mystruste his worde and they that loue hym wyll kepe his coÌ„maundements c. Thus is it euydent that fayth muste nedes be a worke glorious puyssaunt wherby man optayneth so much of the LORDE How coulde ony maÌ„ comprehende and perceaue the power of faith and that by fayth we are one with God Ihon sayeth That God hath geuen all meÌ„ power to be the chyldreÌ„ of God Christ sayd All thynges are possible vnto hym that beleueth And agayn Yf ye beleue ye shall se the glorye of God And agayne Yf ye haue fayth as a grayne of mustarde sede ye maye saye vnto this mountayne Remoue hence to yonder place and he shall remoue nother shall ony thynge be vnpossible vnto you Now seynge God worketh so gloriously in all faythfull hartes then is it conuenient that we humbly beseke hym to teach vs to trust in his worde For we shall reioyce so much in his goodnesse loke for so much aide coÌ„forte at his haÌ„de as we can trust in hym and in his worde We â—ede of SusaÌ„na that what tyme she was in hir moost distresse anguish beyng iudged wrongfully to death she syghed and prayed to God trustyng stedfastly in him and y e LORD delyuered her Daniel also whan he was cast in y e LyoÌ„s denne was not hurte of them for he trusted in God The godly worde commeth not for nought it worketh wonderfully whan it is receaued in fayth Therfore doth saynt Iames erhorte vs to receaue with mekenesse the word that is grafted in vs whiche is able to saue our soules A man can not erre so longe as he can testyfye hys lyfe to be led accordynge to Gods worde Yf a man haue his myndefixed vpon mans inuencyons or inuented holynesse he maye surely be dysquyete and confortlesse But so longe as a man hath his eyen fixed vpon God and his worde bearynge Gods commaundementes in his harte so longe doth that man walke in sekernesse beynge assured of all y e is expressed by Gods worde and is sure of his sauegarde and coÌ„forte accordynge as Paul sayeth All men are lyars but God is true The sonne of God is the wysedome of y e father Who so now doth yelde hym selfe vnto the word receauyng therby the wysedome of the father the same is dryuen from death vnto lyfe by the sprete of God Syrak sayeth that wysedome breatheth lyfe in to hyr chyldren receaueth them that seke her It foloweth then that they which haue once assayed god by his worde in the wysedome of God that those I saye maye come to complete lyfe But it is contrarye with the worldly wysedome as wytnesseth Paul sayenge In so muche as the worlde by the wysedome ther of knewe not God in his wysedome it pleased God thorowe folyshe preachynge to saue them that beleue Whan Paul was mynded to conuerte ony man then wolde he laye nothynge before hym saue onely Gods worde sayenge I haue begotten you in CHRIST IESV thorowe the gospell Wherfore I exhort you be ye my folowers as I am IESV CHRISTES So longe as a man redresseth hys lyfe accordyng to Gods worde so longe shall he come walkynge the ryghte waye of saluacyon and reioyce in his conseyence For all that the worde of God doth vtter is concernynge ether mercy or in warde consolacyon Peter sayeth Ye knowe of the preachynge y t God sent vnto the chyldreÌ„ of Israel preachyng peace thorow IESVS CHRIST Of hym beare al the prophetes wytnesse that thorow his name all they that beleue in hym shall receaue remission of synnes Luke also wrytyng CRISTES wordes saieth Thus is it wrytten and thus it behoued CHRIST to suffre and the thirde day to tyse agayne from the dead and to let repentaunce and remyssioÌ„ of synnes be preached in his name amoÌ„geal nacions This knewe Esay afore hande whan he sayde Lyke as the rayne and snowe commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thy ther againe but watereth the earth maketh it frutefull and grene that it maye geue corne and bread vnto the so wer So the worde also that coÌ„meth out of my mouth shall not turne vnto me voide agayn but shal accomplyshe my wyll and prosper in the thynge whereunto I sende it Hereby we are taughte that like as the earthe is made frutefull of the rayne that God sendeth so shall we also be renewed and be frutefull yf we knowlege God a ryghte by hys worde and reioice in al that he hath wytesafe to warne vs of by hys worde Yee we shall mortifye the fleshe wyth all hys desyres and he ioyned to God He that cleueth vnto god becommeth one sprete wyth hym and optayneth all goodnesse wyth hym A man reioyceth so muche in God as he is knytte wyth him by fayth and is diligent in all thynges to forther hys glorye The olde father Symeon beholdynge the lytle babe and beynge sure in wardlye that he was hys saueoure for he loked for hym by hys fayth reioyced in hys harte desyrynge to go to hys reste by bodely death for his eyen had sene the saue garde of men Euen so lykewyse we yf we had sene by fayth the loue which God beareth to ward vs how hartelye shulde we then yelde oureselues vnto death For fayth certyfyeth the harte that God is a mercy full father and that mercye shall be shewed vnto vs by y e death of IESV CHRISTE We can optayne no greater rewarde than to beleue that God is wyth vs and we beynge wyth the LORDE are safe Steuen seynge heauen open by fayth sayde incontinentlye LORDE receaue my sprete For thys cause sayde Paule Because therfore that we are iustyfyed by faythe we haue peace wyth God thorow oure LORDE IESVS CHRISTE by whom also we haue an entraunce in faythe vnto thys grace wherein we stonde Here lo is no mencyon of workes or of y â— lawe for by the workes is noman iustyfyed But the workes muste breake oute thorowe loue and declare oure inwarde fayth by workynge of charitable dedes Iob was ashamed of all hys workes and was not so bold as to lyfte vp hys heade before hys LORDE God but submitted hymselfe lowly vnto him ye though ther had ben founde some right wy sucsse in hym Dauid also sayde LORDE entre not in to iudgemente with thy seruaunte for in thy syghte shall noman lyuynge be iustifyed Neuerthelesse God wyllynge to certifye vs what we maye optayne by fayth he shewed vs that by pure and onely loue and mercye he taketh the synner to grace wythoute ony regarde of dedes so that mercye shulde be shewed to vs of promyse and not of dewtye Therfore ought we to geue all glorye vnto God onely Dauid wytnesseth thys same sayenge Blessed are they whose vnryghteousnesse is forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whome the LORDE imputeth no syn and in whose sprete ther is no gyle Herin maye you perceaue the maner of tustifienge namely
oure thoughtes wytte wyl shall be enployed howe we maye agayne tendre y e LORD al seruice loue thankfulnesse after that we know what vnoutspeakeable loue mercy is shewed vs by him It were vndoutedlye a greate losse yf god shuld loue vs for naught yf his loue shuld not worke in vs nor bryng forth the frutes of y ◠same or yf it shulde haue wrought no saluaciō in vs whereto god hath alwaye geuen it For than shuld god be ydle in vs w t his loue w t his holy word w t his goodnesse yee w t al his precious giftes Thā I say shulde not god haue ony glorye nor praise in vs for al y e benefites which we do possesse by his boūteous goodnesse By y e frutes may it be euident what a great act god hath wrought in a faithfull harte Therfore sayde CHRIST I am come to kindle a fyre vpō earth what wold I rather thā that it were kyndled alreadye Is not my worde fyre sayeth the LORDE and lyke an hammer that breaketh the harde stone It is sure a cōsumynge fyre bryngyng to naughte the iustes of y e fleshe and kyndlynge man to charitable dedes Thus muste it be workynge and maye not come agayn voyde as sayeth Esay As for the frutes of the spirite y t be wroughte by fayth in loue those maye we fele in oure selues Fyrste Yf we do reste vpon CHRISTE IESV onely reioycynge in hym onely trustyng to hys goodnesse onely the which he hath promised by his word Secondarly may we know thē by y e mortifycacion of the fleshe wyth hys desyres namely Yf we haue conquered oure selues by the loue of God and lyue nowe in all mekenesse and clenlynesse of harte Thyrdlye yf we be kyndled by the aforesayde loue w t mercye and kyndnesse to warde oure nedy neghbour To the which Pau doth exhorte vs sayenge Now therfore as the electe of God holye and beloued put on tender mercye kyndnesse humblenesse of mynde mekenesse longe sufferynge forbearinge one another and forgeuynge oue another yf ony man haue a quarell agaynst another Lyke as CHRIST hath forgeuē you euen so do ye also But aboue all thynges put on loue whiche is the bonde of perfectnesse And the peace of God rule in youre hartes to the whiche ye are called in one body se y t ye be thākful Loue couereth the multitude of synnes Hereby haue we perceaued loue y t he gaue hys lyfe for vs and therefore oughte we also to geue oure lyues for the brethren But he that hath thys worldes goode and seyng hys brother haue nede shutteth vp hys harte from hym howe dwelleth the loue of God in hym My lytle chylderen let vs not loue with worde nother wyth tunge but wyth the dede and with the treuthe And agayne Dearlye beloued let vs loue one another for loue cōmeth of God and euery one that loueth is born of god and knoweth God He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue We knowe that we are translated from death vnto lyfe because we loue the brethren He that loueth not hys brother abydeth in deathe Whosoeuer hateth hys brother is a manslayer And ye know that a man slayer hath not eternall life abyding in hym Iames sayeth that ther shal be iudgemente mercylesse to hym that sheweth no mercye CHRISTE in the daye of iudgemente shall verye rouglye requyre of vs y ◠dedes of charite Wherfore lyke a true watch man he doth admonyshe vs of hys loue that he myghte draw vs to the same sayenge Be ye therfore mercyfull as youre father also is mercyfull And agayne A newe commaundemente geue I you that ye loue together as I haue loued you euen so loue ye one another By thys shall euerye man knowe that ye are my dyscyples yf ye haue loue one to another By all these afore sayed places of scrypture doth the LORDE admonyshe vs howe we oughte so be lyke hym in loue For fayth doth declare herselfe openly by loue As God is the loue hymselfe euen so is man lyke vnto God yf he be louynge And as God of hys loue hath redymed vs wythout oure helpynge handes euen so must we vtter the same loue to our neghboures behofe He therfore that hath no loue to warde his neghbour how cā he haue ony goodnesse in him wherby he might be acceptable vnto god or wherin he may be equal w t god by loue He y t fulfylleth not it y t god hath commaunded howe shall he optayne it of god that which god hath promised It is loue y e causeth mā al y t he doth to to be acceptable vnto God Therfore speaketh Iames so muche of workes Fayth muste declare it selfe by dedes of charite not that the workes are an occasyon of oure ryghteousnesse for than shulde God be depryued of hys glorye the which maketh vs ryghteous in the fayth thorowe CHRISTE leste we shulde boaste oure selues but rather make oure boaste of CHRISTE IESV which maketh y e synner ryghteous by faith workinge loue in man Of thys treateth Paull very muche Whan workes come from a beleuynge harte than are they acceptable vnto God thorowe fayth the whiche a mā doth vtter by the workes of loue God loked fyrst vpon Abel and than vpon hys gyftes For thys cause sayeth Iames What auayleth it my brethren thoughe a man saye he hathe fayth whan he hath no dedes For sayth yf it haue no dedes is dead in it self Abraham is made ryghteous thorowe workes that is the workes were coūted ryghteous by faith and gaue testymonye that he hadde fayth what tyme he wolde haue offered hys sonne Isaac Therfore sayth scrypture Abraham beleued God and it was counted hym for ryghteousnesse For thys cause shall man searche and examine hymselfe whether he hath declared hys faythe by dedes of charite or not lest he deceaue hymselfe thynkyng to haue faith and loue whan he can talke and vtter many wordes of the same Who so therfore fyndeth himselfe without loue beynge yet fleshlye mynded grauntynge the fleshe hys requeste he I saye is not yet come to y e true faith Yf we now be come to the true loue than are we caried by death vnto lyfe and can reioyce duely in hym that loueth vs. For this cause sayde Paule We praye alwayes for you that oure God make you worthy of the callynge and fulfyll all delectacyon of goodnesse and the worke of fayth in power that the name of our LORDE IESVS CHRISTE maye be praysed in you and ye in hym accordynge to the grace of oure God of the LORDE IESVS CHRISTE I beseke the LORDE entierlye which is onely the geuer of al goodnesse that he wyll so lyghten and steare our hartes inwardly that we maye reioyce a ryghte in hys loue rendre hym agayn thākes prayse with a feruēt loue though oure synfull soules be not worthye of suche loue But
hym a coÌ„mauÌ„dement namely y e he shuld not eat of the tre of knowlege of good euell This coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t was geueÌ„ vnto AdaÌ„ by God to y e entent y e he wolde proue whether he wolde abyde stedfast by his word coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t or not But y e deuel which was minded to bring synne deathe in to the worlde thorow vnbelefe occasioned to it by his enuye to mankynde he hath stered the serpent which was the sotyleste creature of all creatures to saye vnto the woman Yee hath God sayd in dede Ye shall not eate of all maner trees in the garden Then sayd the woman vnto the serpent We eate of the frute of the trees in y â— garden But as for the frute of the tre that is in the myddes of the gardeÌ„ God hath sayde Eate ye not of it touche it not lest ye dye Whan the Serpent now perceaued that Euastode weakely vpon Gods worde for she sayde lest we dye where God neuerthelesse hadde sayde Loke in what daye so euer thou eatest therof thou shalt dye the death he dyd assault Eua fyrst to make her dout in Gods worde and to brynge her froÌ„ it Now whan he had her so farre than brought he her yet farther sayenge Tush ye shall not dye y e death For God knoweth that in what daye so euer ye eate of it youre eyes shalbe opened and ye shalbe as God and knowe both good euell And the woman sawe that the tre was good to eate of and lusty vnto y e eyes and a pleasaunt tre to make wyse and toke of the frute of it and dyd eate gaue vnto hit husbande also therof and he dyd eate Thus haue they both lefte Gods worde and haue done theyr wyl and fulfylled theyr desyre and lust Thus hath man cast hym selfe awaye thorowe mysbelefe transgressyng gods worde and coÌ„maundement The lust and desyre that Adam conceaued in his fyrst appetite doth yet remayne in hym for we are of the same fleshe and substaunce and also folow theÌ„ ature of it We are so sore wrapped in mysbelefe that it is also vnto vs the cause and occasyon of all synne so that we be naturaly chyldren of wrath by inspiracyon of y t prynce of the ayre which is a sprete workynge in the chyldren of mysbelefe fulfyllynge the pleasure of the fleshe for the whiche the wrath of God commeth vpoÌ„ the chyldren of vnbelefe Whan man now leauynge the worde of God regardeth not God folowynge hys owne wytte and wysedome than is his harte and mynde darkened and drawen awaye trustynge more to his owne wysedome then to his LORDE his God And his harte conceaueth nothynge saue the lust and desyre of the fleshe of the which he is ledde captyue so that he axeth no more counsell at God This doth Dauid complayne sayenge The foolysh bodyes saye in theyr hartes Tush ther is no God They are corrupte and become abhominable in theyr doynges ther is not one that doth good The LORDE loked downe from heauen vpon the chyldren of men to se yf ther were ony that wolde vnderstand and seke after God But they are all gone out of the waye they are altogether become vnprofitable ther is none that doth good no not one All this commeth by mysbelefe and whan man setteth no more by God his worde nor hath no more lust vnto hym For yf man dyd abyde by God beheld alway the wonderous and glorious workes whiche the LORDE hath declared vnto vs by his benefytes and goodnesse it were not possible that he shulde forsake his LORDE his God but shulde alwaye be gyded of God and his worde sekynge at hym onely all his comforte and health But seynge he is deceuered from God and his worde and wyll stande to his owne wysedom which is but playne â—oly therfore is he rest lesse and to his LORDE his God is he vnfaythfull as wytnesseth Esaye sayenge He that is vnfaythfull dealeth vnfaythfully Dauid also sayeth They kepte not the coÌ„uenauÌ„t of God and wolde not walke in hys law They forgat what he had done and the wonderfull workes that he hadde shewed for them In all this haue they synned and dyd not beleue in his wonderfull workes for the soule of the vnfaythfull is not stedfaste nor trewe in hyr selfe By all these euydences and reasons are we taught that all wyckednesse is come in the worlde by mysbelefe for thorowe mysbelefe hath man but slender knowlege of God and accordynge as he hath knowlege of God so muche loueth he God and reioyceth in his goodnesse This mysbelefe doth so kepe a man bouÌ„d in synfulnesse that he can not fele or perceaue ony goodnesse to come vnto hym from the blessed LORDE Thoughe he saye that he beleueth CHRIST to be crucyfyed and that he hath suffred the paynfull death which the deuyls also beleue yet beleueth not he so as one y t can rest in this deth only as one y t is fully per suaded to haue mercy forgeuenes therby of y e LORDE For yf he coulde beleue this he shuld both loue God and reioyce wholye in hym not lokynge aboute for to optayne ony other mercye of what creature soeuer it were It shuld suffise him to know God which will receaue him to hys mercy Wherfore the cause why meÌ„ be so coulde in loue towarde God and so straunge from him is that they knowe him so lytle that they haue so smal perceuerauÌ„ce of y t loue that he hath towarde vs. Lo what vnkindnesse commeth by mysbelefe as whan man is not fully certyfyed in his harte that God will geue vs so much as he hath promysed vs by hys worde yee so litle is maÌ„ inwardlye reioyced and comforted as he doth beleue and is assured in his coÌ„science that God is will be good vnto vs. For yf he knoweth not God in hys goodnesse howe can he reioyce in hys goodnesse Thus is it euydent that man abydeth presoned of hys owne wytte and wysedome thorowe vnbelefe Thys caused Esaye to saye Therfore commeth my people also in captyuyte because they haue no vnderstondynge Dauid also speaketh of thus myserable estate sayenge O LORDE howe glorious are thy workes thy thoughtes are very depe An vnwyse man wyll not knowe thys and a foole wyll not vnderstonde it And agayne in another place They wyl not be learned and vnderstonde but walke on styll in darknesse Who so is not lyghtened thorowe the worde of the LORDE to knowe the LORDES waye and to perceaue hys saluacyon by the faythe in God that man walketh in darknesse altogether fyndynge no restynge place for hys synfull soule hauynge a weake hope to fynde saluacyon by the LORDE Thys is it that Dauid sayde They beleued not in God and put not theyr truste in hys helpe Esaye calleth vs oute of thys darknesse sayenge Who so walketh in darknes and no lyghte shyneth vpon him let hym hope in the LORDE
of Egipte that ledde vs thorow the wyldernes thorow a desert rough lande c. And continently after in y e same place For my people hath done two euels They haue forsaken me the wel of the water of lyfe and dygged them pyttes Yee vyle and broken pyttes that holde no water And it foloweth also Thyne owne wyckednesse shal reproue the and thy turnynge awaye shall condempne the that thou mayest know and vnderstande how hurtefull a thynge it is that thou hast forsaken the LORDE thy God not feared hym sayth y e LORD God of hoostes Wherfore whan we beholde oure selues duely remembrynge the worthynes and excellency of y â— chosen soule whiche of ryght shulde be a bryde of IES VS CHRISTE for of nature can not she be refresshed nor comforted but onely of God What so euer she seketh besyde hym that maketh her disquyete and comfortlesse For this cause is it nedefull for vs to lyfte oure eyen vp towarde heauen besekynge hym humbly to conforte vs wyth his owne presence Nother is this accomplyshed but onely whan the LORDE declareth his goodnesse vnto vs by his word and that we then reioyce in all the goodnesse which he hath promysed vs therin Yf we forsake y e worde then shal the soule become cold strauÌ„ge froÌ„ god This confirmeth Ieremy sayenge I wyll cast you out of this lande in to a lande that ye nor your fathers knowe not and there shall ye serue straunge goddes day nyght there wyll I shewe you no fauoure That man verely hath no rest whiche falleth to ony shapeÌ„ creature or to ony inuencion ymaginacyon of man Where maÌ„ doth yet procure ryghteousnesse saluacyoÌ„ by his owne mother wytte wysedome there doth not god work his worke This may be tried by many places of scripture CHRIST dyd not shewe many tokeÌ„s there where was no faith because y e they knowynge y t ther is one God haue not praysed hym as God nor thanked hym but became vayne in theyr ymaginacyoÌ„s theyr folyshe hart was blinded WhaÌ„ they couÌ„ted theÌ„selues wyse they became fooles And why EueÌ„ because saith Paul they knowe not the ryghteousnesse which auayleth before God go about to mayntayne theyr owne righteousnesse thus are not they subdued vnto y e ryghteousnesse whiche is of value before God CHRIST is y e ende of the law vnto-ryghteousnesse for euery one y t beleueth For God so loued the world that he gaue his only sonne that wo so euer beleueth in hym shulde not peryshe but haue euerlastynge lyfe Lo how saluacyoÌ„ commeth by fayth Who so therfore doth not receaue the worde by fayth the same abydeth in darknesse daÌ„ynacion as CHRIST wytnesseth in the same place sayenge But he that beleueth not is condempned already because he beleueth not on y e name of the onely sonne of God But this is the condemnacion that the lyght is come in to the worlde and men loued the darcknesse more then the lyght for theyr workes were euell Who so euer doth euell hateth the lyght and commeth not to y e lyght that his dedes shulde not be reproued Here in are we enformed that it is Gods wyll that all men be saued and that we shall knowlege the fathers loue whiche hath geuen vs CHRISTE to be oure Saueoure and that we shulde knowlege oure saluacion to come by hym whiche hath accomplyshed the worke of oure health in vs. But seynge many men do not turne them selues to God warde walkynge after theyr owne wyll and desyre therfore cannot they haue knowlege of the saluacyon that is promised and geuen vs by CHRIST Man muste vtterly forsake hym selfe with all that is in hym and rest vpon CHRISTE onely by whose death we maye fynde sauynge health But alas for pytie ther be many vayne and pufte vp in theyr fleshly myndes which holde not them selues to the heade and worde nother come to CHRISTE to be humbly taught of hym This is the cause why y e Pharises came not to God but sayde it that Iob dyd prophecy aforehande sayenge They saye vnto God Go froÌ„ vs we desyre not the knowlege of thy wayes What maner of felowe is y e Almyghty that we shulde serue hym What profyte shuld we haue to submytte oure selues vnto hym Esaye also sayeth Thou hast hadde trouble for the multitude of thyne owne wayes yet saydest thou neuer I wyll leaue of Thou thynkest to haue health or lyfe of thy self and therfore thou beleuest not that thou arte sycke Yee heare what O see the prophete sayeth I droue Ephraim Iuda plowed and Iacob played the husbandman that they might so we vnto righteousnes and reape the frutes of weldoynge that they myghte plowe vp theyr fresshe new tylled lande and seke the LORD tyll he came taught theÌ„ ryghteousnesse But now they haue plowed them wickednesse therfore shall they reape synne and eat y e frut of lyfe Seynge thou puttest thy coÌ„fidence in thyne owne wayes leanest to the coÌ„fideÌ„ce of thy worthies ther shall growe a sedicyon amonge thy people By this is it euideÌ„t that man remayneth in his vnfaythfulnesse thorow his owne wysedome For the LORDE wyll teache vs w t his worde only yf we couet to walk aryght in his way Al is but foolyshnesse be man neuer so well learned yf he knewe nought of God Therfore sayeth Paul The worde of the crosse is foolyshnesse vnto theÌ„ y t perish but vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God For it is written I wyl destroye the wysedome of the wyse and wyll cast away the vnderstandyng of the prudeÌ„t For so much as the worlde by the wysedome therof knewe not God in his wysedom it pleased God thorowe foolysh preachynge to saue them that beleue Yf oure Gospell be yet hyd it is hyd in them that are loste amonge whome the God of thys worlde hath blynded the myndes of them whiche beleue not that the lyghte of the Gospell of the glorye of CHRISTE whiche is the ymage of God shuld not shyne vnto them And in another place saieth Paul Because they receaued not the loue of the treuth that they myghte haue bene saued therfore shall God sende theÌ„ stronge delusyon that they shulde beleue lyes that all they myghte be damned whiche beleued not the treuthe but had pleasure in vnryghteousnesse It hath bene the LORDES wyll alwaye to draw euery man vnto hym both by benefytes and wordes But whan he seyth the hartes to remayne styll harde and peruerted than threateneth he the vnbeleuynge y t they shall come to naught yf they do not receaue hys worde sayenge The kyngdome of God shall be takeÌ„ from you shalbe geueÌ„ vnto y â— Heythen which shal bryng forth y e frutes of it And who so falleth vpoÌ„ thys stone that is CHRIST shalbe brokenâ—â— peces and loke vpon whoÌ„ it falleth it shal grynde him to poulâ—â—r This is fearful to heare of him