whom the Prophet Aggeus doth complayne, who being deliuered from Agg. …,the captiuetie of Babilon, and hauing libertie and good meanes to builde agayne the Lordes temple (the whiche in tyme before they hadde ſo much deſyred, or at the leaſt made it to ſeeme ſo) hadde no care at all once to laye their hands to it: but when the Prophet exhorted them to goe in hande with it, accordynge to their duetye and offyce, they were neuer vnfurniſhed of excuſe, they alledged that the time was not yet come, for the which they looked. And to couer their hipocriſie the better, they would in like manner cloke their careleſnes, euen by the worde of God. But the Prophet Aggeus doth plainly ſhewe where their griefe doth holde them, ſaying: that to builde their owne houſes, and to do their own buſines, they had alwayes time conuenient but to builde the houſe of God, and to lay their hands to his labour: they could neuer find any meete time. By the which he doth plainly geue them to vnderſtand, that if they had, had ſo good affection toward the worke of the Lord, as they had toward their owne worldly buſines, they woulde hauehave found the tyme as apte to take the matter in hand, as they founde it for other matters. T. It is to be feared that God will recompence them according to their deſerte: for if they can finde no meete tyme wherein to ſerue him, he will finde time conuenient inough wherin to chaſtiſe them thorowlye for their hypocriſie and negligence. D. The Prophet alſo dyd not hyde it, but declared playnlye vntounto them what profite there would ryſe vntounto thē by ſuch a contempt of God, ſaying: you ſowe much and gather litle, and if you ſcrape and gather money together, it is as though you ſhould put it into a bottomeleſſe ſacke or purſe.
¶ Of the meanes vvherby mens buſines may be aduaunced or hindred.
T. BY this accompt, men do greatly deceaue them ſelues, they thinke that all the tyme which is ſpent in the ſeruice of God, is loſte, where as they ſhoulde thinke all other tyme to be loſte which is not imployed in the ſame. For if they ſhoulde beſtow but one houre to heare the word preached, they would think that their buſines wer maruelouſly hindred, but they wil neuer grudge to looſe. iij. or. iiij. x. or. xij eyther in a bancket, playe, or ſuche like vanitie. And for my part, I am of opinion that if we did laye our handes to the labour of the Lorde as we ought to doe, one houre ſhoulde more profit vsus, then doth now one day, one day more then a monethmonth, one monethmonth more then a yeare. But for as much as we do it not, whē we thinke to go forward, we go backeward: and finde our ſelues ſo encombred with buſines vppon buſines, and empeachment vponupon empeachment, and euill happe vponupon euill happe, in ſuch ſorte as we can neuer come to any ende. D. Our Lord Ieſus Chriſt doth plainly geue vsus to vnderſtand the ſame, when he ſaith, after that he hath ſpoken of neceſſarye things appertayning to this life, ſeeke firſt the kingdome of God, and the righteouſnes therof, Mat. viand all theſe thinges ſhall be geuen vntounto you. Then by the contrary it foloweth, that in ſeking firſt our ſelues, and not effeming God, his kingdome and worde, al that is contrary ſhall be geuen vntounto vsus. T. We are well worthy of it.
¶ Of mockers vvhichwhich louelove not the Goſpell, and yet make the courte vntounto it, and make a ſhevv as though they had great deuotion to it.
D. FOr a full reſolution, it ſeemeth to me that theſe kynde of men of whom we doe nowe ſpeake, do not farre otherwyſe differ from thoſe men of whom we laſte ſpake, thē the two brethren of whom our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt ſpeaketh in a parable, differed the one from the other. The father cō maunded Math. xxi.the one to goe into the vineyarde, he aunſwered plainely that he would not: notwithſtanding this churliſhe aunſwere, he dyd afterward acknowledge his fault, repented him, and went thither. The like commaundement was geuen to the other, who aunſwered franckly, he woulde do it, but in dede dyd it not, vpō this ſame Ieſus Chriſt aſked, who was the better of them both, and who did beſt obſerue the commaundement of the father. T. I woulde thinke the firſt did it: for although he aunſwered fiercely in wordes, he yet declared that his harte was better then his wordes dyd expreſſe. And contrarilye, ye other declared himſelf to be but an hipocrite, geuing his father fayre wordes, wherwith to abuſe him. D. It f…roth in maner ſo with theſe men, they ſh…we as thoughe they dyd better vnderſtande, and had a greater zeale to the worde of God, then thoſe whiche reſiſte it more openlye: and yet oftentymes they beare leſſe good will to it. There is no difference but in this, that theſe men are greater traytors to God, and greater mockers of hys worde, in ſo much as they doe it more couertlye, and more craftelye. And therefore we ſee oftentymes come to paſſe in them, that which our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt hath ſayde, the firſte ſhall be the laſte, and the laſt the fyrſt. It is often ſene Math. xx.that thoſe which in the beginning did moſt reſiſte the word of God, in the end hauehave beene the beſt and moſte conſtant, after that God hath geuen them to know theyr faultes and ignoraunces, and hath illuminated them. And on the contrarye, manye after that they hauehave made a goodlye ſhewe and countenaunce a longe time to the Goſpell, they reuolt, and being geuen into a reprobate ſenſe, doe perſecute it, being reiected of God as mockers, whiche hauehave abuſed hys knowledge. T. That is a punyſhment moſte to be feared.
¶ VVhat diligence men oughte to vſe in follovving that vocation vvherunto God hath appoynted them, & of thoſe Epicurians that are amonge the Chriſtians, and of the diuerſitie of them.
D. THerefore, when the Lorde doth call vsus, let vsus make haſte as did the Iſraelites in comming out of Egipt: and let vsus not take ſo greate leaſure that wee ſuffer our Exod. 12.dowe to bee leauyned, let vsus rather eate our bread vnleauined, then to ſuffer it to be longe corrupted with the leauine Mathe. 16 Mar. viii Luke. xvii.of the Egiptians, Phariſies, Saduces, and Herode. Let vsus well remember that whiche Ieſus Chriſt ſpake of Lothes wife, and that aunſwere whiche he made to hym that deſ… red that he myghte tarye and burye his father: and to an Matth. …i…other which in lyke ſorte deſired that hee myghte goe and take hys leaue of hys frendes and coſins: ſuffer ſayeth he, the dead to burye the dead, but for thy part ſhew thou forth the kyngdome of God. And agayne, What ſo euer he bee Luk. ixthat hath once layde hys hande to the plow, and doth looke behynde hym, is not meete for the kyngdome of God. T. I doe greatlye feare that there are manye Epicurians amonge thoſe hypocrites, of whom we hauehave ſpoken. For although there be manye in the worlde that are taken for hypocrites, becauſe they louelove not God, nor ſhewe it ſo to the worlde: yet notwithſtanding there are ſome Epicurians the one ſorte more couerte then the other. There is one ſorte which eſteeme the whole volume of the ſacred Scriptures to be but fables, and they turne it all into ieſtyng and ſcoffing. There is an other ſorte which dare not ſo openlye declare what they thinke: yet doe they not muche differ in opinion from thoſe of whom we hauehave ſpokē. Ther is beſide, theſe an other ſorte whiche thinke that euerye man ſhall be ſaued in his religion, what ſo euer it bee, if ſo be that they ſerue God in a good intent.
¶ Of the teſtimonyes by the vvhichwhich men declare them ſelues to be very Epicurians, and of the prouidence and iuſtice of God againſt their falſe opinions.
D. ALl thoſe opinions are wonderfull daungerous, and notwithſtanding the ſame, the greateſt number of Math. xxv Roma. …iii …. Cor. iiiimen at this daye declare them ſelues by their workes, to bee of that iudgement. For if they beleued aſſuredly that there were a GOD, and an other lyfe, and a iudgement, to the which eueryevery man ſhall be called to render a… accompte, and that there were a Paradyſe and a h…ll: they would neyther ſpeake nor liue in ſuch ſorte as they do: but would ſtande in more feare of God, and beare greater reuerence to his lawe and worde. For if there be a God, (which no mā can denie, vnleſſe he be more barbarous then all the barbarous people that euer were in the worlde, ye… then barbarouſnes it ſelf, and more brute and furious thē are all ſauage and brute beaſts, and more deuiliſh then the deuill himſelfe) it muſt nedes be that ſuch thinges are, for the one of them can not be without the other. God can not be God without his prouidence & iuſtice, if he hauehave his prouidence, ſeinge he hath diſcerned men from beaſtes, and hath made him a partaker of his godlye nature, there is no doubt but that he hath other care of him then of beaſtes, Gene. ii i. Pe. i Pſalm. v Iohn. 5 Roma. iiiand hath created him to an other ende and to an other lyfe and felicitie, then he hath created them. If he hauehave iuſtice and goodnes in him, it is very certayne that the good pleaſeth him, and the euill diſpleaſeth him: and that he will punyſhe the one, and reward the other. And for ſo much as we do not here playnely ſee his iudgementes in all things, that is vntounto vsus a moſt certaine argument that there is an other lyfe, in the which God wil make knowen that which is hidden to vsus here: otherwiſe he ſhoulde not be that which he is. T. It is very certayne.
¶ Of the lighte of Gods vvorde vvhichwhich is geuen to men, and of the nature of the ſame, and of the contempte that is among men.
D. If it be ſo (as in dede eueryevery man that is of good iudgement doth knowe) we ought not to thinke that he hath created a Sunne wherby to lighten the eyes of mā, and to conducte him and leade him to thoſe thinges that are neceſſarie for this life, and that he which is the very true & onelyonly ſunne, fountaine of all light, hath not prepared light for the ſpirituall eyes of our ſoule, to leade them to thoſe thinges which are neceſſarye to eternall lyfe. For if he hauehave had ſo great care for our body, which is but earth and corruption, and for this preſent life, which is common with the lyfe of other creatures, what ſhall we thinke that he hath of the ſoule, for whoſe ſake he hath made the body, and of the immortalitie which he hath prepared for him? And it is very true that the true lighte of the ſoule, is that ſame worde of God, by the which God doth inſtruct vsus. Which according to the teſtimonye of Dauid is that onelyonly lighte which doth lighten our eyes, and doth directe our ſteppes, and doth alſo geue wiſedome to them that are ignoraunt, wherfore whē pſalme. cxixwe ſhall hauehave to do with men, to perſwade them to rede the holy ſcriptures, and to heare the worde of God, and to beholde that light which ſhyneth vn to vsus in the ſame: it is no more in effecte but as we ſhoulde exhorte men to open their eyes, to behold & receaue the light of the ſunne. Should we not thinke it very ſtraunge if we ſhould be enforced daylye to ſolicite men to this, and ſhould he not of right be thought to be very ingrate, that had rather to holde hys eyes ſhutte and to be blinde ſtil, then to beholde this light of the ſunne, and to be lightened by ye ſame? T. Yes truely. D. Yet notwithſtanding we doe dayly much worſe, when that we are prouoked to vnderſtand and harken to the word of God in ſundrye wyſe, and yet we will not vnderſtand of it at all. T. Thou ſayeſt very true: but men do not ſee ſo farre.