Friar John Francis of France, Text (2 of 4)

Friar John Francis of France · Text (2 of 4)

But when the chéefe father himſelfe ſhall offende, who ſhall moderate his whippings. I hope you wyl reſolue me in that doubt at your next comming into England. &c. You dare not ſpeake one to another in the night. &c. Your whips are made of whipcorde. &c. Your ſilence is not to be miſliked if it be voide of ſuperſtition. That your whyps are made, ſome of one matter, and ſome of another, is not much materiall. But the lacke of ſuch a hand to vſe the whips as our Bedles in Bridewell hauehave, is the cauſe that you laye on ſo manie hundreds at one time, and féele ſuch heauenly conſolation, after you hauehave laid ſo many hundred laſhes vponupon your owne backes. If you long to be well whipped for your ſinnes, or in the remembrance of the bitter paſſion of our Sauiour, make a ſteppe ouer the Seas into England, and come to our Bridewell, you ſhall finde a good fellowe there, that will giuegive you foure laſhes with his whypp that ſhall be more worth then any foure hundreth of thoſe laſhes that euer you gaue your ſelfe, with any one of thoſe whippes that you hauehave vſed. Well, I will deſcant no longer vponupon your apyſhe whypping. Whippe your ſelfe ſtill eueryevery Fryday from our Ladye day in Lent, till May day, for your …elfe if you lyſt, but not for vsus. Chriſt Ieſus was once whypped for vsus, and crucified and deade vponupon the Croſſe for vsus, and as the Prophete Eſay ſayth. Chapter. 53. Diſciplina pacis noſtrae, cecidit ſuper illum. The correction that might p. 19purchaſe our peace is fallen vppon him. And by his woundes and ſtripes we are made whole. Wee néede no ſuch mediators as the Minime Fryers are. And except you doo in your prayers begge a better thinge for vsus, then turning of our hearts from the louelove and beléefe of the Goſpell of Chriſt, to the louelove and beléefe of Antichriſtian popery, I pray you make your prayers for thoſe fréends that you hauehave on that ſide the ſeas, for you hauehave ſayd before, y^t amongſt vsus you hauehave not one fréende.

The Fryer.

This is (ſay you) the life that I leade, and that I am likely to leade: in faſting and praying, in penaunce and payne, and great trauell. This life I hauehave choſen to ſerue God in, no man lyuing compelling me: of my owne free wyll I tooke it vppon me. Many there were that did what they could to hinder me, vſing manie meanes to put it out of my head, yet hauehave I gone forward. Peraduenture you will aske me the cauſe, why I hauehave taken vponupon mee this life. I aunſwere you, for my ſinnes and for yours. VVhy was our bleſſed Sauiour borne in a ſtable of horſes, without pompe & vanitie? VVhy was he circumciſed & his bloode drawn? why did he trauell from place to place, from Cittie to Cittie, from Village to Village, preaching, praying, faſting, healing the ſicke, & working miracles? VVhy did he ſweate his precious bloode, when hee prayed in the Mountaine of Olyues? VVhy was hee betrayed by the traytor Iudas, bound with chaynes, mocked and ſcorned, ſpyt vppon and whypped, ſtroken vppon the face, crowned wyth thornes, & hanged vponupon the Croſſe by thoſe merciles Iewes? what was the cauſe why holy Saint Iohn Baptiſt, eate nothing but locuſtes and wyld honny, being apparaled in hayre? All theſe paynes both of our Sauiour Chriſt and of his forerunner, were they not for our ſinnes? Coulde not our bleſſed Sauiour with his word redeeme our ſoules that were damned to hell fyre, by the diſobedience of our firſt father Adam, as well as he created them by hys worde? Our ſinnes then were the cauſe of the paſſion of our Sauiour, for if we had not ſinned, he had neuer died. Conſider thys I pray you, if another ſuffer for my ſinnes, ſhall not I my ſelfe ſuffer?

Crovvley.

The life that you leade, and are likely to leade, is hypocriticall, damnable and deuilliſh▪ Hypocriticall, becauſe it conſiſteth all together in outward ſhewes of holines, whereas when it is layd open, there is none other thing to be founde in it, then ſuch as is to be founde in the graues of dead men, as our Sauiour ſawe to be in y^e liues of the Phariſeis. Math. 23. Damnable it is. For that it is Antichriſtian. And deuilliſh: for that it ſauoureth nothing of that heauenlie wiſedome that is from aboue, comming down from the father of lights, but it is earthlie, and beaſtly, and diabolicall, as bleſſed Iames hath writtē Epiſtle Chap. 3. This life you hauehave choſen fréelie, and of your owne accorde, and could by no meanes be ſtayed from it: that therein you might ſerue (not God, but) Gods ſworne enemie, the Antichriſt of Rome. You imagine that wee wyll aſke you wherefore you hauehave made this choiſe: you anſwere, for your owne ſinnes and ours. Oh thou child of the deuill, full of all guyle and diſceite: dareſt thou ſhoulder Chriſt, and thruſt thy ſelfe into the office of mediation, which belongeth onelie to Chriſte? canſt thou (wretched Frier) ſatiſfie to God, bothe for thine owne ſinnes and for ours? This blaſphemie of thine hath enforced mee, to vſe thée in ſpéeches as S. Paule vſed the Sorcerer Elymas at Paphus. Acts. 13. But to make your matter good: You aſke why Chriſte our Sauior would be borne, circumciſed &c. As though all thoſe actions of his, had béene but examples for vsus to follow. Some of theſe actions of his, were in ſome ſort examples for vsus to followe: but if we ſhall take vponupon vsus (as you doo) to folow them all, or any of them, with purpoſe to redéeme thereby, either our owne ſinnes, or y^e ſins of other, either in the whole or in parte: we ſhal bee but Apyſhe, as you be, and blaſphemous in that wee take vppon vsus that which belongeth to that one onelie mediatour betwixte God and man, euen the man Ieſus Chriſt.

Take héede leaſt that fall vponupon thée (Fryer Iohn Francis) which fell vponupon Elymas, reade Acts. 13. And yet furder to adde more authoritie to your owne dooing. You aſke of vsus, why holy S. Iohn Baptiſt did eate nothing but Locuſtes and wyld honnye. &c. And your concluſion is▪ that all this was for our ſinnes, euen as the ſufferings of our Sauiour Chriſt were. Thus you make many mediatours, where God hath made but one. 1. Tim. 2. But héere you vſe a ſtrange point of Logicke, concluding very ſtrangely: vponupon an As ſtrange an Aſſertion. Could not our bleſſed Sauiour (ſay you) as well by his word redéeme our damned ſoules, as he did by his worde create them? Which manner of ſpéech dooth import as much p. 20as if you ſhould ſay, no man can or dare open his mouth to deny it, for it is a truth confeſſed of all men. But what doo you inferre vppon this? Therefore our ſinnes were the cauſe of the paſſion of our Sauiour. If you ſhould make this argument in the Schooles in Lutecia: the Sorboniſ…s would hyſſe you out of their Schooles. The Diuines alſo would tell you, that the premiſſes are not yet graunted, although your graund Pryor, and your holy father the Popes holines, would ſoothe you in it. The Diuines doo (by a generall conſent) ſay, that becauſe the burden of ſinne, and the damnation due vntounto it, is ſo great and horrible in the ſight of GOD, that the wrath of God for ſinne, could not otherwiſe be appeaſed, nor his iuſtice ſatiſfyed, then by the cruell and bloodie death of that man that neuer had ſinned, neither was by any meanes ſpotted or defyled with ſinne, and therefore had not any way deſerued to die. And heerevpon they conclude, that of neceſſitie, the onelyonly begotten ſonne of God, in whome there coulde be no ſinne, muſt take mans nature of the ſubſtaunce of a bleſſed virgine, prepared before of GOD for that purpoſe, that the nature of man taken of her ſubſtaunce, might not hauehave in it any part of mans ſinne, and that, that ſonne of God, béeing both God and man, might die in his mans nature, that blooddie death that mans ſinne had deſerued, and ſo Gods wrath myght be appeaſed, and his iuſtice ſatiſfyed, which could neuer hauehave béene brought to paſſe by any other meane. Héereof wee may conclude, that in ſome ſort our ſinnes were the cauſe of the death of our Sauiour Chriſt. This leſſon you had once learned, and did repeate it openlie in my Church at Creplegate of London, in the preſence and hearing of a great multitude of Chriſtians, which conceiued no ſmall hope, that you béeing borne of ſuch Chriſtian Parents (as you were) and brought vp vnderunder ſuch maſters, as had ſo inſtructed you in Chriſtian Religion, that beeing but of tender yeeres, you were ſo perfect in the principles of that our Religion, woulde hauehave prooued an excellent Miniſter in the houſe of God, to the great ioye of ſuch as had béene at charge in your education, and to the furthering of Chriſtes glory in the Realme of Englande, your natiue Countrey. But ſée howe …athan hath bewitched you. You are nowe become apyſſing potte in the Chamber of Antichriſt. Thys commeth of thy pryde, Samuell, GOD gaue thée good gyfts, that thou ſhouldeſt hauehave vſed them to his glory, but thou haſt pryded thy ſelfe in them, and haſt eueryevery way abuſed them, and art fallen into the handes of God (which is a thing moſt horrible Heb. 10.) The Lord for his merciemercy ſake open the eyes of thyne vnderſtanding, that thou maiſt ſée the greatnes of thine owne miſery, and acknowledge the great fault of thine Apoſtacie, and craue helpe at the hande of our heauenlie Father, whoſe mercy is as great as him ſelfe, and is alwaies ready to receiue eueryevery Prodigall ſonne that returneth home againe vntounto him, and ſéeketh after eueryevery ſheepe that is gon aſtray. Returne therefore Samuell, returne to our heauenly Father. Be no longer called by that hypocriticall name of Fryer Iohn Frauncis. Thy name Samuell, which was giuen to thée in thy Baptiſme, is not yet blotted out of our heauenly Fathers Regiſter: neyther ſhall be before the day of thy departing out of this life. Return in time, ſéeke God whilſt he may be founde, call vppon him whylſt he is at hande, and hath his cares open to heare all ſuch as call vponupon him faithfully. Make not ſo light a matter of ſinne, as to thinke that Iohn Baptiſtes féeding vponupon Locuſts and wylde honney, &c. could be any helpe to take away anie part of the damnation due to our ſinnes. Be aſhamed of that fonde perſwaſion that mooued you to ſay thus. Conſider this (I pray you) If another ſuffer for my ſinnes: ſhall not I my ſelfe ſuffer? You ſéeme to be perſwaded, that of neceſſity we muſt ſuffer for our owne ſinnes, becauſe Chriſt hath ſuffered for them alreadie. Whereas (in verie déede) the contrarye is moſt true. Becauſe Chriſte hath already ſuffered for our ſinnes, therefore we néede not to ſuffer for them. For his ſuffering for our ſinnes is ſufficient, and is a full ſatiſfaction for the ſins of y^e whole worlde. And there remaineth nothing to be doone by vsus, but onelye by faith to take the benefite of that his ſuffering, and to ſhewe our ſelues thankfull to him, for that it hath pleaſed him to ſuffer for vsus, and by his ſuffering to reſtore vsus to the fauour of the heauenly maieſty againe. Which thankes we render when wee mortifye our fleſhlie affections, and make our bodies … Sacrifice to God, lyuing holie and acceptable. For this is our reaſonable ſeruing of God, as wryteth S. Paule. Rom. 12. This is that ſounde doctrine, that in your yonger dayes was taught you, & you learned, & did once openly confeſſe in my Church at Cr…plegate. Doo you therefore (I pray you) conſider better of this matter: and be perſwaded, that for as much as another (which is Chriſt the ſonne of the lyuing GOD) p. 21hath ſuffered for your ſins▪ you are by his ſuffering redéemed from your ſinnes, and from euer laſting damnation, due to your ſinnes, and by his reſurrection iuſtified, and made righteous in the ſight of the heauenly Maieſty, and diſcharged of your ſinnes paſt for euer. Rom. 4. And when you ſhall by the frailty of your fleſh fal and commit ſinne: follow the counſell of Chriſtes déere Diſciple Iohn, that wrote the hiſtory of the Goſpell, and thoſe thrée Epiſtles that are called Canonicall. In the ſecond Chapter of the firſt of thoſe thrée Epiſtles, he writeth thus. My little babes, I writ thus vntounto you▪ that you ſhould not ſinne: but if anie man doo ſinne, we hauehave an Aduocate with God the Father, euen Chriſte Ieſus the righteous, he is the obtainer of mercy for our ſinnes. The words of Iohn in the Latine are theſe Ipſe eſt propitiatio. I thinke I can not tranſlate them better for the vnderſtanding of the meaning by the Engliſhe Reader, then as I hauehave, that is: He is the obtayner of mercy for our ſinnes. We néede not therfore to ſéeke for a ghoſtly father, that may heare our confeſſion, and giuegive vsus penaunce and abſolution. Chriſt hath alreadie ſuffered penaunce for our ſinnes, and hath abſolued vsus. We néede not to runne to Rome for pardon. For GOD hath alreadie pardoned all our ſinnes paſt and repented, becauſe we beléeue that promiſe of pardon, that he hath made in the death and blood ſhedding of his onelie begotten ſonne, our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. And when we ſinne by frailtie, wee hauehave an open way in vntounto the merciemercy ſeate of God, by and through our Sauiour Chriſt, who is the way, the truth and the life. Iohn. 14.

You procéede, and thus you ſay.

The Fryar.

We reade in the fift of Leuiticus: how our Lorde commaunded the children of Iſraell to doo penaunce, when they had committed any offence. Iudg. 21. Vniuerſus Iſrael valde doluit, egitque poenitentiam, ſuper hoc quod fiebat. All the Children of Iſraell were very ſorry, and they did penaunce for that which they hadde doone. Holie Iob, in the 24. Chapter of his booke, ſayeth: Dedit e…s Deus locum poenitentiae. God of his wonderfull mercy gaue man place to do penaunce. Diſſimulas (ſaith Salomon) peccata hominum, propter poenitentiam. Thou (O Lord) dooſt diſ…e…ble the ſinnes and iniquities of mē, vntounto the intent, that they may doo penaunce, Eccl. 2. Si poenitentiā nō egeri…us, incidemus in manus domini. If we doo not penaunce, we ſhal fal into the hands of our Lord. And what is this to fal into the hands of our Lord? Hor…endis est (ſaith S. Paule Cap. 10. ad Hebreos) incidere &c. It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of our liuing God. Yet had I rather fall into his handes, then into the pawes of our aduerſary the deuill. Conuertisti me (ſaith the Prophet Ieremie. 31. et egi poenitentiam. Thou haſt conuerted me (O Lord) and I hauehave doone penaunce. But goe further, and you ſhall heare our Sauiour himſelfe, by his owne mouth, calling vsus to penaunce, in the 13. Chapter of S. L…ke, ſaying: Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: omnes ſimul peribitis. If you will not doo penaunce, you ſhall perriſh all together. O what a dolefull ſentence? you ſhall periſh altogether. Let vsus therefore cry with the Prophet Ieremie 31. chapter of his propheſies. Conuerte me & conuertar: poſtquam enim conuertisti me, egi poenitentiam. Et postquam ostendiſts mihi, percuſſi femur meum. Conue…t and turne me (O Lord) and I ſhalbe conuerted. For after thou haddeſt conuerted me, I did penaunce. And when thou hadſt ſhewed me my ſinnes, I ſtrake my thygh. Let this therefore ſuffice to ſhewe you, that in vaine I hauehave not taken vponupon me this kinde of life, the which I hauehave therefore ſpecified, at large vntounto you: becauſe you deſired ſo earneſtlie, to knowe howe I am likelie to lyue.

Crovvley.

Héere you hauehave heaped together a nūber of Scriptures, to a farre other ende, then they were at the firſt written. That is to prooue that you were moued by thoſe Scriptures, to make choyſe of that Religion wherein you liue, and that otherwiſe you coulde not eſcape the heauy wrathe of GOD, and ſo conſequently, that who ſoeuer will eſcape Gods wrath muſt doo as you doo. And firſt you ſay, we reade in the 5. Chapter of Leuiticus &c. In this place of Leuiticus▪ there is not one word that may rightly be applyed to your purpoſe, as ſhall (I hope) plainelie appeare, euen to your ſelfe, if you can with indifferent iudgment reade that which heere followeth.

And firſt I muſt admoniſh you of one point of peniſhe ſuperſtition, that ſheweth it ſelfe in all that be of your ſorte, as often as you hauehave occaſion to tranſlate into Engliſh, this Latine word Dominus. For ſuperſticiouſly (as I take it) you ad vntounto it the English of the Latine Pronowne Noſter. Yea, though there be in the circūſtance of the text, nothing to be founde that might giuegive you any occaſion ſo to doo. As in this place of Leuiticus, you hauehave no occaſion at al to ſay: Our Lord God commaunded the Children of Iſraell. &c. For p. 22the commaundements that are written in that Chapter, are gyuen by Moſes, by whom the Lord God of Iſraell did ſpeake to the children of Iſraell. And Moſes ſpeaking to them in the name of that Lorde that bidde him ſpeake vntounto them, dooth not vſe any ſpéeche that may bee rightly tranſlated into Engliſh, Our Lord. For thus he ſaith in the place that you cite. Anima quae iurauerit, & protulerit labijs ſuis, vt vel male faceret, vel bene: et id ipſum iuramento & ſermone firmauerit, oblita que postea intellexerit delictum ſuum: agat poenitentis am propeccato, & offerat. &c. A ſoule that hath ſworne, and hath vttered with his lippes, that he will doo either euill or well, and hath confirmed the ſame by an oath and by ſpéeche, and hauing forgotten the ſame, ſhall afterwarde vnderſtande his falt: let him repent for his ſinne, and offer a ſhée Lambe, or a ſhée Goale of the flockes, and the Prieſt ſhall pray for that forgetfulnes or ignoraunce, and for that mans ſinne. &c. What is héere written that might mooue you to ſay, that our Lord commaunded the children of Iſraell to doo penaunce when they had committed any offence? I muſt admoniſhe you alſo of your fault, in tranſlating continually penaunce, in ſtéede of repentaunce. For as (commonly) when the Latine word Dominus is vſed in the Scriptures, it dooth ſignifie that mighty Lorde which is Lorde of all, & is not to be reſtrained by anie Pronowne, from that Generall ſignification, as to ſay, my Lord, our Lorde, or their Lord, becauſe he is not onelyonly, mine, ours, or theirs, but the Lord of all: Euen ſo the worde Poenitentia is not to be drawne to an outward ſhewe of repentaunce onelyonly, which may be called penaunce, and may be as well in Hypocrites, as in ſuch as be penitent in déede. The Grecians (as you knowe, I thinke) doo name it by a name, that by interpretation doth ſignifie, Poſt factum ſapere. To bée late wiſe, as in Engliſh we vſe to terme it, foreign, is, whē a man remembreth himſelfe better then he did when hee tooke in hand an action, wherewith he beginneth to miſlike after the déede is doone. As in your preſent caſe, it may be, and I hope it wyll ſhortlie come to paſſe, that you returning to your former minde, wyll miſlike with your diſobedient manner of departing from your naturall Parents, and with your diſloyall leauing of your natiue Countrey, and ſo repent that you hauehave bound your ſelfe by a vowe to liue a Minime Fryer all the dayes of your life, which is to be vnprofitable, bothe to your Parents and Countrey, directly contrarye to the Lawes both of God and of nature. If it ſhall pleaſe GOD to worke this foreign in you, you muſt, (if you will doo well) return to that firſt vowe which was made for you when you were baptiſed, and leaue the latter vow, repenting that euer you were ſo mad as to make it, béeing (as it is) ſo contrary to that vowe which you firſt made in your Baptiſme, and profeſſed afterwardes before ſo manie witneſſes. Follow not the example of Herod & ether, which making vowes did wickedly, but more wickedly in the perſorming of thoſe vowes. Math. 14. Judg. 11. Acts. 23. Wée knowe what your maiſters of Rhemes, either hauehave taught, or can teache you touching this matter. If you be determined, and will not hearken to better aduice, we can but wyſhe you well, and ſorrowe to ſée your wilfull follye.

But to returne to the place of Leuiticus the fift Chapter, which you alledge: if you will looke into the Hebrew text, you ſhall finde no ſuch worde as you ſéeme to take holde vppon. The worde that is vſed there, can not ſignifie to doo penaunce: but doth ſignifie, that he may confeſſe that wherin he hath ſinned, or offended. This place therefore, ſerueth nothing for your purpoſe. The next place that you alledge, is out of the 21. of the Judges. Ʋniuerſus Iſrael valde doluit, & poenitentiam egit, ſuper hoc quod fiebat, ſay you, but that tranſlation, that is beſt allowed by men of your ſort, hath it thus. Super interfectione vnius tribus ex Iſrael. Howe can you then tranſlate it thus into Engliſh. All the people of Iſrael were very ſorry, and they did penaunce for that which they had doone? But if you will looke into the Hebrewe text, you ſhall find that you ſhould hauehave ſayd thus. The people ſorowed for the Beniamits, becauſe the Lord had made a breache in the tribes or kindreds of Iſraell. The thyrd place is out of Job. Chap. 24. Dedit ei Deus locum poenitentiae. God of his wonderfull mercy, gaue man place to doo penaunce. You vſe a Pariphraſis in this tranſlation, to make the place more forcible for your purpoſe. But thus you ſhould hauehave tranſlated it. God gaue him place of repentaunce. But if the Hebrewe text be of any credite with you, you wyll ſay thus. Dabit ei fidutiam, & immitetur, & oculi eius ſuper vias eorum. Which may be thus Engliſhed, out of this Hebrewe like Latine. Though God doo giuegive him boldnes, and he doth truſt therein, yet his eyes be vponupon their wayes. Howe is it poſſible to picke any matter out of this text, whereby your whypping p. 23penaunce may be vnderpropped? But this text doth rather miniſter matter againſt you. For it ſayth, that although you bee bolde, and doo truſt to you hypocriticall penaunce, yet God doth ſtil beholde your wayes. Your hypocriſie that deceiueth men, can not deceiue him. The fourth place that you alledge is (as you ſay) out of Salomons Sapientiae. 11. But if you wil giuegive credit to S. Hierom, that booke is Pſeudepigraphus. That is (if you vnderſtand not that worde) it hath a wrong tytle, in that it is called the Wiſedome of Salomon. Thus writeth S. Hierome, In praefatione in libros Salomonis. Nonnulli ſcriptorum veterum, hunceſse Iudaei Philonis affirmant. Some of the auncient wryters doo affryme, that this is the worke of Philo the Jewe. Yea and he ſaith that the very ſtile thereof doth ſauour of the Greeke eloquence. I note this, becauſe you Romaine Catholickes, doo make all the Bookes that are founde in the Byble of like authoritie.

But nowe to the words of the place alledged. Diſſimulas peccata hominum, propter poenitentiam. Thou (O Lord) doſt diſſemble the ſinnes and iniquities of men, vntounto the intent that they may doo penaunce. In the Gréeke it is, foreign, that is, ad poenitentiam. To repentance. The circumſtaunce of the text giueth, that God béeing mercifull to all creatures, doth not alwayes make it knowne to men that he knoweth the ſins of men, for he doth not puniſh them in haſte, but he giueth them time & ſpace to remember themſelues better, and to repent, before he take in hande to puniſh them. Thys repentance is an harty ſorowe for the ſinne paſt, and a full purpoſe and earneſt endeuoure to walke in a new way in the time to come. And as for penaunce to be doone for ſatiſfaction, is altogether vnneceſſarie, for Chriſt Jeſus hath diſcharged that matter already. But if he had not, the penaunce that we could ſuffer could not help vsus. Your fyft place is taken out of Eccleſiaſticus. 2, Chapter. If the Gréeke text were not out of credite with you Rhemiſts, & Romiſh Catholickes, it might ſuffice foraunſwere to this place, to ſay ſhew it in the Gréeke, and then we wyll ſay, you hauehave ſayde ſomewhat. But Si poenitentiam non egerimus, is▪ not founde in the Gréeke, neyther doth the circumſtance of the place require, nor yet well ſuffer it. For thus hath Sirach written there: Qui timent Dominum, custodiunt mandata illius: et patientiam habcbunt vſque ad inſpectionem illius, dicentes. (Si poenitentiam non egerimus) I ncidemus in manus Domini, & non in manus hominum. Secundum enim magnitudinem ipſius, ſic & miſericordia illius cum ipſo eſt. They that feare the Lorde, doo kéepe his commaundements, and will hauehave patience till they may beholde him, ſaying: We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the handes of men. For according to the greatnes of himſelfe, ſo is his merciemercy with him. Héere I hauehave left out, (if we wyll not, or if we ſhall not repent) and yet is the ſentence of Syrach perfect and the ſence good. And in the Gréeke it is thus. They that feare the Lord, will ſéeke to be accepted of him. And they that louelove him, will be filled with the Lawe. They that feare the Lord, wyll prepare their harts, and will humble theyr ſoules in his ſight. Wée wyll fall into the handes of God, and not into the handes of men. For as is the greatnes of himſelfe, ſo is his mercy alſo.

A man might aſke héere, what néede there is of this ſentence, Si poenitentiam non egerimus: If we repent not, or as you wyll hauehave it, if wée doo not penaunce. But let it be euen as you hauehave it in your common tranſlation, and procéede as you doo, ſaying: And what is this? To fall into the handes of our Lord. You anſwere Horrandū est (ſaith S. Paule. 10. ad Hebraeos incidere. &c. It is an horrible thing to fall into the hands of our liuing God. Yet had I rather falt into his handes, then into the pawes of our aduerſary the deuill. I thinke your Romaine Catholickes will not like well wyth you, for that you ioyne the Epitheton (liuing) with God, although you doo quallifye it by adding the Pronowne Noster, or Our. But let them deale with you for that. I would fayne knowe of you, howe you can fall into the handes of the lyuing God, in ſuch ſort as S. Paule meaneth of in theſe wordes to the Hebrewes: and yet eſcape the pawes of the deuill. S. Paule ſpeaketh there of ſuch as doo reproche the ſpirite of Grace, as your ſelfe hauehave doone in theſe wrytings. And are (I feare me) fallen into the hands of the liuing God, who in iuſtice hath deliuered you into y^e pawes of the deuill, whom he maketh his Executioner: and at his good pleaſure, he can, and (when you ſhall foreign that is, repent) vndoubtedly he wyll, rydde you out of thoſe pawes of the deuill againe. Your ſixt place is taken out of Ieremie. 31. Conuertiſti me, & egi poenitentiam. Thou haſt con…erted me (O Lord) and I hauehave doone penaunce. It is ſome gréefe to me to conſider the great blindnes that you are fallen into. The Prophet Ieremie doth (in theſe wordes that you cite, and in thoſe words that goe immediatly before, and that doo follow immediatly p. 24after) propheſie, or ſhe we before hand, that in time then to come, the people of the kingdome of the tenne trybes or kindreds of Iſraell, (whom he calleth Ephraim, becauſe their firſt king Iereboam was an Ephramite) ſhould be conuerted and turned, from theyr Idolatrous, heathiniſh, and falſe Religion, to embrace the true Religion of God, from which they were fallen in the dayes of the wicked Kinges, that had raigned in that kingdome of Iſraell or Ephraim, and were for that Apoſtacie, conquered by the Aſſyrians, and the remnant of them carryed into ſtrange landes, farre off. Of thys conuerting or turning of the poſterity of this people, the Prophet Ieremie dooth write after this manner. Audiens audiui Ephraim tranſ…igrantem (or as it is in the Hebrewe) plangentem. Castigaſtime Domine, et eruditus ſum (or as it is in the Hebrew) castigatus ſum, quaſi iteuencus indomitus. Conuerte me & conuertar: quiatu Dominus Deus meus. Poſtquam enim conuertistime, egi poenitentiaem: & poſtquam ostendistimihi, per cuſſi femur meum. Confuſus ſum, & erubui quoniam ſustinui opprobrium adoleſcentiae meae. &c. I hauehave in verye déede (ſayth the Lorde) heard Ephraim, flytting out of his Country (or as the Hebrewe hath it) making great or pittifull lamentation. ſaying after this manner) O Lord, thou haſt corrected mee, and I am thereby inſtructed (or as the Hebrewe hath it) I am chaſtened like an vntamed Bullocke. Doo thou turne me, and then I ſhall bée turned, for thou art the Lord my God. And after thou haddeſt turned me: I repented And after thou diddeſt ſhe we vntounto me (that is after thou diddeſt let me ſée the filthines of myne owne life) I dyd ſtrike my thigh. I was confounded, I was aſhamed, for I did beare the reproche of mine owne youth. Is not Ephraim a ſonne that I eſtéeme much off? Is he not a Ladde in whom I am delighted? For ſince I hauehave ſpoken of him: I will ſtill remēber him. And therfore, the bowels of my compaſſion are mooued towardes him, and in pittie I wyll hauehave compaſſion vponupon him, ſayth the Lord. The due conſideration of theſe wordes might hauehave moued you, to doo the contrary, of that which you ſay, you were by them mooued to doo.

Ephraim had forſaken the right Religion of GOD, and hee had embraced the Religion of Baall▪ which was a wrong Religion, he had forſaken the precepts, and commaundements of God, and embraced the precents and commaundements of men. He had refuſed to hearken to the voyces of the true Prophets of God: and had gyuen eare to the Prophets of Baal, which were falſe Prophets. Hée had left of to walke in thoſe right and high wayes, that the Lorde had taught his own people to walk in, & he had choſē thē to walk in by waies, ſuch as y^e Lord forbad his people to walk in. And hauehave not you doone y^e like? You were baptiſed in the right faith of Chriſt Jeſus, which your Godfathers & your Godmother confeſſed, at y^e time of your baptiſing, and deſired (for you) that you might be baptiſed in that Fayth, which they did then confeſſe: And you were baptiſed in that fayth, and were named Samuel. But nowe, you are called John Frauncis (as your ſelfe hauehave written) and therefore, I feare you hauehave renounced your firſt Baptiſme, and hauehave béene rebaptized in the Romyſh Catholike fayth: profeſſing and promiſing to beléeue and to doo, all that, that Antichriſtian Church teacheth and commaundeth. You were brought vp in the knowledge of your duety towards God, and your duety towards man: but nowe you call that knowledge hereſie, and ſuch as hauehave béene your inſtructors therein heretikes. You hauehave, and doo ſtyll refuſe to heare the voyce of the Preachers of the Goſpell of Chriſt, which are the true Prophets of this time: and your eares are open to the voyces of the preachers of popyſh ceremonies, fayned and falſe miracles, and all manner deuiſes of men, which are the falſe prophets of this time. You hauehave left the way of truth, wherein God requireth his owne people to walke, ſeruing him in ſpirite and truth, that is, in true holines & righteouſnes: and you hauehave choſen to walke in by waies, euen ſuch as the Lord hath forbidden his people to walk in. Namely the hearing of maſſes, and therein, gyuing diuine honour to creatures, that is, to bread and wine therein vſed, and holden vp and ſhewed, that they may be worſhipped by ſuch as be preſent. In kyſſing the Reliques of Saints, in the ſuperſticious refrayning of the vſe of Gods good creatures, wherein God hath giuen liberty to all men, that will reuerently vſe them, and be thankfull to him for them. In making inuocations and prayers to Angels, & to deade men, ſuch as be called Saints, not knowing whether they can hear you, or whether they can helpe you or no. In praying for the deade, not knowing whether they doo ſtand in néede of your praiers or no. Yea not knowing whether your prayers, may profite them or no. In honouring God and hys Saints by Images, directly contrary to hys expreſſe commaundement: Thou ſhalt not make to thy ſelfe any grauen Image. &c. In vowing, & performing the vow of wyueleſſe p. 25chaſtitie, and yet with this cauſion. Si non castè, tamen cautè. If not chaſtlie, yet warily. In performing the vowe of wilfull pouertie: and yet enioy all thinges neceſſary in great plenty. In taking vponupon you y^e yoke of obedience to ſuch as God hath not commandèd you to obey: but ſhaking of that yoke of obedience, that God hath layd vponupon all mens neckes. Namely, to naturall Parents, Princes and al maner of Gouerners. In dooing penaunce (as you terme it) by faſting bread and water, by dyuing vponupon the earth, by whypping your ſelfe, with a diſcipline of whypcords, or chaynes of wyar, or with pynnes of ſiluer, taking vponupon you by theſe meanes to redéeme your owne ſinnes, and the ſinnes of others alſo. And ſo conſequently, entruding your ſelfe into the Office of Chriſt, which is to be the onelie mediatour betwixt God and man, and the onelyonly propitiator to obtaine mercy for the ſinnes of the world. If you had conſidered theſe words of Ieremie, aright and as you ſhoulde hauehave doone, applying them to your ſelfe (as I hope nowe you wyll doo) then you would hauehave cryed with Ephraim (as I hope you will nowe crye) Turne me, and I ſhalbe turned, for thou art the Lord my God. And when the Lord ſhall turne you, as I hope he will at the laſt turne you, ſo that you ſhall from the bottome of your harte repent, that euer you left the highe way of righteouſnes, to walke in theſe by wayes of wickednes: you will not (as you terme it) do penaunce, in whypping your ſelfe with your diſcipline (as you call your whip wherwith you hauehave giuē your ſelf ſo many hundred laſſhes) but you will ſubmit your ſelfe vnderunder the mightie, and mercifull hand of our heauenlie father, to be chaſtined at his hande, according to his good pleaſure, that by his fatherly corrections, you may be brought to ſée the greatnes of your owne folly, wherein you hauehave walked. And ſo with Ephraim, ſtrike your ſelfe on the thigh, and ſay: I am confounded and aſhamed. I hauehave borne the rebuke of my youth. And then vndoubtedly the Lord wil ſay of you, as he did of Ephraim. Is not Samuel a ſonne that I make greate account of? Is he not a ladde in whom I am delighted? Sith I hauehave ſpoken of him, I wyll ſtill remember him. And therefore the bowels of my mercy are bent towardes him. In pitty and compaſſyon I wyll hauehave merciemercy vponupon him. Which God graunt for his mercy ſake. Amen.

If you wyll not receiue this charitable admonition, and receiue againe and louelove that trueth, from which you hauehave for a time béene turned away, and hauehave loued lyes more then the truth, yea and hauehave indéede hated the trueth and loued lyes: I feare me that the threatning of the Apoſtle. 2. Theſ. 2. wyll be fulfilled in you. Ideo mittet illis Dens. &c. God will therefore ſende vponupon them the ſtrength of error, that they may giuegive credite to lyes, that all they may be condemned that hauehave not beléeued the trueth, but hauehave had pleaſure in iniquity. Thys is y^e horrible falling into the handes of the lyuing God that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of. Heb. 10. From which the Lord for his mercy ſake deliuer both you and me. Amen.

You procéede in your purpoſe, and thus you ſay. But goe furder, and you ſhall heare our Sauiour himſelfe, by his owne mouth, calling vsus to penaunce, in the 13. Chapter of S. Luke, ſaying: Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: omnes ſimul peribitis. If you wyll not doo penaunce, you ſhall perriſh altogether. And héere you vſe an exclamation. O what a dolefull ſentence: you ſhall periſh altogether. Let vsus therefore cry with the Prophet Ieremie. &c. as before. But ſée howe you are deceiued, by giuing credite to ſuch notes as you hauehave receiued at the hands of your Rhemiſts, and Romiſh Catholickes. I can not thinke that your ſelfe reading the wordes in Luke, the 13. Chapter, would hauehave ſet downe ſimul for ſimiliter: as in thys your wryting you doo, and doo deſcant vponupon it, noting the horriblenes of the ſentence, and ſo conſequently, the neceſſity of dooing penaunce, to as many as be not willing to periſh together. The wordes that the Euangeliſt writeth, were ſpoken by our Sauior himſelfe. The occaſion was, a report made vntounto him, of the crueltye that Pilate vſed towards certaine of the Galileans. Doo you think (ſayth our Sauiour) that theſe Galileans were greater ſinners, then the reſt of the Galileans were: I tell you no. But except you hauehave repentance, you ſhal all in like maner periſh. And heere one other thing wherein your notes hauehave deceiued you. The text hath thus. Sed niſi poenitentiam habueritis. But except you hauehave repentaunce. And you following your notes (as I ſuppoſe, for I can hardlie be perſwaded, that ſéeing the text, you would ſo mangle it) doo ſet it downe thus. Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: If you doo not penaunce, you ſhall periſh altogether. I would wyſhe you therefore, to take good héede henceforth, how you truſt the iudgment of thys Romiſh Catholike Church, that maketh no conſcience thus to p. 26mangle the wordes of Chriſt himſelfe, reported by his holy Euangeliſtes. But hetherto, you ſhewe your ſelfe to be perſwaded, that you hauehave not without iuſt cauſe taken vponupon you the life of a Minime Fryer. But howe well you hauehave prooued this, by thoſe Scriptures that you hauehave (for that purpoſe) alledged: I think your ſelfe doo nowe ſée, and are aſhamed that euer you tooke this enterpriſe in hande.

Thus much for aunſwere to that long diſcourſe that you hauehave made, concerning your departing from your parents, and the maner thereof. Your long and labourſome trauell in Fraunce, before you could créepe into the habite (or wéede as you terme it) of a Minime Fryer, and howe you behaued your ſelfe in all that wearyſome trauaile. And laſt of all, howe happy a man you thinke your ſelfe to be, for that you are now wéeded (as you▪ terme it) with that wéede, and hauehave ſo played the part of a Nouice▪ that lyking, and being well liked of the Fryers of that Order, you are nowe a profeſſed Fryer, and hauehave changed your name, and are no more called Samuell Debnam, but Fryer John Frauncis, and therefore likelie ſo to liue during your naturall life.

But nowe we hauehave another Crowe to pull. You hauehave made a meruailous inuectiue againſt our Religion, with an earneſt and pithy exhortation to your Parents, to forſake both our Religion and vsus alſo. And laſt of all, a very Chriſtian inſtruction (as you ſéeme to be perſwaded) but indéede a very Antichriſtian direction, howe they may and ought to behaue themſelues, in this caſe wherin they doo nowe liue, and are likely to continue. And thus you enter into this excellent péece of worke.

The Fryar.

Nowe, as concerning your Religion (whoſe foundation is the deuill of hell, hys Miniſters beeing, Tyndall, Fryth, Luther, Caluine, Beze, Zuinglius, Phillip Melanthon, Bucer Phagius, Oecolampaduts, and Berengarius, with others his Miniſters, in England & els where. As Crovvley, Barber, Doue, Chark, Novvell, Mollins, Trippe, and the reſt, whoſe harts God turne, or cutt ſhort theyr liues, to more ſpeedy conuerſion of our poore Countrey. Theſe are they of whom the holy Apoſtle Saint Iohn ſpeaketh of in his firſt Epiſtle Chap. 2. Ex nobis prodierunt, ſednon erant ex nobis: nam ſi fuiſsent ex nobis permanſiſſent vtique nobiſcum. That is to ſay, they came from vsus, but they were not of our company or ſociety. For if ſo be that they had beene of our company, they had certainly ſtayed with vsus. It is euident that they came from vsus, as not liking our kind of life. Some came from vsus by reaſon of pryde, otherſome, by reaſon of deuilliſh ſuggeſtions. Againe, others becauſe theyr heades were full of fantaſies, as the heade or Maſter Fielde is, Who (yf the report that goeth of hym be true) is able to forge, eueryevery halfe houre, a newe Religion. Luther was an Augustine Fryer: who after that he had left his Order, beganne hereſie. Caluin was a Cannon Reguler, and Berengarius was an Archdeacon. Whoſe liues and deathes, as alſo the lyues and deathes of the other Captaine Proteſtantes, if you knew thorowly, you would (as I hope) not onelyonly wonder at their wilines, but alſo leaue their folly. But mine intention, is not at this preſent to write theyr behauiours, which (God wylling) ſhall be publiſhed in another page. Mine intention is onelyonly, by the grace of God, to withdrawe and turne your hartes, from the beleefe of thoſe damnable hereſies which you holde, which I beſeeche God that I may performe for his names ſake.

Crowley.

I would gladly ſtay my penne, from blotting my paper with bitter or opprobrious wordes, but (alas) I can not, for the fire of zeale towards Gods glory, is ſo kindled in myne harte, that I can not hold in, ſuch ſpéeches as this blaſphemer deſerueth. The ſpéeches ſhall (I hope) be ſuch, and ſo vttered: that euen the blaſphemer himſelfe ſhalbe enforced to confeſſe, that the wryter ſéeketh nothing leſſe, then the priuate reuenge of y^e priuate wrong that is doone vntounto himſelfe. The open wronge that is doone to Chriſt, and to his bleſſed name and Religion, is it that mooueth me to ſay (to this boy Fryer) as the Apoſtle Paule ſayd to Elymas the Sorcerer. Acts. 13. O thou child of the deuill, full of all guyle and diſceitfulnes: thou enemy of all righteouſnes, dooſt thou not ceaſe to peruert the right waies of the Lorde? Take héede (thou blaſphemer) of that which followeth in that text. Dareſt thou ſay, that the deuil of hel, is the foundation of Chriſtes Religion? Thou calleſt it our Religion, becauſe we profeſſe it: and we acknowledg that in that meaning, it is ours indéede, & we are not aſhamed of it. But in thy meaning, we deny it to be ours, for wee are not the Authors of it. It is a reuerent feare and louelove towards the maieſtie of God, which the holy ſpirit of Chriſt hath wrought in our p. 27harts: whereby we are mooued to ſéeke to knowe his wyll, and to ſerue him according to his wyll. The foundation of this Religion, is the Law of God, and the Goſpell of Chriſt. For the Lawe dooth worke in vsus feare, and the Goſpell worketh louelove. By the lawe, we are ſeruants, but by the Goſpell we are children, that is, adoptiue ſonnes and daughters, of God himſelfe, and inheritors of hys kingdome, and heyres annexed with Jeſus Chriſt, his onelyonly begotten Sonne. This Law did God himſelfe wryte, firſt in the hart of the firſt man, in his firſt creation, and after in Tables of ſtone, and deliuered the ſame to Moſes, as his eſpeciall and choſen Miniſter, that by his miniſtration, it might bee made knowne to his people, the poſteritie of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob. And the ſame Law, is by the finger of God written in our harts in our regeneration or newe byrth, wherein we are borne from aboue, by water, and by the holy Ghoſt: hauing receiued the ſpirite of Chriſt, which crieth in our harts to the heauenly maieſty, Abba Pater, Father, father. The Goſpell alſo, was firſt preached to the firſt man, and to the firſt woman, when God himſelfe ſaid thus to the Serpent. I wyll p…enmitie betwixt thée and the woman, betwixt thy ſéede and her ſéede, her ſéede ſhall breake thy heade. This Goſpell was a gladde tydings to the firſt mā and his wife, and they both beléeued it, and by that beléefe, were they diſcharged of the ſinne which they hadde committed, in taſting of the forbidden fruite, which S. Paul calleth Juſtifying. And continuing in this beléefe, they had this promiſed ſéede. Chriſt, their continuall Aduocate as we hauehave, ſo that, ſo oft as they did by f…ailty ſinne, they did (as we doo) by faith repare vntounto him, and he was the propitiation for their ſinnes, as he is for ours, when we repare vntounto him by fayth. Chriſt Jeſus therefore, is called, and is indéede. Agnus occi…us ab origine mundi: That Lambe that hath béene ſlayne, euen from the beginning of the world. Apo. 13. This Goſpell was continually preached, both before the Lawe written in Tables of ſtone, and alſo vnderunder that Law, by Sacrifice, as by ſhaddowes and figures. Heb. 10▪ as alſo by the miniſtry of the Prophets. But when Chriſt Jeſus, which is this promiſed ſéede came: he preached this Goſpell in his owne perſon firſt moſt plainlie, amongſt them that were his owne peculier people. And afterward he preached it amongſt the nations of the world, by the miniſtry of his Apoſtles or meſſengers. And thus the knowledge heere of came to al Nations of the world. Amongſt whom the Grecians thought good to call this Goſpell (which in our olde Engliſhe was named Gods ſpeale, that is to ſay, Gods word) by the name Euaggelion, which name doth by interpretation ſignify, Gladde tydings. This Goſpell or Glad tydings (ſo called becauſe it dooth aſſure vsus of frée pardon, and full forgiuenes of all our ſinnes by the onelyonly mediation of our onelyonly Mediator, Chriſt Jeſus) is that Goſpell that Chriſt Jeſus doth ſtyll preache amongſt vsus by the miniſtry of them, whom you call Heretickes. Howe dare you now ſay that the foundation of our Religion is the deuill of hell? Is the deuill of hell, the Lawe and the Goſpell? But (for your recreation, as it may ſéeme) it hath pleaſed you to vſe the figure Parentheſis, and therein to ſet downe a long Regiſter of the names of ſuch as you call the deuils miniſters, to whom you wyſh, either conuerſion, or els ſpéedy diſpatch out of thys life. This petition may wée (with greater and more Chriſtian louelove, both towards you and our Countrey) craue at Gods hand for you, and for all your ſocietye. You ſette downe our names very diſorderly, euen as they came to your troubled memory, or as ſome man had gathered them, and deliuered them to you in ſome torne péece of paper. It may be, that neither you, nor anie that hath giuen you inſtructions, did at any time knowe many of them whom you name, nor reade any thing written by them. And yet (like a bolde blinde Bayarde) you promiſe to write and publiſh their behauiours in another Page. You may (perhaps) doo if: but with as ſmall commendation; and as great ſhame, as others hauehave doone before you. It is written to our comfort, that if ſuch as you, did call the good man of the houſe Belzebub: howe much more will ſuch call them of the houſholde ſo? It is one good ſigne that we be of the houſholde of Chriſte, when we be for Chriſtes cauſe, called as Chriſt himſelfe was, and by ſuch as called him ſo. Math▪ 10. The Phareſies, (your Aunceſtors in hipocriſy) ſhamed not to ſay vntounto him, euen to his face. Do not we ſay well, in that we ſay thus. Thou art a Samaritan, and haſt a deuill. Iohn. 8. And ſhall we thinke much that you backbite vsus, and in your ſlaunderous Lybels charge vsus, with crimes, which you are not able to prooue, more then the Phareſies could prooue that Chriſt was a Samaritane, and had a deuill. For mine owne part (ſyr boy Fryer) make what report you dare, (better experience p. 28you hauehave not had of any, for you hauehave béene in my houſe, and at my charges, a long ſeauen yéeres) but take héede that your pen ſcribble no lye, in the report that you ſhall make of mee: for if you doo, I wyll (if GOD gyue life and hability) ſo paynt you wyth my penſell, as you neuer painted your naked backe wyth your hipocrites diſcipline or whyp.

You apply vntounto vsus the ſaying of the holy Apoſtle S. Iohn, the firſt Epiſtle. Chapter. 2. Ex nobis prodierunt. &c. If you be (as you ſay you are) a Papiſt of the ſociety of Papiſts: then you apply that ſaying rightly to vsus ſo farre forth, as that you ſay that wee came forth from you, and were not of you. But if that ſociety of which you meane, be the Catholicke Church, whereof y^e Church of Rome that was in S. Iohns time was a principall member: then that ſaying of S. Iohn can not be rightly applyed vntounto vsus, but to you. For not we, but you, are gone out from them, & were not of them. And we are gone out from you, and were not of you, for you are Antichriſtians, and we are Chriſtians, as thoſe Romaine were in the dayes of S. Iohn. But wyll you ſée what S. Iohn ſaith in the ſame Epiſtle. Cap. 4. Hée doth there teache you howe to knowe Antichriſt, and ſo conſequently Antichriſtians. Omnis ſpiritus qui ſoluit Ieſum, ex Deo non est, & hic est Antichristus, de quo audistis quoniam venit, & iam nunc in mundo est. EueryEvery ſpirite that loſeth or diſſolueth Jeſus, or the Sauiour, (for ſo dooth the name Jeſus ſignify) is not of God, and the ſame is Antechriſt, of whom you hauehave heard that he commeth, and he is euen nowe in the worlde. Who be they that may be ſayd to loſe or diſſolue Jeſus, (which is the Sauiour) but they which doo as you doo. That is, aſſcribe one part of your ſaluation to Jeſus Chriſt, and another to your owne workes and merites? If you can find any better interpretation of this place, let vsus at your leaſure ſée it. If not, leaue your diſſoluing of Jeſus, and ioyne with vsus in aſcribing your whole ſaluation to the mediation of Jeſus Chriſt as we doo. But perhaps, you wyll héere …lée from your olde allowed tranſlation, and for an aduantage take holde of the Gréeke text, which is thus. EueryEvery ſpirite that denyeth, or doth not confeſſe, that Jeſus is come in the fleſh, is not of God, &c. But what can that helpe your cauſe? Jeſus Chriſte came in the fleſh, that he might treade the wine preſſe of Gods wrath, alone, and not to hauehave any one to helpe him. Eſay. 63. Hee came in the fleſh, that he might be wounded for our iniquities, broken for our great and wicked ſinnes, that the correction wherby we might be reconciled myght fall vponupon him, that we might bée made whole by the brwſing of his ſtripes. Eſay. 53. Agayne, S. Paule. 1. Tim: 1. Thys is a true ſaying, and méete to be receiued of all men, that Chriſt Jeſus came into this world to ſaue ſinners. And in Math. 1. Hée ſhall ſaue his people from their ſinnes. And in S. Iohns Goſpell. 1. Beholde him that taketh away the ſinnes of the worlde. By all theſe places it is plaine, that whoſoeuer aſcribeth any parte of our ſaluation, to any other then to Chriſt Jeſus alone, denyeth him to bée come in the fleſh, and is of that Antichriſt that S. Iohn ſpeaketh of. 1. Epiſtle. 4. You are therefore Antichriſtians, and we are for good cauſe come from you, becauſe we were not Antichriſtians, and therefore not of you. We are returned to that Romiſh Catholicke Church that was in Johns time, from whom you came out, becauſe you were not of them And we doo now beléeue, as they beléeued then. They beléeued then, that there is but one God that hath made all creatures, and him they glorifyed in the vſe of hys creatures, and they gaue thankes to hym alone for thoſe creatures, and ſtudyed to ſerue him onelyonly, in ſpyrite, and and with ſpiritual ſeruice, fléeing from the example of the Heathen Nations, that preſumed to counterfayte his maieſtie by Images. Rom. 1. And ſo doo wée. They beléeued and confeſſed that all men are ſinners, and that man can not iuſtify himſelfe before God, becauſe no man can ſo kéepe the Lawe but that his own conſcience ſhall condemne him as a tranſgreſſor: & therefore, they dyd cleaue to the mercy of God, and ſo doo we. They beléeued that they were iuſtified (that is, diſcharged of their ſinnes) fréely by fayth, wythout the déedes of the Law: and yet they thought themſelues bound to doo all that God had and ſhould make them able to doo in obſeruing and fulfilling the Law: and ſo doo we. Rom. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. They beléeued that God making choyſe of them, had in mercy made them his owne children by adoption, inheritours of his kingdome, and heyres annexed with his onelyonly begotten ſonne Chriſt Jeſus, and héere of they were aſſured by the ſpirit of Chriſt, which was gyuen to them, and cried in their harts Abba Pater, Father, Father: and ſo doo we. They beléeued, that this election and choyſe was made, in the fore knowledge and purpoſe of GOD, before them p. 29ſelues were, and ſo conſequently, before they eyther had or coulde doo, good or euill: and ſo doo we. Rom. 9. They beléeued, that as they were by frée mercy of God. adopted, predeſtinated, called, iuſtified, and acquitted of their ſinnes, and in Gods predeſtination glorifyed, and made like to the Image of his onelyonly begotten ſonne Chriſt Jeſus. Rom. 8. So their duety was to be carefull to leade a righteous life before men, and not be bolde to commit ſinne, (becauſe God had in mercy diſcharged them of ſin) but to liue in awe, and a reuerent childlike feare of his iuſtice, as they that would ſhewe themſelues continually thankfull for his mercy, in making their owne bodies a Sacrifice to God, lyuing holy and acceptable vntounto God, as theyr reaſonable ſeruing of God. Rom. 10. 11. 12. And euen ſo doo wée. They beléeued that theyr duety was to ſubmytte themſelues, to all ſuch as God had ſette ouer them in authoritye, and to obey them, not onelie for feare of puniſhment, but for conſcience ſake alſo, knowing that whoſoeuer reſiſteth power, reſiſteth the ordinaunce of GOD, and doth purchaſe to himſelfe damnation. And they beléeued that their duety was to giuegive eueryevery man his owne, and to vſe louing behauiour towards all men, knowing that louelove is the fulfilling of the Lawe. And that béeing baptiſed they had put vponupon themſelues Chriſt, and ought to walke and continue their liues in honeſty, not making prouiſion for the fleſhe, to ſatiſfy the luſtes thereof. Rom. 13. and euen ſo doo we. They beléeued, that although God had gyuen them liberty in the vſe of al his creatures: yet their duety was to hauehave a continuall regarde to the infirmitie of their brethren… and not to vſe any of thoſe creatures to the offence of any of them. Rom. 14. 15. and euen ſo doo we. They beléeued, that they, together with all other Chriſtians els where, in any part of the worlde, were fellowe members of one bodye in Chriſt, and vnderunder Chriſt alone, acknowledging no vniuerſal heade of that body but onelyonly Chriſt Jeſus alone. Rom. 12. And euen ſo doo we.

Thus you may ſée, that we are not departed from the Catholicke Romaine Church, which was in the time of S. Iohn, but from you, that departed from them, more then 1000. yéeres before this day. You put many of Gods creatures in the place of God, in repoſing truſt in them, in calling vponupon them and crauing helpe at theyr handes, in rendring thankes vntounto them, in honouring them, in and by their Images, in ſeruing thē, and in conſecrating daies, Temples and Altars to their honour. You preſume vppon your owne power, as they that are able, either to fulfill the Law, or els hauing broken the Lawe, to ſatiſfie to God for your ſinne in breaking the Lawe, and to that end you faſt from fleſh, you goe and lye woolwarde, you riſe at midnight, you ſing mattins and maſſes, you whyp your ſelues with your diſciplines or whyps, not following therein any commaundement of God, or example of good man. For where hath God commaunded men to refrayne the neceſſary and honeſt vſe of his good creatures? And where hath he commanded men to be their owne formentors? What one man or woman can you name, amongſt the Patriarks, the Prophets, or Apoſtles, that formented themſelues, as you doo torment your ſelues, if your owne report be true? In the Lawe we reade, that if a man had deſerued to be chaſtiſed with ſtrypes, and were condemned by the Judge to be chaſtiſed: yet the number of ſtripes might not in anie caſe excéede the number of fortie. Deut. 25. Chap. But you ſay that eueryevery Frydaie, from our Ladie day in Lent, to May day, you doo whyp your ſelfe for your Parents ſake, & doo gyue your ſelfe 400. ſtripes at euerie time (as I thinke) for you ſay it is an eaſye thing with you nowe, ſo to doo. Well, whyp on ſtill, till you ſhal heare me ſay: whoe. And if you ſhall not hauehave whipping chéere enough at Nigeon in Fraunce, ſteppe ouer the water into Englande, and at your requeſt, I wyll helpe you to ſome of our whypping chéere in Bridewel, where one laſhe that our whypping Bedles doo giuegive, is worth a whole hundred of yours in Nigeon.

But to returne to our purpoſe. You ſay that we came from you, not lyking your kinde of life. It is very true, and ſo long as you leade ſuch a kinde of life as you doo, which is hypocriticall, wee minde neuer to returne to you againe. But where you doo charge vsus with pryde, deuilliſh ſuggeſtions, and heades full of fantaſies, I muſt vſe an Engliſh prouerbiall ſpéeche, and ſay: Take your ſelfe by the noſe, and ſaie foole I hauehave caught thée. The harts of thoſe men that you ſpeake of, and are departed this life, were well knowne vntounto God, & ſo are ours that doo yet remaine in this vale of miſery. We ſhall be all iudged one day, by him that will iudge iuſtlie. And what art thou that iudgeſt another mans ſeruaunt? But héere (by the way) I muſt tell you of your ingratitude towards p. 30M. Fyelde, whoſe purſe, penne and hand, hauehave béene helping to you, ſo that if you had regarded either chriſtian duety or charitie, yea or ciuile honeſtie, you would not hauehave ſo harkened to a falſe report, that you would hauehave noted him before all others, for coyning of ſo manie newe Religions, where he neuer coyned any. Staie your ſtile therefore (I aduiſe you, yet once againe) and peſter not that page that you threaten to publiſh, with lyes, eyther learned by report, or caſt in your owne moulde. For if you doo: But hauing ended your long Parentheſis, you goe on with your matter, and ſaie thus: My intent is onelie. &c. A peſtilent intention. To withdrawe & turne the harts of your father & mother from the beléefe of the Goſpell of Chriſt: (the word of ſaluation that is graffed into vsus, and is ſufficient to ſaue our ſoules) which you moſt blaſphemouſlie call damnable hereſie. And for habilitie to bring this intended miſcheefe to paſſe: thou (moſte vile wretch) dareſt open thy moſt blaſphemous mouth, to craue helpe at hys hande, that in iuſtice, may (yea muſt) and I doubt not, ſhortlye wyll, confounde thée and all ſuch as thou art.

But nowe you goe luſtily about your buſines, and you gyue ſo fierce an aſſault, euen at the firſt, that you ſéeme to be perſwaded, that you are in poſſeſſion of the Forte, before you come in place where you may plant your batterie: yea and before you hauehave, or doo know how to come by, anie ſuch péeces of Ordinaunce, as may be able to batter the walles and make them ſaltable. You ſay thus (to your Parents, I trow, for your Letters are directed to them.)

The Fryar.

You ſay, that we are fooles to pray for the deade you denie good workes to be meritorious of our ſaluation, affyrming that by faith onelyonly we are iuſtified. And which is moſt horrible, deteſtable, and abhominable. You vnſhamefaſtly, and moſt irreuerently, deny the reall preſence, of the moſte precious bodye and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, to be in the bleſſed Sacrament of the Altare. You ſay that there be but two Sacraments. An hereſye condemned long a goe. Many other opinions, not onelie fooliſh, but alſo execrable, and damnable you holde, which leade you the right way to eternall damnation in hell fire.

Crowley.

Héere is a meruailous péece of Ordinaunce. Who could hope that a poore Showmaker and his wife, altogether vnlettered and vnlearned, and therefore naked and vnarmed, and vnprepared to withſtand ſo puiſſaunt an aſſaltant, as Frier John Frauncis is: ſhould not at the firſt ſummons, come foorth, euen with Halters about their necks, and offer the keyes of their Forte to this valiant Captaine, and ſubmit themſelues to his mercy. Yea where ſhall we finde one amongſt the learned on the Proteſtants parte, that dare encounter with this monſtrous Golias, that hath ſo boldly defied the whole Armie of Iſraell? But leaſt Frier John ſhould thinke that I write Ironice, I wil ſtaie my ſtile for a ſpace, that I may ſée how this couragious Captaine wyll enforce hys ſo ſharpe an aſſault.

The Fryar.

For the firſt, (ſayth he) that is to ſay prayers for the dead: becauſe you admit not the words which the holy Docters of the Catholike Church hauehave ſpoken: I wyll turne you to the Byble it ſelfe. Which if you dare either plainly deny, or interprete falſely: you are nowe no longer heretickes, but playne Infidels. Looke therefore I beſeeche you, in the 12. Chapter of the ſeconde booke of Machabees, towards the ende of the Chapter, you ſhall there finde, howe a Captayne of the Iewiſh Armie, named Iudas, made a collection of money to be offered at Ieruſalem, for the ſinnes of thoſe Souldiours, which for a good and iuſt quarrell, were ſlayne in battaile. Furdermore, if you wyll take the paynes to reade the latter words of the ſame Chapter, you ſhall finde the concluſion of the ſame Chapter to be this. Sancta ergo, et ſalubris est cogitatio, pro defunctis exorare, vt a peccatis ſoluantur. It is (ſayth he) therefore, a holy, and a wholſome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be releaſed from their ſinnes. Tell me not nowe (I pray you) a tale of a tubbe, with a quote in the margnet, ſaying: That the foreſayd place of holy Scripture, was not written by the holy Ghoſt. For if ſo be that you be come to that point, as to belye the holy. Scripture, well may it be ſayde of you, which is written by holye Eſay, in his booke of prophecies. Chap. 6. Aure audietis, et non intelligetis. You ſhal heare with your eares, but you ſhall not vnderſtande. Seeing you ſhall ſee, & ſhall not perceiue, for your harts are hardened. Wyth your eares you hauehave heard vnwillingly, and you hauehave bent downewardes your eye ſight, leaſt you ſhoulde peraduenture ſee with your eyes, heare wyth your eares, and vnderſtand with your harts, and ſo being conuerted, God ſhould heale you.

p. 31Crovvley.

In vewing the Forte of our fayth, you ſéeme to hauehave determined to batter foure of the eſpeciall Bulworkes thereof. Namely, the denyall of Prayers for the dead. The denial of works to be meritorious of ſaluation. The denyall of the reall preſence of the body and blood of Chriſt in the bleſſed Sacrament of the Altar. And the denying that there be any moe Sacramēts then two. To batter theſe Bulworkes, you will not bring any Ordinaunce taken out of the Storchouſe of the holie Fathers, but you wyll vſe that great forcible Ordinaunce, that is to be had in the Storehouſe of the holye Bible: and therewith you wil batter and beate down the ſtrongeſt parts of our Forte of Faith. Againſt the firſt Bulworke, you plant a péece of Ordinaunce taken out of the 12. Chap. of the ſeconde booke of Machabees. Againſt the ſeconde Bulworke, 2. péeces of Ordinaunce, one taken out of the Epiſtle of S. Iames, and the other out of the 25. Chapter of S. Mathewes Goſpell. Againſt the third, you doo plant foure péeces of Ordinaunce, one taken out of the 26. Chap. of S. Mathew, one other taken out of the 14. Chapter of S. Marke, the third out of the 22. of S. Luke. and the fourth you take out of the ſixt Chap. of S. Iohns Goſpell. But againſt the fourth Bulworke. you bring no Ordinaunce at all, neither out of the Storehouſe of the Bible, nor out of the Storehouſe of the holie Doctors of the Catholicke Church. OnelyOnly you ſay, that it is an hereſie condemned long ago.

But let vsus ſée, of what force theſe péeces of Ordinaunce be. The firſt ſéemeth a farre off, to be a double Cannon of great force. But at hand, it is founde to be but a ſillie Baſe, emboſſed and made great, by cunning clowting together of Paſte made of paper, in the forme of a double Cannon, with the colour of Braſſe cunningly layde vponupon it. Who would not thinke that this were a Cannon of great force, when he ſhall heare the Captaine himſelfe ſay. I will turne you to the Bible it ſelfe? which if you dare either deny. &c. you ſhalbe no longer Heretickes, but plaine Infidels. Looke I beſéeche you. &c. A Captaine of the Jewiſh Armie made a collection &c. Yea, and the latter wordes of the Chapter, are theſe. Sancta ergo & ſalubris est cogitatio. &c. And tell me not nowe (I pray you) a tale of a tubbe. &c. Yea and laſt of all, well may it be ſaide of you, Aure audietis & non intelligetis &c. But let vsus drawe néerer to this terrible péece of Ordinaunce, that we may ſée of what force it is. Firſt, becauſe Fryer John dooth charge vsus, that we admitt not the words which the holy Doctors of the Catholicke Church hauehave ſpoken: I require him to reade that which S. Ierome hath written, in his preface vponupon the bookes of Salomon, immediatly after thoſe wordes that I put you in minde of when I anſwered to that ſentence that you alledged out of the booke of Wiſedome, Chap. 11. S. Ierome writeth thus. Sicut ergo Judeth, & Tobiae, & Machabeorum libros, legit quidem Eccleſia, ſed eos inter canonicas ſcripturas non recipit, ſic & baec duo volumina legat, ad edificationem plebis: non ad authoritatem eccleſiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam. Euen as the Church dooth (indéede) reade the bookes of Iudith and Tobias, and of the Machabees, but dooth not receiue them amongſt y^e Canonicall Scriptures, euen ſo ſhe may reade theſe two bookes (meaning the booke of Wiſedome and Eccleſiaſticus) to the edifying of the people, but not for the confirming of Eccleſiaſticall doctrine. Loe (Maſter Frier John) one of the holie Doctors of the Catholicke Church, hath tolde you, that this Scripture was not written by the holie Ghoſt, and yet I trowe you will not ſay that he hath tolde you a tale of a tubbe, nor that he hath belyed the holy Ghoſt, or that the ſaying of the holie Eſay, may be well applied vntounto him. But if your ſelfe would vouchſafe to reade the laſt lynes of this ſeconde Booke of Machabees, I thinke you woulde not thinke this booke to be of ſuch authority as hetherto, you hauehave in theſe writings ſéemed to thinke. For in the wordes written in thoſe lynes, the author or writer of this booke, dooth ſhewe himſelf to be in doubt whether he hauehave doone ſo well as himſelfe wiſhed to doo: and in caſe he hauehave not doone ſo well, he craueth pardon of his Readers, and vſeth a ſimilitude to perſwade him to pardon him. Which is a thing all together vnſéemely to be doone by the holie Ghoſte. Yea I ſuppoſe your ſelfe woulde account it blaſphemie, in him that wold ſay, that the holy Ghoſt may doubt whether ought that he doth bée well doone or not. And if you will take the paines to reade the latter part of the 14. Chapter of this booke, you ſhall finde there a great commendation giuen to one Razias, for that he murthered himſelfe, which commendation could not come from y^e holy Ghoſt. For ſuch murder is not onelie contrarie to the expreſſe commaundement of GOD, but it is contrarie to nature alſo. Yea, and I doo yet thinke, that though you doo thinke, that you doo deſerue much p. 32at Gods hande by whypping your ſelfe with your diſcipline (as your ſelfe doo report) yet you are not perſwaded that you ſhoulde deſerue more, if either by whipping your ſelfe or otherwiſe, you ſhoulde kill your ſelfe.

Moreouer, if your ſelfe be not of that number that Eſay the Prophet ſpeaketh of in the ſixt Chapter of his booke (cited by your ſelfe) then there is hope that you will not ſticke to reade, & weigh the circumſtaunces of the place in the 12. of this ſecond booke of the Machabees, that you doo ſo much vrge vsus with. In the text that goeth immediatlie before that, which you doo beſéeche vsus to looke vponupon: the Hiſtorian hath ſaide, that after the Armie of Gorsias was by the mighty power of God put to flight, Iudas (hauing gathered his Army together) came to the Cittie Odolla. And when the ſeauenth day was come, and they were purified according to the cuſtome, they did in the ſame place ſpende the time of the Sabaothe. And the next day following, Iudas came with his company to take vp the dead bodies of them that were ſlaine, and to bury thē with their fathers, in the buriall places that belonged to them. And they founde vnderunder the garments of them that were flayne, certain of the gifts that had béene offered to the Idolles that were at Iamnia, from which the Lawe commaunded the Iewes to abſtaine. It was therefore made manifeſt to all men, that this was the cauſe wherefore they were ſlayne. The whole company did therefore commende the iuſt iudgment of the Lord, which had made manifeſt the déedes that had béene hidde and kept in ſecrete. And ſo they gaue themſelues to prayer, and beſought God that the fault which was committed might be blotted out of memory. But the moſte valiant man Iudas, exhorted the people to kéepe themſelues wythout ſinne, hauing euen before their eyes, thoſe things that had happened for the ſinnes of thoſe that were ſlayne. And hauing ended his Collation, he ſent to Jeruſalem, xii. thouſande drachmas of ſiluer, that ſacrifice might be offered for the ſinnes of them that were deade.

Thus farre goeth the report of that which was doone by Iudas that Captaine of the Jewiſh Armie that you ſpeake of. I hauehave taken this text out of the tranſlation that is allowed by the decrée of the Tridentine Councell, which tranſlation, you may not diſalow of, for if you doo: you ſhalbe amongſt them that the fathers of that Counſell hauehave Anathematized. Take héede therefore, that you hauehave not offended already, in that you hauehave ſaid, that the Captain made a Collection, where your text ſayth, facta collatione. I know that our tranſlators that hauehave tranſlated into the Engliſh, hauehave ſayd as you hauehave doone. Hauing made a collection of monye, ſent it to Jeruſalem. &c. In the Gréeke, the ſence is vncertaine, and hardlie can there any perfect ſence be gathered in this place. And this one thing I muſt note, that where this vulgare tranſlation hath twelue thouſande Drachmas, the Gréeke hath but two thouſande Drachmas, which together with the reſt of the circumſtaunces of the text, doo cauſe me to thinke, that Iudas néeded not to make any collection of mony to be ſent to Jeruſalem. For the ſumme béeing no greater, he might very well ſpare it out of his owne treaſure (as it may be ſuppoſed.) Hauing therefore ended that Collation or concion which he made to his whole company of Souldiers that then were about him, (wherein he exhorted them, to conſider of that which had happened, and to take warning thereby, to bee carefull to kéepe themſelues from ſinne, leaſt the like ſhoulde fall vponupon them alſo) he ſent that ſumme of mony to Jeruſalem, that Sacrifice might be offered there for the ſinnes of them that were deade. Slayne (as you ſay) for a good and a iuſt quarrell, but the Hiſtorie ſaith, that the iuſt iudgment of the Lorde was executed vppon them, for that they had ſtolen and hidde vnderunder theyr Garments, thinges that hadde béene offered to thoſe Idolles that were at Iamnia, which was by the Lawe forbidden to be doone. But what? would you hauehave vsus to think (as it may ſéeme you doo think) that Iudas Machabeus (béeing a man ſo preciſe in obſeruing y^e law of God, as in this Hiſtory it appeareth that he was) would cauſe any newe kinde of Sacrifice to bée deuiſed, or that he would cauſe any of thoſe Sacrifices that Moſes had by Gods direction commanded to be offered, to be vſed for any other purpoſe, then for thoſe purpoſes that God himſelfe had ordeyned them for? If you wyll reade the whole Leuiticall Lawe throughout, you ſhall not finde that euer God did commaunde any ſacrifice to be offered for ſinne other then that which is called a ſinne offering: and was to be offered for penitent ſinners, in ſuch ſort as the Law preſcribeth, which was, in the preſence of the penitent ſinner himſelfe, laying hys hand vponupon the heade of the ſacrificed beaſt, thereby ſignifying that p. 33it was he that had deſerued that death, which the innocent beaſt… was then and there to ſuffer. The Sacrifice therefore which Iudas would hauehave to be offered at Jeruſalem, muſt néedes be of that kind which was called a peace offering, and was to be vſed for the pacifying of Gods wrath, which ſhould at anytime, by any occ…n be bent, either againſt the whole people, or againſt any one ſ… of the people for any offence committed amongſt them. Iuda… therefore conſidering that GOD might in Juſtice (as oftentimes he had doone) viſite the ſinne of the Fathers vponupon the children, euen to the third and fourth generation, in them that in committing wylling and wilfull ſinne, had ſhewed themſelues to be haters of his Maieſtie: feared leaſt this iuſt iudgment ſhoulde be executed vponupon ſuch as remained yet aliue, and were of the poſterity of them that were already ſlayne, for the wickednes that they had committed. The wryter of the Hiſtorie therefore hath doone great wrong to Iudas, in that which he addeth to the ende of this hyſtory, bearing his Readers in hand, that Iudas meant to redéeme by Sacrifice, the …inne that the ſlayne had committed, and to teache, that to pray for the dead that they may be releaſed of their ſinnes, is a holy and an holeſome cogitation. You muſt therefore prooue by other ſcriptures, more authentiall then this Scripture is, that you are wiſe in that you pray for the dead: otherwiſe we muſt ſay, as you ſay we doo ſay, that you are fooles in déede. And perſiſting in that opinion that you holde▪ concerning the making of prayers for the dead, you will proue your ſelues to be wilfull fooles.

Thus you may (if you will) ſée of howe ſmall force that péece of Ordinance is, that you hauehave brought out of the Storehouſe of the Bible, pla…ting it againſt that Bulwork of the Forte of our faith, wherein we ſtande at defence, denying that it is either neceſſary, lawfull, or méete for Chriſtians, to make any prayers to God, for the ſoules of them that are departed this life. And heerein we followe the example of the Patriakes, Prophets, Chriſt Jeſus, hys Apoſtles, and the continuall vſage of Gods people, both before the Lawe written, vnderunder the Law, and vnderunder Chriſt, euen vntounto thys day. If you, or any of your maſters, hauehave ought to ſay, out of your generall Counſelles, out of your Schoole Doctors▪ out of the corruption of Doctors (otherwiſe godly) or out of vſages that hauehave ſprong vp in the time of déepe ignorance: let it be ſet foorth at your leaſure: and you ſhall hauehave aunſwere (by the helpe of GOD) as other your prediceſſors in Popery hauehave had. We doo not denie but you may ſay much, but by the rule of the auncient Fathers, what ſoeuer ſhalbe affirmed, and not approued by the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures, may as eaſily be denyed, as it is affyrmed. Yea, S. Auſten woulde hauehave no credite, furder then he ſhould prooue by the holy Scriptures, all that he ſhould affirme.

The ſeconde Bulworke, wherein we ſtande at defence, is, that we deny good workes to be meritorious to ſaluation: affyrming that by faith onelyonly we are iuſtified. Againſt this, you bring two battery péeces out of the Storehouſe of the Byble. One of them is the Epiſtle of the holye Apoſtle S. Iames. And the other is, the wordes of our Sauiour Jeſus Chriſte, written by the Euangeliſt S. Mathew▪ Chapter. 25. Both theſe bee double Cannons of great force. But hauing planted them againſt our Forte, and hauing gyuen fire to them with purpoſe to ſhake downe our walles, they recoyle in ſuch ſorte, that your ſelfe are in greater danger to be hurt by the ſhooting of them off, then we (againſt whom yee hauehave bent them) are. For what hauehave you in the Epiſtle of S. Iames▪ that you doo thinke may annoy vsus, or ſhake any part of our Forte? I ſuppoſe that you cannot finde any words in that Epiſtle, that are more forcible then theſe are. Quid proderit fratres mei, ſi fidem quis dicat ſe habere: operra autem non habeat? nunquid poterit fides ſaluare eum? What ſhall it auayle (my brethren) if a man ſhoulde ſay that he hath fayth, and yet hath no workes? doo ye think that faith can ſaue him? And againe. Sic et fides, ſi non habeat opera, mortua est in ſemetipſa. Euen ſo faith alſo, if it hauehave not workes, it is dead in it ſelfe. And againe. Abraham pater noster, nōne ex operibus iustificatus eſt: offerens filium ſuum Iſaac ſuper altare? Abraham our Father, was he not iuſtified by workes, when he offered Iſaac his ſonne vponupon the Altare? And againe. Ʋidetis, quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo: et non ex fide tantum. You ſée, that man is made righteous by workes, and not by faith onelyonly. Iames. Chap. 2. I am ſure that theſe be the places that you your ſelfe would picke out of S. Iames Epiſtle, as ſentences that in your iudgement doo make moſt againſt that which we beléeue and confeſſe, which is. That workes be not meritorious to ſaluation. Nowe let vsus conſider of theſe ſentences, that we may ſée whether they be likely to make againſt p. 34vsus, or againſt you. For the firſt, we ſay (as S. Iames doth) that if a man ſhall ſay that he hath faith, & yet hath no déedes, that ſaying ſhall profite him nothing at all. For although hee doo ſay that he hath fayth, yet he hath i… not indéede. For faith can no more be without good works, then a good trée can be without good fruite. The good trée is neuer without good …ruites, either Act… or Potentià. that is, either in acte or in power. Euen ſo faith, is neuer without good workes, but hath them in power euen when ſhee ſéemeth to be moſt barren and vnfruitfull, and when occaſion ſerueth, ſhee bringeth them foorth, that all men may ſée them, and be aſſured that ſhe is the ſame faith that S. Paul wrote of to the Galathians. Fides qu… per dilexionem operatur. Fayth that worketh by louelove.