foundation, on which also it will stand for ever. Therefore, I look upon this text as being one of the most forcible of those that utterly exclude all works and leave them here below: because it makes the knowledge of Christ the only way unto salvation. For what work can there be in knowledge? It is not fasting, nor watching, nor afflicting one's body, nor any thing that can be done or endured by the body, but is seated internally in the inmost recesses of the heart. And, to sum up the whole in a few words, knowledge is not a work, but precedes all works; for works follow from knowledge. Moreover, that is called works which we do; but knowledge is that which we receive. Therefore, by this one expression, "that they might know," as by a certain tremendous thunder and lightning, all doctrines that maintain human works, religious orders, and human worshippings of God, are utterly destroyed; because, nothing of these things can deliver from sins and please God.

And here attend and take heed that thou forget not that which I said before-that Christ in these words joins and unites the knowledge of himself and of the Father together; so that the Father can be known only through and in Christ. For I have often said, and I say and repeat it again and again, as it is what I would have to be fixed in the minds of all even after I am deadthat we should beware of all those teachers, as we would of the devil, who, by their high and towering speculations, begin to teach concerning God nakedly, and without Christ: just as our sophists and great masters have done in our schools in their pryings into the works of God in heaven-what he is, what he is thinking of, and what he is doing with himself, &c. But if thou wilt walk safely, and wilt apprehend God and find in him grace and help, then believe no one who would persuade thee that thou canst find God any where but in Christ. Nor be thou engaged in any other thoughts of him, nor seek thou any other works of his, but this one only-his sending of Christ!

With the learning of Christ let all thy studies and pursuits commence, and wander not from that point,

out stand fast therein: and if either thine own imaginations or reason, or any other person shall wish to seduce thee, then shut thine say, 'I must not, eyes and and desire not to know any other God, than in Christ my Lord.' And here behold his face, where he with so much plainness and so much sweetness reveals himself in this word of Christ," that they might know thee the one true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." In which words, Christ draws the Father wholly to himself; so that no one can apprehend the one true God, but according to that very word which he speaks. For in what other way can he draw nigh unto thee, or thou draw nigh unto him, so as to apprehend and receive him?

Wherefore, all thy faculties are to be employed in contemplating his countenance, to which he leads thee; and thou art to observe how he leads thee by the Word, and works the whole in thee. Yet no one will believe, how indispensably necessary this is, nor how difficult an exercise it is; with which, even many great and excellent men have been but little acquainted, and which even now is hidden from the wise and learned ones; for they know not that all their faculties and thoughts are to be directed to the Man Christ alone, that they are to contemplate Christ only, and solely to consider what he speaks of the word, and works of the work of God in heaven. And this is the reason why they do not keep their minds upon the words," whom thou hast sent. If they saw these with right eyes, and believed them, then would their ears, their eyes, and their mind, be directed towards them; and they would say, 'Behold, if he came into the world as sent by the Father, we must believe that he came to fulfil some charge committed to him, and to make it known unto us; and therefore, we ought to listen to him as we would to the Divine Majesty himself. Now then, we hear no other word than that he brings help into the world, and communicates unto us the Father's grace; nor do we see any other work but his going forth, taking upon him the charge of the Father, and fulfilling it by teaching, by suffering, and at

last by dying on the cross.-Behold here, the mind, the will, and the work, are clearly set before me, whereby I plainly know him: but out of this way, no one will ever see him or apprehend him by any sense or reason, how acutely soever he may pry into him, and how highly soever he may soar in speculative and sophistical cogitations.

When we are in possession of this knowledge, it is easy to judge what a miserable calamity, yea what an execrable abomination, the doctrine of the Pope and of the monks is; who impudently prate, that Christ did not by any means teach, say, do, and finish all things, but left many things to be taught, commanded, done, and ordained after him; which is directly contrary to the authority of this scripture now before us; and is as though they should say, Ye are not to look at Christ only, as sent of God, but to observe us also; to whom many more things are given and committed to be done and taught than he commanded.'-Christ asserts and affirms that eternal life stands in the knowledge of him. Whereas, they say, that that knowledge is not sufficient, but that many things more are necessary; such as the listening to councils, imitating the examples and lives of the holy fathers, and a thousand other things of the same kind.

Here then, it is high time that all godly Christians should separate themselves from them; and say, · We would willingly, ye excellent sirs, hear whatever ye say, command, or do, but we will pay no more regard to it than we would at seeing a maid sweep the pavement with a brush, or a cow giving milk when she was milked. We will leave to the work its value and its dignity; but, that it ought to perform and accomplish as much as the Word of Christ does, we flatly deny. For Christ does not speak thus-This is life eternal if we live and do so and so; or, if ye conclude and ordain this or that; but, that ye may know Christ as sent of the Father.' Nor will he endure that we should look to Moses or others, (who were sent themselves and had great charges committed unto them, and did many things,) because, no

one of them was sent unto the end, that by the knowledge of himself, he might give eternal life; nor any other but Christ alone.

Here is the point of contention and controversy, wherein we dissent from the doctrine of the Pope.-He has taken away from us this knowledge, and will not leave it pure and uncorrupted. If he would do this, I would never say one word against him, for we will willingly permit him to conclude, to decree, and to command, and to say that it is all right; and they shall therein have us as their helpers if they will; but let them leave this free unto us-that those things which they conclude shall not be considered useful or necessary unto eternal life. For this would be an insult to the honour of Christ, and not to be borne: because, his Word would be thereby denied and trodden under foot.

But this text still more plainly shews what lost and desperate vagabonds they are, who boast of, and preach their orders and religious state, as being a state and works of perfection, and far more excellent than the common life and state of Christians: which is a doctrine and assertion of no man, but of Satan himself, and one of the most horrible blasphemies. Wherefore, all monasteries are to be shunned and execrated, as the gates of hell. But, which way have we come into so great a calamity, that that self-chosen life, and those self-chosen works of thine, are greater and more excellent than the life and works of Christ? For my part, I think that he will ever stand superior in holiness to all the Carmelites, yea to all saints, together with their works, even though they should fast daily, live only on bread and water throughout their whole life, and never sleep more than one hour a-night; nay, if they should daily pray the dead out of hell. In a word, whatever of a holy life thou wouldst praise or boast of, or canst attain unto, it cannot hold up the finger to the common life of Christians; nay, is not worthy in any way to be compared with it. Therefore, the old doctrine and thoughts are to be put off and trodden under foot; because, it is by them that so many differences have

arisen in Christianity, and that the Christian life has been divided into so many states and orders. In the world, indeed, and in an earthly kingdom, things are so. There, the states and conditions are different, and some works are greater and more excellent than others. But the Christian life is very far above all these, and they remain at a greater distance beneath it than the earth does beneath the heaven, nor can any thing on earth bear any comparison with it; for it contains a far more exalted and sublime treasure, whereby we apprehend, through Christ, the Father and eternal life; and that is what the mind of no natural man can ever attain unto. And therefore it is, that men embrace these things with so much difficulty, and that almost every one is offended and turns himself unto other things that are more agreeable unto reason. For to her, these things ever remain foreign and obscure; and hence she does not make them of much consequence, nor believe them to be true, nor can she simply trust to those things which she cannot feel nor see. She always wants to have something on which she may lean as a foundation, that she has or finds in herself, or that she can bring forward as her own, and say, I have laboured and wrought so many and great things; and therefore, I hope I have not undergone the labour altogether in vain.

Something not unlike this is related also of the holy fathers; as that concerning Hilary the hermit; from whom, on his death-bed, this evil word fell, O my soul (said he) why dost thou dread thy departure. Thou hast now served thy Lord for seventy years, and dost thou now fear death?'-If he died in that state of mind which the words would indicate, then, certainly, he died badly and unhappily. For this is not building upon Christ sent of the Father, as the foundation, in which way only he giveth unto us eternal life, but it is trusting in our own righteousness and our own worshipping of God. And this is the evil of our nature, whereby all holiness of life and good works, which would otherwise please God and be acceptable unto him, are defiled; and thus we lose both Christ and eternal life.