A Godlie zealous and profitable Sermon vpon the second Chapter of Saint Iames. Preached at London by Master George Gifford and published at the request of sundry godly and well disposed persons ¶ Imprinted at London for Tobie Cooke dwelling at the Tigers head in Paules Churchyard 1582. ¶ The second Chapter of Saint Iames verse 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23 24. 25. 26. 14 What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no works can that saith saue him 15 For if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily foode 16 And one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues fill your bellies notwithstanding yee giue them not those things which are needfull to the body what helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no works is dead in it selfe 18 But some man might say Thou hast the faith and I haue works shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I wil shew thee my faith by my works 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue it and tremble 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead 21 Was not Abraham our Father iustified through works when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar 22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his works and through the works was the faith made perfect 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse hee was called the friend of God 24 Ye see then how that of works a man is iustified not of faith only 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes when she had receiued the messengers and sent them out another way 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead euen so the faith without works is dead The second Chapter of Saint Iames verse 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. I Haue chosen this portion of Scripture to interpret because there is very great vse and commoditie in the true right vnderstanding thereof and the doctrine therein contained is most necessarye for all Christians to knowe First because it doth directly and fully ouerthrowe and beate downe all carnall profession of the Gospell shewing that the common and dead faith cannot saue a man Secondly because it is the principall pillar which the Papists doe leane vnto the chiefe place of Scripture which they doe peruert and abuse to proue and establish Iustification by workes and the merits of men to ouerthrow the free iustification we haue in our Lord Iesus Christ through faith The holde which they take in this point is vpon the speaches and phrases which the Apostle doth vse as when he saith Abraham our Father was iustified through works Also Rahab the harlot was iustified through works Likewise ye sée y e of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely Héerein y e two Apostles of Christ S. Paul S. Iames do séeme to be flat contrary y e one to the other for wheras S. Paule saith Abraham was iustified by faith alone and not by workes Saint Iames saith he was iustified by works Saint Paule saith and proueth by sundrie and inuincible reasons that a man is iustified by faith alone without the works of the lawe Saint Iames saith ye sée that a man is iustified by works and not by faith onely This contrarietie is but in appearaunce for they both wrote by one spirite which is alwaies lyke himselfe and alwayes agréeth with himselfe The whole blame therefore is to lyght vppon vs that we are so dim sighted as not to sée how these two seruauntes of GOD doe iumpe agrée together without anye iarre at all I thinke it néedefull for this cause before I come to handle the wordes of the Text as they lye in order first to take awaye this shewe of discord If anye man will demaunde what cause there was which made them to appeare in outwarde shewe so contrarye the one to the other I aunswere that although there be no contrarietie in the matter it selfe which they teach yet the diuersitie of y e schollers which they lyght vppon and the contrarie affection of those whome they instructed caused them to vse a diuers and contrarie order of teaching Saint Paule hauing to deale with such as woulde séeke to bée iustified partlye by Faith in Christ and partlye by theyr owne déedes or the déeds of the Lawe vseth this order first shewing that wée were lost and condempned in our selues then next iustified and saued through the merits of Christ afterward that wée are sanctified in him and must shewe foorth the fruits of our faith in a pure and holy life S. Iames lighting vpon another sort of mē which cōfessed y e frée iustification through faith in Christ yet in this they were deceiued y t they did not consider how al those that are iustified are sanctified how all those that are in Christ Iesus are newe creatures that they are new borne and walke not after the flesh but after the spirite that the true liuely and iustifieng fayth doth bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse in a holye conuersation Now because this cannot be remooued or separated from the right and liuelye faith Saint Iames goeth as it were backwarde and proueth that where this latter that is to say the fruites of faith are wanting there faith is wanting and so his drift is to shewe that all vngodly and carnall professours of Christ haue but a dead faith which in no respect is able for to helpe or saue them A second cause why they séeme so much to differ is héerein that men doe not marke well howe they handle not the selfe same matter nor haue not the same drifte For Saint Paule laboureth to proue that the true fayth doth ioyne vs to Christ and thereby saue vs. Saint Iames héere beateth vppon this pointe that the dead faith which is but a bare Image of the right Faith cannot profite a man this shall appeare in the wordes of the Text and also a thirde cause is that they doe not take this worde iustified in the same sence but diuerselye as it shall be prooued afterwarde Now will I come vnto the Text. What auaileth it my bretheren though a man sayth hée hath Faith when hée hath no woorkes canne the Faith saue him This is his proposition and the matter which hée will dispute vppon in the whole Text following thus much it is in effect that it doth not auaile a man to saye hée hath Faith nor it doth not profite him to boast and bragge and to make profession thereof when hee hath no good woorkes the reason is this because it cannot saue him marke and obserue this well for héere at the first enteraunce the blindnesse of the Papistes and their folly doth manifestly bewraie it selfe when as they doe
workes and that Rahab was iustified by workes c. We must note that this word iustified is taken diuers waies in y e scriptures which is one cause as I noted before why S. Paule and S. Iames séeme to be contrarie S. Paule prouing that we are iustified by faith taketh it as cōtrary to this word condemned for being by our sins guiltie to receiue the sentence of condemnation we are in Christ into whose mysticall body we are incorporate thorough faith acquit and discharged which is called iustification this cannot be by the workes of the law because there is not perfection in the déedes of any but euen the most pure are vncleane spotted Therfore as S. Paule saith they are all vnder the curse which holde of the workes of y e law for it is written Cursed is euery one which cōtinueth not in al things which are written in y e book of the law to do them y e reason of this is to be considered in the most holy and pure nature of God vnto whom no vncleane thing can be coupled no vnpure thing although it be but in part can abide his presence or haue fellowship with him The word iustifie is also taken in this sence as when a man doth declare and shew forth before men y t he is a righteous person also before God that is the meaning of the word in this place that looke how by faith we are iustified before God so by the fruits of our faith we are iustified that is declared to be iust before men For proofe that the Scripture doeth vse the word iustified in this sence look vpon the saieng of Dauid That thou maist be iustified in thy saieng and pure when thou iudgest there it can signifie no more but that God might shew and declare himselfe to be iust In the Gospell of S. Luke chap. 16. ver 15. You are they saith Christ to y e Pharesies which iustifie your selues before men but God doth know your hearts In this saieng it is most apparant that there is a iustifieng before men which the Pharisies in coloured hypocrisie did séeke for but Christ telleth them they were neuer the better because they were not of vpright heart before God The word is also taken in other sense which I omit If any man will now demaund how it can be proued that S. Iames doth vse it in this latter sense rather then in the former I aunswere that the very place it selfe and go no further doth declare this thing for when the Apostle saith thus Some man will say shew me thy faith by thy workes is it not apparant that he speketh of that which is before men or declared vnto men and not of that which is before God In lyke manner when he saith Abraham was iustified by works when he offered his sonne Isaac vpon the Alter Doth not y e scripture shew that before God Abraham was iustified long before by faith If it be obiected againe y t if may also be sayd how he was before y e time iustified before men or that he had shewed by his déedes vnto men y t he did feare and loue God and then what shoulde hinder but that it may be taken for a more full and perfect iustification or an increase therof as well before God as before men I aunswere that before GOD a man being iustified to speake properly there is no increase thereof for he is fully and wholy discharged and acquite or els it is no iustification But because we haue receiued the grace of iustification but in part and not in full measure therefore our iustifieng before men is more and more declared by degrées as good workes doe more and more abound in vs and so Abraham was by this one worke more iustified before men thē by all y e rest of his déeds therfore it may well be set downe in stéed of al y e rest we sée héere then y t because by the scriptures this must néedes be taken for an increase of iustification in our father Abraham y t it must necessarily be vnderstood of that iustification which is before men ye sée now y e meaning of this text and the drift scope of the Apostle is laid open vnto ye but my chiefe purpose is yet behinde and that wherin we are to be wrought vppon yet remaineth which is a more particular application and handling of this doctrine For we must not passe away thus with y e matter vnlesse we minde to take smal fruit therby Ye will confesse these things which I haue handled to be true as of necessity we are forced thervnto we cānot but grant y e the holy ghost hath giuē a perfect touchstone then I am to exhort you in the name of God as ye tender and loue the saluation of your soules to giue attentiue héede a little not to let this thing slip away from ye do ye graunt that the faith which is without works is dead And that it is no better then the faith of diuels And yet wil ye still suppose that idolaters swerers railers adulterers couetous worldlings griping vsurers such like are in good case or continuing such canne hope for mercie Do ye confesse y t ther is but one true faith which was the faith of Abraham and Rahab Doe ye also acknowledge that the same faith in them did shew it selfe by good déeds And wil yée still accept it for a sufficient proofe of a good and sound testimonie of a true beliefe when any man can say I do hurt no man I liue vprightly pay euerye man his owne I haue alwaies ben reputed taken for an honest man what would ye require more of me I liue as my neighbours doe I trust God will hold me excused although he haue no regarde of any obedience to the worde of GOD to consider wherein his glorye doth consist nor yet anye care of men to profit either theyr soules or theyr bodyes but contenteth himselfe with this if hée doe them no good to doe them no harme I will shew you déerelye beloued howe these sortes of people are deceyued by two fowle errours which this text doth most strongly ouerthrowe the first is this that they looke but vnto mē and restraine their duetie vnto them whereas they should chiefly looke vnto that which they owe vnto God then to that which belongeth to their brethren the seconde is that they suppose themselues bound no further but to absteine from hurting without regard of doing the dueties of loue wherein one man is to profit and further another As concerning the first of these both the example of Abraham and also of Rahab do manifestly conuince them because the fruites of their faith or the works whereby they were iustified did not so much respect man as God for in Abraham there appeareth onely a loue towards God for whose sake he was cōtented to forget y e affection of a father
left for a man to hide himselfe in nor to créepe out at but hée is holden fast to this that if hée will bée saued he must so beléeue that he declare and shew forth to the world by his good works and holy life how he walketh in the steps of his faithfull father AbrahaÌ„ But why doth he choose this one worke of Abraham before all the rest For his life did shine with holy works he was merciful to y e poore he interteined lodged strangers he was peaceable w t al men iust true in al his delings doubtles this did excel al y e rest so farre passe them that it maye well inough be mentioned in stéede of them all it did declare a wonderfull faith and loue towardes God as we may easily sée considering al the whole circumstaunces of the storie God had called him out of his-natiâ—â— Countrey and from his Fathers house into a straunge lande he had promised him a sonne by his wife Sara of whom the blessed séede should come he performed this promise in his olde age euen when Sara was by nature past childe bearing he had no other childe by hir the promise was made in none but in him In Isaac shall thy séede be blessed Each man shall now be driuen to confesse that héere was a great triall when God doth bid him take his onely sonne euen Isaac and goe thrée dayes iourney to the place which he would shew him and to offer him vpon the Altar a slaine Sacrifice How great a griefe is it for a louing father to loose a sonne which he loueth déerelye especially when he hath no more sonnes then how much griefe might this be not onely to sée his sonne slain but also to slay him with his own hands and most of all that childe in whom the couenaunt of eternall lyfe was made because Christ shoulde come of him who being dead all hope of saluation did dye with him Al this did not with-hold but y e faith of Abraham caried so great a loue in him feare towards God that he neuer grudged at the matter nor neuer made delay but went indéede to haue slaine his sonne hauing bound him vpon the woode and hauing taken in his hand the sacrificing knife to kill him Then the Angell of y e Lord froÌ„ heuen did forbid him Before y e Lord it was as if it had bene done because Abraham did fully purpose to do it then we sée plainlye by this what the true faith is But if any man should obiect and say this example is not fit euerie man cannot be lyke Abraham nor haue such a faith as he had he was a rare man few or none to be compared with him Saint Iames doth aunswere If ye thinke this example to be too high and that ye are not to be measured by it I will shew you another as lowe what say ye to Rahab the harlot was not she iustified by workes did not hir faith declare it selfe by good workes Can ye take any exception against this example Will ye not be ashamed that your faith shoulde not be lyke hirs As the faith of Abraham did vtter it selfe to the world so did hirs whereby she shewed hir selfe to be a right daughter of Abraham although she were not of his posteritie according to the flesh but came of one of those cursed Nations which God had commaunded the Children of Israel to roote out and destroy yet I say she was his daughter according as S. Paule setteth it forth in the Epistle to the Romanes that he should be the Father not onely of them which are of the Circumcision but also of those y t walke in y e steps of y e faith of our father Abraham like as all his children both of the Iews Gentiles must do which will be blessed w t their faithfull father AbrahaÌ„ Then we haue héere y e exaÌ„ple of y e father of all y e faithfull with y e exaÌ„ple of one of his daughters which had ben a poore harlot what excuse remaineth or what can we pretende shall we not blush and be ashamed to say that we beléeue well and take our selues to be the Children of Abraham and the Children of God when we are no more lyke him then as the common saieng is an Apple is lyke an oyster Christ our Sauiour doth vse this reason against the Pharesies in the Gospell of S. Iohn If ye were Abrahams Children saith he ye would doe the workes of Abraham but now ye goe about to kill me a man that haue tolde you the truth which I haue heard of God this did not Abraham And a little after Ye are of your father the Diuell and the lusts of your father ye will do What would we haue more plaine then this Euen the very séed and posteritie of Abraham which tooke theÌ„selues to be the children of Abraham 〈◊〉 the children of God yet Christ Iesus telleth them plainly they are the children of the Diuell and why Because theyr workes were not like the works of Abraham their beléefe was not lyke his but it was dead Shall not we then as boldly say at this day nay rather doeth not Christ speake as plainly as he did and telleth vngodlye men to theyr face howsoeuer ye brag of your faith it is but dead and howsoeuer ye boast and take your selues to be the Children of God yet in very déede vnlesse ye returne from your vngodly waies shew forth the fruites of a true and liuely faith ye are the children of the Diuell trust not vnto your vaine hope and dead faith for it will but deceiue you Déerely beloued let vs not be so mad when God telleth vs this with his owne mouth as to beléeue the contrary and to perswade our selues we shall do well inough although we continue in our sinnes This is a most pestilent craft of Satan and commeth from the roote of Infidelitie as ye may sée in our great grandmother Eue God had tolde hir and Adam that what day soeuer they shuld eate of y e trée they should dye the death the Diuell told hir ye shall not dye she beléeued him but beléeued not God she thought euen as the Diuel told hir she shuld do wel inough or els she would neuer haue eate therof we haue sucked this poyson from hir breasts when God telleth vs if your faith bring not forth good workes it is dead it cannot helpe ye if ye continue in these wicked déedes ye are the children of the Diuell ye must spéedelye repent for ye cannot when ye would No no saith the Diuell on the other side that is not true your faith is good inough goe on ye shall doe wel God hath mercie in store ye may repent afterwarde Now the most doth beleeue the Diuell in this and giue no credite at all vnto God and neuer séeke to try themselues whether they be in good case or not When the Apostle saith héer that Abraham was iustified by