Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 2 · Body of tract · Part 12
¶ Of miracles and worſhipping of Saintes.
ANtichriſt ſhal not only come with lying ſignes, and diſguiſed wyth falſhod, but alſo wyth lying miracles and True miracles draw to Chriſt.wonders, ſaith Paule in the ſaid place ij. Theſſ. ij. All the true miracles which are of God, are ſhewed (as I aboue rehearſed) to moue vsus to heare Gods word, and to ſtabliſhe our fayth therin: and to confirme the truth of Gods promiſes, that we might without all doubting beleue thē. For Gods worde thorough fayth bringeth the ſpirite into our hartes, and alſo life, as Chriſt ſayth Iohn. vi. The wordes which I ſpeake are ſpirite and lyfe. The worde alſo purgeth vsus and clenſeth vsus, as Chriſt ſayth Iohn. xv. ye are cleane by the meanes of the word. Paul ſayth. i. Timo. ij. One God, one Mediatour (that is to ſay, aduocate, interceſſor, or an atonemaker) betwene God & man: the man Chriſt Ieſus which gaue him ſelfe a raunſon for all men Peter ſayth of Chriſt Actes. iiij. Neither is their health in any other: neither yet alſo any other name geuen vntounto men wherin we muſt be ſaued. So now Chriſt is our peace, our redemption or raunſom for our ſinnes, our righteouſnes, ſatiſfactiō and all the promiſes of God are yea & Amen in him. ij. Cor. i. And we for yt great and infinite louelove whiche God hath to vsus in Chriſt, louelove him agayn, louelove alſo his lawes, & louelove one an other. And the deedes whiche we The effect and force of our good deedes.hence forth doe, do we not to make ſatiſfaction or to obteine heauen: but to ſuccour our neighbour to tame yt fleſh that we may waxe perfect and ſtrong men in Chriſt, and to be thankefull to God againe for his mercy, and to glorifie his name.
COntrarywiſe the miracles of Antichriſt Falſe miracles driue from Chriſt.are done to pull thee from the worde of God, and from beleuyng his promiſes and from Chriſt, and to put thy truſt in a man, or a ceremonie wherin Gods word is not. As ſoone as Gods woorde is beleued, the fayth ſpread abroad, then ſeaſe the miracles of god. But the miracles of Antichriſt, becauſe they are wrought by the deuil, to quench the fayth, grow dayly more and more: neither ſhall ceaſe vntill the worldes end among them that beloue not Gods worde and promiſes. Seeſt thou not how God looſed & ſent forth all the deuils in the old world among the Heathen or Gētiles? And how the deuils wrought miracles, & ſpake to them in eueryevery image? Euen ſo ſhal the deuill woorke falſhode by one craft or an other, vntill the worldes end amōg them that beleue not Gods word. For the iudgement and damnation of hym that hath no luſt to heare the truth, is to heare lyes, and to be ſtabliſhed and grounded therein through falſe miracles, and he that will not ſee, is worthy to be blind, and he that biddeth the ſpirite of God go from him, is worthy to be without him.
Paul, Peter, and all true Apoſtles preached Chriſt onelyonly. And the miracles did but confirme and ſtabliſh their preachyng, and thoſe euerlaſtyng promiſes & eternall Teſtament that God had made betwene man and hym in Chriſtes bloud, and the miracles dyd teſtifie alſo that they were true ſeruauntes of Chriſt. Paul preached not him ſelfe, he taught not any mā to truſt in him or his holynes, or in Peter or in any ceremonie, but in the promiſes which God hath ſworne onelyonly, yea he mightyly reſiſteth all ſuche falſe doctrine both to the Corinthians, Galathians, Epheſiās and eueryevery where. If He that teacheth to truſt in a ſaint is a falſe Prophet.this be true (as it is true and nothyng more truer) that if Paul had preached him ſelf, or taught any mā to beleue in his holynes or prayer or in any thyng, ſaue in the promiſes that GOD hath made and ſworne to geue vsus for Chriſtes ſake, he had bene a falſe Prophet: why am not I alſo a falſe Prophet, if I teach thee to truſt in Paule or in hys holines or prayer, or in any thing ſaue in Gods word as Paul dyd.
If Paule were here and loued me What he ſhould pray that prayeth for his neighbour.(as he loued them of his tyme of whō he was ſent and to whō he was a ſeruaunt to preache Chriſt, what good could he doe for me or wiſhe me, but preach Chriſt and pray to God for me, to open myne hart, to geue me his ſpirite, & to bring me vntounto the full knowledge of Chriſt? vntounto which porte or hauen, when I am once come, I am as ſafe as Paule, felow with Paule, ioyntheyre with Paul of all the promiſes of God, and gods truth heareth my prayer as well as Paules, I alſo now could not but louelove Paul & wiſh him good, and pray for him, that God would ſtrength him in all his temptations & geue him victory, as he would do for me. Neuertheleſſe there are many The … be … and not deceaued.weake, and young conſciences alwayes in the congregation which they that hauehave the office to preach ought to teach, and not to diſceaue them.
What prayers pray our Clergy for vsus which ſtoppe vsus and exclude vsus frō The ſpiri… pray not that we might come to y• knowledge of Chriſt.Chriſt and ſeke all the meanes poſſible to kepe vsus from knowledge of Chriſt? They compell vsus to hyre Friers, Monkes, Nunnes, Chanons, and Prieſtes, & to buye their abhominable merites, and to hyre the Saintes that are dead to pray for vsus, for the very Saintes hauehave they made hyrelynges alſo: becauſe that their offeryngs come to their profite. What pray all thoſe: that we might come to the knowledge of Chriſt, as the Apoſtles did? Nay verely. For it is a plaine caſe, that all they which enforce to kepe vsus from Chriſt, pray not that we might come to the knowledge of Chriſt. And as for the Saintes (whoſe prayer was whē they were a lyne that we might be grounded, ſtabliſhed and ſtrēgthed in Chriſt onelyonly) if it were of God that we ſhould this wiſe worſhyp them contrary vntounto their owne doctrine, I dare be bold to affirme that by the meanes of their prayers, we ſhould hauehave bene brought long a go vntounto the knowledge of God and Chriſt agayne, though that theſe beaſtes had done their worſte to ſet it. Let vsus therefore ſet our hartes at reſt in Chriſt and in Gods promiſes, for ſo I thinke it beſt, and let vsus take the The … are but an en… ….Saintes ſoran example onelyonly, and let vsus do as they both taught and dyd.
Let vsus ſet Gods promiſes before our eyes, and deſire him for his mercy and for Chriſtes ſake to fulfill them. And he is as true as euer he was, and will do it, as well as euer he dyd, for to vsus are the promiſes made as well as to them.
Moreouer the end of Gods miracles is good, the ende to theſe miracles are euill. For the offerynges which are Offerings cauſe of the miracles.the cauſe of the miracles do but miniſter and maynteine vice, ſinne and all abhomination, and are geuen to them that hauehave to much, ſo that for very aboundance, they …ome out their owne ſhame, and corrupt the whole worlde with the ſtyuch of their filthines.
Therto what ſoeuer is not of fayth is ſinne, Roma. xiiij, Fayth commeth by hearyng Gods woorde Roma. x. when now thou faſteſt or doeſt any thyng in the worſhip of any Saint beleuyng to come to the fauour of God or to bee ſaued thereby if thou hauehave Gods worde, then is it true fayth and ſhall ſaue thee. If thou hauehave not Gods woorde, then is it a falſe fayth ſuperſtitiouſnes and Idolatry, and damnable ſinne.
Alſo in the Collects of the Saintes with whiche we pray God to ſaue vsus through the merites or deſeruynges of the Saintes (which Saintes yet were not ſaued by their owne deſeruynges them ſelues) we ſay Per Chriſt … Dominū nostrum, that is for Chriſt our Lordes ſake. We ſay ſaue vsus good Lord thorough the ſaintes merites for Chriſtes ſake. How can he ſaue vsus through the Saintes merites for Chriſtes ſake and for hys deſeruyng merites and louelove? Take an example. A Gentleman ſayth vntounto me I will do the vttemoſt of my power for thee, for the louelove whiche I owe vntounto thy father. Though thou haſt neuer done me pleaſure, yet I louelove thy father well, thy father is my frend and hath deſerued that I doe all that I can for thee &c. Here is a Teſtament and a promiſe made vntounto me in the louelove of my father onelyonly. If I come to the ſayd Gentleman in the name of one of his ſeruauntes whiche I neuer ſaw, neuer ſpake with, neither hauehave any acquaintaunce at all with and ſay: Syr I pray you be good maſter vntounto me in ſuch a cauſe. I hauehave not deſerued that he ſhould ſo do. Neuertheleſſe I pray you doe it for ſuch a ſeruauntes ſake: yea I pray you for the louelove that you owe to my father doe that for me for ſuch a ſeruauntes ſake. If I this wiſe made my petition, would not mē thinke that I come late out of S. Patrikes God y• father fulfilleth his promiſes to vsus for Chriſtes ſake, & not for the merites of ſaintes as y• Papiſtes taught.Purgatory, & had left my wittes behinde me. This do we. For the Teſtamēt and promiſes are all made vntounto vsus in Chriſt. And we deſire God to fulfill hys promiſes for the Saintes ſake: yea that he will for Chriſtes ſake do it for the Saintes ſake.
They hauehave alſo martyrs which neuer preached Gods worde, neither dyed therefore: but for priuileges and liberties All ſuch Martyrs are the popes martyrs & not Gods. For martyr ſignifieth a witnes bearer: now is he not Gods witnes that teſtifieth not his worde.which they falſely purchaſed contrary vntounto Gods ordinaunces. Yea & ſuch Saintes though they be deade, yet robbe now as faſt as euer they did, neither are leſſe couetous now then when they were aliue. I doubt not but that they will make a Saint of my Lord Cardinall, after the death of vsus that be aliue, and know his iuggling and crafty conueiaunce, and will ſhrine him gloriouſly, for his mightily defending of the right of holy Church, except we be diligent to leaue a commemoration of that Nimroth behind vsus.
The reaſons wherewith they proue their doctrine are but fleſhly: and as The reaſons which they make for y• worſhipping of Saintes are ſolued.Paule calleth them, entiſing wordes of mans wiſdome, that is to witte, ſophiſtry and brauling argumentes of men with corrupt mindes and deſtitute of the truth, whoſe God is their bellye, vntounto which idole whoſoeuer offereth not, the ſame is an heretike, and worthy to be brunt.
The Saint was great wyth God when he was aliue, as it appeareth by the myracles which God ſhewed for him, he muſt therfore be great now ſay they. This rea…ō appeareth wiſdome, but it is very foliſhnes wyth God. For the myracle was not ſhewed that thou ſhould put thy truſt in the Saint, but in the worde which the ſaint preached, which worde if thou beleueſt, would ſaue thee, as God hath promyſed and ſworne, & would make thee alſo great wyth God, as it dyd ye Saint.
If a mā hauehave a matter wyth a great man, or a kyng, he muſt goe fyrſt vntounto one of hys meane ſeruauntes, and thē hyer and hyer till he come at the kyng. This entiſing argumēt is but a blinde reaſon of mans witte. It is not like in the kingdome of the worlde, and in the It is not like wyth kynges and God.kingdome of God and Chriſt.
With kynges for the moſt part we hauehave none acquaintaunce, neither promiſe. They be alſo moſt cōmonly mercileſſe. Moreouer if they promiſe, they are yet mē as vnconſtant as are other people, & as vntrue. But with God, if we hauehave beliefe, we are accompted, and hauehave an open way in vntounto hym by the dore Chriſt, which is neuer ſhutte, but through vnbeliefe, neither is there any porter to keepe any man out. By him ſaith Paul Ephe. ij. that is to ſay, by Chriſt we hauehave an open way in vntounto the father. So are ye now no more ſtraungers and forreiners (ſayth he) but citizens wyth the Saintes, and of the houſholde of God. God hath alſo made vsus promiſes and hath ſworne: yea hath made a teſtament or a couenaunt, and hath bounde hymſelfe, and hath ſealed his obligation wyth Chriſtes bloud, and confirmed it wyth miracles. He is alſo mercifull and kinde, and cōplayneth that we wyll not come vntounto hym. He is mighty and able to performe that he promiſeth. He is true and can not be but true, as he can not be but God. Therefore is it not lyke with the kyng and God.
We be ſinners ſay they, God wyll not heare vsus. Beholde how they flee from God as from a tyraunt mercileſſe. Whom a mā counteth moſt mercifull vntounto hym, he ſoneſt flyeth. But theſe teachers dare not come at God. Why? For they are ye childrē of Caine. If the Saintes louelove whome God hateth, then God and his Saints are deuided. When thou prayeſt to ye ſaintes, how doe they know, except that God whom thou counteſt mercileſſe, tell them? If God be ſo cruell and ſo hateth thee, it is not likely that he wyll tell the Saintes that thou prayeſt vntounto them.
When they ſay we be ſinners: I anſwere, that Chriſt is no ſinner, ſaue a Chriſt is no ſinner.ſatiſfaction, and an offering for ſynne. Take Chriſt frō the ſaintes and what are they? What is Paule wythout Chriſt? is he any thing ſaue a blaſphemer, a perſecuter, a murtherer, and a ſhedder of Chriſten bloude? But as ſoone as he came to Chriſt he was no more a ſinner, but a miniſter of righteouſnes, he went not to Rome to take penaunce vponupon him, but went & preached vntounto his brethren the ſame mercy which he had receaued free, wythout doing penaunce or hiering of Saintes or of Monkes or Fryers. Moreouer if it be Gods worde that thou ſhoulde put thy truſt in the ſaintes merites or prayers, then be bolde. For Gods worde ſhall defend thee and ſaue thee. If it be but thine owne reaſon, then feare. For God commaundeth by Moyſes Deut. xij. ſaying: what I cō maund you, that obſerue and do, and put nothing to, nor take ought therefro: yea and Moſes warneth ſtraitly Nothyng bringeth a man ſooner to confuſiō then the Idolatry of his owne imaginatiōin an hundred places, that we do that onelyonly which God commaundeth, and which ſeemeth good and righteous in hys ſight, and not in our owne ſight. For nothing bringeth the wrath of god ſo ſone and ſo ſore on a man, as the idolatry of his owne imagination.
Laſt of all theſe arguments are contrary to the argumentes of Chriſt and of his Apoſtles. Chriſt diſputeth, Luk. 11. ſaying: If the ſonne aſke the father bread, will he geue him a ſtone? or if he aſke him fiſh, will he geue him a ſerpent? and ſo forth. If ye then (ſaith he) which are euill can geue good giftes to your children, how much rather ſhall your heauenly father geue a good ſpirite vntounto them that aſke him? And a little before in the ſame chapter he ſayeth: If a man came neuer ſo out of ſeaſon to his neighbour to borow bread: euen when he is in his chamber, & the dore ſhut, and all his ſeruantes wyth him: neuertheleſſe yet if he continue knocking and praying, he will riſe and geue him aſmuch as he nedeth, though not for louelove, yet to be rid of him, that he may hauehave reſt: As who ſhould ſay: what will God do if a man pray him, ſeing that prayer ouercommeth an euill man? Aſke therfore (ſayth he) and it ſhall be geuen you, ſeeke, and ye ſhal finde, knocke and it ſhalbe opened vntounto you. And Luke 18. he putteth forth the parable or ſimilitude of the wicked Iudge which was ouercome with the importunate prayer of ye widow. And concludeth, ſaying: Heare what the wicked Iudge did. And ſhall not God aduenge his elect which cry vntounto hym night and day? Whether therefore we complaine of the intollerable oppreſſion and perſecution that we ſuffer, or of the fleſh that combreth & reſiſteth the ſpirite, God is mercifull to heare …s, & to helpe vsus. Seeſt thou not alſo how Chriſt cureth many, and caſteth out deuyls out of many vnſpoken too, how ſhall he not helpe, if he be deſired and ſpoken to?
When the old phariſies (whoſe nature is to driue ſinners from Chriſt) aſked Chriſt why he did eat with publicanes and ſinners. Chriſt aunſwered that the whole neded not the phiſition but the ſicke. that is, he came to hauehave cōuerſation with ſinners to heale thē. …hriſt is a … geue to …rs.He was a gift geuē vntounto ſinners, and a treaſure to pay theyr debtes. And Chriſt ſent the complayning and diſdayning phariſies to the Prophet Oſeas God loueth mercy.ſaying, Go and learne what thys meaneth, I deſire or require mercy, and not ſacrifice. As who ſhould ſay, Hypocrites louelove o…e…ynges.Ye phariſes louelove ſacrifice and offring, for to feed that God your bellies withall, but God commaundeth to be mercifull. Sinners are euer captiues and a pray vntounto the Phariſes and hypocrites, for to offer vntounto theyr bellies, & to buy merites, pardons, and forgeuenes of ſinnes of them. And therefore feare they them away from Chriſte, with argumentes of theyr belly wyſedome. For he that receaueth forgeuenes free of Chriſt, wil buy no forgeuenes of them. I came (ſayth Chriſt) to call, not the righteous, but the ſinners vntounto repentaunce. The phariſies are righteous, and therefore hauehave no part with Chriſt, neithe… need they: for they are Gods themſelues & ſauiours. But ſinners that repent partaine to Chriſt. If we repent, Chriſt hath made ſatiſfaction for vsus already.
God ſo loued the world, that he gaue hys onelyonly ſonne, that noue that beleue on him ſhould periſh, but ſhould hauehave euerlaſting life. For God ſent not hys ſonne into the world, to condemne the world, but that the world through him might be ſaued. He that beleueth on him ſhall not be damned, but he that beeleeueth not is damned alreadye. Iohn. iij.
Paule Rom. 5. ſayth: Becauſe we are iuſtifyed through fayth, we are at peace with God through our lord Ieſus Chriſt, that is, becauſe that God, which can not lye, hath promiſed and ſworne to be mercyfull vntounto vsus, and to forgeue vsus for Chriſtes ſake, we We are at peace in our conſciences when we beleue conſtantly ou… ſinnes are remitted throughe Ieſus Chriſt.beleue and are at peace in our conſciences, we run not hither and thither for pardon, we truſt not in thys fryer, nor that monke, neyther in any thing, ſaue in the woord of God onelyonly. As a childe when his father threateneth him for his fa…t, hath neuer reſt til he heare the worde of mercy and forgeuenes of his fathers mouth againe, but aſſone as he heareth his father ſay, Goe thy wayes, do me no more ſo, I forgeue thee this fault: then is his hart at reſt, then is he at peace, then runneth he to no man to make interceſſion for him. Neyther though there come any falſe marchant ſaying, what wilt thou geue me, and I will obtayne pardon of thy father for thee. Will he ſuffer him ſelfe to be beguiled? No, he will not buy of a wilie fox, that which his father hath geuen him freely.
It foloweth: God ſetteth out hys louelove that he hath to vsus. that is, he maketh it appeare, that men may perceiue louelove, if they be not more then ſtocke blinde. In aſmuch (ſayth Paule) as while we were yet ſinners, Chriſt dyed for vsus. Much more now (ſayth he) ſeeing we are iuſtifyed by hys bloud, ſhall we be preſerued from wrath thorough him: for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, by the death of hys ſonne, much more ſeeing we are reconciled we ſhall be preſerued by hys life. As who ſhould ſay, If God loued vsus when we knew him not, much more loueth he vsus now we know him. If he were mercifull to vsus while we hated his Lawe, how much more mercifull will he be now ſeeing we louelove it, and deſire ſtrength to fulfill it. And in the viij. he argueth: If God ſpared not his owne ſonne, but gaue him for vsus all, how ſhall he not wyth him geue vsus all thinges alſo?
Chriſt prayed, Iohn xvij. not for the Apoſtles onelyonly, but alſo for as many as ſhould beleue through theyr preaching and was heard, whatſoeuer we aſke in his name the Father geueth vsus Iohn. xvi. Chriſt is alſo as mercifull Why we come not to Chriſt.as the ſaintes. Why go we not ſtraight way vntounto him? Ʋerely becauſe we feale not the mercy of God neyther beleue his truthe. God will at the leaſt way (ſay they) heare vsus the ſooner for the ſaintes ſake. Then loueth he the ſaintes better then Chriſt and his own truth. Heareth he vsus for the ſaintes ſake? ſo heareth he vsus not for his mercye: For merites and mercye can not ſtand together.
Finally if thou put any truſt in thine owne deedes, or in the deedes of any other man, of any ſaint, then miniſheſt thou the truth, mercy, and goodnes of God. For if God looke vntounto thy workes, or vntounto the workes of any other man, or goodnes of the ſaint, then doth he not all thinges of pure mercy, and of his goodneſſe, and for the truthes ſake which he hath ſworne in Chriſt. Now ſayth Paule Tit. 3. Not of the righteous deedes which we did, but of his mercy ſaued he vsus.
Our blinde diſputers will ſay: If our good deedes iuſtify vsus not, if God looke not on our good deedes, neither regard them nor louelove vsus the better for them, what need we to do good dedes? I aunſwer, God looketh on our good deedes, and loueth them, yet loueth vsus not for their ſakes. God loueth vsus firſt God looketh on our good dedesin Chriſt of his goodnes and mercy, and poureth his ſpirit into vsus, and geueth vsus power to do good dedes. And becauſe he loueth vsus, he loueth our good deedes: yea becauſe he loueth vsus he forgeueth vsus our euill dedes, which we do of frailtie and not of purpoſe or for the nonce. Our good dedes do but teſtifie onelyonly that we are iuſtifyed and beloued. For except we were beloued, and had Gods ſpirite, we could neyther do, nor yet conſent vntounto any good deed. Antichriſt turneth the rootes of Intichriſt turneth the rootes of the trees vnword.the trees vpwarde. He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches, and our goodnes the rootes. We muſt be firſt good after Antichriſtes doctrine, and moue God, and compell him to be good againe for our goodneſſes ſake: ſo muſt Gods goodneſſe ſpring out of our goodnes. Nay verely Gods goodneſſe is the root of al goodnes and our goodnes, if we hauehave any, ſpringeth out of his goodnes.