HOW THIS WORD CHURCH HATH A DOUBLE Rom. ix. Who they be that are of God's The fleshly persecute the spiritual. THIS is therefore a sure conclusion as Paul saith, (Rom. ix.) that not all they that are of Israel are Israelites ; neither because they be Abraham's seed are they all Abraham's children, but they only that follow the faith of ✔ Abraham. Even so now none of them that believe with their mouths, moved with the authority of their elders only, that is, none of them that believe with M. More's faith, the pope's faith, and the devil's faith, which may stand (as M. More confesseth) with all manner [of] abominations, have the right faith of Christ or are of his church. But they only that repent and feel that the law is good, and have the true church. law of God written in their hearts, and the faith of our Saviour Jesus, even with the Spirit of God. There is a carnal Israel and a spiritual. There is Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau. And Ishmael persecuted Isaac, and Esau Jacob, and the fleshly the spiritual. Whereof Paul complained in his time, persecuted of his carnal brethren, as we do in our time, and as the elect ever did and shall do till the world's end. What a multitude came out of Egypt under Moses, of which the Scripture testifieth that they believed, moved by the miracles of Moses, as Simon Magus believed by the reason of Philip's miracles. (Acts viii.) Nevertheless the Scripture testifieth that six hundred thousand of those believers perished through unbelief, and left their carcases in the wilderness and never entered into the land that was promised them. And even so shall the children of M. More's faithless faith, made by the persuasion of man, leap short of the rest which our Saviour Jesus Christ is risen unto. And therefore let them embrace this present world as they do, whose children they are though they hate so to be called. Acts viii. The chil dren of this world are the papists. And hereby ye see that it is a plain and an evident conclusion as bright as the sun's shining, that the truth of God's word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation. And therefore when thou art asked why thou believest that Questions. thou shalt be saved through Christ? and of such like prin be made to captious papists. ciples of our faith? answer, thou wottest and feelest that Answers. it is true. And when he asketh how thou knowest that it is true? answer, because it is written in thine heart. And if he ask who wrote it? answer, the Spirit of God. And if Answers to he ask how thou camest first by it? tell him whether by reading in books or hearing it preached, as by an outward instrument, but that inwardly thou wast taught by the Spirit of God. And if he ask whether thou believest it not because it is written in books or because the priests so preach? answer no, not now, but only because it is written in thine heart, and because the Spirit of God so preacheth and so testifieth unto thy soul. And say, though at the beginning thou wast moved by reading or preaching, as the Samaritans were by the words of the woman, yet now thou John iv. believest it not any longer but only because thou hast heard it of the Spirit of God, and read it written in thine heart. grammar understood tin tongue. And concerning outward teaching, we allege for us Scripture older than any church that was this fourteen hundred years, and old authentic stories which they had brought asleep, wherewith we confound their lies. Re- Teachers of member ye not how in our own time of all that taught grammar in England, not one understood the Latin tongue? not the LaHow came we then by the Latin tongue again? not by them, though we learned certain rules and principles of them, by which we were moved and had an occasion to seek further, but out of the old authors. Even so we seek up old antiquities out of which we learn, and not of our church, though we received many principles of our church at the beginning, but more falsehood than truth. It hath pleased God of his exceeding love wherewith he loved us in Christ (as Paul saith) before the world was The faith in Christ and is all that is required of a Christian man. The use of signs an ceremonies. made, and when we were dead in sin, and his enemies in that we did consent to sin and to live evil, to write with his Spirit two conclusions in our hearts, by which we underlove of our stand all things: that is to wit the faith of Christ, and the neighbours, love of our neighbours. For whosoever feeleth the just damnation of sin, and the forgiveness and mercy that is in Christ's blood, for all that repent and forsake it, and come and believe in that mercy, the same only knoweth how God is to be honoured and worshipped, and can judge between true ser ving of God in the Spirit, and false image serving of God with works. And the same knoweth that Sacraments, signs, ceremonies, and bodily things can be no service to God in his person, but memorials unto men, and a remembrance of the Testament wherewith God is served in the Spirit. And he that feeleth not that, is blind in his soul, and of our holy father's generation, and maketh God an image, and a creature, and worshippeth him with bodily service. And on the other side, he that loveth his neighbour as himself, understandeth all laws, and can judge between good and evil, right and wrong, godly and ungodly; in all conversation, deeds, laws, bargains, covenants, ordinances, and decrees of men; and knoweth the office of every degree, and the due honour of every person. And he that hath not that written in his heart is popish, and of the spiritualty which understandeth nothing save his own honour, his own profit, and what is good for himself only: and when he is as he would be, thinketh that all the world is as it should be. OF WORSHIPPING, AND WHAT IS TO BE UNDER- are both one. CONCERNING worshipping or honouring (which two Worshipping and terms are both one) M. More bringeth forth a differ- honouring ence, a distinction or division of Greek words, feigned of our schoolmen, which of late neither understood Greek, Latin, nor Hebrew, called doulia, hyperdoulia and latria. But the difference declareth he not, nor the properties of the words, but with confused terms leadeth you blindfold in his maze. As for hyperdoulia I would fain wete where he readeth of it in all the Scripture, and whether the worship done to his lord the cardinal's hat were doulia, hyperdoulia, or idololatria? And as for doulia and latria, we find them both referred unto God in a thousand places. Therefore that thou be not beguiled with falsehood of sophistical words, understand that the words which the Scripture useth in the worshipping or honouring of God are these love God, cleave to God, dread, serve, bow, pray and call on God, believe and trust in God, and such like. Which words all we use in the worshipping of man also, howbeit diversely, and the difference thereof doth all the Scripture teach. The true express the honour of words that God. What it is to honour God. God hath created us and made us unto his own likeness, and our Saviour Christ hath bought us with his blood. And therefore, are we God's possession of duty and right, and Christ's servants only, to wait on his will and pleasure, and ought therefore to move neither hand nor foot, nor other member, either heart or mind, otherwise than he hath appointed. God is honoured in his own person, when we receive all things both good and bad at his hand, and love his law with all our hearts, and believe, hope, and The true long for all that he promiseth. any honour of God. What it is to honour rulers. What it is to honour a bour. THE officers that rule the world in God's stead, as father, mother, master, husband, lord and prince, are honoured, when the law, which Almighty God hath committed unto them to rule with, is obeyed. Thy neighbour that man's neigh is out of office, is honoured, when thou (as God hath commanded thee) lovest him as thyself, countest him as good as thyself, thinkest him as worthy of any thing as thyself, and comest lovingly to help him at all his need, as thou wouldest be holp thyself, because God hath made him like unto his own image, as well as thee, and Christ hath bought him as well as thee. What it is to dishonour God and disho nour our neighbour. To deny to help my neighbour is to disho nour him. To do that deth is to dishonour If I If I hate the law, so I break it in mine heart, and both hate and dishonour God the maker thereof. If I break it outwardly, then I dishonour God before the world, and the officer that ministereth it. If I hurt my neighbour, then I dishonour my neighbour and him that made him, and him also that bought him with his blood. And even so, if I hate my neighbour in mine heart, then I hate him that commandeth me to love him and him that hath deserved that I should at the leastway for his sake love him. be not ready to help my neighbour at his need, so I take his due honour from him, and dishonour him, and him that made him, and him also that bought him with his blood, whose servant he is. If I love such things as God hath lent me, and committed unto mine administration, so that I cannot find in mine heart to bestow them on the uses which God hath appointed me, then I dishonour God and abuse his creature in that I give more honour unto it than I should do, and then I make an idol of it, in that I. love it more than God and his commandment, and then I dishonour my neighbour from whose need I withdraw it. In like manner, if the officer abusing his power, compel God forbid the subject to do that which God forbiddeth, or to leave undone that which God commandeth, so he dishonoureth God, in withdrawing his servant from him, and maketh an idol of his own lusts, in that he honoureth them above God, and he dishonoureth his brother in that he abuseth God. |