The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.

The fourth Chapter.

DEarely beloued be∣leue not euery spirit, but proue the spirits whether they bee of God. For many false Prophetes are gone out into the world.

Spirites are taken here for prea∣chers, * 1.1 because of the preachyng or doc∣trine, which if it be good, is of the spi∣rite of God: and if it be euill, of the spi∣rite of the deuill. Now ought we not to beleue euery mans doctrine vnad∣uisedly, or condeinne any mans prea∣chyng yer it be heard and sene what it is. But a Christen mās part is to exa∣mine, iudge & trie it, whether it be true or no. Quench not the spirit saith Paul i. Thess. the last. Neither despise pro∣phesiynges, * 1.2 but proue all thyng, and kepe that whiche is good. Destroy not the giftes of the spirite of God, but trie whether they be of God, and good for the edifiyng of his congregation: and keepe that whiche is good and refuse that whiche is euill. And suffer euery person that hath any gift of God, to serue God therin, in his degree and e∣state, after a Christen maner and a due order. Why shall we try the doctrines: Ʋerely for there bee many false Pro∣phetes abroad already. We told you before that Antichrist should come, as our master Christ told vs that he shuld come. But now I certify you that An∣tichristes kyngdome is begon alrea∣dy. And his Disciples are gone out to preache. Trie therefore all doctrine. * 1.3 wherewith shall we trie it? with the doctrine of the Apostles, and with the Scripture which is the touchstone: ye and because ye loue compendiousnes, ye shall haue a short rule, to trie them with all.

Hereby knowe ye the spirite of God. Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the fleshe is of God. And euery spirite that cōfesseth not that Iesus Christ

is come in the flesh, is not of God. And the same is that spirite of An∣tichrist, of whō ye haue heard that he should come: And euen now he is in the world already.

Whatsoeuer opinion any member * 1.4 of Antichrist holdeth, the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our fayth, that Christ is come in the flesh. For though the most part of all heretickes confesse that Christ is come in the flesh after their maner, yet they deny that he is come, as the Scripture testifieth & the Apostles preached hym to be come. The whole study of the de∣uill and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christes flesh, and in those thynges which he suffered for vs in his flesh, & in the Testament and promises of mer¦cy which are made vs in his flesh. For the scripture testifieth that Christ hath taken away the sinne of the world in his flesh, and that the same houre that he yelded vp his spirite into the hands of his father, hee had full purged and made full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world. So that all the sinne of the worlde, both before his passion and after, must be put away through repen¦taunce toward the law and fayth and trust in his bloud, without respect of any other satisfactiō, sacrifice or worke. For if I once sinne, the law rebuketh my consciēce, and setteth variaunce be∣twene God and me. And I shal neuer be at peace with God agayne vntill I haue heard the voyce of hys mouth, how that my sinne is forgiuen me for Christes bloud sake. And assoone as I that beleue, I am at peace with God. Rom. v. and loue his law agayne, and of loue worke.

And that Christ hath done this ser∣uice in his flesh, deny all the members of Antichrist. And hereby thou shalt know them. All doctrine that buildeth * 1.5 thee vpon Christ, to put thy trust and confidence in his bloud, is of God and true doctrine. And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and trust frō * 1.6 Christ, is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichrist. Examine y^• Pope by this rule, and thou shalt finde that all hee doth, is to the destructiō of this article. He wresteth all the Scriptures & set∣teth them cleane agaynst the woll, to destroy this article. He ministreth the very Sacramentes of Christ vnto the destruction of this article: and so doth he all other ceremonies, and his abso∣lution, penaunce, purgatorie, dispensa∣tions, pardōs, vowes, with all disgui∣sings. The Pope preacheth that Christ * 1.7 is come to do away sinnes, yet not in the flesh but in water, salt, oyle, cādles, bowes, asshes, friers coates, and monkes cowles, and in the vowes of thē that for••were matrunonie to keepe whores, and swere beggerie, to possesse all the treasure, riches, wealth & plea∣sures of the world: and haue vowed o∣bedience, to disobey with authoritie, all the lawes both of God and man. For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices, teacheth he vs to trust for the forgiue∣nes of sinnes, & not in Christes flesh.

Ye are of God litle childrē, and haue ouercome them. For greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the world.

He that dwelleth in you, and wor∣keth * 1.8 in you through fayth, is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe. And in hys strength, ye abyde by your profession, and cōfesse your Lord Iesus, how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sinne of all that beleue in his flesh. And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death. So that neither their iugglinges, nei∣ther their pleasures, neither their thret¦nynges, or their tormentes, or the very death wherewith they slay your bo∣dies, can preuayle agaynst you.

They be of the world, and ther∣fore they speake of the world, and the world attēdeth vnto them. We bee of God: and hee that knoweth God heareth vs. And he that is not of God heareth vs not. And here∣by we know the spirit of truth and the spirite of errour.

There be and euer shalbe two gene∣rations * 1.9 in the world: one of the deuill, which naturally hearken vnto the false Apostles of the deuill, because they speake so agreable vnto their naturall complection. And an other of God, which hearken vnto the true Apostles of God, & consent vnto their doctrine. And this is a sure rule to indge spi∣rites with all, that we indge them to haue the spirite of truth, which hearkē vnto y^t true doctrine of Christes Apo∣stles: & them to haue the spirite of er∣rour which hearken vnto worldly and deuilish doctrine, abhorryng the prea∣thing

of the Apostles. And looke he∣ther the Popes doctrine bee world∣ly or no, if pride and couetousnes be worldly, yea and secherie to. For what * 1.10 other is all his doctrine then of bene∣fices, promotions, dignities, byshop∣rikes, cardinallshyps, vicarages, par∣sonages, prebendes, chaunge of bisho∣prikes, and resignyng of benefices, of vnions, pluralities, totquots, and that which cōmeth once into their handes, may not out agayn: yea and of whores and concubines, and of captiuyng of consciences for couetousnes, & all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apostles and persecute it, and them that preach it.

Dearely beloued let vs loue one an other, for loue is of God. And all that loue are borne of God, and knowe God. And he that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is loue.

Iohn singeth his old song agayne, and teacheth an infallible and sure to∣ken which we may see and feele at our fingers endes, and therby be out of all doubt, that our fayth is vnfayned and * 1.11 that we knowe God and be borne of God, and that we hearkē vnto the do∣ctrine of the Apostles purely and god∣ly & not of any curiositie, to seke glorie and honour therein vnto our selues, & to make a cloke therof to couer our co∣uetousnes, and filthy lustes. Whiche token is, if we loue one an other. For the loue of a mans neighbour vnfay∣nedly spryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Christes bloud. By which knowledge we be borne of * 1.12 God & loue God and our neighbours for his sake. And so he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly, is sure of him selfe, that he knoweth God, and is of God vnfaynedly. And contrarywise, he that loueth not, knoweth not God. For God in Christes bloud is such a loue that if a man saw it, it were impos¦sible that he should not breake out into the loue of God agayne & of his neigh∣bour for his sake.

Herein appeared the loue of God vnto vs warde, because God sēt his onely sonne into the world, that we should liue through hym. Herein is loue: not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent hys sonne, a satisfaction for our synnes.

If a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God to∣warde sinners and the terrible & most cruell damnation that the law threat∣neth: and then beheld with the eyes of * 1.13 a strong fayth, the mercy, fauour and grace the takyng away of the damna∣tion of the law and restoryng agayne of life, frely offred vs in Christs bloud, he should perceaue loue, and so much the more, that it was shewed vs, when we were sinners and enemies to God. Roma. 5. and that without all deser∣uyngs, without our endeuouryng, en∣forcyng and preparyng our selues, and without all good motions, qualities & properties of our frewill. But when our hartes were as dead vnto all good workyng, as the mēbers of him whose soule is departed, whiche thyng to proue, and to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all our aduersaries, I will of innumerable textes rehearse one in the beginnyng of the second chapter to the Ephes. where Paule sayth thus. Ye * 1.14 were dead in trespasse & sinne in which ye walked accordyng to the course of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre, the spirite that wor∣keth in the children of vnbelefe, amōg which we also had our conuersation in tyme past, in the lustes of our flesh: and fulfilled the lustes of the fleshe and of the mynde (so that the fleshe and the mynde were agreed both to sinne, and the mynde consented as well as the flesh) and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as other. But God * 1.15 beyng rich in mercy, through the great loue wherwith he loued vs, euen whē we were dead in sinne, hath quickened vs with Christ: for by grace are ye sa∣ued: and with hym hath raysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sit in hea∣uenly thynges through Iesus Christ, for to shew in tyme to come the exce∣ding riches of his grace, in kyndnes to vs ward in Iesus Christ. For by grace are ye saued through fayth, & that not of your selues: for it is the gift of God, and commeth not of workes, lest any man should bost him selfe. But we are his workemanshyp created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes, vnto whiche God ordeined vs before that we shuld walke in them. The text is playne, we were stone, dead and without lyfe or power to do or consent to good. The whole nature of vs was captiue vnder the deuill and led at his will. And we were as wicked as the deuill now is (Except that hee now sinneth agayne

the holy ghost) and we consented vnto sinne, with soule and body and hated the law of God. But God of his grace onely quickened vs in Christ, and ray∣sed vs out of that death and made vs sit with Christ in heauenly thynges. That is, he set our hartes at rest and made vs sit fast in the lyfe of Christes doctrine, and vnmoueable frō the loue of Christ. And finally we are in this our second byrth Gods workemāshyp and creation in Christ: so that as hee which is yet vnmade, hath no life nor power to worke, no more had we till we were made agayne in Christ. The preachyng of mercy in Christ quicke∣ned our hartes through faith, wrought by the spirit of Christ which God pou∣red into our hartes, yer we wist.

Dearely beloued, if God so lo∣ued vs, then ought we loue one an other.

If we felt the loue of God in Chri∣sles bloud, we could not but loue a∣gayne, not onely God and Christ, but also all that are bought with Christes bloud. If we loue God for the plea∣sures that we receaue, then loue we our selues. But if we loue hym to do hym pleasure agayne: that can we no otherwise do, then in louing our neigh¦bours for his sake, them that are good, to continue them in their goodnes, & them that are euill, to draw them to good. Loue is the instrument where∣with fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes & * 1.16 fashioneth vs lyke the image of God, and certifieth vs that we so are. And therfore commaundeth Christ. Math. v. Loue your enemyes, Blesse thē that curse you, pray for them that persecute you, that ye may be the sonnes of your heauenly father, whiche maketh his sunne rise ouer good and bad, and sen∣deth his rayne vpon iust and vniust: ye whiche made the sunne of his mercy shyne vpō vs and sent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onely child vp∣pon our soules, to quicken vs and to make vs see loue to loue agayne.

No man hath at any tyme sene God. If we loue one an other God dwelleth in vs, and his loue is per∣fect in vs.

Though we can not see God, yet if we loue one an other, we be sure that * 1.17 he abydeth in vs, and that his loue is perfect in vs: that is, that we loue hym vnfaynedly. For, to loue God truly & to giue him thankes, is onely to loue our neighbour for his sake. For vppon his person thou canst bestow no bene∣fite. And for as much as we neuer saw * 1.18 God, let vs make no image of him nor doe hym any imageseruice after our own imagination, but let vs go to the scripture that hath sene hym, and there wete what fashion he is of and what seruice he wilbe serued with. Blind rea¦son sayth God is a kerued post and wil be serued with a candle. But Scrip∣ture sayth God is loue & wilbe serued with loue. If thou loue thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy self, and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart. And thy louing of thy neigh¦bour for hys sake, is hys seruice and worshyp in the spirite, and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and casteth out the light of good workes be¦fore the world, & draweth all to God, and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill, and come and worshyp him also.

Hereby we know that we abyde in him, and he in vs. For he hath gi∣uen vs of his spirite.

He that hath not Christes spirit, the * 1.19 same is none of his. Roma. 8. If we haue the spirite of God, then are we sure. But how shall we know whether we haue the spirite? Aske Iohn and he will say, if we loue one an other.

And we haue sene and do testi∣fie that the father hath sent hys sonne, the sauiour of the worlde. Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God, in hym dwelleth God, and he in God. And we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs.

First the Apostles taught no fables, but that they saw and receaued of God by the witnesse of his spirite. Secon∣daryly * 1.20 Iohn ascēdeth vp stepe higher, from loue to fayth, and sayth he that be leueth that Iesus is Gods sonne, hath God in hym. And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunswere Iohn and say, then the deuil hath God in hym, and is also in God. For other fayth then such as the deuill hath, felt they neuer any. But Iohn preuenteth them, we haue knowē and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. That is, we beleue not onely with story fayth, as men beleue old Chronicles, but we be∣leue the loue and mercy that GOD

shewed vs, and put our trust and con∣fidence therein (And so taketh Scrip∣ture belefe) we beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God, made man and slayne for our sinnes, which is a tokē of great loue. And that loue beleue we & trust therto. Where Paule sayth. i. Cor. xij. No man can cal Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym. But tho∣rough the holy ghost he meaneth not with the mouth onely, but in the hart with vnfayned fayth, putting his hope & trust in the Lordshyp which he hath ouer sinne, damnation, hell, and death. For so could no man call Iesus Lord, except the holy ghost had taught hym, as Christ saith Math. xvi. flesh & bloud shewed thee not that.

But yet how shall I see my fayth? I must come downe to loue agayne, & thence to the workes of loue, yer I can see my faith. Not alway but sometime thou shalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede, as in great aduersitie and persecution when the deuil assaul∣teth thee with desperation, and layeth thy sinnes before thee, & would beare the in hād that God had cast the away and left the succourles, for thy synnes sake. Then commeth fayth forth with her shielde, and turneth backe agayne * 1.21 the dartes of the deuill, and aunswe∣reth: Nay for Iesus is y^• sonne of God: yea and my very God and my very Lord, and hath takē away my sinnes & all dānation. And this trouble & aduer¦sitie which is come vpō me, by settyng of thee and on of thy lymmes, is onely to make me feele the mercy of my fa∣ther and his power and helpe within in my soule, and to slay the rest of the poyson which remaineth in the flesh.

God is loue and he that abydeth in loue, abydeth in God, and God in hym.

This haue we heard aboue and it is easie to be vnderstand.

Herefore is loue perfect with vs, that we should haue confidence in the day of Iudgement.

Howsoeuer this text sounde, this me thinketh should be the meanyng: that we should prouoke ech other to loue, and euer haue those examples of edifieng before our eyes that should most moue vs to loue. For perfite loue serueth to make a man bold, because it is the kepyng of the cōmaundements. And therfore he that is perfect in loue, when hee seith hym selfe yet in this * 1.22 world to be vnto his neyghbour as God is vnto hym, and to be lyke hys heauenly father in all example of kynd¦nesse, is bold in the presence of God: yea though he come to iudge synners. When on the other side, they that con∣tinue euer in their wickednes & grow not in loue, fall often. And therefore their cōscience euer accuseth them and putteth them in feare, by the reason of the fresh memory of the offence, that they can not at once be bold, though they haue neuer so great promises of mercy.

There is no feare in loue. But perfect loue casteth out feare. For feare hath paynefulnes. He there∣fore that feareth, is not perfect in loue.

Loue is not paynefull but maketh * 1.23 all thyng easie and pleasaunt: feare of punishmēt for y^e trespasse newly com∣mitted is paynefull: Therfore where loue is perfect there is no such feare. Loue is the fulfillyng of all commaun∣dementes. And therfore where loue is perfect, there is no sinne. And where consciēce doth not accuse of sinne, there is faith bold to go into God & to stand before hym, and looke hym in the face, and to coniure him by all his mercies, and to aske the petitions of his desire. Lacke of loue is the breakyng of the commaundements and cause of sinne. And where the conscience accuseth of sinne, their fayth is abashed, dismayed, ashamed & affrayed to go in, for feare of rebuke. Loue therefore serueth to make a man bold in the day of iudge∣ment and in all temptations.

Iohn speaketh not generally of all * 1.24 maner feare, but of that onely whiche the consciēce of sinne putteth a man in. For diuers feares there be that accom∣pany loue and grow as she doth. The more a woman loueth her child, the more she careth for it and feareth lest ought should chaunce it a misse. Euen * 1.25 so the more we loue our brethren, the more we care for them, and feare lest any temptation should trouble them. As Paule sayth. ij. Cor. xj. who is sicke and I am not sicke? who is offended or hurt and mine hart burneth not? How cared he for Timothe, for Titus, and for all that were weake, & for the Co∣rinthians, Galathiās, and for all con∣gregations? and how diligently wrote he to them in his absence? and the more

we loue God, the more diligent and circumspect are we, that we offēde hym * 1.26 not. And tell me I pray thee, whosoe∣uer hast had experience, what a payne and grief, yea and what a freatyng co∣resey is it vnto the hart of a true louer of God, to here the poyson generation of vipers, the pestilent sect of hypocri∣tish Phariseis, wittingly and willing∣ly to blaspheme and rayle on the open and manifest truth of the holy ghost?

If ye will see how bold loue is: go to Moyses. Exod. 32. and Numeri. 14. And there behold how hee coniureth God and amōg all sayth: Forgiue this people or put me out of the booke that thou hast written. As who should say, they be thy people and thou commaū∣dest me to loue them. And for thy sake I loue them and teach them and care for them, as a mother that had borne them and loue them no lesse then my selfe. Wherfore if thou loue me as thou * 1.27 promisest me, then saue them with me: or if not, thē cast me away with them, and let me haue such part as they take. And Paule sayd asmuch. Roma. ix. Looke vpō worldly loue, and see what pageantes she playeth now and then and how dronken a thyng it is: and be sure, where the loue of God is perfect, she will not onely go betwene bodely death and her louer, but also betwene hym and hell. If a man would take of this, that a man might be so perfect in this lyfe, that he might not be perfe∣cter, it would not folow. For though the spirite at a tyme get the vpper hand of the flesh, & wynneth her self to God, that she can not tell whether she be in the body or no: yet the flesh will pull her downe agayn and not let her con∣tinue, and now and thē plucke of some of her feathers, for mountyng so hygh againe. For Moses fell through vnbe∣lefe well inough after that seruentnes.

We loue hym, because he loued vs first.

We deserue not y^e loue of God first, but he deserueth our loue, and loueth vs first, to wynne vs and to make vs his frendes of his enemyes. And as soone as we beleue his loue, we loue agayne. And so fayth is mother of all * 1.28 loue. And as great as my fayth is so great is loue, though fayth can not be perfectly sene, but through the workes of loue and in the fire of temptation.

If a man say, I loue God, and ha∣teth his brother: he is a lyer. For how cā he that loueth not his bro∣ther whom he seeth, loue God whō he seeth not? And this commaūde∣mēt haue we of him: that he which loueth God, loue his brother also.

To loue a mans neighbour in God * 1.29 is a sure rule to know that we loue God: and not to loue him, is a sure to∣ken that we loue not God: and to hate our neighbour is to hate God. For to loue God is to do hys commaunde∣ments as Christ sayth Iohn. xv. ye are * 1.30 my louers if ye do those thinges which I haue commaūded you: and the com∣maūdemēt is to loue our neighbours: then he that loueth not his neighbour, loueth not God. And likewise to hate the commaundement, is to hate God that commaunded it: and the cōmaun∣dement is to loue our neighbours: hee then that hateth his brother whō God biddeth hym loue, hateth God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Spirites.
• * 1.2

  We may not beleue euery doc∣trine that is taught and prea∣ched, but we must first exa∣mine it with the touch stone of Gods word, and so either re¦ceaue it or reiect it.
• * 1.3

  The triall of all doc∣trine.
• * 1.4

  Antichrist will not cō¦fesse that Christ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 come in the flesh.
• * 1.5

  Doctrine that is of God.
• * 1.6

  Doctrine that is of the deuill.
• * 1.7

  The Po∣pes doc∣trine of Christ.
• * 1.8

  God is the worker in vs by fayth that we haue in 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.9

  Two gene¦rations in the world.
• * 1.10

  The Po∣pes doc∣trine is worldly.
• * 1.11

  He that lo∣ueth God, is borne of God.
• * 1.12

  The foun∣te••ne of loue.
• * 1.13

  God first loued vs before we could loue hym.
• * 1.14

  Ephes••.
• * 1.15

  Herein ap∣peareth the great and louing mer¦cy of al∣mightte God to∣ward vs, when we were yet sinuers.
• * 1.16

  Loue ma∣keth vs the sonnes of God.
• * 1.17

  No man hath sene God.
• * 1.18

  The scrip∣ture hath sene God.
• * 1.19

  By this badge of loue, we are knowē to haue the spirite of God.
• * 1.20

  He that be leueth that Iesus to Gods sonne, hath God in hym.
• * 1.21

  Fayth ta∣keth hold of Christes death and deseruyng.
• * 1.22

  Loue ma∣keth the faythfull & Christian man to be bold.
• * 1.23

  Loue.
• * 1.24

  Feare.
• * 1.25

  If we loue ou•• brethrē thē are we carefull for them.
• * 1.26

  The more we loue God, the more dili∣gent we are to do his will.
• * 1.27

  Where per¦fect loue is there is no feare.
• * 1.28

  Fayth is the mother of loue.
• * 1.29

  A sure rule
• * 1.30

  If we loue God, we must do his commaun∣dements, & his com∣maunde∣ment is to loue our neygh∣bours.