Farthermore, because that few know the use of the Old Testament, and the most part think it nothing necessary but to make allegories, which they fad eve every man after his own brain at all wild adventure, without any certain rule; therefore (though I have spoken of them in another place,) yet, lest the book come not to all men's hands that shall read this, I will speak of them here also a word or twain. We had need to take heed every where that we be not well weigh beguiled with false allegories, whether they be drawn out of the New Testament or the Old, either out of any other story, or of the creatures of the world, but namely in this book. Here a man had need to put on all his spectacles, and to arm himself against invisible spirits.

Allegories are to be

ed and considered.

The great

est cause

of the decay of faith and blindness that

we were in

was

through allegories.

How alle

gories are to be understood.

The right use of allegories.

Baptism is

the com

mon badge of all true professors of Christ.

First, allegories prove nothing; (and by allegories understand examples or similitudes borrowed of strange matters, and of another thing than thou entreatest of.) As though circumcision be a figure of baptism, yet thou canst not prove baptism by circumcision. For this argument were very feeble; the Israelites were circumcised, therefore we must be baptised. And in like manner, though the offering of Isaac were a figure or ensample of the resurrection, yet is this argument nought: Abraham would have offered Isaac, but God delivered him from death, therefore we shall rise again, and so forth in all other.

But the very use of allegories is to declare and open a text, that it may be the better perceived and understood. As when I have a clear text of Christ and the apostles, that I must be baptised, then I may borrow an example of circumcision to express the nature, power, and fruit, or effect of baptism. For as circumcision was unto them a common badge, signifying that they were all soldiers of God, to war his war, and separating them from all other nations, disobedient unto God: even so baptism is our common badge, and sure earnest and perpetual memorial that we pertain unto Christ, and are separated from all that are not Christ's. And as circumcision was

n

a token certifying them that they were received uto the favour of God, and their sins forgiven them; even so baptism certifieth us that we are washed in the blood of Christ, and received to favour for his sake; and as circumcision signified unto them the cutting away of their own lusts, and slaying of their free-will, as they call it, to follow the will of God, even so baptism signifieth unto us re- Baptism pentance, and the mortifying of our unruly members and body of sin, to walk in a new life, and so forth.

teacheth us repentance of sin.

The bare

washing

not, but

the word of

faith it

purifieth us.

And likewise, though that the saving of Noah, and of them that were with him in the ship, through water, is a figure, that is to say an example and likeness of baptism, as Peter maketh it, (1 Pet. iii.) yet I cannot prove baptism helpeth therewith, save describe it only. For as the ship saved through them in the water through faith, in that they believed God, and as the other that would not believe Noah perished; even so baptism saveth us through the word of faith which it preacheth, when all the world of the unbelieving perish. And Paul (1 Cor. x.) maketh the sea and the cloud a figure of baptism, by which, and a thousand more, I might declare it, but not prove it. Paul also, in the said place, maketh the rock out of which Moses brought water unto the children of Israel, a figure or ensample of Christ; not to prove Christ (for that were impossible,) but to describe Christ only; even as Christ himself (John iii.) borroweth a similitude or figure of the brazen serpent, to lead Nicodemus from his earthly imagination into the spiritual understanding of Christ's say ing: "As Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up, that none that believe in him perish, but have everlasting life." By which similitude, the virtue of Christ's death is better described than thou couldest declare it with a thousand words. For as those murmurers against God, as soon as they repented, were healed of their deadly wounds, through looking on the brazen serpent only, without medicine or any other help, yea, and without any other reason but that

VOL. II.

How Christ

borroweth figures of the Old

Testament,

to make plain the

texts of

the New

Testament.

Our duty is to do good deeds, but salvation we cannot challenge thereby.

A good example taken of

the lepers.

The true preaching of God's word doth bind and lose con

sciences.

God hath said it should be so, and not to murmur again, but to leave their murmuring: even so all that repent, and believe in Christ, are saved from everlasting death, of pure grace, without, and before, their good works, and not to sin again, but to fight against sin, and henceforth to sin no more. Even so with the ceremonies of this book thou canst prove nothing, save describe, and declare only the putting away of our sins through the death of Christ. For Christ is Aaron and Aaron's sons, and all that offer the sacrifice to purge sin. And Christ is all manner [of] offering that is offered he is the ox, the sheep, the goat, the kid, and lamb he is the ox that is burnt without the host, and the scape-goat that carried all the sin of the people away into the wilderness: for as they purged the people from their worldly uncleannesses through blood of the sacrifices, even so doth Christ purge us from the uncleannesses of everlasting death with his own blood, and as their worldly sins could no otherwise be purged than by blood of sacrifices, even so can our sins be no otherwise forgiven than through the blood of Christ. All the deeds in the world, save the blood of Christ, can purchase no forgiveness of sins; for our deeds do but help our neighbour, and mortify the flesh, and help that we sin no more; but and if we have sinned, it must be freely forgiven through the blood of Christ, or remain ever.

And in like manner of the lepers thou canst prove nothing thou canst never conjure out confession thence, howbeit thou hast an handsome example there to to open the binding and loosing of our priests with the key of God's word; for as they made no man a leper, even so ours have no power to command any man to be in sin, or to go to purgatory or hell. And therefore (inasmuch as binding and loosing is one power,) as those priests healed no man, even so ours cannot of their invisible and dumb power drive any man's sins away, or deliver him from hell, or feigned purgatory. Howbeit if they preached God's word purely, which is the authority that Christ gave

them, then they should bind and loose, kill and make alive again, make unclean and clean again, and send to hell and fetch thence again, so mighty is God's word. For if they preached the law of God, they should bind the consciences of sinners with the bonds of the pains of hell, and bring them unto repentance. And then if they preached unto them the mercy that is in Christ, they should loose them and quiet their raging consciences, and certify them of the favour of God, and that their sins be forgiven. Finally, beware of allegories; for there is not a more handsome or apt thing to beguile withal than an allegory; nor a more subtle and pestilent thing in the world to persuade a false matter than an allegory. And contrariwise there is not a better, vehementer, or mightier thing to make a man understand withal than an allegory. For allegories make a man quick witted, and print wisdom in him; and maketh it to abide, where bare words go but in at the one ear, and out at the other. As this, with such like sayings: "Put salt to all your sacrifices;" instead of this sentence, "Do all your deeds with discretion," greeteth and biteth, (if it be understood) more than plain words. And when I say, instead of these words, "Boast not yourself of your good deeds," "eat not the blood, nor the fat of your sacrifice;" there is as great difference between them as there is distance between heaven and earth. For the life and beauty of all good deeds is of God, and we are but the carrion-lean, we are only the instrument whereby God worketh only, but the power is his. As God created Paul anew, poured his wisdom into him, gave him might, and promised him that his grace should never fail him, &c. and all without deservings, except that nurtering the saints, and making them curse and rail on Christ, be meritorious. Now, as it is death to eat the blood or fat of any sacrifice, is it not (think ye,) damnable to rob God of his honour, and to glorify myself with his honour?

AN EXPOSITION

OF CERTAIN WORDS OF THE FOURTH BOOK OF MOSES CALLED NUMERI.

AVIMS. A kind of giants; and the word signifieth crooked, unright, or wicked.

Belial. Wicked, or wickedness; he that hath cast the yoke of God off his neck, and will not obey God.

Bruterer. Prophesiers, or soothsayers.

Emims. A kind of giants so called, because they were terrible and cruel; for Emin signifieth terribleness.

Enacke. A kind of giants, so called haply because they wore chains about their necks; for enach is such a chain as men wear about their necks.

Horims. A kind of giants, and signifieth noble ; because that of pride they called themselves nobles, or gentles.

Rock. God is called a rock, because both he and his word lasteth for ever.

Whet them on thy Children. That is, exercise thy children in them, and put them in use.

Zamzumims. A kind of giants; and signifieth mischievous, or that be always imagining.