A Confutation of Standishs Treatise, Confutation · Protestation (2 of 3)

A Confutation of Standishs Treatise · Confutation · Protestation (2 of 3)

Is it not an vngodly thinge then / ſo to wreſt and wringe the ſcripture violently? The euerliuinge and mercifull god amende it.A thinge to be wiſſhed. It were greatly to be wiſſhed / that like as the Kynge of the Niniuites receauinge gods worde / made a proclamacion for all his ſubiectes to faſt and praie / ther were euen ſuch reſtraintes made likewiſe in eueryevery countre / that noman ſhulde wreſt the ſcripture of god / ner alledge anie thing ther of / which may not iuſtly be gathered by the wordes of the holy gooſt / that is / that no man ſhulde belie the text.

Standiſh.

This ſatiſfaction Paul ſpeaketh of Rom. xij. Obſecro vos / et cet.

Couerdale.

I beſech you brethren (ſaieth the Apoſtle) for the mercy of god / that ye will geue ouer your bodies / The text Roma. xij.to be a liuing / holy / and acceptable ſacrifice to god / which is your reaſonable ſeruinge of god. And faſhion not your ſelues like vntounto this worlde / but be chaunged thorow the renewinge of your minde. Theſe are. S. Pauls wordes / which as ye partly hide from the vnlerned / ſo cut ye them very ſhort / leſt (I feare) yf we heard out. S. Pauls minde / we ſhulde vnderſtond him the better.

S. Pauls doctrine is / that we muſt mortifie oure bodies / but to what intent? To make any ſuch ſatiſfaction as ye wolde proue? Naie / ſo ſaieth not the texte / but to the intent that we maie ſerue god / as we ſhuld / ſerue him / to forſake vanite / and to be altred frō an euel minde to a good.

Euen ſo like wiſe ſaieth the other text (which I muſt Engliſh for you) in the ſixte to the Romaines / The text Rom. vj.Like as ye hauehave in times paſt geuen ouer youre membres to ſerue ſinne from one wickedneſſe to another / ſo muſt ye now geue ouer youre membres / to ſerue righteouſneſſe / that ye maie be holy. That ye maie be holy (ſaieth he) and ſpeaketh of no ſuch ſatiſfaction as ye inuente.

Standiſh.

Yf I do not thus ſatiſfie / then I ſhall hauehave the rewarde and paine belonging to ſinne / et cet.

Couerdale.

To the intent that ye maye ſpie the better in what caſe ye ſtand by your awne wordes (I praie god ye maie loke to your ſelfe by times as a Chriſten man ſhulde) I will make you an argument or two out of the ſcripture.

To deliuer from eternall death / is to ſatiſfie for the paine due vntounto ſinne.Maior. Minor. Concluſio.

But Chriſt onelyonly deliuereth frō eternall death.

Ergo Chriſt onelyonly ſatiſfieth for the payne due vntounto ſinne.

The maior is manifeſte by. S. Paul (whom ye youre ſelfe alledge) ſaienge / Roma. vj.The rewarde of ſinne is death / euen eternall death / by youre owne confeſſion. The minor is proued by the Prophet and by the Apoſtle.Oſe. xiij. Heb. ij. Of theſe two premiſſes gather you the concluſion.

Another argument.

Maior.By what one ſo euer we are deliuered from the wrath of god (both paſt and for to come) by the ſame is made ſufficient ſatiſfactiō for the paine due vntounto oure ſynne.

Minor.But Chriſt onelyonly deliuereth us from the wrath of god both paſt and for to come.

Concluſio.Ergo he onelyonly ſatiſfieth for the paine due vntounto our ſinne.

Rom. ij.The Maior is manifeſt / for the payne due vntounto ſinne is the wrath and indignacion of god.

The Minor is euident by the Apoſtle / firſt that we are deliuered onelyonly by Chriſt frō the wrath of god paſt / Ephe. ij Rom. v. Col. j. Rom. v.j. Teſſa. j.Rom 5for he hath made the peace betwene his heauenly father and us / and by him is the father reconciled. Secondly / that we are deliuered by him from the wrath to come / it is cleare / Rom. v. and j. Teſſa. j. By theſe two premiſſes maie you gather the concluſion.

Maior.Now to youre wordes.

To ſatiſfie for the payne due vntounto ſinne / is the onelyonly office of Chriſt.

Mnior.But ye take vponupon you to ſatiſfie for the payne due vntounto ſinne.

Concluſio.Ergo ye take vponupon you the office of Chriſt.

The Maior is proued by the ſcriptures alledged afore in the two firſt argumentes.

The minor is gathered of your owne playne wordes.

Of theſe two foloweth the concluſion.

Then thus.

Ye ſaie / that yf ye do not thus ſatiſfie / ye ſhall hauehave eternall death.Maior. Minor. Concluſio.

But ſo ye can not do / for it is the onelyonly office of Chriſt / Ergo ye ſhall hauehave eternall death.

Beholde now / what a daungerous caſe ye be in by your awne wordes. Alas man / that euer ye ſhulde be ſo blind / as to ſit thus in iudgment / and to geue ſentence agaynſt youre owne ſoule / that Chriſt hath ſhed his bloude for / yf ye cōforme your ſelfe to be partaker therof. Who wolde not note me to be fiue mile fro my right witte / yf I ſhulde make ſuch an argument / and ſaie thus /

Yf I be not Chriſt the ſonne of god / I ſhall hauehave eternall death and damnacion.

But ſo it is / that I am not Chriſt.

Ergo / et cete.

Yf I ſhulde thus beleue / and affirme this Maior / wolde not ye abhorre me? Turne therfore / turne (for gods ſake) in to youre owne conſcience / and rebuke it erneſtly betwene god and you / for ſuffring either your hand to write / or youre mouth to ſpeake anie ſuch inconuenience.

Standiſh.

And now of this ſatiſfaction finally to conclude / yf there were nede of no ſatiſfaction / after by repentaunce we be come in to the fauoure agayne with god / why then did Chriſt ſaie / Luke. vij. to them that louelove much many ſinnes are forgeuē / and to them that louelove litle fewer ſinnes are forgeuen?

Couerdale.

Youre opinion vponupon that place of the goſpell / doth utterly deſtroie the parable of the lender and two detters / The place Luc. vij.yee and Simōs anſwere / which oure ſauioure Chriſt aloweth. For Simon ſaieth / that to whom moſt is forgeuen / the ſame loueth moſt. And againe / our ſauioure ſayeth. VntoUnto whom leſſe is forgeuen / the ſame loueth leſſe / By the which two ſentences eueryevery man maie eaſely perceaue / that the text ſpeaketh of no ſuch ſatiſfactiō as ye ymagin.

But I hauehave ſpied you now at the laſt. O very cruell enemies to gods holy worde / how falſely hauehave ye peruerted and turned oure ſauiours wordes / to mainteine youre hereſie withall? Can not Chriſtes wordes ſtand in the goſpell for you / as he ſpake them / and as the Euangeliſt wrote thē / but ye muſt teach him how he ſhulde ſaie?Standiſh maketh a new texte. Doth he ſaie in that place / To them that louelove much / many ſinnes are forgeuē / and to them that louelove litle / fewer ſinnes are forgeuen? Naie verely / theſe are his wordes / Many ſynnes are forgeuen her / for ſhe hath loued much. But vntounto whom leſſe is forgeuen / the ſame loueth leſſe. Will ye ſtill then take vponupon you to controlle the holy gooſt? Well / beware / that this your iugling come not to light. Beware (I ſaie) that the breth of god blow not downe youre houſe / for a rotten foundacion can not ſtand long. Take hede by times / and ſaie ye be warned.

Standiſh.

This ſayenge can not be concernynge culpam / et cet.

Couerdale.

Oure ſauiour ſpeaketh of ſinnes / and of forgeuing the ſinnes / And yet are ye not aſhamed to affirme / that his ſaieng can not be concerning the faulte but concerning the puniſhment.Standiſh wold make Chriſt a liar. Can not Chriſt ſpeake a thinge / and meane the ſame? Can he not be true in his wordes? O blaphemers of the ſonne of god / Yee and of that bleſſed woman Mary Magdalene / which muſt nedes be yet in hir olde faultes and a ſinner ſtill / yf he meant not as he ſaide / yf his ſaienge were not concerning the fault / whan he ſpake theſe wordes / Many ſinnes are forgeuen her / et cet.

Standiſhe.

Wherby we ſe / that poſt remiſſam culpam / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Ye hauehave here to fore called this ſatiſfactiō / the workes of pennaunce / Somtyme.and now ſaie ye (but in latyn) that there remaineth ſomtyme a dutye of puniſhment to be pourged (or reconciled) with a worthy ſatiſfaction. Which yf it be a worke of pennaunce / what time can ye aſſigne me / in the which I am not boūd to be exerciſed in ſome frute therof? And now come ye in with ſomtime.

Agayne / Ye ſaide afore / that the ſatiſfaction muſt be acording to the qualite of the offence / and now ye ſaie / that the puniſhment due vntounto ſinne muſt be pourged with a worthy ſatiſfactiō.An vnworthy qualite. Now is it manifeſt / that vnworthineſſe is a qualite of eueryevery offence (for all faultes are vnworthy thinges) wherfore by youre awne confeſſion it foloweth / that the paine due vntounto the ſame / muſt be ſatiſfied with an vnworthy ſatiſfaction. And verely ſo I take it / for vnworthy is it / what ſo euer a man of his owne braine inuenteth without ſome ſure ground of gods worde.

Standiſhe

And this is ſignified by that of the Prophet Ioel / et cet.

Couerdale.

The wordes of the Prophet (though ye choppe them very ſhort) are theſe / Now therfore ſaieth the lorde / The text. Iohel. ij.Be ye turned vntounto me in your whole hert in faſting / weping and mourning. And rent your hertes and not your clothes / and be ye turned to the lorde your god / for he is gracious and pitefull / long ſuffringe and of great mercy / and will be intreated as touchinge ſinne / et cet. Doth this text now ſignifie / that after the fault is forgeuē / there remaineth ſomtyme a duetie of puniſhment to be pourged with a worthy ſatiſfaction? Is this your iudgment in ſcripture? O ſhameles beliers of the open and manifeſt text.

Standiſh.

Now yf you ſaie Eſay (Cap. liij) ſaieth / our ſauyoure bare oure ſinnes on him / et cete.

Couerdale.

Of a trueth (ſaieth the Prophet) he hath taken awaie oure ſorowes / The text Eſaie. liij.and he himſelfe hath borne oure paines / et cet. The correction of oure attonement was laied vponupon him / et cet. Theſe are the wordes of Eſaie / which as they are manifeſt and plaine / ſo do not you truly rehearce them as they ſtand / and yet can ye not denie / but that yf we conforme oure ſelues vntounto Chriſt / then hath he ſatiſfied for us mooſt abundauntly. To what poynt now hauehave ye brought your former doctryne of ſatiſfaction? Verely euen to this poynt / that Chriſt hath taken awaye their ſorowes and paynes (yee and borne the correction of their attonement) which conforme them ſelues vntounto him.

For all this your confeſſion / yet denie ye the trueth agayne / and ſaye / that he deliuered us not from all payne ſatiſfactory. Now ſaieth the Prophet / that he toke away our ſorowes and paynes. What payne ſatiſfactory then is there / that he hath not deliuered us from? Yf it be oure payne / then (ſaieth Eſay) Chriſt hath borne it. But peraduenture ye do meane ſome payne of your owne. Ye ſeme to be yet dreaming of your painfull purgatory / for yf ye conformed youre ſelfe to Chriſt and to his doctryne / ye ſhulde be perſuaded and certified in your conſcience (euen by the ſame chapter of Eſay) that Chriſt hath aſwell ſatiſfied his heauenly father for the paine due vntounto your ſinne / as for your ſinne itſelfe.

Standiſhe.

For yf he had ſo done / we ſhuld nether mourne / et cete.

Couerdale.

Ye ſaie / that yf Chriſt had deliuered us from all paine ſatiſfactory / we ſhulde nether mourne ner be penitent for oure offence committed againſt god / An heynous hereſie.ner we nede not to mortifie our fleſhe. O damnable hereſie. And are ye one of the authours therof? Are ye one of the deſtroiers of pennaunce / of conuerting to god and of mortifienge the fleſh? But as touchinge ſuch another like vngodly conſequent / I hauehave talked ſomwhat with you afore. All the worlde therfore ſhall knowe / that ye are the teachers of ſuch peſtilēt doctrine / and not we.

Behold now how vnſure ye are of your ſelfe. Ye ſaie / that yf Chriſt had deliuered us from all paine ſatiſfactory / we ſhulde nether mourne ner be penitent for our ſinne / ner mortifie oure fleſh. And yet ye confeſſed afore / that thorow Chriſt we auoide and eſcape eternall death / which likewiſe (by your owne confeſſion) is the paine due vntounto ſinne. How ſtond your wordes now tegether?

Where as ye condemne your owne peruerſe doctrine by the ſixte chapter to the Romaynes / it were ſufficient to deliuer you from ſuſpicion / yf ye did bide therby. But that do ye recante / and fall to youre vomite againe / ſaienge /

Standiſhe.

But we ſhulde with their fleſhly libertie hauehave a ioyfull pennaunce full of myrth.

Couerdale.

Your doctrine is / that yf Chriſt had taken awaie the paine due vntounto your ſinne / ye ſhuld not repent for your ſinnes / but folowe / your owne fleſhly libertie / et ce. Wher by ye declare your ſelf to be ſtill of that rotten opinion / which ye defended afore.

Now where as ye reporte of us / that oure pennaunce is with a fleſhly libertie / I anſwere / Euē as by your former wordes ye proue your ſelf to be one of their nombre / which ſaie (Let us do euell / Roma. iij. Rom. vj.that good maie come therof. Let us continue in ſinne / that there maie be abundaunce of grace. Let us ſinne / becauſe we are not vnderunder the lawe / but vnderunder grace) Euen ſo Iſaie / do ye declare your ſelfe to be one of them that ſpeake euell of us / and reporte us to be the affirmers of youre wicked wordes. As though we were they that exhorted men to a fleſhly libertye / or not to lyue in vertue and good works. Now god is the tru iudge / Pſal. v. Deute. xxxij. Roma. xij.Ps 5who as he abhorreth all liers / euen ſo referre I all vengeaunce to him / for it is his office by right. But in the meane ſeaſon (till all falſhode be diſcloiſed) oure erneſt watching and labourynge for youre ſaluacion / the poore life which we leade in this world / and the frutes of oure good wil that grow in youre owne gardens (for all youre wedes) ſhall teſtifie ſomwhat with us alſo agaynſt your euell tonges. And god which is able to reſtore the blind to their ſight / ſhall lende men eyes to ſe / and vnderſtonding to diſcerne / whether the doctryne and open worde of god which we teach / wold hauehave men to liue after ther awne luſtes / Or whether your doctrine (which is of mens inuenting) be not rather cauſe of all wickedneſſe / robbing men of their wittes / and makynge them to renne at riote from gods word / from his ordinaunce / from his commaundementes / from his promiſes / and from the moſt vertuous enſamples of gods children.

Now as touchinge oure pennaunce / Ye wold make the worlde beleue / that whan we ſpeake therof / we meane ſome moris daunce / ſome ſuch delicate bancketting as is among the vngodly / ſome vnlaufull chambringe / ſome ſuch exceſſe of eatinge and drynkynge / as (god amende it) is comonly vſed in the world. Againe / your doctrine is / that repentaunce ſhulde be without ioye. And oure beleue is / that yf the holy gooſt and the true faith of Chriſt go together / then like as repentaunce proceadeth of faith / Gal. v.Gal 5ſo is the ioye of Chriſten men a frute of the holy gooſt / as the Apoſtle ſaieth. Thus alſo to be mery and ioyfull / are we taught by the ſcripture Hiere. ix.j. Cor. j.ij. Cor. xj. Rom. v.viij. Math. v. Luce. x. Shall we thē be ſory / becauſe god hath done ſo much for us? For oure ſinnes and treſpaces we wilbe ſory and mourne / though whan we faſt / Ioel. ij. Eſa. lviij. Math. vj.iij. Re. xviij Math. vj. Eſa. j. Eccl. v.Eccl 5we rent not oure garmentes / ner put on ſackcloth / nether diſfigure oure faces to be ſene of men / though whan we praye vntounto god / we pricke not our ſelues with botkens / ner make to much babling of wordes. Such flinges / ſuch morris dauncis / ſuch wanton geſtures / ſuch light myrth we make not / for our ioye and gladneſſe is inward / cōceaued in our breſtes / whan we fele the ineſtimable mercy and louelove of god therin / yee euē whan we are put to trouble and aduerſite.

Another ioye hauehave we alſo / and the ſame is likewiſe a frute of our repentaunce / appoynted in ſcripture / as whan we ioye with them that ioye / Rom. xij.whan we are glad of our neghbours welfare / glad and cherfull to do him good / ij. Cor. ix. Rom. xij.glad to geue him lodginge / et cet. Wherfore to call ſuch frutes of repentaunce / any light or wanton myrth / ye are to blame / and of a wanton iudgment.

Standiſhe.

As theſe new felowes wold hauehave pennaunce to be / et cet.

Couerdale.

To be called new felowes of your mouth / we do not greatly force. But firſt where as ye ieaſt vponupon us for caſting our ſin̄es and care on Chriſt / and for reioyſing that he hath taken thē on him / ye ſhew your ſelf not onelyonly ignoraūt in this ſpirituall cauſe of Chriſtes faith / but alſo blaſphemous both agaynſt him and his. I praie you / who hath ſo broad a back or ſo mete to beare the ſinnes of penitentes / as Chriſt hath? Hath not his heauenly father laied our ſinnes vponupon him / as ye your ſelf hauehave confeſſed out of Eſaie? And doth he not ſaie vntounto us himſelf / Eſaie. liij. Math. xj.Come to me all ye that laboure and are laden / and I ſhall refreſhe you? Is not he the lambe of god that taketh awaie the ſinnes of the world?Ioh. j.j. Ioh. j. And doth not his bloude clenſe us from all ſinne?

Secondly / where as ye blame us for caſtinge oure care vponupon Chriſt / we do not greatly paſſe vponupon it (though we lament your blindneſſe) for we hauehave gods worde on oure ſide / Pſal. liiij. Matth. vj. Luc. xij.yee not onelyonly his cōmaundement and precepte / but alſo his promes / that (ſo doinge) he will noriſhe us / and not ſuffre us to lacke. Neuertheles in caſtinge oure care vponupon god / we robbe not oure body of his dewtie / but ſet the handes to laboure / the fete to go / the mouth to ſpeake / and eueryevery membre to worke in his callinge / Deute. vj.leſt we tempte god / contrary to his commaundement.

Standiſh.

This pennaunce Peter dyd not take.

Couerdale.

What / will ye belie. S. Peter? Dyd not he caſte his ſinnes vponupon Chriſt? Saieth he not planely / j. Pet. ij.that Chriſt himſelfe bare our ſinnes on his body vponupon the tre / to the intent that we might be delyuered from ſinne / and liue vntounto righteouſneſſe?

Or dyd not holy. S.j. Pet. v. Peter caſt his care vponupon Chriſt? Why biddeth he us then to caſt all oure care vponupon him / addyng alſo / that he careth for us?

Agayne / Doth not. S.j. Pet. iiij. Peter alſo bid us reioyce / in aſmoch as we are partakers of Chriſtes paſſions? et cet. Or thinke ye that he did not as he taught? Was he not one of thoſe diſciples / Iohn. xx.John 20which were glad whan they ſawe / that their lorde was aliue? Why are ye not aſhamed thē / to belie him? Fye / fye / take better hede to your wordes another tyme.

Standiſhe.

But his pennaunce was mournfull.

Couerdale.

Though he mourned and wepte bitterly / whan he had denied oure ſauioure (as eueryevery true penitent doth) yet proueth not this the contrary / but that in conſideracion of the goodneſſe of Chriſt / he alſo reioyſed / as appeareth by his owne wordes afore.

Standiſh.

Theirs glad and iocunde / et cetera.

Couerdale.

So glad are not we in our pennaunce / but we maie fynd cauſe ynough of ſorineſſe / though we cō ſidred nothinge els / ſaue the blind vnderſtonding that is in you. Ye ſaie / that we thincke iuſtificacion to be without worckes of pennaunce. But like as ye are to malaperte to entre in to mens thoughtes / So am I glad that ye can not reporte / that we ſhulde preach / teach / talke or wryte / that we wolde hauehave iuſtificacion to be without workes of pennaunce folowinge.We hauehave ſufficient teſtimonie of this For oure bokes / oure papyre / our pennes / our handes / oure whole conuerſacion (though we hauehave our faultes aſwell as other men) yee and the mouthes of them that know us / can teſtifie / that we are of a contrary opinion.

Standiſh.

Yf you ſaie / remiſſion of ſinne is frely forgeuen in baptyme / therfore we nede nomore pennaunce / et cet.

Couerdale.

I wondre in whoſe name ye make that obiection. Yf ye know anie man to affirme / teach or write / that we nede nomore pennaunce / becauſe ſynne is frely forgeuen in baptyme / he ought to hauehave an open rebuke. Howbeit the ſame is like vntounto your owne doctrine where ye ſaie / that yf Chriſt had taken awaie the paine due vntounto your ſinne / ye ſhulde not repent / but folow your carnall libertye.

Note this well.Now to your ſatiſfaction / ye ſaie here / that it ſpringeth out of the thirde kynde of pennaunce / and afore in the eight leafe of your treatiſe / to proue it ſtrongly / ye bring in. S. Iohn. baptiſtes wordes / which ye ioyne now to the firſt kynde of pennaunce. Is it not now ſtrongly proued? Are ye not very ſure now of the doctrine that ye teach?

Agayne / To proue / that by the ſecond kynde of pennaunce godly men are pourged from ſuch ſinnes / without which a man can not here lyue / ye alledge the firſt chapter of the firſt Epiſtle of Ihon / who in the ſame place ſaieth theſe wordes / Yf we ſaie that we hauehave felaſhippe with god / and yet walke in darkneſſe / we lie / The place j. Iohn. j.and do not the trueth. But yf we walke in light / euen as he is in lighte / then hauehave we falaſhippe together / and the bloude of Ieſus Chriſt his ſonne clenſeth us from all ſinne. This ſcripture now maketh clerely agaynſt you / and proueth your opinion to be falſe / for Chriſtes bloude clenſeth us from all ſinne (none excepte) ſo long as we walke in his light / and not in darkneſſe. Why aſcribe ye then the purgacion of mens ſinnes to anie kynde of pennaunce / ſeyng Chriſtes bloude hath and muſt hauehave the honoure therof?

Ye alledge here ſondry places of ſcripture / the circūſtaunces wherof doth utterly diſaproue your doctrine / as planely apeareth to him that conferreth the ſame to the open wordes of the text / which I hartely require all indifferent readers to do.

The place of Ezechiel is manifeſt / Ezech. xviij.that god will nomore thinke vponupon their ſynnes / that truly repent and turne from them. The place of Eſaye ſheweth / Eſaie. lv.Isa 55that god will hauehave mercy on ſuch penitentes. The place of Hieremy is plaine / that yf people conuerte from their wickedneſſe / Hiere. xviij. Sap. xj.god will nomore plage them therfore. The xj. chapter of wiſdome declareth euidently / that the puniſmentes which happened to the Egipcians / were ſent thorow the indignacion of god / and that the trouble / nourture / and correction which the Iſraelites had / came of his fatherly mercy. The cxliiij. Pſalme witneſſeth / Pſal. cxliiij.that the lord is gracious and mercifull / long ſuffringe / of great goodneſſe / louing to eueryevery man / et cet / lifteth vp all them that are caſt downe / and is nie to all ſuch as faithfully call vponupon him.Math. xviij The xviij of Matthew is euidēt / hat who ſo euer conuerteth from his ſinne / all mightie god will not that he ſhall periſhe. Item that like as all true penitent ſinners hauehave their det frely forgeuen them / ſo ſhall they be partakers of the ſame forgeueneſſe ſtill / yf they will hartely do vntounto other / as they are dealt withall them ſelues. Theſe places of ſcripture (though ye tell not forth the wordes) are of your owne alledging / and yet are ye not aſhamed to write (yee euen of penitentes) that none of their ſinnes ſhalbe vnpuniſhed. Now is it manifeſt in the ſaid chapter of Ezechiel / Ezech. xviij.that like as god will not rewarde their good dedes that forſake him / and turne awaye agayne to their vomite of wickedneſſe / So will he not thincke vponupon their ſinnes that truly conuerte therfrom vntounto him. Yet call ye them happie that puniſhe them ſelues / and take vponupon them to be ſatiſfactours in that behalfe. As though it were a bleſſed thinge for men to laie croſſes vponupon their owne backes.iij. reg. xviij. Eſa. lviij. Eſaie. iij. Thus by your iudgment were Baals preſtes happie / and the ypocrites that the Prophet Eſaie ſpeaketh of. O diſceatfull teachers. Full well might the Prophet ſaie vntounto gods people of England in this behalfe / O my people / popule mens Oui te beatū dicunt / et cet.they that call the happie / do but diſceaue the / and marre the waie that thou ſhuldeſt go in.

Now let us heare more of. D. Barnes wordes.

Barnes.

ANd that no worke of man dyd deſerue any thing of god / but onelyonly his paſſion / as touching our iuſtificacion.

Standiſhe.

This maner of iuſtificacion planely appeareth to be falſe / euen by that one place (yf we had no mo) of Cornelius Acto. x. et cet.

Couerdale.

The wordes of the text are theſe / The text Acto. x.There was at Ceſarea a man named Cornelius / a captayne of the Italianiſh company / a deuoute man / and one that feared god with all his houſe / and gaue much allmes to the people / and praied god alwaie.

The text ſaieth in ordre / firſt / that Cornelius was a deuoute man and feared god with all his houſe / and then ſpeaketh it of his good workes / as allmes / praier / et cet. Wherby it is manifeſt / that he himſelf was firſt accepted of god and iuſtified / for (as. S. Peter ſaieth afterward in the ſame chapter) god hath no reſpecte of perſonnes / but (in all people) he that feareth him / and worketh righteouſneſſe / is accepted vntounto him. And (as the Prophet ſaieth) The ſtraungers / Eſa. lvj.gentiles or Heithen which cleue vntounto the lorde / in worſhippinge him and louing his name / are accepted vntounto him / as his owne ſeruauntes. Againe / The ſcripture ſaieth / Eccle. ij. Heb. xj. Rom. xiiij.They that feare the lord / geue credence to his worde. And without faith it is not poſſible to pleaſe god / Item / what ſo euer is not of faith / is ſinne. By this is it manifeſt / that thoſe good workes of Cornelius were frutes of his faith and of the feare of god / and he iuſtified afore he dyd them. Ye confeſſed alſo afore / that faſtinge / prayer and allmes dedes / are the frutes of pennaunce / then muſt ye nedes graunt that the tre was afore them.Diuerſite.

This text then proueth not / that oure iuſtificacion (deſerued onelyonly by the death of Chriſt) is a falſe iuſtificacion / ner that Cornelius workes deſerued much of allmightie god afore he was iuſtified. For (as I ſhall rehearce afterwarde) ye confeſſe your ſelfe / not onelyonly that we are iuſtified frely / Diuerſite.but alſo that god firſt geueth us grace / without which we can do nothing that is good.

Standiſh.

As did the worke of Kyng Ezechie. iiij. Re. xx. et cet.

Couerdale.

Your purpoſe is by the enſample of Ezechias / to proue / that oure workes deſerue much of allmightie god / afore we be iuſtified. And that worke of Ezechias which ye alledge / was done long after his iuſtificaciō. For the texte ſaieth / that whan he laie ſore ſicke / the Prophet Eſay came to him / and tolde him the meſſage of god / iiij. Reg. xx.And that he thē made his feruēt praier and wepte. After the which god ſent him word / that he had heard his praier and ſene his teares / et cet. And afore in the ſame boke / it is euident / iiij. Re. xviijthat the ſame Kyng Ezechias dyd the thing that was good in the ſight of the lorde / acording as his father Dauid had done / put his truſt in the lorde god of Iſrael / et cet. cleued vntounto the lord / went not out of his pathes / but dyd acording to all the preceptes that god had commaunded Moſes / and therfore (ſaieth the texte) was the lorde with him in all that he toke in hand.

Wherfore by the circumſtaunce of the text it is manifeſt / that Ezechias was iuſtified afore he laie ſicke / and that his praier was a worthy frute of his repētaunce long after he was iuſtified / and no worke that deſerued anye thing afore his iuſtificacion. Nether dyd his praier ner the work of the Niniuites chaunge the ſentence of god / Heb. vj. Iacob. j.for god is nether chaungeable ner double in his wordes. But like as (afore the Niniuites beleued in him) he firſt ſent his word / and thretened them / Ionas. iij.that yf they wold not conuerte / their citie ſhulde be deſtroyed after fortye daies / Euen ſo whan Ezechias was fallen in to ſinne / ij. Par. xxxij.god threatened him / that yf he wold not repent / he ſhuld dye. And like as god (whan we receaue his worde erneſtly / beleue ſtedfaſtly in him / and bring forth good workes) doth accepte us / Ionas. iij.as he dyd the Niniuites. Euen ſo though we hauehave fallen from the profeſſiō of our faith / yet yf we now do erneſtly repent and conuerte / he is mercifull and true to forgeue us oure ſinnes / iiij. Reg. xx.and to graunt us oure peticion after the enſample of. Ezechias. At whom like as all kynges and princes maie take inſtructiō of good gouernaunce / Euen ſo in him hauehave all other ſinners (that hauehave broken their couenaunt with god) a very notable enſample of true repentaunce.

But how rimeth the enſample ether of Ezechias or of the Niniuites / for the probacion of youre purpoſe? Dyd either Ezechias after he was fallen in to ſinne / or the Niniuites (afore they beleued) deſerue any thinge of god? Or doth anie of both theſe enſamples proue / that oure iuſtificacion (deſerued onelyonly by the death of Chriſt) is a falſe iuſtificacion?

Afore in the tenth leafe of your treatiſe / ye alledge the enſample of the Niniuites / to proue / that after the ſinne is forgeuen / Diuerſite.we muſt make ſatiſfaction vntounto god for the paine due ther vntounto. And now bring ye the ſame in / to proue / that our workes maie deſerue much of allmightie god / afore we be iuſtified. Yf this be not a mockyng with gods worde / let them iudge that are lerned therin.

Standiſh.

Scripture is full of ſuch enſamples / et cete.

Couerdale.

Scripture is full of enſamples / bot to bring us vntounto the faith of Chriſt / and alſo to make us ryſe vp by true repentaunce / whan we are fallen from the ſame. But in all the ſcripture finde ye no enſample / that teacheth you to call oure iuſtificaciō (deſerued onelyonly by the death of Chriſt) a falſe iuſtificacion / or to affirme / that we maye deſerue much of allmightie god afore we b…tified. And yet wold ye faine proue the ſame / yee euen by the enſamples of thoſe that were iuſtified afore.

Standiſh.

Notwithſtanding I am not ignoraunt of the ordre of oure iuſtificacion / et cet.

Couerdale.

Are ye not ignoraunt what ordre god taketh in iuſtifieng his people / and will yet teach the contrary? The more ſhame for you. Now maie eueryevery man (that noteth your former doctrine) perceaue euidently / that ye are a wilfull teacher agaynſt the ordre / of oure iuſtificaciō. For yf god firſt of his mercy onelyonly geueth us grace without which we can do no good thing / then teach ye contrary to this ordre / whan ye ſaie / that mens workes deſerue much of allmighte god afore then be iuſtified. Thus doth your awne doctrine proue you not onelyonly to be contrary to your ſelfe / but alſo a wilfull breaker of godly ordre.

Standiſhe.

Ille prior dilerit nos. j. Iohn. iiij. non dilectus dilerit / et cet.

Couerdale.

Here in this place of your treatiſe ye make alōg proceſſe in latyn / which as it is fōdly printed / and patched of you with litle morſels of ſcripture / ſo do the ſame make clearly againſt your purpoſe.

j. Iohn. iiij Roma. vYe graunt / that god firſt loued us / afore we loued him. And that Chriſt died for us / whan we were yet sin̄ers / Which yf it be true / then is it manifeſt that god firſt forgaue us for Chriſtes ſake. Yf he firſt forgaue us / then is your doctrine falſe / whan ye call it againſt the ordre of our ſauiours praier / that we muſt be forgeuen of god afore we can forgeue / And that oure iuſtificacion (deſerued onelyonly by the death of Chriſt) is a falſe iuſtificacion / ſeing ye confeſſe alſo / that the mercy of god goeth both before and behinde us / and that we are frely iuſtified.

Where as ye graunt alſo that thorow faith we opteine the grace of god / how agreeth that with your former doctryne agaynſt the iuſtificacion of faith? Yee euen the ſame third chapter to the Romaines (that ye here alledge) is againſt you / Roma. iijfor S. Pauls wordes are theſe / The righteouſneſſe of god commeth by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt / vntounto all and vponupon all them that beleue / et cet. Item. Frely are they iuſtified euen by his grace / thorow the redempcion that is in Chriſt Ieſu / whom god hath ſet forth to be the merciſeate thorow faith in his bloude / et cet.

Barnes.

FOr I knowlege / the beſt worke that euer I did / is vnpure and vnperfecte.

Standiſh.

Takyng this ſaieng as it is Iob. xxv. et cet.

Couerdale.

Take. D. Barnes wordes none otherwiſe then he ſpake them / and let them be tried by the ſame place of ſcripture that ye alledge / where Baldad the Suhite ſaieth thus / Iob. xxvJob 25Maie a man compared to god / be iuſtified? Or can he that is borne of a woman / apeare cleane? Beholde / the mone is not cleare / and the ſtarres are not cleane in his ſight. How much more man / which is corrupcion / and the ſon̄e of man / a worme? And in the ix chapter ſaieth Iob himſelfe planely / God is he / Iob. ixJob 9whoſe wrathe no man maie reſiſte / and vnderunder whom are ſubdued the proude of the worlde. Who am I then to anſwere him / or to talke with him in my wordes? Yee and though I hauehave anie righteous thing / I will not anſwere / but make mine humble ſupplicaciō to my iudge / et cet. Yf equite of iudgmēt be required / no man darre beare recorde on my ſide. Yf I will iuſtifie miſelfe / myne owne mouth ſhall condemne me. Yf I will ſhew my ſelfe innocent / he ſhall declare me to be naught.

Do not theſe ſcriptures proue now / that in cō ſideracion of gods iudgment / all mens workes are vnpure and vnperfecte?

Standiſh.

Vnde Eſay. lxiiij. omnes nos immundi et qua ſi pannus menſtruate / but thus to his purpos it can not be taken / et cet.

Couerdale.

What meane ye man / ſo peruerſly to handle with the deed?. D. Barnes confeſſed (as appeareth by his wordes) that the beſt workes which were done by him vpō erth / in this corrupte body / were not ſo purely and perfectly done / as the equite of gods lawe requireth / and therfore (as appeareth afterward) in cōſideraciō therof / he made his praier with the Prophet / Pſal. cxlij. Pſal. cxxix.Ps 29ſaieng / Lord entre not with me in to iudgment. Yf thou lord wilt ſtrately marke our iniquities / lord who will abyde it? Notwithſtonding though his wordes be manifeſt / yet ye ſaie / not onelyonly that it can not be taken to his purpoſe (as Eſay wrote in that chapter) but alſo vponupon the ſame ye gather an intent (for ye are good at that / ye are well ſkylled in iudging mens intentes and thoughtes) that he ſhuld meane / all good workes are naught / and that it is ſinne to obeye the voyce of god / which your collectiō is clene contrary to. D. Barnes wordes.

And yf we conferre them to that place of Eſaie whom you alledge / this matter ſhalbe the more manifeſt. The wordes of the Prophet are theſe / Eſa. lxiiij.All we are become as an vncleane man / and all oure rigyteouſneſſes are as a clothe ſtayned with the floures of a woman. This text as it maketh clerely for. D. Barnes purpoſe againſt youre ſelfe / euen ſo in alledging of it / hauehave ye miniſhed it / and left out of it thoſe wordes that make mooſt agaynſt you. But the abbot of lies and father of falſhode (euen the deuell) taught you that leſſon / as I told you afore out of the fourth of Mathew / becauſe ye plaie ſuch another parte with a text of. S. Paul. j. Cor. xj.

In your latyn ye reade the text thus / All we are vncleane / and as a cloth ſtained with the floures of a woman.Standiſh doth myniſh the text. So that ye leaue out (All oure righteouſneſſes) Now yf the text maie ſtand ſtill for you / as the holy gooſt left it / that all oure righteouſneſſes and beſt workes are vncleane and not without ſome blemiſhe / then happlie will you hauehave litle thanke / not onelyonly for holding agaynſt it / but alſo for miniſhing the text.

As touching the Germaines (to whom ye impute erroure in this behalfe) Their doctrine is / that whan the ſeruaūtes of god hauehave done all that is commaunded them / Luc. xvij.they muſt knowlege themſelues to be vnprofitable / to hauehave occaſion continually to crie vntounto god and to ſaie / Matth. vj. Luc. xj.O forgeue us oure treſpaces / to knowlege / that in their fleſh dwelleth no good thing / ye and to confeſſe / Roma. vij.that though they delite in the lawe of god after the inwarde man / yet ther is another lawe in their membres / which ſtriueth againſt the lawe of their minde / and taketh them preſoners in the lawe of ſinne / which is in their membres / iij. Re. v…ij ij. Par. vj Iob. vijThat ther is no man but he ſinneth / That the whole life vponupon erth is a very battaill / where the fleſh luſteth agaynſt the ſprete / and the ſprete againſt the fleſh / ſo that Chriſten men can not bring eueryevery thinge to ſuch a perfection / Gal. v.Gal 5as they faine wolde.

This is now the doctrine of the Germaynes / and thus taught alſo.The ſcripture and. S. Auſten mainteine the Germaines doctrine. S. Auguſtine writyng de verbis domini ſecundum Iohannem / ſermo xliij. where he ſaieth theſe wordes / We can not do that we wold / why ſo? For we wold that ther were no concupiſcences / but we can not hauehave our will. For whether we will or no / we hauehave them / whether we will or no / they tickle / they flatre / they pricke / they vexe / they will vp / they are kepte downe / but not yet utterly extyncte / aſ long as the fleſh luſteth agaynſt the ſprete / and the ſprete agaynſt the fleſh. The ſame affirmeth he in the ſixtenth ſermon de verbis Apoſtoli. And in the xlix chapter de diffinitionibus orthodoxe fidei / he ſaieth after this maner / And therfore all holy men do truly in pronouncyng them ſelues ſinners / for of a trueth they hauehave wherof to complayne / and though not thorow any reprofe of conſcience / yet thorow the frayltie / et cet.

Such doctryne now (though it be approued both by the holy ſcripture and by. S Auguſtine) yet becauſe the Germaynes teach it / it muſt nedes be condemned of you for an erroure. I wondre ye condemne them not alſo for holding ſo litle of the popes church / of his pardons / of his purgatory / for puttynge downe his religions / his chauntrees / his ſoule maſſes / and diriges / his trentals / Ther Germaynes clenſe their church from the Papiſtrie.pilgrameges / ſtacions / et cet. For miniſtring the ſacramentes in their mother tong / for ſetting their preſtes dailie to preach the onelyonly worde of god / for bringing in no new cuſtomes in to the church / for auoyding whordome and ſecrete abhominacion from among their clergy as well as from other / for bringing vp their youth ſo well in the doctrine of god / in the knowlege of tonges / in other good lettres and honeſt occupacions / for prouidinge ſo richely for their poore / nedie / fatherleſſe and aged people / et cet.

Now to your enſample of Abraham / which obeyed the voyce of god / Doth it proue that his obedience was ſo perfecte / as the equite of gods iuſtice required? Or that his owne wordes were falſe / whan he ſaide vntounto god / Gen. xviijI am but duſt and aſſhes?

Standiſh.

Alſo it is ſaid. Iob primo / In omnibus his non peccauit Iob.

Couerdale.

The later parte of the text (which declareth the whole meanyng therof) leaue ye quite out. The wordes of the ſcripture are theſe / The place Iob. jIn all theſe dyd not Iob ſin̄e / ner ſpake any fooliſh thinge agaynſt god.The place …o…. … Now is it manifeſt by the ſame chapter / that whan the ſcripture hath tolde of the great aduerſite that Iob had in the loſſe of his goodes and children / it maketh mencion alſo of his notable pacience / and then concludeth the chapter with thoſe wordes. The on parte wherof like as ye leaue out / and tell the other in latyn from the vnlerned / ſo make ye of a particular an vniuerſall / aſthough Iob might not offende in other thinges / though he grudged not here agaynſt god. For manifeſt is it / that he did afterwarde curſe the daie of his byrth / as the thirde chapter declareth.Ioh. …ij Now becauſe Iob was pacient in his firſt aduerſite and blaſphemed not god / doth that proue it an errour to holde with him whan he ſaieth / Yf equite of iudgment be required / no man darre beare recorde on my ſide? Yf I will iuſtifie miſelfe or ſhew miſelfe innocent / mine owne mouth ſhall condemne me?…

Standiſhe.

And. S. Peter. ij. Pet. j. after he hath recyted certaine vertues / et cet.

Couerdale.

S. Peter afore thoſe wordes / ſpeakynge of the ſame vertues / ſaieth thus / Yf theſe thinges be preſent and plentifull in you / they ſhall not let you be ydle ner vnfrutefull in the knowlege of oure lorde Ieſus Chriſt. Let one place of ſcripture now opē and expounde another.

Standiſhe.

Furthermore a ſtrong argument to proue it / maie be this. Omnis qui in deo manet / nō peccat. j. Ioh. iij. Sed qui manet in charitate / in deo manet. j. Ioh. iiij / ergo qui manet in charitate nō peccat / et cet.

Couerdale.

To your argumēt I anſwer / j. Ioh. iij.Like as it is true whan the ſcripture ſaieth / they that are borne of god ſinne not (partly becauſe god hath couered their ſinne / and imputeth it not vntounto thē / and part / Roma. iiijly becauſe they are at the ſtaues end with ſinne / and delite not in it but kepe them ſelues from ſin̄e / Roma. vij Gala. v j. Ioh. j.Gal 5as. S. Iohn ſaieth in the ſame fifth chapter) So is it true alſo / that yf we ſaie we hauehave no ſinne / we diſceaue our ſelues / and the trueth is not in us / as holy. S. Iohn ſaieth. In the declaracion of the which words. S. Auguſtine noteth hereſie in the Pelagians and Celeſtines / for affirminge / that the righteous hauehave utterly no ſinne in this life. Take you hede therfore / that ye ſmel not of the Pelagians panne / for it ſtinketh afarre of.

Standiſh.

As Dauid ſpeakyng in the perſonne of eueryevery good man / ſaid he did / ſeruaui mandata tua domine / Pſal. cxviij.

Couerdale.

He ſaieth alſo a litle after in the ſame Pſalme vntounto god / The place of the pſalme cxviijI hauehave gone aſtraie like a ſhepe that is loſt / O ſeke thou thy ſeruaunt. The circūſtaunce alſo declareth / that it is not onelyonly a Pſalme of conſolaciō / of doctrine and of thankeſgeuing / but alſo an erneſt praier of one that is very feruēt in gods cauſe and in the defence of his word. So that like as ſomtyme he mourneth and wepeth to ſe the actes and ſtatutes of god deſpiſed / Euen ſo cōplayneth he ſore vntounto god / of them that manteyne anye doctrine contrary to his worde. Thus in reſpect of them he darre boldly ſaie / that he kepeth gods cō maundementes / and no mens doctrynes / for he abhorreth all the falſe lerning of ypocrites / But in conſideracion of his owne infirmite / he ſaieth to god oft times in this Pſalme / O teach me thy ſtatutes / geue me vnderſtonding / that I maie lerne thy ſtatutes / ſaue me / helpe me / deliuer me / et cete. Like as in another Pſalme (where he confeſſeth to hauehave kepte the waies of the lord) he ſaieth a litle after in the ſame Pſalme / Pſal. xvijO my god / geue thou light vntounto my darkneſſe.

Standiſh.

Acording to goddes ſayeng to Ieroboam. ijj. Reg. xiiij.

Couerdale.

Though god couered Dauids ſynnes / and imputed them not vntounto him / yet made he his confeſſion vntounto god (while he was in this body) and ſaid / Yf you lord wilt ſtrately marke iniquities / Pſal. cxxix Pſal. cxlijPs 29lorde who ſhall abide it? Lord entre not in to iudgment with thy ſeruaunt / et cet.

Standiſh.

And alſo as it maie be proued / by this that god cōmaundeth us nothinge vnpoſſible for us to do.

Couerdale.

One falſe opinion wold ye proue by another / and by this preſent article (like as by the other afore) ye declare your ſelfe to be a very Pelagian / and partaker of their hereſie / cōfuted by. S. Auguſtine / in the ſixtenth chapter of his boke de libero arbitrio / and in moo other places.

Standiſhe.

But he ſaieth not onelyonly Matth. xix. ſi vis ad vitam / et cet.

Couerdale.

Your argument is this. God that commaunded us to kepe his lawe / ergo it is not vnpoſſible for us ſo to do.The place Math. xix:Matt 19 But whether your cōſequent will be alowed in the checker or no / we ſhall ſe by our Sauiours owne words. Who whan he had ſaid to the yong man (yf thou wilt entre in to life / kepe the commaundementes) and tolde his diſciples how hard it is for the couetous to entre in to heauen / They aſked him and ſaid / Who can thē be ſaued? Then anſwered he them / ſaieng / With men it is vnpoſſible / but with god are all thinges poſſible. Downe then goeth the Pelagians hereſie / and litle thanke are ye like to hauehave / for holdinge with it.

Yf he aſke / Obiection.Why then doth god cōmaunde us to decline from euell and to do good / yf it be not in our power? To the ſame obiectiō doth. S. Auguſtine make a ſufficiēt anſwere in the ſecōde chapter de correptione et gracia / Anſwere.and not onelyonly refelleth it by. S.P. words (ſaiēg / Philip. ijIt is god which worketh in you both the wil and the dede) but alſo putteth us in minde / Rom. viijthat yf we be the children of god / we are led by gods ſprete to do good / that whan we hauehave done anie good thinge / we maie geue thankes to him of whom we are led / et cet. And in another place / De lib. arb. cap. xvjTherfore doth he commaunde certaine thinges that we can not do / becauſe we might knowe what thinge we ought to aſke of him. The ſame doctrine teacheth he alſo in the lxiij ſermō de tempore.Rom. vij. This is confirmed by holy ſcripture / for by the lawe commeth the knowlege of ſinne / So that euen they which are renewed in Chriſt / fynd by the lawe / that whan they wold faine do good / (for therin is their delite) euell is preſent with them.

The wordes of oure Sauioure (yf ye louelove me / kepe my commaundementes) proue nomore your purpoſe / then your wreſting of them proueth you to be a true ſcolar of his. For after thoſe wordes he himſelf ſaieth thus / I am the waie / the trueth and life.Ioh. xiiij. No man commeth to the father / but by me. Naie (ſaieth your doctrine) we maie come to god by oure ſelues / he commaundeth us nothing vnpoſſible for us to do. Now let me aſke you this queſtion / Yf Chriſt whan he ſaide theſe wordes (Yf ye louelove me / kepe / my commaundementes) did meane / that it is not vnpoſſible for us ſo to do / why then immediatly after the ſame wordes / doth he promes us the ſprete of conforte? What nede hauehave we of him / yf we be not comfortles of oure ſelues / or yf nothing that he commaunded us / be vnpoſſible for us to do? What nede hauehave the whole of a phiſician? And. S.S. Auguſtine de uerbis Apoſtoli. Auguſtine writing agaynſt them that extolle their owne poſſibilite in the ſeconde ſermon de uerbis Apoſtoli / ſaieth / Let us be glad to be healed whyle we are here in this church / Let us not make oure boaſt of health beinge yet ſicke / leſt by oure pride we do nothing els / but make oure ſelues incurable.

Standiſhe.

Which to the louers of thē be but light. Math. xj.j. Ioh. v / and Deut. xxx.

Couerdale.

Ergo god cōmaunded us nothinge vnpoſſible for us to do? Is that your conſequent? Full faintly are ye able to proue it by thoſe thre chapters that ye do alledge. Firſt / in the xj of Matth.Math. xj doth our Sauioure bid all them that are laden / et cet. to come to him. And yet ſaieth he in another place / that no man can come vntounto him / Ioh. vjexcepte his father draw him. Where is now oure poſſibilite?

That fifth chapter of. S.j. Ioh. vJohn 5 Iohns firſt Epiſtle ſheweth / that they which are borne of god / do ouer come the worlde by the victory of faith. Now like as we begat not our ſelues in the Kyndome of god / Iaco. jbut he himſelfe of his owne good will begat us with the worde of life / So is it manifeſt alſo that true faith is the onelyonly workyng of god / Ephe. ijand not oures. Where is then (I ſaie) our poſſibilite? forſoith euen fled into the yle of weakneſſe.

Yf by the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomiō ye will proue / that god hath commaunded us nothing vnpoſſible for us to do / becauſe Moſes ſaieth / This precepte that I commaunde the this daie / is not aboue the ner farre from the / et cete. Then muſt I require you to take the anſwere of S. Paul / who ſaieth / that it is the righteouſneſſe of faith which ſpeaketh thoſe wordes / and that the worde which Moſes there ſpake of / Roma. xis the worde of faith / that Paul himſelf preached.

Yf ye thinke there to proue your purpoſe / becauſe Moſes laieth before the people / life and death / good and euel / bleſſinge and curſinge / and biddeth them choſe life / et ce. Then muſt I deſire you / not onelyonly to remembre the office of the lawe / wherfore it was geuen / and wher to it ſerueth / But alſo to conſidre / that in the begynnyng of the ſame thirtieth chapter / Moſes himſelf ſaieth theſe wordes / Deute. xxxThe lorde thy god ſhall circumciſe thine hert / and the hert of thy poſterite / that thou mayeſt louelove the lorde thy god with all thy hert / and in all thy ſoule / et cet. Wherby it is euident / that excepte god circūciſe our hertes / we are not able to louelove him / ner to kepe his cōmaundementes / So that theſe wordes of Moſes do proue rather impoſſibilite in us.Roma. ij For the circūciſion of the hert (ſaieth the Apoſtle) is the true circumciſion / which is done in the ſprete and not in the lettre / whoſe prayſe is not of men / but of god.

All theſe thre chapters now proue / that like as to be ſaued / to kepe gods cōmaundementes / to hauehave circūciſed hartes / and to ouercome the world with the luſtes therof / is the onelyonly workyng of god in us / j. Ioh▪ vJohn 5Euen ſo to them that louelove god are his cōmaundementes not greuous (not thorow anye poſſibilite of man) but partly becauſe Chriſt hath takē awaie the curſe of the lawe and deliuered thē frō the heuy burthens of their ſoules / Gala. iij Math. xj.and partly becauſe they delite in gods cōmaundementes / Pſal. cxviijand eſteme his word ſweter then hony / as Dauid did. For louelove maketh all thinges light.

Standiſh.

Therfore I conclude / in all our workynge we do not cōmitte ſinne.

Couerdale.

Of an euell Maior and Minor foloweth a weake concluſiō. Ye hauehave wrung and wreſted the ſcriptures violently / to make them ſerue for your purpoſe / and now without anie ſcripture make ye youre concluſion / that in all youre workyng ye do not committe ſinne. To the probacion wherof (becauſe ye bring no ſcripture your ſelfe) I will helpe you with a text / where the ſcripture ſaieth thus There is no righteous man vponupon erth / Eccle. vijthat doth good / and ſinneth not. Yf ye be a man (I wil not reaſon much with you of righteouſneſſe / for I am a ſinfull man miſelfe) then muſt ye nedes graunt this ſcripture to be true. Yf ye be no man / then am I ſory that I hauehave diſputed with you ſo long / for angels hauehave no nede of my wordes / and as for deuels / they will not be counſailed.

Standiſh.

No ner our dedes and actes which be good can not be called ſo / et cet.

Couerdale.

Of. D. Barnes ſecrete intent and meaning will not I preſume to be iudge / but what maye be gathered by the circumſtaunce of his wordes / I hauehave reaſoned with you allready.

Now becauſe ye can not proue this laſt parte of youre concluſiō by ſcripture (namely that your good dedes and actes are not vnpure ner vnperfecte in this life) therfore the Prophet Eſaie to recompence you the wrong that ye dyd him / in miniſhing his wordes afore / will yet take the paines for you to proue your purpoſe (though it be litle to your minde) Whan he ſaieth / All we are become as an vncleane man / Eſaie. lxiiijand all oure righteouſneſſes are as a clothe ſtained with the floures of a woman.Prouer. xxProv 20 And the wiſe man ſaieth alſo? Who maie ſaie / My hert is cleane / I am pure from ſinne?

Barnes.

ANd with this he caſt abrode his handes / and deſyred god to forgeue him his treſpas.

Standiſhe.

Extra eccleſiam nulla ſalus / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Without the church (ye ſaie) is no ſaluacion / Now is it manifeſt / that beſide the church made of lime and ſtone / ther is alſo a congregacion church and multitude of frowarde and wicked doers / which not onelyonly gather them ſelues together like roaringe lyons / fatt bulles / wanton calues and curre dogges agaynſt Chriſt (as the xxj Pſalme complaineth) but alſo make lawes / cōſtitucions / ſtatutes / ordinaunces and tradicions agaynſt gods worde / Wherby it commeth to pas / that though they boaſt neuer ſo much of gods ſeruice / Eſa. xxix Math. xvIsa 29Matt 15yet all is to them in vaine / as the Prophet and Chriſt himſelfe doth teſtifie.

Another church is there / which is the holy ſpouſe / congregacion and company of them / that are of the felaſhippe and communion of Chriſt / j. Ioh. j.and walke not in darknes / but in the trueth / hauing al their ſinnes clenſed by his bloude.Acto. ij. This church continueth in the Apoſtles doctryne / renneth not out from the heauenly felaſhippe of Chriſt and his membres / diſtributeth the ſacramentes duely and truly / ceaſſeth not frō praieng and well doinge / et ce. are of one minde and ſoule / Acto. iiijare glad to helpe one another / as it is manifeſt in the actes and Epiſtles of the Apoſtles. The men of this church praie in all places / liftinge vp pure handes / et cet.j. Timo. iij Matth. vij Luc. xj. Math. xviij Luc. xxiiij In this church whoſoeuer aſketh / hath / he that ſeketh / findeth / and to him that knocketh / doth god open. In this church is fre pardon and remiſſion of ſinnes for all true penitentes. For god will not the death of ſinners / Iohn. xx Ezech. xviij Math. xj. Iohn. vj.John 20but yf they cōuerte vntounto him / they ſhall liue / and who ſo is laden with ſinne and commeth vntounto Chriſt / findeth reſt and eaſe in his ſoule / and ſhall not be caſt out.

Foraſmuch then as ye condemne. D. Barnes thus doinge (and iudge him to be none of the church / that deſireth god to forgeue him his treſpace) it is euident / that in your church ther is no forgeuenes for poore ſinners / and ſo is it not the church of Chriſt. Wherfore / ſeinge ye diſcente frō Chriſtes church / where the dore is euer opened to them that knocke / youre owne ſentence condēneth you / Luc. xxiijthat ye can truſt to hauehave no ſaluaciō by gods promes.

But alas / what blindneſſe is in you? Though a ſinner doth erre or hath erred from the right faith and from the true vſe of the holy ſacramentes that be in the church of Chriſt / and now commeth to repentaunce / deſiringe god to forgeue him his treſpace / Is not this a damnable doctrine to teach / that he can not truſt to hauehave ſaluaciō by gods promes? No? hath god promiſed / that ſin̄ers which repēt / ſhal not be ſaued? The thefe that hanged on the right hand of Chriſt / hath proued the cōtrary.

Agayne / Yf a ſin̄er maie not truſt to hauehave ſaluacion by gods promes / wherby thē maie he truſt to hauehave it? By himſelfe? by his owne workes? Or by youre merites? Euen by your merites (as it apeareth) wolde ye hauehave him truſt to hauehave ſaluacion / for ye muſt nedes be full of merites / that in all your workyng committe no ſinne / as ye ſaye your ſelfe.

Morouer / the tenoure of your wordes ſeparateth the mercy of god from his promes / as though they cōcurred not together. But I pray you who can truſt to hauehave ſaluacion by gods promes / and truſteth not in his mercy? Whan the Apoſtle ſaieth / Galat.God gaue the enheritaunce vntounto Abraham frely by promes / was it not done by his mercy? And whan he ſaieth in the ſame chapter / Ye are the heires of Chriſt acording to the promes / Tit. iijwhat meaneth he els but (as he ſaieth to Titus) that the kindneſſe and louelove of oure ſauioure hath appeared / not for the dedes of righteouſneſſe which we hauehave done / but acordinge to his mercy hath he ſaued us? et cet.

S. Iames wordes which ye bring in in latyn / Iacob. ij.denieth no forgeueneſſe to them that repent / but like as he rebuketh them that are but Chriſten men in worde and not in good workes and dedes / ſo (yf parcialite be ſinne) then doth the circūſtaunce of the ſame text cōdemne your former concluſion / that ſaie / ye ſinne not in all your workes.

Standiſhe.

Loke the reward of finalis impenitētia / et cet.

Couerdale.

D. Barnes words teſtifie what faith and repē taunce he had toward god / and what hert he bare toward the comon welth of all Chriſtendome / and yet ſhame ye not to wryte / that he dyed without repentaunce and in errours / becauſe he wold not denie Chriſt / and reuoke his worde with you.

Standiſhe.

Which died by his wordes / without ſigne or token of ſaluacion.

Couerdale.

Is it no token ner ſigne of ſaluacion to beleue in the holy and bleſſed trenite / the incarnacion / paſſion death and reſurrectiō of our ſauioure / and to knowlege the ſame before men? Is all this utterly no token of ſaluacion?Math. x. Roma. x.Matt 10 Chriſt and the Apoſtle Paul are of another iudgment.

Standiſhe.

And ſo his praier muſt nedes be voyde.

Couerdale.

D. Barnes caſt abrode his handes / and deſired god forgeuenes / and yet darre ye affirme / that his praier muſt nedes be voide.Matth. xviij Luc. xxiiij Ioh. xx.John 20 By the which wordes like as ye denie the article of forgeueneſſe (mencioned in our Crede / and promiſed in the ſcripture to eueryevery one that truly repenteth) ſo declare ye euidently / that ther is litle mercy in your mother the church of the wicked / for in Chriſtes church yf the ſonne aſke the father a pece of bred / he will not geue him a ſtone / Matth. vijbut good thinges.

Standiſh.

Marke how he truſteth with in an houre / et ce.

Couerdale.

Is it blinde arrogauncy / whan a man (refuſing all confidence in his owne workes) truſteth to hauehave eternall life thorow the mercy of god? What blynd arrogauncy was in the Apoſtle / whan he ſaide / we knowe certainlie / ij. Cor. v.that yf oure earthy houſe of this dwelling were deſtroyed / we hauehave a building ordeined of god / an houſe not made with handes / but euerlaſting in heauen?Ioh. v.John 5 Oure ſauioure alſo geueth this comforte to ſuch as beleue in him / that they ſhall not come to damnacion / but paſſe from death vntounto life? Are ye not a comfortable Phiſician then to mens conſciences / that ſhame not to teach other wiſe then Chriſt doth? But ſurely theſe two places of ſcripture are not for the ſtabliſhinge of your ſoule maſſes and diriges / and therfore no maruaill that ye teach a contrary doctrine / For though the name of your purgatory be out of ſome of your bokes / Yet are not all purſe pykers come to the pillary.

Barnes.

FOr allthough perchaunce you knowe nothinge by me / yet do I confeſſe / that my thoughtes and cogitaciōs be in̄umerable. Wherfore I beſeche the entre not in to iudgment with me / acording to the ſayeng of the Prophet Dauid / Pſal. cxlij.non in tres in iudicium cum ſeruo tuo domine / Pſal. cxxixPs 29and in another place / ſi iniquitates obſeruaueris domine / quis ſuſtinebir? Lord yf thou ſtrately marke our iniquyte / who is able to abyde thy iudgment?

Standiſh.

Se I praye you / the deuell ſeduced him ſo farre / that he wold not knowlege any ſynne / but onelyonly cogitacions / et cet.

Couerdale.

D. Barnes ſaide not that he had no ſinne / but all though (ſaide he) perchaunce you knowe nothinge by me / yet I confeſſe / that my thoughtes and cogitacions are in̄umerable. Is this aſmuch to ſaie as / I hauehave no ſinne but onelyonly cogitacions and thoughtes? Or be not thoughtes and cogitacions ſinnes greate ynough? Dyd he not cōfeſſe alſo with the Prophet / that yf god wold ſtrately marke his iniquities / he were not able to abyde it? Is iniquitie no ſinne? Not in your iudgment (as it appeareth) for ye darre boldly affirme / that in all your workyng ye committe no ſinne.

Standiſh.

Se how he iudged other men perchaunce to knowe no ſinne in him / et cet.

Couerdale.

Yf it be an abhominable vice (as it is no doubte) to ſlaundre the ſcripture or to belye it / then verely are ye infecte with abhominable vice / that hauehave miſreported it and belied it in ſo many places of this youre treatiſe. Now yf ye be of counſaill with ſo many good men that knew ſuch vices in D. Barnes / I maruaill ye tell us not what thoſe vyces are. As for your mother the vnholy church / he called her an harlot many tymes. And ſure I am / that who ſo knoweth her thorowly / Ezech. xxiij.and cōpareth her with her frutes to Oolla and Ooliba / wil iudge her to be litle better.

Standiſh.

Iudge therfore your ſelues what auaileth him theſe his fained praiers / et cet.

Couerdale.

The praiers that. D. Barnes vſeth here / are the holy wordes of gods ſcripture / and yet ye call thē fayned prayers. Now yf the holy gooſt which is the authoure of the ſcripture / doth abhorre faynedneſſe (as the wiſe man ſaieth) then verely is it blaſphemous to cal thoſe fained praiers / Sapi. j.that he onelyonly hath taught.

Againe / Yf they be fained praiers / why ſaie ye that ye doubte not / but to another man paſſing in the faith of Chriſt / they ſhuld hauehave bene acceptable yee and meritoryous before god? Can fained praiers be acceptable to god? Can fayned prayers merite or deſerue any thing of god? Or can he that dyeth in the fayth of Chriſt / vſe fayned prayers at his death? How agreeth faynedeſſe with the faith of Chriſt? Full fained and falſe is your doctrine / Oure lord roote it ones out frō among his people.

Barnes.

WHerfore I truſt in no good worke that euer I dyd / but onelyonly in the death of Ieſus Chriſt.

Standiſhe.

To truſt in our workes (ut in deum credimus) that they of them ſelues / et cet.

Couerdale.

What an vnſtable doctryne is this / that ye bring in among gods people / and wold bear them in hand / that Chriſt alowed your ſaieng in the xx. of Matthew?Matth. xxMatt 20 Where as the parable in the ſame chapter / and the proceſſe of the laſt parte of the xix. chapter hard afore it / do utterly cōdemne your doctrine. Lord god / what a derogacion vntounto gods hye glory is this / to teach / that we maye truſt in oure workes / that we maie calenge our inheritaunce by our workyng / that our workyng maie deſerue to receaue immortalite? In the later ende of the xix.Matth. xixMatt 19 chapter of Matthew doth our lorde affirme / that to be ſaued is a thing vnpoſſible through the power of men / And in this xx chapter doth his parable teſtifie / that like as we are firſt called by him / receaue his promes / and are ſet a worke by his comaundemēt / ſo is not the rewarde geuen / for anie deſeruing / or paynes takynge / but acording to his awne promes.

Firſt / where finde ye in anie article of the Chriſten faith (conteined within the holy bible) ether commaundement or promes of god / or example of anie good man / that we maie put anie maner of truſt in our workes? Againe / Yf oure enheritaunce come by the death of Chriſt and his promes / how commeth it by our workyng? Is our workynge the death of Chriſt or his promes? Now yf our workyng maie deſerue the inheritaunce of immortalite / Diuerſite.then maie we make ſatiſfaction vntounto god for oure offence / and that ye hauehave denyed afore. O how well agree ye with youre ſelfe?

Standiſh.

And this cauſed Paul boldly to ſaie .ij. Timo. iiij. Bonum certamen certaui / et cet.

Couerdale.

Whan that holy veſſell of god. S. Paul had exhorted Timothy to the feruent executing of his dutie in preaching gods worde / and had tolde him afore of this preſent perlous time / that men will not ſuffre wholſome doctrine / et cete.The place ij. Tim. iiij He ſhewed him of his owne death ſaiēge / For I am now ready to be offred / and the tyme of my departing is at hande. I hauehave foughten a good fighte / I hauehave fulfilled the courſe / I hauehave kepte the faith. From hence forth ther is layed vp for me a crowne of righteouſneſſe / which the lord the righteous iudge ſhall geue me in that daie / not onelyonly vntounto me / but to all them that louelove his commynge.

What cauſed Paul now to ſaie theſe wordes? Any truſt or confidence in his owne deſeruyng or workes? Naye verely. He confeſſeth not onelyonly that the crowne of righteouſneſſe is laied vp for him / but alſo that god ſhall geue it him / nether ſayeth he here / S. Paul condemneth. Standiſh doctryne.that it ſhall be geuen him for his workyng ſake / for then were he contrary to his owne doctrine / which utterly condemneth yours / Roma. iij. Ephe. ij. Philip. iij. ij. Timoth. j. Tit. iij Note well the places your ſelfe.

Standiſh.

All be it I feare me theſe his wordes / et cete.

Couerdale.

Yf whan he dyd anie good worke / he cauſed no trompettes to be blowne before him / ner mombled vp longe praiers in the corners of ſtretes / ner diſfigured his face to be ſene of men whan he faſted / then was there the leſſe ypocriſie in him. It is a prouerbe as true as olde / A ſtill pater noſter is as good as a lowde.

Barnes.

I do not doubte / but thorow him to inheret the kyngdome of heauen.

Standiſh.

I beſeche god / this falſe and erroneous beleue contrary allmoſt in eueryevery ſentence to our mother the holy church / et cet.

Couerdale.

Full vnholy and vngracious is your mother / (and ye as vnwiſe to take hir parte) that calleth it a falſe and erroneous beleue / whan a man doubteth not but to inheret the Kyngdome of heauen thorow Chriſt. Yf that beleue be contrary to your mother / then is ſhe contrary to it / and ſo is ſhe the ſinagoge of Antichriſt. Ye are afraied / that the innocente lambes of Chriſte / ſhulde harken to his voyce / and not to yours / Ioh. xJohn 10but ſet your hart at reſt / for they will not harken to the voice of ſtraungers.

Standiſh.

Who doth beleue by anye other meanes contrary to Chriſt / et cet.

Couerdale.

Yes forſoyth euen you / yf ye beleue as ye wryte. For the ſame preemynence that is due to the death of Chriſt and his promes / Standiſh wordes rebuke himſelfe.geue ye to your workyng in the viniarde / Yee ye put confidence / that your workyng ſhall deſerue immortalite / Remembre your awne wordes well.

Standiſh.

But What Chriſtian doth caſt of and forſake all duties to oure parte belonginge / and ſo temerouſly / et ce.

Couerdale.

One dutye that belongeth to your parte / is the ſincere / and true teaching of gods holy worde / which dutye though ye caſt of and forſake / I will not ſaie all that I might by your awne wordes / but god amende it / that is amiſſe. Againe / this proteſtacion of. D. Barnes teſtifieth / that he doth not caſt of and forſake al duties to a Chriſten man belonginge / This is no caſting away of all honeſt duties.for he beleueth in the holy trinite / he extolleth the merites of Chriſt / he praiſeth our lady / he abhorreth the Anabaptiſtes hereſie / he praieth for the kynges highneſſe / he exhorteth men to good workes / he beſecheth god to forgeue him his treſpace. Be theſe no duties of Chriſtē mē? What hath moued you then thus vntruly to reporte of him?

Where as ye laye preſumpcion to his charge for truſtinge to inheret the Kyngdome of heauen thorow Chriſt / I hauehave anſwered you afore / where ye imputed like arrogauncy vntounto him for ſo doynge.

Standiſh.

Which go aboute being blind thē ſelues / et cet.

Couerdale.

Math. vij.Thoſe heretikes / of whom Chriſt biddeth us beware / are falſe prophetes / which come in ſhepes clothinge / but inward are rauenyng wolues. Ye ſhall knowe them (ſaieth he) by their frutes. Now in deſcribing vntounto us their frutes / he ſheweth us / that they are ſuch as boaſt of their workes / and ſaie / hauehave not we done this? hauehave not we done that? Other blindneſſe ſpeaketh he not of in that chapter. In the fiftenth chapter calleth he thoſe blind leaders of the blynd / which (thorow their owne tradicions) make the commaundement of god to take none effecte.

Standiſh.

And Paul ſpeaketh of them / prima Timo. iiij. et cetera.

Couerdale.

The heretikes whom. S.j. Timo. iiij. Paul prophecieth of j. Timo. iiij. are ſuch as thorow their deueliſh doctrines / forbidde men to liue in holy wedloke / and commaunde them to abſteyne from the meates / which god hath created to be receaued of Chriſten men / with thankeſgeuing.

The heretikes of whom he ſpeaketh ij. Tim. iij.ij. Timo. …ij. are ſuch as (among all other vices) are couetous / boaſters / proude / curſed ſpeakers / et cet. falſe accuſers / ryotous / fearce / deſpiſers of them that are good / traytours / et cet. hauing a ſhine of godly lyuyng / but denyeng the power therof / reſiſte the trueth / beyng men of corrupte myndes / and lewde in thinges pertayninge to the faith / et cet.

The heretikes that he ſpeaketh of in the xx of the Actes / Acto. xx.are ſuch greuous wolfes as ſpare not Chriſtes flock / and ſpeake peruerſe doctryne / to drawe diſciples after them.

The heretikes whom. S. Peter ſpeaketh of / ij. Pet. iij.are ſuch mockers as regarde not gods promes / and are not onelyonly vnlerned / but alſo vnſtable / and peruerte Pauls Epiſtles / as they do the other ſcriptures alſo to their awne damnacion.

Iude. j.The heretikes whom. S. Iude ſpeaketh of / are ſuch as (among other errours) are craftely crepte in to the church / and turne the grace of oure god vntounto wantonneſſe / and denie god the onelyonly lorde / and our lorde Ieſus Chriſt / Euen ſuch dreamers as defile the fleſh / deſpiſe rulers / et cet. ſpeake euell of the thinges that they knowe not / and in ſuch thinges as they knowe to be naturall / do currupte thē ſelues as beaſtes / folowing the waie of Cain / the erroure of Balaam for lucres ſake / and the treaſon of Core / feding them ſelues / makyng feaſtes of other mens kyndneſſe / and hauing men in greate reuerence becauſe of aduantage / et cetera.

HaueHave ye not now well deſcrybed the papiſtrye and the vnholy pilers of your vnholy mother the church of the wicked? Yf ye had ioyned the ſeconde chapter of. S. Peters ſeconde epiſtle and the xxiij of Matthew / to theſe places that ye hauehave here alledged / ye had done us the more pleaſure. But we thanke you for pointing us to thoſe ſcriptures / we knowe you now better then we did afore.

Hiere. xixNow to Hieremy the Prophet / Like as in the xix chapter god treateneth deſtruction to Hieruſalem and Tophet / Hiere. xxiijforſhedding of innocent bloud / and for their ydolatry / So in the xxiij chapter threateneth he ſore puniſhment to thoſe Prophetes or preachers / that ſpeake of their owne heades and not out of gods worde.Hiere. xxvij And in the xxvij chapter he counceleth Kynge Sedechias and his people / to geue no credence vntounto thoſe Prophetes / that ſpeake fayre wordes to them and wolde make them beleue / that there ſhulde come no ſuch plage as god hath threatened.

As for the thirtenth chapter of Ezechiel which ye alledge / Ezech. xiijI will hartely deſire all Chriſten readers / not onelyonly to compare it to the xxiij of Hieremy / but alſo with due reuerence (for ſo muſt gods worde be intreated) to waye and pondre well eueryevery ſentence therof. And ſo doing I doubte not / but the holy gooſt ſhall myniſtre ſuch bright ſpectacles to their ſight / that they ſhall clerely diſcerne and ſe / who be ſciſmatikes / who be falſe Prophetes / and who be true. For I can wiſh no man ſo good a glaſſe to loke in / as the ſcripture.

Barnes.

TAke me not here / that I ſpeake agaynſt good workes. For they are to be done: and ſurely they that do them not / ſhall neuer come to the kyngdome of god / We muſt do them / becauſe they are cōmaūded us of god to ſhew and ſet forth our profeſſiō / not to deſerue or merite / for that is onelyonly the death of Chriſt.

Standiſhe.

It is comonly ſayde / No venim or poyſon is worſe / et cet.

Couerdale.

D. Barnes ſet forth good workes.Doth not he ſet forth good workes / that prayſeth them / teacheth men to do thē / and threateneth damnacion to them that do them not? Here ye can not denie (by your awne confeſſion) but that he praiſeth good workes / and yet ye hauehave reported of him / that he caſt of and forſoke all duties to oure parte belonginge. Is it not our dutye to prayſe good workes?

Standiſhe.

But marke / it is nought that he ſpeaketh afterward / et cet.

Couerdale.

Is it naught and erroneous to ſaye that we muſt do good workes / becauſe god hath comaunded them?Eccl. xxix.Sir 29 The wiſe man ſaieth / Take the poore vntounto the for the commaundementes ſake / et cet. Is it not gods commaundement to do good vntounto the poore?

Morouer / where find you in all holy ſcripture that god hath commaunded us to do good workes to the intent that we ſhulde merite or deſerue / and not to ſhew and ſet forth oure profeſſion? Muſt we not let our light ſo ſhyne before men / Matth. vMatt 5that they maye ſe our good workes / and glorifye our father which is in heauen? Hath not our Sauioure choſen and ordeyned us to go and bringe forth frute / Ioh. xv.John 15et cet. Were we not made heyres of eternall ſaluacion and baptiſed / Roma. vj Roma. vijto the intent that we ſhulde now malke in a new life? Are we not deed from the curſe of the lawe / and maried vntounto Chriſt / to the intent that we ſhulde now bringe forth frute vntounto god?Ephe. ij Hath not god ordeined us to walke in good workes? Are we not choſen of god to ſhew now his wonderful workes / which hath called us out of darkneſſe in to his maruelous light? Muſt we not lead an honeſt conuerſacion in the world / j. Pet. ij.that they which bacbyte us as euell doers / maye ſe our good workes and prayſe god?

Now to do good dedes / to bring forth good frutes / to walke in a new life / to ſhew gods wonderfull workes / to lead an honeſt conuerſacion in the world / what is it els / but to ſhew and ſet forth our profeſſion / the life that we hauehave promiſed and taken us to at the font ſtone / euen the holy couenaunt and appoyntment that we hauehave made with the eternall god? Do ye not conſidre alſo / j. Pet. iij.that the ſcripture appoynting maried women their eſtate and dewtye / willeth them to be of ſo honeſt conuerſacion / that euen they which as yet will not beleue gods worde / maye without the worde be won by theyr godly liuinge? And not onelyonly this / j. Timo. ij.but ſo to araye them ſelues in comly apparel with ſhamefaſtneſſe and diſcrete bahaueour (without exceſſe) as it becommeth wemen that profeſſe godlyneſſe thorow good workes? What can be more planely ſpokē / then this? How erneſt is the ſcripture likewiſe in mouinge and commaunding (us ſpecially that take in hande to inſtructe and teach other) aboue all thinges / j. Pet. v Timo. ij.to ſhew example of good workes in the doctrine of god / et cet. that ſuch as reſiſte his trueth / maie be aſhamed of their parte / hauinge nothinge in us to reporte amyſſe? And immediatly after in the ſame chapter / how diligēt is the Apoſtle in requiring Titus / to exhorte ſeruauntes to the doing of their dewtie to their maſters / and to ſhewe all faithfulneſſe? But for what intent? to merite or deſerue immortal… ▪ Naye / to the intent that in all thinges they maie do worſhippe to the doctrine of god oure Sauioure / that the name of god and his doctrine be not euell ſpokē of.j. Timo. vj Thus wolde he hauehave Timothy alſo to teach and exhorte / and then ſaieth he theſe wordes / Yf any man teach otherwiſe / and agreeth not vntounto the wholſome wordes of oure lord Ieſus Chriſt / and to the doctryne of godlineſſe / he is puft vp / and knoweth nothinge / et cet.

Reade ye the text forth / and remembre your ſelfe well / conſidre in what caſe ye are / and how wyde your doctryne diſagreeth from the wholſome word of god. Yf I ſhuld ſaye ye were puft vp / ignoraunt / a waiſt brayne / et cete. of a corrupte mynde / or robbed of the trueth / ye wolde happlie be angrie. Yet be cōtent to let Paul ſpeake to you / for though he rayle not / yet ſhall ye not find him a flatrer.

Standiſh.

Which thing beynge true (as the church confeſſeth / et cete.

Couerdale.

The church of the wicked graunteth many moo thinges then it ſhall euer be able to proue / excepte it be with violence and ſhedding o… …nnocēt bloud / which is in very dede a fearce / ſore and ſtrong waye of probacion. Nether be they heretikes that denye this your doctryne / for I hauehave proued vntounto you by open ſcriptures / that your doctryne is falſe.

Standiſh.

Be not oure owne good workes meritorious to ourſelues?

Couerdale.

Yes parde / for the prophet ſaieth / Eſaie. lxiiij.All our righteouſneſſes are as the cloth of a menſtruous woman.

Standiſh.

Whether ſhall we rather beleue. S. Hierome / et cete.

Couerdale.

Yf we receaue the witneſſe of men / j. Ioh. v.John 5the witneſſe of god is greater / for this is the witneſſe of god / which he hath teſtified of his ſonne / et cete. Euen that god hath geuen us euerlaſting life / and this life is in his ſonne. S. Auguſtine ſaieth alſo /

All my hope is in the death of my lord / his death is my meryte / my refuge / my ſaluacion / my life / and my reſurrection.

Standiſhe.

Which for their deteſtable opynions deſerued iuſtly to be burnte as heretikes.

Couerdale.

Yf they were not burnte heretikes in dede / no force. And yf they were iuſt deſeruers / it is a tokē that they medled the more with righteouſneſſe / for no man can iuſtly erre / ner iuſtly cōmitte treaſon.

Standiſhe.

What a deteſtable hereſie is it to ſaie / the cauſe that we be commaunded to do good workes / is to ſet forth oure profeſſion?

Couerdale.

Is not oure profeſſion the promes and couenaunt that we hauehave made with god / to ſeke his glory and oure neghbours profet / euen to louelove him with all oure herte / with all our ſoules / and with all oure ſtrength / and oure neghbour as oure ſelues / In the which two pointes hangeth all the lawe and the Prophetes? Are not we bound then (by gods commaundement) to ſet forth the glory of god / oure neghbours profit / and louelove to them both? Remembre what places of ſcripture I hauehave pointed you to afore / concernyng this matter.

Standiſh.

Before whom ſhulde we ſet it forth? before god? he knowoth oure profeſſion before.

Couerdale.

What then?Acto. xxliij Studye allwaye to hauehave a cleare conſcience toward god and men / after the Apoſtles enſample.

Standiſh.

Before man? So we maie hauehave good workes as the phariſes had / et cet.

Couerdale.

Though Phariſes do their workes to be ſene of men / Matth. vjwill you therfore (beyng a preacher) not geue good enſample to other / j. Pet. v.ner let your light ſo ſhyne before men / that they ſeinge your good workes / maie geue the glory vntounto god? What?Matth. vMatt 5 are ye ſo farre from the knowlege of this geer / and yet a preacher / a reader / and a poſt of the church? Who wolde thinke / that you (which are ſo well aquaynted with him that can compare the deare bloud of Chriſt to the ſtinckynge bloud of a ſwyne) ſhuld be ſo farre from the vnderſtondinge of ſuch thinges? O wicked hogges / whom Sathan hath poſſeſſed of that ſort. Is the worthy prynce of oure redempcion come to that worſhippe amonge you? No maruaill that ye are ſo blinded in your vnderſtondinge / for ther was neuer enemie of Chriſtes bloud / that had yet anye cleare iudgment in his worde / till he erneſtly repented / and gaue him ſelfe wholy to the ſtudye and life that it teacheth.

Barnes.

I Beleue that ther is a holy church / and a company of all them that do profeſſe Chriſt.

Standiſh.

Allbe it that eueryevery true Chriſtian ought thus to beleue / et cet.

Couerdale.

Ye ſaye / that eueryevery true Chriſtian ought thus to beleue / and yet ye call the ſame belefe erroneous and damnable. Is the Chriſten beleue erroneous and damnable? Or is it erroneous and damnable to beleue / as eueryevery Chriſten man ought to beleue? Thus are ye not onelyonly contrary to youre ſelfe / but iudge Chriſten men alſo to be heretikes.

Standiſhe.

Diuerſite▪For you iudge (as appeareth by your preaching) et cet.

Couerdale.

D. Barnes wordes are playne ynough. He goeth no farther then the article of your crede / yf ye be a Chriſten man. What will ye more? Do theſe his wordes iudge any good man to be none of Chriſtes church? Or be they good men / that profeſſe not Chriſt?

Standiſh.

For it can not be / but either your ſecte or the other be the malignaūt church.

Couerdale.

But ſo it is that ye which are of another ſecte / To make vp the argumēt.blaſpheme Chriſtes bloude / Ergo ye are of the malignaunt church.

Standiſh.

Two contraries can not ſtande both in one.

Couerdale.

It is not reaſon that they ſhulde / and yet can ye bringe it ſo to pas / for ye can prately well graunt to a thing in one place / and denie the ſame in another / as I tolde you oft afore.

Standiſh.

Hinc Iacobi. iij. Nunquid fons de eodem foramine / et cet.

Couerdale.

It foloweth a litle after (euen in the ſame place) yf anye man be wiſe and endewed with learnyng among you / Iacob. iij.let him ſhew the workes of his good cōuerſaciō / in the mekeneſſe that is coupled with feare. Which text doth utterly confute your former doctryne / that will not hauehave us do good workes / to ſet forth oure profeſſion.

Standiſh.

Vnde .ij. Corinth. vj. Que ſocietas luci ad tenebras? et cet.