which they doe moderate punishments The arguments of the Stoickes haue a fayre shewe but they are grounded on a false foundation agaynst which let those reasons be set which I haue rehearsed 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shall be iudged by the lavve of libertie 13 For there shal be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie and mercie reioyceth against iudgement He bringeth in a generall exhortation to liue godly and holily by an argument taken of the sentence of the last iudgement which is recited Matth. 25. For when as the Apostle sayth as they that shall bee iudged by the lavve of libertie he hath relation to the sentence of the Lorde who when he iudgeth the worlde shall saye vnto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the worlde For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. Contrariwise he shall say to them on the left hande Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. To this pertayneth that saying Iohn 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shal heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurrection of condemnation And 2. Cor. 5. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill That these sayings and such like are to be vnderstand of the qualitie of thē that shal be saued not of the causes of saluation the whole consent of y e scripture yea the precious bloud of Christ doth shew as shortly after I will more distinctly declare But why doth he call it y e law of libertie That by that name he may shew y t the fruites of libertie are by good right required of christians For as he which doth commit sinne is the seruant of sinne so he which is deliuered by Christ will be no more bonde but free therefore will not take vpon him the yoke of bondage He sheweth a cause or reason when he sayth for there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie but he that sheweth mercie is so farre of from being condemned y t he shal reioyce against cōdemnation triumphing ouer death sin and the deuill These things doe teach how necessary continuall repentance and a perpetuall studie of godlynesse and righteousnesse is among Christians least by their owne fault they lose the free benefit of saluation But bicause the aduersaries of free saluation doe abuse this place and such like and make the causes of saluation of the tokens and qualities of them which shall be saued I will briefly gather an aunswere whereby the godly reader may haue wherewith he maye be able throughly and truly to answere to this false cauill Seing therefore that the Scripture doth expressely say that the Lord shall giue to euery man according to his deedes Or as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians according to that euery man hath done whether it be good or euill First of all this is to be helde that this generall sentence which is the very voyce of God himselfe ought to be applied vnto two sortes of men according to the proportion of fayth that is to the wicked according to the lawe to the godly according to the Gospell after this maner when the Lord giueth vnto the wicked according to their dedes without all doubt he giueth vnto them hel and condemnation For those are the merits of the dedes of vngodlines But cōcerning y e godly or regenerate there are mo things to be considered For first it is euident out of the infallible worde of God that eternall life is not the wages of seruantes but the inheritance of children and the free gift of God Rom. 4.5.6.8 Iohn 1.3.5 Secondly the proportion betwene the heauēly father and an earthly father is to be considered for as an earthly father doth giue vnto his childrē according to their deedes that is inheritance to them that are obedient and disheriteth them that are disobedient so God the father promiseth inheritance to his children but those which of children are made obstinate and enemies he suffreth not to enioy the inheritance But nowe it is manifest that the childrē of an earthly father are neither children nor heires through desert of their works After the same sort the children of God are neyther made children nor heires bicause of their works but through the grace of adoption which is receyued by fayth alone notwithstanding eyther of them doth giue vnto his children according to their dedes But y t this may yet be more plainly vnderstand how God shall giue to euery mā according to his dedes foure circūstances are to be weighed of vs the first wherof is that the rigour of the law is takē away from y e godly according to y e saying Galat. 3. Christ hath redemed vs from the curse of the lawe The seconde is that the person nowe beleeuing doth by fayth please God and is heire of eternall life Iohn 1. The thirde that God doth not onely require obedience of the person that beleeueth but also doth promise him a rewarde and that not of debt for the worthinesse of the worke but of grace for his fatherly promise sake The fourth that workes so done by fayth are testimonies of fayth as proper effectes are most certaine tokens of their cause And therefore it is sayde that God shall giue vnto euery man according to his dedes both because dedes are the true tokens of the feare of God of fayth and also that the whole creature maye beare witnesse of the iustice of God in iudging This answere is taken from the conferring of the Scripture which we must of necessitie surely hold lest that with the Papistes we attribute saluation to the merits of works or with the Antinomians and Libertines we lay aside all care and studye to do well This solution is made manifest by an euident example Mat. 18. where y e Lord saith that y e kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a certayne king that is that there is the same reason of the spiritual state of the Church which is betweene an earthly king and his seruants in the affaires of this present life For euen as the king his seruant owing him ten thousand talents yet when he fell downe and besought him he forgaue him the whole dette freely and of his mere liberalitie so God the father doth freely forgiue them all debtes that is sinnes which flie vnto him for succour with trust and confidence in Christ Hereof it is manifest that remission of sinnes is free But euen as the king called agayne vnto punishment that seruant being vnthankefull
vvorkes and through the vvorks vvas the fayth made perfect 23 And the Scripture vvas fulfilled vvhich sayth Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes and he vvas called the frend of God 24 Ye see then hovv that of vvorkes a man is iustified and not of faith onely The summe of this reason is this Such as the fayth of Abraham was ought also the fayth of other beleeuers to be For he is therefore called the father of the beleeuers bicause that they that beleeue ought to imitate and follow his fayth but the faith of Abraham had workes ioyned with it which is thereby proued bicause he did so much esteeme obedience toward God that he would rather kill his onely sonne then not obey God Therfore the fayth of other also ought to haue workes ioyned with it which if it haue not it is worthely to be accounted vaine and dead This is the summe of the argument Now let vs wey the wordes of the Apostle which are wrested of the Schoolemen against free iustification First the word iustified is to be discussed which is as much as if he had sayd was declared to be iust or was knowen to be iustified and that this is so I proue by three necessarie arguments The first is taken of the scope and end of this present disputatiō For Iames hath not purposed a disputation of the causes of iustification but onely doth shew by what effects iustification may be gathered and as it were set before the eyes of men Seing therefore it is an exceeding great errour of effects to make causes in respect of the same thing they are by no meanes to be borne which forgetting the scope ende of the disputation proposition that is to be proued presume very high go about to disproue the doctrine of Paul concerning free iustification when as the purpose of Paul was far otherwise thā of Iames. For Paul seketh the cause of iustification Iames the effects of the same Paul descendeth frō y e causes to y e effects Iames contrariwise ascendeth frō the effects to y e causes Paul seketh how we are iustified Iames how we are declared to be iustified Paule excludeth works as causes of iustification Iames includeth the same as the effectes of iustification Seing there is so great difference betwene the purpose of Paule and Iames who seeth not the vanitie of the Scholemen which say that the Apostles are contrary the one to the other The seconde necessarie argument is taken of the order of the causes and the effects Genes 15. Abraham is pronounced to be iustified Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse But this came to passe thirtie yeares at the least before he receyued a commaundement concerning the offering of his sonne Isaac Genes 22. Howe therefore can it be that he shoulde be sayde to be iustified by that worke which he did the thirtie yere after y t he was by the voyce of God said to be iustified It is necessarie therfore that to be iustified in Iames doe signifie to be declared iustified The thirde necessarie argument is taken of the wordes of the Angell Genes 22. After that Abraham had purposed to kil his sonne at the commaundement of God was called back from his purpose by the voice of the Angel he heareth of the Angell Now I know that thou fearest God seing for my sake thou hast not spared thine only son What other thing I pray you do these words meane than that y e voluntarie obedience of Abraham was a testimonie of the feare of God a certaine declaration of the iustification of Abraham And thus briefly it is declared what the word of iustification doth signifie in this disputation of Iames. Afterwarde when he sayth that the fayth vvrought vvith his vvorkes he expresseth the nature of a liuely fayth to wit that it is effectuall and full of good workes Seing that the fayth of hypocrites hath not this nature it is in no case to be iudged a true and liuely fayth This saying therefore of Iames doth teach nothing else but that good workes doe proceede of fayth That which Iames addeth through the vvorkes the fayth vvas made perfect is nothing els than y t the fayth of Abraham was declared by his workes not to haue bene counterfait or hypocriticall but true and sincere For if thou doest cal that perfect here which is in it degrees absolute no mortall man liuing at any time hath had a perfect fayth Moreouer when he sayth that the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is not to be referred vnto the cause but vnto the effect For by that deede Abraham declared that he was in very deede iustified before by fayth This fulfilling therefore ought to be referred to the experience of men and not to the iudgement of God 25 Likevvise also vvas not Rahab the harlot iustified through vvorks vvhen she had receyued the messengers and sent them out another vvay He proueth by another example y t a true a liuely faith is not without works Rahab by her dede or works declared hir selfe to be iustified by fayth when with the perill of her life she sent away y e messengers of the people of God least they shoulde come into the hands of them that sought them 26 For as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead euen so the fayth vvithout vvorkes is deade By a most apt similitude propounded he proueth that the fayth of hypocrites is vayne in as much as it is like a deade bodie or carkas wherein is no liuely spirite and therefore no mouing or sense of a liuing creature is founde in it And thus Iames by sixe firme reasons hath proued that a true fayth is frutefull in good workes and that the fayth of hypocrites which is voyd of workes is a vayne boasting rather than fayth A declaration of the doctrine of repentance WHen as Christ doth define the Gospel to be preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name he setteth forth two things vnto bs whereof one is the benefite which the Gospell offereth the other the meanes by which the benefite is applyed vnto men The benefite which is offered is forgiuenesse of sinnes The meanes is repentance For they onely which repent are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes wherewith is ioyned iustification saluation and eternall lyfe Hereof it easily appeareth that nothing is more necessarye for a man in this life than to vnderstande wherein true repentance consisteth without the which forgiuenesse of sinnes commeth vnto no man Of this wholsome and true repentance I will speake and will so declare the matter by the worde of God and manifest examples that euerye man may acknowledge the truth and playnnes thereof The foundation therfore of the preaching of repentance without all doubt is the mercie and grace of
we may obteine and receiue good thinges at the hand of God Agayne it giueth to vnderstand that in prayer is required faith which resteth vpon the goodnesse of the mediatour Furthermore of this place is gathered that all douting is farre to be remoued from prayer for he which douteth or wauereth when he prayeth doth onely poure out wordes vnprofitably and prayeth not effectually whereupon this also followeth that if we must not wauer nor dout in prayer it is but in vayne to make more mediatours For they which seeke after more mediatours doe thinke that they are not heard for the one and onely mediatour Christ Moreouer with this saying of Iames disagreeth the opinion of the Papists who goe about to make faith and douting to agree togither To these may be added that all things that pertaine to the saluation of our soules are to be asked without any conditiō Finally the opinion of the Stoicks is here confuted concerning the necessitie of the falling out of thinges for as wisedome is here promised to him that asketh it by faith so the wisedome wherof mention is here made is not giuen to him that doth not aske it For he that vvauereth is like a vvaue of the sea tost of the vvinde and caried avvay 7 Neither let that man thinke that he shall receyue any thing of the Lorde This is a reason why in prayer he requireth fayth without wauering for he which wauereth saythe he is compared to a waue of the sea that is he is vnconstant For as the waue of the sea is driuen sometime into this coast sometime into that according as the winde and the raging of the sea is so a man douting now thinketh this thing shortly after his minde being changed he thinketh an other thing euen as he is driuen on with erroneous doctrine and blinde affections Such a man praieth in vayne bicause he is destitute of true faith These thinges ought to admonish vs of constancie both in doctrine and also in godly exercises But perhaps some man will obiect and saye there is douting in euerie man therefore there is a firme and constant fayth without wauering in no man I aunswere that according to diuers principles both may be both stedfast faith and doubting For if thou doest respect the spirite in the regenerate fayth is a firme consent nothing wauering But if thou lokest vnto the flesh doubts do oftentimes arise which are the works of y e flesh agaynst which the works of the spirit do striue We haue an exāple of eyther of these in Abraham Ro. 4. 8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his vvayes He is here sayde to be a double minded man which doubteth of the doctrine or wyll of God such a one bicause he is vnconstant in all his doinges therefore hath he no stablenesse or constancie in his prayer Let vs therefore in this place note that the foundation of all godly actions yea and of that most excellent worke of prayer is constancie in the doctrine concerning the will of God in fayth 9 Let the brother of lovv degree reioyce in that he is exalted 10 Againe he that is rich in that he is made lovv for as the floure of the grasse shall he vanish avvay Bicause both pouertie by which all kinde of calamitie as by a particular or an example is signified and also riches by the name whereof all prosperous succes in this lyfe is vnderstande may minister matter of tentation he doth very conueniently preuent an obiection and teacheth both that is the poore man and also the rich He teacheth the poore man not to fasten his eyes vpō the calamitie of this present life but rather to cōsider that he is exalted whereby hereafter he being made the son of God shall be aduanced vnto the glory of immortality He teacheth the rich mā to thinke with himselfe how fraile and deceitfull the riches of this world are which as they do not make him blessed that possesseth them so doe they sone vanish away euen as the floure of the herbe What doth not Paul say Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lorde Wherfore thē doth Iames bid him that is poore of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted and him that is rich in that he is made low The Apostles doe nothing disagree the one with the other For both of them doe place the foundation of true reioycing in the Lord. Wherfore these exceptions are to be held first what good thing soeuer we haue let vs acknowledge that we haue receiued it of God attributing nothing to our selues Secondly let vs holde fast this foundation that we trust to be saued through the onely mercy of God Finally let vs rest in the onely author of all goodnesse with these exceptions we may reioyce and that godly in euery kinde of thing that is good 11 For as vvhen the sunne riseth vvith heate then the grasse vvithereth and his floure falleth avvay and the goodly shape of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man vvither avvay in all his vvayes He amplifieth the comparison wherein he compareth the glory of riches to the fading floure which when the heate of the Sunne increaseth is wythered falleth away and perisheth As therefore it is a foolish thing to reioyce in vayne riches so the godly man should do preposterously if he being discouraged with the grieuousnesse of his pouertie shoulde be ouercome of tentation 12 Blessed is the mā that endureth tentation for vvhē he is tried he shall receiue the croune of life vvhich the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Before he willed that christians doe reioyce when they shall fall into diuers tentations now hauing confuted those thinges that seemed to be agaynst his purpose hee rendreth a reason of his exhortation The argument is concluded after this sort Blessed is the man that endureth tentation that is which fainteth not vnder the burden of tentation therefore the godly oughte with good cause to reioyce when they fall into diuers tentations The antecedent he proueth by the ende of tentation being ouercome after this maner when he that is tempted is tried he shall receiue a crowne of life therefore he may well be called blessed The antecedent is grounded vpon the promises of God vvhich crovvne sayth he God hath promised to them that loue him This place y e Papists abuse to confirme their opinion concerning merites of workes But the very circumstance of the place confuteth them For the Apostle dealeth here with them that are conuerted who being iustified before by fayth do go thorow diuers tentations to the hauen of blessednesse Agayne it is one thing to speake of the cause of saluation and another thing to speake of the way by which we must come vnto saluation which is free Neyther is the crowne of life a rewarde due to our fighte but a free recompence of our labour For
Psalme place him amōg the dwellers in y e tabernanacle of y e Lord that is among the heires of eternall life which contemneth a vile person and honoureth them that feare the Lorde Whether is this accepting of persons or no Accepting of persons is properly when as the true cause by the which wee ought to pronounce of the person being neglected we doe consider in the persons some other thing without the cause for which eyther we pronounce false sentence agaynst the person or otherwise doe accept and fauour the person Wherefore this precept of the Apostle doth not subuert and ouerthrowe the order of God established in the fourth commaundement concerning the honor of superiours But if any mā should despise a poore man that is godly and preferre a rich man that is wicked he leauing the true cause shoulde iudge amisse as Iames sheweth when he sayth 2 For if there come into your company a man vvith a gold ring and in goodly apparel and there come in also a poore man in vile rayment 3 And ye haue respect to him that vveareth the gaye clothing and say vnto him sit thou here in a goodly place and say vnto the poore stande thou there or sit here vnder my footestoole 4 Are ye not partiall in your selues and are become iudges of euill thoughtes By this example he declareth what maner of accepting of persons he condemneth to wit that which followeth a false iudgement for a true in iudging men For he which doth that is not onely condemned by the iudgement of his owne conscience but also his iudgement is peruerse and naughtie which taketh riches for a rule of difference He doth not therfore simply forbid to honor the rich but he speaketh by the way of comparison and condemneth him which honoureth wicked rich men with the contempt of godly poore men Wherefore that accepting of persons is here condemned which followeth a false difference for a true which keepeth not a right maner which erreth from the right ende If any man therfore preferreth a rich man before a poore bicause he is rich his iudgement is peruerse and corrupt Agayne if thou doest so preferre a rich man before a poore that thou handle the poore man reprochfully there is sinne in the maner thereof Finally if thou preferre a rich man before a poore to winne fauor thereby thou hast erred from the right ende For what thing is more vnworthie than to despise the poore man which is godly and learned and honourably to receyue and entertayne the rich man which is vngodly and vnlearned He which maketh such a difference with himselfe betweene the poore man and the riche is become a iudge of euill thoughtes that is is not rightly affected but iudgeth peruersly agaynst the rule of godlynesse and charitie 5 Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this vvorlde that they shoulde be rich in fayth and heires of the kingdome vvhich he promised to them that loue him He doth in a short entrance or preface stirre vp the hearers to be attentiue to the argument which he afterwarde annexeth God hath chosen the poore of this world which are rich in fayth that they should be heyres of the kingdome which he hath promised to them that loue him Therefore the poore of this world are not to be contemned In this argument note the order of our restoring againe In the first place is set election which is noe where els to be sought but in Christ Ephes 1. In the second is set fayth whereby generall election is applyed to the hearers of the Gospel For God hath chosen on this condition if men be engraffed by fayth in his sonne without whom is no election but mere reprobation In the third is put inheritance whereby is signified adoption by which the beleeuers receiue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God In the fourth is added loue for that is the true fruite of fayth and an affection proper to the sonnes of God It is no maruayle therefore if God hath promised a kingdome to them that loue him For they by fayth haue obtayned power to be the sonnes of God yea and to be called heires of the heauenly kingdome For it is manifest out of Paule that loue is not the cause of reigning when he sayth The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Of Election THis place doth admonish that I speake something concerning election For I see not a fewe to erre from the true cause thereof Paule sayth 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world c. And here Iames saith God hath chosen the poore of this vvorld Hereupon some do not rightly gather y t wise mighty noble and rich men are reprobates on the contrary the ignorant weake vnnoble and poore are chosen For if wisedome power noblenes and riches which all are the giftes of God were the cause of reprobation and contrariwise foolishnes weakenes vnnoblenesse and pouertie were the cause of election it should follow that all rich men are reprobates and all poore men chosen but both is false For not a few rich and noble men are godly chosen and saued and many poore men are vngodly reprobates and condemned Why therfore doth Paule say Not many wise men not many mighty not many noble Paule doth not speake of the counsel of God who will that al men shall be saued and come vnto the acknowledging of the truth 1. Timoth. 2. Which would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentaunce 2. Pet. 3. But he accuseth the naughtines of men which abuse the giftes of God to their owne destruction The Gospell calleth all but some pretend one thing some an other wherby they doe not come Many being entised and as it were made druncken with wisedome many with might many with noblenes many with riches many also with other thinges cannot abide the sweete sauour of the Gospell Whereby it commeth to passe that not by the counsell of God which hath created no man to certayne damnation but by their owne fault they are not elect For God will haue all at length to be saued if so be that they doe embrace by fayth the author of their saluation They which contemne him doe worthely fall away from saluation For God will cast awaye those and condemne them no otherwise then an earthly father doth cast of and disherit an obstinate and disobedient sonne which he woulde not haue done if he had obeyed his father If therefore we consider the counsell or purpose of our creation and restoring againe by Christ God in deede will haue all men to be saued but yet by saluation and life that is by Christ the mediatour But if thou marke the euent or ende he will condemne all
the righteousnes of God For Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerye one that beleeueth Here Paule maketh this to be the cause of the casting of of the Iewes for that they woulde ioyne their owne righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of God which is by fayth and of both ioyned togither make one forme of righteousnesse Also Rom. 11. he reasoneth thus If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Paule here first setteth downe two contrarie propositions without any meane betwene them If election and saluation be of workes it is not of grace If it be of grace it is not of workes bicause that debt and gift are so contrarie that neither of them may rightly be sayde one of the other or both of them of any thirde Eyther therefore we are iustified and saued by fayth alone or by workes but the testimonies before alledged doe proue that no man is iustified by workes Agayne if christian righteousnesse did consist of fayth and works togither the reasoning of Paule were fonde and vayne Rom. 4. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnesse Here Paule maketh two sortes of righteousnesse which differ the one from the other For they haue contrarie causes For the righteousnesse of fayth by which he that beleeueth is iustified is imputed and giuen freely but the righteousnesse of works is not free Furthermore if one part is to be attributed to fayth the other part to workes in the iustification of man two absurdities should followe thereof one that the promise shoulde be made vncertaine which ought to be certaine Another that the satisfaction of Christ coulde not suffice except it were stablished by our workes Wherefore we embrace the saying of Augustine which sayth It is grace in no poynt except it be free in all poyntes But the occasion of the errour of the Papistes was a Philosophicall imagination which knoweth no righteousnesse except it be a certayne qualitie in vs. For it vnderstandeth not that a man may be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnesse of another Nowe let vs come to essentiall righteousnesse concerning which first it is to be vnderstand y t we are in no wise righteous before God by y e essential righteousnes of God but in respect of the principall efficient cause For the formall righteousnesse by which we are righteous before God is no other than the obedience of Christ as Paule plainly teacheth Rom. 5. By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous But the obedience of Christ is of two sortes of the crosse and of the lawe By the obedience of the crosse whereby he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Philip. 3. the Lorde doth make a full satisfaction for our sinne The obedience of the lawe he imputeth vnto vs that beleeue that by it we maye appeare righteous in the sight of God Paule sayth that this righteousnesse or obedience of Christ is imputed to them that beleeue therfore it is neyther substance nor qualitie abyding in them whereby a man is made righteous formally Wherefore this affirmance is surely to be helde that christian righteousnes is the obedience of the sonne of God imputed to him that beleeueth But in the meane season we must also vnderstande this that the Scripture maketh mention of three kindes of righteousnesse of man whereof one is of fayth by which we stande before God and this is perfect as the obedience of Christ is perfect neyther is it diminished or increased by the diminishing or increasing of fayth For the Publicane had this full and perfect as well as Peter although the fayth of Peter was much more manifest and knowne Another is the beginning of obedience which is also called the righteousnesse of a good conscience This is not set agaynst the wrath of God bicause it is not perfect obedience of the lawe yet it is necessary in as much as it is the proper fruite of fayth An other there is which is as yet looked for whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 5. For we through the spirite wayte for the hope of righteousnesse through fayth And 1. Iohn 3. Dearly beloued nowe are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure This righteousnesse therefore is a making of vs lyke vnto God a dwelling of God in vs a full fruition of God an absolute and perfect loue And although we must confesse that the heartes of them that beleeue are the temples of the holy ghost and Christ sayth Iohn 14. If any man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and wil dwell with him yet it doth not followe that this dwelling of God in vs is the righteousnesse whereby we stande before God but it is a diuine presence in vs by which we are renued doe feele comfort and begyn to approch to eternall life Furthermore if men were iustified here by essentiall righteousnesse there shoulde be no difference betweene the righteousnesse by which we are righteous in this lyfe and that by which we shall be like vnto God in all eternitie But Paule putteth a manifest difference betweene these two For he sayth that we haue the righteousnesse of fayth nowe here in this lyfe but that we doe looke for another righteousnesse which Iohn defineth to be a framing or fashioning whereby we shall be fashioned lyke vnto God which fashioning shall proceede from hence in that we shall see him as he is Newe obedience is necessarily ioyned with fayth For regeneration which cannot be absent from a iustifying fayth doth necessarily bring forth it fruites which are seene in newe obedience For after that a man through the grace of regeneration is made a newe tree he ought to bring forth newe that is good fruites which Paule in his Epistle to the Philip. calleth the frutes of y e righteousnes of fayth Iames pronounceth in his own peculiar and proper phrase that men are iustified by the same that is acknowledged and declared iust This newe obedience is sometime called sanctification which consisteth of the mortifying of the fleshe and of the quickening of the spirit For Paule sayth thus Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption He is made our wisedome in the preaching of the Gospell He is made our righteousnesse by the attonement for sinne and imputation of righteousnesse He is made our
the instruments of Satan by the which he draweth men vnto destruction To this he addeth a promise And he vvill flee from you that is he will not hurt you he will not ouerthrow you with his subtleties and delusions 8 Dravv neare to God and he vvill dravv neare to you clense you handes ye sinners and purge your heartes ye double minded He commandeth and promiseth He commaundeth that we drawe neare vnto God to wit by fayth and true obedience For as he is sayd to depart from God which doth abandon and giue himselfe to the lustes of the worlde by which he draweth neare vnto the deuill so he which departeth from these is sayd to draw neare vnto God He promiseth when he sayth And he vvill dravv neare vnto you This promise is grounded vpon the continuall loue of God towards mankind whereby he desireth not the death of a sinner He doth here call them sinners which exercise manifest impietie and them double minded which sayde in wordes that they did worship God and in the meane season did follow their owne lusts and concupiscence 9 Suffer afflictions and sorovve ye and vveepe Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauines He setteth this agaynst the pleasures of them which follow their owne lustes and laugh and reioyce in them For it becommeth the godly rather to mourne and suffer affliction and so to be ashamed for the sinnes which they haue committed that they cast their countenance downe to the earth for shame For that the greeke word signifieth which y e Apostle here vseth 10 Cast dovvne your selues before the Lorde and he vvill lift you vp Bicause the godly are contēned and dispised in the world the Apostle doth encourage theē bid theē remaine in that subiectiō wherby they are subiect to God in true feare also he doth comfort thē when he saith y t it wil come to passe that God at the length will lift them vp and wipe away the teares from their face For by the word of lifting vp is signified comfort agaynst the sorrow of this present life and deliuerance from all the miseries and troubles of this life 11 Speake not euil one of an other brethren He that speaketh euill of his brother or he that condemneth his brother speaketh euil of the lavv and condemneth the lavv if thou condemnest the lavv thou arte not an obseruer of the lavv but a iudge He doth againe represse the intemperance of the tongue in accusing and condemning other adding a most strong reason taken of the grieuousnes of the deed No man ought to speake against the law and condemne it He that speaketh agaynst his brother and condemneth him speaketh against the law and condemneth it Therefore no man ought to speake against his brother and condemne him The Minor or second proposition of the argumēt he proueth because he that condemneth the law is not an obseruer of the law but a iudge Now to condemne the law is to reiect the authoritie thereof and to challenge vnto himselfe that right which is due to the law and so to peruert the order of thinges For it is the office of the lawe to prescribe a rule of life and to iudge of those thinges that are done But it is the dutie of man to submit himselfe to the authoritie of the lawe and to obserue it But he which doth the contrarie that is he that vsurpeth authoritie to iudge and censure others doth with sacrilege chalenge that to himselfe which is proper to the law Iames in this place speaketh onely agaynst those which of a peruerse and corrupt iudgement speake against their brethren that they may distaine their good name and get vnto them selues an opinion of holines he doth not reprehend those which iudge of duetie so as they follow the authoritie and rule of the law in iudgeing For he that doth this is to be sayd not so much to iudge himselfe as to pronounce the iudgement of God which we see Iames here often times to haue done 12 There is one lavv giuer vvhich is able to saue and to destroy VVho art thou that iudgest ā other mā That which is proper vnto God no man without sacrilege can vsurpe vnto himselfe It is proper vnto God to be a Lawgiuer and a Iudge which hereby is manifest bicause he only hath power to saue and to destroy Therfore no man can take vpon him selfe this authoritie without sacrilege Iames speaketh here also as I admonished before of rashe iudgement proceeding from a desire of deprauing and sclaundering 13 Go to novve ye that say to day or to morovv vve vvill go into such a citie and continue there a yere and buye and sell and get gaine 14 And yet ye cannot tell vvhat shall be to morrovv For vvhat is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and aftervvarde vanisheth avvay 15 For that ye ought to say If the Lorde vvill and if vve liue vve vvill do this or that This is a correction of rashe presumption in determining vpon things to be done and he prescribeth two conditions which he requireth in all deliberations The first is that we giue place to the will of God and that we attempt nothing without calling vpon him The cause of this condition is for that the will of God ought to be vnto the godly a rule to worke by The other condition is that we doe alwayes thinke vpon the fraylenesse of our lyfe which seing it is lyke vnto a vapour that continueth but a small time he is vnwise which promiseth vnto himselfe things that are to come and vncertaine Wherefore we are admonished in this place that we doe so behaue our selues in all our doings that we may be ready whensoeuer we shall depart from hence 16 But novve ye reioyce in your boastings all such reioycing is euill He sheweth frō whence this presumption in doing things doth come to wit of an arrogant reioycing which seing it is euill and alwayes to be auoyded that also which springeth thereof is not without good cause to be eschewed 17 Therefore to him that knovveth hovve to do vvell and doth it not to him it is sinne The conclusion directly brought in of that which went before shoulde be this No man therefore of a vayne reioycing ought rashly to purpose with himselfe to doe anye thing as though the euent or falling out thereof did lye in his owne handes But in the place of this conclusion he putteth an exaggerating or amplifying of that sin which he reprehendeth He sinneth more grieuously which sinneth willingly and knowing thereof than he which offendeth of ignorance Wherefore he cannot be excused which knoweth what is to be done and howe it is to be done and yet doth it not Chap. 5. The summe of the fift Chapter AS he forbiddeth a rashe othe and giueth counsayle to the afflicted hauing first sharply rebuked the rich and
barren fields did make them better by planting and graffing that is by good ordering and vsage and did pay to the owners a certayne yerely rent for the vse of the fields the right neuertheles of the possession remayning in the letter of them out This particular was afterwarde translated to a generall that is to the letting out of all fieldes and houses This contract therefore concerning tilling and planting consisteth in the dealing with the grounde and lande only wherin fruite commeth to him that hyreth by tilling and due ordering but the letter of it out doth remayne the true owner of the lande and therefore according to the lawes and customes of countries he doth iustly receyue part of the fruite by the bargayne Of the contract of societie IN that which they call the contract of societie that is whereas one bestoweth money only and another onely labour or one bestoweth money and labour another only money or labour or both bestow money and labour but not equally we must follow the foundation without deceite doe not that to an other which thou wilt not haue done to thy selfe He which contrarie to this foundation shall deceiue his felow is vniust and hath broken the lawes of brotherly societie These things I thought good to adde concerning contracts and bargaines that I might herein haue consideration of the consciences of the godly A full and perfect doctrine of bargaines may be taken out of the writinges of the lawyers who of purpose as cunning and skilfull in these matters doe write of them most copiously neither is there any cause that any man should thinke that the ordinances or decrees of wise gouernoures concerning bargaines or other offices profitable in the life of man are against the Gospell For as before we haue witnessed the Gospell doth not abolish ciuill ordinances For the Lorde sayth My kingdome is not of this worlde The Gospell therfore leaueth to euery nation the lawes therof which varying not from the tenne commaundements do tend to the mayntayning of commō weales and families Wherfore the godly may most safely follow this rule All bargaynes approued of the lawfull magistrate which hath the chiefe gouernment are lawfull vnto Christians so as they doe not playnely disagree with the lawe of nature and the ten commaundements And therefore the godly may vse them freely with a good conscience without offending God no otherwise then these elements which are common both to the godly and vngodly A Question concerning the goods of the Church Whether it be lawfull for heires to require againe the goods which their forefathers haue bestowed vpon the Church for the celebrating of Masses the Masses nowe ceasing ye being quite abolished The Aunswere A Difference must be put betweene the next ende of the giuing and the last ende The next ende of the giuing was the celebrating of the Masse which seeing it is vngodlye they doe well which abolishe the custome thereof The last ende was the mayntaining of the worshippe and seruice of God To this ende bicause it is good and holye ought all the goodes to be referred which in time past were giuen to the celebrating of Masses An obiection They obiect that in many of their deedes of gift this clause is expressed If such custome of celebrating Masse or of singing shall cease let the heires haue power to receyue againe those goods which their forefathers haue giuen to the celebrating of Masses c. The Aunswere THey that bestowed those goods vpon the Church did erre in the particular and not in the general The particular is the celebration of the Masse The generall is the worship and seruice of God The heyres therefore being better instructed ought to correct the faultes of their forefathers and conuert that to the true worship of God which was appoynted for the prophaning of the supper of the Lorde Yea I thinke that this is rather the office of the godly magistrate that these goodes be not suffered to serue the auarice of priuate men Flora an harlot of Rome bestowed the substance that she had which was verye great to the maintayning of a yearely pageant or play at Rome When the most graue censor Cato thought good that this play should be abolished for the dishonestie thereof and for the filthie gestures and behauiour of harlots the heires of Flora the playes of Flora being abolished do require againe the goods that Flora had giuen But the Senate of Rome did most wisely iudge that these goods ought not to returne to the heires but that the purpose of Flora which gaue them was to be considered whose last will was that the goods which she had giuen should serue the common weale of Rome For Flora although shee erred in the particular yet did she not erre in the generall Wherefore that the generall might be kept the Senate of Rome did most rightly iudge that those goods which Flora had giuen should not be restored to the heires which required them bicause the playes of Flora were abolished After the same maner those goods that are giuen to the maintayning of masses ought not to be restored to the heires the masses ceassing but are to be conuerted to the generall end that they may serue the Church of God that is that they may be giuen to them that teach to them that learne to them that haue deserued to them that are keepers and defenders of the Church They ought not to serue the pleasures of men but the necessities of y e Church So also dooth Bartolus a most excellent lawyer iudge which toucheth this very case concerning masses in his commentaries vpon the law Of that which is giuen to the citie The wordes of Bartolus are these If he that maketh his last will and testament hath left an hundred poundes for singing masses which masses cannot be song because of the commaundement to the contrarye that which was left ought to be conuerted to an other vse The same Bartolus doth a little before set downe the generall sentence If sayth he he that maketh his last will addeth a maner or condition which is vnpossible to wit by reason of the prohibition for some lawfull and honest ende then if it can not be fulfilled after that sort which he hath fayd it is conuerted to some other lawfull vse The grieuousnes of the sinne of them which couetously and greedily get into their handes the goods of the Church THey which couetouslye and greedilye get into theyr handes the goods of the Church doe violate both tables For they are both vngodly against God and also cruell toward the Church and the members thereof Inasmuch as they doe both with sacriledge vsurpe vnto them selues those things that are giuen to the worship of God also doe spoyle the needie members of the Church of their liuing Cicero affirmeth that he doth more grieuouslye offend which wrongfully taketh any thing out of the common treasurie then he which stealeth the treasure of