Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1, Dialogue 1 · Dialogue · Part 49 – Part 56
¶ Of the authoritie of holy Scriptures, and in vvhat ſort God hath declared his vvill vntounto men, and hovve much it agreeth vvith his prouidence.
D. ANd as concerning thoſe that doe not beleue that the holy Scriptures and worde of God, are the worde of God, they are more voyde of reaſon then are thoſe y• ſhould ſaye there is no ſunne in the worlde: or if there bee one, that he ſhyneth not: or els that the lyghte by the which we are lighted, is not of the ſunne, for we oughte not to doubte but Iohn. 1.that God, who is the perfect and true light, hath manifeſted himſelfe vntounto men, whom he hath created of purpoſe to hauehave the fruition and enioying of this diuine lyght, and to walke in the ſame, And if it bee ſo: I woulde gladlye knowe of thoſe whiche beare ſo ſmall reuerence to the holye Scriptures, if they knowe anye other more certayne meane, more meete and more excellente, by the whiche GOD hath declared himſelfe vntounto men: and whether there bee anye other doctryne more worthye of hys maieſtie, and doth contayne and reuele vntounto men thinges more hye, more godlye, more ſecreate, more vnknowen, and incomprehenſible to all mennes vnderſtandyng, more true and more certayne, and that doth touche and preſſe mans harte more, and hath in them greater vertue and effecte, bee it to humble and beate them downe, bee it to releue and comforte them, and is in all reſpectes more meete, more profitable, and more wholeſome for man, and better approued and confyrmed by infynite teſtimonyes of God: and that doth better deſerue to bee credited, then this, which hath bene reuealed by the Aungells of heauen, who daylye doe ſee the face of God: Alſo Mat. xviii Heb. i.by the Patriarches, Prophettes, Apoſtles, and the moſte holye and moſte vertuous perſonages that euer the earth dyd beare, and that of ſo greate an accorde and perpetuall conſente, and all readye by ſo longe a tyme euen from the begynnyng of the worlde by continuall ſucceſſion. T. Thou alledgeſt here great matters, & of great weighte, to approue that whiche thou haſte declared.
D. Yea but I hauehave not yet touched the principall: to witte, that the verye Sonne of God, whiche is the true woorde, the Image, the lyghte and bryghtneſſe of the Iohn. 1. Heb. i.glorye of God, hath beene ſente vntounto vsus from the boſome of the Father, to declare and confyrme the ſame the more, dwellyng amonge men in the true nature and ſhape of man. Alſo we hauehave here no ſmall teſtimonye that thys doctryne is of God, in that the deuill dyd neuer make ſo longe and cruell warres agaynſte any doctryne, what ſo euer it was, as hee hath agaynſte thys: and in that it hath beene alwayes ſo miraculouſlye conſerued, by the ſingulare prouidence and power of God, agaynſte all the aſſaultes of the deuill: and that God hath punyſhed wyth horrible plagues thoſe that hauehave ſtoode vppe agaynſte the ſame. As the examples of all ages doe ryghte well witneſſe. What ſhall we alſo ſaye in that it hath beene approued and ratifyed ſo myghtely by ſo manye ſignes and myracles (which coulde in no wiſe bee done but by the onelyonly power of God) and alſo by the bloude, death, and confeſſion of ſo manye Martyrs and confeſſours, which are in number infinite? T. If euer God dyd ſpeake, or if euer he dyd ſhewe himſelfe to men to deliuer vntounto them anye kinde of doctryne, there is none other doctryne that we maye aſſuredlye beleue to bee of God, but onelyonly thys doctryne, of the which thou haſte nowe ſpoken. And therefore we are fullye reſolued, that GOD hath ſhewed himſelfe to men, and that he hath reuealed vntounto them the doctryne of ſaluation. For if the kinges and princes of the earthe, yea the moſte barbarous, brute and cruell men of the earth, dyd well knowe that men coulde not lyue wythoute lawes, but were conſtrayned to make lawes, and to ſubmitte them ſelues, knowing the ſame to bee verye neceſſarye for the conſeruation of mankynde, and common policie: doe wee thincke that GOD the ſoueraigne kynge and prince of euerye creature, who is himſelfe the lawe to all, would leaue men withoute a lawe, and hys people withoute geuyng them an order howe to lyue? Hee that hath geuen a lawe to all hys other creatures, woulde hee leaue man, which is the chiefe of his workes among all the viſible creatures, and he whom he hath appoynted prince and ruler ouer them, to be without lawe and direction. D. Who can thinke the contrarye, if he be not more beaſtlye then the very beaſtes? T. Wherfore for my part I do conclude, that this ſame, whereof we hauehave ſpoken, is the true lawe and doctrine of God, and that there is none other, but that all others muſt be gouerned by thys onelyonly lawe, and to reiecte all ſuch as are not agreing with thys.
¶ Of the moſte deuely ſhe peruerſitie of the Epicurians, and hovve they doe agree vvith the doctrine of Mahomet, vvho is of opinion that all men ſhall bee ſaued in theyr ovvne lavve.
D. THou doeſt conclude very wel, but the Epicurians, of whom we ſpeake will not ſo eaſely agree to our ſayinges. For it is harde to ſatiſfye ſuch as do delyte to mocke God, and to make warres agaynſt hym, and to perſwade in matters of religion, ſuch as deſire to liue without religigion. And in deede ſuch ſwyne are not worthye to be diſputed with in ſuch a matter, for ſo muche as in the ſame they declare them ſelues to be more beaſtly then ye brute beaſtes, and that they denie the foundation, which the deuills them ſelues are compelled to confeſſe, for they doubte not at all but that there is one God, and one Lord Ieſus Chriſt, whō they feare and ſtand in awe of. And euen as thoſe reaſons which we hauehave alreadye alledged, are ſufficient for all ſuch as feare God, and are tractable and not contentions: euen ſo are they ſufficient to ouerthrowe and treade downe the errour of them that do affyrme that eueryevery man ſhall be ſaued in hys owne lawe, thys propoſition ſhoulde be true, if Iames. ii Met. 8 Mark, veueryevery man dyd embrace the lawe of God, this poynte is an article of the lawe of Mahomet, becauſe that he doth imagine that God hath geuen diuerſe lawes vntounto men, in diuerſe tymes, and in diuerſe places, according to the diuerſitie of the people and nations, wherefore he doth conclude that eueryevery nation ſhall bee ſaued in obſeruyng that lawe, and forme of religion that he hath receaued of God. In the which, although he do moſte filthilye erre, yet notwithſtanding he hath more reaſon then theſe men of whom we ſpeake, whiche accepte for a lawe and religion, all that euer any of them doth inuent and imagine of his own braynes.
¶ Of mans traditions and of the rule vvhichwhich is ſet before vsus in the holy Scriptures, of all religion and doctrine.
T. THey thinke alſo, becauſe they hauehave receaued theſe thinges of their fathers, that the ſame which they followe, is the lawe and religion which God hath ordeyned. D. Yea but there are of them that doe well knowe the contrary, and are well aſſured that they embrace many things which are inuented by men: wherfore if they will attribute ſo great worthines to the traditions of men, as to that law and doctrine which God himſelfe hath geuen, and reueled by his Patriarches, Prophets and Apoſtles, and chiefly by Ieſus Chriſt his onelyonly ſonne our Lord: we ſhal neuer hauehave ende of geuing lawes, nor ſhall we hauehave any thing, whereunto we may aſſuredly truſt. There ſhal bee no difference betwene God and man, betwene the maiſter and the ſeruaunt, for eueryevery man ſhall be a lawe maker. And Sathan may continually by this meanes ſpread abroad what doctrine ſo euer ſhall pleaſe him, and vouch it to be the doctrine of God. And then in vayne hath God geuen hys lawe and word, by his Patriarches, Prophets and Apoſtles, and eſpeciallye by his owne ſonne Ieſus Chriſt. In vayne ſhould he hauehave forbidden to adde anye thing to it, or to diminiſhe it, Exod. 20 Heb. 1. Gal iii. Acte. vii. Deut 4 1… P…o…. xxx.or ells to receaue anye other doctrine, no although it were brought in dede by the Aungels of heauen. Wherefore if he will that we geue ſuche honour vntounto that woorde, which hath ben once reuealed by the Patriarches, Prophets and Apoſtles, and by Ieſus Chriſte our onelyonly Lorde, that the verye doctrince of the Aungells ſhall bee examined by thys rule: doe we then thinke that he will geue more power to man ouer hys worde, then to Aungells. To what ende doe all the admonitions ſerue whiche are geuen vsus, for to beware Deut. xiii. Mat. 7. Actes. xx. Roma. xvi. i. Iohn. iiiiof falſe Prophets, to ſhonne thoſe that ar heretiques, and to proue the ſpirites, whether they bee of God or no, if it were all one to followe what lawe a man woulde? and that God woulde bee contented to be ſerued with our good intentes, man ſhoulde neuer hauehave neded that he ſhoulde hauehave geuen hym anye lawe, but onelyonly hys owne intention, commaundyng hym to doe onelyonly that whiche ſhoulde come into hys mynde, and ſhoulde ſeeme good vntounto hym. Which thing he hath earneſtlye forbidden, ſaying, honour Deut. 11.not thou the Lorde in that ſorte that ſeemeth good vntounto thy ſelfe, but in that ſorte onelyonly whicch I doe commaund thee, without declyning eyther to the ryghte hand, or to the lefte.
¶ Hovv vve oughte to iudge of that, vvhere God forbyddeth vsus to doe that vvhichwhich ſemeth good in our ovvne opinion: and of the aſſuraunce of our conſciences by the vvorde of God, vvithout the vvhi…he nothyng can pleaſe God that man can doe.
T. IF he will that we doe not that which we thinke to bee good, what ſhall we then do? That which we thinke to be euill? D. He doth not at all forbid vsus to doe that which we thinke to be good, if it be good in deede, but for ſo muche as of our owne nature we are ignoraunce and blinde, and that oftentymes we take darkenes for lyghte, and lyghte for darkenes, the good for euill, and the eui…l for good, the ſweete for ſoure, and the ſoure for ſweete: he will not that we gouerne our ſelues accordyng to our owne fantaſyes, but hath geuen vsus an order, to the ende that we myghte perfectlye diſcerne theſe thynges, and not to take the one for the other: which is not poſſible for vsus to doe of our ſelues, without the meane that he hath geuen vsus. And for that cauſe he ſayeth, thou ſhalte doe onelyonly that which I doe commaunde thee. Wherfore it doth follow that what ſo euer Deut. …8.man doth, can not pleaſe God, vnleſſe he be aſſured that GOD hath commaunded and ordayned it, and can not doe it without doing great wronge and violating the commaundement of God. For fyrſt of al, none can pleaſe hym withoute fayth. And ſecondarilye, fayth can not be fayth, withoute an vndoubted aſſurance. And certayne aſſurance can not be, but in the word of God. For how can I be aſſured that God alloweth thys, and diſaloweth that, but by the vnderſtanding of hys will, which I can not hauehave but by the declaration thereof, which he hath by hys word? On Heb. 11the other parte, howbeit that that which I ſhould do, ſhould not be contrarye to hys will, but ſhoulde be ſuch as he hath expreſſedlye commaunded, yet coulde not my harte bee thorowlye agreable vntounto him, but ſhould be worthye of greate blame: if I did it without this aſſurance, becauſe that I ſhoulde not beare to the maieſtie of God, the honour and reuerence which I doe owe vntounto the ſame. For I oughte to hauehave him in that reuerence, that if I doubte of the thyng, I ſhoulde fyrſt enquyre and bee aſſured of it, to the ende that I ſhoulde not put my ſelfe in daunger to offend hym: that, which we ſhoulde more feare then death. For if I make ſo ſmall accompte to put my ſelfe in ſuche haſarde, I doe declare by ſuche contempt, that I doe not ſo feare God as I oughte to doe, nor doe ſo reuerence his holy name as my duety requireth. T. If theſe kind of mē offēd, which do good thinges in doubte: howe greuous is then the offence of ſuch as doe thoſe thynges whiche he hath playnelye forbidden, and are apparantlye euill. D. I committe that to your iudgement.
¶ Of the errour of thoſe that thinke that the vvorkes vvhichwhich they do contrary to the vvill of God, are yet notvvithſtā ding agreable to him, becauſe that they do them in a good intent.
T. BUt what wilte thou ſaye of thoſe, that doing thynges contrarye to the wyll of God, doe aſſure them ſelues that they are agreable to God, and ordayned by hym. For there are manye of that opinion, in manner all ſuche as are ſuperſtitious and idolaters are of that iudgement, and almoſte all the heritiques, which doe all that euer they doe in a good intente, if we ſhall iudge of theyr conſcience. For if they thought not that their religion dyd pleaſe God, many woulde refuſe it, which ſeeme yet to hauehave ſome feare of God. D. I aunſwere to that, that GOD is not ſubiecte to our fantaſyes, and that he will iudge nothyng to bee good or euill, becauſe it pleaſeth, or diſpleaſeth vsus, and becauſe that we doe ſo iudge of it: but becauſe the thyng is ſo of hys owne nature, and that he himſelfe hath ſo iudged of it, and hath commaunded or forbidden it, or ells all ſuperſtition, and idolatrye, hereſye, and wickednes: ſhoulde be lawful. For there is no wickednes nor abhomination ſo greate, whiche in the opinion of manye, is not holden for a good and an honeſt thyng, or at the leaſt not euill. But howe manye heritiques, people and nations are there, which hauehave eſteemed thynges to be good and honeſt, which are the moſte ſtraunge and abhominable, that maye bee thoughte or imagined? How many hauehave ther bene alſo that hauehave had the moſt vniuſte lawes of the whole world, which they hauehave no leſſe eſteemed then bee the beſte and moſte iuſte that are? T. The matter is playne. D. Moreouer, doe we thinke that GOD will endure at our handes, that whiche we oure ſelues will not endure at the handes of our ſeruauntes? Woulde we bee contented to hauehave a ſeruaunte to ſerue vsus after hys owne will and fantaſye? Wil we not rather be ſerued accordyng to ours. T. If we ſhould not be ſerued as we do commaunde, we ſhoulde not be maiſters, but ſeruauntes, and our ſeruauntes ſhould be the maiſters. D. And ſeynge it is ſo, wyll God endure, that wee ſhall ſerue hym as pleaſeth vsus, and not accordynge to hys wyll, and that we ſhall take vntounto our ſelues ſuche maſterſhyp ouer hym? dooſt thou not manifeſtly ſee, how that all theſe moſte damnable opinions, aboliſhe and deface the lawe and worde of God, and conſequently God hym ſelfe, whiche can not be knowen for God without theſe thinges? For if theſe goodlye reaſons bee true, all theſe abſurdities, and blaſphemies do folowe, and a generall aboliſhyng of all true Religion, and a horrible confuſion of all thynges. For if thys foundation bee once layde, all difference betwene good and euill, betwene vertue and vice is cleane wiped away. There reſteth then no more, but eueryevery man to do what lyketh him, and ſo to gyue the head to all his affections, whiche is a more perillous matter, and much mo…e daungerous, then it is to let loſe all the wilde beaſtes of the worlde, to go at their owne will amonge men, as doth a wolfe loſe among ſhepe, in executyng his rage and cruelty agaynſt them.
¶ To vnderſtand vvhether God hauehave ordeyned ſondry Reliligions for men, and of the diuerſitie of mens lawes, accordyng to the diuerſitie of nations and countreis.
T. THere is nothyng more certayne, then that which thou ſayeſt, but could not God hauehave gyuen to men ſondry orders of lyfe, accordyng to the condition of eueryevery people & nation? For we ſee by experience that there are lawes and cuſtomes in one countrey, whiche are very mete for it, and yet for an other countrey, are neither meete nor agreable. For what diuerſitie of lawes, cuſtomes and maner of lyfe do we ſee among men, and chiefly in the adminiſtration of Iuſtice, and in their pollicie? whiche ſeeme in dede, to be very contrary the one to the other, & yet notwithſtandyng are both iuſt and rightous in their kinde, and very neceſſary to thoſe vntounto whom they be gyuen, wherof it foloweth, that a law beyng good and iuſte in one countrey, and not in an other, that the fault procedeth not of the law, but of the diuerſitie that is among men, and of the circūſtaunces of times, of places, and of perſonnes. And without alledgyng mens lawes, whiche do greatly differ, the one from the other: Let vsus come onelyonly to the law of God, and let vsus ſee if we finde not the lyke in them in ſome reſpects. How many commaū dementes did God gyue vntounto the Iewes, vntounto whiche he would not hauehave the other people to be ſubiect, which wer before the comming of Chriſt: nor yet vsus which hauehave receiued the word of God by their miniſtery? For how many things are there aboliſhed by the new Teſtament, whiche were very ſtraytly cōmaunded and obſerued in the old Teſtament, and could not be omitted, without greatly offendyng God, and without great puniſhement, of thoſe vntounto whome they were commaunded?
¶ Of the cauſes of the diuerſitie of the poſitiue lavves, and of the difference, that is betvvene thoſe lavves, vvhiche are gyuen as touchyng corporall thinges, and thoſe whiche do appertayne to ſpirituall thinges.
D. THere are many reaſons, to aunſwere this queſtion & difficultie. For the firſte, it is no meruell if there be great diuerſitie, yea and often tymes manifeſte contrarietie, and imperfection in mās law. For the men which make them, are changeable and inconſtaunt. And for ſo much as oftentymes they may fayle, either through ignoraunce, or els by being ruled by theyr affections, it is often tymes ſene that theyr latter lawes do correct theyr firſt. T. But often tymes it is ſene contrary, and that the latter ar worſe then the firſt, and that they do aboliſhe others, whiche are better then they are. D. So much the woorſe is it, but there may no ſuch thing be found in god. And beſide that we may not iudge of ſpirituall and heauenly thinges, as we do of corporall and earthly things. For we dayly ſee by experiēce, that there are many lawes in the policie, whiche if they were accepted generally in all countreys, were as vnmete & would as greatly hurte in ſome, as they do profite in others. And for this cauſe, God would not make ſubiect ye other nations, nor yet the Chriſtiās vntounto al thoſe lawes, which he did giuegive to the people of Iſraell, but hath left it to al mens choiſe, cō ditionally that this libertie be alwayes meaſured by the cō paſſe of his will, and eternall and vnchangeable law, wherof we will here after ſpeake. For theſe lawes hauehave regarde to our body and goodes, and to the cōſeruation of the ſocietie of man, in the which it can not be, but that there moſt be great diuerſitie, bycauſe they are made of diuerſe qualities, and are ſubiect to diuerſe chaunges, wherfore it is required that the law gyuer hauehave reſpect to the habilitie, commoditie or incommoditie, of thoſe people with whome he hath to do, & to ye tymes and places wherein he doth eſtabliſh them. But it is farre otherwiſe with the ſoule, & with thoſe things that properly appertayne vntounto the ſame. For it is not compounded of ſuch a ſubſtaunce, as is the body. And therfore is not ſubiect to ſuch chaunges and diuerſities, & the things that belonge vntounto her, are not for a tyme, but are eternall. And therfore, it muſt nedes be, that thoſe lawes whiche are gyuen vntounto the ſoule, muſt hauehave a further regarde, in that they muſt nedes be of a longer continuaunce.
¶ Of the agreement that is betvvene the poſitiue lawes, & the ceremonial lavves, and of the true vſage of them.
T. BUt God hath not onelyonly kepte thys order, in his ciuile lawes, but alſo in thoſe that he hath geuē for matters of Religion, whiche touche the ſoule. And beſide that, thoſe ſame Ciuile lawes, whiche he gaue, were they not geuen to helpe towarde the obſeruation, of thoſe whiche properly had regard to the ſoule. D. I denie not that which thou ſayeſt, but thou oughteſt to conſider, that this chaunge of lawes & ordinaūces, the whiche God hath vſed, euen in the very matter of Religion, doth not otherwiſe appertayne, but to the ceremonies, whiche are but outwarde thinges, and not at all, of the proper ſubſtaunce of the vnchaungeable wyll of God. And therefore the ceremoniall lawes hauehave a greate agreement, with the poſitiue lawes: for as the ciuil lawes are gyuen for conſeruation of the ciuill policie, and to helpe alſo to leade men to yelde that obedience vntounto God, whiche they owe vntounto him: euen in lyke ſort the ceremonial lawes do ſerue to entertayne the Eccleſiaſtique policie, & to frame men to the true ſeruice of God. But for that the meanes by the whiche this may be done, may be diuerſe, and that ſome of them may be mete for ſome tyme, in certayne places and for certayne people, whiche ſhoulde not be mete for others: God hath therfore left it at libertie, prouided that the rule which I touched before, be therin alway obſerued. For theſe thynges are in this reſpecte as thynges indifferent, and the chaunge that in them happeneth, doth not procede of God, ne yet of any inconſtancie y• is in his will, but of our weaknes and inconſtancie, ſauyng onelyonly that God of hys goodnes, doth willingly condiſcend to our rudeneſſe and capacitie. But there is an other reaſon in his wil which he hath declared to be eternall, and in the thinges that he hath once de clared to be for euer good or euill, and that depende of the ſame, and are not onelyonly as entries as are the ceremonies, for in ſuch matters he neuer changed any thing, nor neuer made law, by the whiche he allowed Idolatrie, blaſphemie, adultery, murder, & other lyke wickedneſſe, whiche he hath once forbidden by his law, whiche is nothyng els, but a teſtimonie of his eternall will, and of the naturall law, which is naturally imprinted in the hartes of men, by the whiche he hath put in them an impreſſion of his eternal will, which can neuer be cleane plucked out. But for ſo much as it was meruelouſly darckened by ſinne, and that it did remaine as ouerwhelmed and buried, and in maner in vsus cleane wipte out, it hath pleaſed God more playnly, to declare the ſame vntounto vsus, & to awake vsus, to the end we ſhould gyue the greater regarde vntounto it, and hath gyuen it vntounto vsus, as well by writting as by word of mouth, and doth put vsus oftentimes in mynde therof by the miniſterie of his worde.