The mînde and judgement of master Frances Lambert of Auenna of the will of man, declaring and proving how and after what sort it is captyne and bond, and not free: taken out of his commentaries upon Osee the Prophet, wherein upon the four Chapter of the said prophet, he most Godly, plain lie and learnedly, entreateth and writeth of the same, as hereafter evidently shall appear. newly translated into English by N.L. Anno Do. M.D. xlviii. the xviii. day of December.  Philippians ii ¶ It is God that worketh both the will & the performance.  

DIEV ET MON DRO●T  royal blazon or coat of arms   

To the most gracious, and virtuous Lady Anne, douthesse's of Somerset. etc. Her most faithful and daily Oratoure Nicholas Less, desireth the sweet blessing of god, with a joyful and earnest love to read his word and follow the same.  
WHat time my little work, entitled the justification of faith only, was in the hands of the Printer (moste gentle Lady) it fortuned me to read in a certain exposition, which Frances Lambert of Auenna did write upon Osee the Prophet, that the will of man naturally is captive to sin (as the Apostle right well witnesseth saying. He which doth sin is the servant of sin. There is not one just man, there is not one which seeketh after God. All men have erred & gone forth of the way and are altogether made unprofitable. There is not one man which doth good, no, not so much as one) and also bond from doing of any good thing of itself, as witnesseth the Apostle james with these words Every good and perfect gift is from above, discendinge down from the father of light, which article being very well discussed, and with the file and touchstone of the scriptures proved and made plain: I thought it necessary and expedient that it should be brought forth of the Latin into our vulgar tongue. partly because the contrary error (that man hath power to do good of himself) being the doctrine of the papists, of the anabaptists, & of the Pelagions, is so inveterated and rooted in the stomachs of most men, that almost they can scant find in their heart to give to God any part of the praise of good works, but ascribing the worthiness thereof to themselves, do make claim and title unto heaven for their own deservings.  
This error hath caused them to forsake the works prescribed to us of God, and to invent new works on their own brain This error caused them to build monasteries, to go on pilgrimages, to set up candles before stocks and stones, to make holy water and holy bread, to wear this or that disguised cote, to fast this or that prescribed day, to sing masses for the dead and quick to make of the blessed supper of the Lord, a sacrifice for the quick & dead, to make of bread and wine (as they most falsely do affirm) the natural flesh and blood of our saviour jesus Christ, and to be short to apply the most fruitful & benefitial fruits of his passion to the health of bruit beasts, as sheep oxen, and swine, as well as to the soul of man. Where had they any of this beggary in the scriptuers?  
This is a foul and a detestable error which bringeth man into so many whyrlepoles of dishonouring of God, that there is almost nothing at all left unto him but a bare name of God, none otherwise then as they had used in times passed to make kings and queens in may games. Into so great and palpable darkness are they fallen for their unthankfulness.  
The second cause which moved me to the traunslation of this small work is, that this error of free will to do good in man, standing still and not removed forth of the hearts and consciences of men, the contrary Article for justification by faith only must needs be infringed and broken.  
For if we do well of our own proper strength them do our own works make us good and righteous, which is directly contrary to the scriptures, to the words of Christ saying. No man can come to me, except my father draw him. These words do declare that all men are alway so stubourne and so much against God that except they be drawn, they can not come to Christ. Christ doth say also. Of those which thou hast given me, I have not lost one.  
It followeth therefore that god was the giver, & Christ the keeper of them. They were not the givers nor the keepers of themselves, no more than they were the callars of themselves, what time that Peter & his fellows at the calling of Christ forsook their ship and netes and followed him. But contrary wise if all men be liars, as witnesseth the Apostle Paul. If all the imaginations of man from his youth be evil, and nothing but sin, as it is written in the Genese vi Chapte. then are we not made good, & righteous by our deeds. Then must this Article (by faith only we are justified) stand fast, that is to say, for the confidence and sure trust which we have in the promises of God for his sweet son jesus Christ's sake, by the which son we have boldness and free passage to come to god, as teacheth us the Apostle Peter.  
For so much therefore as these ii Articles. man can work any goodness of himself and the justification of man freely, by faith only, are so fast and nigh linked together that either they must both stand together or both be destroyed and broken together: the people being I trust (what with learned preachers, what with writers) suffitientlye instructed and taught the way of their justification: I took on me to traunslate this into our mother tongue, and with like audacity, as I dedicated the work of justification unto your most dearly beloved husband my lords Protectors grace: so I have been so bold to name your grace a most Godly mother & setter forth of this work under whose name it cometh abroad into the hands of the people, to whom next unto God they shall yield thanks for the fruit thereof. Whose graces both together, I desire the Lord long to preserve with a joyful continuance, to the shining of his glory, and setting forth of his word, with increase of all Godliness thereto correspondent. Amen.   

Q.L. to the gentle reader.  
HEre in this work (most gentle reader) thou hast set before thine eyes the will of man so plainly, so lively that no Appelles could with all his craft in a table with his colours set forth the phisiovomie of any man like. Thou dost perceive and behold him in this book, as he is in his own propernature and kind, altogether nakid, altogether miserable, wretched, and bound. Not that there by thou shouldest think thyself more at liberty to offend because thy will is bound and captive: or else that thou cast not chose but offend: but that rather thine own weakness and poverty being known, thou shouldest knowledge▪ praise and glorify the mighty and infinite power and strength of the Lord, with the abundant and plentiful fullness of riches in all goodness, to whom only every good gift, and every perfect gift from heaven above, from the father of light is to be attributed & ascribed as witnesseth ja i Thou must be also in this case like a man, which through long sickness is so feeble and week, and brought so low: that he is not able to stand without a staff, fearing to set his foot to the ground lest he should fall down, not able to rise again of himself without the help of another. This man getteth to him a staff to stand up or to go by: or else he leaveth on another man's arm which is stronger than he: and so goth forth by little and little ever fearing to fall. So doing thou shalt not fall, nay though thou dost stumble, or trippest a little with thy foot, that is the carnalconcupiscence of the flesh, yet shalt thou not fall to the ground: the spirit of the Lord is so strong, that he will hold the up. But if thy staff be weak or rotten: or that man whom thou dost trust, be not altogether thy friend: thou canst not choose but fall and that miserably to thine utter confusion, with out another taking compassion and pity on the of his goodness will come and take the up. Likewise is thy doing when thou dost trust and put thy confidence in thine own merits, in thine own works, in thine own strength, in thine own wit and power: them is thy fall most greatest, when the trust of thine own power seemeth most strongest, and when thou art most inflamed with the love of thyself, that is of thine own deeds and works, which are altogether flesh if they be not wrought, by the spirit of the Lord, the which spirit of the Lord being in thee, the Lord doth make althy ways godly & strait be fore his eyes, so that thy sin is not imputed to thee, nor thou art not fleshly, yea, though the flesh hath some pricking in the. For to the just man the law is not made as witnesseth Paul: that man I say whose justice is Christ's justice, which already in his heart hath done all that thing which the law requireth not of himself but by the power of the spirit of the Lord which worketh his will in him. What hast thou (saith Paul) that thou hast not received: if thou hast received, wherefore, art thou proud of it as though thou hast not received it but as it were thine own of thyself: For as much then as all godliness is received: we must consider & confess, that there is a giver in whose hand and power it doth rest, whether he will give it yea or nay, so that we must say, not unto us Lord, not to us. but to thy name be glory & praise. What work did Paul work to obtain the favour of the Lord, When he was most strongest in persecution and shedding of the christian blood? suddenly he was taken from himself (that is to say) the Lord altered him of his own goodness and mere mercy his cruel affections, and in the stead of the spirit of persecution: he put in him the spirit of meekness, the spirit of love, of preaching his glory, of preaching jesus Christ crucified, and in the stead of a persecutor of Christ, he became a sufferer for Christ. When Peter was most strong to fight with dente of sword as appeared by his bold and manly deeds and great cracks, how suddenly became he in the stead of a defender, a denier? And where as he would die with Christ, he would not so much as once know him, nay he denied him utterly. Who did subdue the naughty spirit of Paul when he was in his most rage & fury against the preachers of Christ's glory? Was it any other, than the power of the lord under whose feet all things are made subject: yea, from the reasonable to the unreasonable, as oxen and sheep. At the which time of persecution, Paul was in durate because he had not in him the spirit of the Lord, and therefore he could not choose but with all extremity persecute the lord as far as the flesh would give him leave. The flesh always as Paul witnesseth resisting and strining against the spirit. The cause then why that Paul had not the spirit of the Lord, was only the pleasure of the Lord which taketh mercy on whom it pleaseth himself. Paul minding nothing less than to be called, it pleased the Lord to call him from dishonour to honour, to the setting forth of his glory. Paul for this time of persecution was indurate none otherwise than was Pharaoh in the persecution of the children of Israel. If it had pleased the Lord to have taken Paul as he did take Pharaoh, the one should have perished as well as the other. If the Lord had left Peter in his denial and still to himself, if he had not looked on him with the eye of favour, it had been evil with him, as it was with Pharaoh. But to declare that all men are liars, and God only true as the prophet saith The Lord took the spirit of steadfastness and knowledging of God from him: leaving him to himself, to frailness, to the very counsel and motion of the flesh, which flesh had rather live a while and die for ever, than to suffer a small temporal death and all way after to live. Therefore, if any man do fall, let not him despair, for the Lord is merciful. It is not the fall which declareth induration, it is the contempt of the Lord, when thou dost delight in thy sin not fearing the lords judgement, that is a fearful token of induration. What canst thou tell whether the Lord will take the in this time of thy wickedness and unfaithfulness yea or nay? as he did Pharaoh in the midst of his madness? If he so do what shall become of thee? Thou caused not deny but that he may, if it please him so to do. Thou hast a good cause therefore always to fear and mistrust thy ways, for thou art altogether of thyself, flesh, thou canst do nothing of thyself but sin. And likewise as the trust of the mercy of God promised for Christ's sake, which followeth straightway the hatred of vice and sin with full intent and purpose to live after the will of the father, is a certain token of election and of the favour of God, wherein so long as thou dost remain and continue thou art sure that thou art of the right fort Even so the love to live ungodly, to wallow in all kind of vice, and to lie still in impurity of life, declareth to the that for that same season thou art nothing else than the child of wrath, cursed of God, indurat as was Pharaoh. This is a good cause to make the to be always in fear, to make the suspect thine own self, and begin to hate sin, the devil, and the flesh with all concupiscence, than the spirit of God beginneth to work his work in thee, to crucify thy spiritual enemy in the and to subdue them in the. Then hath the Lord put a new his spirit into thee, which before he did pluck from thee, leaving the to thine own stinking affections and carnal concupiscences. What caused the proud heady and obstinate Pharisees that they would not believe in Christ, for all the miracles that he wrought? They believed not in him, saith Christ in John xii that the saying of Esay the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke. Lord, who shall believe our saying, and to whom is the arm of the Lord declared. Therefore could not they believe because Esay saith again, he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes and lest they should understand with their hearts. et c. So because they were blinded the could not see. What thing can move and stir us to the love of God, what thing can set forth the glory of God and his honour: more than the perfect knowledge of this article which maketh him a whole God, which setteth him in his own seat a high which declareth him to be author & worker of all goodness, he that doth both begin and maketh an end? Which article I say setteth man in his own place here in earth, naturally given to the earth, to all curruption both bodily and ghostly disposed to do nothing of himself that is good. What thing to man is more necessary than that doctrine which teacheth him how he shall know when he is the son of God and of the chosen sort, that he may pray the Lord to preserve his spirit in him, wherbi he shall know which way he is the son of the devil & of out cast forth of the favour of God. Theridamas is nothing more necessary than this. I would wish and desire with all my heart that all men would read this book with a godly desire and intent, not to contention, and maintenance of their lewd life whose damnation is just▪ but to know God how strong he is, how mighty a prince he is how good and merciful he is, on whose mercy all thing dependeth, and to know man, how weak and how miserable he is that he can do nothing of himself, that he is the instrument of God to all goodness and the instrument of the devil in all vice and sin. The evil and most justly condemned persons come to this book, to fetch a license of sin to make their life more licentious, more dissolute, to make themself more bold in all kind of vice most like to the spider & venomous worm which from the sweet flowers do draw and suck forth venom and poison. The virtuous and godly disposed, mean no thing less, they do gather hence all goodness. Here find they a bridle to pluck in their vicious affections. Here find they the sweet liberty of God and bondage of the devil. Here do they learn their own condemnation, and their salvation by Christ The flesh taketh all thing fleshly and like itself. But therefore the faithful may not be deprived of their food and sustenance. Let us therefore pray the Lord to put in us his spirit: that it may be our guide to all godliness and virtue, that we be none occasion of slander to his word, but that all our acts, deeds and alwrytinge, teaching, reading and communications may be to edify, to the setting forth of his glory, to whom be honour and praise for ever and ever without end. So be it.   

IN the declaration and exposition of the holy scriptures both the old and new: there be many places which can not be well perceived what they do mean, except the article of the will of man (which troubleth men's minds very much) be made plain and open (that is to say) whether a man can of himself perform and do any thing which pertaineth to eternal felicity and life everlasting yea or nay. 
Proposition.  As the keeping and observing of the lords commandments. The which thing to be declared and made plain. that it might be perceived of all men, that all men may know the truth, thereof, many places of the scripture, but a 'mong all other, these places and texes of this Prophet do most earnestly require, and in specially this verse following of the said Prophet, that is to say, The spirit hath bound him in his wings. 
Osee four  For by these words it is evident, as appeareth by that which is written before in the said chapter That by this spirit is meant a reprobat mind and the understanding or knowledge of the flesh, which is the spirit of fornication.  
first of all therefore, before that I do take on me to interpret and declare my mind in this matter I desire the gentle readers, that they would not think and conjecture that in the declaration hereof I do follow the mind and judgement of many and divers writers. But only the very mind and sense of the scripture, as nigh as I might and as it pleased Christ to give me knowledge and understanding therein, not mynishing thereby nor improving the judgements of other christian writers and doctors those principally, which do cleave and stick fast to the true and pure word of God, whom we also do covet for to imitate and follow And after whose godly minds and judgements, we can give and ascribe nothing to the will of man of himself, as we shall hereafter plentifully God willing declare and show.  
Furthermore, in discussing of this matter, I would be loath that men should think that I do run headlong into a thing which is deep, and far from all men's knowledge (as they say) and therefore not necessary to be known. Which thing I do for none other cause, but to search forth the truth and also to satisfy the minds of those which are desirous of the knowledge thereof. For truly I can by no means allow, nay I cannot but much disallow and discommend the manifold contentions and reasonings in dark and hid matters, which are more meet (as some men do write) for the excellency and profound deepness thereof, to be had in a godly reverence, and to be committed to God, rather than with contentious and brabbling reasoning of every man to be discussed. But as for this matter, it is no such thing, 
How necessary the knowledge of this article is for all men.  the knowledge whereof (that is whither the will of man be free or bond) doth give us to understand and know, how weak we be of our own selves how we can do nothing ourselves, and contrary wise how marvelous, how mighty, and how strong the Lord is, which is not a void or an unprofitable matter to be declared and set open to all men. For this thing being opened, we do learn to perceive and see, how glorious and triumphant a Lord, the Lord is in us, and how brickle & miserable we be on every side on our own self.  

The objection of the papists against the opening of this article.  Notwithstanding all this, there be many which do affirm that it is not, expedient either to write or teach the people the knowledge of this article, and that for none other cause, but because the carnal and fleshly people (as they think) do receive hereby great occasion, 
The declaration of the will of man: giveth not occasion of vice, for the evil persons thereby will not be the better: nor the good the worse.  and as it were a large window made open to them, for to practise and continue still in the detestable vices and ungodly licentious kind of living. As though such persons as are naghtie and lewdly disposed, might other do or think any thing otherwise than fleslye and carnally, yea, though this article were never spoken of to them. Or else, as though the declaration and opening of this article should be the cause that the elected and godly sort should be plucked and drawn thereby from the hand of the Lord and so through error sedused to perish for ever, which is nothing so, for they which are gone from us, were not of us. If they had been of us they would have continued with us. As witnesseth i John the two The Lord doth hold fast the hearts of his elect, that they be not slandered by the word of his verity.  
Such as these be, do teach, 
Another objection.  that all manner of men ought not to know as much as we that are learned do know, & that we ought not to disclose, wherein and in what points the general counsels have erred. Because (as they say) men should not regard, 
Whether the error of the fathers ought to be hid yea or nay.  or esteem the authority of the fathers the less in those things which they have well ordained and made, forasmuch as they have in divers things erred also. At whose errors they would that we should wink, and notse them, nay most earnestly, as most certain, verities and truths learn them. Shall we neglect the most pure verity, 
We may not do evil that good may come of it  for to flatter with the errors and ignorance of the fathers: Doth God need any thing of our invention and lies to hide the verity of the Lord, for errors of the ancient counsels? is it any thing else than to prefer man before god? & the father's bifore verity▪ God is true, all men are liars. Psal. Cxu. Wherefore do we fear, which do profess the verity and truth of the Lord, considering that he hath overcome all thing, as Esd. iij. And he is permanent for ever. Psa. Cvi. &. Cxviii. Finally the almighty Lord loveth verity and truth, 
The Lord hateth lies, why shall we lie for counsels, to hide their faults as though they were not men  and hateth with great hatred all lies and falsehood.  
Forsooth to teach after this manner, is an error not to be borne. I cannot say the contrary but often times the preaching of the truth, may be deferred and put of till another time, that it may be with the more opportunity declared, but yet for all that, a man may not teach, 
Preach no lies.  nor preach lies, and false doctrine. And if thou dost perceive or find an error where as none admonition can help or prevail, you may well make, as though ye sawen it not and so wink at it: but in any wise beware you do not excuse and defend the error to be good and true. If so be the matter belong to your faith, or to any thing thereto pertaining, wherein you be demanded to answer, 
Commanded to answer, forsake not the verity.  of the enemies to your faith, then if you do not confess the truth, you have denied Christ. For thou art ashamed of his words. And who that is ashamed of my words (sayeth Christ) I will be ashamed to knowledge him before my father and his Angels. Luke ix  
It was lawful for Paul to eat of those things that were offered up to Idols, who also had in his choice, 
Things indifferent, how they are to be used.  if it had pleased him, not for to eat thereof, for it was a thing indifferent. Therefore some time he did eat thereof, because he thought it expedient: other while again he would not eat thereof because he thought it more profitable for his neighbour. So became he to all men after all fashions i Corhin ix Chap. 
i Cor. ix. Ca  But to preach any other thing than was received of the Lord at any time: that was not lawful neither for Paul nor any else of the Apostles. If they had: they should have erred and become false prophets. Paul did contrary Peter openly in his fare because he did that thing which was not profitable. Paul did not compel the gentiles to use and observe the jewish ceremonies (a thing most wicked) He did not say (as many do now adays (walking in the flesh) God forbidden that I should speak or say against Peter, 
Paul did disclose the offence of Peter, having no regard of his aposto●ship.  lest I should minish his authority and estimation, which he hath among many: but he said rather let man give room and place to God. Therefore where Peter doth err I will speak against him: lest that those men which do know Peter to be an Apostle should make of Peter's fault or error a law: & so following him therein at the last should perish. 
The errors of general counsels may not be winked at, for just causes.  Likewise the errors of the counsels are not to be covered and hid: but to be declared and showed unto the people, lest under the name of the counsels and title of the church, the people being deceived, should attribute something more to man then to God, in the stead or place of the verity, embracing falsehood and lies. If any godly man or else any counsel do teach that thing which is verity: thereto men must stand and rest, not for their sakes which did teach it, but because it is the troth and verity, which is taught.  
This is the wholesume of this point, 
Unlawful things.  that those men which be of God should teach the people nothing which is unlawful: because they do perfectly know that it is not expedient for their neighbour nor profitable. 
Things lawful, and not necessary.  As for those things which are lawful and not necessary: they may at all times be preached: they may be deferred also for a time: as it shall appear expedient and profitable for the hearers. 
another objection.   
There be some men which do dame and judge that this matter of the will of man and such other places of the scriptures of God, which are some thing hard & dark: 
The papists will not all men know the truth.  are not to be spoken of, nor yet once touched: but among those which are perfect men: and none other, By the which perfect men they do mean and understand great clerks with the hooded and capt masters of the divinity schools: 
Who be perfect men after the pope's sort  alleging the testimony of Paul: saying to the Corhin. the first Epistle and the second Chap. That he did teach nothing among them which are carnal men: although he taught nothing else but only jesus Christ, and him to be crucified: and shortly after he said that he taught the wisdom of God among them which be perfect.  
These men do teach and write, that it is not all one thing to preach the wisdom of God, and to preach jesus Christ crucified. The knowledge of whom is the very wisdom of God: & to preach jesus Christ crucified. The knowledge of whom I say is the very wisdom: and the preaching of whom is the declaration of the wisdom of God.  

Who be perfect after Christ's law.  To the which objection we answer and say: that all those which do believe are perfect. Whose perfection is Christ: so that there be a true faith.  
Secondly we say that it is often times seen, that the simple & unlearned do receive and admit the word of God and his wisdom sooner and better, than a great meany of the divinity schools, and of those which are great clerks learned after the flesh.  

Math. xi. Luke. x. Psal. xviij.  Our master Christ doth render glory and praise to his father: because he hath hid his mysteries from the wise men, and made them open to the little children, Matthew xi Luke ten and Psalm. Cxviij. He doth give understanding to the little ones. The truth therefore & the secret mysteries of the word of God: is to be declared and made open, to the simple & plain children of God which do believe in Christ: and not to a few in numbered: as the papists would.  
Thirdly, the wisdom of God and mysteries of our faith, are to be opened to the poor commu●e people, rather than to the proud arrogant looks of those great clerks. For to their proud hearts the Lord will not have those privities and secrets of his majesty made open, 
Proud hearts can not receive the mysteries of God.  which he voucheth safe to show to the meek and low spirited persons. It is not the degrees of schools, nor the philosophical knowledge which giveth understanding of the heavenly doctrine: nor yet the craft and wisdom of this world. 
Degrees of schools.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise men, & the understanding of the witty men shall hide itself. 
Esai. xxix. i Cor. i. Cham  Esai. xxix. and the first Epistle and first Chapter to the Cor. It pleased the Lord thorough the opprobry and foolishness of the cross: 
Belief.  and by preaching thereof to save all them which do believe.  
Finally there is not to be found one sparkle of the spirit of God in those puffed up wise men: which is given plenteously to the simple and meek children, 
Esai. lxvi.  as Esai. xxvi. Chap. On whom shall my spirit rest, but on him which is meek, lowly, and quiet, which feareth and trembleth at my words. For the verity of God can not be perceived, but only by the spirit of God, as Paul to the Corhin. the first Epistle, and second Chap. It is unpossible that by thine own senses human, 
i Cor. ij. Cham  and proper industry or labour, thou canst perceive and understand the scriptures of God. Wherefore who that goeth about to expound and make open the scriptures by man's reasons: 
Man's reason in scriptures beareth small rule.  shall never attain to the truth.  
❧ The Scriptures often times speak much after the manner of the speaking of men, and of our understanding, which must be for all that, 
How the speaking of the scriptures are to be taken in certain places.  taken after the meaning and spirit of the Lord. Thou dost read in them, that God some time is as it were in a fury, that he is heavy and sorrowful, that he is angry, that he doth hate, and threaten with such other like manner of affectionate speaking. Which words, if thou dost understand after the flesh, and after thine own sense, thou shate fall into foul error. And yet for all that, to our perseverance, he seemeth some time to rage, he is angry, he repenteth him of this or that, he doth lament and sigh. etc. But not after our judgement and understanding. 
The Gospel speaketh after our speaking but not after our understanding.  For likewise as the speech of God hath his proper tongue and manner of speaking: so it hath his own proper spirit, sense, and meaning. The which words how they are to be taken, we have made plain in other places, whereof we have written.  

What it is to build on the rock, and on the sand.  Furthermore how tedious and laborious a thing it is to take this matter in hand of the declaration of the will of man, how unthankful and not pleasant it shall be to many, to those specially which would build, not on the strong rock stone, which is Christ, but on the sands, that is to say, the glossings of men, as they do in deed in all those things, which they would make men believe to have their foundations on the scriptures, or rather to be the very scriptures themselves, being as cleave contrary as black is to white. I am not so ignorant and blind, but I do see and perceive their crafty iudgeling, & subtle conveyance. They do think in themselves, that they have done & wronghte no small feat, if they do bring forth for the confirmation of their blind and false doctrine, a great numbered & heap of sophistical writers, whose brabbling, scolding, and contentious reasoning and mad disputations, the holy ghost doth abhor and detest. The faithful do not allow the bare judgements of men, 
The verity for verities sake, not for any respect of man is commendable.  because they do seem & appear holy, as of the Martyrs and bishops and such other like. But if the truth of God be in them, yea though they were women, ploughmen, children, yea what so ever they be, that is the thing which is acceptable & pleasant to the right faithful. This is the whole sum of those words which I have spoken, that we have not our eyes open on the authority of men, 
Old custom and continuance proveth 〈◊〉 the verity.  but only to give ear to the truth and verity of God's word, to embrace that, to follow that with all our heart.  
Finally, what certeyneth that to the church of God, which they do allege, that is to say, the most wicked consent of men, continuing many years in blindness and errors. Are we sworn, or have we taken our oath to be true to the numbered of years, and to the doctors, 
we are sworn 〈◊〉 Christ, not 〈…〉 tea●●●●ge and 〈◊〉.  which were then living and taught? Or rather to be true and faithful to the most purest word of the most highest Lord. Away with the name & numbered of their years, and let us have in our heads, the everlasting time of the Lord, having neither beginning nor ending. We will not have before our eyes these later days, 
〈…〉.  but the old and ancient time, although they do call us in despite the preachers and teachers of the new Gospel, as who should say that this Gospel which we do preach, were not the eternal Gospel, which the holy Prophets and Apostles did teach from the beginning. 
The Gospel 〈…〉.  But where as they do lay and call it the new Gospel, and new learning, they do not therein speak otherwise then the truth. For the Gospel which is of itself everlasting and eternal, to the old bottles of their carnal and fleshly understanding, it is new boiling wife and sweet must. Wherefore they are not able to contain and keep it still within them, except they be renewed with the spirit of Christ. What thing do we teach contrary to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles? We may not follow the errors which were more than xiij hundredth years passed. But we must embrace those things which were taught by the Apostles in their time or there about of necessity, if we do well, if we will not err & be deceived. For it is a thing very certain that they declared most purely and sincerely the verity and truth of God's word, which they did leave to us in writing, having the spirit of God to their enterpreter, giving to them the right and perfect meaning.  
But now as touching the spirit of God, 
A most wicked doubt.  some men do doubt whether the gift of the spirit & holy ghost, that is to say, the gift of prophecy of exposiding the scriptures of healing diseases and sickness, of the tongues, is not now among men as it was in that time of the Apostles. Whereunto I answer that the gift of healing of maladies doth not cease, as I myself have seen and do know of a surety by experience. But when faith doth fail, then that doth no longer abide. And as touching the gift of tongues, it doth remain among us still. 
The gift of tongues.  For the knowledge of the diversity of tongues, which many men have, is the gift of the spirit of God. It is not so openly perceived & seen, as these now a days extern & outward monstrous miracles, for this cause, that the power of the word of God may be known, by the which word only, the high tops of Antichrist his kingdom shall be overthrown and cast down, as I have written in the book entitled the causes of our great blindness.  
God forbid that we should say that the spirit of God, & of prophesy, is extinguised. For what man can deny, but the word of God must be preached. And to preach is nothing else then to prophesy, 
To preach is to prophesy.  as Paul witnesseth, the first Epistle to the Corhin. and xiiij Chap. Furthermore no man can preach well without the spirit of the holy ghost, 
Who preacheth well.  for the deep secrets of God, nothing but the spirit of God doth or can search. For likewise as no man knoweth what is in man, 
A goodly similitude.  but the spirit of man which is in him: even so the profound mysteries of God, no man doth know but the spirit of God, as Paul, i. Corhin. ij. Chapter.  
Also. If there be any of those gifts now in these days, they would know, 
In whom are the gifts of the holy ghost  on whom those gifts of the spirit are bestowed, who hath them. Which they with all their reasoning can not find out, nor once perceive their understanding is so carnal & sleshly. But the truth is that the gift of the spirit hath remained always in the elected people, all that long time of blindness and of error, as well as the gift of faith, although in many things the elected people were deceived. 
The lord hath had his elects and faithful in the time of most blindness.  By the which spirit and puernes of faith, they obtained salvation, as in the book inscribed, the causes of blindness I have declared sufficiently. They did not all perish which lived in those erroneous times, they were not all cast away. But likewise as in the time of Helias, when the said Helias thought, that there were no more persons but himself, which worshipped the living Lord. It was answered and said unto him, as in the third book of the Kings xix Chap. I have left and kept for myself seven thousand men, which never have done so much, as to bend their knees, no not before Baal. So it was in those times, which they speak of. For what so ever the errors & blindness was, those which were reserved, that is to say, the elected were saved (as I have said) by the spirit and puernes of faith in the Lord. 
Who seemeth to have the spirit of god in their expositions.  But to our purpose, where as diverse persons do make sundry and diverse expositions on the scriptures, it is easy to perceive which of those expositors have in them the holy spirit. 
The word of God is the witness of the will of God.  None other verity, but he or they which do fetch their testimonies and authority out of the word of God. For that word is the certain testimony and witness bearer, 
The scriptures do open themselves.  of the will of God. Therefore the word of God is called a testimony or witness. Psalm. Cxviij. Beside that one place of the scripture is declared by an other, the darcker, by that which seemeth more plain & open. To be short the more nigh the declaration or exposition cometh to the texts of the scripture, the more pure and perfect it must be of very necessity.  
Many of them which do teach & show (I will not say the manners and fashions of gentiles) the authorities of men, the allegations of decrees, this order or that order, this holiness or that holiness, this or that miracle: they do require that men should believe them in all their sayings. But our preaching is after an other manner. For we in the steed of man's authority and so forth, do declare the most purest and unchangeable word of God, which beareth true witness of his will toward us, wishing and desiring heartily that all those which do bear the name of Christ, calling them selves Christians, 
A Christian life is required to the setting forth of of the Gospel  professing his most holy word, that they would have a life conform to that spirit. It doth grieve and pain me (I say) to see many how they do live, by whose naughtiness of life, the evangel of the kingdom of God is little regarded or rather slandered. 
justified by faith only.  For we do know (although by faith we are only justified) yet the unseparable fruits of faith are the works which are done by faith. 
Works.  As for the promotions and degrees of schools whereon they do brag with the authorities of men (as of men) they be to be abhorred and detested more than any filthiness that falleth from man. 
Authorities of men. Degrees of schools. Religions and ordres of knaves. Holiness. Miracles.  By their religious orders we set not a good bean. As for their holiness and miracles, so that they be confourmable to the truth, we do allow them. And yet for all that we do not give credit to the verity for that holiness and miracle sake, but contrary wise, because we do lean and cleave to the verity and truth, therefore those things are pleasant to us.  
Of these things we have spoken more largely, than some men would think necessary or meet. But to answer to those men, which with long prefaces set before their works, do improve and find great fault with our opinion of the will of man, as erroneous and contrary to all godly doctrine, therefore in this preface we have been some thing the more prolix and long, to the reader (I trust) not unprofitable.  
Mine intent and purpose is (God willing) to declare unto you these four points following according to the scriptures.  

❧ first. What the will of man is.  
❧ second. That the will of man is captive & bond.  
❧ third. In what thing the will of man is free.  
❧ Fourth. How these texts of the scriptures which appear to give liberty and freedom to the will of man, are to be understand and taken a right.   

❧ The first.  
IN all the whole scripture, both old and new, you shall not find one place which maketh mention, 
These words free will, are not found in the Scriptures.  or once nameth these two words, free will, that thereby it might have some ground. But it is drawn forth of the dregs of the proud and carnal Philosophy, which is craftily crept into the doctrine of Christ, whereby they had obscured and made dark the bright glistering clearness of the word of God. Therefore the masters of the high and proud arrogant schools following the Doctrine and teaching of Aristotle make this definition of free will, saying, 
Free will after Aristotle.  it is a will joined and annexed to understanding. They do make of man as it were a certain kingdom, wherein the will is as Lord precedent and chief ruler, and the understanding to be the counselor: saying also that understanding in man, doth both judge and counsel, & the will like a Prince commandeth either to do, or to leave undone, that thing which the counselor doth say, yea or nay to. 
What man without the spirit of the Devil would speak these words?  They do say also that the will is a free power, which no man, no not God himself (mark their devilish doctrine) can compel or constrain, although they do grant that he may change the will.  
O Lord God what a pestilent doctrine is this in the church of Christ, of free will, which in deed hath no liberty nor freedom? We do not deny, that the will of man, is a will annexed unto understanding. But we do say, that this will, which is man's own judgement, choice, or election, is in no wise free, but contrary wise, bond and captive, as we will prove by the firm testimonies of the word of God.   

❧ The second part declaring that the will of man is captive.  
FOr as much as the election of man includeth in it both an understanding and also a will, First we will declare, that both as well the one as the other is bond, the which bondage shall be strongly proved by the scriptures. But first we will prove our intent with certain reasons manifest and known of all men.  

The first reason.  What man is he (being not altogether blind) that doth not see and perceive the understanding and knowledge of man to be captive and bond. Considering that every man doth understand and hath knowledge by measure after the quantity that the Lord, which is the giver of things, doth distribute and give to every man. To some knowledge and understanding, to some one thing, to some an other. Some give their studies to be good rhetoricians. Some setting by that kind of study nothing at all, apply themselves to be Logicians, some to be Physicians, some Lawyers, some to be divines, some would have of every thing a piece. another sort covet to be good handy crafts men, to be excellent in this or that. There be a thousand sorts of men, and as great 〈◊〉 of things, whereunto they be addicted and given. Every man liveth after his own fashion and mind. Every man in that thing whereunto he applieth his wits hath knowledge after a measure? One man more, an other less. He that hath less knowledge, would fain know as much as he which excelleth therein, and yet for all the pains he can take, he can not attain thereunto. Also that man, which knoweth one thing, would fain have the knowledge of more things, as well as of that, which he knoweth already, and yet he misseth of his purpose. He that is seen in the arts, and can play the parts of a good physician, would become fain a good divine. He that hath the understanding, but of one line or verse of the Bible, coveteth in his heart to have the intelligence and understanding of the whole Bible. But it is not as the wyssher and as the woulder (according to the proverb) do covet and desire, 
Wyshars & woulders are but small householders.  but as it pleaseth the Lord to show his mercy. An other desireth to have a perfect good memory, that he may keep well those things, which he hath heard and read, and suddenly he doth forget altogether. Such is the will of the Lord often times. The understanding therefore truly, and knowledge of all men is bond and captive. For let him be never so careful, let him take never so much pain, let him study as much as any man may, it shall profit to him no more than the Lord hath ordained from the beginning, which doth weigh all things in just numbered, 
Knowledge is the gift of God.  weight and measure. It doth depend and hang on his goodness to have knowledge of this thing or that. For it is not in every man's free election, to know every thing that he would at his own pleasure. The knowledge, understanding, and election of God only is free in deed, and of none other person or persons, whose will (I mean the will of man) what so ever they be, are in servitude and captyne, limited to and fro, 
The will, understanding, and election of God only is free.  as far & as near, as much and as little as it shall please the Lord. For there is no learned man be he never so e●nuynge: nor yet none other Artificer, be he never so much expert: that can tell what to do, more or less, or otherwise than he hath received of the Lord. Then I pray you, what goodly freedom have we whereof we do boast somuch, what is it worth I pray you of itself, considering that our will understanding, and election is obedient to the will of the Lord almighty, to his ordinances, to do all things, so far as it is commanded, and no more? What more evident token and ergument can you have of the captivity and bondage of man's will then this? Under this decree all things created and made, are obedient and subject to the Lord, because they can do nothing, but after the pleasure & most free will of the Lord, which willeth what him listeth alone and none but he. 
Example of bondage in beasts and in the elements.  The Lions could not devour Daniel. The fire in the furnace could not consume the iii children, because it was not the lords pleasure which alone of himself is free, to whom all creatures aswell reasonable as contrary, although they do seem and appear to our reason in things disobedient, yet for all that they are in very deed in the self same thing to the pleasure of God, most of all obedient and bond, albeit the judgement of man is to the contrary. For his godly will & pleasure must always be fulfilled, 
Our understanding is bond.  Whereby it followeth that the understanding of man is captive and bond to the commandment and unvariable decree of the Lord.  
To this Lord, not only the understanding which in man (as they say) is both judge and counselor, 
Will and will not are the deeds of the will.  but also the will which they do call the lord precedent is also captive and bond. For to will or to not will any manner of thing, are the deeds and the acts of the will. I marvel wherefore some men do write and hold opinion, that the acts and deeds of our will are free and at liberty, either to be done or undone as the will willeth. There is no freedom verily in them. For if all things which are made and created, 
The first reason, proving the will bond.  be under the decree and unvariable sentence of the Lord: than it followeth that the will of man, must be under the decree and sentence of the Lord. And likewise as we have written of the understanding of man, that it can neither know, nor yet seek for any further knowledge than the Lord doth permit and suffer: 
Comparison  even so must men understand of the will of man. Which is a very easy thing to perceive, to him that will mark and consider the diversity of affections wherewith man is cumbered and led oftentimes against his will. 
The second reason. The affections of men declareth bondage.  If the will of man be free, then may he will and nil what shall please him, at his own free election But what is that man that can so do? Let us have knowledge of such one, Bring him forth that we may extol and praise him. How often have you seen that a man would with all his heart that he might not covet and desire, 
The confirmation of the second reason.  that thing which he cannot choose but wish and desire after? contrariwise there be many which would that they could will and lo●e that thing, which they cannot choose but hate. Where is now the liberty of this man's will A man oftentimes casteth his mind on an evil woman, whose conversation he cannot hate & abhor because he is bound in most hard bondage and captivity. Many men done abhor their own filthy conditions and manners and lewd vices, 
Wherefore do we follow those vices who came know evil.  and yet they cannot those but love them, follow them, & keep them still, because the affections and desires of the flesh are not subject, but contrary to the law of God. Rom. viii. I myself miserable man oftentimes do those things which I do abhor and hate. Truth it is that I do those things in deed, yet it is not myself which doth them (for in my heart I do abhor them) It is sin, that is to say, the concupiscences of the flesh which dwelleth in my flesh keeping me in bondage and captivity. 
What thing worketh evil in us.  Therefore in many things our will is ready and at hand, but how and which way to bring our will to pass, being led captive of sin and of the devil, with all the wits we have, we cannot think nor devise. I desire often times with all my heart that I might have my desire plucked away from this thing or that, and yet in spite of my teeth I am violently drawn into the love thereof, which I would fain have in hatred, and cannot. For although that outwardli I do seem and appear to hate a thing, 
The concupiscences of the flesh be so rooted naturally in us, that they cannot be plucked out all together, and therefore we can not do that we would.  which is not good: yet at the rote of my heart I do love it, which I would not if I might choose. Let every man in himself weigh this matter, and so doing he shall tell me a new tale. He shall find his liberty very poor and bare. As for myself, I will render glory, praise and thanks, to the Lord: I will in the presence of his church confess and knowledge mine impiety with feigned and painted holiness in Hypocrisy: not doubting, but to obtain mercy at the hands of the most merciful Lord. What time (a great while agone) I was of the sect and church of Antichrist, I did lead my life many years in the concupiscences and naughty desires of the body, burning in unlawful and stinking lusts of the flesh, the which affections truly I did hate and abhor, & yet I could not resist, nor cast them away forth of my mind. For to punish the body with labour, with watching, with fasting yea, and with scourging, and such other like hard and sharp punishments of the flesh may well tame and make weak the power and strength of thy body. But as for the concupiscences of the mind it could not thereby be drideled, 
Wherefore serveth the chastening of our bodies.  yea those hard chasteninges of the flesh did rather profit to the increase of hypocrisy and counterfeited holiness in us, causing the outward man to appear godly and holy. The concupiscence of the flesh reigning still in our hearts, which from the eyes of the lord cannot be hid.  
You dose the great servitude & bondage wherein we are knit & tied. How are we then free and at our own liberty? Truly no man l●uyng can either will or not will this thing or that, more or less, than the Lord doth give strength. For likewise as fire and all other creatures are in bondage and servitude unto the firm decree and ordinance of god: even so is man. Fire doth consume all thing that the fire hath power over, 
Fire.  except the lord doth take away the natural strength thereof. Man also cannot choose but think that thing which is full of all impiety and wickedness, 
Man.  and sinneth in all his doings, except he be bridled with the spirit of Christ. 
The bridle of our affections is only the spirit of Christ  Our impiety and sinfulness can go no further than it hath pleased the Lord from the beginning to suffer. For he hath limited all the thoughts, cogitations, and wills of men within certain limits & terms, the which no man can pass or go beyond. Where is now beco●●e that free election and liberty to do what we lust? which they affirm to be in us. Is it not altogether captive and in bondage?  

Another definition of freewill.  There be also which do make this definition of free will, saying, that free-will is a power and strength of man's will, wherewith he doth apply or pluck away himself, to or from those things which do lead us to eternal felicity, and everlasting salvation. But I pray you, what strength and power have we when the understanding and will of man can do nothing of itself, but that which is carnal & fleshly. 
What things can man's knowledge of itself perceive and attain to.  Our own understanding & knowledge doth judge, richesse, health of body, honours, promotions, & the glory of this world to be good things, and the contrary to these for to be evil & naughty As for the knowledge of good and of godly matters, of those I say which pertaineth to eternal salvation, it perceiveth nothing at all of itself. Yea, though a man would peruse and read over all the holy scriptures and teach them also to other men, or else be taught of other, his own understanding and knowledge of itself, shall never truly and (as he ought to do) know the Lord and his will, his power, his justice, his goodness, his mercy, his anger. He shall not believe and rest on the truth and verity of God, but after a lying fashion and hypocrisy. The which thing is nothing l●sse then to believe. For it is written. The foolish man said in his heart there is no God. Behold the knowledge of man of himself, doth not only not know god: but also doth dame god to be God, saying that there is no God. 
i Corin. two.  The carnal man doth not perceive those things which be of the spirit of God, for the spirit of God & the things thereto pertaining are foolishness to him. He can not understand & judge that they ought to be spiritualy deemed & taken. These words are to be taken not only of the understanding, but also of the will of man. For likewise as the understanding doth see nothing of itself but that which is carnal, even so the will of man doth hate and abhor of itself all thing which is good, and loveth that which is evil carnal, and nothing durable. 
The proof of bond will by the scriptures.  It can neither love nor fear God nor his truth It followeth then that the will of man is not free but captive and bond, as now we will prove by the testimonies of the scriptures of God.  
And first of all by this testimony of Ose the Prophet saying. The spirit hath bound him in his wings. The which words are manifest to be spoken of the carnal people of Israel. The which people, the Prophet declared before to be deceived by the spirit of fornication: that is to say, by the judgement and since of the flesh, in the wings whereof he affirmeth them to be bound fast.  
First he declareth them to be deceived, & afterward to be bound, that now they cold do nothing else but commit fornication being separated from God. For all their judgements, knowledge, understanding, and will, all their deeds were nothing else but fornication from the lord, because they were not of faith. 
The carnal are tied with bonds. Who be the bond daughters of Zion To the captive and bond prisoners, is preached remission of sin  As before in the exposition of this Prophet I have made open to you. Thus it followeth that all those which be carnal and fleshly are tied and made fast in bonds. The carnal synagogue is called in the scripture, the bond daughter of Zion. As Isaiah. liii. Our saviour also preached remission of sin to the captive and bond, and deliverance to them which were shit fast in prison. Esa. lxi. Luke. iiii.  

The second proof by the scripture.  

Genes. vi.  THe Lord said in Genes. vi. My spirit shall never be permanent in man because he is flesh, Hierome and other writers do write that these words are in the Hebrew rog after this translation. My spirit shall never judge in man, because he or they be flesh. The first translation is good enough by the which words a certain writer doth understand and expound, the clemency and great mercy of God toward man: and but his most dreadful austerity and anger. But the Lord keep us from that clemency. For the blindness of that man (as by his writing oppereth) did take this word judgement to signify, in this place no thing else but punishment, as though the lord would say: 
The judgement is not taken for a dreadful sentence of God as of a judge, but for the godly and spiritual knowledge.  my spirit shall not punish man, which is a very wrong since. For the unjust shallbe punished and the seed of the wicked shall perish as Psalm. xxxvi. And the fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels, wherewith the reprobates, and ungodly persons, shallbe tormented, is everlasting. Therefore this is not the right sens and meaning of this text as he hath expounded, but contrary wise. My spirit shall not judge always among these men because they be flesh, that is to say, the judgement of my spirit shall not always be permanent in them because they be flesh, that is altogether natural, carnal, 
The judgement of the spirit of God is not in the wicked.  and deceivable, because I say the wicked judgement of the flesh, which is repugnant to the judgement of the spirit doth reign in them.  
Is this the clemency and mercy of God to be destitute of the right judgement of the spirit of God? to be forsaken and left, to the wicked and execreable judgement of the spirit of Fornication and of lies: that is to say of the spirit of man which is a liar. Psal. C.xv. I do believe verily that there is no punishment of God more bitter, more sharp, then to be forsaken of him, 
There is no plague more sharp, than to be forsaken of of God, and left to thyself.  to be left to thine own judgement without the judgement of his spirit. I pray the good Lord keep from me this most fearful and dreadful wrath of the. Let thy spirit which is true and holy and not my spirit full of fornication and lies judge and give true knowledge and understanding in me. Whip me good Lord and scourge me, rather than to forsake me to myself, if it seemeth to the expedient for the setting forth of thy glory. Confirm & make thy servant strong with thy spirit, and never take it from me. In the same vi of Gen. the wicked are called flesh, 
The wicked are called fleh  after the manner of speaking of Paul in many places of his Epistles. For the wicked with all their cogitations, affections, and works are nothing else but flesh, because they want and lack the holy spirit. Yea the very spirit of man is flesh, because it cannot behold the spirit of God, but all carnal things, thereto being given and addict.  
This sens and meaning of this text, which I have declared is not true (saith he) because this text of Genesis doth not pertain to all men (as he saith) but to those men only which lived in the time of Noe. What thing can be more aslycke spoken and said than this? Were not those men also flesh, which lived after the flood as well as they which were before the flood. Verily so was Cam the son of Noah, which did mock & scorn his father as was Cain and judas the traiters: as Lamech, which did slei Cain Peradventure this man doth think and conjecture in his mind, that there was an other manner of spirit of fornication in man before the flood than was after: or else he fantasieth in his brain, that God hath altered and changed the nature of man other wise, than it was from the beginning making an other nature different from that which he hath made with his most mighty and strong hand in them which do believe on him. 
The nature of man of itself hath been alway like.  We do read and find that the years and times hath been changed and altered, but we find not that the nature of man was ever altered. I do grant that those words were spoken at that time of those which lived in the time of Noe. But not only of them, but also of them which came after the flood. For all men of themselves are flesh, all flesh, hay, and the glory of it as the flower of the field, Esay. xi. All the children of Adam of their self are of an heavy and sad heart they do love vanity, they do seek after lies and untruth. Psal. iiii. 
Omnes declinaverunt, & simul●●utiles facti sunt. Non est, qui faciat bonum non est usque ad unum.  All men without exception have gone out of the rightwaye, and are become unprofitable. There is none that can do any good, no not one in the world. Ps. xii  
If he will not he satisfied with this answer: but will contend that this text of the judgement spoken and written in Geneses, pertaineth to the time of Noe. I will demand this question of him. For what cause were those men of noah's time rather called flesh than they which followed after Noah, and lived after him? 
sins, now a days are armour grievous and detestable, them were in the time of Noe.  Truly of much more grievous vices and offences have we read of many other men, yea, and with our eyes have seen in our time, than was written of those men in those days of whom the words were first written and spoken. Of them we do read in Genesis the vi these words. The sons of God did see & perceive the daughters of men that they were fair and beautiful, 
Compare our small faults and daily used vices with this offence of the sons of God, & it shall be no vice but a singular virtue, For they did take the Maidens to their wives in Matrimony, and not to make them harlots in whoredom.  and they took to them wives from among them, those which they had chosen. They did not seek after those daughters which were good, but for those which were goodly and fair, the children of whom, became mighty men and of great renown. The Lord said then that the malice of man was great in the earth, and all the imaginations and thoughts of his heart were evil every day The which words are to be understand, not only of that age and time: but of all men in all times of ages as in the viii Chapi. in the same book appeareth. The imaginations of man's heart are evil from his youth. Therefore it is ungodly done to wrieth and wrest those words to the time of No only.  
Yet they do go further, saying and reasoning on this manner. The propens and ready inclination and towardness to evil which is in many men (as though it were not in all men) doth not take away all together the liberty and freedom of man's will, yea, though the said naughty inclination cannot be over come and clean subdued without the help (as they confess) of the grace of God. Is it not a great bondage and captivity, not to be able to overcome and subdue that thing which we would fame have forth of us? By these premises it doth follow, that we are servants to that concupiscence and naughty inclination to evil, till the time that we be delivered and made fire in deed by Christ   

The iii proof by the scripture.  
It is said in the proverbs. xvi The Lord doth all things for his own sake: yea, when he reserveth the ungodly for the day of wrath. This place is manifest and open declaring to us that the Lord hath already judged the reprobate and outcast persons from the beginning to eternal punishment. There be many which contrary to all righteousness do inquire & busily search, to know those things which do partain to the only majesty of God in this place and such other like, 
A full wicked question  putting forth this question. Wherefore did the Lord make the wicked man s●e●h he hath decreed from the beginning that the wicked shall perish? Wherefore did not the Lord revoke and pluck him from his impiety and wickedness after ●hat he had made him? Wherefore hath he not given to all men of his spirit? With these scrupulous and curious questions more than needeth: 
The great in convenience and foul absurdity which followeth these questions  they are blinded and deceived, being at the last by such reasoning brought to that point, that they do make the Lord not to be a merciful Lord, but a cruel Lord, and as it were a tyrant. I will desire and exhort all men, that with all reverence they have in fear and stead fastly believe the judgements of the highest that he is in all his works just, faithful & true, and that we be of ourselves miserable, false, unjust and sinful. The Lord than hath made the wicked man for the evil day, being himself just and full of clemency. The wicked man of himself, tan do nothing that is pleasant and exceptable to God. O the profound deepness of the judgements of the Lord, how unsearchable, how incomprehensible are his ways? For of him, by him, and in him are all things To him therefore be only glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen.   

The four proof by the scriptures.  
IT is written in the Prover. 
The kings heart is in the hands of the lord  xxi Like as the rivers of the waters: even so the heart of a king is in the hand of the lord The Lord may turn his heart which way soever it shall please him. In this place first thou dost see that the rivars, and the division of waters are the works of God and all other things which can be named in heaven, or in earth or in the waters. The text is so plain that it needeth no long declaration, 
The heart & the will is all on in scripture  by the which we do perceive that the heart or will of a King (for in the scriptures the heart and will is taken for one thing) is not free and at his liberty and pleasure, but captive and bond, to the pleasure & will of the Lord, causing it to incline and lean to which part it pleaseth him, to godliness and to the fulfilling of his will or contrary. Yet for all that (good Reader) be aware you do not mistake & wrong understand me, because I say that God doth turn & incline the heart: 
What is signified by these words god turneth god maketh to incline  as though he should in so doing work ungodliness. For this word and vocable to incline or to turn, is as much to say after the speaking of the scripture: as to indurate or harden: or to let a man run into a reprobate mind, holding away his hand from him: which is as much to say (to make it more plain) as the Lord doth relinquish and leave him to his own mere natural frailness: 
To harden thy heart, is to leave the to thine own weakness  as in many places, & specially in that book which I did write entitled the causes of our blindness I have declared. That lesson, which you do read here of the heart or will of a king: take it as well to be understand of all other men, for if that one be true, that the kings heart and will is subject to the will of God, much more all other men's cogitations, thoughts, wills, and deeds.  
They say and object again, that the inclination and moving of the hand of the Lord doth not cause or work bondage or necessity in the will of man, 
When doth the lord move to godliness  wherein they be foul deceived not giving glory to the Lord as they ought to do. For the Lord doth move and stir a man to Godliness as often as he doth pour into him his spirit and true faith. Then can not that man sin by the virtue and strength which he hath received of the Lord, 
Faith cannot do evil  whereby he is moved. For faith can not work evil.  
Again, although the flesh in the faithful men do sin, yet the spirit of God whereby the faithful do live can not sin. 
The rightwise man liveth by faith  Peter by the strength of the flesh sinned, being offended and displeased at the words of his master Christ, saying that he should suffer. Which Peter did say before to his master by the power and strength of the spirit. 
The faithful sinneth not  Thou art Christ the son of the living God. Math. vi. Chapter. To be short in all things where the spirit of God doth move and stir us, is contained a necessity & bondage of the spirit being so decreed and ordained from the beginning. Likewise also of all those things which a man doth work, inclined to ungodliness, that is to say, given to a reprobate mind, being left to the spirit of fornication, to himself, to his own natural fragility and weakness. For the wicked can not choose but do wickedly, for as much as he is flesh, 
The prescience and for knowledge of the lord is unfallible  and therefore all his works sin. It is also unpossible but that wickedness must be committed at that time which the Lord by his prescience and fore knowledge did know from the beginning would be done. Hereby we do reason and gather that all these things whereto they do move and stir us, or otherwise doth harden leaving us to our own self, are done or committed of necessity inevitable.  
Take heed once again gentle reader, and beware thou dost not reason to far in this matter, lest thou dost fall into inconvenience and wrong judgement or opinion of the Lord to thine own destruction and death. Reverence thou always his most blessed judgement to the profound deepness whereof no man at any time is able to attain.   

❧ The .v. proof and authority  

Hieremy. x,  HIeremye sayeth the ten Chapt. I do know very well good Lord that the will of man is not in his own hand, nor yet in his own power to rule and govern his own steps and goings which words are not to be meant and understand of sad or pleasant things (as some men do interpretate) but of every thought, will, and deed of man. As appeareth by that which followeth. Chasten us O Lord but with favour, not with thy wrath. But if this can not satisfy their minds, nor persuade them suffitientlye that it is spoken of all the ways of man both of his thought, will, and deed: let them answer me by their own experience, 
Let every man ask himself this question in that vicious affection whereto he is most inclined  whither their own ways be in their own power yea or nay, to do or to forsake all that shall please them, to will or nil that them lusteth If he be an advonterouse person, an hunter of whores, a covetous man, a man full of Envy and such like: can he himself as he would of his own strength, root out and put away clean all these lewd affections forth of his heart, that nothing thereof shall remain behind? If he find that he cannot do it of himself, how can he say that the way of man is in his own hand and power. Verily no man hath the rule of his own ways as he would.  
Therefore let us pray with holy David, Lord do thou direct and make strait my ways before thy sight, David sayeth in thy sight, that is as much to say that it may please thee, as though he would say, suffer not my ways to be inclined and turned against the. Such like saying of him is in the Psa. cxviii. Turn my eyes (good Lord) that they see no vanity, quicken and make me lively in thy ways. Also, Turn and incline my heart to thy testimonies, & not to Avarice.   

❧ The vi proof and authority.  

Esay. lxiii.  THe elect and chosen people do confess and grant openly that our will is captive and bond as Esai lxiii. Thou Lord our father, our redeemer, thy name is and alway hath been Wherefore hast thou made us to err and to decline from thy ways? Wherefore hast thou hardened our hearts that we should not fear thee, the which place Paul doth allege for that same purpose in the ix Chapter to the Romans.   

❧ The vii proof and authority.  

Pharaoh hardened  This verity is confirmed in Pharaoh, whose heart the Lord did harden as Exodi. ix. Chapter. and to the Romans ix Chap.   

❧ The viii proof and Authority.  

Exodi. ix. Rom. ix.  IT is written in Exodi the ix Chap. and to the Romans the ix Therefore have I kept thee, sayeth the Lord, to show in the my strength, and that my name should be spread and blazed thorough all the erath. This place the flesh will not have to be understand aright as it ought to be in his own natural meaning. But after the fleshly wisdom reasoneth on this fashion▪ It is a foul inconvenience (say they) to say that the Lord hath hardened any man's heart, to the intent, that by the wickedness and ungodliness of him which is hardened, he should set forth and show abroad his mighty power and glory. This is the reason of the flesh. But I pray you brethren, let us be wise and sober, not to rash nor more wise than needeth or is profitable. Wherefore do we go about to find fault and to reprehend the word of the Lord. The miserable & ungracious flesh doth find fault at that which she doth not understand nor know Let not the flesh any more be in us a judge But let the spirit of god judge in us by his word. 
Let us not judge and dame after the signs and understanding of the flesh  The wicked and forsaken people of God in this place might reason and gather that the Lord hath need of the ungodliness of man, to the setting forth of his glory to the world. Such kind of gatherings cometh from the devil, and so let it go again to him from whom it came, 
God needeth none of our help  for God hath need of nothing, it pleaseth him so to do, to use his creatures after his divine and most Godly pleasure & will. The Lord did leave Pharaoh in the spirit of fornication, that is to say in the understanding and judgement of the flesh. 
What is to be hardened  This is to be hardened or stirred against God. For the sense of the flesh is hard and riseth alway against the spirit of God. Wherefore he being so left and forsaken of God, could not choose but be hardened and so to strive against the Lord, whose decree and ordinances Pharaoh went about to stop and let, the Lord prevailing against him overthrowing & casting down the pride and glory of Pharaoh, treading it under his feet. Whereby the great strength and mighty power and glory of God was made manifest and open to all the world throughout all the earth.  

I have kept thee: how is it to be taken  Therefore the Lord said unto him these words I have kept thee, which is as much to say, I have left the without my spirit, and therefore of necessity thou must needs resist me & strive against my will. For the studies and cogitations of men, work alway against my will, they can not chose but resist and strive contrary to it. Therefore I have set and left the in thine own sense & knowledge of the flesh, by the which sense and understanding of thine own self as of man naked without my spirit, thou shalt be stirred and raised up against me. Thou shalt withstand me with all thy power when I will bring and lead forth my people out of Egypte. Thou shalt not rest but every day, thou shalt grow more stiff necked against me. But I shall in great signs & marvels bring out of Egypte Israel, treading the and all thy people which resisteth me to powder & to dust, whereby all the whole earth shall know my strength and power. 
Whether the sufferance of the lord be a token of induration ye or nay Be thou nothing the bolder to sin for this but fear the great wrath of god  Some men do think that if a sinner be not strait way punished and chastened of the Lord, but suffered of the Lord, & born with to the intent that he should repent his former life, which amendeth nothing at all, but rather waxeth worse & worse, they say that by this token he is straight way indurate & hardened. The which thing is not always true. For there be many sinners whom the Lord doth not punish as soon as they have offended, & yet before they be punished by the gift of God, they do amend & correct their life. Wherefore to understand this point well, you must consider that there be ii kind of men, that one is of the faithful, 
Two kinds of men.  the other is of the sort which be indurate & hardened. The faithful are they which have the spirit of Christ, by the which spirit being taught learned & instructed they do clean to the commandment of the Lord obeying his word & voice without long tarrying. 
The faithful  Those which be indurate, are they which have not the spirit of Christ, without the which spirit, 
The indurat people.  no man can do any thing that is good. The want & lack whereof causeth that they will not hearken to the Lord but show themselves to be hard hearted and rebellious against his most Godly will and commandment.  
Therefore they which do make this doubt do hold opinion, that God doth harden & make man go from his ways, what time the Lord doth prolong and differ his punishment for their sin. The Lord deceiveth him (say they) when he doth not strait way as soon as he hath offended pluck and revoke him with sharp punishment from his lewednes. This is their exposition in diverse places of the scripture, 
These worldly simylituds and carnally imagined examples do deceive and blind the eyes of many men from the sight of the scriptures which are spiritual Correction is no token of induration nor of the contrary.  proving their exposition & mind to be true by the example of a father having an unruly & disobedient child, whom for his ungraciousness he hath not corrected. Wherefore men say that he hath cast away his son for lack of due correction in time.  
Contrary wise by the self same reason and example they do think that if God do correct and punish a man straight way for his fault, that then he doth not indurate and harden him whom he hath chastened for his offence. All this is but fantasies & perverse imaginations & interpretations of man's mind, far from any soundness of the truth.  
For we do see daily that there be many which are with punishments corrected, being for all that not a whit the better but the worse and more indurate. If that correction should make a man not to be indurate, but to revoke him from his sin, and to be obedient to the Lord: wherefore was not Pharaoh nor the Israellites therefore the better? 
Pharai Israelites Idolateye  The Israelites in the midst of their bitter & sharp correction, committed fornication going from the Lord, in worshipping of images, stocks, and b●ocbes made with man's hand perpetrating most filthy, stinking and abominable idolatry not only not minisshing, but augmenting and increasing their detestable and most damnable vices, Every where they were apostatas and forsaken of the Lord, yea when they were in Egypt as you may see in ezechiel the xxxiii Chapter.  
And again after that Jerusalem was overthrown, when they came into Egipte they did sacrifice to the queen of heaven Hierem. xliiii. You can not therefore say that God doth mollify, make soft and turn the hearts of men, when for their sins he doth chasten and punish them, 
When doth the lord convert man to his will: and where with doth he it  For then Pharaoh should have been turned and not indurate still as he was But what time that the Lord doth pour forth his spirit into the heart of man, that the obstinate hardness of an evil false and lying heart might be broken, than you may say that God doth mollify & turn, that is to say doth make man to incline to his will and commandments. As Ezech. xi Cham and in the xxxvi testifieth saying. I will take away saith the Lord the stony heart for't he of your flesh. 
A heart of stone A heart of flesh  I will give you an heart of flesh. I will give you a new heart and put my spirit in the midst of you. Truly neither infirmities nor sickness, neither hunger norswerd, nor any other kind of correction, no nor any extern and outward gift of God, 
The lack of the spirit is the cause of our revocation or induration  neither knowledge and understanding of things, nor any manner of carefulness and sorrow can make the heart of man to be either a rebel, or to be pliable & obedient to the will of the Lord, but only the fruition and lack of the holy spirit. As for the correction and chastising of the Lord, it profiteth if the spirit of God be present, otherwise it driveth to desperation. The correction and punishment of the wicked, may outewardlye cause them to refrain & abstain from doing of evil, 
What doth correction work in us  But the heart is not the better. The correction of the wicked maketh them to be hypocrites and not the servants of God as the four Chap. of Oseas declareth. 
Because the heart is not the better  The Lord threatened the Israelites because they did forsake him in their fornication saying that their daughters and wines should be polluted & defiled with fornication and adultery The Lord also declared to them that he would not punish their daughters nor their wives, because they should not amend their lives outwardly from their unchaste living, to the great ignominy and shame of their husbands and parents, being a just & a meet correction of the carnal and naughty affections of the men which were carnal in Israel, which detested and abhorred the defilinge of their wives and daughters (a thing which all men may se outwardli) their own hearts being full of all filthiness, & fornication from the Lord, Because they feared the ignominious opprobry and shame of man, 
God is to be feared more than man  more than the rebuke of God, the Lord most justly suffered them to fall into that which they feared most. Likewise as the Lord doth indurate & harden, so he doth also deceive and beguile. as Hieremie twenty Chap. 
The lord deceiveth  For Hieremie himself being strike of Phassur, & cast into prison for declaring of the verity, did make his prayer to the Lord saying. Thou hast deceived me good Lord, & I am deceived. Thou art stronger than I, & haste prevailed, I am made a mocking stock all the day long This place of Hieremie is by those men which I did speak of before, wrong expounded, as they did the place & scripture of induration, saying that the Lord deceived, & beguiled him when he did not strait way rebuke him of his error. But it is otherwise to be taken.  
For the prophet being beaton and cast into prison and (as you do there read) being of all men scorned and made a laughing stock for the verity sake, he did abhor and despise those which did set light by the word of God, and yet peradventure other whiles thorough the weakness of the flesh was in danger to have fallen from the word of God, and so to have prophesied no more But the Lord did comfort him, as it is manifest in the said chap. But yet before that the Lord did comfort him, Hieremi said Thou haste dereyved me. etc. For the Lord commanded him to go and he went boldly, not knowing that therefore he should have been so handled as he was, Therefore he said, thou hast deceived me, As though he would have said. Thou Lord dideste not give me warning before that I should be scourged, imprisoned, and that thou wouldst that I whom thou dideste send, should be taken of them to whom I was sent, whom thou mightest have saved and kept forth of their hands. In few words, this doth declare three things to us. 
What is declared to us by the taking of hieremy  first the heaviness and sorrow of the Prophet because the word of God was despised. second his own grief for the evils which he suffered which he thought not on. thirdly that his taking and enprisoning was of God, that is to say, it was the will of God that he should be taken.  
They do object also against our opinion of bond will saying that our will doth nothing of necessity because that all things are in the hand of the Lord. They confess also that God after his own secret counsel doth turn man's purpose and endeavours often times other ways than man himself intended, the which intent, purpose, and first endeavour of man, they do ascribe to the free will of man saying that the first m●tion and stirring is in man's liberty and power.  
Whereto I say and answer, that the will of man worketh of necessity and by violence because that all things are in the hands of the Lord, and under the everlasting will of god (which they do confess of their own gentleness) whose will what man is able to resist? What is the will of God but his word and the spirit of the scripture? And the word of the Lord is permanente for ever. Psalm. Cxviii. and Esai. xl. 
The scotyst divinity hath made dark the divinity of Christ before men's eyes   
What need the faithful men pass or care how the Dunce schoolmasters have brawled among themselves of the will & pleasure of the Lord, they can not tell what theyr selfes, His purpose, his decree, his ordinances must needs be perpetual & stand for ever. The Lord purposed from the beginning, yea and before the beginning, that the king of Egypte should be indurate and stiffnecked against him, that he should live without his spirit in the spirit of fornication, that is to say in his own natural and fleshly sense and understanding for the which cause he could not choose but be against the Lord and his people. The affection of the flesh, 
The spirit of god and of the flesh are at continual war  or of the spirit of the flesh being not subject to the law of God which is always repugnant thereto, as to the Ro. the viii chap, The spirit did bind him in his wings as it did the Israelites, drawing him by his power to all kind of evil headling. Is not his will then bound and constrained of necessity to this or to that? The which induration is to him as a bridle in his mouth drawing and plucking him from God, and pricking, and stirring him against the will of the Lord. And yet justly he perished although it was not in his power to do well or Godly. If thou wilt now go about to reason and argue, after the spirit of fornication and of the flesh thou shalt straight way fall into fornication against God. Be content therefore and reason no further, for to reason otherwise it doth dishonour to the Lord, and it passeth thy capacity. Pharaoh being miserable and unjust, justly indurated and made hard, could not apply himself to the Lords will. Wherefore most justly at the last he perished.  
Many do think, because that God did stir up Pharaoh against him, therefore they do say that God wrought those sins in him which he did. And that likewise as God doth his good works in us, which are his good works being good, even so (say they) doth he punish his own evil works in us, God forbidden I should either speak or think any such thing which I do know to be far from any Godly doctrine But this I dare be bold to say, that Pharaoh was indurated, that is to say forsaken of the Lord and left to himself, for the which cause in his heart he was against God, by whom afterward he was stirred up to utter and show openly in the face and sight of all men this great wickedness which he had by induration to the great and exceeding glory of god. And yet for all that we do not say that god did work that wickedness in Pharaoh because that all wickedness: and ungodliness proceedeth not of him: but of the lack & want of the spirit of the understanding of the flesh and spirit of fornication. O most inscrutable and unsearchable deepness of the judgement of God. What man knoweth these things? They be to thine own self secret o lord. To the only it pertaineth to conclude and determine these things: whereto no man else is able to penetrate and attain. Wherefore who soever doth fear thy most godly and marvelous name: let him commit those things unto the.  
By this that we have said a man may easily make answer to them which hold opinion that the intent and endeavour, or to purpose a thing is in the will of man: contending that the will of man shall be free to intend, 
The flesh will knowledge no bondage  endeavour, or to purpose any manner of thing. The which purpose intent or mind to do a thing either it is wicked and ungodly, & then it springeth from induration which doth force a man to all evil (for an indurat person must needs do that which is evil) is not he then forced thereto?  

Induration is the work of the lord  This manner of speaking the flesh can not abide to here which doth crack and boast that she is free and at her liberty. But what man can withstand the eternal decres of the lord. The compulsion is not of god: but of induration. The which is the work of god most rightwise: and also most terrible and to be feared. In this matter all sophistical and dialectical reasonning profetethe nothing at all: but rather doth much hurt concluding that god worketh sin and wickedness: that god compelleth a man to work that which is evil. The lord keep such words from our mouths. But rather let us say that herein doth lie hid the secrets of god which no man is able to take.  
Contrary wise if man's study, 
To think well is of god.  intent or endeavour or purpose be godly: it cometh from the holy spirit from whom no wicked thing can proceed. Wherefore then done we give liberty to our own will which is altogether captive and bond. For either it is captive and bond to the spirit of fornication: or to the spirit of god. Although this captivity of this spirit of god is most sweet and pleasant liberty, 
The captivity and bondage of the lord is liberty  as we shall here after in his own place and time convenyente declare.  
Paul also in the ix chapter to the Roma. confirming the captivity and bondage of the will of man: concludeth on this wise. It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth, but in the Lord which hath mercy and compassion. The which place of Paul some expositors do expound on this manner, saying. The mercy of God prevented our will, the which mercy our will doth accompany and go with it together in our indevoring and purposing, bringing at the last to some good end and effect. Yet for all that (say they) we do run, we do will, we do covet, we do attain, and obtain our purpose. But so that the self same thing which is ours in deed, we do ascribe wholly & altogether to God whose handyworcke we be all.  
What is that thing, which we call our own, what is in us but sin, impiety and unrighteousness? If we be just, that is not ours, but it is Gods own. If our running our willing, our obtaining be ours, them is it wicked. 
All our ways are vanity  For all the ways of man is vanity. Psalm. xxxviii. If we will ascribe to God, and make to be his, that which is our own proper, 
Wherefore doth the mercy of god  that is to say, our sins, because he hath hardened us, what error can be more greater?  
No boubte the mercy of God did prevent our will to destroy our will. For with his spirit in us, he doth reveage and utterly deny us, he doth crucify us day by day, he willeth in us his will, he purposeth & endeavoureth in us his will, he prayeth, he runneth, he obtained, he doth all thing in us, 
The lord doth crown his goodness in us.  and at the last he doth crown in us that thing which is his own proper.  
For every faithful man sayeth with Paul I do live now not I, but in me Christ liveth. I do run, I do pray, now not I, 
Our good running is Christ his rynnynges  but these things and all other Christ doth in me. The which altogether must be ascribed to God, which is granted of our adversaries to be true.  
Now will I demand and ask them whether they be to be ascribed to him, as the works of him (for so they be in deed) or else as our works proceeding from the endeavour and industry of our will. If they say that they be his own works, they do say truly and Godly, If they say that they be first our works and afterward we make them to be the works of God: let them show me whither God hath any need of us, that we should ascribe to him any thing, that is not his own already. No verily. Let them give credit, and hearing to the truth which sayeth. The earth is the Lords, and all that is therein. Then is his, man and other things which he worketh in him. To whom only be glory and empire world without end. Amen.  

If our will be bond how do we merit  They have an other objection, wherein they do demand, when, how, and which way we do begin to merit. If we do all thing of force, by a continual urgent necessity, If our will be free at no time?  

Christ doth merit for us  To this objection I answer and say that all merits are the merits only of Christ and that all confidence and trust of the merits of our works must be taken away from us, 
In what works must we persever  and yet we must persever and continue still in good works, those I say which are of faith, For truly we may pipe in an ivy bush for any thing that we can merit unto ourself. As the four cha. of the revelation. 
What is meant by the eldars leying down their crowns before the throne of god. Cornelius Centurio   
The xxiiii elders did lay down their crowns before the throne and seat of the Lamb of God, knowledging thereby that by the merits of Christ, they did receive the same crowns of glory at the Lords hand  
Cornelius the Centurion did not obtain by his own merits & works to be praised & commended of the Lord, but by the grace of the Lord and goodness of Christ.  

Paul.  What should I speak of Paul, which did not win the crown, after he had ended his course by his own deeds, but by him, by whose help he ended and finished his course. Finally, neither cornelius obtained the favour of the Lord, nor Paul the crown of glory, by the merits of their own industry and travail, but only by the gift of the Lord, by the lightning of his spirit, and by the free election of God.   

❧ The ningth proof,  
I Marvel that men will so steflye contend and strive against so open and manifest text of the scriptures and testimonies of the Lord, to prove the will of man which is bond & captive, for to be free and at liberty, the which bondage we do find & prove daily by experience in ourselves, 
The similitude of the potter  every one of us being in the hands of the Lord none otherwise then is the clay in the hands of the potter, to be fashioned to what use the potter's mind and pleasure is, as it is written Esai, xiv. Chap.  
Woe be to him that striveth with his maker, the potshard with the potter. 
Esai. xlv.   
Will the clay say to the the potter what dost thou make? 
Hieremy. xviii.  Thy work serveth for nothing? Also jeremy speaketh more plainly the xviii Chap. May not I do with you as the potter doth. O house of Israel. Ye are in my hand even as the clay in the potter's hand. 
Rom. ix.  Paul to the Rom. the ix Chap.  
Hath not the potter power and liberty of one clot of clay, to make one vessel to honour, an other to vileness. What so ever did cause the Prophets & the Apostles to write this, I am sure that this is true, that the potter hath no more power on the piece of clay than the Lord hath over man. Nay the power that the Lord hath over man, is much more a thousand times. Also it is certain, that likewise as the potter doth make certain vessels to honest uses & service, as to receive and keep meat and drink, and water, with such other like: and other to a more vile office: even so the Lord hath created the elect to his glory, the reprobate to perpetual ignominy and shame.  
Furthermore, the potter doth break the vessel and maketh it anew, greater or smaller, as it doth like him best, at whose workmanshyp the vessel is content & resisteth not, nor grudgeth any thing at all, but that he may make thereof what so ever shall please him. 
As long as thou dost delight in sin think and believe that thou art indurat: till thou dost abhor it.  So truly the Lord worketh and fashioneth man. The Lord doth harden and make indurate, he doth again take away and remove the hardness from the heart of man And as long as the man is hardened: so long is the vessel full of all ignominy and filthiness. After that his hardness of heart is taken away, and hath received a new heart he is then made again the vessel of glory So you may see, that it is not in the hand of him that willeth, or that runneth but in the Lord which is full of mercy.  
Objection They make a certain objection to prove the will of man free, by a saying of Paul the second epistle to Timothe and ii chap. If a man sayeth Paul doth purge himself from such men, he shall be a vessel sanctified to honour, meet for the uses of the Lord. These words (say they) were foleishly to be spoken to a potshard, but to the shared which is endued with reason, it may be well said. I do grant this, but that which they do infer, and gether hereof I will not grant to. 
Endeavour of man's. will is when a man purposethe and setteth his mind to do things and beginneth to go about it which is called in latin Conatus  The reasonable shared (say they) being warned and admonished may accommodate and make meet itself to the will and pleasure of the Lord. The which thing they do call the endeavour of free-will. I do hold the contrary opinion, affirming that no man, have he never so fine & quick a wit, be he never so much & well learned, though he were every hour in the day admonished and taught his duty, that he is not able to accommodate and make meet himself to the will of the Lord, with out he have received the spirit of Christ, the which spirit doth make him apt and ready to the will of the Lord.  
another objection they do lay against us, saying. If you do speak this thing plainly without any exception, that we are in the hands of the Lord, as the elaie in the hands of the potter, then must we say (say they) that likewise as the potter is the cause why the vessel is a vessel of ignominy serving for a vile office, and so following not the vessel to be blamed because it was no better: even so it is with the reprobates the cause of their reprobation, why they be naughty vessels to be imputed to the Lord which might have made them vessels of honour if it had pleased him, and not the reprobates worthy to be blamed.  
To this objection I answer saying that these arguments and reasons are altogether of the flesh and carnal making conclusion of the premises which they understand not aright, being not able to attain to them wherein many things do lie hid passing all men's understanding and power to arise up to the knowledge thereof. It is good therefore in this casse to stay and search no further. But rather with all humility to reverence those things which the Lord keepeth for his own knowledge.  
another objection of our adversaries is this. If they will (say they) that the similitude of the potter which Paul speaketh of, must be understand and taken simply and plainly, as it lieth: why should we not (say they) understand that place of Paul as it lieth in the letter, saying. If a man do purge him. etc. Whereto I say that we do take it none otherewyse then as it doth lie: so that they do take it and understand it after that manner, as all such places of the scriptures are used to be taken. For this point you must mark well, that to keep the commandments which we are commanded to keep, it is unpossible for man without he have the spirit of the Lord, the which no sophistical cavillation can deny. 
By the commandments we do know what is sin & our own weakness.  Nay they grant theirselves that it is unpossible that any man can keep the commandments of the Lord, after the mind, intent, and will of the Lord which doth command them without his spirit. It followeth that what so ever the Lord commandeth us to do, is to us unpossible. Yet the Lord willeth us to keep and observe his commandments. Whereby both we have the knowledge of sin, 
The law is spiritual and therefore it must be spiritually observed: or else you work in hypocrisy.  & we know also how weak feeble and of no strength we be of ourselves For the law is spiritual which can not be kept without the spirit of God. And therefore he hath given his spirit to the elects to keep his will, which they were not able else for to do. james hath such an other saying as they do rehearse forth of Paul's saying. Cleanse your hearts, you wavering of mind. The which thing they can not do without the hearts be purified and made clean by faith in jesus Christ. Thus ought these words (purify your hearts) to be taken and understanded, that is. Believe you in Christ, that by his spirit you may be purified. But no man can believe, but he which is drawn of the father as witnesseth john the sixth Chapter. Which we must needs grant. Let us desire and pray, that God will keep in us his commandments which of ourselves, 
We can not call on the lord without the spirit of the lord  in ourself, we are not able to do. Let us ask, call, and cry, after that with great diligence and faith, and it shall be granted to us. But see how captive & bond our will is, that for to desire and ask any thing of the lord we are not able of ourselves They will answer to me again: saying that the sayings which are spoken of the saints & godly faithful people: 
Man worketh good or evil as the spirit draweth  are falls & not true that is. They have purged & made clean there hearts they have sanctified themselves. They loved the Lord, they prayed well, they did good works and so fourth such other like sayings. The which words are not false but true so that you do presuppose these things to be done by them thorough the spirit of god & faith so that we must confess all things well done to be the deeds of the spirit of god of whom they be wrought.  
There is none of us which deny the that man worketh: but we do deny that he worketh at his own free-will For either he worketh that which is evil being drawn buy the spirit of fornication: or else he doth work that thing which is good by the spirit of the lord almighty. 
A similitude by a knife  Mark this similitude which followeth which maketh not small for this purpose. A man taketh a knife and cutteth bread with it. The knife also doth cut: but not with out the hand of him which holdeth the knife. 
This knife cutteth well or ill not of himself but by the cutter  For the knife is not free of himself either to cut or not to cut. Yet for all that when a man doth cut any thing with a knife he saith this knife cutteth well or ill although of himself he doth cut nothing at all but by the power and force of the cuttar. So we can do nothing of ourself that is good and ryghe except the spirit of god worketh it in us, we do no evil except we be bound with the spirit of fornication and of them flesh. To the which spirit the lord by his most rightwise justice doth leave us: by his judgement I say which we know not. And so he suffereth us to be hardened. In this place must the faith full be taught to take head and be ware of that pestilent opinion, which sayeth that every man is made the vessel of honour or reproach by our own merits going before. What thing is or ever was before the eternal decree and ordinance of the lord? If thou wilt say that god hath decreed and ordained these things, which is everlasting because of those things which he knew buy his foresight and knowledge, that every man would do in times: we answer saying that-no thing which is done in time: and is temporal can be the cause of a thing which is eternal & before all time. We should do great wrong and injury to the lord to say that he was compelled to ordain and decree any thing in his everlasting being, 
The elects  for those things sake which are done with in the limit of time By the only worthiness and grace of God the elect are predestinated to be in time vessels to glory and honour, 
The reprobates  by whose most just judgement to us unknown, the reprobates are made in time the vessels of ignominy, to dishonour & shame. The Lord is marvelous in all his judgements.   

❧ The ten proof.  
THe captivity and bondage of our will is proved by Esay the ten chap. Shall the axe boast itself against him which doth hew with it, 
Esai. x. Example: by an axe and by a saw  or shall the saw make any bragging against him that ruleth it? That were even like as if the rod which a man doth bear would exalt him self and rise up against the bearer, 
An evil king is called an axe: a road, a saw  or as though the n1 would magnify itself which is made but of wood and tree. Behold the Lord doth call a wicked king an axe, a saw, a staff, a rod, which thing men do use to occupy to one thing or an other, to declare that the Lord doth make all men to be his instruments, 
Man kind is the lord his instrument  by the which he doth fulfil & accomplish his judgements and worketh all that pleaseth him. And truly a man is nothing else then an instrument of the Lord wherewith he doth work.   

❧ The xi proof  
Paul saith to the Romans in the ix Chapter. 
Rom, ix.  It was said (sayeth he) to the two children jacob & Esau: before they were borne before they had done either evil or good (as it is written in the Genesis the xxv▪ Chapter) The elder shall be servant to the younger for this intent that by election the purpose, 
Let us pray the lord that we may be his calling jacob Esau.  and ordinance of God should be steadfast and certain, not by our works but by God, whose pleasure is to call whom him pleaseth. It is written also in Malachy the first Chapt. I have loved jacob and hated Esau. It is manifest that before the beginning he hated the wickedness of Esau and his children, that is to say those that followed his incredulity and unfayethfulnesse. 

The lord did hat the wickedness of Esau before that Esau was.  
Who be the childryn of Esau and of jacob.   He loved jacob and his seed that is to say, those which followed & had the faith of jacob. These words may not be taken and understand of the children of their own bodies begotten naturally.  
For likewise as all the Israelites, are not counted in the sede of jacob but those which have faith, as Paul to the Romans the ix chap. So all the Idumites were not the sons & children of Esau. But those which followed the unfaythefulnes & ungodliness of Esau. Every unfaithful man be he an Idumite, 
Who be Isralytes. Who be Idumytes  or an Israelite, a Greek, or of any other men, is of the seed of Esau.  
And contrary wise every faithful man if he be an Israelite, an Idumite, an English man, or a frenchman, is of the seed of jacob  
These things I will refer to the exposition of Abdias and Malachias, where I will copiously declare this matter of the love of jacob, & of the hatred of Esau God willing. This which I have spoken is sufficient concerning our purpose for this time.   

❧ The xii proof.  
THe words of our saviour do confirm this same captivity and bondage of our will in john the vi. Chapter. 
john vi What is to follow Christ  No man can come after me and follow me, that is to say, believe in me, except my father which did send me do draw him. Is not our will then captive and bond, when it can not believe in Christ, without it be drawn? 
john. xv.  And john the xv. Chap. Without me you can do nothing The which place when that Christ did speak to his disciples although he did speak of the fruit of his Gospel calling himself the vine, & them the branches, 
Which is a good work  yet he did speak it generally and universally to all men saying, without me you can do nothing, that is to say, no good fruit at all which is a good work. And there is no good work but that only which is of faith otherewyse it is an evil work and sin as to the Romans. xivi. For likewise as by faith cometh the goodness of the work, 
Rom. xiii.  even so by unfayethfulnes and incredulity is the contrary. But those things only which be of faith do profit unto salvation and nothing else. The which, considering that we can not perform of ourselves, no not to begin nor to proceed, nor to endeavour, nor to make an end and finish. Wherefore should we not say that our will is bond and captive & without all liberty? 
The objection of the adversaries   
They do object against us, saying. We do nothing without Christ, but when he doth send his spirit, either we do agree to his spirit, or else we do refuse it. The consent and agreement to the will of the Lord is of us, say they, is our own and of ourselves. The Lord (say they) doth put us in mind to pray, to repent our naughty living, to be liberal to the poverty and so forth, the which suggession for to follow or to resist is in our liberty & wil I do say & answer to this objection, saying. If this objection be true, then are the words of Christ false, which doth say, without me you can do nothing. For after your reason you may do some thing without him, to endeavour & apply your will to his will. And so were the work of god, which doth inwardly monish & teach you: no greater than that which man doth in preaching and teaching outwardly. As by example. A man doth pronounce and show forth the verity of God, to the which (if their objection be true may) he apply himself: may go about and endeavour to do it, and also to perform it of his own power and strength.  
O error and most execrable heresy. This is the very truth. God doth move and stir that thing which pleaseth him, 
Every good work is the work of Christ in us  no man can apply himself thereto, except he receive the spirit of God, whereby he doth it. No he can begin to do nothing be it never so little, without Christ do work in him the beginning and the mind to do well, we do our endeavour, we do apply ourselves to the verity and to the Lord not by the liberty & freedom of our will but by the spirit of God which worketh in us mercifully using us as his instruments in all good deeds, in showing obedience to his will, in prayer, in invocation, to live soberly chastely, and so forth to his honour.  
Objection Against this answer they do object saying. If God work all things in us by his spirit, if he willeth his will in us, if he prayeth, if he giveth alms, if he studieth, worketh and speaketh in us: wherefore do we then endeavour ourselves to do any thing, wherefore are we so anxious & careful? I will not speak of all other things that we do, for what cause (say they) did the holy Evangelists prepare themselves to the declaration of the word of God. Sith it was said to them, when you be brought before Kings and rulers, be not careful thinking how and what you should speak. For it is not you (sayeth the Lord) which speaketh, but the spirit of my father which speaketh in you. Whereto I say that who so ever doth go about any thing or is careful for things, or studieth how to set forth the Gospel of Christ: he doth it either of a pure faith toward God, and then is it the deed of the holy ghost, or else without faith trusting in his own virtue and industruouse labour and diligence and then it is the work of the sense and understanding of the flesh. That other a man doth being bound and drawn by the spirit of the Lord, as for that which he doth by the confidence of his own strength, it is done by compulsion of the spirit of fornication, because he is bound in the wings of fornication, as it is written. Where is become our liberty? For that one thou canst not do without the spirit of God, the second can not choose but be done after the spirit of evil which leadeth the. 
We do good or evil as the spirit doth draw  It is unpossible that thou of thyself canst overcome the spirit of fornication, in the which he draweth the whither it pleaseth that spirit, by the which you may perceive that our will is far from all liberty, and free working being drawn on both sides, either by the spirit of God, or else by the since of the flesh As touching to the ministers of the church if they preparing themselves to preach do study and ponder before what they shall say they do well in so doing, 
All our studies and labours must be referred to Christ.  so that they do not put their trust and confidence to their own study and labour, but to the goodness and promise of the Lord.  
Where as we alleged the text of the vi Chap. of john, that is. No man can. etc. some do think, that that drawing wherewith the father draweth, is no violente drawing which importeth any necessity, 
Whether the drawing of the father do import any violence or necessity in it yea or may.  that thou mayst not choose but go whereto thou art drawn, but that a man may (as they say) have the will to do or to leave undone, as it pleaseth him. Which opinion of theirs they do prove by an example saying. Likewise as a child when a man doth show to him an apple, doth run to the man for the apple And as a sheep doth follow the man which hath a green wilowe bow in his hand: even so, say they, doth the Lord move and stir our minds with this or that, leaving to our choice whether we will come or not.  
I do think this exposition, to be erroneous, perverse, & heretical the solution whereof must be made as I have to you before sufciently declared. For this intent have I showed to you other writing of the scriptures that you may see how they do strive and struggle against the verity of the Lord. Such manner of drawing is this, that a man can not choose but follow him that draweth. For every man that is drawn of the father and taught by him, cometh to Christ, as john the vi Chap. When the Lord doth draw thee, and in the time of his drawing, the wicked spirit of fornication is bound fast within the by the spirit of Christ that he can not stir, 
Where the spirit of god is in place the spirit of the flesh is made subject of force  that he can do nothing in thee, to let the from that whereto the spirit of God which is in the doth draw the: so long as the spirit of God reigneth in thee, so long the spirit of fornication can do the no manner scathe, nor bear any rule in the. It giveth place against his will to his better and superioure. Therefore the spirit of God doth use the at his liberty without any stop or let and keepeth the commandments in the of the high Lord. Thou mayst not choose but run when he draweth the after him in those things whereto the spirit will have the to follow him. For he hath put a bridle & a strong bit into the month of the spirit of fornication which before was all thy hindrance and let, that thou mightest not be appliant and agreeable to the will of the Lord. Therefore we are drawn of God, 

It is an evident knowledge that we are not drawn when we are not followers.  
Who is the drawer   and are forced to run after him which goeth before drawing us as his own will pleaseth. If there be any man which thinketh that he is drawn and yet runneth not, he is fowl deceived, for he is not drawn. Christ which suffered death for us doth draw all men after him Which all men, be the children of Israel, that is to say the elected, for whom only he was sent. To them pertaineth the heritage of the world thorough Christ as appeareth Paul the xiiii Chap. to the Rom. For when the elected be drawn, they do high them as fast as they can after Christ, because they can not choose the spirit of Christ bearing rule in them. 
It is a great token of election: if thou dost feel in thyself the hatred of sin To the elect their sin is not imputed  Although the elected do offend and sin sometime by weakness and infirmity the concupiscence being not altogether quenched in them, yet they do live by the virtue of God, by the which virtue they do hate sin, that same virtue being the cause wherefore their sin is not imputed to them. For the flesh hath her concupiscence against the spirit, yea in them which be elected, but she doth not prevail or bear any great swing in them, being made subject to the spirit, 
In the elect is some carnality  which is of higher dignity and power keeping the spirit of the flesh under and short from raging to far.  
For the spirit of god hath the spirit of the flesh fast bound: 
As the hattred of sin is token of election so the rejoicing of sin is token of induration  causeing that the sin of them in whom some sparkle of the flesh remaineth is odious and detestable to themselves. They which be elected do hat there own naughty deeds with all their hearts the which hatred doth come of the spirit of god. Therefore the man which is lead by the spirit of god can not sin the which is lead by the concupiscence of the flesh: must needs work sin and wickedness. The doienges of Christ: and the deeds or works of man are contrary. 
Mark this well: and examine thyself after this lesson and fear not.  That spirit in the which thou haste thy delight whereto thou art addicted and given in thine heart: that same doth reign in the.  
Thou art given: & addicted to one when thou dost believe and workest by faith after the word of the lord. Thou art servant to that other when thou art unfaithful, and bringest forth deadly fruits of thy infidelity that is to say works against the word of god which be not of faith. 
The elect hath the pricking of the flesh in them during their life.   
The flesh is not all together subdued & quelled in the elect, as long as they be on live. And yet it is daily crucified in them if is mortified by the prescence of the heavenly spirit: wherein the flesh is bound bridled & made subject. The spirit of the lord if it please him may draw the quyckelye altogether and whole after him, quenching in the power, strength & heat of the flesh. 
Wherefore doth not the lord take a way clean the pricking of the flesh in his elect  But it pleaseth him not so for to do, because he knoweth it to be better as it is & more to his glory, and to the profit of the elect people how so ever the spirit of fornication doth judge and take it otherwise.  
Many men do think in themselves, that they could find the causes of all these things, why and wherefore the Lord doth this thing or that. But verily as it is said before, 
What man doth know the cause of the lords works  the spirit of fornication hath received them, and bound them in his wings. For what so ever they can say, it is much less than the truth in deed.  
They do say furthermore that it is permitted to the flesh to bear some rule in a man, because that man knoweleging his own frailty, 
The flesh doth hinder the elect from the perfetnes that they desire and that by the ordinance of the lord.  should meake and lowly himself. I do know that it is needful that we be meek and lowly, but for all that it is not well said, that for that cause the flesh is not extinguished in us, because we should meek and submit ourselves. For the true and perfect meekness, lowliness and humility cometh from the spirit of God. But the flesh doth pluck them somewhat back, making them less obedient & meek than they should or would be. For if the flesh were clean abolished and subdued in us, that it should have no manner of stirring: then should there be in us no pride, nor none other corrupt affection, but a true humility a perfect justice and righteousness. No man doth know this mystery but the Lord only, and to whom it pleaseth him to open it. He will reveal and open it to his elects in time, to their glory, and then we shall know how marvelous are the judgements of the Lord above man's reason.  
Those which do subvert the right senses of God's word do suppose that the words which the spouse in the Gospel did speak saying. Draw me after thee (& those which the young women did speak in the Canty-sayinge. We will run) do make much for their purpose to confirm their blind forged liberty of man's will, saying that the desire of the young man, and to be drawn after him, and of the young women for to run doth come of their own proper, endeavour, and free will. But if they do look well on the matter, they shall find that it is clean contrary, and that these words do prove strongly the miserable captivity and bondage of man's will, as in that place of the Canti. & by that which we have declared already doth appear.   

❧ The xiii proof.  
Paul writeth to the corhinthians the second Epistle and iii chapter. 
The lord doth work in us both to will and to do the dead  Not that we (sayeth he) be suffitiente of our selves, to think any thing as of ourselves. But all our suffitiency is of the Lord This text and such other the defenders of fire will do expound by this word. Potest that is in english to say, can, or may, as it may or can be understand thus or thus, it may be true in this sense. We will not consent and grant that they shall wryth & wrest the scriptures making divers senses and understandings, which are unpossible to be true, we will that the scripture be taken in his own kind & natural meaning. For the more simple and plain the declaration is made, the more near it is to the truth. Truly of ourself we can think nothing that is pleasant to the Lord. Thou wilt say peradventure. I do grant that we can think no Godly thing of our selves, much less perform any such thing. But to apply ourselves to his will, which doth put such things in our minds, that is in our own power and will. As witnesseth Paul to the Rom. the vii chap. saying To will I have in my power, but to perform my will that I can not by no means. The which authority of Paul maketh nothing against us being taken as it ought for to be, expounding as before I have declared after this manner. To will is in my power, that is to say, by the spirit of God. But to perform it I can not because that no man can perform the will which the Lord doth give, except the Lord do give the spirit aswell to perform it, as he did to will it. 
Philip. two.  The self fame thing teacheth Paul to the Philip. the second Chapt. declaring that to will cometh of God saying these words. The Lord doth work in us, both for to will and to perform. Forsooth if we can not of ourselves will to do good, how can we say it at our own liberty we may choose to do this or that at our own pleasure Yet will not they forsake this opinion of fire will. For if a man would ask them, how and by what reason they can prove & affirm their saying to be true, they do answer, that the will of man worketh with the spirit of god. 
You may see how darkly they do teach  Nay they will leave out this word spirit and say. The will worketh with grace working in us. They think that this vocable grace is an habit or affection of the mind: as other affections be, being in deed nothing less. For grace is the favour of God. For there is no man which is endued with grace but he only which is pleasant to the Lord or whom the Lord doth favour. 
Grace  I do not regard or pass much for that grace which is a quality of the mind, for there is no such grace. But I would fain have those gifts which be by the grace of God, that is to say those gifts which he useth to give to his elect people, because it pleaseth him of his goodness first to favour and love them, and so thorough the favour of God they become pleasant & acceptable to him. To be short, that man hath the grace of God whom the Lord doth favour according to his own pleasure whom he doth accept. 
Who hath the grace of god.  It were better said therefore that the will of man worketh with the spirit working in us, them to say that it worketh with grace. For to that our will worketh with the spirit, I do agree & consent well thereto, 
The liberty of the children of god  considering that we do work not freely at our own liberty, but by the liberty of the holy spirit. And that is called the liberty of the children of god, to the which liberty we are led by the spirit after that he hath drawn us. But what do we mean when we do say, that the saints have done many things & the godly men themselves have said that they have preached, prayed, & laboured. etc. And in other places they do say again that God hath done all thing, as Paul to the Corhin. the i Epistle. and xu Chap.  
I have laboured more fruitfully (sayeth Paul) not I but the grace of God which is present with me. That is to say, the Lord whom it pleaseth to accept and favour me hath wrought these things in me.  
We do answer to their objection and authority saying. first that God doth work all these things himself. Secondly, the Lord doth say that his elects, his faithful and Godly do many good deeds, because he doth use them as his instruments to do his works. As by example. A man which doth cut bread with a knife, sayeth the knife cutteth well, such is the speaking of the Lord by us. If the knife could speak it would say. I do cut bread. Even so the Godly and virtuous men do say, we have laboured, we have preached we have prayed. etc. knowing themselves to be nothing else but the instruments of the Lord which worketh. 
The lord calleth his works our works.  And where as the Lord doth say that we do work it is of his unspeakable goodness, which voucheth fate to call his works in us, our works, which are his instruments.  
A certain man writeth, that in the holy scripture it is often times beaten into our heads, that every good thing is of God, that he worketh all things after the decree ordinance and purpose of his eternal will, that all our suffitiencie and ableness is of him that we have nothing, that we have received nothing, but of him, and such other many things more, for that intent and purpose that we shall not set and put any trust in ourselves, that we should not presumptuously presume and arrogantly boast of our own deeds and for none other cause. As to the words of the Lord what man can deny but that they be true, and that they were spoken to take all proud & presumptuous looks from us. But the sayings of the holy scripture as they be infallibly true so they are plainly and simply to be understand that we should in no wise, in no case, after no manner of fashion ascribe any thing to us, 
Wherefore is it say that the lord speaketh in his elect Matthew. x.  but all things wholly to him and ourselves to confess and knowledge truly, meekly and lowly, that we be the instruments of his majesty and goodness. After this manner of speaking the holy witness bearers in Christ are said not to speak of themselves, but that the spirit of their father speaketh in them. As Matthew the ten It is said by them that they do not speak, because they can speak no truth of themselves. By the mouth of them which are his creatures as most meet instruments the Lord maketh open his will to all men. For so did the Lord speak in Stephan, which no man could resist. As Act. vi Chap.  
So did Christ live and work in Paul and Paul by Christ lived and worcked, as to the Gala. the second Chapter. Likewise Christ doth live in the just, that is to say in the faithful, and they by faith do live thorough Christ, as Abacuch the second cha. and to the Rom. the i Chap. and to the hebrews the ten Chap.  

just men do live by faith.  I marvel with what spirit they be led when they do speak saying. God will that we do ascribe nothing to us, although there be some thing in us, which we might justly and rightly call our own. God (say they) seemeth to command these things but for a face proving their wicked opinion by the xvii Chap. of Luke, 
What a devilish doctrine is it to say that god useth disimulation wherein they would make god a liar.  not rightly taken saying. When you have done all that you can, say you: we be unprofitable servants. Whereto I answer on this wise. God is not an envious person. Wherefore if there were any thing in us of ourself that we might be proud of: he would not take the praise thereof from us, for he doth love verity and truth, as Psalm. l. But he willeth that we confess us to be his instruments as we be in deed. He commanded this saying, When you have done all thing. etc. not for a face or feigning in any manner of wise, but all that he speaketh is in verity and truth The servants of God working well are nothing else then the instruments of God, 
What is meant by this saying we are unprofitable servants  which worketh all goodness in them. He willeth that they shall take no more on them, than they be in deed. He willeth them to confess, knowledge, and name theirselves to be the instruments of God, & nothing else. Therefore he doth command them that unfeignedly and with a true heart they should say we are unprofitable servants, which is as much to say, as we be the creatures, we are the instruments of thy works, we do but serve thee, and not that of our own virtue and power. For that we be thy servants, it is of thy most tender mercy, which with thy most loving spirit dost make us so to be Wherefore to the only for all things which we do by thy spirit we do render thanks, and all glory be to thee, knowing that of ourselves we are unprofitable servants, and that we can do nothing, be it never so little that is good, of ourselves. If any man doth not think that same in himself, he maketh God a liar. He maketh God an envious person, which commandeth us to walk in hypocrisy, for to say, as the proud Hypocrites used for to say, 

The most bloody tyrant of all the world doth call himself the servant of servants of god.  
How the popish hypocrites do subscribe their letters.   I am a poor sinner unworthy to hold up mine eyes to heaven, I am one of the least servants of God, I have sinned much more grievously than all other men. Such words use they to speak when they be praised, because they would not appear outewardelye to be praised & called this or that, being in all the world nothing that they do desire & covet more.  
These do subscribe their letters, which they do send to great men, or to them of whom they do gape after some benefit, after this manner. Your lowly meek and poor bedman, the unworthy shepherd of the flock of Christ, and yet they be nothing else, them most ravening and blougredy wolves.  

The holy father of Rome.  The great Antichrist and horned beast, the fowl and abominable strumpet & harlot of Babylonical Rome calleth himself the servant of the servants of god, which is the most cruel enemy and bloody tyrant that ever God had.  
Objection They do object against us saying. God doth call 
In this word (doth call) is the cavillation.  those his children which do call themselves unprofitable servants And therefore the Lord will say to them. Come you my blessed. etc.  
We answer & say, that not these which do call themselves unprofitable with their tongue outwardly, but they which unfeignedly in their hearts do knowledge them selves to be no less in deed than they have declared with their mouths and so to profess it openly, 
The children of god,  when so ever the glory of God should require, these are the children of god which in the judgement shall be numbered among the elect sort. The Lord sayeth, not every man which sayeth to Christ Lord Lord shall enter into his glory. 
The heart must speak in the faithful.  finally these words which the Lord did speak saying. say that you be unprofitable. etc. are to be understand of the speaking of the heart, and not of the mouth outward only. As for the outward pronouncing of such words by the mouth, 
To what use serveth the outward behaviour  it seldom doth any profit, but to augment increase, and nourish hypocrisy. For there be many which outwardly do bear so holy a face, so lowly a look, so religious & friar like countenance, as though all Godliness, all holiness were included in them, being nothing else then vessels full of all craft, deceit and guile malice and rancour the very hoard of all mischief. 
The mother of christ must knowledge her self an unprofitable servant.   
These words must be spoken inwardly with the heart, yea of the mother of god the immaculate virgin. The Angels must confess that they be unprofitable servants  
Objection Yet say they again, Christ did not say when you have done all things well and Godly, I will judge you unworthy my favour, or will take you for unprofitable servants. But Christ said (say they) say you 
What a foolish c●●ilation is of this word say ye  that you be unprofitable servants. first I do answer saying that Christ is the verity which doth hate and abhor all lies, And therefore it can not be possible that he would preach and teach one thing with his mouth and think an other thing with his heart, If he had not judged them to be unworthy of his grace of theirselves, and unprofitable servants, he would not have laid as he did say. For will house doubt what so ever we do, what so ever we do go about, what so ever we do think of ourselves we are unworthy of the grace of god we are his unprofitable servants. So he did esteem and take all his. Godly servants, not to be worthy servants, but unworthy of his grace of their own worthiness. So he took his blessed mother to be of her own self an unworthy servant. So he took all the company of the angels, What can our works do to purchaise and wine the grace of the Lord? 
Christ only did merit and purchaise favour for his people This knarke is of the devils devise study. Grace.  Did not Christ himself only merit and deserve grace and favour for his elected people, whom the father did give to him 〈◊〉 verily.  
The sophistical babblers do grant that Christ only may merit and deserve for us the first grace (as they do call it) We truly do know none other grace but one. Grace is the favour of god which Christ first received, by whom of his most plentiful abundancye we are made partakers of the same grace. Therefore when the Lord said, when you have done all thing well, etc. it is as much to say, as if you have done any thing which is good, it cometh of me, for you are my instruments to all good works, of yourself you can do nothing. By no work of yours can you win my grace, because you should know yourself to be unprofitable servants, and so with all your heart to knowledge it, making no better of yourselves than you are in deed.  
Objection Yet once again say they, better it is that we make the Lord to be the whole owner and doer of all thing, as well of that which we do, as of his own, and that he doth bear the name thereof, for as much as he being both good & liberal will render again to us, not only that which is our own, and of our own doing, but also will name and call his own deeds and works to be ours.  
I answer saying that which pertaineth to ourselves, which we may rightly call our own proper, are these following. Sin, error, blindness, & the spirit of fornication, which the elect and chosen people would fain were taken from them, & that clean, never to be rendered and restored again. 
What are our own works  The Lord doth of his goodness call ours, that and these works which are his own, but under him, wherefore we must give all things to him. As for those things which may be called ours in deed as sin. etc. they are to be ascribed unto ourselves and not unto God.  
They do argue and reason subtly by the example of the prodigal and riotous son with these words If we have nothing in our own hand and power, how can we say that the riotous and prodigal son did consume, waste, and riotously spend his own part, 
Of this word (his own part) do they make this cavil  and portion of substance given to him. We do say that the most gentle Lord doth make those things which be his to be ours, but as I have said under him, that we should use and order his gifts after the rule and judgement of his spirit and according to his word. The which thing this riotuose young man did not. For that thing which the Lord of his goodness called & named to be his: this young man would not have under the Lord as the gift of the Lord, but forsaken and going from the house of the church and from faith did dissipate and spend wastablye to his own destruction all that he had received of the Lord, which is called in that place the part or portion of his substance. 

i, Corin. xv. Objection This cavillation is made of the word (void in me) as who sayeth he did me pleasure & I did pleasure again to him.  
Out of these words (with him) is the cavil.   Paul writeth in the first Epistle and the xu Chap. to the Corhin. By the grace or thorough the grace of God. I am that I am, & the grace of god (say they) was not void in me, that is to say, he did not for nought receive me in to grace. For after I had received the grace I did work these things which were acceptable and pleasant unto him. Also it is written the ix Chapter of the book of wisdom. That the wise man did wish and desire that the heavenly wisdom would assist him, that it might be with him, that it would labour with him. You may see and perceive (say they) that Paul and the wise man do confess and acknowledge the grace of the Lord, and yet they do not omit and forget their own labour, thinking that it is in this case as a master carpinter, instructing and teaching his servant in his work what he shall do, & the servant in doing and fulfilling his masters will and commandment. The which similitude is nothing like nor true. For although the ma●ster commandeth his servant to do this or that, yet hath he not power over the will of his servant. But the Lord is ruler and governor both of the will and deed, and of all other things. More over in that same similitude the servant doth not nor can not obey his master as he ought to do, except the Lord did first incline and apply his will thereto. Doubtless it is that Paul & other servants of god did work but not of themselves, but by the spirit of God. For the wisdom and spirit of God was with them, and laboured with them, so that if the spirit of God had not been with them and laboured with them, they might have done no such thing. So is the will of man by the spirit of fornication captive & bond: that except it be bound by the spirit of God, the will of man can do nothing that good is, but all contrary.  
Yet say they that we do deny that man doth work any thing which is not true, we say not so. Our denial is, that we have of ourselves, any liberty to work. This answer which I have made to this objection, will serve to put away an other of their cavillations where they say that there is no helper, but where as is also a worker.  
Objection If it be so (say they once again, for they will not leave of so soon) then far well all merits. And where as is no meriting nor deserts there is neither punishment nor reward, 
Merit Rewards  To this objection I will in few words make answer. There is place in us to merit and deserve evil, ergo, then there is place for punishment for our naughty deserving. As for good merits in us we have none, but only the merits of Christ whose merits, it hath pleased him to make our merits if we do believe in him, and so by Christ also we have our rewards.  
By these testimonies of the scripture, and by many more which I might rehearse it is made evident and plain, that the will of man is all together captive and bond being by the scriptures sufficiently proved, and that in no case it is free and at liberty to do of himself, what him listeth.    

❧ The third part of this book declareth in what thing the will of man is made fire. But so that it remaineth bond to eternal felicity & salvation.  

john. viii. The freedom of man.  THe Lord sayeth in john the viii Chap. If the son hath set you free & at liberly, them are you fire in deed From what thing doth the son deliver you, and from what bondage are you set free. from the naughty and corrupt sense, judgement and understanding of man, and from all other proceedings thereof. He doth deliver none but his servants under that condition, 
The condition of man's freedom  that they shall be always subject. To whom? To himself only for his own sake, and to all other for him. They are set at liberty from all outward things which may be any let or impediment, 
From what things are we made fire  that a man should not give himself to the observation and keeping of his holy ordinances This is the liberty and freedom of all the children of God (that is to say) of the faithful, which only are the children of God and none other.  

Man's inventions swerving from the word of god are to be detested and abhorred of all men How are the faithful both fire and bond at one time  This change & alteration worketh the hand of the almighty, that a man shall detest & abhor the spirit of fornication with all the filthiness and impurity of it, and all other things depending thereof, that is to say, all the inventions of man, & all his traditions or decrees which do never so little serve from the word of the Lord. The which hand of God doth cause also that man shall not desire and seek his own pleasure and will, but the will and pleasure of jesus Christ, and profit of his neighbour.  
Hereby it is manifest, that the faithful are both servants and also fremen. They are free and at liberty, being set at liberty from all those things, which doth provoke and pluck a man back from the word of God. 
Rom. vi.  They be servants to the obedience of the word of God, as to the Rom. vi. Chap. Being made free from sin, you are made the servants of God. 
i Corin. two. two. Corin. iii.  And the first epistle and vii Chap. to the Corhin. He that is called a servant in the Lord, is a free man of the Lord. And the second epistle, 
Gala. iii.  and iii Chap. to the corinth. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And to the Gala. iii. chap. We are not the children of the bond maid, but of the free woman, in the which liberty Christ hath delivered & made us free his elected. 
i. Peter. two.  And the i epistle of Peter the two. Chapter. As those which are free, and not making our liberty to be a cloak and colour of iniquity, but as the true and faithful servants of the Lord.  

Esechy. thirty. vi. A heart of stone. A heart of flesh.  The saying of ezechiel is fulfilled in them, which obtained this most necessary and profitable liberty thorough Christ in the xxxvi Chapt. I will take away the stony heart, which is indurate, that is as much to say, the spirit of fornication from them. And I will put in them an heart of flesh, that is to say a tractable mind which can be content with all his heart to agree to the commandment and the will of the Lord The which saying of Ezechiel, they which do deny the bondage and captivity of the will of man, do understand and take it to be none otherwise, them as a master would say to his scholar speaking incongrue & false latin with these words. Well I will pluck this barbarous tongue forth of thy head, and put in the stead thereof a clean latin ●ong, in the which thing is required the industry and diligence of the scholar and his good will to be ready for to follow and obey his master's teaching. 
Mark and learn how thou mayst answer such like similitudes & examples as they do bring for their purpose  To the which and such other like we do answer and say, that these exemples do halt and fail in ii things. first the master can not alter, nor change nor draw, the will of the scholar after his own pleasure and mind, nor none other man any man's will.  
secondly they are deceived in their similitude, because the master oft-times teacheth his scholars and yet they are nothing the better.  
The Lord doth never take away the stony heart of man in vain, putting into him a new heart of flesh. For it is in his power at his own pleasure and will, to change the will of man having no need of our industry or labour.  
For by our own industry and labour what do we else then daily commit fornication departing and going from the Lord we are daily hardened. From the elect the Lord taketh away the industry of the wisdom of the flesh, pouring into them the industry and diligence of his spirit.  
Objection They do lay again against us the words written in ezechiel the xviii Chapter. 
In these words cast a way and make to you, is their cavil  Cast away from you all your iniquities wherein you have failed and gone aside, and make yourself a new heart and spirit.  
You may see (say they) in this place that a man may do some thing of himself that is good. And yet they are deceived. For the Lord doth require that we should work not of our own power and diligence, but by the power and diligence of his spirit.  
besides that this commandment and all other commandments of the Lord are unpossible to be done if the spirit of God be not in us, which maketh all things to be possible, as in other places we have proved.  
truly the Lord willeth that his commandments be observed and kept of us not by our own spirit of fornication, but by his spirit. For that which the Lord commandeth can not of any man, but by his own spirit be kept. What man of his own power can cast of from himself his old accustomed wickedness and corrupt desires of the flesh? What man can renew, turn, & alter his own heart to Godward & keep his will without his spirit. It is the Lords own work, and no man's else. Whereunto the words of jeremy are respondente and agreeing, which sayeth. Is it possible that an Ethiop can turn the colour of his face, 
Hieremy xiii. This is a strong and an invincible bulwark against free-will.  and put on a new skin? Can the Leopard take from himself the spots which are in him? Can yourselves do & work goodness, which have learned all naughtiness and evil. By the which text it is declared openly, that a man by his own power can do nothing to the alteration of his heart, nor any other thing which pertaineth to eternal felicity.  
Yet the defenders of this most false and deceitful liberty do go about still to deceive us making us believe that we do expound the scriptures on this manner. Make you a new heart, that is to say. Let grace make you a new heart. And also, stretch forth your hand whereto you will, that is to say Let grace stretch forth your hand whereto you will. Again in an other scripture. Every man that hath this hope. He doth sanctify himself in him, that is to say, grace doth sanctify him. Let us cast away the works of darkness, that is to say. 
Thus doth antichrists disciples slander with their lyese the true preachers of faith making the people believe that they would have no good works  Let grace cast away. & c What man ever I pray you (as for the rest of their slanderous lies here I will not speak of) did hear me at any times read and expound after this manner. What man knowing them to be such shameful and shameless liars will believe them in any thing they speak? For our exposition & declaration of those texts hath been alway after this manner. Make you a new heart by the spirit of God. What man can make his heart new without the spirit of God? Considering that by our own deceitful spirit we are made worse and worse, much less can we be altered of ourselves from the worse to the better. Stretch forth thy hand, that is by the will and deed of the spirit of God to goodness, or to evil by the spirit of fornication, and of the flesh. Also, he doth sanctify himself by the spirit of Christ, not by his own deceivable spirit. Furthermore, let us cast away the works of darkness, by the spirit of God, which we are not able to do without it.  
There is none of us which doth say that god commandeth grace to do any thing, as though he would say: let grace do this or that. For grace is nothing else but the favour of the lord, 
Grace.  by that reason we should say that god doth command himself to do this or that if we did expound the scriptures as they do falsely belie us. For to say these words following: Let grace extend, let grace do. Let grace cast away what is it else then a precept or commandment let them therefore cease from there blasphemous reports and devilish life where with they do nothing else but declare to all men their perverse and froward malice of their hearts. Wherefore do they go aboughte to make dark and obscure the grace of god and the goodness of our saviour jesus Christ? Wherefore do they make so much of man's strength, which of himself can do nothing but go and departed from the Lord, 
The spirit of god draweth to good, the spirit of the flesh to all evil.  and not that neither of their own free will, but by the spirit of fornication, which plucketh them that they can not choose but do evil. If they do make so much by their unhappy and lewd liberty or freedom of their will (which they have not in deed) let them thence if they can be rich when them pleaseth. Let them see if they can save themselves therbi. And that is unpossible We do esteem & regard their goodly false liberty, to be much more vile and stinking then the order of man, than any other stinking dunghill, which is nothing else but the invention & devise of the devil, 
Fre will invented by the devil to obscure the glory of god  of Satan that, intending nothing else thereby but to minish and hinder the verity of the Lord obscuring and hiding from the eyes of men, the most merciful gentleness of his goodness, to make them to be ingrate & unthankful people.  
The dream and fantasy of this free-will is such a thing, 
Either God must be true and the will captive: or else god must be false and the will fire  that if it be true as they do say and hold that it is, than the verity of the word of God can not stand And contrariwise if the word of God be true, which the devil and all his disciples can not deny, then of necessity must this forged will be as it is, false and contrary to all truth. But let the speech of verity of the high Lord be permanent and stand still for ever. Let this false persuasion of free will, with all other inventions of man contrary to scripture perish & fall away. Amen.  
Let therefore this false, wicked, and bond liberty, be put forth of the doers. Let the liberty of the children of God be sought forth by the faith in the Lord jesus Christ which is our saviour. This liberty the church of God hath looked for many years, it hath desired it of long time, and many days. From this desire did the words in the canticles springe of most perfect and unfeigned love, as. Let him kiss me with the sweet kiss of his mouth, as: Pluck me after the. as. Come hither my beloved, as. Show to me, him whom my soul doth love, with such other like sayings.  
The synagogue of Antichrist, in the day which is dedicated and hallowed to the nativity of the Lord do grant this, pronouncing with their own lips, 
The prayer of the church on Christmas day  the holy prayer of the church of God saying after this wise. Grant to us good Lord we pray thee, that this new nativity of thy son in flesh may deliver us, and make us fire whom the old servitude and bondage doth hold fast bound under the yoke of sin, 
The yoke of sin  etc. The yoke of sin is the yoke of concupiscence. As Paul in many places but specially to the romans commonly useth to speak. By sin concupiscence (sayeth he) etc. The which concupiscence may well be named a yoke because it holdeth man in most cruel servitude, in so much that except he be first delivered from that, he can do nothing that can be pleasant to the Lord. This is the yoke of bondage to the believing people. This is the rod of his shoulder and the sceptre which the little child borne into this world and given unto us hath overcome. 
The names of god.  Whose empire is above his shoulder which is called by these names The marueilouse, the counselor. The strong and mighty Lord. The father of the world to come. The prince of peace, 
Esai. ix.  As Esay. ix. O most joyful liberty to the elect which is annexed & joined unseperablye with the most blessed servitude & bondage of the Lord. This liberty is far from the power of Satan & most miserable synagogue of Antichrist which is departed & fallen from the Lord and saviour, 
The synagogue of antichrist hath not this liberty  that the faithful may do service to the Lord without impediment, and afterward one to an other for Christ's sake This holy and sacrete servitude & bondage of the Lord is not a bitter, hard, or heavy yoke, 
Math. xi.  it is light, amiable and sweet, As Christ witnesseth. Matthew. xi. Chap. My yoke is sweet, my burden is light. By this yoke which is to be coveted of all men, and by this bond all men do keep the commandments of the Lord, freely, gladly & diligently. For they be never without the spirit of the Lord and his gifts, which are these. Wisdom, understanding counsel, strength of the spirit, knowledge Godliness, fear of the Lord, joyfulness, peace of conscience, a sure and certain hope. etc. After these things followeth the love of the Lord. Confidence in him only, charity and love toward thy neighbour, poverty and lowliness of the spirit, mourning and lamenting thy neighbours hurt & grief, full of compassion, and all other goodness. With this yoke very necessary for us, with these amiable bonds it pleaseth the goodness of the Lord to bind us, so that thereby we should attain to perfect liberty in him,   

❧ The fourth part wherein you are taught how to understand those texts and places of the scriptures, which do apply to permit and give liberty to the will of man.  
WE have sufficiently taught and proved to you what the will of man is. secondly that it is very captive and bond. Thirdly, that it is in Christ both fire, and also most joyfully and pleasantly bond. You have seen and learned in the same third part how and in what things the will of man is free, and how likewise it is bond. Now there remaineth nothing else behind but to make plain certain places and texts that you may understand them. The which texts, the masters and founders of free will do falsely allege, and as them thinketh do sufficiently prove their purpose and intent.  

❧ The first text.  
IT is written in the book of jesus Syrach the xv chap after this wise. The Lord from the beginning did make man and left him in the hand of his own counsel and mind, he hath given him commandments and precepts saying if thou wilt observe my commandments and keep acceptable faithfulness for ever: they shall preserve the. He hath set water and fire before the reach out thy hand to which thou wilt. Before man is life and death good and evil, that which doth like and please him best shallbe given to him.  
By this authority they do think that they can prove man to have free will from his first creation. If they will understand and also grant that the holy spirit was also at the beginning given to man, we will strive no longer with them there in. But if they do say that god made the nature of man to be alway free of her own self and at liberty: it is altogether against god and his honour that they do speak wherefore in few words we will declare and open to your ears the plain and true understanding of this text. The lord from the beginning created man decking and adorning him with his spirit, this do I grant to them (though we be be not able to prove it) leaving man before he did fall in the hand of his own counsel that is to say to his own self, to his own nature, which is the most grievous & fearful judgement that can be. For he which is so left in the hand of his own counsel is forsaken and made a stranger to the spirit and counsel of the Lord. And so becometh straight way indurate blinded, and brought into temptation. etc. and can not choose but err from the way of the Lord.  
Therefore as soon as our fathers were left to theirselves in the hands of their own counsel, they straight way traunsgressed the commandment of the Lord. Mankind did fall by little and little to sin, 
Wherefore the law is given  in so much that sin so increased that they could not deserve and judge good from evil. For the which cause that men might have the knowledge of sin, and of that which is evil and naughty, the Lord gave to them a law or precepts, which law was and is unpossible to be kept and observed of us, but with his spirit it is made not only possible but also easy and light. 
The law is spiritual What is the work of the law.  For the law being spiritual can not be kept, but by the strength of the spirit.  
The law teacheth what is evil, what is good, what we ought to do, and what we ought to refuse, But the law doth not give to us a spirit to do that which it commandeth. It doth send us to Christ, that we believing in him may be made partners of his spirit: 
The law sendeth us to Christ for help. The keeping of the law without the spirit of god is hypocrisy  by the which spirit we may keep the law. Wherefore if we do keep these commandments and precepts by the spirit of God, than they shall preserve us. For to keep them without his spirit is no keeping of them▪ but plain hypocrisy and dissimulation. The Lord hath set before us both fire and water, life and death, good and evil, that is asmuch to say, as he hath set before us the keeping of his divine will and pleasure, and also the transgression & offending of the same will. He hath set before us, eternal health and everlasting perdition. To whether of these we will, le● us reach forth our hands. If so be that we do choose to apprehend the transgression of the law: being bound in the wings of the spirit of fornication & falsehood, we shall have death, and perdition of our souls without remedy. If we do apply ourselves to the will and commandments of the Lord, by the comfort & drawing of the holy spirit of God, health & life everlasting shall follow. By the spirit of the Lord we do apprehend & seek after the life prepared for the faithful. By the spirit of our flesh and of falsehood, we look after no goodness, but all wickedness & traunsgression of the commandments. If we have the spirit of the Lord we shall not fail of life most happy and blessed. If we be led by the spirit of fornication & of the flesh, what remaineth but death & utter destruction?  
There is no man which can mislike this exposition, except it be those which are led with a perverse spirit which hold opinion that the will of man of itself can will that thing which is good, and also of his own power keep the commandments. Hereby you may perceive that neither this text of the scripture nor any such like doth make any thing at all for this forged & feigned liberty of our fire wil Objection Against this do they argue & reason, saying. If man had no knowledge nor judgement of himself to know good and evil, & to judge also what is the will of the Lord: It ought not to be imputed to his fault if he did choose and take that way which is evil.  
Objection 
another reason.  If so be, man's will be not free, & at liberty, wherefore should he be blamed for sin, for as much as sin is to him no sin, if it be done by coaction & not voluntary of his own will.  
Solution of the first objection. To the first reason we say, that if their objection be true then must it follow of necessity, that all the reprobate persons, are punished wrongfully, which did never know perfectly the will of the Lord, for as much as they are blind, for the which cause the Lord praying his father for them which did crucify him said. forgive them father for they do not know what they do. And truly they did not know. For every evil person is ignorant & blind. And therefore it was spoken of them which did murmur & speak against the law of God in Deuteron xxxii I would to God they were wise & had understanding, 
Deut. xxxii.  as though he would have said they have neither wit nor knowledge. wherefore to our own destruction are we so busy searchers of the heavenly majesties hidden secrets, sith that we know that he is in all things just, & true, & ourselves wretched, blind & full of lies He doth justly reject & cast from him the reprobate & blind, whom he hath suffered to be blind and indurate, that in no wise they can confirm themselves & be agreeable to the commandment & will of the Lord. The profound and high deepness of his judgement what man can understand? I will hold my lips therefore together, & keep silence worshipping the inscrutable judgements and decrees of the Lord.  
Solution of the second objection To their second reason, I say that sin is voluntary in the wicked, which sin cometh not of a free will, but from that will which is bound and captive by the spirit of fornication which is the sense and understanding of the flesh. For the will of the fleshly, that is to say, of them which do lack the spirit of the Lord, is nothing less than free and at liberty, because it is not under the law of God, nor never can be, as to the Rom. viii. Chapter. 
Rom. viii.  It doth not follow therefore after their reason that sin should not be imputed to the reprobate and wicked, which sin is imputed to them & that most justly. To the faithful, & to them which do believe: 
Rom. iiii. Psalm. xxxi. The author doth lament the fall of certain men which are gone from  sin, that is to say, concupiscence, is not imputed for their faith sake, as Paul teacheth to the Romans the four Chap. and the Psal. in the xxxi Psal. beareth also witness.  
But (Alas) there be certain (how they have been deceived the Lord knoweth) which sometime as all the world (almost) can testify, abhorring and detesting the fowl and stinking synagogue of Antichrist with all the abominable rites, and crafts, and lies thereof, with all their vain curious & fantastical manner of speaking are now turned to their madness forsakeing the verity of the Lord, 
Christ to Antichrist  in preaching and teaching of men those things, which by the power of the word of God hath hitherto been rejected and forsaken, because they might thereby stablish and confirm their opinion, which is that the will of man is free and at liberty. The which men peradventure in their selves shall find true by experience. Yea, they do find it already, what a poor and small liberty that is which is in the will of man or rather how certain a bondage and servitude it is, for as much as by no study, no craft, no knowledge they are able to vanquish or to overcome their own proper affections. It had been better for than, & more profitable for all men, if they had not so undiscreet lie and unwisely as they did, confirm their blind liberty: brought and laid forth before men the foolish fantasies, dreams, partitions, and distinctions of Duns, 
It can not be spoken how much hurt these brabbling questionaries do  of Thomas of Aquine, of Capireold: with such other brabbling and scolding sophisters: in whom a man can find no substance nor pith of substantial matter: but a few foolish and idle terms and words (as these be which do follow) It seemeth to be so: it may be so: it may be said. etc. Which words to the godly and faithful sort are nothing else but the strong deadly and deceivable poison of the devil spoken and written without good foundation: 
It a videtur fieri potest dici potest  without substance & strength of godly confirmation which do know that to cleave and stick only to the eternal word and testimony of the verity of God: is the only shoot anchor of our health.   

❧ The second text of the scripture wrongfully taken and alleged.  
THey do allege forth of the first book of Moses called the Genesis in the iiii. Cham these words following, which the Lord did speak to Cain. Under the shall thy appetite & desire be, and thou shalt govern and rule it.  
The which words are nothing else but a precept or commandment, being in the Hebrew tongue the present time, as to the pertaineth the desire thereof, Otherwise the Lord had not prophesied that thing which was true For Cain had not his own will in subjection & at his commandment. But contrariwise he did follow & obey his own will & desire to his own destruction. He might not choose but follow that lewd desire & appetite because he did lack the spirit of the Lord. Therefore it is a precept and commandment commanding Cain to forsake & not to obey & follow the desires of the flesh, which thing to him was so unpossible as all other commandments to be kept without the spirit of God. Wherefore this text doth no more make, for the proof & confirmation of the liberty of man's will then all other precepts & commandments do.   

❧ The third text.  
THine ears have heard the preparing of their hearts. And also it is written in the Pro. the xvi Chap. 
Psalm. ix. Prou. xvi.  A man may well purpose a thing in his heart, but the answer of the tongue cometh of the Lord. The first text you must understand after this manner. O Lord thine ear hath hard. etc. that is to say, to thine ear the preparation of their heart is acceptable, I say of them which are poor, of whom the Psal. speaketh. The which poor men are not to be taken in this place for those, which do axe the alms & charity of other men, but for such men as do give themselves altogether to Christ which have renounced the affection & love of all their substance & riches for Christ's sake, being in a readiness to sell, & give away all that they have to the setting forth of the word of God & to the succouring of their neighbours necessity if need should require. These men do always say, my heart is ready Lord, my heart is ready, by whom they are every day made more apt & ready than they were before.  
This is the preparation which is only acceptable to God, it is not the endeavour or beginning of our own will as the defenders of free-will do call it. For they do think that by these endeavours and beginnings they may prepare and make themselves apt to receive the grace of the Lord, The which can never be. For thorough Christ only to them which do believe in him is his grace given, not for our own preparing or works. As touching the Prophets & ministers of the word of god & of those whose office is to expound and declare to the people the word of God: may not think that they should neglect and not regard to prepare themselves to the doing of their office, that is to say, to study to ponder, and way with themselves, to premeditate what they will say and declare. It is a thing to be done: and yet they may not ascribe any thing thereof to their own studies, diligence and preparation having and putting their trust and confidence in their own deeds and labours: but only in the Lord.  
For we do know that though a man do speak and preach never so well preparing himself with all diligence that may be, yet he can pronounce nothing well, and to the edifying of the audience: except the Lord with his spirit doth govern his tongue. The which thing is proper only to the lord 
The lord must govern the tongue of the prechar if he shall edify.  It is also convenient and meet that a man do premeditate and think with himself before what he will declare with a full trust and confidence in the Lord: and not in his own work labour or pain.   

The fourth text.  
IN the fifth book of Moses called the Deuteronomie, 
Deut. thirty.  and thirty. chap. it is written. This commandment which I do command the this day is not above thee, nor separated from thee, nor far from the. It is not in heaven that thou shouldest complain and say: what man shall ascend up to heaven, and fetch to us the commandment that we may hear it & do it. It is not beyond the sea that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us and fet it us that we may hear it and do it. It is hard by thee, yea, it is in thy mouth & heart that thou mayst do it. The defylers of the right justice, which we have by Christ, the patrons of free will do make exposition of this place as followeth. It is not above thee, that is to say above thy strength so that thou mayst observe it with thy own strength & power. Against whom Paul speaketh, which is more to be believed than they: writing to the Roma. the ten Chapter. The justice which is of faith speaketh thus. Say not in thine heart who shall ascend to heaven, that is to pluck Christ down from above to make us partakers of justice, and of the grace of God. Or who shall go down into the deepness, that is to call and to revoke again Christ from death, that we might be justified by him. But what sayeth he, the word is nigh to thee, not far of, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, 
Confession belief.  that is the word of faith which we do preach. truly if thou dost confess with thy mouth the Lord jesus Christ & believest in thy heart, that God hath raised him up from death, thou shalt be saved. For by the belief of the heart cometh our justice and by the confession of our mouth, 
This is not auricular confession. Esai. xxviii.  we do obtain our salvation.  
The scripture sayeth in isaiah the xxviii Chapter. All men which do put their confidence in him, shall not be confounded. Behold how openly the Apostle doth teach that this text of the scripture is not to be taken and understand of the strength and works of man, 
What is to do the commandments  but of a pure faith on and in Christ, & in the professing of the truth and verity of the Lord. For the words of the commandments of the Lord are nigh at hand, in our heart and mouth to do them that is to say to believe & to profess Christ For the fulfilling and end of the law is Christ, as to the Rom. x. By whom only the law is fulfiled in us. The law doth require of us those things which to flesh and blood are unpossible. And for that cause sin is multiplied & increased above all measure the concupiscence, 
Rom. x. The request of the law, are unpossible.  stryning and struggling against the law, yea although we do seem outwardly to keep and fulfil the law.  
For verily the law doth command and require a perfect justice and righteousness at our hands, which justice neither the law can give, nor no man of himself either hath or can perform. But where a pure faith in Christ is, there Christ is in them which do believe, a whole justice, 
Christ is our perfect justice.  sanctification, and redemption. Hereby may you perceive that the words of the first book of Moses called the Deutero are clean contrary to free will, and making nothing at all for their purpose.   

❧ The v▪ text.  
IT is written in Matthew the xxiii and Luke the xiii Chap. Jerusalem, 
Math. xxiii. Luke. xiii.  Jerusalem which killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto the. How often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth her chickens and thou wouldst not. Behold say they, Christ saith. I would & thou wouldest not. Hereby do they gather that the will of man is free, the Lord should do wrong else (say they) to threaten and punish them if they might not have chosen whether they would have been gathered together yea or nay. Thus and after like manner of fashion doth the wicked and miserable flesh presume to judge of the most rightwise & just judgement of god, which is far from this matter, as john the ten Chapt. You do not believe me because you are not of my sheep, that is to say, of my elect people which only are the very sheep of Christ, whom no man can take forth of his hand. Thou man which art nothing else but corruption & worms meat, what art thou that wilt reason against the Lord. Be thou afraid rather & marvel with all lowliness & meekness of the profound and impenetrable deepness of his judgement Learn how thou must take these words of Christ rehearsed out of Matthew and Luke. I would (saith Christ) and thou which art the carnal synagogue, wouldst not. Wherefore wouldst thou not? For thou art not of my sheep and elect chosen people. Thou haste not my spirit without the which thou canst not find in thy heart to be agreeable to my commandments, nor yet do any thing else that should be pleasant before me. All the desires of the flesh, that is to say, of a man without my spirit, do fight and strive against me, because he is a liar, as witnesseth the Psalm. C xu Therefore by those words Christ did mean, not for to show that it was in their free choice to do otherwise than they did. But to declare to them how much he did hate and abhor all the desires of the flesh, which laboureth continually to do those things which are contrary to my will which is all Godliness and virtue.   

¶ The sixth proof.  
TO make for their purpose they do bring forth Matthew saying.  
If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments. If thou wilt be perfect. etc. And Luke. If any man will come after we. & cetera. He that will save and keep his life shall lose it. And all other places of both the Testaments, where as any thing is spoken conditionally: they do bring for the confirmation of free will. As this. If you will. If you will not. If you will hear. If you will not hear. If you do seek. If you do turn. If you do separate. If he do. If he turn away.  
In all the which places they do err because they do not mark what the spirit did mean in those texts. For to perform those things it is given of the spirit, wherefore it must be understand after this fashion. If thou wilt do this or that with all thy heart, and thorough my spirit, then shalt thou obtain this or that. If you do otherwise, being fast bound with the spirit of fornication, you shall perish.   

❧ The vii proof.  
TO prove the liberty of man's will they do object the promises, the commandments, the threatenings, and rebukings of the Lord, saying that all this had not been worth a straw. Yea and foleishly written, if so be there were no liberty and freedom of our will.  
We answer and say that the sens & understanding of all these places doth hereof depend that the spirit of God should be known several and distinke from that other spirit, & that we should acknowledge and confess, that God willeth his law to be kept and observed, not by our deceivable spirit of fornication, and fleshly carnal knowledge, but by his most holy spirit only. He promiseth to them great rewards which do keep his law by his spirit. Likewise he doth threaten and condemn those which do break his law by the spirit of fornication and of the flesh.   

❧ The viii proof.  
THey do lay again that often times in the scripture rewards are promised to the faithful servants of God, thinking that there can be no reward but where as is merit and deserving, and on that other side there can be no merit or deserving where as is not a free will. truly there must needs be merit where a free will proceedeth or doth go before. But there is no merit in us, 
Whether man do merit ye or nay  because we are bound of ourselves. Therefore all our merits are the merits of Christ only, which alone and none other is free and with out all bondage. Psalm. lxxxvii.  
But as to the vocable of reward, 
Reward  we must mark and note, that the reward of the elect and chosen is called therefore a reward, because that Christ hath merited and deserved that reward in us, and because it is promised of God to him which believeth in Christ.  
Thus must the words of the Geneses in the xu Chapter, be understand and taken which are these. I am thy reward thy great reward. 
What was Abraham his reward for his belief.  Because that Abraham did stedfastli believe in the promise of the seed (which is Christ) he received his reward. What reward? God himself which is the very reward of all them which do believe, as the Lord in his everlasting being hath sworn decreed & ordained. Likewise are the words of Christ written in Matthew to be taken saying. Rejoice you, for your reward is plentiful in heaven. Which is as much to say, as. That thing which I have deserved for them which do believe in me, & is promised of God for their faith, is much abundant and great. In the which sens and understanding must you take this word (crown) and this word gifts or rewards, as you do read in many places of the scripture   

¶ The ix text.  
IOhn the first Chap. He gave them power to be made the children or sons of god. That is to say, to them which do believe in his name. Hereby do they reason, if he hath given to them power to be the sons of God, than they are free, and not captive or bond. Herein they do not conclude well.  
For this text doth declare rather that man is captive and bond than the contrary, which text being opened is as much to say, as this.  
So many as have received the faith of Christ believing in his name, at that time that they believed, they received power to be made the sons of God. Or rather, they were then made the sons of god.  
For as soon as a man believeth, strait way he is made the son of God, so that when they do believe, they do receive the said power to be therbi without delay made etc.  
Then is the spirit of fornication, and all uncleanness crucified in them and bound, that he shall not play the tyrant any more nor presume to rule in the heart of man, where the spirit of God ought to be ruler and governor.  
The faithful man is delivered from the wicked and deceivable spirit and the since of the flesh, whereto he was before subject and bond, and now is gone to serve and follow the commandment of the spirit of God which hath bound man with the sweet and pleasant bonds of charity. This text therefore of john doth make full little for their purpose to confirm and stablish that thing which they do go about.   

❧ The x proof.  
THe Lord demanded this question of his Apostles saying. Will ye also departed and go from me.  
By the which words they do reason, that it had been a very foleish demand of Christ, if they were not at liberty and at choice, whether they would go from him or bide and stick by him still.  
I answer, that God had bound them with his spirit, and therefore they could not go from him, but rather said. Lord to whom should we go? Thou haste the words of eternal life. There were other which being also bound with the evil spirit that wrought in them, said. These are very hard words: what man can hear him? So at the last they did forsake him. I doubt not but that Christ did demand this question of them, whether they would departed. etc. Principally because that after it was sufficiently perceived what the wicked spirit had wrought in the unfaithful, that men (I say) might perceive and see what the spirit of God had wrought in the faithful, & that it should be put in writing to the instruction and learning of other men in time to come. This text maketh little or nothing for their liberty, by the which text it is made open how these ii spirits do always work contrary things, one to the other in the faithful, and in the unfaithful.   

❧ The xi text.  
HE shall render and give to every man after his work. 
Psalm. lxi.  Whereby they will confirm & stablish, not only the freedom of man's will but also the justice of works, which is light to be answered. Either our works be of our own naughty and deceivable spirit and then they are wicked and damnable works, or else they be of the spirit of God and not of our fleshly and carnal spirit, where fore they are good works, being unpossible to be any otherwise. You see that by this text they do prove nothing less than that which they do purpose & pretend. The which words do declare nothing else then that the Lord doth give everlasting life to them which have the works of faith, and of the spirit of God, and those which have the works of flesh he rewardeth with everlasting pains and punishment.   

❧ The xii proof.  
IT is written the i Epistle and sixth cha. to Timothe. Fayght a good fayght. Labour as a good soldier of jesus christ, the second Epistle to Timothe ii Cham  
To him that overcometh I will give. etc. Revelation of john the second & third. Chapt. We say that this fayght against wickedness, and this labour in the war of the Lord, and this Victory can not be but by the spirit of God. Ergo, not by our own will and industry. Then can not this liberty be proved and established by this text of the scripture.   

¶ The threttenth text,  
IN the second Epistle and first Chap. of Peter. bringing all diligence see that you do minister in your faith virtue. etc. Wherefore brethren rather endeavour yourselves to make strong and affirm your vocation and election, If you do this you shall never fall. By this place they do prove that Peter would our industry and diligence should work with the spirit. If they do understand by this industry & diligence, that diligence, which the spirit of God worketh in us: then they do make a good exposition. For of his great goodness he calleth those deeds our deeds, which he worketh in us. The which spirit of him doth work and draw our will, making it obedient & agreeable to the commandments of the Lord. The will of us being so drawn cannot choose but run strait way after the Lord, not of itself, that is to say, of man's will, but by the will of God. If they do hold opinion that this place is to be understand of our proper industry or natural inclanation & motion (as though a man of himself might work any thing at all or be coadjutor with god) it is both a wicked & also a pernicious opinion. For of himself man is altogether flesh, & therefore he can not rise up to those things which are of the spirit of god, wherefore these texts which are rehearsed for free-will in this place must be thus taken & understand.  
You brethren being adorned and decked with the spirit of God, by God made partakers of his verity in that faith which you received of the Lord, minister with all diligence and virtue. etc. And endeavour to make your vocation and election stable and firm, that is to say, do all that you may to declare with good works, that your vocation & election is substantial & strong.   

¶ The xiiii text.  
Out of the thirty Chapter. of the fift book of Moses they do object, Where as the Lord had laid before Israel, good & bad, life and death. It was said, Elect and choose to you life. & cete. Which words they do think very slender and of small effect, if man's will were not free. We have oft times said, that the law doth require of us things unpossible to be done for our own strength, which the spirit of God doth make possible. For Christ is the fulfilling and perfectness of the law. Therefore like as it is unpossible to observe and keep the commandments without the spirit of God: so is it impossible for us, to choose life with out the spirit of god.  
For we can not choose life except the spirit of perfect liberty were in us, that is to say of Christ, and where as often times we do offend and clean to the evil, our election whereby we be elected of God, is not the cause thereof, but the working of our captive and bond nature.  
❧ To divers objections which are objected and laid for the defence of free will, we have answered something briefly, but so: that hereby any man may dissolve and put a side all manner of objections, which for this matter the defenders of free-will can devise. Therefore with few words we will conclude all the whole matter & so proceed further.  
¶ The first conclution. Our opinion and certain belief is that the will of man is captive and bond, and that of itself it can do thing that is good or pertaining to eternal felicity.  
The choice and election to do this or that is the work and deed of the will and of the understanding.  
That the will of man is captive, it cometh by the spirit of fornication, that is of the natural sens and knowledge of sin or concupiscence, for as much as the deceitful spirit doth reing in the heart.  
And then the will can not be obedient to the word of the Lord, but in hypocrisy & lies, after a deceivable manner, fair without and foul within.  
For the words of the verity can not be pleasant to it, wherefore it is alway contrary and repugnant to them.  
By the coming of the spirit of the Lord and by faith man is delivered and made fire from the spirit of fornication, from the which evil spirit by no man's craft or wisdom he can be loosed and set at liberty.  
Then the spirit of God reigneth in the heart of the faithful bringing the spirit of fornication every day in subjection more and more making it bond and captive and crucifiing it.  
Then doth the spirit of God work in man his knowledge and understanding causing him to know God and his verity of himself unable to either of them.  
It worketh also the will of man which is bond of itself, making it to will the thing which God willeth and to be content with his sweet words.  
Then, man doth will that thing which God willeth, not of his own virtue, but by the virtue and power of God himself  
And is set at liberty, and made free from all traditions and inventions of men, to captive and make himself bond altogether, to the obedience and service of God and his verity.  
And so he is made fire from the captivity and bondage of perdition, and doth go into the bondage and liberty of the children of God.  
Then he serveth the Lord most freely and faithfully, he runnneth forward, the spirit of God, working that same Alacrity and readiness in him.  
All the precepts, threatenings, promises, rebukings, and praisings of the saints, and the curses of the wicked, do declare how much God doth love the holy spirit, and how he doth rule the spirit of fornication.  
The will of the believer doth work, with the spirit, worcking in him not of his own strength and virtue, but by the strength and virtue of the spirit.  
God doth harden, he doth waken and stir up, he doth also excecate and make blind, and whom so ever he hath thus determined and judged for to be, that same man must needs go forth of the way of God.  
Yet do I not therefore conclude that God is unjust, nor that he worketh any iniquity.  
In this matter man's since and judgement is dim, and many there be which do search these things not without great peril of falling into heresy.  
Wither thou wilt make aught or nought of free will, yet this question of the mercy and justice of God is insoluble, for it is so profound and deep, that it can not be thoroughly pierced and attained unto.  
God hath no need of our leasings or lies that a man should think it to be lawful for him to devise and invent a free-will against the manifest and open texts of the scriptures thinking thereby to come the sooner to the perfect knowledge of the question concerning the justice and righteousness of God, which he shall never come to so long as he liveth.  
Those which maintain free will, do speak directly contrary to the marrke and end of the law affirming that a man can so guide himself that he can of himself keep the law, or that he can any thing begin of himself toward it when he can do nothing less.  
The schope and principal part of the spirit, because the whole law is spiritual, and therefore may none otherwise be kept then by the only spirit God.  
Those same free-will makers do attribute and give to flesh and blood that thing which is proper only to the spirit of God that is to say, to will any goodness, which flesh and blood can do nothing but stray from God in fornication & whoredom.  
But these men (which are instructed & taught by the testimonies of God) do say that the will of man is captive and bond, and that of itself it can do nothing less than keep the law of God wherein they do say truly because they speak not against the mark and chief part of the law, which is the spirit.  
These men do give to man in deed that thing which is his properly that he is the bondman of sin that is to say of concupiscence except he be made fire of god  
They do give unto the holy Ghost that which is due to the holy ghost, that is to say, both to think, to will, & perform that thing which is good, and so they do give to God, not unto man all virtue, power and glory.  
The founders of free will are the founders of merits and of the justice of works as they call it.  
Those men which do stablish man's merits, and the justice of works, do deny and tread under the foot the justice and merits of Christ.  
Christ only & not our filthy justice & own righteousness hath merited to us the favour and grace of God and eternal justice.  
The confirmation of our captivity and bond will is the confirmation of the merits of Christ, and of the justice of God, by him, being the contempt of the unworthy righteousness of our works.  
I do not deny that a man should do good works because it is needful that a faithful man should be always well doing, and never to be idle that he may declare and testify his faith by his works. For a true faith is never idle, but spreadeth abroad in good works, which are the testimonies & witness of our faith.  
But I say that a faithful man doth not trust nor give confidence to his works & therefore not to himself nor to his own wil  
The patrons and defenders of free-will can not receive and take the word of God simply, rightly and in his kind, for the free will of man and the word of God are contrary.  
He that defendeth the contrary must needs understand the scriptures as they ought to be. For in this defenct he swerveth not from the word of God.  
No man can say in the spirit of God that the will of man is free.  
No man can with a pure heart think that the will of man is bond, but in the holy spirit which speaketh in him and worketh a Godly love and desire of the knowledge of the verity of God's word, rather than curious reasoning.  
For he which is of that opinion that the will of man is free, doth so much minish & pluck from the mercy and merits of Christ, as he doth permit and give to the strength of man's will which is contrary to the holy spirit.  
He that is of the contrary opinion doth give nothing to the strength and will of man, but altogether to the mercy of God and gracious favour of Christ, which favour and mercy thorough Christ, in whom they do believe, the faithful do obtain. And in so doing they do confess the Lord jesus Christ as they ought to do giving to him only the praise of our justification and redemption, which thing they can not do but in the holy Ghost.  
The sum and final conclution of this matter is, that the defence of free will is the beginning the role and foundation of perverse sects of men of all impiety and wickedness, of all hypocrisy, and counterfeited holiness of all abomination & the very stablishing of Antichrist his synagogue.  
The contrary opinion is the well and fountain of all virtue, of justice and righteousness, of grace and favour thorough Christ only, and the keep of knowledge of all Godly and wholesome doctrine. Wherein the Lord continue us to his only glory & praise for ever.    
Finis.  
Nicolas Less. ❧ ❧ ❧   

❧ Imprinted at London, by john Day, and William Seres, dwelling in Sepulchres perish, at the sign of the Resurrection, a little above Holborn conduit. ❧ ❧ ☞  
❧ Cum gratia & privelegio ad imprimendum solum.