Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 7 · Part · Section 4
The fourth Chapter.
DEarely beloued beleue not eueryevery ſpirit, but proue the ſpirits whether they bee of God. For many falſe Prophetes are gone out into the world.
Spirites are taken here for preachers, Spirites.becauſe of the preachyng or doctrine, which if it be good, is of the ſpirite of God: and if it be euill, of the ſpirite of the deuill. Now ought we not to beleue eueryevery mans doctrine vnaduiſedly, or condeinne any mans preachyng yer it be heard and ſene what it is. But a Chriſten mās part is to examine, iudge & trie it, whether it be true or no. Quench not the ſpirit ſaith Paul i. Theſſ. the laſt. Neither deſpiſe propheſiynges, We may not beleue eueryevery doctrine that is taught and preached, but we muſt firſt examine it with the touch ſtone of Gods word, and ſo either receaue it or reiect it.but proue all thyng, and kepe that whiche is good. Deſtroy not the giftes of the ſpirite of God, but trie whether they be of God, and good for the edifiyng of his congregation: and keepe that whiche is good and refuſe that whiche is euill. And ſuffer eueryevery perſon that hath any gift of God, to ſerue God therin, in his degree and eſtate, after a Chriſten maner and a due order. Why ſhall we try the doctrines: Ʋerely for there bee many falſe Prophetes abroad already. We told you before that Antichriſt ſhould come, as our maſter Chriſt told vsus that he ſhuld come. But now I certify you that Antichriſtes kyngdome is begon already. And his Diſciples are gone out to preache. Trie therefore all doctrine. The triall of all doctrine.wherewith ſhall we trie it? with the doctrine of the Apoſtles, and with the Scripture which is the touchſtone: ye and becauſe ye louelove compendiouſnes, ye ſhall hauehave a ſhort rule, to trie them with all.
Hereby knowe ye the ſpirite of God. EueryEvery ſpirite that confeſſeth that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſhe is of God. And eueryevery ſpirite that cōfeſſeth not that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is not of God. And the ſame is that ſpirite of Antichriſt, of whō ye hauehave heard that he ſhould come: And euen now he is in the world already.
Whatſoeuer opinion any member Antichriſt will not cō feſſe that Chriſt … come in the fleſh.of Antichriſt holdeth, the ground of all his doctrine is to deſtroy this article of our fayth, that Chriſt is come in the fleſh. For though the moſt part of all heretickes confeſſe that Chriſt is come in the fleſh after their maner, yet they deny that he is come, as the Scripture teſtifieth & the Apoſtles preached hym to be come. The whole ſtudy of the deuill and all his members is to deſtroy the hope and truſt that we ſhould hauehave in Chriſtes fleſh, and in thoſe thynges which he ſuffered for vsus in his fleſh, & in the Teſtament and promiſes of mercy which are made vsus in his fleſh. For the ſcripture teſtifieth that Chriſt hath taken away the ſinne of the world in his fleſh, and that the ſame houre that he yelded vp his ſpirite into the hands of his father, hee had full purged and made full ſatiſfaction for all the ſinnes of the world. So that all the ſinne of the worlde, both before his paſſion and after, muſt be put away through repentaunce toward the law and fayth and truſt in his bloud, without reſpect of any other ſatiſfactiō, ſacrifice or worke. For if I once ſinne, the law rebuketh my conſciēce, and ſetteth variaunce betwene God and me. And I ſhal neuer be at peace with God agayne vntill I hauehave heard the voyce of hys mouth, how that my ſinne is forgiuen me for Chriſtes bloud ſake. And aſſoone as I that beleue, I am at peace with God. Rom. v. and louelove his law agayne, and of louelove worke.
And that Chriſt hath done this ſeruice in his fleſh, deny all the members of Antichriſt. And hereby thou ſhalt know them. All doctrine that buildeth Doctrine that is of God.thee vponupon Chriſt, to put thy truſt and confidence in his bloud, is of God and true doctrine. And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and truſt frō Doctrine that is of the deuill.Chriſt, is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichriſt. Examine y• Pope by this rule, and thou ſhalt finde that all hee doth, is to the deſtructiō of this article. He wreſteth all the Scriptures & ſetteth them cleane agaynſt the woll, to deſtroy this article. He miniſtreth the very Sacramentes of Chriſt vntounto the deſtruction of this article: and ſo doth he all other ceremonies, and his abſolution, penaunce, purgatorie, diſpenſations, pardōs, vowes, with all diſguiſings. The Pope preacheth that Chriſt The Popes doctrine of Chriſt.is come to do away ſinnes, yet not in the fleſh but in water, ſalt, oyle, cādles, bowes, aſſhes, friers coates, and monkes cowles, and in the vowes of thē that for…were matrunonie to keepe whores, and ſwere beggerie, to poſſeſſe all the treaſure, riches, wealth & pleaſures of the world: and hauehave vowed obedience, to diſobey with authoritie, all the lawes both of God and man. For in theſe hypocritiſh and falſe ſacrifices, teacheth he vsus to truſt for the forgiuenes of ſinnes, & not in Chriſtes fleſh.
Ye are of God litle childrē, and hauehave ouercome them. For greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the world.
He that dwelleth in you, and worketh God is the worker in vsus by fayth that we hauehave in ….in you through fayth, is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe. And in hys ſtrength, ye abyde by your profeſſion, and cōfeſſe your Lord Ieſus, how that he is come in the fleſh and hath purged the ſinne of all that beleue in his fleſh. And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death. So that neither their iugglinges, neither their pleaſures, neither their thretnynges, or their tormentes, or the very death wherewith they ſlay your bodies, can preuayle agaynſt you.
They be of the world, and therfore they ſpeake of the world, and the world attēdeth vntounto them. We bee of God: and hee that knoweth God heareth vsus. And he that is not of God heareth vsus not. And hereby we know the ſpirit of truth and the ſpirite of errour.
There be and euer ſhalbe two generations Two generations in the world.in the world: one of the deuill, which naturally hearken vntounto the falſe Apoſtles of the deuill, becauſe they ſpeake ſo agreable vntounto their naturall complection. And an other of God, which hearken vntounto the true Apoſtles of God, & conſent vntounto their doctrine. And this is a ſure rule to indge ſpirites with all, that we indge them to hauehave the ſpirite of truth, which hearkē vntounto yt true doctrine of Chriſtes Apoſtles: & them to hauehave the ſpirite of errour which hearken vntounto worldly and deuiliſh doctrine, abhorryng the preathing of the Apoſtles. And looke hether the Popes doctrine bee worldly or no, if pride and couetouſnes be worldly, yea and ſecherie to. For what The Popes doctrine is worldly.other is all his doctrine then of benefices, promotions, dignities, byſhoprikes, cardinallſhyps, vicarages, parſonages, prebendes, chaunge of biſhoprikes, and reſignyng of benefices, of vnions, pluralities, totquots, and that which cōmeth once into their handes, may not out agayn: yea and of whores and concubines, and of captiuyng of conſciences for couetouſnes, & all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apoſtles and perſecute it, and them that preach it.
Dearely beloued let vsus louelove one an other, for louelove is of God. And all that louelove are borne of God, and knowe God. And he that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is louelove.
Iohn ſingeth his old ſong agayne, and teacheth an infallible and ſure token which we may ſee and feele at our fingers endes, and therby be out of all doubt, that our fayth is vnfayned and He that loueth God, is borne of God.that we knowe God and be borne of God, and that we hearkē vntounto the doctrine of the Apoſtles purely and godly & not of any curioſitie, to ſeke glorie and honour therein vntounto our ſelues, & to make a cloke therof to couer our couetouſnes, and filthy luſtes. Whiche token is, if we louelove one an other. For the louelove of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly ſpryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Chriſtes bloud. By which knowledge we be borne of The founte…ne of louelove.God & louelove God and our neighbours for his ſake. And ſo he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly, is ſure of him ſelfe, that he knoweth God, and is of God vnfaynedly. And contrarywiſe, he that loueth not, knoweth not God. For God in Chriſtes bloud is ſuch a louelove that if a man ſaw it, it were impoſſible that he ſhould not breake out into the louelove of God agayne & of his neighbour for his ſake.
Herein appeared the louelove of God vntounto vsus warde, becauſe God ſēt his onelyonly ſonne into the world, that we ſhould liue through hym. Herein is louelove: not that we loued God, but that he loued vsus, and ſent hys ſonne, a ſatiſfaction for our ſynnes.
If a man had once felt within in his conſcience the fierce wrath of God towarde ſinners and the terrible & moſt cruell damnation that the law threatneth: and then beheld with the eyes of God firſt loued vsus before we could louelove hym.a ſtrong fayth, the mercy, fauour and grace the takyng away of the damnation of the law and reſtoryng agayne of life, frely offred vsus in Chriſts bloud, he ſhould perceaue louelove, and ſo much the more, that it was ſhewed vsus, when we were ſinners and enemies to God. Roma. 5. and that without all deſeruyngs, without our endeuouryng, enforcyng and preparyng our ſelues, and without all good motions, qualities & properties of our frewill. But when our hartes were as dead vntounto all good workyng, as the mēbers of him whoſe ſoule is departed, whiche thyng to proue, and to ſtoppe the blaſphemous mouthes of all our aduerſaries, I will of innumerable textes rehearſe one in the beginnyng of the ſecond chapter to the Epheſ. where Paule ſayth thus. Ye Epheſ….were dead in treſpaſſe & ſinne in which ye walked accordyng to the courſe of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre, the ſpirite that worketh in the children of vnbelefe, amōg which we alſo had our conuerſation in tyme paſt, in the luſtes of our fleſh: and fulfilled the luſtes of the fleſhe and of the mynde (ſo that the fleſhe and the mynde were agreed both to ſinne, and the mynde conſented as well as the fleſh) and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as other. But God Herein appeareth the great and louing mercy of almightte God toward vsus, when we were yet ſinuers.beyng rich in mercy, through the great louelove wherwith he loued vsus, euen whē we were dead in ſinne, hath quickened vsus with Chriſt: for by grace are ye ſaued: and with hym hath rayſed vsus vp and with him hath made vsus ſit in heauenly thynges through Ieſus Chriſt, for to ſhew in tyme to come the exceding riches of his grace, in kyndnes to vsus ward in Ieſus Chriſt. For by grace are ye ſaued through fayth, & that not of your ſelues: for it is the gift of God, and commeth not of workes, leſt any man ſhould boſt him ſelfe. But we are his workemanſhyp created in Chriſt Ieſu vntounto good workes, vntounto whiche God ordeined vsus before that we ſhuld walke in them. The text is playne, we were ſtone, dead and without lyfe or power to do or conſent to good. The whole nature of vsus was captiue vnderunder the deuill and led at his will. And we were as wicked as the deuill now is (Except that hee now ſinneth agayne the holy ghoſt) and we conſented vntounto ſinne, with ſoule and body and hated the law of God. But God of his grace onelyonly quickened vsus in Chriſt, and rayſed vsus out of that death and made vsus ſit with Chriſt in heauenly thynges. That is, he ſet our hartes at reſt and made vsus ſit faſt in the lyfe of Chriſtes doctrine, and vnmoueable frō the louelove of Chriſt. And finally we are in this our ſecond byrth Gods workemāſhyp and creation in Chriſt: ſo that as hee which is yet vnmade, hath no life nor power to worke, no more had we till we were made agayne in Chriſt. The preachyng of mercy in Chriſt quickened our hartes through faith, wrought by the ſpirit of Chriſt which God poured into our hartes, yer we wiſt.
Dearely beloued, if God ſo loued vsus, then ought we louelove one an other.
If we felt the louelove of God in Chriſles bloud, we could not but louelove agayne, not onelyonly God and Chriſt, but alſo all that are bought with Chriſtes bloud. If we louelove God for the pleaſures that we receaue, then louelove we our ſelues. But if we louelove hym to do hym pleaſure agayne: that can we no otherwiſe do, then in louing our neighbours for his ſake, them that are good, to continue them in their goodnes, & them that are euill, to draw them to good. LoueLove is the inſtrument wherewith fayth maketh vsus Gods ſonnes & LoueLove maketh vsus the ſonnes of God.faſhioneth vsus lyke the image of God, and certifieth vsus that we ſo are. And therfore commaundeth Chriſt. Math. v. LoueLove your enemyes, Bleſſe thē that curſe you, pray for them that perſecute you, that ye may be the ſonnes of your heauenly father, whiche maketh his ſunne riſe ouer good and bad, and ſendeth his rayne vponupon iuſt and vniuſt: ye whiche made the ſunne of his mercy ſhyne vpō vsus and ſent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onelyonly child vppon our ſoules, to quicken vsus and to make vsus ſee louelove to louelove agayne.
No man hath at any tyme ſene God. If we louelove one an other God dwelleth in vsus, and his louelove is perfect in vsus.
Though we can not ſee God, yet if we louelove one an other, we be ſure that No man hath ſene God.he abydeth in vsus, and that his louelove is perfect in vsus: that is, that we louelove hym vnfaynedly. For, to louelove God truly & to giuegive him thankes, is onelyonly to louelove our neighbour for his ſake. For vppon his perſon thou canſt beſtow no benefite. And for as much as we neuer ſaw The ſcripture hath ſene God.God, let vsus make no image of him nor doe hym any imageſeruice after our own imagination, but let vsus go to the ſcripture that hath ſene hym, and there wete what faſhion he is of and what ſeruice he wilbe ſerued with. Blind reaſon ſayth God is a kerued poſt and wil be ſerued with a candle. But Scripture ſayth God is louelove & wilbe ſerued with louelove. If thou louelove thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy ſelf, and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart. And thy louing of thy neighbour for hys ſake, is hys ſeruice and worſhyp in the ſpirite, and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and caſteth out the light of good workes before the world, & draweth all to God, and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill, and come and worſhyp him alſo.
Hereby we know that we abyde in him, and he in vsus. For he hath giuen vsus of his ſpirite.
He that hath not Chriſtes ſpirit, the By this badge of louelove, we are knowē to hauehave the ſpirite of God.ſame is none of his. Roma. 8. If we hauehave the ſpirite of God, then are we ſure. But how ſhall we know whether we hauehave the ſpirite? Aſke Iohn and he will ſay, if we louelove one an other.
And we hauehave ſene and do teſtifie that the father hath ſent hys ſonne, the ſauiour of the worlde. Whoſoeuer confeſſeth that Ieſus is the ſonne of God, in hym dwelleth God, and he in God. And we hauehave knowne and beleued the louelove that God hath to vsus.
Firſt the Apoſtles taught no fables, but that they ſaw and receaued of God by the witneſſe of his ſpirite. Secondaryly He that be leueth that Ieſus to Gods ſonne, hath God in hym.Iohn aſcēdeth vp ſtepe higher, from louelove to fayth, and ſayth he that be leueth that Ieſus is Gods ſonne, hath God in hym. And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunſwere Iohn and ſay, then the deuil hath God in hym, and is alſo in God. For other fayth then ſuch as the deuill hath, felt they neuer any. But Iohn preuenteth them, we hauehave knowē and beleued the louelove that God hath to vsus. That is, we beleue not onelyonly with ſtory fayth, as men beleue old Chronicles, but we beleue the louelove and mercy that GOD ſhewed vsus, and put our truſt and confidence therein (And ſo taketh Scripture belefe) we beleue that Ieſus is the ſonne of God, made man and ſlayne for our ſinnes, which is a tokē of great louelove. And that louelove beleue we & truſt therto. Where Paule ſayth. i. Cor. xij. No man can cal Ieſus Lord except the holy ghoſt had taught hym. But thorough the holy ghoſt he meaneth not with the mouth onelyonly, but in the hart with vnfayned fayth, putting his hope & truſt in the Lordſhyp which he hath ouer ſinne, damnation, hell, and death. For ſo could no man call Ieſus Lord, except the holy ghoſt had taught hym, as Chriſt ſaith Math. xvi. fleſh & bloud ſhewed thee not that.
But yet how ſhall I ſee my fayth? I muſt come downe to louelove agayne, & thence to the workes of louelove, yer I can ſee my faith. Not alway but ſometime thou ſhalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede, as in great aduerſitie and perſecution when the deuil aſſaulteth thee with deſperation, and layeth thy ſinnes before thee, & would beare the in hād that God had caſt the away and left the ſuccourles, for thy ſynnes ſake. Then commeth fayth forth with her ſhielde, and turneth backe agayne Fayth taketh hold of Chriſtes death and deſeruyng.the dartes of the deuill, and aunſwereth: Nay for Ieſus is y• ſonne of God: yea and my very God and my very Lord, and hath takē away my ſinnes & all dānation. And this trouble & aduerſitie which is come vpō me, by ſettyng of thee and on of thy lymmes, is onelyonly to make me feele the mercy of my father and his power and helpe within in my ſoule, and to ſlay the reſt of the poyſon which remaineth in the fleſh.
God is louelove and he that abydeth in louelove, abydeth in God, and God in hym.
This hauehave we heard aboue and it is eaſie to be vnderſtand.
Herefore is louelove perfect with vsus, that we ſhould hauehave confidence in the day of Iudgement.
Howſoeuer this text ſounde, this me thinketh ſhould be the meanyng: that we ſhould prouoke ech other to louelove, and euer hauehave thoſe examples of edifieng before our eyes that ſhould moſt moue vsus to louelove. For perfite louelove ſerueth to make a man bold, becauſe it is the kepyng of the cōmaundements. And therfore he that is perfect in louelove, when hee ſeith hym ſelfe yet in this LoueLove maketh the faythfull & Chriſtian man to be bold.world to be vntounto his neyghbour as God is vntounto hym, and to be lyke hys heauenly father in all example of kyndneſſe, is bold in the preſence of God: yea though he come to iudge ſynners. When on the other ſide, they that continue euer in their wickednes & grow not in louelove, fall often. And therefore their cōſcience euer accuſeth them and putteth them in feare, by the reaſon of the freſh memory of the offence, that they can not at once be bold, though they hauehave neuer ſo great promiſes of mercy.
There is no feare in louelove. But perfect louelove caſteth out feare. For feare hath paynefulnes. He therefore that feareth, is not perfect in louelove.
LoueLove is not paynefull but maketh LoueLove.all thyng eaſie and pleaſaunt: feare of puniſhmēt for ye treſpaſſe newly committed is paynefull: Therfore where louelove is perfect there is no ſuch feare. LoueLove is the fulfillyng of all commaundementes. And therfore where louelove is perfect, there is no ſinne. And where conſciēce doth not accuſe of ſinne, there is faith bold to go into God & to ſtand before hym, and looke hym in the face, and to coniure him by all his mercies, and to aſke the petitions of his deſire. Lacke of louelove is the breakyng of the commaundements and cauſe of ſinne. And where the conſcience accuſeth of ſinne, their fayth is abaſhed, diſmayed, aſhamed & affrayed to go in, for feare of rebuke. LoueLove therefore ſerueth to make a man bold in the day of iudgement and in all temptations.
Iohn ſpeaketh not generally of all Feare.maner feare, but of that onelyonly whiche the conſciēce of ſinne putteth a man in. For diuers feares there be that accompany louelove and grow as ſhe doth. The more a woman loueth her child, the more ſhe careth for it and feareth leſt ought ſhould chaunce it a miſſe. Euen If we louelove ou… brethrē thē are we carefull for them.ſo the more we louelove our brethren, the more we care for them, and feare leſt any temptation ſhould trouble them. As Paule ſayth. ij. Cor. xj. who is ſicke and I am not ſicke? who is offended or hurt and mine hart burneth not? How cared he for Timothe, for Titus, and for all that were weake, & for the Corinthians, Galathiās, and for all congregations? and how diligently wrote he to them in his abſence? and the more we louelove God, the more diligent and circumſpect are we, that we offēde hym The more we louelove God, the more diligent we are to do his will.not. And tell me I pray thee, whoſoeuer haſt had experience, what a payne and grief, yea and what a freatyng coreſey is it vntounto the hart of a true louer of God, to here the poyſon generation of vipers, the peſtilent ſect of hypocritiſh Phariſeis, wittingly and willingly to blaſpheme and rayle on the open and manifeſt truth of the holy ghoſt?
If ye will ſee how bold louelove is: go to Moyſes. Exod. 32. and Numeri. 14. And there behold how hee coniureth God and amōg all ſayth: Forgiue this people or put me out of the booke that thou haſt written. As who ſhould ſay, they be thy people and thou commaū deſt me to louelove them. And for thy ſake I louelove them and teach them and care for them, as a mother that had borne them and louelove them no leſſe then my ſelfe. Wherfore if thou louelove me as thou Where perfect louelove is there is no feare.promiſeſt me, then ſaue them with me: or if not, thē caſt me away with them, and let me hauehave ſuch part as they take. And Paule ſayd aſmuch. Roma. ix. Looke vpō worldly louelove, and ſee what pageantes ſhe playeth now and then and how dronken a thyng it is: and be ſure, where the louelove of God is perfect, ſhe will not onelyonly go betwene bodely death and her louer, but alſo betwene hym and hell. If a man would take of this, that a man might be ſo perfect in this lyfe, that he might not be perfecter, it would not folow. For though the ſpirite at a tyme get the vpper hand of the fleſh, & wynneth her ſelf to God, that ſhe can not tell whether ſhe be in the body or no: yet the fleſh will pull her downe agayn and not let her continue, and now and thē plucke of ſome of her feathers, for mountyng ſo hygh againe. For Moſes fell through vnbelefe well inough after that ſeruentnes.
We louelove hym, becauſe he loued vsus firſt.
We deſerue not ye louelove of God firſt, but he deſerueth our louelove, and loueth vsus firſt, to wynne vsus and to make vsus his frendes of his enemyes. And as ſoone as we beleue his louelove, we louelove agayne. And ſo fayth is mother of all Fayth is the mother of louelove.louelove. And as great as my fayth is ſo great is louelove, though fayth can not be perfectly ſene, but through the workes of louelove and in the fire of temptation.
If a man ſay, I louelove God, and hateth his brother: he is a lyer. For how cā he that loueth not his brother whom he ſeeth, louelove God whō he ſeeth not? And this commaūdemēt hauehave we of him: that he which loueth God, louelove his brother alſo.
To louelove a mans neighbour in God A ſure ruleis a ſure rule to know that we louelove God: and not to louelove him, is a ſure token that we louelove not God: and to hate our neighbour is to hate God. For to louelove God is to do hys commaundements as Chriſt ſayth Iohn. xv. ye are If we louelove God, we muſt do his commaundements, & his commaundement is to louelove our neyghbours.my louers if ye do thoſe thinges which I hauehave commaūded you: and the commaūdemēt is to louelove our neighbours: then he that loueth not his neighbour, loueth not God. And likewiſe to hate the commaundement, is to hate God that commaunded it: and the cōmaundement is to louelove our neighbours: hee then that hateth his brother whō God biddeth hym louelove, hateth God.