M. More dancing in a net, thinketh visible. himself in albeit M. More, with his painted poetry, and crafty con- More's veyance, do cast a mist before your eyes, that you might mist. wander out of the right way, endeavouring himself to instruct you, that God hath predestinated and chosen us before the beginning of the world, because he knew before that we should do good works, yet will I set you up a candle which shall shine so bright, and so clearly dispel his mist and vain poetry, that you shall plainly perceive him dancing naked in a net, which, notwithstanding, thinketh himself to go invisible. And although there be Scriptures enough (both Tit. iii. and Rom. ii.) to prove the same true, yet will I let that pass, and allege for me, St. Austin, which is the candle that I speak of, which shall disclose his juggling, and utter his ignorance; for St. Austin saith, Some man will affirm that God did choose us, because he saw before that we should do good works; but Christ saith not so, which saith, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you; for, (saith he,) if he had chosen us because he saw before that we should do good works, then should he also have seen before, that we should first have chosen him, which is contrary to the words of Christ, and mind of the Evangelist. Here may you see how evidently St. Austin confuteth M. More's poetry, and openeth his serpentine deceit. John xv. Finally, St. Paul saith, (Ephes. ii.) that we are saved Ephes. ii. through grace, and that it cometh not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, and cometh not of works, lest any man should boast himself: which words M. More might be ashamed to hear if he were not another Lucian, neither regarding God nor man. But St. Austin addeth thus much more unto it: Non erit gratia ullo modo nisi fuerit gratuita omni modo; that is to say, that it can in no wise be grace or favour except it be always free. And therefore I may conclude, that it is neither of the works going before, nor of the works coming after, but only of the free favour of God. Rom. xv. 1 Cor. i. And this are we sure of, that whomsoever he chooseth, them he saveth of his mercy; and whom he repelleth, them of his secret and unsearchable judgment he condemneth. But why he chooseth the one, and repelleth the other, enquire not, saith St. Austin, if thou wilt not err. Insomuch, that St. Paul could not attain to the knowledge thereof, but cried out, Oh! the depth of the riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and how incomprehensible are his ways! But M. More had lever aloud to lie, and far to err, than to let God alone with his secrets, or to acknowledge his ignorance in any thing. And, to be short, St. Paul saith, What hast thou that thou hast not received? If thou hast received it, why dost thou avaunce thyself as though thou hadst not received it? So we may conclude, that all goodness cometh of God, and all sin or mischief of our own poisoned nature. Insomuch, that we may say with the prophet Daniel Tibi Domine gloria, nobis autem confusio faciei. O Lord, all glory be unto thee, and unto us shame and confusion, so that he that rejoiceth, may rejoice in the Lord. : THE SECOND CHAPTER. FOR WHAT INTENT GOD GIVETH US THESE GIFTS, 1 Cor. ii. LIKE as there are many members of our body, and every member hath his office appointed unto him, which he must do, not for his own wealth and safeguard only, but for the preservation of the whole body, insomuch that the most honest member must serve the vilest at his necessity; for if the hand would not serve the slow belly, they should both perish together: even If God have opened the eyes of thy mind, and have given thee spiritual wisdom through the knowledge of his word, boast not thyself of it, but rather fear and tremble; for a chargeable office is committed unto thee, which (if thou fulfil it) is like to cost thee thy life at one time or other, with much trouble and persecution. But if thou fulfil it not, then shall that office be thy damnation; for St. Paul saith, Wo is to me if I 1 Cor. ix. preach not! And by the prophet Ezekiel, God saith, Ezek. xxiii. If I say unto the wicked that he shall die the death, and thou show him not of it, the wicked shall die in his iniquity, but I shall require his blood of thy hand. But, peradventure, our divines would expound these texts only upon them that are sent, and have cure of souls. Whereunto I answer, that every man which hath the light of God's word revelated unto him, is sent whensoever he seeth necessity, and hath cure of his neighbour's soul. As, by example, if God have given me my sight, and I perceive a blind man going in the way, which is ready, for lack of sight, to fall into a pit, wherein he were like to perish, then am I bound, by God's commandment, to guide him till he were past that jeopardy, or else, if he perish therein, (where I might have delivered him,) his blood shall be required of my hand. And likewise, if I perceive my neighbour like to perish for lack of Christ's doctrine, then am I bound to instruct him with the knowledge that God hath given me, or else his blood shall be required of my hand. Solution. Matt. vii. Peradventure, they will say that there is already one Objection. appointed to watch the pit, and therefore, if any man fall into it, he shall make it good, and that therefore I am discharged and need to take no thought. Whereunto I answer, I would be glad that it so were. Notwithstanding, if I perceive that the watchman be asleep, or run to the alehouse to make good cheer, or gone out of the country a whore-hunting, and through his negligence espy my neighbour in danger of the pit, then am I nevertheless bound to lead him from it. I think that God hath sent me at that time to save that soul from perishing. And the law of God and nature bindeth me thereto, which chargeth me to love my neighbour as myself, and to do unto him as I would be done to. And I think there is no man, that is in this case, but he would have his neighbour to help him; and therefore is he bound to help his neighbour if he be in like jeopardy. And even thus art thou bound to give good counsel to him that lacketh it, and to distribute whatsoever talent thou hast received of God unto the profit of thy neighbour. Moreover, besides, that ye cannot avoid this my solution, yet I desire you to note how the text itself, which I alleged, doth condemn your vain objection; the words are these, (Ezekiel iii.) " If I say unto the wicked, that he shall die the death, and thou show him not of it, the wicked shall die in his iniquity, but I shall require his blood of thy hand. Mark, I pray you, that the prophet saith, not, as you object, that he which should show the wicked his iniquity, and doth not so, shall perish only, and the wicked himself to be saved, because his fault was not told him by him which took charge to teach him; but contrary wise, the wicked shall perish in his iniquity, (saith God by his prophet Ezekiel,) and his blood shall be required of the hand of him which should have instructed him in the truth. If God have given thee faith in Christ's blood, be not proud of it, but fear; for since God hath not spared Rom. ii. the natural branches, (I mean the Jews, which were his 2 Pet. ii. elect people ;) since he spared not the angels that sinned, but hath cast them into hell, to be reserved unto judgment; since he spared not the old world, but overwhelmed them with waters, delivering Noah the preacher of righteousness, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Truth it is, that where faith is present, no sin can be imputed, but this faith is not in thy power, for it is the gift of God. And therefore, if thou be unkind, and en- 1 Cor. xii. deavour not thyself to walk innocently, and to bring forth the fruits of faith, it is to be feared that for thine unkindness God will take it from thee, and hire out his Matt. iii. vineyard to another, which shall restore the fruit in due season, and then shall thine end be worse than thy beginning. Let us therefore with fear and trembling seek our health and make stable our vocation and election, mortifying our members and man of sin, by exer- Matt. xxi. cising ourselves in Christ's precepts, that we may be Matt.xii. the children of our Father that is in heaven, and fellow Phil. ii. heirs with our Saviour and brother Christ Jesus. 2 Pet. i. If God have given thee riches, thou mayest not think Matt. v. that he hath committed them unto thee for thine own use only, but that he hath made thee a steward over them to distribute them to the profit of the community; for indeed thou art not the very owner of them, but God is the owner, which saith, by the prophet Haggai, Gold is Hag. ii. mine, and silver is mine; and he hath committed them for a season to thy hand, to see whether thou wilt be faithful in distributing this wicked mammon, according Luke xvi. to his commandments. And that it so is, thou mayest well note by the parable of the rich man, which was clothed in silk, and fared delicately in this world, and after was buried in hell; whereupon St. Gregory noteth that he was not damned because he despoiled any other man's, but because he did not distribute his own, as the process of the text doth also well declare. Wherefore, if we must give accounts of all that is given us, then |