Phil. To answer unto every part of this your sentence,1 requireth many words, & asketh much time. But to be short, know that who so ever maintaineth that kind of doctrine, dissenteth much from the christen religion, corrupteth the word of God, soweth false teaching,2 hunteth a carnal liberty, and desireth to live in all kind of sin without punishment. ⟨image 79⟩Trueth it is, y• we are made free by Christ, but this our liberty is spiritual and not temporal. By Christ we are delivered from the dā nation of the law,3 but not from the observance of it. By Christ we are made free from the power of Satan sin, death, desperation and hell, but not from the power of y• civil magistrates. By Christ have we received our manumission & freedom from the condemnation of all those things, into the which we were cast by the sin of our first father Adā. So that by Christ we are spiritually made free, if we abide in his words, as we read in the Gospel of John & in divers other places of y• holy scripture. But this spiritual liberty maketh us not free from our obedience & duty toward the temporal power, to whom we owe both our selves and all that ever we have, as ye •eard before. For this were a thing ⟨image 79⟩of to much absurdity & contrary to all good order, & the teaching both of Christ & of his Apostles. Yea so should God be the Author of confusion & not of order, of dissension and not of concord. S. Austen saith,4 if any man thinketh, that because he is a christen man, he ought to pay no custom or tribute, nor show any honour to the high powers, he falleth into a great error, & is very much deceived.5 S, Ambrose also saith, if the temporal governor asketh tribute, we deny it not, let the lands of the Church pay tribute. If the ruler desireth the lands, he hath power to challenge them, let him therefore take them, if he will, I give them not to the Emperor but nether do I deny them. Again he saith, it is a great & special document or point of teaching, whereby christen men are taught to be subject to the higher powers, because ⟨image 80⟩that no man should think that y• constitution or ordinance of an earthly king ought to be loosened or broken.6 7For if the Son of God paid Tribute, of what great authority art thou, which thinkest that thou oughtest not to pay?
Phil. To aunswere vnto euery parte of thys your sentence,1 requireth many wordes, & asketh much tyme. But to be short, know that who so euer mayntayneth that kynde of doctrine, dissenteth muche from the christen religion, corrupteth the word of God, soweth false teachynge,2 huntethe a carnal liberte, and desyreth to lyue in al kynd of synne without punishmente. ⟨image 79⟩Trueth it is, y• we are made free by Christ, but this oure liberte is spirituall and not temporal. By Christ we are delyuered from ye dā nacion of the law,3 but not from the obseruaūce ofit. By Christe we are made free from the power of Satā synne, deathe, desperacion and hell, but not from the power of y• ciuile magistrates. By Christ haue we receaued our manumission & fredom• from the condemnacion of all those thinges, īto the which we were cast by the sīne of our fyrste father Adā. So that by Christ we are spiritually made free, if we abyde in his wordes, as we rede ī ye Gospel of Iohn̄ & ī diuers other places of y• holy scripture. But this spiritual liberte maketh vs not free from our obediēce & dutye towarde the temporal power, to whome we owe both oure selues and al that euer we haue, as ye •eard before. For this were a thing ⟨image 79⟩of to much absurdite & contrary to all good order, & the teachyng both of Christe & of his Apostles. Yea so should God be the Author of confusion & not of order, of dissension and not of concorde. S. Austen saythe,4 if ony man thyncketh, that because he is a christen mā, he ought to pay no custome or tribute, nor shew ony honour to the hygh powers, he falleth into a great erroure, & is very muche deceaued.5 S, Ambrose also sayth, yf the temporall gouernoure asketh tribute, we deny it not, lette the londes of the Chyrche paye tribute. If the rulare desireth the londes, he hath power to chalenge thē, let him therfore take thē, yf he wyl, I gyue them not to the Emperour but nether do I deny them. Agayn he sayth, it is a great & special document or poynt of teachyng, wherby christen men are taught to be subiecte to the higher powers, bycause
- 1Theanswer
- 2Our liberty is spiritual & not carnalOur libert• is spirituall & not carnal
- 3Rom. x. Gala. iii. i. Cor. xv. Ose. xiii. Heb. ii. Act. x. Joan. viii. Gala. v. i. Pet. ii.Rom. x. Gala. iii. i. Cor. xv. Ose. xiii. Heb. ii. Act. x. Ioan. viii. Gala. v. i. Pet. ii.
- 4In li•. ad Rom. prop• sit. lxxii.
- 5Contra aux entium. xi. Quest. i. Canon, sitributi•n.
- 6Ibidem. Can magnum.Ibidem. Cā magnū.
- 7Math. xvii.
