Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 4 · Part 1 · Section 7 – Section 11
¶ Whether the Apoſtles left ought vnwritten, that is of neceſſitie to be beleued.
BUt did not y• Apoſtles teach ought Whether y• Apoſtles taught any thing that they did not write.by mouth that they wrot not? I aunſwere, becauſe that many taught one thyng, and eueryevery man the ſame in diuers places and vntounto diuers people. and confirmed eueryevery ſermō wyth a ſundry miracle: therfore Chriſt & his Apoſtles preached an …red thouſād ſermons, and did as many miracles, which had bene ſuperfluous to hauehave bene all written. But the pith and ſubſtaunce in generall of eueryevery thing neceſſary vntounto our ſoules health, both of what we ought to beleue, and what we ought to do was written, and of the miracles done to confirme it, as many as were nedeful. So that whatſoeuer So much to written as is neceſſary …or … ſaluation.we ought to beleue or do, that ſame is written expreſely, or drawen out of that which is written.
For if I were bound to do or beleue vnderunder payne of the loſſe of my ſoule any thing that were written, nor depē ded of that which is writtē, what holpe me the ſcripture that is written? And The ſcripture writtē muſt con…o…nde the vnwritten verities.thereto in as much as Chriſt and all his Apoſtles warned vsus that falſe prophetes ſhoulde come with falſe miracles, euen to deceaue the elect if it were poſſible, wherewith ſhoulde the true preacher confound the falſe, except he brought true miracles to confound the falſe, or els autenticke ſcripture of full authoritie already among the people.
Some man woulde aſke, how dyd God continue his congregation from Adam to Noe, and frō Noe to Abraham, and ſo to Moſes, without writing, but with teaching from mouth to mouth. I aunſwere, firſt that there was no ſcripture all the whyle, they Writing hath bene from the beginning.ſhall proue, whē our Lady hath a new ſonne. God taught Adam greater thynges then to write. And that there was writing in the world long yer Abraham yea & yer Noe, do ſtories teſtifie.
Notwithſtanding, though there had bene no writing, the preachers were God frō y• beginning hath … ten …y• hartes of his ….euer prophetes glorious in doing of miracles, wherwith they cofirmed their preaching. And beyond that god wrote his teſtamēt vntounto them a…way, both what to do and to beleue, euē in ye ſacramentes. For the ſacrifices which God gaue Adams ſonnes, were no dumme popetrie or ſuperſtitious Mahometrie, but ſignes of the teſtament of God. And in them they red ye worde of God, as we do in bookes, and as we ſhould do in our ſacraments, if the wicked Pope had not taken the ſignifications The Pope hath taken fro vsus the ſignifications of the Sacramentes.away from vsus, as he hath robbed vsus of the true ſence of all the ſcripture. The teſtament which God made with Noe, that he woulde no more drowne the worlde with water, he wrote in the ſacrament of the rainebow. And the appointment made betwene him and Abraham, he wrote in the ſacrament of circumciſion. And therefore ſayd Steuen Act. vij. he gaue them y• teſtamēt of circumciſion. Not Actes. 7.that the outwarde circumciſion was the whole teſtament, but the ſacramēt or ſigne there. For circumciſion preached Gods worde vntounto thē, as I hauehave in other places declared.
But in the tyme of Moyſes when the congregation was encreaſed, that they muſt hauehave many preachers & alſo rulers temporall, then all was receaued in ſcripture, in ſo much that Chriſt and his Apoſtles might not hauehave bene beleued without ſcripture for all their miracles. Wherefore in as much as Chriſtes congregation is ſpred abroad There can no more be taught vsus then to cō teyned in the ſcriptures.into all the worlde much broader then Moſes, and in as much as we hauehave not the olde teſtament onelyonly but alſo the new, wherein all thinges are opened ſo richly and all fulfilled that before was promiſed, & in as much as there is no promiſe behinde of ought to be ſhewed more ſaue the reſurrection: yea and ſeyng that Chriſt and all the Apoſtles with all the Angels of heauen, if they were here, could preach no more then is preached, of neceſſitie vntounto our ſoules: How then ſhould we receaue a new article of the fayth, with out ſcripture, as profitable vntounto my ſoule, when I had beleued it, as ſmoke for …ore eyes. What holpe it me to beleue that our Ladies bodye is in heauen? What am I the better for the beliefe Purgatorye.of Purgatory? to feare men thou wilt ſay. Chriſt & his Apoſtles thought hell …ough. And yet (beſides that the fleſhly imaginatiō may not ſtand with Gods worde) what great feare can there be of that terrible fire which thou mayſt quench almoſt for three halfe pence?
And that the Apoſtles ſhould teach ought by mouth which they woulde not write, I pray you for what purpoſe? becauſe they ſhould not come into the handes of the Heathen for mocking, ſaith M. More. I pray you what thing more to be mocked of the Heathen coulde they teach, then the reſurrection, and that Chriſt was God and man, and dyed betwene two theeues, and that for his deathes ſake, all that repent and beleue therein ſhould hauehave their ſinnes forgeuen them, yea and if the Apoſtles vnderſtoode thereby as we do, what madder thing vntounto heathen people coulde they hauehave taught thē yt bread is Chriſtes body, & wyne The Heathē thought nothing more madder thē the doctrine of the reſurrection.his bloud. And yet all theſe thynges they wrote. And agayne purgatory, confeſſion in the eare, penaunce and ſatiſfaction for ſinne to Godward, with holy deedes, and praying to Saintes with ſuch like, as dumme ſacraments and ceremonies, are maruelous agreable vntounto the ſuperſtition of the Heathen people, ſo that they needed not to abſtaine from writing of thē, for feare leaſt the Heathen ſhould hauehave mocked them.
Moreouer what is it that the Apoſtles The Apoſtles taught nothing that they were afrayde to write.taught by mouth, and durſt not write? The ſacramentes? As for baptim and the ſacrament of the body and bloude of Chriſt they wrote, and it is expreſſed what is ſignified by them. And alſo all the ceremonies and ſacramentes that were frō Adam to Chriſt Sacramē tes hauehave ſignifications.had ſignifications, and all that are made mention of in the new teſtamēt, Wherefore in as much as the ſacramentes of the olde teſtament hauehave ſignifications, and in as much as the ſacramentes of the new teſtament (of which mētion is made that they were deliuered vntounto vsus by the very Apoſtles at Chriſtes commaundement) hauehave alſo ſignificatiōs, and in as much as the office of an Apoſtle is to edifie in Chriſt, and in as much as a dumme eremonie edifieth not, but hurteth altogether (for if it preach not vntounto me, All y• Sacramentes taught eyther in the olde teſtament or new, hauehave ſignifications.then I can not but put confidēce therin, that the deede it ſelfe iuſtifieth me, which is ye denying of Chriſtes bloud) and in as much as no mētion is made of thē, as well as of other, nor is knowen what is ment by them: therefore it appeareth that the Apoſtles taught them not, but that they be the falſe marchaundiſe of wily hipocrites. And therto prieſthode was in the tyme of the Apoſtles an office which if they would do truely, it woulde more profite then all the ſacraments in ye world. ☞ The Popiſh Sacramentes … one agaynſte an other.And agayne Gods holineſſes ſtrine not one againſt an other, nor defile one another. Their ſacraments defile one another. For wedlocke defileth prieſthode more thē whordome, theft, murther, or any ſinne againſt nature.
They will haply demaunde where it is written that women ſhould baptiſe. Ʋerely in this commaundement, LoueLove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, it is written, that they may and ought to miniſter not onelyonly Baptim, but all other in tyme of neede, if they be ſo neceſſarie as they preach them.Sacramēts with out ſignifications are not to be ….
And finally though we were ſure that God hymſelfe had geuen vsus a ſacrament, whatſoeuer it were, yet if ye ſignification were once loſt, we muſt of neceſſitie, either ſeeke vp the ſignificatiō or put ſome ſignificatiō of Gods word therto, what we ought to do or beleue therby, or els put it downe. For it is impoſſible to obſerue a ſacrament without ſignificatiō, but vntounto our dāpnatiō. If we keepe y• faith purely & the law of louelove vndefiled, which are y• ſignificatiōs of all ceremonies there is no icopardy to alter or chaunge the faſhion of the ceremony, or to put it downe if neede require.
¶ Whether the Churche can erre.
THere is an other queſtion, whether Whether y• Church cā … or not.the Church may erre. Which if ye vnderſtand of the Pope and hys generation, it is verely as hard a queſtion as to aſke whether he which hath both hys eyes out be blynde or no, or whether it be poſſible for him that hath one legge ſhorter thē an other, to halt. But I ſayd that Chriſtes elect church What ye very Church is & what fayth ſaueth.is the whole multitude of all repenting ſinners that beleue in Chriſt, and put all their truſt and confidēce in the mercy of God, feeling in their hartes, that God for Chriſtes ſake loueth thē, and will be or rather is mercifull vntounto them, and forgeueth thē their ſinnes of which they repent, and that he forgeueth them alſo all the motions vntounto ſinne, of which they feare leaſt they ſhoulde thereby be drawen into ſinne agayne. And this faith they hauehave with out all reſpect of their owne deſeruinges, yea and for none other cauſe then that the mercifull truth of God the father, which can not lie, hath ſo promiſed, and ſo ſworne.
And this faith and knowledge is euerlaſting By fayth we arelife, and by this we be borne a new and made the ſonnes of God, and obtayne forgeuenes of ſinnes, and made the ſonnes of God.are tranſlated from death to life, & frō the wrath of God vntounto his louelove and fauour. And this faith is the mother of all truth, and bringeth with her ye ſpirite of all truth. Which ſpirite purgeth vsus, as from all ſinne, euen ſo frō all lies and errour noyſome and hurtfull. And this faith is the foundation layd of the Apoſtles and Prophetes whereon Paul ſayth Epheſ. ij. that we Ephe. … ▪are built, and therby of the houſhold of God. And this fayth is the rocke wheron Chriſt build his congregatiō. Chriſt aſked the Apoſtles Math. xvj. Math. …whom they tooke him for. And Peter aunſwered for them all ſaying I ſay that thou art Chriſt the ſonne of the liuing God yt ar… come into this world. That is, we beleue that thou art he that was promiſed vntounto Abrahā, that ſhould come bleſſe vsus and deliuer vsus. Howbeit Peter yet wiſt not by what meanes. But now it is opened throroughout The offeryng of Chriſtes body and bloud is ye onelyonly ſatiſfaction for our ſinnes.all the world, that through the offeryng of hys body & bloud, that offeryng is a ſatiſfaction for the ſinne of all that repent and a purchaſyng of what ſoeuer they can aſke, to keepe them in fauour. And that they ſinne no more. And Chriſt aunſwered vpō this rocke I will build my congregation: that is, vppon this fayth. And agaynſt the rocke of this fayth can no ſynne, no hell, no deuill, no lyes nor errour preuayle.
For what ſoeuer any mā hath committed, if he repent and come to this rocke, he is ſafe. And that this fayth is the onelyonly way by which the Church of Chriſt goeth vntounto God and vntounto the inheritaunce of all his riches, teſtifie all the Apoſtles and Prophetes & all the Scripture, with ſignes and miracles, and all yt bloud of Martyrs. And There is no way to ſaluation, but by Chriſtes death and paſſion.who ſoeuer goeth vntounto God and vntounto forgeueneſſe of ſinnes or ſaluation, by any other way then this, the ſame is an hereticke out of the rightway & not of Chriſtes Church.
For this knowledge maketh a man of ye Church. And the Church is Chriſtes body Colloſ. i. and eueryevery perſon Colloſ. 1.of the Church is a member of Chriſt. Epheſ. 5. Now it is no mēber of Chriſt Epheſ. 5. Rom. 8.that hath not Chriſts ſpirit in it. Rom. viij. as it is no part of me or member of my body wherein my ſoule is not preſent and quickeneth it. And then if a man be none of Chriſtes, he is not of his Church.
¶ How a true member of Chriſtes Church ſinneth not, and how he is yet a ſinner.
FUrthermore, he that hath this fayth can not ſinne, and therfore can not be deceaued with damnable errours. For by this fayth we be (as I ſayd) borne of God. Now he that is borne of God can not ſinne, for his ſeed dwel leth in him, & he can not therfore ſinne, becauſe he is borne of God. i. Iohn. iij. which ſeede is the holy ghoſt that kepeth 1. Iohn. 3.a mans hart from conſenting vntounto ſinne. And therfore it is a falſe concluſiō Fayth and ſinne can not …a…d together.that M. More holdeth, how that a mā may hauehave a right faith ioyned with all kyndes of abhomination & ſinne.
And yet eueryevery member of Chriſtes congregation is a ſinner and ſynneth dayly, ſome more and ſome leſſe. For it is written. i. Iohn. i. if we ſay we hauehave 1. Iohn. 1.no ſinne, we deceaue our ſelues & the truth is not in vsus. And agayne if we ſay, we hauehave not ſinned, we make hym a liar and his word is not in vsus. And Paul Rom. vij. ſayth, that good which I would, that do I not, but that euill which I would not, that do I. So it is not I that do it (ſayth he) but ſinne that dwelleth in me. Thus are we ſinners and no ſinners. No ſinners, if thou looke vntounto the profeſſion of our hartes toward the law of God, on our repentaunce and ſorow that we hauehave, both becauſe we hauehave ſinned and alſo becauſe we be yet full of ſinne ſtill, and vntounto the promiſes of mercy in our Sauiour Chriſt, and vntounto our fayth. Sinners are we, if thou loke vntounto the frail All fleſhe deth ſinne.tie of our fleſh, which is as the weakeneſſe of one that is newly recouered out of a great diſeaſe, by y• reaſon wher of our dedes are imperfect. And by the reaſon wherof alſo, when occaſions be great, we fall into horrible dedes, and the frute of the ſinne which remaineth in our mēbers breaketh out. Notwithſtanding yet the ſpirite leaueth vsus not, but rebuketh vsus & bryngeth vsus home agayne vntounto our profeſſion, ſo that we neuer caſt of the yocke of God frō our neckes neither yeld vp our ſelues vntounto ſinne, for to ſerue it, but fight a freſh and begyn a new battaile.
¶ How a Chriſten man can not erre, and how he may yet erre.
ANd as they ſinne not, ſo they erre not. And on the other ſide as they ſinne, ſo they erre: but neuer vntounto death and damnation. For they neuer ſinne of purpoſe nor hold any errour maliciouſly, ſinnyng againſt the holy ghoſt, but of weakeneſſe & infirmitie. As good obedient childrē, though they louelove their fathers commaundements, yet breake them oft, by the reaſon of their weakeneſſe. And as they can not yeld them ſelues bond vntounto ſinne, to We ſinne of frailtie & weakenes.ſerue it: euē ſo they can not erre in any thyng that ſhould be agaynſt the promiſes which are in Chriſt. And in other thynges their errours be not vntounto damnation, though they be neuer ſo great, becauſe they hold them not maliciouſly. As now, if ſome when they read in the new Teſtament of Chriſts brethren, would thinke that they were our Ladyes children after the byrth of Chriſt, becauſe they know not the vſe of ſpeakyng of the Scripture or of the Hebrues, how that …ye kinſinē be called brethren, or happely they might be Ioſephes children, by ſome firſt wife, neither can hauehave any to teach him for tyrāny that is ſo great, yet could it not hurte him, though he dyed therein, becauſe it hurteth not the redēption that is in Chriſtes bloud. For though ſhe had none but Chriſt, I am therfore neuer the more ſaued, neither yet ye leſſe, though ſhe had had. And in ſuch lyke We may erre, & yet be ſaued.an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Chriſt, they might erre, and yet be neuertheleſſe ſaued no though the contrary were written in the Goſpell. For as in other ſinnes, as ſoone as they be rebuked, they repent: euen ſo here, aſſoone as they were better taught, they ſhould immediatly knowledge their errour and not reſiſte.
But they which maliciouſly maynteine opinions agaynſt the Scripture, or that yt cā not be proued by the Scripture, or ſuch as make no matter vntounto the Scripture and ſaluation that is in Chriſt whether they be true or no, and for the blind zeale of them make ſectes, breakyng yt vnitie of Chriſtes Church, for whoſe ſake they ought to ſuffer all thyng, and riſe agaynſt their neighbours, whom they ought to louelove as Who they be that erre from the way of …ayth.them ſelues, to ſle… them (ſuch men I ſay are fallen from Chriſt and make an Idole of their opinions. For except they put truſt in ſuch opinions and thought them neceſſarie vntounto ſaluatiō, or with a cankred conſcience went about to deceaue, for ſome filthy purpoſe, they would neuer breake the vnitie of fayth or yet ſlea their brethren. Now is this a playne concluſion, that both they yt truſt in their own works, and they alſo yt put confidence in theyr owne opinions, be fallen from Chriſt and erre from the way of fayth that is in Chriſtes bloud, & therfore are none of Chriſtes Church, becauſe they be not built vponupon the rocke of fayth.
¶ Fayth is euer aſſayled and fought with all.
MOreouer this our fayth which we hauehave in Chriſt, is euer fought agaynſt, Faith is euer aſſailed with beſperation.euer aſſayled & beaten at with beſperation: not when we ſinne only, but alſo in all temptations of aduerſitie, into which God bringeth vsus, to nurtour vsus, and to ſhew vsus our owne hartes, the hipocriſie & falſe thoughtes that there lye hid, our almoſt no fayth at all, and as little louelove, euen thē haply when we thought our ſelues moſt perfect of all. For when temptations come we can not ſtand, when we hauehave ſinned fayth is feeble, when wrong is done vsus we can not forgeue, in ſickeneſſe, in loſſe of goodes and in all tribulations we be impatient: when our neighbour needeth our helpe, that We muſt depart with hym of ours then louelove is colde.
And thus we learne and feele that there is no goodnes nor yet power to do good, but of God onelyonly. And in all All power & readines to do good cō …eth of God & not of our ſelues.ſuch tēptatiōs our fayth periſheth not vtterly, neither our louelove and conſent vntounto the lawe of God. But they be weake, ſicke, and wounded, and not cleane dead. As a good childe whom the father & mother hauehave taught nurtoure and wiſdome, loueth his father A very good example.and all his commaundementes, and perceaueth of yt goodnes ſhewed him, that his father loueth him, and that all hys fathers preceptes are vntounto hys wealth and profite, and that his father commaundeth him nothing for any neede that his father hath thereof, but ſeeketh his profite onelyonly, and therefore hath a good fayth vntounto all his fathers promiſes, and loueth all his cōmaundementes, and doth them wyth good will, & with good will goeth to ſchole. And by the way haply he ſeeth cōpany play, and with the ſight is taken and rauiſhed of his memory, and forgetteth himſelfe, and ſtandeth and beholdeth and falleth to play alſo, forgetting father and mother, all their kindnes, all their lawes, and his owne profite thereto. Howbeit, the knowledge of his fathers kindneſſe, the fayth of hys promiſes, and the louelove that he hath agayne vntounto hys father, and the obedient minde are not vtterly quēched, but lye hid, as all thynges do when a man ſleepeth or lieth in a traunce. And as ſoone as he hath played out all his luſtes The faythfull though they ſl…, yet they fall notor be warned in the meane ſeaſon, he commeth againe vntounto his olde profeſſion. Neuer the later, many temptations goe ouer his hart, and the law as a right hangman tormenteth hys conſcience, and goeth nye to perſwade him that his father will caſt him away and hang hym if he ketch hym, ſo that he is like a great while to runne a way rather then to returne vntounto his father agayne. Feare and dread of rebuke, & of loſſe of his fathers louelove and of puniſhment wraſtle with the truſt which he hath in his fathers goodneſſe, and as it were geue his faith a fall. But it riſeth againe aſſoone as the rage of the firſt brunte is paſt and his minde more quiet. And the goodneſſe of his father, and his olde kindneſſe commeth vntounto Faith in y• good ne… of God is our ſtaye.remembraunce, eyther of his owne corage or by the comfort of ſome other. And he beleueth that his father wyll not caſt him away or deſtroy hym, and hopeth that he will no more do ſo.
And vpō that he getteth him home, diſmayed. But not altogether faythleſſe. The olde kindneſſes will not let him diſpayre. Howbeit, all the world cannot ſet his ha…t at reſt, vntyll the payne be paſt, and vntill he hauehave heard the voyce of his father that all is forgeuen.