Three Propositions, Title page – Dedication
¶Three Propoſitions or Speeches, which that excellent man M. Iohn Caluin, one of the Paſtors of the Church of God in Geneua had there.
To which alſo is added, an expoſition vponupon that parte of the Catechiſme, which is appointed for the three and fortieth Sunday in number.
Tranſlated into Engliſhe, by T. VV.
Imprinted at London for George Biſhop. 1580.
To the right worſhipfull, Syr Richard Knightley Knight, and the Right Honourable the Ladie Elizabeth his wyfe. T. W. wiſheth all growth in goodnes, with conſtancie and continuance in the truth of God for euer and euer, thorowe Chriſt our Lorde.
WHEN I (Ryght woorſhipfull and Honorable) enter into a deepe cōſideratiō, not onelyonly of myne owne particular grieuous offences, but alſo of the generall ſinnes & tranſgreſſions of the whole lande, continually committed againſt God and good men, I am wonderfully caſt downe in my ſelfe, and ouerwhelmed (as it were) with heauineſſe, for thoſe great iudgementes that by the reaſon of theſe our iniquities wee hauehave, as it were with gable ropes, pulled from God againſt our owne ſoules. But when I throughly weigh what ſlender meanes are vſed to bring men too God, and vnfeigned repentaunce, frō their former euill wayes (that ſo the plagues hanging ouer our heades, may be vtterly remooued from vsus and our countrey, or at the leaſt ſo leſſened, that we be not ſwalowed vp of the ſame) I am almoſt as a man altogeather paſt hope, that wee can bee ſet free or deliuered from thoſe iudgementes and puniſhmentes, which the Lorde by manyfeſt ſignes and tokens from heauen, and by continuall threatnings and outcries, of his faithfull miniſters, hath nowe a long time denoūced againſt this proud and thankleſſe generation. For what between idle and Idoll miniſters on the one ſide, & blind, wilfull, and ſuperſtitious people on the other ſide, iniquitie is grown to ſo great a height, that as men make little or no conſcience at all of committing ſinne, ſo they ſeeme to be ſunk deepe in their rebellion, and are growne as a man woulde ſay, ſenſeleſſe of their trāſgreſſions, inſomuch that men can hardly tell what to pronounce vnleſſe they ſhoulde ſay thus, that by our deedes wee alow that, which by woordes in popery, we doe iuſtly condemne, to wit, that blindneſſe and ignorance is the mother of deuotion.
Is it not both ſtraunge and pitifull, and yet in my perſwaſion, I take it to bee for the moſt parte very true, that after twenty yeeres publique preaching & profeſſing of the Goſpel vnderunder our gracious Soueraignes raigne, the people are verie litle, or no whit at all edified in the knowledge of fayth, & leſſe builded vp (if leſſe can bee) in the fruites of obedience and holy life? Not that I deny the Goſpell, to hauehave taken good roote in ſundrye mens hartes: but this I meane, that that number is very ſmal, yea euen as it were a cottage in a vineyarde, or lyke a Lodge in a Gardeyne of Cucumbers, or like a beſieged Citie.Iſaiah. 1.8. If any man would doubt of the trueth of this, the matter it ſelf is more manifeſt, than that it needeth to bee prooued: for if a man woulde but make his eyes and his eares, witneſſes (as it were) of this matter, howe can he pretend ignorance? Who paſſeth thorowe any place of the lande that beholdeth not, & heareth not, generally and in the greateſt number, peſtilent pride, miſchieuous murthers, wicked whoredomes, open othes, beaſtly blaſphemies againſt God, commō contempt of magiſtracie and all goodnes, beſides a thouſād ſuch like abominations? So that a man may perceiue not a window onelyonly, but a wyde wicket, or barne doore rather, ſet open to all maner of licentiouſnes and naughtie behauiour. And ſurely if theſe faultes were in the meaneſt onelyonly, they were very grieuous before God and man: but what are they then, when the handes of the greater mē be the chiefeſt in theſe iniquities? Be it farre from vsus to be Stoickes, who thought all ſinnes equall. Chriſtians ſhoulde know (and the rather becauſe the Lorde alſo hath reuealed the ſame in his worde) that ſome ſinnes bee more grieuous, than other ſome are in his ſight: yea that one and the ſelf ſame ſinne, is verie much aggrauated, & made more heynous, euē in reſpect of the circumſtaunces, as tyme, place, perſon, manner of doing, &c. And what I pray you is the cauſe, of this ſo great diſorder and licentiouſnes? Is not ignorāce and negligence in Prieſtes (as they call them) and people, the mother and nurſe of all theſe and ſuch like wickedneſſes? If wee might thorowe Gods eſpeciall bleſſing once hauehave the pointes and principles of Chriſtian religion, diligently and purely propounded, and the matter of maners, ſenſibly and ſincerely ſet foorth, and by the meanes of our Magiſtrates, Gods own diſcipline, for the better fructifiyng of his worde, allowed of and eſtabliſhed amongſt vsus, & our poſteritie, we ſhould, no doubt, ſee, not onelyonly theſe groſſe iniquities vtterly baniſhed, but alſo the very inticemēts & prouocatiōs to euil, quite and cleane remooued: but till then wee may not looke for any better fruites than theſe that we hauehave already reaped and rehearſed. True it is, that God can bring light out of darkneſſe, and make his glory ſhine forth in our ſhameful falles: but none ought therefore to louelove darkneſſe (nay wee muſte hauehave no fellowſhip with the vnfruitfull works of darknſſe,Epheſia. 5.11. but reprooue them rather) or delight in ſin,Heb. 3.13. but rather take heede that our heartes be not hardened through the deceitfulnes thereof. If any will offende that grace may aboūd,Rom. 6.1. Luke 12.47. their condemnatiō is iuſte: and he that knoweth his maiſters wil & doth it not, ſhall bee beaten with many ſtripes. He that cānot lie, hath ſpokē this, & therfore no reaſon at al why we ſhold doubt of it: and he that doth what pleſeth him both in heauen & in earth wil in time perfourme it (without ſpeed in an vnfeigned repentance) vppon vsus all both hygh and lowe, which alſo ſhould haſten our turning.Amos. 6.3. Wee ſee then that we hauehave no cauſe at al to dally and delaie, and to put the euill day farre from vsus, as the wicked do,Rom. 2.4. but rather while the Lord in long ſuffring forbeareth vsus, calling vsus to amendement by his fatherly viſitations, that euerie one of vsus ſhould in time thinke of and vſe, all the meanes of our earneſt and hartie conuerſion vntounto him,Hebr. 3.13. and while it is called to day, reuerently hearkē vntounto his voice, ſpeaking vntounto vsus out of his word, leaſt otherwiſe wee bee ſhut out of his heauenly reſt: for mine own parte (how vile ſo euer I bee) I may (I thanke my God for it) in ſinglenes of heart proteſt thus much, that it grieueth me to the heart, to ſee the great defectes and wantes, that I know in that behalfe: And that I hauehave ſome care (though not ſo great, as many other good brethrē hauehave, neither I able to doe ſo much as they) by trauaile in writings of mine owne, & tranſlating of other mens labours, to helpe forwarde, the increaſe of knowledge, iudgement, and practiſe, that ſo Gods glorie may be aduaunced, and his Churche furthered in the way of life and ſaluation. Amongeſt the teſtimonies whereof (beſides that which I hauehave alreadie publiſhed to the view of the godly) I would hauehave this my ſimple & ſmal tranſlation accompted alſo: wherein what I hauehave perfourmed, though I my ſelfe would ſay nothing, yet other men might both iudge and report, ſpecially if they were able and woulde conferre it, with the French copie. This they ſhall aſſuredly finde, that where as fewe or almoſt no places of ſcripture were quoated therein, I hauehave added a great number, ſetting beſides in the margēt ſome ſhortnotes which do ſerue, both for the clearyng of ſome darke places, and alſo comprehend the ſumme (as it were) of the whole matter. All that I hauehave done whatſoeuer it be, I offer vntounto you (right worſhipful & Honorable) & in you, to the whole church of God in this lād, beſeeching the Lord in mercy to remoue all my ſinnes, and ſo to make it profitable both to you and all thoſe, into whoſe handes it ſhall come. The conſiderations inducing me, to offer it vntounto you, are indeed particular, as firſt to teſtifie the vnfeigned good will, which I beare towards you in Chriſt, in whome (to bee ſhort) I hauehave a mynde chearefully to trauayle, what in melyeth, and by al the meanes that poſſibly I can, to builde you vp in ſincere knowledge, ſound zeale, and carefull obedience of Gods bleſſed trueth, though the meanes and abilitie that I hauehave to performe the ſame be very ſmall and ſlender.
Secondly to ſet out my duetifull thankfulneſſe, for ſundry kindneſſes and good turnes receiued from you, which I confeſſe to be more than I am able to requite the leaſt part, leauing the full recompence thereof too the Lorde (who hath faithfully promiſed in his woord and therefore will aſſuredly perform it, plētifully to reward it, euē in this life, if he ſee it ſo good, but ſpeciallly in the reſurrectiō of the righteous) and yet thinking it meete and cōuenient to ſhew my ſelf at the leaſt thankful in words, by ſuch weake preſentes as I am able to yelde.2. Cor. 8.12. Wherein I take this to be no ſmall comfort vntounto mee, that I deale with them in whome I am perſuaded, this part of Gods image amongeſt the reſt, ſhineth foorth very clearely: to witte, that you accept of mee, and the thinges that come from me, according to that I hauehave, and not according to that I hauehave not. But the cauſes which hauehave led mee to publiſh the ſame for the benefite and behoofe of Gods Sainctes are as generall, ſo many, but chiefly three. Firſt, that thereby I myght giuegive ſome light of knowledge, to the poore ignorant people of our land, who knowe not, (becauſe I feare mee they hauehave ſeldome or neuer hearde the ſame) ſundrie excellent points of doctrine here propounded, and namely theſe great articles of our religion, to wit, the vnitie of the Godhed, & the trinitie of the perſons: the inſeparable vniting of the two natures in the perſō of our ſauiour Chriſt, from the tyme of his conception in the wombe of his mother: his offices, of kingdome, Prieſthoode and propheſie: Gods euerlaſting election, and his free iuſtification of vsus in Chriſt, with ſuch lyke. If any man thinke theſe pointes ouer hygh for our rude people (as I knowe there are ſome men otherwiſe greatly to be reuerenced, which ſtand muche vppon that) I would wiſh them to conſider not onelyonly this, that the Lorde hath reuealed theſe pointes in his word, to the ende that they ſhould be taught vntounto the people, but alſo to weigh howe that without the ſound knowledge therof, it is impoſſible for men euer to attain ſaluation. So that they which ſtande ſo nicely vponupon theſe matters, doe not onelyonly bewray, great, either ignorance, if they can not preache them, or vnfaithfulnes, if they doe not vtter them,Acts. 20.27. becauſe they keepe backe ſome part of the moſt neceſſary pointes of Gods counſell, but alſo teſtifie what little hunger and thirſt they hauehave, for the ſaluation of their brethren, who ought to bee as deare vntounto them as them ſelues.Iohn. 17.3. Doth not Chriſt him ſelfe ſay, that this is lyfe eternall, that men knowe God to bee the onelyonly very God, and him whom he hath ſent Ieſus Chriſt? And doeth not Paul pray,Epheſ. 3.18. that the Epheſians may knowe, the breadth, length, depth and height, that is all perfection if it were poſſible? Oh but it is not yet tyme to propounde them, ſay they.Hebr. 5.12. Surely then I know not whē it wilbe tyme. I feare me, leaſt that may be iuſtly verified in vsus, which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of the Iews, that whereas in reſpecte of time we ought to hauehave been teachers to others, yet wee hauehave neede, againe to hauehave the firſt principles of the woorde of God laide amongſt vsus, and are become ſuch as hauehave need of milke, and not of ſtrong meate. Is it not a ſhame to be children alwayes? and are not thoſe nurſes much to be blamed, that either cā not or will not in xx. yeeres ſpace teach their chyldren to ſpeake readily, and to goe ſtrongly? Would to God wee might once ſet aſide the doctrine of the beginning of Chriſte,Heb. 6.1. and be leade forwarde to perfection. And yet in all this I alowe not of their curioſitie, that with vnwaſhen handes, and voide of reuerence (to the end they may be thought profounde, and deepe in iudgement amongeſt men) wil enter into vaine ſpeculations concerning theſe & ſome other points of which ſorte are the Popiſhe Schoole Doctours, yea and many amongſt vsus that to much do tread in their ſteppes. There is a meane (if we coulde ſee it, and GOD woulde geue vsus grace to embrace and vſe the ſame) betweene fantaſticall curioſitie, and beaſtly blindneſſe. It behooueth all, but ſpecially thoſe that profeſſe godlines, as on the one ſide to know & proue, what that good acceptable & perfect will of God is,Rom. 12.2.3 ſo to take heede on the other ſide, that they preſume not to vnderſtand aboue that which is meete to vnderunder ſtand, but that they vnderſtand according to ſobrietie, and as GOD hath dealt to eueryevery man the meaſure of ſaith: and ſeeing ſecreate things belōg to the Lord our God to leaue thē to him alone,Deut. 29, 29. leaſt otherwiſe entering into the curious ſearching of them out, we be ouer whelmed of his glory: and again ſeeing that the things reuealed belong to vsus, and to our children for euer, in care and conſcience to labour all the dayes of our life to a diligent perfourmāce of the ſame, rather then to entangle our ſelues with fables, genealogies and friuolous queſtions, which breede contētions and brawlinges, rather than godly edifiyng,1. Tim. 1.4. which is by faith.
Secondly, that by this meanes I might ſtopp (if it were poſſible) the mouthes of brawling and contentious Papiſtes, who ſtande very muche vponupon that Fable of Peters being at Rome (the principall bullwarke of the Popes ſupremacie) and that ſame diueliſhe doctrine of mens merites, tendyng to the great diſhonour of almighty God and the woonderful diſgrace of our ſauiour Chriſtes obedience both whiche and ſundry other pointes in controuerſie betwixt vsus and the… … theſe ſpeaches large… … …ficientlie handl… … is behalfe of …, who either … enough alredy … theſe pointes: or elſe woulde … them through forgetfulneſſe too die out of theyr remembraunce: For the firſt ſort, may eaſily be confuted, by the pitifull practiſe & lamētable experience, that the Lord hath ſhewed vsus, & daily doth ſhew vsus to the contrary: a better proof we cannot hauehave in my poore opinion, than that accurſed rebellion in the North, Cutbert Maines practiſes in the weſt, the cōtinual ſending ouer of Buls and Bables, beſides a woonderfull number not onelyonly of old ſubtil foxes and cruel wolues, which lie lurking in their holes, waiting for the darke night of ignoraunce and blindnes, wher in they may rauine to the ful, as heretofore they hauehave done, but of young cubbes alſo, ſundry of them little aboue twentie yeeres olde (a woefull thing to behold) who are not aſhamed, priuately in corners, and openly in great aſſemblies (as …r maieſties Commiſſioners for ca… Eccleſiaſtical, I am ſure can well reporte) boldly too ſpeake for, and ſtifly to defend after their beaſtly maner, ſundrie points and principles of that popiſhe religion. And as for the other who woulde hauehave Poperie weare away, without naming of it, I ſaye that they offende doubly: firſt in that they fight directly againſt nature. For let a man ſow what good and wholeſome ſeedes hee can in his garden, and hauehave not a care for the cleane keeping thereof, as that it may be throughly weeded, whē the time and ſeaſon requireth, no doubt, but that (as experience alſo teacheth vsus) it wyll in ſhorte tyme be cleane ouergrowne, & become (as we ſay) a Wilderneſſe or Forreſt, if not altogeather paſt hope of recouery, yet dangerous and chargeable to attempt the redreſſe thereof.
Secondly in that they doe not enter into a deepe conſideration, of the corruption of mans nature, and Satans cunning in this ſubtill ſhift.Iohn 3.19.20. That man is inclined to louelove darkeneſſe, and to hate the light,Gen. 6.5. Gen. 8.21. yea that he deuiſeth & doth all the meanes wherby he may continue therein, is more plaine then needeth to ſtande vppon, becauſe that al the thoughts and motions of his hart are euill, and that eueryevery day, yea eueryevery houre of a day, and euerye moment of an houre, from his youth vpwarde. And what Satā meaneth hereby, they that are acquainted with the depth of his aſſaultes, may eaſily perceiue, to wit, ſtill to keepe mē in the poſſeſſiō of their old Idolatrie and ſuperſtition. This rather reſteth in my iudgement carefully to be forſeene vntounto, and diligently to be performed, that is, that as the doctrine of trueth, ſhoulde bee more often ſounded into the eares and heartes of the poore ignorant people, and that Romiſhe religion ſoundly & with autority confuted by the Miniſters and preachers of the woorde: ſo all the Magiſtrates, are humbly and earneſtly to bee intreated, and that on Gods behalfe and the peoples, to drawe out the ſwoorde of iuſtice, and execute the ſame vppon the diſobedient rebellious, and obſtinate ſort: which if it might bee, yet now at the length practiſed, no doubt but it woulde ſomwhat delay the heate of theſe luſty bloodes (as you would ſay) that ſpare not to broch and ſpreade abroade deceaueable errors (which the auncient among them, ſuppoſed great clarkes and gray headed men, dare not openly and in plaine termes aduouch for feare of ſome puniſhment) and bewray the hardhartedneſſe, cankred malice, and curſed hypocriſie, of that horned generatiō, who then, either for feare of due puniſhement, would renounce their religion, though it were but diſſemblingly, or elſe declare their want of wit, and wilfulneſſe, in yeelding theyr bodies a ſacrifice to Satan, as Story, Felton, Maine and ſome other hauehave doone,
The third & laſt reaſon is, that I might in Chriſt comfort ſome, whō I know to be ſore preſſed & beaten downe, with the fearefull feeling of the weight, of their own greeuous iniquities & transgreſſions, and ſo in charitie reache out my hande, to helpe them what in me lyeth, out of the clawes and clouches of ſinne and Satan. It is very true that the Authour doeth not of purpoſe handle in theſe diſcourſes, that moſt ſweete pointe: and yet notwithſtanding, ſhall the afflicted conſcience finde herein, many notable ſentences tēding to that ende, which if they bee well weighed, & rightly applied to the ſoule, will no doubt be both comfortable and profitable too them: cōfortable, in that they will ſerue to raiſe them vp in ſpirituall ioye, and aſſured hope, of the free pardō and full forgiuenes of all theyr ſinnes, thorow Chriſtes death and bleſſed obedience: and profitable in this, that they ſhal inſtruct them to walke, with greater care & conſcience of perfourmaunce, both of generall & ſpeciall dueties, before God and their brethren, than heretofore they hauehave done. Nowe becauſe this number is very ſmal (for Satan and ſinne hold the moſt part of men Captiues in ſenſeleſnes of their euill) I thinke it good in this place to adde this warnyng: that my meanyng is not heereby to worke careleſnes, in the harts and heads of any whatſoeuer diſſolute perſōs, (who I know are ouer readie, to ſnatch that to them ſelues, which doeth not belong vntounto thē, and vnderunder that pretence to abuſe Gods goodnes,Iude. 4. and to turne his grace into wantonnes:) but to miniſter comforte of conſcience rather, to thoſe that are caſt downe, with the true taſte and feelyng of their filthineſſe, and the wrath of God agaynſt them for the ſame: whoſe caſe though for a whyle it be miſerable in reſpect of thēſelues, and lamentable and pitiful to thē, that are truly touched with Chriſtian charitie, and vnfeigned good will in the Lord towardes them, yet is the ſtate of it ſelfe profitable, becauſe that thereby, as it were, by a bridle, the Lorde withholdeth his from running ryote, with the reſt of the world, and ſhalbe in the ende (aſſuredly) comfortable, becauſe that being exerciſed in that ſchoolehouſe of God, and feelyng the ioy and comfort of him, that is the father of mercyes, and the God of all comfort,2. Cor. 1.3.… they ſhall bee able, not onelyonly to comfort them ſelues, but to comfort others alſo which are in any afflictiō, by that comforte, wherewith they them ſelues are comforted of hym.
So that, ſo farre of ſhould we bee, from diſliking either in our ſelues or others, this feeling eſtate of our owne wretchednes and miſerie, that wee ſhould rather eſteeme of it, as one of the ſpecialleſt bleſſings that can come vntounto vsus in this lyfe: as whereby indeed Gods glorie is greatly magnified, his mercy merueilouſly manifeſted, wee oure ſelues rightly inſtructed, in care & conſcience to walke before him, and others which are afflicted, in vsus & by vsus Chriſtianlie comforted thorow Chriſt. But touchyng this point, and the particular conſolations, that God hath left vsus in his worde, to cheare vsus vp, when we ſhalbe ſo caſt downe, I ſhal ſay more hereafter God willing, in a ſeuerall treatie that I hauehave begun (if the Lorde ſtrengthen me to finiſh it) of that queſtion and argument. In the mean while, I beſeech all Gods children, and amongeſt the reſt, you (Right woorſhipfull and Honorable) as moſt deare vntounto me, to accept of that louingly, which I hauehave preſētly don & publiſhed vnderunder your names, whatſoeuer it be: Wherof, this is all that I minde to ſay at this tyme, that as the Authors worthie name & iuſt credite, can not but commend the matter: So theſe fewe lines that I hauehave writtē (as my bodely weaknes, & inwarde grieues would ſuffer mee) touchyng ſome pointes (wherein I might hauehave bene long and large I confeſſe) will bee ſufficient I hope, to ſtirre vp the Chriſtian Reader, the better to louelove and lyke, and the more willingly and diligently to read and peruſe, this presēt treatiſe, that ſo he may profite in ſound knowledge and bleſſed obedienee: which if it ſhall pleaſe God in mercy to graunt, I ſhall hauehave that which I greatly deſire, and ſo ſhall thinke my poore paines well beſtowed, beſides all that, I ſhalbe thereby incouraged, to goe forwarde with ſome other work (as occaſion ſhal ſerue, & the Lord ſhal inable me) either of this excellent mans, or mine own. The god of al grace bleſſe you both, & al yours, with the whole houſhold of faith whereſoeuer, making vsus al thorow the ſingle ſight, of our ſpiritual & bodily wāts whatſoeuer, in aſſured perſuaſiō to repaire vntounto him, who hath a plētiful ſupply for all diſtreſſes, that ſo we may in the end truely magnifie, the riche grace and mercy of this our good God in Chriſt. So be it. At London, the 20. day of this December. 1579.
Your Worſhips & Honors alwayes readie and humble. T. W. The Lords moſt vnworthie.