A supplication exhibited to the most mightie Prince Philip king of Spain &c. VVherin is contained the summe of our Christian religion, for theprofession whereof the Protestants in the lowe Countries of Flaunders, &c. doe suffer persecution, vvyth the meanes to acquiet and appease the troubles in those partes. There is annexed An epistle written to the ministers of Antwerpe, which are called of the confession of Auspurge, concerning the Supper of our sauiour Iesus Christ. VVritten in French and Latine, by Anthonie Corronus of Siuill, professor of Diuinitie.

Of the lawe of God, and the force therof.

AFterwards when god perceiued that mankinde was become almost sense∣••esse, in so much that he neither was tou∣••hed with his own misery and calamity, ••or of himselfe vnderstoode what should become of him, except their mindes were cherished and comforted with the hope of his promisses, besides to the ende that hée might chose vnto himselfe a people, as it were specially and peculiarly apart from the rest. After he had deliuered the Is∣raelits out of the captiuitie and bondage of Pharao, he made a lawe which he esta∣blished and published in mount Sinay.

The force wherof, was to awake such as slept securely in synne,* 1.1 to accuse and reproue them, to proue whole mankinde guiltye before the throne and Maiestye

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of God, that thereby they mighte learne to séeke righteousnesse and innocencye (whereof they were altogither destitute) at the onely mercies of God, when eue∣ry one should acknowlege in his own cō∣science, & know by his own experiēce, the naturall corruption & deprauation of his minde by the iudgement and manifesta∣tion of the lawe. Secondarily, to the end that the faithfull and chosen of God shold be taught by the law, as by a most excel∣lent and learned schoolemaister, what ex∣ercises and dueties God requireth at the handes of hys children, bycause no man shoulde deuise of his owne fantasie and i∣magination any newe seruice of God o∣ther than was by the law of God prescri∣bed and appointed.

The summe and effecte of whiche do∣ctrine, albeit the holy Apostle hath plain∣ly and sufficientlye declared in hys E∣pistles, yet haue these vnlerned doctours broughte in méere Iudaisme and Pa∣ganisme into Christian religion. For they teache vs, that the lawe was giuen

vs onely to this intent, that we shoulde ••alke in good workes, by the which men night not only be acceptable in the sight ••f God, but iustified also before him.

And herevpon they take occasion to ••aunder vs, as though we should affirme ••ood workes to be néedelesse, and shoulde withdrawe men from the studye and ex∣••rcise of vertue, and lette them loose to all ••icenciousnesse. Whereas we studye all we can, and vse all our endeuour to shew ••he people, that suche as bée regenerate, oughte duely to beée conuersaunte in good workes, and in godly exercises, bothe to tame the lustes and concupiscences of their myndes, and to engender a mutuall loue and charitie among men: as also confirme and establish euery particular mans conscience in the perswasion of his election, and to retaine Gods spirite the better in their mindes by whose good mo∣tion and direction, their willes mighte the rather bée alwayes pliable and con∣formable to doe all good and godlye exer∣cises of true godlynesse and vertue.

And yet wée flattely denye, that these

works be the cause of our iustification but rather the effectes, the fignes and to¦kens of true faith settled in our heartes euen as by good fruites it appeareth tha•• the trées bée good where they doe pro∣céede.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The ver∣tue and ef∣ficacie of the lavve.