imputed to him for righteousnesse Sith therfore it is said that the acte done by Phinees was imputed to him for righteousnesse what Paule affirmeth of faith the same may we also conclude of works Whervpon our aduersaries as though thei had wonne the victorie determine that we are in dede not iustified without faith but that we are also not iustified by it alone and that workes accomplish our righteousnesse Therefore here I beseache the godly that if thei knowe that the true rule of righteousnesse is to be taken out of the Scripture only thei will religiously and earnestly weie with me how the Scripture may without cauillations be rightly made to agree with it selfe For asmuch as Paul knewe that the iustificatioÌ„ of faith is the refuge for them that ar destitute of their own righteousnesse he doth boldly coÌ„clude that al thei that ar iustified by faith ar excluded from the righteousnesse of works But sith it is certayne that the iustification of faith is common to all the faithfull he dothe thereof with like boldenesse conclude that no man is iustified by works but rather contrariewise that men are iustified without any helpe of workes But it is one thing to dispute of what value works are by themselues and an other thing what accompt is to be made of them after the stablishing of the righteousnesse of faith If we shal set a price vpon works according to their worthinesse we saie that thei are vnworthy to come into the sight of God and therefore that man hath no workes whereof he may glorie before God then that being spoiled of al helpe of works he is iustified by only faith Now we define righteousnesse thus that a sinner being receiued into the communion of Christ is by hys grace reconciled to God when being cleansed with his bloode he obteineth forgeuenesse of sinnes and being clothed with his righteousnesse as with his own he staÌ„deth assured before the heauenly iudgment â—eate WheÌ„ the forgeuenesse of sinnes is set before the good workes which folowe haue now an other valuation than after their own deseruing bycause whatsoeuer is in them vnperfect is couered with the perfectioÌ„ of Christ whatsoeuer spottes or fylthinesse there is it is wyped away wyth hys cleannesse that it maye not come into the examination of the iudgement of God Therfore when the giltines of al trespasses is blotted out whereby men are hindred that thei can bring forthe nothing acceptable to God and when the faulte of imperfection is buried whiche is wonte also to defile good workes the good workes which the faithful do are compted righteous or which is all one are imputed for righteousnesse Now if any man obiect this against me to assaile the righteousnesse of faithe first I will aske whether a man be compted righteous for one or two holy works being in the rest of the works of his life a trespasser of the law This is more than an absurditie Then I will aske if he be compted righteous for many good works yf he be in any parte founde gilty This also he shal not be so bolde to affirme when the penal ordinaâ—ce of the law crieth oute against it proclameth al them accursed which haue not fulfilled all coÌ„maundementes of the lawe to the vttermost Moreouer I wil go further ask whether ther be any work that deserueth to be accused of no vncleannesse or imperfection And howe could there be any such before those eies to whom eueÌ„ the very starres are not cleane enough nor the Angeles righteous enough So shal he be compelled to graunt that there is no good worke which is not so defiled with transgressions adioyned with it with the corruptnesse of it selfe that it can not haue the honoure of righteousnesse Nowe if it bee certaine that it proceedeth from the righteousnesse of faith that woorkes which are otherwise vnpure vncleane and but halfe workes not worthy of the sight of God much lesse of his loue are imputed to righteousnesse why do thei with boasting of the righteousnesse of workes destroye the iustification of faith wheras if this iustification were not thei shold in vaine boaste of that righteousnes Wyll thei make a vipers birthâ— For therto end the saiengs of the vngodly meÌ„ Thei can not denie that the iustificatioÌ„ of faith is the beginning foundatioÌ„ cause matter substance of the righteousnesse of works yet thei coÌ„clude the man is not iustified by faith bycause good workes also are accoÌ„pted for righteousnesse Therfore let vs let passe these follies confesse as the truth is that if the righteousnesse of works of what sort soever it be accoÌ„pted hangeth vpon the iustificatioÌ„ of faith it is by this not onely nothing minished but also coÌ„firmed namly wherbi the strength therof appeareth more mighty Neither yet let vs think that works ar so coÌ„meÌ„ded after fre iustificatioÌ„ that thei also afterward come into the place of iustifieng a maÌ„ or do parte that office betwene them faithe For vnlesse the iustificatioÌ„ remaine alway whole the vncleannes of workes shal be vncouered And it is no absurditie that a man is so iustified by faith that not only he himself is righteous but also his woorkes are esteemed righteous aboue their worthynesse After this maÌ„ner we wil grauÌ„t in workes not only a righteousnes in parts as our aduersaries theÌ„selues wold haue but also that it is alowed of God as if it wer a perfect ful righteousnesse But if we remeÌ„bre vpoÌ„ what fouÌ„datioÌ„ it is vpholdeÌ„ al the difficultie shal be disolued For then noâ— til their beginneth to be an acceptable worke wheÌ„ it is receiued with pardoÌ„ Now whense coÌ„meth pardoÌ„ but bicause God beholdeth both vs â—amp al our thinges in Christe Therefore as we when we are graffed into Christ do therfore appeare righteous before God bicause our wickednesses are couered with his innocence so our workes are be taken for righteous bicause whatsoeuer faultines is otherwise in theÌ„ being buried in the cleannesse of Christe it is not imputed So we may rightfully sai that bi onli faith not oÌ„ly we but also our works ar iustified Now if this righteousnes of works of what sorte soeuer it be hangeth vpoÌ„ faith tree iustification is made of it it ought to be included vnder it and to he sette vnder it as the effect vnder the cause therof as I may so cal it so farre is it of that it oughte to bee raysed vp either to destroy or darken it So Paule to dryue men to confesse that oure blessednesse coÌ„sisteth of the mercy of God not of works chefli enforceth that saying of Dauid Blessed are thei whose iniquitties are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is he to whom the Lord hath not imputed sinne If any maÌ„ do thrust in to the contrary innumerable sayings wherin blessednesse seemeth to be geuen to works as are these Blessed is the man whiche feareth the Lord whiche hath pitie on the poore
because in the whole sede of Adam the heaueÌ„ly father founde nothing worthy of his election he turned hys eyes vnto hys Christ to thoose as it were members out of hys body them whome he would take into the felowship of lyfe Lett thys reson then be of force among the faythfull that we were therefore adopted in Christe into the heauenly inheritance because in our selues we were not able to receiue so greate excellence Whiche also he toucheth in an other place wheÌ„ he exhorteth the Colossians to geuing of thankes for thys that they were by God made fytt to be partakers of the estate of the holy If electioÌ„ goe before thys grace of God that we be made fitt to obteyne the glorie of the life to come what shall God hymselfe nowe fynde in vs wherby he maye be moued to elect vs My meaning shal yet be more openly expressed by an other sayeng of hys He hath chosen vs sayeth he ere the fundacioÌ„s of the world were layed according to the good pleasure of his will that we might be holy and vnspotted and vnreprouable in his sight where he setteth the good pleasure of God against al our deseruinges whatsoeuer they be That the profe may be more strong it is worth the labor to note al the partes of that place which being coupled together doe leaue no doute Where he nameth the elect it is no dout that he speaketh to the faithful as he also by and by afterwarde affirmeth Wherefore they doe with to fowle a glose abuse that name whiche wrest it to the age where in the Gospel was first published Where he sayth that they were elect before the beginning of the world he taketh away all respect of worthinesse For what reason of difference is there betwene them whiche yet were not and those which afterwarde should in Adam be egall Now if they be elect in Christ it foloweth that not only euery man is seuered without hymselfe but also one of them from an other forasmuch as we see that not al are the members of Christ. That which is added that they were elect that they might be holy plainly coÌ„futeth the error which deriueth election from foreknowlege forasmuch as Paule cryeth out against it and sayth that whatsoeuer vertue appeareth in men it is the effecte of electioÌ„ Now if a hyer cause be sought Paul answereth that God hath so predestinate yea and that according to the good pleasure of his will In which wordes he ouerthroweth whatsoeuer meanes of their electioÌ„ men do imagine in themselues For he also teacheth that whatsoeuer thinges God geueth towarde spirituall lyfe they flowe out of thys one fountaine because God hath chosen whom he would and ere they wer borne he had seuerally layed vp for them the grace which he vouchesaued to geue them But whersoeuer this pleasure of God reigneth there no works come to be considered He doth not here in dede pursue the comparison of coÌ„traries but it is to be vnderstanded such as he himselfe declareth He hath called vs sayth he with a holy calling not according to our workes but according to hys purpose and the grace which is geuen vs of Christ before the tymes of the world And we haue alredy shewed that al dout is takeÌ„ away in this which foloweth that we might be holy and vnspotted For if thou say because he foresawe that we should be holy therefore he chose vs thou shalt peruert the order of Paule Thus therefore thou mayest safely gather If he chose vs that we might be holy then he chose vs not because he foresawe that we would be such For these two thinges are contrarie the one to the other that the godly haue it of election that they be holy and that they come to it by meane of woorkes Neyther is their cauillation here any thing worth to which they commonly flee that the Lord doth not render the grace of election to any workes going before but yet graunteth it to workes to come For wheÌ„ it is sayd that the faythfull were chosen that they might be holy therewithall is signified that the holinesse which was to come in them toke beginning at election And how shall thys sayeng agree together that those thinges which are deriued from election gaue cause to election The same thing which he sayd he semeth afterwarde to confirme more strongly where he sayth According to the purpose of his wil whiche he had purposed in himselfe For to say that God purposed in hymselfe is as much in effect as if it had ben said that without himselfe he considered nothing wherof he had any regarde in decreing Therfore he by by addeth that the whole summe of our election tendeth to this ende that we shoulde be to the prayse of the grace of God Truely the grace of God deserueth not to be praysed alone in our electioÌ„ vnlesse our election be free But free it shal not be if God in electing his doe consider what shal be the workes of euery one Therfore we fynde that the whiche Christ sayd to hys disciples hath place vniuersally among al the faythful Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Where he not onely excludeth deseruinges past but also signifieth that they had nothing in themselues why they should be chosen if he had not preuented them then with hys mercie Lyke as thys sayeng of Paul is also to be vnderstode Who first gaue to him and shal receiue recompense For he meaneth to shewe that the goodnesse of God so preuenteth men that it fyndeth nothing in them neither past nor to come wherby he may be wonne to be fauourable to them Now to the Romaines where he fetcheth thys questioÌ„ further of and foloweth it more largely he denyeth that al they are Israelites which are issued of Israel because although by ryght of inheritance they were all blessed yet the succession did not egally passe to them al. The beginning of thys disputation proceded of the pryde and deceitful glorieng of the Iewishe people For wheÌ„ they claimed to themselues the name of the Chirch they would haue the credit of the Gospell to hang vpoÌ„ their wil as the Papistes at thys day would gladly wyth thys fained color thrust themselues into the place of God Paul although he graunt that the ofspryng of Abraham is holy by reson of the couenauÌ„t yet affirmeth that the most parte of them are strangers in it and that not onely because they â—warue out of kynde so that of lawful children they become bastardes but because the speciall election of God standeth aboue and reigneth in the hyest top which alone maketh the adoption therof sure If their owne godlinesse stablished some in the hope of saluation and their owne fallyng away alone disherited other some Paul verely should both fondly and vnconueniently lift vp the reders euen to the secrete election Now if the wil of of God the cause wherof neither appeareth nor is to be
Lorde ys bryghte that geueth lyghte to the eyes c. Agayne A launterne to my feete ys thy woorde and a lyghte vnto my pathes â–ª and innumerable other that hee reherseth in all that Psalme Neyther are these thynges agaynste the sayinges of Paule wherein vs shewed not what vse the lawe mynystreth to the regenerate butte what yt ys able to geue to manne of yt selfe Butte here the Prophete reporteth wyth howe greate profyte the Lorde doothe instructe them by readynge of hys lawe to whome hee inwardely inspyreth a readynesse to obeye And hee taketh holde not of the commaundementes onely butte also the promyse of grace annexed to the thynges whyche onely maketh the bytternesse to ware sweete For what were lesse ameable than the lawe yf yt shoulde onely wyth requyringe and threateninge trouble soules carefully wyth feare and vexe them wyth terroure Butte specially Dauid sheweth that hee in the lawe conceyued the Mediatoure wythoute whome there ys no delyte or sweetenesse Whyche whyle some vnskyllfull menne canne not discerne they boldely shake awaye all Moses and bydde the two tables of the lawe farrewell bycause they thynke yt ys not agreable for Christyans to cleaue to that doctrine that conteyneth the minustration of deathe Lette thys prophane opynyon departe farre oute of oure myndes For Moses taughte excellently well that the same Lawe whyche wyth synners canne engendre nothynge butte deathe oughte in the holly to haue a better and more excellente vse For thus when hee was reddy to dye hee openly sayde to the people Laye youre heartes vpon all the woordes that I doe testyfye to youe thys daye that ye maye commytte them to youre chyldren that ye maye teache them to keepe to doe and to fullfyll all the thynges that are wrytten in the volume of thys lawe bycause they are not vaynely commaunded you butte that euerye one shoulde lyue in them butte yf no manne canne denye that there appeareth in yt an absolute paterne of ryghteousnesse then eyther wee muste haue no rule at all to lyue iustely and vpryghtely or els yt ys not lawefull for vs to departe from yt For there are not manye butte one rule of lyfe whyche ys perpetuall and canne not bee bowed Therefore whereas Dauid maketh the lyfe of a ryghteous manne continually busied in the meditation of the lawe let vs not referre that to one age onely bycause it is moste meete for all ages to the cude of the woorlde and lette vs not therefore be frayed awaye or flee from beynge instructed by it bycause yt appoynteth a muche more exacte holynesse than we shall perfourme whylâ— wee shall carry about the parson of our bodie For nowe yt executeth not against vs the office of a rygorous exacter that wyll not be satysfyed but wyth hys full taske perfourmed butte in thys perfection where vnto it exhorteth vs it sheweth vs a marke towarde whyche in all oure lyfe to endeuoure is no lesse profitable for vs than agreable wyth oure dutie In whyche endeuoure if we faâ—le not it is well For all thys lyfe ys a race the space whereof beynge runne cute the Lorde wyll graunte vs to atteine to that marke towarde whyche our endeuoures do trauaile a farre of Nowe therefore whereas the lawe hathe towarde the faythfull a power to exhorte not suche a power as maye bynde theyr consciences with curse butte suche as wyth often callynge on maye shake of sluggyshnesse and pynche imperfection to awake it many when thei meane to expresse thys delyueraunce from the curse thereof do saye that the lawe is abrogate to the faythfull I speake yet of the lawe moral not that it dothe no more commaunde them that whyche is ryghte butte onely that it be no more vnto them that whych it was before that is that it do no more by makynge afrayde and confoundynge their consciences damne and destroye them And truely suche an abrogation of the lawe Paule dothe plainely teache and also that the Lorde himselfe spake of it appeareth by thys that he woulde not haue confuted that opinion that he shoulde dissolue the lawe vnlesse it hadde been commonly receyued amonge the Iewes Butte forasmuche as it could not ryse causelessly and wythoute any coloure it is lykely that it grewe vpon false vnderstandynge of hys doctryne as in a manner all erroures are wonte to take occasion of truthe but leaste we shoulde also stumble at the same stone let vs dylygently make distinction what is abrogate in the lawe and what remayneth yet in force Where the Lorde protesteth that he came not do destroye the lawe butte to fullfill yt and that till heauen and earthe passe awaie no one iote of the lawe sholde passe awaye butte that all shoulde be fullfylled he sufficiently confyuneth that by hys comminge nothinge shoulde be taken awaye from the out keepinge of the lawe And for good cause sithe he came rather for this ende to heale offences Wherefore the doctrine of the lawe remayneth for all Christians inuiolable which by teachynge admonyshynge rebukynge and correctynge maye frame and prepare vs to euerye good woorke As for those thynges that Paule speaketh of the curse it is euident that they belonge not to the verye instruction butte onely to the force of byndynge the conscience For the lawe not onely teacheth butte also wyth authoritie requyreth that whyche yt commaundeth If yt be not perfourmed yea yf duetye be stacked in any parte it bendeth her thunderboulte of curse For thys cause the Apostle sayth that all they that are of the woorkes of the lawe are subiecte to the curse bycause it is wrytten Cursed is euery one that fullfylleth not all And he sayeth that they be vnder the woorkes of the lawe that do not sette ryghteousnesse in the forgeuenesse of synnes by whyche we are loosed from the rigoure of the lawe He teacheth therefore that we muste bee loosed from the bondes of the lawe vnlesse we wyll miserablye peryshe vnder them But from what bondes the bondes of that rigerous and sharpe exactinge that releaseth nothing of the extremitie of the lawe and suffereth not any offense vnpunished From this curse I saye that Christe mighte redeeme vs he was made a curse for vs. For it is wrytten Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon the tree In the capter folowinge in deede he sayth that Christe was made subiecte to the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe but all in one meanynge for he by and by addeth that by adoption we mighte receiue the righte of children What is that that we shoulde not be oppressed wyth perpetuall bondage that shoulde holde oure conscience fast strained with anguishe of death In the meane tyme thys alwaye remaineth vnshaken that there is nothinge withdrawen of the authoritie of the lawe but that it oughte styll to bee receyued of vs wyth the same reuerence and obedience Of ceremonies it is otherwise whiche were abrogate not in effecte but in vse onely And this that Christe by hys commynge
the guidynge thereof Whoe can choose but be astonished at these monstruous thinges Yet it is a common learnyng amonge them whiche blynded wyth madnesse of lustes haue put of all common reason but what Christ I beseche you doe they frame vnto vs and what spirite doe they belche out For we reknowledge one Christ and his only Spirit whome the Prophetes haue commended whom the Gospell geuen vs doth preache of whome we there heare no such thyng That Spirit is no patrone of manslaughter whoredom droÌ„kennesse pride coÌ„tentioÌ„ couetousnesse gutle but the author of loue chastitie sobrietie modestie peace teÌ„peraÌ„ce truth It is not a giddy spirit and runneth hedlong without consideration through right and wrong but is ful of wisedome vnderstanding that discerneth rightly betwene iust and vniust It stirreth not vnto dissolute and vnbridled licentiousnesse but maketh difference betwene lawefull and vnlawfull and teacheth to kepe measure and temperance but why doe we labour any longer in confutynge this beastly rage To Christians the Spirit of the Lord is not a troublesome phantasie whiche eyther themselues haue brought forth in a dreame or haue receyued beyng forged of other but they reuerently seeke the knoweledge of him at the Scriptures where these two thynges be taught of hym First that he is geuen vs vnto sanctificatioÌ„ that he might bryng vs into the obedience of Gods wil beyng purged from vncleannesse defilinges whiche obedience can not stand vnlesse lustes be tamed and subdued wherunto these men would geue the bridle at libertie Secondly we are taught that we are so cleansed by his sanctification that we are still besieged with many vices and much weakenesse so longe as we are enclosed in the burden of our bodye whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that beyng farre distant from perfection we haue neede alwaye to encrease somewhat and beyng entaÌ„gled in vices we haue neede dayly to wrastle with them Whereupon also foloweth that shakynge of slouth and carelesnesse we muste watche with heedeful mindes that we be not compassed vnware with the snares of our fleshe Unlesse paraduenture we thinke that we haue proceded further than the Apostle which yet was weried of the Angel of Satan that his strength might be made perfecte with weakenesse and whiche did vnfaynedlye represent in his fleshe that diuision of the flesh and of the spirit But whereas the Apostle in describynge of repentance reckeneth seuen eyther causes or effectes or partes thereof he doth that of a very good cause and these they be endeuour or carefullnesse excusyng indignation feare desire zele punishement Neyther ought it to seme any absurditie that I dare not certainely determine whether they ought to be compted causes or effectes For both may be defended in disputation They maye bee also called affections ioyned wyth repentance but bicause leauynge out those questions we maye vnderstande what Paule meaneth we shal be content with a simple declaration of them He sayth therefore that of the heauinesse whiche is accordynge to God ariseth carefulnesse For he that is touched with an earnest felynge of displeasure bycause he hath sinned agaynst his God is therewithall stirred vp to diligence and heedefulnesse to winde himselfe clerely out of the snares of the Deuell to take better heede of his snares to fall no more from the gouernance of the holy ghost not to be oppressed wyth securitie Nexte is Excusyng whiche in this place signifieth not the defense whereby a sinner to escape the iudgement of God eyther dothe denye that he hath offended or diminisheth the hainousnesse of his faulte but a purgation whiche standeth rather in crauyng of pardon than in defense of his cause Lyke as the children that are not reprobate when they acknowledge and confesse their faultes doe yet vse entreatynge and that it maye take place they protest by all meanes that they can that they haue not cast awaye the reuerence that they owe to their parentes Finally they so excuse them as they goe not about to proue themselues righteous and innocent but only that they maye obteyne pardon Then foloweth Indignation wherby the sinner fretteth inwardly with hymselfe quareleth with hymselfe is angry with hymselfe when he recordeth his owne peruersnesse and his owne vnthankfulnesse to God By the name of feare he meaneth that tremblynge that is stryken into our mindes so ofte as we thynke bothe what we haue deserued and howe horrible is the seueritie of Gods wrathe agaynste sinners For we muste needes then be vexed wyth a maruellous vnquietnesse whiche bothe instructeth vs to humilitie and maketh vs more ware agaynst the time to come Nowe yf out of feare doe sprynge that carefulnesse whereof he had spoken before then we see with what lynkyng they hange together It semeth to me that he hath vsed this worde Desire â—or diligence in our dutie and redy cherefulnesse to obeye whereunto the acknowledgynge of our owne faultes ought chiefely to prouoke vs. And thereunto also belongeth zele which he ioyneth immediatly next vnto it For it signifieth a feruentnesse wherwith we be kindled when we be spurred forwarde with these pryckyng thoughtes what haue I done whether had I throwen my selfe hedlonge yf the mercie of God did not help me The last of all is punishment for the more rigorous that we be to our selues and the streightlier that we examine our owne sinnes so much the more we ought to trust that God is fauorable and merciful vnto vs. And truely it is not possible but that the soule beyng striken with horrour of the iudgement of God muste needes do some execution in the punishyng of it self Truely the godly hoâ—â—e what punishmeÌ„tes are shame confusion mourning lothyng of theÌ„selues other affections that spring out of earnest acknowleging of sinnes But let vs remeÌ„ber that there is a measure to be kepte that sorrow do not swallow vs vp bicause nothing more redily happeneth to fearefull consciences than fallyng to despeire And also by that crafty meane whom so euer SataÌ„ findeth ouerthroweÌ„ with dreade of God he more and more drowneth them in the gulfe of sorrowe that they maye neuer rise vp againe Truely the feare can not be to great which endeth with humilitie and departeth not from hope of pardon But alwaye as the Apostle teacheth the sinner must beware that while he moue himselfe to the lothyng of himselfe he despeire not oppressed with to great feare for so doe we flee awaye from God whyche calleth vs in him by repentance Upon whiche point this lesson of Bernarde is very profitable Sorrowe for sinnes is necessarie yf it bee noâ— contâ—nuall I counsell you sometime to returne your faute from gâ—â—nous and paynefull remembrance of your owne wayes and to 〈◊〉 vp to the playne grounde of cherefull remembrance of benefites of God Let vs mingle honye with wormâ— wood that the holsome â—â—tternesse may bring vs health when it shal be dronke tempered wâ—â—â— swetenesse And if ye thinke of your selues in humilitie thinke also of the
bicause the Lord hath determined to haue mercie vpoÌ„ men to this ende that they shuld repeÌ„t he teacheth men whether they shall trauaile if they will obteine grace Therfore so long as we shall dwell in the pryson of our body we must continually wrastle with the vices of our corrupt flesh yea with our own naturall soule Plato sayth in certayne places that the life of a Phylosopher is a meditation of death but we may more truely say that the life of a Christian maÌ„ is a perpetuall studie and exercise of mortifieng the fleshe till it beyng vtterly slayue the Spirit of God get the dominion in vs. Therefore I thinke that he hath much profited that hath learned much to mislyke himself not that he should sticke faste in â—hat myre and goe no further but rather that he should haste and long toward God that being graffed into the death life of Christ he should studie vpon a continuall repentance as truely they can not otherwise do that haue a naturall hatred of sinne for no man euer hated sinne vnlesse he were first in loue with righteousnesse This doctrine as it was most simple of all other so I thought it beste to agree with thâ— truthe of the Scripture Nowe that Repentance is a singular gift of God I thinke it be so wel knowen by the doctrine aboue taught that I neede not to repete a long discourse to proue it agayne Therfore the church prayseth and hath in admiratioÌ„ the benefit of God that he hath geuen the Gentiles repentance vnto saluation And Paule commaundyng Timothee to be patieÌ„t and milde toward the vnbeleuers sayth If at any time God geue them repentance that they maye repent from the snares of the Deuel God in deede affirmeth that he willeth the conuersion of al meÌ„ and directeth his exhortations generally to all men but the effectual workyng therof hangeth vpon the Spirit of regeneration Bicause it were more easy to create vs men than of our owne power to put on a better nature Therfore in the whole course of regeneration we are not without cause called the worke of God created to good workes which he hath prepared that we should walke in them Whom soeuer the lordes will is to deliuer from death those he quickeneth with the Spirit of regeneration not that repentance is properly the cause of saluation but bycause it is alredy seen that it is vnseparable froÌ„ fayth and from the mercie of God sithe as Esaye testifieth there is a redemer come to him and to those that in Iacob are returned from their wickednesse This truely standeth stedfastly determined that were so euer liueth the feare of God there the Spirite hath wrought vnto the saluation of man Therfore in Esaie when the faithful complaine and lament that they are forsaken of God they recken this as a token of beyng reprobates that their heartes were hardened by God The Apostle also meanyng to exclude apostataes from hope of saluation apointeth this reason that it is impossible for them to be renewed vnto repentance bicause God in renewyng them whom he wil not haue perish sheweth a tokeÌ„ of his fatherly fauour and in a maÌ„ner draweth them vnto him with the beames of his cherefull and mery contenaÌ„ce on the other side with hardenyng them he thundereth agaynst the reprobate whose wickednesse is vnpardonable Whiche kinde of vengeance the Apostle threateneth to wilfull apostataes whiche when they depart from the faith of the Gospell do make a scorne of God reprochefully despise his grace and defile treade vnder feete the bloud of Christ yea as much as in them is they crucifie him agayne For he doth not as some fondly rigorous men would haue it cut of hope of pardon from all wilfull sinnes but teacheth that apostasie is vnworthy of all excuse so that it is no maruell that God doth punish a contempt of himself so full of sacrilege with vnappeasable rigour For he sayth that it is impossible that they which haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift haue ben made partakers of the holy ghost haue tasted of the good word of God the powers of the world to come yf they fall shuld be renewed to repeÌ„tance crucifiyng againe of newe and makyng a scorne of the sonne of God Againe in an other place If sayth he we willingly sinne after knowledge of the truth receyued there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certayne dreadfull expectation of iudgement c. These also be the places out of the wroÌ„g vnderstandyng wherof the Nouatians in old time haue gathered matter to play the mad men with whose rigorousnesse certaine good meÌ„ beyng offended beleued this to be a counterfait Epistle in the Apostles name whiche yet in all partes doth truely fauour of an Apostolike spirite But bycause we contend with none but with theÌ„ that allowe it it is easy to shewe how these sentences do nothing mainteine their errour Firste it is necessarie that the Apostle agree with his maister whiche affirmeth that all sinne and blasphemie shal be forgeueÌ„ except the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost which is not forgeuen neyther in this world nor in the world to come It is certaine I saye that the Apostle was contented with this exception vnlesse we will make him an aduersarie to the grace of Christ. Whereupon foloweth that pardon is denied to no special offenses but only to one whiche procedyng of a desperate rage can not be ascribed to weakenesse and openly sheweth that a man is possessed of the Deuell But to discusse this it behoueth to enquire what is that same so horrible offense that shall haue no forgeuenesse Whereas Augustine in one place defineth it an obstinate stifnesse euen vnto death with despeire of pardon that doth not well agree with the very wordes of Christ thaâ— it shall not be forgeuen in this world For eyther that is spoken in vaine or it maye be coÌ„mitted in this life But if Augustines definition be true then it is not committed vnlesse it continue euen vnto death Wheras some other saye that he sinneth against the holy ghost that enuieth the grace bestowed vpon his brother I see not froÌ„ whense that is fetched But let vs bring a true definitioÌ„ which beyng ones proued with sure testimonies shall easily by it selâ—e ouerthrowe all the reste I saye therefore that they sinne agaynst the holy ghost which of set purpose resist the truthe of God with brightnesse wherof they are so daseled that they can not pretend ignorance whiche they do only to this ende to resâ—st For Christe meanynge to expounde that whiche he had sayd immediatly addeth He that speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeueÌ„ him but he that blasphemeth agaynst the holy ghost shal not be forgeuen And Matthew for the blasphemie against the holy Spirit putteth the spirit of blasphemie But how can a maÌ„ speake a reproche against the
righteousnesse that is of God by faith coÌ„pting not his righteousnesse that which is by the law but yâ— whiche is by the faith of Iesu Christ. You see that here is also a coÌ„parison of coÌ„traries that here is declared the he which wil obteine the righteousnesse of Christ must for sake his owne righteousnesse Therefore in an other place he sayth that this was the cause of fal to the Iewes yâ— goyng about to stablish their owne righteousnesse they were not subiect to yâ— righteousnesse of God If in stablishyng our owne righteousnesse we shake away the righteousnesse of God therefore to obteine Gods righteousnesse our owne must be vtterly abolished And he sheweth the same thyng when he fayth that our glorieng is not excluded by the law but by faith Wherupon foloweth that so long as there remaineth any righteousnesse of workes how litle soeuer it be there still remaineth to vs some 〈◊〉 to glorie vpoÌ„ Now if faith exclude al glorieng then the righteousnesse of workes can no wise be coupled with the righteousnesse of faith To this effect he speaketh so playnely in the .iiij. chapter to the Romanes that he leaueth no roume for cauillations or shiftes If sayth he Abraham was iustified by workes he hath glorie And immediatly he addeth but he hath no glorie in the sight of God It foloweth therefore that he was not iustified by workes Then he vryngeth an other argument by contraries when reward is rendred to workes that is done of det and not of grace But righteousnesse is geuen to fayth accordyng to grace Therefore it is not of the deseruinges of workes Wherfore farewell their dreame that imagine a righteousnesse made of faith and workes mingled together The Sophisters thinke that they haue a suttle shifte that make to themselues sport and pastime with wrestyng of Scripture and with vayne cauillations For they expoÌ„nd workes in that place to be those which men not yet regenerate doe only literally by the endeuour of free will without the grace of Christ and do saye that it beloÌ„geth not to spiritual workes So by their opinion a man is iustified bothe by faith and by workes so that the workes be not his own but the giftes of Christ and frutes of regeneration For they saye that Paule spake so for none other cause but to conuince the Iewes trusting vpoÌ„ their owne workes that they dyd foolishly presume to clayme righteousnesse to theÌ„selues sithe the only Spirit of Christ doth geue it vs and not any endeuour by our owne motion of nature But they doe not marke the in the coÌ„parison of the righteousnesse of the law the righteousnesse of the gospell which Paule bringeth in in an other place all workes are excluded with what title so euer they be adorned For he teacheth that this is the righteousnesse of the law that he shuld obteâ—â—e saluation that hath performed that whiche the law coÌ„maundeth and that this is the righteousnesse of fayth yf we beleue that Christ died and is risen againe Moreouer we shall her after shewe in place fitioâ— it that sauctification righteousnesse are seuerall benefites of Christ Whereupon foloweth that the very spirituall workes come not into the accompt when the power of iustifieng is ascribed to fayth And where Paule denieth as I eueÌ„ now alleged that Abraham had any thing wherupoÌ„ to glorie before God bicause he was not made righteous by workes this ought not to be restrayned to the literall and outward kinde of vertues or to the endeuour of free will But although the life of the Patriarch Abraham were spirituall and in manner Angelike yet he had not sufficient deseruynges of workes to purchace him righteousnesse before God The Scholemen teach a litle more grosâ—y that mingle their preparations but these do lesse infect the simple and vnskilfull with corrupt doctrine vnder pretense of Spirit and grace hydyng the mercie of God whiche only is able to appease tremblyng consciences But we confesse with Paul that the doers of the law are iustified before God but bicause we are all far from the keping of the law herupon we gather that the workes which should most of al haue auailed to righteousnesse do nothing help vs bicause we lacke them As for the coÌ„mon Papistes or Scholemen they are in this point doubly deceiued both bicause they cal faith an assuredneâ—se of conscieÌ„ce in loking for reward at the hand of God for deseruinges and also bicause they expound the grace of God not to be a free imputation of righteousnesse but the holy ghost helpyng to the endeuour of holinesse They reade in the Apostle that he which coÌ„meth to God muste first beleue that there is a God then that he is a rendrer of reward to them that seke him But they marke not what is the manner of seking And that they are deceyued in the name of grace is plamely proued by their owne writings For Lombarde expoundeth that iustification by Christ is geuen vs two wayes First sayth he the death of Christ doth iustifie vs when by it charitie is stirred vp in our heartes by which we are made righteous Secondly that by the same death sinne is destroyed whereby Satan helde vs captiue so that nowe he hath not whereby to condemne vs. You see how he considereth the grace of God principally in iustification to be so far as we are directed to good workes by the grace of the holy ghost He would forsoth haue folowed the opinion of Augustine but he foloweth him a far of goth far out of the waye froÌ„ rightly folowing him bicause if Augustine haue spokeÌ„ any thing plainly he darkeneth it if there be any thing in Augustine not very vnpure he corrupteth it The Scholemen haue stil strayed from worse to worse till with hedlong fall at length they be rolled downe into a Pelagian errour And the very sentence of Augustine or at least his manner of speakyng is not altogether to be receyued For though he singularly wâ—ll taketh from man all prayse of righteousnesse and assigneth it wholly to the grace of God yet he referreth grace to sanctificatioÌ„ wherby we are renewed into newnesse of life by the holy ghost But the Scripture when it speaketh of the righteousnesse of faith leadeth vs to a far other end that is to say that turnyng away from the loking vpoÌ„ our owne workes we should only loke vnto the mercie of God and perfection of Christ. For it teacheth this order of iustificatioÌ„ that first God vouchsaueth to embrace maÌ„ beyng a sinner with his mere and free goodnesse consideryng nothing in him but miserie whereby he may be moâ—ed to mercie for asmuch as he seeth him altogether naked voide of good workes fetchyng from himself the cause to do him good then that he moueth the sinner himself with feling of his goodnesse which desperyng vpon his owne workes casteth all the summe of his saluation vpon Gods mercie This is the felyng of fayth by
from all manner of affiance when they teache that our righteousnesses do stinke in the sight of God vnlesse they receiue a good sauor from the innocence of Christ that they can do nothing but prouoke the vengeance of God vnlesse they be susteined by the tendernes of his mercie Moreouer they so leaue nothing to vs but that we shold traue the mercie of our iudge with that confessioÌ„ of Dauid that none shall be iustified before him if he require accoÌ„pt of his seruantes But where Iob saythe If I haue done wickedly wo to me but if I doe righteously yet I wyll not so lyfte vp my head though he meane of that most hie righteousnes of God wherunto the very Angels answer not yet he therwithal sheweth that wheÌ„ thei come to the iudgement of God there remaineth nothing for al mortal men but to holde their peace as duÌ„me For it teÌ„deth not only to this purpose that he had rather willingly yeld thaÌ„ daÌ„gerously striue with the rigorousnes of God but he meaneth that he felt no other righteousnes in him self thaÌ„ such as at the first moment shold fall before the sight of God When affiance is driuen away al glorieng must also necessarely depart For who can geue the praise of righteousnes to these workes the affiaÌ„ce wherof treÌ„bleth before the sight of God We must therfore come whether Esaie calleth vs that al the seede of Israel may be praised glorie in God because it is most true whiche he saith in an other place that we ar the planting of the glorie of God Our mynde therfore shall then be rightly purged wheÌ„ it shal neither in any behalf rest vpon the coÌ„fidence of workes nor reioise in the glory of theÌ„ But this errour encouraged folish men to the puffing vp of this false a lying affiance that they alway set the cause of their saluatioÌ„ in workes But if we loke to the fower kindes of causes which the phylosophers â—eache vs to coÌ„sider in the effect of thinges we shal find that none of them doth accord with workes in the stablishing of our saluatioÌ„ For the Scripture doth euery where report that the cause of procuring the eternall life to vs is the mercie of the heauenly father his free loue towarde vs that the Material cause is Christ with his obedience by which he purchaced righteousnesse for vs. What also shal we say to be the formal or instrumeÌ„tal cause but faith And these thre causes Iohn coÌ„prehendeth together in one senteÌ„ce when he saith God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that euery one which beleueth in him may not perish but may haue euerlastiÌ„g life Now the final cause the Apostle testifieth to be both the shewing of the righteousnesse of God the praise of his goodnes wher he reherseth also the other thre in expresse wordes For he satih thus to the Romains al haue sined do nede the glory of god but they are iustified frely by his grace Here thou hast the head first fountain namely that God embraced vs with his free mercie Then foloweth By the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ which is in Christ Iesu. Here thou hast as it were the matter wherof righteousnesse is made for vs through faith in his bloude Here is shewed the instrumeÌ„tall cause wherby the righteousnes of Christ is applied to vs. Last of al he ioyneth the end when he saithe vnto the shewyng of his righteousnesse that he may be righteous the righteousmaker of him that is of the faithe of Christe And to touche by the way that this righteousnes standeth of reconciliatioÌ„ he setteth expressely by name the Christ was geuen to vs for reconciliatioÌ„ So in the first chap. also to the Ephesians he teacheth the we are receiued of God into fauour by mear mercie that the same is wrought by the intercession of Christ receiued by faithe all to this ende that the glorie of the goodnesse of God may fully shyne When we see that all the partes of our saluation are so without vs what cause is there that wee shoulde now either haue affiance or glorie in workes Neither can euen the most sworne ennemies of the grace of God moue any controuersie with vs about the efficient or fynall cause vnlesse they wyll denye the whole Scripture In the Materiall and Formall cause the caste a false colour as though our workes haue a half place with faithe and the righteousnesse of Christ. But this also they teache the Scripture criynge out against them whiche simply affirmeth both that Christ is to vs for righteousnesse and life and that this benefit of righteousnesse is possesed by only faith But where as the holy men do oftentimes strengthen and comforte them selues with remembrance of their owne innocencie and vprightnesse and somtime also forbeare not to report of it with prayse that is done twoo wayes either that in comparing their good cause with the euell cause of the wicked they conceiue thereby assured trust of victory not so muche for commending of their own righteousnes as for the iust deserued condemning of their aduersaries or that euen without comparison of other while thei recorde theÌ„selues before God the purenesse of their own conscience bringeth to them both some comfort affiance Of the first of these two wayes we shall se hereafter now let vs brefely declare of the latter how it agreeth with that whiche we haue aboue said that in the iudgemeÌ„t of God we must rest vpoÌ„ no affiance of workes and glorie vpon no opinion of them This is the agrement that the holy ones when it concerneth the founding and stablishinge of their saluation do without respect of workes bend their eies to the only goodnesse of God And they do not only bend them selues to it afore al thinges as to the beginning of blessednesse but do rest therin as in the fulfilling of it A conscience so founded raised stablished is also stablished with consideration of workes namely so far as they are the witnessings of God dwelling reigning in vs. Sithe therfore this affiance of workes hath no place vnlesse thou haue first cast the whole affiance of thy mynde vpon the mercie of God it ought not to seme coÌ„trary to the wherupon it hangeth Wherfore wheÌ„ we exclude the affiance of workes we meane only this that a Christian mind may not bowe to the merit of workes as to the succour of saluation but should throughly rest in the free promise of righteousnesse But we forbid it not to vnderprop strengthen this faith with the signes of the good will of God toward it selfe For if al the good giftes whiche God hath bestowed vpon vs wheÌ„ theâ— be recorded in remeÌ„brance are to vs after a certaine manner as it were beames of the face of God by whiche we ar enlightened to behold that soueraigne light of goodnesse much more is the grace of good workes whiche sheweth that the Spirite of adoption is geuen
vs. When therfore the holy ones do by innoceÌ„cie of coÌ„science coÌ„firme their faith gather matter of reioysing they do nothing but cal to minde by the frutes of their calling that they are adopted of the Lord into the place of children This therfore that is taught by Salomon that in the feaâ—e of the Lord is stedfast assurednesse this that somtime the holy ones vse this protestation to the entent that they may be heard of the Lord that thei haue walked before his face in vprightnes simplicititie haue no place in laying the fundatioÌ„ of stablishing of coÌ„science but are theÌ„ only of value if they be taken of the ensuing effect because both the feare is no where whiche may stablish a full assurednesse the holy ones are priuie in their conscience of such an vprightnes wherwith ar yet mingled many reÌ„naÌ„tes of the flesh But forasmuche as of the frutes of regeneration they gather an argumeâ—t of the holy Ghoste dwellynge in them they do there by not sclenderly strengthen them selues to loke for the helpe of God in all their necessities when they by experience finde hym their father in so great a matter And euen this also they canne not doe vnlesse thei haue first conceyued the goodnesse of God sealed with no other assurednesse than of the promyse For if they beginne to weye yt by good workes nothing shal be more vncertaine nor more weake forasmuche as if workes bee considered by them selues thei shall no lesse by theyr imperfection shewe profe of the wrathe of God than thei do with how soeuer vnperfect purenes testifie his good wil. Fynally thei do so set out the benefites of God that yet they tourne not awaie from the free fauoure of God in which Paul testifieth that ther is the length breadth depth and heigth of them as if he shoulde say Whethersoeuer the senses of the godly do tourne themselues howe hie soeuer thei clyme how farre and wide soeuer thei extend them yet thei ought not to goe oute of the loue of Christe but holde them selues wholy in the meditation therof bicause it comprehendeth al kindes of measures in it And therfore he saithe that it excelleth and surmounteth aboue all knowledge and that when we acknowledge howe muche Christe hathe loued vs we are fulfilled into all the fulnesse of God As in an other place when he glorieth that all the Godly are vanquishers in battell he by and by addeth a reason bycause of him that loued vs. We see now that ther ys not in the holy ones that affiance of works whiche either geueth any thinge to the merite of them forasmuche as thei regarde them none otherwise than as the giftes of God whereby thei reknowledg his goodnesse none otherwise than as signes of their calling whereby maie thinke vpon their election or whiche withdraweth not any thing from the free righteousnesse whiche wee obteine in Christe for asmuche as it hangeth vpon it and standeth not withoute it The same thing doth Augustine in few wordes but very wel set out where he writeth I do not saie to the Lorde despise not the workes of my handes or I haue sought the Lorde with my handes and haue not been deceiued But I do not commned the workes of my handes for I feare least when thou haste loked vpon them thou shalt finde moe sinnes than merites Onli this I say this I ask this I desire despise not the workes of thy hands beholde in me thy worke not mine For if thow beholdest mine thou damnest me if thou beholdest thine thou crownest me For also whatsoeuer good workes I haue they are of thee He setteth two causes why he dare not boaste of his workes to God bycause if he haue any good workes he seeth therin nothing his owne secondly bycause the same is also ouerwhelmed wyth multytude of synnes Whereupon commeth to passe that the conscience feleth thereby more feare and dismaieng than assurednesse Therfore he woulde haue God no otherwise to loke on his well doinges than that reknowledging in them the grace of his calling he maie make an ende of the worke which he hathe begonne But furthermore wheras the scripture sheweth that the good workes of the faithfull are causes why the Lorde doth good to them that is so to be vnderstanded that that which we haue before set may stand vnshaken that the Effect of our saluation consisteth in the loue of God the Father the Mater in the obedience of the Sonne the Instrument in the enlightning of the holy ghooste that is to saie in faithe that the end is the glorie of the so great kindenes of God These thinges withstande not but that the Lorde maye embrace workes as inferiour causes But whense coÌ„meth that Namely whome the Lord of his mercie hath apointed to the inheritaÌ„ce of eternal life them with his ordinarie dispeÌ„sation he doth by good workes bring into the possessioÌ„ therof That which goeth before in order of dispensatioÌ„ he calleth the cause of that which foloweth After this maÌ„ner he somtime deriueth eternal life froÌ„ workes not for that is to be ascribed to theÌ„ but bicause whome he hath chosen them he doth iustifie that he may at leÌ„gth glorifie them he maketh the grace that goeth before which is a step toward that which foloweth after a certaine maÌ„ner the cause of it But so oft as he hath occasioÌ„ to assigne the true cause he biddeth vs not to flee to workes but holdeth vs in the only thinking vpon the mercie of God For what manner of thing is this which he teacheth by the Apostle The reward of sinne is death the grace of the Lord is life euerlasting Why doth he not set righteousnesse in coÌ„parison against sinne as he setteth life agaynst death Why doth he not make righteousnesse the cause of life as he maketh sinne the cause of death For so should the comparison of contraries haue stand well together which is much broken by this turning But the Apostle meant by this coÌ„parison to expresse that which was truth that death is due to the deseruings of men that life is reposed in the only mercie of God Finally in these maÌ„ners of speaking is rather expressed the order than the cause bicause God in heaping graces vpon graces taketh cause of the first to adde the second that he may leaue nothing vndone to the enrichyng of his seruantes and he so continually exteÌ„deth his liberalitie that yet he would haue vs alway to looke vnto the free election which is fountaine beginning of it For although he loueth the giftes which he dayly geueth in so much as thei spring out of that fountaine yet it is our part to holde fast that free acceptation whiche alone is able to vpholde our soules as for such giftes of his Spirit as he afterward geueth vs so to adioyne them to the first cause that they minish nothing of it The .xv. Chapter ¶ That those thinges that are commoÌ„ly
boasted concernyng the merites of workes do ouerthrow as well the praise of God in geuing of righteousnesse as also the assurednesse of saluation NOw we haue declared that which is the chefe point in this matter that bycause yf righteousnesse be vpholden with workes it must needes by by fal downe before the sight of God it is conteined in the only mercie of God the only coÌ„municating of Christ therefore in only faith But let vs diligeÌ„tly mark that this is the chefe stay of the matter least we be entangled with that general error not only of the coÌ„mon people but also of learned meÌ„ For so sone as question is moued of the iustificatioÌ„ of faith workes they flee to those places which seme to geue to workes some merit in the sight of God as though the iustification of workes were fully wonne if it be ones proued that they be of any value with God But we haue aboue plainely shewed that the righteousnesse of workes coÌ„sisteth only in the perfect and ful keping of the law Wherupon foloweth that no maÌ„ is iustified by workes but he that hauyng climbed vp to the hiest top of perfection can not be proued gilty of any offense be it neuer so litle Therefore it is an other a seueral questioÌ„ Howsoeuer workes suffice not to iustifie a man whether yet do they not deserue fauour with God First of the name of merit I must needes say this afore hand yâ— whosoeuer first applied it to workes of meÌ„ coÌ„pared to the iugemeÌ„t of God he did very ill prouide for the purenesse of faith Truely I do by my good wil absteine froÌ„ striues about words but I wold with that this sobrietie bad alway beÌ„ vsed amoÌ„g Christian writers that they wold not haue fouÌ„d in their heartes to vse words strange froÌ„ the Scriptures which engeÌ„dred much offense no frute For whereto I beseche you was it needeful to haue the name of Merit brought in when the price of good workes might be fittly expressed by an other name wtout offense But how much offense the word coÌ„teineth in it is euident with the great hurt of the world Surely as it is most proude it caÌ„ do nothing but darkeÌ„ the grace of God and fill meÌ„ with froward pride The old writers of the Church I grauÌ„t haue coÌ„monly vsed it I wold to God they had not with the abusyng of one litle word geueÌ„ to posteritie matter of error Howbeit they theÌ„selues also do in many places testifie how in no case thei meant to geue any preiudice against the truth For thus sayth Augustine in one place Let Merites of men here hold their peace which haue perished by AdaÌ„ let the grace of God reigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The saintes geue nothing to their owne Merites they will geue al to none but to thy mercie O God In an other place WheÌ„ maÌ„ seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not froÌ„ himself but froÌ„ his God he seeth that al that which is praised in him is not of his own Merites but of the mercie of God You see how taking froÌ„ men the power of doing wel he also throweth downe the dignitie of Merit And Chrysostome sayth Our workes if there be any which folow the free calling of God are repayment det but the gâ—â—tes of God are grace bouÌ„tifulnesse the greatnesse of liberall geuing But leauing the name let vs rather loke vpoÌ„ the thing I haue verily before alledged a sentence out of Bernard â–ª As it sufficeth to Merit not to presume of Merites so to want Merites sufficeth to iudgemeÌ„t But by adding forth with an expositioÌ„ he sufficieÌ„tly mitigateth the hardinesse of the word where he sayth Therfore care thou to haue Merites wheÌ„ thou hast theÌ„ know yâ— thei are geueÌ„ hope for frute the mercie of God so thou hast escaped al daÌ„ger of pouertie vnthaÌ„kfulnesse presumptioÌ„ Happy is the church which neither waÌ„teth Merites without presumptioÌ„ nor presumptioÌ„ without merites And a litle before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of Merites saith he why shold the Church be careful which hath a stedfaster surer cause to glorie of the purpose of God God caÌ„ not denie himself he wil do that which he hath promised If there be no cause why the shuldest aske by what merites may we hope for good thinges specially sith yâ— hearest it sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to Merit to know that Merites suffice not What al our workes deserue the scripture sheweth wheÌ„ it saith that thei can not abide the sight of God bicause thei are ful of vncleannesse then what the perfect obseruing of the law if any such could be found shal deserue wheÌ„ it teacheth that we should think ourselues vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes when we haue done al thinges that are coÌ„maunded vs bicause we shal haue geueÌ„ nothing freely to the Lord but only haue performed our due seruices to whiche there is no thanke to be geuen But those good workes which he himself hath geuen vs the Lord both calleth oures testifieth that thei are not only acceptable to him but also that they shal haue reward It is our duetie againe for our part to be encouraged with so great a promise to gather vp our heartes that we be not weried with wel doyng to yeld true thankfulnesse to so great bouÌ„tifulnesse of God It is vndouted that it is the grace of God what soeuer there is in workes that deserueth prayse that there is not one droppe which we ought properly to ascribe to our selues This if we do truely earnestly acknowlege there vanisheth away not only all affiance but also opinion of Merit We I say do not part the prayse of good workes as the Sophisters do betwene god maÌ„ but we reserue it whole perfect vnminished to the lord Only this we assigne to man that eueÌ„ the self same workes that were good he by his vncleannes corrupteth defileth For nothing coÌ„meth out of maÌ„ how perfect so euer he be that is not defiled with some spot Therefore let the Lord cal into iudgement eueÌ„ these things that are best in the workes of meÌ„ he shal verily espie in them his owne righteousnesse but mans dishonestie shame Good workes therfore do please God are not vnprofitable to the doers of them but rather they receiue for reward the most large benefites of God not bicause thei so deserue but bicause the goodnesse of god hath of it self apointed this price vnto theÌ„ But what spitefulnesse is this that men not contented with that liberalitie of God which geueth vndue rewardes to workes that deserue no such thing do with ambitioÌ„ full of sacrilege endeuor further that that which is wholly of the liberalitie of God maye seme to be reÌ„dred to the merites of meÌ„ Here I appelle to the coÌ„mon iudgement of euery man If any
honour not weyeng the worthinesse of them that he accompteth them of some value The third that he receiueth the very same workes with pardon not imputyng the imperfectiō wherwith they al beyng defiled should otherwise be rather reckened amōg sinnes than vertues And hereby appereth how much the Sophisters haue ben deceiued whiche thought that they had gaylye escaped al absurdities when they sayd that workes do not of their owne inwarde goodnesse auayle to deserue saluation but by the forme of the couenant bicause the Lord hath of his liberalitie so much estemed them But in the meane time they considered not howe far those workes whiche they would haue to be meritorious were from the conditiō of the promises vnlesse there went before bothe iustification grounded vpon only fayth and the forgeuenesse of sinnes by which euē the good workes themselues haue neede to be wiped from spottes Therefore of three causes of Gods liberalitie by which it is brought to passe that the workes of the faythfull are acceptable they noted but one suppressed two yea and those the principall They allege the sayeng of Peter whiche Luke rehearseth in the Actes I finde in truthe that God is not an accepter of persones but in euery nation he that doth righteousnesse is acceptable to him And hereupon they gather that which semeth to be vndouted that if man doth by right endeuors get himselfe the fauor of God it is not the beneficiall gift of God alone that he obteyneth saluation yea that God doth so of his mercie help a sinner that he is by workes bowed to mercie But you can in no wise make the Scriptures agree together vnlesse you note a double acceptyng of man with God For such as man is by nature God findeth nothyng in him whereby he maye be enclined to mercie but only miserie If therfore it be certayne that man is naked and needy of all goodnesse and on the other side full stuffed and loden with al kindes of euels when God first receyueth them for what qualitie I pray you shal we say that he is worthy of the heauēly calling ▪ Away therefore with the vaine imaginyng of merites where God so euidētly setteth out his free mercifulnesse For that which in the same place is sayde by the voice of the Angell to Cornelius that his prayers and almes had ascēded into the sight of God is by these men most lewdly wrested that man by endeuor of good workes is prepared to receiue the grace of God For it muste needes be that Cornelius was already enlightened with the Spirit of wisdome sithe he was endued with true wisdome namely with the feare of God that he was sanctified with the same Spirit sith he was a folower of righteousnesse which the Apostle teacheth to be a most certaine frute therof Al those things therefore whiche are sayd to haue pleased God in him he had of his grace so far is it of that he did by his own endeuor prepare himself to receiue it Truely there cā not one syllable of the Scripture be brought forth that agreeth not with this doctrine that there is none other cause for God to accept man vnto him but bicause he seeth that mā should be euery way lost if he be left to himselfe but bicause he will not haue him lost he vseth his own mercie in deliueryng him Now we see how this accepting hath not regard to the righteousnesse of man but is a mere token of the goodnesse of God toward men beyng miserable and moste vnworthy of so great a benefit But after that the Lord hath brought man out of the bottomlesse depth of destruction and seuered him to himselfe by grace of adoption bicause he hath nowe begotten him and newely formed him into a newe life he nowe embraceth him as a newe creature with the giftes of his Spirit This is that acceptyng whereof Peter maketh mention by whiche the faythfull are after their vocation allured of God euen in respecte also of workes for the Lorde can not but loue and kisse those good thinges whiche he worketh in them by his Spirit But this is alwaye to be remembred that they are none otherwise acceptable to God in respect of workes but in as muche as for their cause and for their sakes whatsoeuer good workes he hath geuen them in encreasyng of his liberalitie he also vouchesaueth to accept For whense haue they good workes ▪ but bicause the Lord as he hath chosen them for vessels vnto honor so will garnish thē with true godlinesse Whereby also are they accompted good as though there were nothing wanting in them but bicause the kinde Father tēderly graunteth pardon to those deformities spottes that cleaue to them Summarily he signifieth nothing els in this place but that to God his children are acceptable louely in whom he seeth the markes and features of his owne face For we haue in an other place taught that regeneratiō is a repairyng of the image of God in vs. For asmuch as therfore wheresoeuer the Lord beholdeth his owne face he both worthily loueth it and hath it in honor it is not without cause sayd that the life of the faithful beyng framed to holinesse righteousnesse pleaseth him but bycause the godly beyng clothed with mortall fleshe are yet sinners and their good workes are but begonne and sauoryng of the faultinesse of the fleshe he can not be fauorable neyther to those nor to these vnlesse he more embrace them in Christ than in themselues After this manner are those places to be taken whiche testifie that God is kinde mercifull to the folowers of righteousnesse Moses sayd to the Israelites The Lord thy God kepeth couenant to a thousand generations which sentēce was afteward vsed of the people for a common manner of speache So Salomon in his solemne prayer sayth Lord God of Israell whiche kepest couenant and mercie to thy seruātes which walke before thee in their whole heart The same wordes are also repeted of Nehemias For as in al the couenātes of his mercie the Lord likewise on their behalues requireth of his seruātes vprightnesse holinesse of life that his goodnesse should not be made a mockerie that no man swelling with vaine reioysing by reason therof should blesse his owne soule walking in the meane time in the peruersnesse of his own heart so his wil is by this way to kepe in their dutie them that are admitted into the cōmuniō of the couenāt yet neuerthelesse the couenāt it self is both made at the beginnyng free perpetually remayneth such After this māner Dauid when he glorieth that there was rēdred to him reward of the cleannesse of his hādes yet omitteth not that fountaine which I haue spoken of that he was drawen out of the wombe bicause God loued him where he so setteth out the goodnesse of his cause that he abateth nothyng from the free mercie whiche goeth before all giftes whereof it is
very same places in which the holy ghoste promiseth to works eternal glorie for reward in expressing the inheritance bi name he sheweth the it coÌ„meth froÌ„ els where So Christ rehearseth works which he recompenseth with the rewarding of heaueÌ„ when he calleth the elect to the possessioÌ„ therof but he therwtal adioyneth that it must be possessed by right of inheritance So Paul biddeth seruantes which do their duetie faithefully to hope for reward of the lord but he addeth of inheritance We see how thei do as it were by expresse wordes proued that we impute not eternall blessednes to works but â—o the adoptioÌ„ of god Why therfore do thei therwtal together make mentioÌ„ of works This questioÌ„ shal be made plaine with one exaÌ„ple of scripture Before the birth of Isaac ther was promised to Abraham a seede in which al the nations of the earth shold be blessed a multiplieng of his sede which shold match the starres of the skie and the sandes of the sea other like In many yeares afterwarde Abraham as he was coÌ„maunded bi the oracle prepared himself to offer vp his soÌ„ne in sacrifice When he had performed this obedience he receyued a promise I haue sworne by my selfe saith the lorde bicause yâ— hast done thys thing hast not spared thine own only begotteÌ„ sonne I wil blesse thee and multiplie thy sede as the starres of the skie the sandes of the sea thy sede shal possesse the gates of their enemies al the nations of the earth shal be blessed in thy seede bicause yâ— hast obeied my voice What heare we Hathe AbrahaÌ„ by his obedience deserued the blessing the promise wherof he had receiued before that the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t was geuen Here verily we haue it wtout circuÌ„stances shewed that the lord rewardeth the workes of the faithful with those benefites which he had already geuen theÌ„ before that the works were thought of hauing yet no cause why he shoulde do good to them but his owne mercie Yet doth the Lord not deceiue nor mocke vs when he saith that he rendreth for rewarde to workes the same thing which he hadde before workes freely geuen For bicause he will haue vs to be exercised wyth good workes to thinke vpoÌ„ the deliuerie or enioyeng as I may so call it of these things which he hath promised and to runne through them to the blessed hope set before vs in heauen the frute of the promises is also rightly assigned to theÌ„ to the ripenesse wherof thei do not bring vs. The Apostle very fittly expressed both these points when he said that the Colossians applie themselues to the duties of charitie for the pope which is laied vp for them in heauen of which thei had before heard by the word of the true speaking Gospel For wheÌ„ he saith that thei knew by the Gospel that there was hope layed vp for them in heauen he declareth that the same is by Christ only not vnderpropped with any works Wherew t accordeth that saieng of Peter that the godly are kept by the power of God through faith vnto the saluatioÌ„ which is ready to be manifestli shewed at the time appointed for it When he sayth that thei labor for it he signifieth that the faithfull must runne all the time of their life that thei may atteine to it But least we shoulde thinke that the rewarde whiche the lorde promiseth vs is not reduced to the measure of merit he did putte forth a parable in which he made himselfe a householder whiche sent al them that he met to the trimming of his vineyarde some at the first houre of the daye some at the second some at the thirde yea some aâ—o at the xi At euening he payed to euery one egall wages The expositioÌ„ of whiche parable that same olde writer what soeuer he was whose booke is carried abroade vnder the name of Ambrose of the callinge of the Gentiles hathe breefely and truely sette oute I wyll vse rather his woordes than myne owne The Lorde saithe hee by the rule of thys comparison hath stablished the dyuersitie of manifolde calling belonging to one grace where without doubt thei whiche beinge lette in into the vineyard at the xi houre are made egal with them that had wrought the whole day do represeÌ„t the estate of theÌ„ whom for the aduanciÌ„g of the excellency of grace the tender kindenes of the lord hath rewarded at the wauing of the day and at the ending of their life not paieng wages for their labore but pouring out the richesse of his goodnes vpoÌ„ theÌ„ whome he hath chosen wtout works that euen thei also which haue swet in great laboure haue receiued no more than the last may vnderstand that they haue receiued a gift of grace not a reward of works Last of al this also is worthy to be noted in these places wher eternal life is called the rewarde of works that it is not simply takeÌ„ for the communicating which we haue with God to blessed immortalitie wheÌ„ hee embraceth vs with fatherly good wil in Christe but for the possessing or enioying as thei cal it of blessednesse as also that very words of Christ do sound In time to come life euerlasting And in an other place Come possesse the kingdome c. After this manner Paul calleth adoptioÌ„ the reueling of the adoptioÌ„ which shal be made in the resurrectioÌ„ afterward expouÌ„deth it the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ of our body Otherwise as estranging froÌ„ God is eternal death so when man is receiued of God into fauour that he may enioye the coÌ„municating of him be made one with him hee is receiued froÌ„ death to life which is done by the beneficiall meane of adoption onely And if as thei are wonte thei stiffely enforce the reward of works we maie tourne against them that saieng of Peter that eternall life is the rewarde of faith Therfore let vs not think that the holy ghoste doth with such promise set forth the worthinesse of our works as if thei deserued such rewarde For the scripture leaueth nothing to vs wherof we may be aduauÌ„ced in the sight of God But rather it wholy endeuoreth to beate down oure arrogance to humble vs to throwe vs downe altogether to breake vs in peces But our weaknes is so succoured which otherwyse wold by by slippe fal down vnlesse it did susteine it self with this expectation mitigate her tedious greues with coÌ„fort First how harde it is for a man to forsake deny not only al his things but also himselfe let euery man consider for himself And yet with this introduction Christ traineth his schollers that is all the godly Then throughout all their life he so instructeth theÌ„ vnder the discipline of the crosse that thei may not set their hearte eyther to the desire or coÌ„fideÌ„ce of present good things Brefely he so handleth them for the most part that which way so euer they tourne their
other sense thought our heart must be cleāsed of al desires al our strēgths must be gathered vp drawē together to this only purpose Thei which haue gone most far before other in the way of the Lord are yet very far from this marke For though they loue God with their minde and with sincere affection of heart yet they haue still a great part of their heart and soule possessed with the desires of the fleshe by which they are drawen back and stayed from goyng forward with hasty course to God They do in deede trauayle forward with great endeuor but the fleshe partly febleth their strengthes and partly draweth them to it self What shall they here do when they fele that thei do nothing lesse thā performe the law They wil thei couet they endeuor but nothing with such perfection as ought to be If they loke vpon the law they see that whatsoeuer worke they attēpt or purpose is accursed Neyther is there any cause why any man should deceiue himself with gathering that the worke is therefore not altogether euell bycause it is vnperfect and therfore that God doth neuerthelesse accept that good which is in it For the law requiring perfect loue condēneth al imperfectiō vnlesse y rigor of it be mitigated Therefore his workes should fal to nought which he wold haue to seme partly good he shal finde that it is a transgression of the law euen in this bicause it is vnperfect Loe how al our workes are subiect to the curse of the law if thei be measured by the rule of the law But how shold thē vnhappy soules cherefully applie thēselues to work for which thei might not trust that they colde get any thing but curse On the otherside if beyng deliuered frō this seuere exacting of the lawe or rather from the whole rigor of the lawe thei heare that they be called of God with fatherly gentlenesse thei wil merily with great cherefulnesse answer his calling folow his guiding In a summe they which are boūd to the yoke of the law ar like to vn̄dseruāts to whō are apointed by their lordes certain taskes of work for euery day These seruāts thinke that thei haue done nothing nor dare come into the sight of their lordes vnlesse they haue performed the ful taske of their workes But childrē which are more liberally more freemālike handled of their fathers stick not to present to them their begonne half vnperfect workes yea those hauing some fault trusting that they wil accept their obedience willingnesse of minde Although thei haue not exactly done so much as their good wil was to do So must we be as may haue sure affiāce that our obediēces shal be allowed of our most kinde father how little soeuer how rude vnperfect soeuer thei be As also he assureth to vs by the prophet I wil spare thē saith he as the father is wont to spare his sonne that serueth him Where this word Spare is set for to beare with al or gētly to winke at faultes forasmuch as he also maketh mention of seruice And this affiance is not a litle necessarie for vs without which we shall go about all thinges in vaine For God accompteth himselfe to be worshipped with no worke of ours but which is truely done of vs for the worshipping of him But how can that be done among these terrors where it is douted whether God be offended or worshipped with oure worke And that is the cause why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues referreth all the good workes that are red of in the holy fathers to faith and weyeth thē only by fayth Touching this libertie there is a place in the Epistle to the Romaines where Paule resoneth that some oughte not to haue dominion ouer vs bicause we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace For when he had exhorted the faithfull that sinne should not reygne in their mortal bodie and that they should not geue theyr members to be weapons of wickednesse to sinne but shoulde dedicate them selues to God as they that are alyue from the deade and theyr members weapons of righteousnes to God and whereas they might on the other side obiect that they do yet carry with them the fleshe full of lustes and that sinne dwelleth in them he adioyneth that comforte by the libertie of the law as if he shold say Though they doo not yet throughly fele sin destroyed the righteousnes yet liueth not in thē yet ther is no cause why they shold feare be discouraged as though they had ben alwaidispleased with thē for the remnantes of sin forasmuch as they ar by grace made free from the law that theyr workes shuld not be examined by the rule of the law As for them that gather that we may sinne because we ar not vnder the law let thē know that this libertie perteineth nothing to them the ende wherof is to encourage to God The third part is that we be bound with no conscience before God of outward thinges which are by them selues indifferent but that we may indifferently sometime vse thē and sometime leaue them vnused And the knowledge of this libertie also is very necessary for vs for if it shal be absent there shal be no quiet to our consciences no ende of superstitions Many at this daye do thinke vs fonde to moue disputation about the free eating of fleshe about the free vse of dayes and garmentes and suche other smale trifles as they in dede thinke them but there is more weight in them than is commonlye thoughte For when consciences haue ones cast thē selues into the snare they entre into a long and combersome waye from whence they can afterwarde finde no easy way to get oute If a man beginne to doubt whether he maye occupye linnen in shetes shertes hankercheifes and napkines neither wil he be out of doubt whether he may vse hempe and at the last he wil also fal in doubt of maters for he will waye with himselfe whether he can not suppe without napkins whether he maye not be without handkerchifes If any man thinke deyntye meate to be vnlawful at length he shal not with quietnesse before the Lorde eate either brounebreade or common meates when he remembreth that he may yet susteine his body with bacer fode If he doute of pleasaunte wyne afterwarde he will not drinke deade wine with good peace of conscience last of al he wyl not be so bolde to touche sweter and cleaner water than other Finally at the length he wil come to this point to thinke it vnlawfull as the common sayinge is to treade vppon a strawe lying a crosse For here is begonne no lyghte stryfe but this is in question whether God will haue vs to vse these or those thinges whose will ought to guide al our counsels and doynges Hereby some must needes be carried with desperatiō into a confuse deuouryng pit some must despising God and casting away
sought without hymselfe maketh the one sorte differing from the other so that not al the children of Israel be true Israelites it is vainly fayned that euery mans estate hath beginning in hymselfe Then he further foloweth the mater vnder the example of Iacob and Eâ—au For when they bothe were the sonnes of Abraham bothe together enclosed in one mothers wombe it was a monsterlyke change that the honor of firste birth was remoued to Iacob by whiche change Paul affirmeth that there was testified the election of the one and the reprobation of the other The originall and cause of it is enquired whiche the Teachers of foreknowlege wyll haue to be sett out in the vertues and vices of men For thys is an easy shorte way wyth them that God shewed in the persone of Iacob that he chooseth the worthy of hys grace and in the persone of Esau he refuseth them whom he foreseeth to be vnworthy Thus they saye boldly But what sayeth Paule when they were not yet borne and had not done any good or euell that according to election the purpose of GOD mighte abyde not of workes but of hym that calleth it is sayed The elder shall serue the yonger as it is written Iacob I haue loued but Esau I haue hated If foreknowlege were of any force in this difference of the brethren then verily mention were vnfittly made of the tyme. Let vs graunt that Iacob was chosen because he had worthinesse gotteÌ„ by workes to come to what purpose should Paul say that he was not yet borne And this now should be vnaduisedly added that he had yet done no good because this shal be a redy answer that nothiÌ„g is hidden from God and that so the godlinesse of Iacob was presente before hym If workes do win grace they shold then worthily haue had their price before that Iacob was borne as if he had ben growen to full age But the Apostle goeth forwarde in vndoing this knot and teacheth that the adoption of Iacob was not made of workes but of the calling of God In works he enterlaceth not the time to come or time past then he directly setteth them against the calling of God meaning by stablishiÌ„g of the one expresly to ouerthrow the other as if he had sayd that it is to be considered what hath pleased God not what men haue brought of themselues Last of al it is certayne that by the wordes of Election and Purpose al causes whatsoeuer men are wont to faine ellswhere than in the secret counsel of God are quite remoued from thys mater What color wil they bring to darkeÌ„ these things who in electioÌ„ assigne some place to workes either past or to come For this is vtterly to mocke out that which the Apostle affirmeth that the difference of the brethreÌ„ hangeth not vpon any consideration of works but vpon the mere calling of God because it was put betwene them wheÌ„ they wer not yet borne Neither had he ben ignorant of this their sutteltie if it had had any soundnesse in it but because he very wel knewe that God can foresee no goodnesse in man but that which he hath first determined by the benefit of his election to geue him he fleeth not to that vnorderly order to set good workes before the cause of theÌ„selues Thus haue we by the words of the Apostle that the saluation of the faythful is founded vpon the wil of the only electioÌ„ of God and that the same fauor is not gotten by workes but cometh of free calling We haue also as it were an image of that thing sett before vs. Esau and Iacob are brethreÌ„ issuing bothe of one the same pareÌ„tes enclosed yet bothe in one wombe not yet brought out into the world In them al thinges are egal yet of them the iugement of God is diuerse For he taketh the one and forsaketh the other There was nothing but the only first birth by right wherof the one excelled the other But this also being passed ouer that thyng is geuen to the yonger which is denied to the elder Yea and in other also God semeth alway as of set purpose to haue despised first birth to cutt of from the fleshe al mater of gloryeng Refusing Ismaell he cast hys mynde to Isaac Plucking backe Manasse he more honored Ephraim If any maÌ„ interrupt me with sayeng that we must not by these inferior smal benefites determine of the summe of the lyfe to come that he which hath ben aduaunced to the honor of first birth should therefore be reckned to be adopted into the inheritance of heauen for there be some which spare not Paul himselfe as though in alleging these testimonies he had wrested the Scripture to a strange sense I answere as I haue done herebefore that the Apostle nether slipped by vnaduisednesse nor wilfully abused the testimonies of the Scripture But he sawe whiche they can not abide to consider that God minded by an earthly signe to declare the spiritual election of Iacob which otherwise was hidden in his inaccessible throne For vnlesse we refer the first birth graunted to him vnto the worlde to come it shoulde be a vaine and fonde forme of blessyng wherby he obteined nothyng but manyfolde miseries discommoties grefefull banishement and many bitternesse of sorow and cares Therefore when Paule sawe without douting that God by outwarde blessyng testified the blessing whiche he had in his kyngdome prepared spirituall and neuer decayeng for his seruant he douted not for profe of this spirituall blessyng to fetche an argument from that outward blessyng This also we must remembre that to the land of Canaan was adioyned the pledge of the heauenly dwellyng so that it ought not at al to be douted that Iacob was graffed with the Angels into the body of Christ that he might be partaker of the same lyfe Iacob therefore is chosen when Esau is reiected and by the Predestination of God is made different from hym from whom he differed not in any deseruyngs If you aske a cause the Apostle rendreth this because it is sayde to Moses I wyll haue mercie vpon whom I will haue mercie and I wil vouchsaue to graunt mercie to whome soeuer I will vouchsaue to graunt mercie And what I beseche you meaneth this Uerily the Lord himself most plainly pronouÌ„ceth that men haue in themselues no cause why he shold do good to them but he fetcheth the cause from his owne mercie onely and therfore that the saluation of his is his own worke When God setteth thy saluation in himselfe alone why wilt thou descende to thy self When he appointeth to thee his mercie alone why wilte thou runne to thyne owne deseruinges When he holdeth thy thoughte wholly in his merciefulnesse alone why wilt thou turne part to the beholding of thyne owne works Therfore we must nedes come to that lesser people which Paule in an other place saith to haue ben foreknowen to God not in suche sort as these men imagine to
of idols as though it were not a litle lighter matter to worship thaÌ„ to serue And yet while they seke a hole to hide theÌ„ in the Greke word they childishly disagre with themselues For seing Latreuein in Greke signifieth nothing but to worship their saying coÌ„meth but to this effect as if they woulde say that they worship in dede their images but without any worshippinge And there is no cause why they shuld say that I seke to catch theÌ„ in words but they theÌ„selues while they seke to cast a mist before the eyes of the simple do bewray their own ignoraunce And yet though they be neuer so eloquent they shal not atteine by their eloquence to proue vnto vs that one selfe same thing is two sondry thinges Let theÌ„ say I shewe me a difference in that thing it selfe wherby they may be thought to differ froÌ„ the old idolaters For as an adulterer or a murderer caÌ„not escape giltinesse of his faulte by geuing his sinne a newe deuised name so is it a verye absurditie to thinke that these men be quitte by newe deuise of a name if in the matter it selfe they nothing differ froÌ„ those idolaters whom they theÌ„selues are coÌ„pelled to condeÌ„ne But so far are they froÌ„ prouing that their case differeth froÌ„ the case of those idolaters that rather the fountaine of al this whole mischiefe is an vnorderly counterfaiting wherin they haue striued with them while both with their own witt they deuise and with their own handes they frame them signifieng formes to expresse them a fashion of God And yet am I not so superstitious that I thinke no images maye be suffred at al. But forasmuch as caruing and painting are the giftes of God I require that they both be purely and lawfully vsed Least these things which god hath geueÌ„ vs for his glory for our own benefite be not only defiled by disordred abuse but also turned to our owne destructioÌ„ We thinke it vnlawful to haue God fashioned oute in visible forme because himselfe hath forbiddeÌ„ it because it cannot be done wythoute some defacemente of hys glory And least they thynke that it is onelye we that are in this opinioÌ„ they that haue ben trauailed in their works shall finde that all sounde writers did alway reproue the same thynge If then it be not lawfull to make any bodily image of God muche lesse shall it be lawfull to worshippe it for God or God in it It remayneth therefore lawfull that onelye those thynges bee painted and grauen whereof our eies are capable but that the maiestie of God which is far aboue the sense of our eies be not abused with vncomly deuised shapes Of this sorte are partly histories and thinges done partly images and fashions of bodies withoute expressing of any thinges done by them The first of these haue some vse in teaching or admonishing a man but what profite the seconde can bring saue only delectacion I see not And yet it is euident that euen such were almost al the images that heretofore haue stande vp in churches Wherby we may iudge that they were there set vp not by discrete iudgemente or choise but by folishe and vnaduised desire I speake not howe muche amisse and vncomely they wer for the moste parte fashione nor howe licentiously paynters and caruers haue in this pointe shewed their wantonnesse whiche thynge I haue alredy touched Only I speake to this end that though there wer no fault in them yet do they nothing auaile to teache But leauing also that difference let vs by the waye consider whether it be expedient in Christian temples to haue any images at al that doe expresse either thinges done or the bodies of men Fyrst if the authoritie of the aunciente churche doe any thyng moue vs let vs remember that for about v. C. yeares together while religion yet better florished and sincere doctrine was in force the Christian churches were vniuersally without images So they were then first brought in for the garnishment of churches when the sinceritie of ministracion was not a lyttle altered I wil not now dispute what reason they had with them that were the first authors therof But if a man compare age with age he shall see that they were muche swarued from that vpryghtnesse of them that were wythoute images What doe we thynke that those holye fathers would haue suffered the church to be so long wythoute the thyng which they iudged profitable and good for them But rather because they saw eyther litle or no profit in it and much daunger to lurke vnderneth it they did rather of purpose and aduisedly reiect it than â—y ignoraunce or negligence omytte it Whyche thyng Augustine doeth also in expresse words testifie When they be set in such places saieth he honorably on hye to be seen of them that pray and doe Sacrifice although they want both sense and lyfe yet with the very likenesse that they haue of liuelye members and senses they so moue the weake mindes that they seeme to liue and breath c. And in an other place For that shape of members doeth worke and in manner enforce thus muche that the minde liuing within a body doeth thynke that body to haue sense whiche he seeth like vnto his own And a litel after Images do more auaile to bow down an vnhappy soule but this that they haue mouth eyes eares and fete than to amend it by this that they neyther speake nor see nor heare nor goe This truely semeth to be the cause why Iohn willed vs to beware not onelye of worshipping of images but also of images themselues And we haue founde it to muche in experience that throughe the horrible madnesse whiche hath heretofore possessed the worlde to the destruccyon in manner of all godlynesse so sone as images be set vp in churches there is as it were a signe sette vp of idolatrie because the folly of men cannot refraine it selfe but it muste foorthwith runne on to supersticious worshippinges But if there were not so muche daunger hanging thereby yet when I consider for what vse temples are ordeined me thinkes it is verie ill beseming the holinesse therof to receiue any other images than these liuely natural images whiche the LORDE by hys woorde hath consecrate I meane Baptisme and the Lordes supper and other ceremonies wherewyth our eies ought both more earnestly to be occupyed and more liuely to be moued than that they should nede any other images framed by the witt of men Loe this is the incomparable commoditie of images whiche can by no value be recompensed if we beleue the papistes I thinke I had spoken enough of this thing alreadye but that the Nicene Synode doeth as it were laye hande on me to enforce me to speake more â–ª I meane not that most famous Synode which CoÌ„staÌ„tine the Great assembled but that which was holden eyght hundred yeares ago by the commaundemente and authoritie of Irene the Empresse For
woorde whiche can not be shewed in scripture as it is written in nombre of syllables then they bynde vs to a hard law wherby is condemned all exposition the is not pieâ—ed together with bare laying together of textes of scripture But if they meane that to be straunge whiche beyng curiousely deuised is superstitiousely defended whiche maketh more for contention than edification whiche is either vnaptely or to no profite vsed whiche withdraweth from the simplicitie of the word of God then with all my hart I embrace their sobre minde For I iudge that we ought with no lesse deuout reuerence to talke of God than to thynke of him for as muche as what soeuer we doo of our selues thinke of him is foolishe and what so euer we speake is vnsauorye But there is a certayn measure to be kepte We ought to learne out of the scriptures a rule bothe to thynke and speake wherby to examine all the thoughtes of our mynde and wordes of our mouth But what withstandeth vs but that suche as in scripture are to our capacitie doutfull and entangled we may in plainer woordes expresse theim beynge yet suche wordes as doo reuerently and faithfully serue the truthe of the scripture and be vsed sparely modestly and not without occasion Of whiche sort there are examples enowe And where as it shall by profe appere that the Churche of great necessitie was enforced to vse the names of Trinitie and Persones if any shall then fynde faulte with the newenesse of woordes shall he not be iustly thought to be greeued at the lyght of the truthe as he that blameth onely this that the truthe is made so playne and cleare to discerne Suche newnesse of woordes if it be so to bee called commeth then chiefly in vse when the truthe is to be defended against wranglers that doo mocke it out with cauillations Whiche thyng we haue at this daye to muche in experience who haue great businesse in vanquisshynge the enemies of true and sounde doctrine With suche foldyng and crooked windyng these slippery snakes doo slide away vnlesse they be strongly griped and holden hard when they be taken So the old fathers beyng troubled with contendyng againste false doctrines were compelled to shewe theyr meanynges in exquisite playnnesse least they should leaue any crooked bywayes to the wicked to whom the doutful constructions of woordes were hidyngholes of errours Arrius confessed Christe to be God and the sonne of God because he coulde not agaynsay the euident wordes of God and as if he had ben so sufficiently discharged did fayne a certayne consent with the rest But in the meane while he ceassed not to scatter abroade that Christe was create and had a beginnyng as other creatures But to the ende they myght drawe foorth his windyng sutteltie out of his denne the auncient fathers went further pronouncyng Christ to be the eternall sonne of the father and consubstanciall with the father Hereat wickednesse began to boile when the Arrians began to hate and deteste the name Omoousion consubstanciall But if in the beginnyng they had sincerely and with playn meanynge confessed Christ to be God they would not now haue denyed hym to be consubstantiall with the father Who dare nowe blame these good men as brawlers and contentious bycause for one litle woordes sake they were so whote in disputation and troubled the quiete of the churche But that little worde shewed the difference betwene the true beleuyng Christians and the Arrians that wer robbers of God Afterward rose vp Sabellius whiche accompted in a maner for nothyng the names of the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghost sayeng in disputation that they were not made to shewe any maner of distinction but onely were seuerall additions of God of whiche sorte there are many If he came to disputation he confessed that he beleeued the father God the sonne God the Holy ghost God But afterwarde he would redely slippe away with sayeng that he hadde in no otherwise spoken than as if he had named God a strong God iust God and wise God and so he song another songe that the Father is the Sonne and the Holy ghost is the father without any order without any distinction The good doctours which then had care of godlynesse to subdewe his wickednesse cried oute on the other side that there ought to be acknowleged in one God thre propreties And to the ende to fense themselues againste the crooked writhen suttleties with plaine and simple truthe they affirmed that there did truely subsist in one God or which came all to one effect that there did subsist in the vnitie of God a Trinitie of persons If then the names haue not ben without cause inuented we ought to take hede that in reiectyng them we be not iustly blamed of proude presumptuousnesse I woulde to God they wer buried in dede so that this faith were agreed of all men that the Father and the Sonne and the Holy ghost bee one God and yet that the Father is not the Sonne nor the Holy ghost the SoÌ„ne but distinct by certain propretie Yet am I not so precise that I can fynde in my harte to striue for bare wordes For I note that the olde fathers whiche otherwise spake very religiousely of such matters did not euery wher agree one with an other nor eueryone with himselfe For what formes of speeche vsed by the councels doothe Hilarie excuse â–ª To howe greate libertie doothe Augustine sometyme breake foorth Howe vnlyke are the Grekes to the Latins But of this variance one example shal suffise for this tyme. When the Latins ment to expresse the word Omoousion they called it Consubstancial declaring the substance of the Father and the Sonne to be one so vsyng the word substance for essence Whervpon Hierom to Damasus sayth it is sacrilege to say that there are thre substances in God and yet aboue a hundred tymes you shall fynde in Hilarie that there are three substances in God In the woorde Hypostasis howe is Hierome accombred For he suspecteth that there lurketh poison in namyng thre Hypostases in God And if a man do vse this word in a godly sense yet he plainly saith that is an impropre speeche if he spake vnfainedly and dyd not rather wittyngly and willyngly seeke to charge the bishoppes of the Eastlandes â–ª whome he soughte to charge with an vniuste sclaunder Sure this one thynge he speaketh not very truely that in all prophane schooles ousia essence is nothyng els but hypostasis whyche is proued false by the common and accustomed vse Augustine is more modeste and gentyll whiche although he say that the worde hypostasis in that sense is strange to latine eares yet so farre is it of that he taketh from the Grekes theyr vsuall maner of speakyng that he also gently beareth with the Latins that had folowed the greke phrase And that whiche Socrates writeth in the syxte booke of the Tripartite hystorie tendeth to this ende as though he ment that it hadde
and therof brought forth all liuing creatures and thinges without lyfe with maruellous order disposed the innumerable varietie of things to euery thīg he gaue the propre nature assigned their offices appointed their places and abidinges and where all things are subiecte to corruption yet hath he so prouided that of all sortes some shal be preserued safe to the last day and therfore some he cherysheth by secrete meanes and poureth now and then as it were a new liuelinesse into them and to some he hath geuen the power to encrease by generation that in their dying that whole kinde should not die together So hath he maruellously garnished the heauen and the earth with so absolutely perfect plentie varietie beauty of al thinges as possibly might be as it were a large and gorgeous house furnished and stored wyth aboundaunce of most finely chosē stuffe last of all how in framing man and adorning him with so godly beautie and with so many and so great giftes he hath shewed in him the most excellent exāple of al his works But because it is not my purpose at this present to set forth at large the creation of the worlde let it suffice to haue ones agayne touched these few thinges by the way For it is better as I haue already warned the readers to fetche a fuller vnderstanding of this matter oute of Moses and other that haue faithfully and diligently conueied the history of the world by writing to perpetuall memory It is to no purpose to make much a do in disputing to what end this consideration of the workes of God ought to tend or to what marke it oughte to be applyed forasmuch as in other places already a great part of this question is declared and so muche as belongeth to our presente purpose maye in fewe wordes be ended Truely if we were minded to set out as it is worthye howe inestimable wisdome power iustice and goodnesse of God appeareth in the framing of the world no eloquence no garnishment of speche could suffice the largenesse of so great a matter And no dout it is gods pleasure that we should be continually occupied in so holy a meditation that while we beholde in his creatures as in loking glasses infinite richesse of his wisedome iustice bountie and power we should not runne ouer them as it were with a fleeing eye or with a vaine wandryng looke as I maye so call it but that we shoulde wyth consideration rest long vpon them cast them vp and downe earnestlye and faythfully in oure myndes and ofte repeate them with remembrance But because we are now busyed in that kinde that perteineth to order of teaching it is mete that we omit those thinges that require long declamations Therefore to be short let the readers knowe that then they haue conceyued by Fayth what thys meaneth that God is the creator of heauen and earth if they firste folowe thys vniuersall rule that they passe not ouer with not considerynge or forgetfulnesse of those vertues that God presenteth to be seen in his creatures then that they so learne to apply them selues that they may therwyth be throughly moued in their hartes The first of those we do when we consider howe excellente a workemans worke it was to place and aptly set in so well disposed order the multitude of the starres that is in heauen that nothyng can be deuised more beautifull to beholde to sette and fasten some of them in theyr standinges so that they can not moue and to other some to graunte a free course but so that in mouing they wander not beyonde theyr appoynted space so to temper the motion of them all that it maye deuide in measure the dayes and nyghtes monethes yeres and seasons of the yere and to bryng thys inequalitie of dayes whiche we dayly see to suche a tempered order that it hath no confusyon Likewyse whē we marke hys power in susteyning so great a body in gouernyng the so swifte whirling aboute of the engyne of heauen and suche lyke For these fewe examples doe sufficientlye declare what it is to recorde the power to God in the creatiō of the world For els if I shoulde trauayle as I sayed to expresse it all in wordes I shoulde neuer make an ende forasmuch as there are so many miracles of the power of God so many tokens of hys goodnesse so many examples of hys wysedome as there be formes of thynges in the worlde yea as there be thynges eyther great or small Now remayneth the other part which commeth nerer to Fayth that whyle we consyder that God hath ordayned all thynges for oure garde and safetie and therewithal doe fele hys power and grace in our selues ▪ and in so great good thynges that he hath bestowed vpon vs we maye thereby stire vp our selues to the trust inuocation prayse and loue of hym Nowe as I haue before sayed God hymselfe hath shewed in the very order of creation ▪ that for mans sake he created al thynges For it is not without cause that he deuided y◠making of the world into six daies wheras it had ben as easy for hym in one moment to haue in al pointes accomplished his whole worke as it was by suche proceding from pece to pece to come to the ende of it But then it pleased hym to shewe hys prouidence and fatherly carefulnesse towarde vs that before he made man he prepared all that he foresaw shoulde be profitable for hym and fyt for hys preseruation Now great vnthankfulnesse now should it bee to dout whether this good Father do care for vs whom we see to haue been careful for vs ere that we wer borne How wycked wer it to tremble for distrust least hys goodnesse woulde at any tyme leaue vs destitute in necessitie which we se was dysplaied for vs being not yet borne wyth great aboundaunce of all good thynges Besyde that we heare by Moses that by hys liberalitie al that euer is in the worlde is made subiecte to vs. Sure it is that he did it not to mocke vs wyth an emptye name of gifte Therfore we shall neuer lacke any thyng so farre as it shall be auaylable for our preseruation Finally to make an end so oft as we name God the creator of heauen and earth let this come in our mindes withall that the disposition of al thinges which he hath create is in his hande and power and that we are his children whom he hath taken into his own charge and keping to foster and bryng vp that we may loke for all good thinges at his hande and assuredly trust that he will neuer suffer vs to lacke thinges nedefull for our safetie to the ende our hope shoulde hang vpon none other that whatsoeuer we desire our praiers may be directed to him of what thing soeuer we receiue profite we may acknowledge it to be his benefite and confesse it with thankes geuing that being allured with so greate swetenesse of his goodnesse and liberalitie we maye
that he created the sunne A godly man therfore wil not make the sunne to be ether a principal or a necessary cause of those thinges which were before the creation of the sunne but only an instrumeÌ„t which God vseth because it so pleaseth him wheras he might leaue it do al thinges as easily by himselfe Then when we rede that the sunne stode stil two daies in one degree at that praier of Iosua and that the shadowe thereof went backe ten degrees for Ezechias his sake by those fewe miracles God hath declared that the sunne doth not daily so rise and go down by blinde instincte of nature but that he to renew the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of his fatherly fauor toward vs doth gouerne the course therof Nothing is more natural than spryng tyde to come immediatly after wiÌ„ter somer after spryng haruest in course after sommer But in this orderly course is plainly seen so great and so vnegal diuersitie that it may easily appere that euery yere moneth and day is gouerned by a new and speciall Prouidence of God And truely God doth claime and will haue vs geue vnto him an almightinesse not such as the Sophisters do imagine vaine idle and as it were sleping but waking effectual working and busied in continual doing Nor such a one as is only a general beginning of a coÌ„fused motion as if he would commaunde a ryuer to flowe by hys appointed chanels but such a one as is bent and redy at al his particular mouinges For he is therfore called almighty not because he can do and yet sytteth stil and doth nothing or by general instinct only continueth the order of nature that he hath before appointed but because he gouernyng both heauen and earth by his Prouidence so ordreth all thynges that nothyng chaunceth but by hys aduised purpose For whereas it is sayed in the Psalme that he doth whatsoeuer he will therin is meant his certayn determined will For it were very fond to expound the Prophets wordes after the Philosophers maner that God is the first Agent or doer because he is the beginning and cause of al mouing wheras the faithful ought rather in aduersitie to ease themselues with thys comfort that they suffer nothyng but by the ordinaunce and commaundement of God because they are vnder hys hande If then the gouernemente of God do so extende to al his workes it is a very childishe cauillation to enclose it within the influence of nature And yet they doe no more defraude God of his glory than themselues of a most profitable doctrine whosoeuer do restrayn the Prouidence of God within so narrowe boundes as if he suffred al thynges to be carryed wyth an vngouerned course according to a perpetual law of nature For nothyng were more miserable than man if he should be left subiect to euery motion of the heauen the aire the earth and the waters Besyde that by that meane the singular goodnesse of God towarde euery man is to much vnhonorably diminished Dauid cryeth out that babes yet haÌ„gyng on their mothers brestes are eloquent enough to magnify the glory of God because eueÌ„ so sone as they be come out of the wombe they fynde fode prepared for theÌ„ by his heauenly care This is in dede generally true so that yet our eyes senses ouerpasse not that vnmarked which experyence playnly sheweth that some mothers haue ful and plentifull brestes some other almost dry as it pleaseth God to fede one more liberally and an other more scarcelyeâ— But they which geue the due prayse to the almightinesse of God do receiue double profit therby the one that he hath sufficiently large abilitie to do them good in whoe 's possession are both heauen and earth and to whoe 's becke al creatures do attend vpon to yeld themselues to his obedience the other that they may safely reste in his protection to whoe 's wil are subiect al these hurtful thynges that may any way be feared by whoe 's authorite as with a bridle SataÌ„ is restrained with al his furies and al his preparation vpon whoe 's beck doth hang all that euer is against our safetie And no other way but this can the immesurable and superstitious feares be corrected or appeased which we oftentimes conceiue by daungers happening vnto vs. Superstitiously fearfull I saye we be if where creatures do threaten vs or geue vs any cause of feare we be so afrayed therof as if they had of thâ—mselues any force or power to do vs harme or did vnforeseen or by chaunce hurt vs or as if against the hurtes that they do there were not sufficient helpe in God As for example The Prophete forbyddeth the children of God that they shold not feare the sterres and sygnes of the heauen as the vnbeleuers are wont to do He condemneth not euery kynde of feare But wheÌ„ the vnbeleuers to geue away the gouernement of the worlde from God vnto Planets do fayne that their felicitie or misery doth hang on the decrees and foreshewinges of the starres and not on the wil of God so commeth it to passe that their feare is withdrawen away from that onely one whoÌ„ they ought to haue regarded vnto the starres and comets Whoso therfore wil beware of this vnfaythfulnesse lette hym kepe alwayes in remembraunce that there is not in the creatures a waÌ„dryng power working or motioÌ„ but that they are gouerned by the secrete counsel of God so that nothing can chaunce but that which is decreed by hym both witting and willing it so to be First therfore let the readers learne that Prouidence is called that not wherwith God idlely beholdeth from heauen what is done in the world but wherewith as guiding the sterne he sitteth and ordreth al thynges that come to passe So doth it no lesse belong to his handes than to his eies For when Abraham sayed vnto hys sonne God shal prouide he meant not onely that God dyd forknowe the successe then to come but that he did cast the care of a thing to hym vnknowen vpon the will of God which is wont to bring thinges doutful and confused to a certaine end Wherby foloweth that Prouidence consisteth in doing for to much fondely doo many trifle in talkyng of bare forknowledge Their error is not altogyther so grosse whiche geue vnto God a gouernement but disordered and without aduised choise as I haue before sayd that is to saye suche as whirleth and driueth aboute with a generall motion the frame of the worlde with all the partes therof but doeth not peculiarly directe the doyng of euery creature Yet is this error not tollerable For as they teache it may be notwithstanding this Prouidence which they cal vniuersal that al creatures may be moued by chauÌ„ce or man maye turne hymselfe hether or thether by fre choise of his wil. And so doe they part the gouernemeÌ„t betwene God man that God by his power inspireth into maÌ„ a motion wherby he may worke
the same is in suche forte the gouernour of all thynges that sometyme it woorketh by meanes somtyme without meanes and somtyme agaynst all meanes Last of all that it tendeth to this ende that God maye shewe that he hath care of all mankynde but specially that he doeth watche in rulyng of his churche which he vouchesaueth more nerely to loke vnto And this is also to be added that althoughe eyther the fatherly fauoure and bountyfulnesse of God or oftentymes the seueritie of his iudgemente do brightly appere in the whole course of his Prouidence yet somtyme the causes of those thynges that happen are secrete so that this thought crepeth into our myndes that mens matters are tourned and whirled about with the blynde sway of fortune or so that the fleshe stirreth vs to murmure as if God dydde to make him selfe pastyme to tosse menne like tennise balles True it is that if we were with quiet and still myndes ready to learne the very successe it selfe woulde at length playnely shewe that God hath an assured good reason of his purpose either to traine them that be his to pacience or to correct their euill affections tame their wantonnesse or to bryng theym downe to the renouncyng of theim selues or to awake their drowsynesse on the other syde to ouerthrowe the prowde to disappoint the suttletie of the wicked to confounde their deuises But howsoeuer the causes be secrete and vnknowē to vs we must assuredly hold that they ar layd vp in hiddē store with him therefore we ought to crie out with Dauid God thou hast made thy wonderful works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towarde vs. I would declare and speake of them but they are more than I am able to expresse For although alwais in our miseries we ought to thinke vpon our sinnes that the verye punishement maye moue vs to repentance yet doo we see how Christe geueth more power to the secrete purpose of his father than to punishe euery one according to his deseruyng For of hym that was borne blynde he sayth neither hath this man synned nor his parentes but that the glory of God may be shewed in hym For here naturall sense murmureth when calamitie commeth euen before birth as if God did vnmercifully so to punish the sely innocente that had not deserued it But Christe dooth testifie that in this lokyng glasse the glory of his father doeth shyne to our syght if we haue cleere eies to beholde it But we must kepe modestie that we drawe not God to yelde cause of his dooynges but lette vs so reuerence his secrete iudgementes that his wyll be vnto vs a moste iuste cause of all thynges When thicke cloudes doo couer the heauen and a violent tempest aryseth then bycause bothe a heauysome mystynesse is caste before oure eyes and the thunder troubleth oure eares and all oure senses are amased with terrour we thynke that all thynges are confounded and tombled togither and yet all the whyle there remaineth in the heauen the same quietenesse and calmenesse that was before So muste we thynke that whyle the troublesome state of thinges in the worlde taketh from vs abilitie to iudge God by the pure lyghte of his ryghteousnesse and wysedome dooth in well framed order gouerne and dispose euen those very troublesome motions themselues to a ryght ende And surely very monstrous is the rage of many in this behalfe whiche dare more boldly call the workes of God to accompte and examyne his secrete meanynges and to geue vnaduised sentence of thynges vnknowen than they wyll dooe of the deedes of mortall men For what is more vnorderly than to vse such modestie towarde our egals that we had rather suspende our iudgement than to incurre the blame of rashenesse and on the other syde proudely to triumph vpon the darke iudgementes of God whiche it became vs to regarde with reuerence Therfore no man shal wel profitably wey the Prouidēce of God but he that considering that he hath to doo with his creatour and the maker of the worlde dooeth with suche humilitie as he ought submitt himself to feare and reuerēce Hereby it cometh to passe that so many dogs at this day doo with venimed bitynges or at leaste barkynge assaile this doctrine because they will haue no more to be lawfull for God than their own reason informeth them And also they raile at vs with al the spitefulnesse that they are able for that not contented with the commaundementes of the lawe wherin the will of God is comprehended We doo further saie that the worlde is ruled by his secrete counsels As though the thyng that we teache were an inuention of our owne brayn and as though it were not true that the Holy ghost doth euery where expressely say the same and repeteth it with innumerable formes of speeche But because some shame restraineth theim that they dare not vomyte out their blasphemies against the heauen they fayn that they contende with vs to the ende they may the more freely play the madmen But if they do not graunt that what soeuer happeneth in the worlde is gouerned by the incomprehensible purpose of God let them answere to what ende the Scripture sayth that his iudgementes are a depe bottomlesse deapth For where as Moses crieth out that the wyll of God is not to be sought afarre of in the cloudes or in the deapthes because it is familiarly sette foorth in the lawe it foloweth that his other hidden will is compared to a bottomlesse deapth Of the whiche Paule also saith O deapth of the richesse and of the wisedom and of the knowlege of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his waies paste fyndyng out for who hath knowen the mynde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counsellour And it is in dede true that in the gospel and in the law are conteyned mysteries whiche are farre aboue the capacitie of oure sense but for asmuche as God for the comprehendyng of these mysteries whiche he hath vouchesaued to open by his woorde doeth lighten the myndes of them that be his with the Spirite of Understandyng nowe is therin no bottomlesse deapth but a way wherin we muste safe walk a candell to guyde our feete the light of life and the schoole of certayn and plainly discernable trueth But his meruailous order of gouernyng the worlde is worthily called a bottomlesse deapthe bicause while it is hidden from vs we ought reuerently to worshyp it Ryghte well hath Moses expressed theym bothe in fewe woordes The secrete thynges saieth he belong to the Lorde our God but the thyngs reueled belong to vs and to oure children for euer We see howe he byddeth vs not onely to studie in meditation of the lawe but also reuerently to looke vp vnto the secrete Prouidence of God And in the booke of Iob is rehersed one title of this deapth that it humbleth our myndes For after that the author
from God hymself to make them beleue lyes that refuse to obey the truthe After the first maner of speakyng it is said If any Prophet shal speake lyingly I God haue deceiued him According to the other maner of speche it is said that he geueth men into a reprobate mynde and to cast them into filthy desires because he is the chiefe author of his owne iuste vengeance and Satan is but onely a minister therof But because we must entreate of this matter againe in the second boke where we shall discourse of free or bonde wil of man I thinke I haue already shortely spoken so muche as this place required Let this be the summe of all that for as muche as the will of God is sayd to be the cause of all thynges his Prouidence is thought the gouernesse in all purposes and workes of men so as it sheweth foorth her force not onely in the elect whiche are gouerned by the holye Spirite but also compelleth the reprobate to obedience Forasmuche as hetherto I haue recited onely suche thynges as are writtē in the Scriptures plainly and not doubtfully let them that feare not wrongfully to sclander the heauenly oracles take hede what maner of iudgement they take vpon them For if by fained pretendyng of ignorance they seeke a praise of modestie what can be imagined more proudely doon than to sette one small woorde against the authoritie of God as I think otherwise I like not to haue this touched But if they openly speake euill what preuaile they with spittyng against the heauen But this is no newe example of waiwardnesse because there haue ben in al ages wicked and vngodly men that with ragyng mouth barked against this point of doctrine But they shal fele that thyng in dede to be true which long ago the Holy ghost spake by the mouth of Dauid that God may ouercome when he is iudged Dauid doth by the way rebuke the madnesse of men in this so vnbridled licenciousnesse that of their owne filthynesse they doo not onely argue againste God but also take vpon them power to condemne hym In the meane time he shortly admonisheth that the blasphemies whiche they vomite vp against the heauen doo not reache vnto God but that he driuyng away the cloudes of cauillations doeth brightly shewe foorth his righteousnesse and also our faithe because beyng grounded vpon the worde of God it is aboue all the worlde doeth from her hye place contemptuously looke downe vppon these mystes For first where they obiect that if nothyng happen but by the will of God then are there in hym two contrary willes because he decreeth those thynges by secrete purpose which he hath openly forbidden by his lawe that is easily wiped away But before I answere it I will ones again geue the reders warnyng that this cauillation is throwen out not against me but against the Holy ghoste which taught the holy man Iob this confession As it pleased God so it came to passe When he was spoiled by theues he acknowledged in the iniurie hurt that they did him the iust scourge of God What saieth the Scripture in other places The sonnes of Hely obeyed not their Father because it was Gods will to kill them Also an other Prophete crieth out that God which sitteth in heauen doeth what so euer he will And nowe I haue shewed plainly enough that God is the author of al those thinges whiche these iudges wold haue to happen only by his idle sufferāce He testifieth that he createth light and darknesse that he formeth good and euill that no euill happeneth which he himselfe hath not made Let theim tell me I beseche them whether he doo willyngly or against his will execute his owne iudgementes But as Moses teacheth that he whiche is slaine by the falling of an axe by chance is deliuered by God into the hande of the striker so the whole churche saieth in Luke that Herode and Pilate conspired to doo those thynges which the hand and purpose of God had decreed And truly if Christ wer not crucified with the will of God whense cam redemption to vs And yet the wil of God neither doeth striue with it selfe nor is chaunged nor fayneth that he willeth not the thyng that he will but where it is but one and simple in hym it semeth to vs manyfolde because accordyng to the weakenesse of oure witte wee conceiue not howe God in diuers maner willeth and willeth not one self thyng Paule after that he hath said that the calling of the Gentiles is a hidden mysterie within a litle after saieth further that it was manifestly shewed the manyfolde wisedom of God because for the dullnesse of our witte the wisedom of God seemeth to vs manifolde or as the olde interpretour hath translated it of many fashions shall we therfore dreame that there is any varietie in God himself as though he either chaungeth his purpose or dissenteth from himself Rather when we conceiue not howe God will haue the thyng to be done whiche he forbiddeth to doo let vs call to mynde our owne weakenesse and therwithal consider that the light wherin he dwelleth is not without cause called Inaccessible bicause it is couered with darknesse Therfore all godlye and sobre men will easyly agree to this sentence of Augustine that sometyme man with good will willeth that whiche God willeth not As if a good sonne willeth to haue his father to liue whom God will haue to dye Agayne it may come to passe that man may wyll the same thyng with an euill wyll which God willeth with a good will As if an euyll sonne willeth to haue his father to die and God also willeth the same Nowe the fyrst of these two sonnes wylleth that whyche God willeth not and the other sonne willeth that whyche God also willeth and yet the naturalnesse of the first sonne doeth better agree with the will of God although he willeth a contrary thing than the vnnaturalnesse of the other sonne that willeth the same thyng So great a difference is there what to wyll doeth belong to man and what to God and to what ende the will of euery one is to be applied to haue it either allowed or disalowed For those thynges whiche God willeth well he bringeth to passe by the euill wylles of euyl men But a littel before he had said that the Angels apostataes in their fallyng away and all the reprobate in as muche as concerneth theim selues did that which God would not but in respecte of the omnipotencie of God they coulde by no meanes so do because while they didde against the will of God the will of God was doone vpon them Whervpon he crieth out Great ar the workes of God ought to be sought out of al them that loue them that in meruailous maner the same thing is not doon without his will which is also done against his will because it coulde not be done if he did not
so corrupted that it needeth not onely to be healed but in manner to put on a newe nature Howe farre synne possesseth bothe the vnderstandinge mynde the hearte we wyll see hereafter Here I onely purposed shortely to touche that the whole man from the heade to the foote is so ouerwhelmed as wyth an ouerflowinge of water that no parte of hym is lâ—te from synne and that therefore what soeuer procedeth frome hym ys accompted for synne as Paule sayth that all the affections of the fleshe or thoughtes are enmities againste God and therefore deathe Nowe lette them gooe that presume to make God author of theyr sinnes bicause we say that men are naturally synful Thei do wrongfully seeke the woorke of God in their owne fylthynesse whyche they ought rather to haue sought in the nature of Adam whyle it was yet sounde and vncorrupted Therefore oure destruction commeth of the faulte of oure own fleshe not of God for asmuche as we perished by no other meane but by this that we degendred from our fyrst estaâ—e But yet let not any man here murmure say that God might haue better foreseen for oure saluation if he had prouided that Adam shold not haue fallen For this obiectioÌ„ both is to be abhorred of al godly mindes for the to muche presumptuous curiositie of it also perteineth to the secret of predestination whiche shal after be entreated of in place coÌ„uenient Wherefore let vs remembre that oure fall is to be imputed to the corruption of nature that we accuse not God himselfe the author of nature True in deede it is that the same deadely wounde sticketh fast in nature but it is muche materiall to knowe whether it came into nature from ells where or from the beginning hathe rested in it But it is euydent that the wounde was geuen by synne Therfore there is no cause why we shoulde complaine but of oure selues whiche thynge the Scripture hath dyligently noted For Ecclesiastes saieth This haue I founde that God hathe made manne righteous but thei haue soughte many inuentions It appeareth that the destructioÌ„ of man is to be imputed onely to him selfe for asmuche as hauing gotten vpryghtnesse by the goodnesse of God he by hys owne madnesse is fallen into vanitie We saye therfore that man is corrupted with faultienesse naturall but suche as proceded not from nature Wee denye that it proceded from nature to make appeare that it is rather a qualytye come from some other thynge whyche ys happened to man than a substantiall propretie that hathe ben putte into him from the begynninge Yet we call yt Naturall that no man shoulde thinke that euery man getteth it by euell custome wheras it holdeth all men bounde by inheritably descendinge righte And this we do not of oure owne heads withoute authoritie For for the same cause the Apostle teacheth that we are all by nature the chyldren of wrathe How coulde God whome all his meanest woorkes do please be wrathefull againste the noblest of all his creatures But he is rather wrathefull againste the corruption of his worke than againste his worke it selfe Therfore if for that mans nature is corrupted manne is not vnfitly saide to bee by nature abhominable to God it shal be also not vnaptely called naturally peruerse corrupted As Augustine feareth not in respecte of nature corrupted to call the synnes naturall whyche doe necessaryly reigne in ourâ— fleshe where the grace of God is absente So vanysheth away the foolyshe tryfelynge deuise of the Maniches whiche when they imagined an euellnesse hauinge substaunce in man presumed to forge for hym a newe creatour leaste they shoulde seeme to assigne to the ryghteous God the cause and begynnynge of euell The seconde Chapter That man is newe spoyled of the Freedome of wyll and made subiecte to myserable bondage SYthe we haue seen that the dominion of sinne sins the tyme that it helde the firste man bounde vnto it doothe not onely reigne in all mankinde but also wholy possesseth euerye soule nowe muste we more nerely examine sins we are broughte into that bondage whether we be spoyled of all freedome or no And yf yet there remayne any parcell howe farre the force thereof procedeth But to the ende that the trueth of this question maye more easyly appeare vnto vs I wyll by the waye sette vp a marke where vnto the whole summe maye bee dyrected And thys shal be the best waye to auoyde erroure if the daungers be considered that are lyke to fall on boothe sides For when man ys putte from all vpryghtnesse by and by he thereby taketh occasion of slouthfullnesse â—nd bicause it is saide that by hymselfe he canne dooe nothinge to the studye of righteousnesse fourth with hee neglecteth yt wholly as if yt pertained nothinge vnto hym Againe he can presume to take nothing vpon hymselfe be yt neuer so little but that bothe Gods honore shall bee thereby taken frome hym and man hymselfe bee ouerthrowen wyth rashe confydence Therfore to the ende we strike not vpon these rockes this course ys to bee kepte that man beynge enfourmed that there remaineth in hym no goodnesse and beynge on euerye syde compassed aboute wyth moste miserable necessitie may yet be taught to aspire to the goodnesse wherof he is voide and to the libertie wherof he is depriued and may be more sharpelye styrred vp from slouthfullnesse than if it were fained that he is furnished with greatest power Howe necessarye this seconde poynte is euery man seeth The fyrste I see is doubted of by moe than yt oughte to bee For this beynge sette oute of controuersye it oughte then plainely to stande for trueth that nothing is to be taken away from man of his owne so farre as it behoueth that he be throwen downe from false boastinge of him selfe For if it were not graunted to man to glorye in hymselfe euen at that time when by the bountefulnesse of God he was garnished with moste singular ornamentes howe muche oughte he nowe to be humbled sythe for his vnthankefulnes hee is thruste downe froÌ„ hye glorye into extreeme shame At that time I say when he was aduaunced to the hyghest degree of honoure the Scripture attributeth nothynge ells vnto hym but that he was created after the image of God whereby it secretly teacheth that man was blessed not by his owne good thinges but by the partakynge of God What therefore remayneth nowe but that he beyng naked and destitute of all glorye do acknoweledge God to whose liberalitie he coulde not be thankefull when he flowed full of the richesse of his grace and that nowe at length wyth confession of hys owne pouertie he glorifie hym whome in the acknoleging of his good gyftes he dyd not gloryfye Also it is as muche oure profyte that all prayse of wysedome and strengthe be taken from vs as yt pertayneth to the glorye of God that thei ioyne oure ruine with the robberie of God that geue vnto vs any thynge more than that
place of the first they set the promise without the commaundement As for me bicause vnlesse I be conuinced by euident reason I take the ten wordes in Moses for ten commaundementes me thinkes I see so many diuided in very fit order Therefore leauyng to them their opinion I will follow that which I best alloow that is that the same whiche these later sorte make the first cōmaundement shal be in stede of a preface to the whole law and then shal follow the cōmaundemētes fower of the first table and sixe of the seconde in suche order as they shal be rehearsed Augustine also to Boniface agreeth with vs whiche in rehersyng them kepeth this order that God only be serued with obedience of religion that no idole be worshipped that the name of the Lorde be not taken in vaine when he had before seuerally spokē of the shadowish cōmaundemēt of the Sabbot In an other place in deede that first diuision pleaseth him but for to sclender a cause that is bicause in the number of three if the first table consist of three cōmaundementes the misterie of the trinitie more plainly appereth Albeit in the same place he sticketh not to confesse that otherwise he rather liketh our diuisiō Byside these the authour of the Unperfect worke vpō Matthew is of our side Iosephus vndoutedly according to the cōmon consent of his time assigneth to either table fiue cōmaundementes Whiche is bothe against reason bicause it confoūdeth the distinction of religion charitie and also is confuted by the authoritie of the Lord himself which in Matthew reckeneth the cōmaundement of honoring our parētes in the number of the secōd table Now let vs heare God himself speakyng in his owne wordes The first Commaundement I am the Lord thy God whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue no straunge Gods before my face Whether you make the first sentence a part of the first cōmaundement or reade it seuerally it is indifferēt to me so that you do not denie me that it standeth in stede of a preface to the whole law First in making of lawes is heede to be takē that they be not shortly after abrogate by cōtempt Therfore God first of all prouideth that the maiestie of the lawe that he shall make maye neuer at any time come in contempt For stablishing wherof he vseth three maners of argumentes First he chalengeth to him self power and right of dominion whereby he may constraine his chosen people that they must of necessitie obey him then he setteth forth a promise of grace with swetenesse therof to allure thē to studie of holinesse Thirdly he reciteth the benefite that he did for them to reproue the Iewes of vnthankefulnesse if they do not with obedience answer his kindnesse Under the name of Iehouah the Lord is meant his authoritie lawful dominiō And if al thinges be of him and do abide in him it is right that all thinges be referred to him as Paule sayeth Therfore we are with this word alone sufficiently brought vnder the yoke of Gods maiestie bicause it were mōstruous for vs to seke to withdraw our selues frō vnder his gouernement out of whome we can not be After that he hath shewed that it is he that hath power to commaund to whome obedience is due lest he should seme to drawe by only necessitie he also allureth with swetenesse in pronouncyng that he is the God of the Churche For there is hidden in this speache◠mutuall relation whyche is conteyned in the promise I will bee to them a God and they shal be to me a people Whereupon Christ proueth that Abraham Isaac and Iacob haue immortall lyfe by this that God testified that he is their God Wherefore it is as muche in effecte as yf he should saye thus I haue chosen you to be my people not only to doe you good in this present lyfe but also to geue you the blessednesse of the life to come But to what end this tendeth it is noted in diuerse places in the law For whē the Lord doth vouch saue to deale thus mercifully with vs to call vs into the companie of his people he choseth vs sayth Moses that we should be a peculiar people vnto him self a holy people and should kepe his commaundementes From whense also cometh this exhortion Be ye holy for I am holy Now out of these two is deriued that protestation that is in the Prophet The sonne honoreth the father the seruant honoreth his Lord. If I be a lord where is my feare If I be a father where is my loue Now foloweth the rehersal of his benefite whiche ought to be of so much more force to moue vs as the faulte of vnthankefulnesse is more detestable euen among men He then did put Israel in remembrance of a benefit lately done but such a one as for the miraculous greatnesse thereof beyng worthy to be had in remembrance for euer should remaine in force with their posteritie Morouer it is most agreable for this present matter For the Lord semeth to say that they were deliuered out of miserable bondage for this purpose that they should with obediēce and redinesse of seruice honor him the author of their deliuerance He vseth also to the ende to holde vs fast in the true worshippyng of him alone to set out himself with certaine titles whereby he maketh his sacred maiestie to be differently knowen from al idoles forged gods For ▪ as I sayd before suche is our redy inclination to vanitie ioyned with rashe boldnesse that so sone as God is named our minde cā not take hede to it self but that it by and by falleth away to some vaine inuention Therefore when the Lord meaneth to bryng a remedie for this mischief he setteth out his owne godhed with certayne titles and so dothe compasse vs in as it were within certayne grates leaste we should wander hether and thether rashly forge our selues some new God if forsakyng the liuing God we should erect and idole For this cause so oft as the Prophetes meane properly to point out him they clothe him and as it were enclose him within those markes wherby he had opened himself to the people of Israell And yet when he is called the God of Abraham or the God of Israell when he is set in the temple of Hierusalem among the Cherebins these and like formes of speache do not binde him to one place or to one people but are set only for this purpose to staye the thoughtes of the godly in y◠God whiche by his couenant that he hath made with Israell hath so represented himself that it is no waye lawefull to varie from such a paterne But let this remayne stedfastly emprinted that there is mention made of the deliuerance to this ende that the Iewes might the more cherefully geue themselues to the God that doth by right clayme them
Wherfore we must fetche the exposition of it farther of And as I think I haue marked yâ— there are three causes to be coÌ„sidered wherupoÌ„ this coÌ„maundement consisteth For first the heauenly lawmaker meant vnder the rest of the seuenth daye to set out in figure to the people of Israel the spirituall rest whereby the faithfull ought to â—esse from their owne workes that they might suffer God to worke in them Secondarily his wil was to haue one apointed daye wherein they should mere together to heare the lawe and execute the ceremonies or at leest bestowe it peculiarly to the meditation of his workes that by such callyng to remembrance they might be exercised to godlinesse Thirdly he thought good to haue a day of rest graunted to seruants and such as liued vnder the gouernement of other wherin theâ— might haue some cessyng from their labour But we are many wayes taught that the same shadoweng of the spiritual rest was the principal point in the Sabbat For yâ— Lorde required the keping of no coÌ„mauÌ„dement in a maner more seuerely than this when his meaning is in the Prophetes to declare that al religioÌ„ is ouerthrowen then he coÌ„plaineth that his Sabbates are polluted defiled not kept not sanctified as though that pece of seruice beyng omitted there remained no more wherin he might be honored He did set forth the obseruing therof with hie praises For whiche cause the faithful did among other oracles maruelously esteme the reuelyng of the Sabbat For in Nehemiah thus spake the Leuites in a solemne coÌ„uocation Thou hast shewed to our fathers thy holy Sabbat hast geuen them the coÌ„maundementes the ceremonies the law by the hand of Moses You see howe it is had in singular estimation among al the coÌ„maundementes of the law All whiche thinges do serue to set forth the dignitie of the misterie which is very wel expressed by Moses and Ezechiel Thus you haue in Exodus See that ye kepe my Sabbat day bicause it is a token betwene me you in your generations that you maye know that I am the Lord that sanctifie you kepe my Sabbat for it is holy vnto you Let the children of Israell kepe the Sabbat and celebrate it in their generations it is an euerlastyng couenaÌ„t betwene me the children of Israel and a perpetual token Yet Ezechiel speaketh more at large But the summe therof cometh to this effect that it is for a token wherby Israell should knowe that God is their sanctifier If our sanctification be the mortifiyng of our owne will then appereth a most apt relation of the outward signe with the inward thing it self we must altogether rest that God may worke in vs we must depart from our owne wil we must resigne vp our heart we must banish all lustes of the â—â—esh Finally we muste cesse from all the doynges of our owne witte that we maye haue God workyng in vs that we maye reste in him as the Apostle also teacheth This perpetual cessyng was represented to the Iewes by the kepyng of one daye among seuen whiche daye to make it be obserued with greater deuotion the Lord commaunded with his owne exaÌ„ple For it auaileth not a litle to stirre vp mans endeuour that he maye know that he tendeth to the folowyng of his creatour If any man searche for a secret signification in the number of seuen For asmuch as that nomber is in the Scripture the nomber of perfection it was not without cause chosen to signifie euerlastyng continuance Wherwith this also agreeth that Moses in the day that he declared that the Lord did rest from his workes maketh an ende of describyng the succeding of dayes nightes There maye be also brought an other probable note of the number that the Lord thereby meant to shewe that the Sabbat should neuer 〈◊〉 perfectly ended til it came to the last day For in it we beginne our blessed rest in it we doe dayly procede in profityng more and more But bicause we haue still a continuall warre with the flesh it shall not be ended vntill that sayeng of Esaye be fulfilled concernyng the continuyng of newe Moone with newe moone of Sabbat with Sabbat euen theâ— when God shal be all in all It may seme therfore that the Lord hath by the .vij. day set forth to his people the perfection to come of his Sabbat at the laste daye that our whole lite might by coÌ„tinuall meditation of the Sabbat aspire to this perfection If any man mislyke this obseruation of the number as a matter to curious I am not agaynst him â–ª but that he maye more simply take it that the Lorde ordeyned one certaine day wherein his people might vnder the scholyng of the lawe bee exercised to the continuall meditation of the spirituall reste And that he assigned the seuenth daye eyther bycause he thought it sufficient or that by settynge forth the likenâ—â—se of his owne example he might the better moue the people to kepe it or at leaste to put them in mynde that the Sabbat tended to no other ende but that they should become like vnto their Creatour For it maketh small matter so that the misterie remayne whiche is therein principally set forth concernynge the perpetuall reste of ouâ— workes To consideration whereof the Prophetes did nowe and thâ—â— call backe the Iewes that they shoulde not thynke themselues 〈◊〉 charged by carnall takyng of their rest Bysâ—de the places alredy â—â—leged you haue thus in Esaye If thou turne awaye thy â—oote from the Sabbat that thou doe not thine owne will in my holy daye and shalt call the Sabbat delicate and holy of the glorious Lorde and shalt glorifie him while thou doest not thyne owne wayes and sekâ—st not thine owne will to speake the worde then shalt thou be deâ—â—ted in the Lord c. But it is no doubte that by the commyng of our Lord Christ so muche as was ceremoniall herein was abrugate For he is the truthe by whose presence all figures do vanish awaye he is the bodie of sight whereof the shadowes are leite He I sâ—ye is the â—rue fulfillyng of the Sabbat we beyng buryed with hym by â—â—ptiâ—me are grafted into the felowship of his death that we beyng made partakers of the resurrection we maye walke in newnesse oâ— life Therfore in an other place the Apostle writeth that the Sabbat was a shadowe of a thing to come and that the true bodie that is to saye the perfect substance of truthe is in Christ whiche in the same place he hath well declared That is not coÌ„teyned in one day but in the whole course of our life vntill that we beyng vtterly dead to our selues be filled with the life of God Therefore superstitious obseruing of daies ought to be far from Christians But for asmuche as the two later causes ought not to be reckened among the olde shadowes but doe belong a like to all ages sins the Sabbat is abrogate
the ende of thys present life From thense did spring vp that consideration whiche the faythfull oftentimes vsed for a comforte of thir miseries and remedie of patience It is but a momente in the Lordes displeasure and life in his mereye Howe did they determine afflictions to ende in a moment that were in affliction in a manner of their life longe where dyd thei espye so longe an eâ—duringe of Godes kindenesse whereof thei scarsely felt any lyttle taste If thei hadde sticked faste vpon the earthe they coulde haue founde no such thing but bicause thei loked vpon heauen thei acknowledged that it is but a moment of time while the Lord exercise his holy ones by the crosse but that his mercies wherein thei are gathered together do last the worldes age Againe they did â—oresee the eternall and neuer endinge destruction of the vngodlye whiche were as in a dreame happy for one daie Wherevpon came these sayinges The remembrance of the righteous shall be in blessing butte the name of the wicked shall rotte Precious is the deathe of the Saintes in the sighte of the Lorde but the deathe of the wicked moste euell Againe in Samuel The Lorde shall keepe the feete of the holy and the wicked shall be put to silence in darkenesse Whiche do declare that thei well knewe that howesoeuer the holy were diuersly carryed aboute yet their laste ende is lyfe and saluation and that the prosperitie of the wycked is a pleasaunt waye whereby thei by little and little slide forwarde into the gulfe of deathe Therefore thei called the deathe of suche the destruction of the vncircumcised as of them from whome the hope of the resurrection was cutte awaie Wherefore Dauid coulde not deuise a more greuous curse than this Let them be blotted out of the boke of life and not be written with the righteous But aboue all other notable is that sayeng of Iob I knowe that my redemer liueth in the last daie I shal rise againe out of the earth and in my fleshe I shall see God my sauioure This hope is layed vp in my bosome Some that haue a mynde to make a shewe of their sharpe witte do cauill that this is not to be vnderstanded of the last resurrection but of the firste daye that Iob loked to haue God more gentle to him whiche although we graunt them in parte yet shall wee enforce them to confesse whether they wyll or noe that Iob coulde not haue come to that largenesse of hope if he had rested his thoughte vpon the earthe Therefore we muste needes confesse that he lifted vp his eyes to the immortalitie to come whiche sawe that his redeemer would be present with him euen lyeng in his graue For to them that thinke only of his present life death is their vttermost desperation whiche very death coulde not cutt of Iobs hope Yea though he kill me said he neuerthelesse I will still hope in him And let no trifler here carpe against me and saie â–ª that these were the sayenges but of a fewe whereby ys not proued that suche doctrine was among the Iewes For I wyll by and by answer him that these fewe dyd not in these sayenges vtter any secret wisedome wherevnto onely certayne excellente wittes were seuerally and priuately suffred to atteine â–ª but that as thei were by the holy Ghoste apointed teachers of the people so they openly published those misteries of God that were to be vniuersally learned and ought to be the principles of the common religion among the people Therefore when we heare the publike oracles of the holy Ghoste wherein he spake of the spirituall lyfe so clerely and plainely in the Churche of the Iewes it were a pointe of vntolerable stubbournesse to sende them away only to the fleshly couenant wherin is mention made of nothing but earth and earthly wealthinesse If I come downe to the latter Prophetes there wee maye freely walke as is oure owne felde For yf it were not harde for vs to gett the vpperhande in Dauid Iob and Samuel here it shall be muche more easye For God kepte this distribution and ordre in disposinge the couenant of hys mercye that howe muche the nearer it drewe on in processe of tyme to the full perfourmance thereof with so muche greater encreasementes of reuelation hee dyd daye by daie more bryghtly shewe it Therefore at the beginning when the firste promise of saluation was made vnto Adam there glystered oute but as it were smale sparkles of it After hauinge more added vnto it a greater largenesse of light began to be put forth whiche from thense fourth brake out more and more and displayed her bryghtnesse farther abroade till at length all the cloudes were dryuen awaye and Christe the sonne of righteousnesse fully lyghtned the whole woorlde We neede not therfore to feare that wee fayle of testimonies of the Prophetes if we seeke them to proue oure cause but bicause I see that there wyll aryse a huge deale of matter wherevpon I shoulde bee constrained of necessytie to tarrye longer than the proportioâ— of my purpose maye beare for it woulde so growe to a worke of a great volume and also bicause I haue already by those thinges that I haue saide before made plaine the waye euen for a reader of meane capacitie so as he maye goe forwarde wythoute stumbling therefore I wyll at this present absteine from long tediousnesse whyche to do ys no lesse necessarie but geuing the readers warning before hande that they remembre to open theyr owne waye with that key that we haue fyrste geuen them in theyr hande That is that so ofte as the Prophetes speake of the blessednesse of the faithfull people whereof scarscely the leaste steppes are seen in this present life thei maye resorte to this distinction that the Prophetes the better to eâ—presse the goodnesse of God did as in a shadow expresse it to the people by temporall benefites as by certaine rough drawing of the portraiture therof but that the perfect image that thei haue painted therof was suche as might rauish mens myndes out of the earh and out of the elements of this worlde and of the age that shal perishe and of necessitie rayse it vp to the considering of the felicitie of the lyfe that ys to come and spirituall We wyll be content with one example When the Israelites being carryed awaye to Babylon sawe their scattering abroade to be like vnto deathe they coulde hardely be remoued from thys opinion that they thought that al was but fables that Ezechiel prophecied of their restitution bicause thei reckened it euen all one as if he had tolde them that rotten carcases shoulde be restored againe to lyfe The Lorde to shewe that euen that same difficultie coulde not stop him from bringing hys benefite to effect shewed to the Prophete in a vision a field full of due bones to the which in a moment with the onely power of hys worde he restored
that it pearced euen to the dead when the godly soules enioyed the presente sight of that visitation whiche they had carefully loked for on the other side it did more plainely appere to the reprobrate that they were excluded frō all saluation But whereas Peter in his sayeng maketh no distinction betwene them that is not so to be taken as though he mingled together the godly and vngodly without difference but only he meante to teache that generally they bothe had one common felyng of the death of Christ. But concernyng Christes goyng downe to the helles byside the consideracion of the Crede we muste seke for a more certayne exposition and we assuredly haue suche a one out of the worde of God as is not only holy and godly but also full of singular comforte Christes death had ben to no effect yf he had suffred only a corporall death but it behoued also that he shoulde feele the rigour of Gods vengeance that he might bothe appease his wrathe and satisfie his iuste iudgement For which cause also it behoued that he should as it were hand to hande wrastle with the armies of the helles and the horrour of eternall death We haue euen nowe alleged out of the Prophet that the chastisement of our peace was layed vpon him that he was striken of his father for our sinnes and broused for our infirmities Whereby is meante that he was put in the stede of wicked doers as suretie and pledge yea and as the very gilty persone himselfe to able and suffer all the punishmentes that shoulde haue ben layed vpon them this one thyng excepted that he could not be holden still of the sorrowes of death Therefore it is no maruell yf it be sayde that he wente downe to the helles sithe he suffred that death wherewith God in his wrathe stryketh wicked doers And their exception is very fonde yea and to be scorned whyche saye that by this exposition the order is peruerted bycause it were an absurditie to set that after his buriall whyche wente before it For after the settyng forth of those thynges that Christe suffred in the sighte of menne in very good order foloweth that inuisible and incomprehensible iudgement whiche he suffred in the sight of God that we shoulde knowe that not only the body of Christ was geuen to be the price of our redemptiō but that there was an other greater and more excellent price payed in this that in his soule he suffred the terrible tormentes of a dāned and forsaken manne According to this meaning doth Peter say that Christ rose againe hauyng loosed the sorrowes of death of whiche it was impossible that he should be holden or ouercomme He doth not name it simply death but he expresseth that the sonne of God was wrapped in the sorrowes of death whiche procede from the curse and wrath of God whiche is the originall of death For howe small a matte◠had it ben carelesly and as it were in sporte to come forthe to suffer death ▪ But this was a true profe of his infinite mercye not to shunne that death whyche he so sore trembled at And it is no doubte that the same is the Apostles meanyng to teache in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where he wryteth that Christ was heard of his owne Feare some translate it Reuerence or pietie but how vnfitly bothe the matter it selfe and the very manner of speakynge proueth Christ therefore prayeng with teares and mightye crye is hearde of his owne feare not to be free from death but not to be swallowed vp of death as a sinner bicause in that place he had but oure persone vpon him And truely there can be imagined no more dredfull bottomlesse depth than for a manne to fele himselfe forsaken and enstranged from God and not to be heard when he calleth vpon hym euen as yf God himselfe had conspired to his destruction Euen thether we see that Christ was throwen downe so farre that by enforcement of distresse he was compelled to crye out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For whereas some woulde haue it taken that he so spake rather accordynge to the opinion of other than as he felte in himselfe that in no case probable for asmuche as it is euident that this sayeng proceded out of the very anguishe of the bottome of his heart Yet doe we not meane thereby that God was at any tyme his enemie or angry with him For how coulde he be angry with his beloued sonne vpon whome his mynde rested Or howe coulde Christ by his intercession appease his fathers wrath towarde other hauynge him hatefully bente agaynst himselfe But this is our meanyng that he suffred the greuousnesse of Gods rigor for that he beyng striken and tormented with the hande of God did fele all the tokens of God when he is angry and punisheth Whereupon Hylarie argueth thus that by this goyng downe we haue obteyned this that death is slaine And in other places he agreeth with our iudgement as where he sayth The crosse death and helles are our lyfe Agayne in an other place The sonne of God is in the helles but manne is carried vp to heauen But why doe I alledge the testimonie of a priuate manne when the Apostle affirmeth the same rehersing this for a frute of his victorie that they were deliuered whiche weare by feare of death al their life long subiect to bondage It behoued therefore that he shal ouercōme that feare that naturally dothe continually torment and oppresse all mortall men whiche coulde not be done but by fightyng with it Moreouer that his feare was no common feare or conceiued vpon a sclender cause shall by and by more playnely appere So by fightynge hand to hand with the power of the Deuel with the horrour of death with the peines of the helles it came to passe that he both had the victorie of them and triumphed ouer them that we nowe in death shoulde no more feare those thynges whiche our Prince hath swallowed vp Here some lewde menne although vnlearned yet rather moued by malice than by ignoraunce crye out that I do a haynous wrong to Christ bycause it was agaynste conueniencie of reason that he should be fearefull for the saluation of his soule And then they more hardly enforce this cauillation with sayeng that I ascribe to the sonne of God desperation whiche is contrarie to fayth First they doe but maliciously moue controuersie of Christes feare and trembling whiche the Euangelistes do so playnely report For a little before that the time of his death approched he was troubled in spirit and passioneth wyth heauynesse and at his very metyng with it he began more vehemently to tremble for feare If they say that he did but counterfait that is to foule a shift We must therefore as Ambrose trulie teacheth boldly confesse the sorrowfulnesse of Christ vnlesse we be a shamed of his crosse And truely yf his soule had not ben partaker
of pardon and reconciliation hee by and by tourneth to an other thing and wandereth about in longe superfluous circumstances rehersinge howe maruelously the Lorde gouerneth the frame of heauen and earth and the whole ordre of nature yet is there nothinge that serueth not fittly for the circumstance of the matter that he speaketh of For vnlesse the power of God wherby he is able to do all thinges be presently set before our eies our eares wil hardly heare the worde or wil not esteme it so much as it is worth Beside that her is declared his effectual power bicause godlinesse as we haue already shewed in an other place doth alwaie applie the power of God to vse and worke specially it setteth before it selfe those workes of God wherby he hath testified himselfe to be a father Herevpon commeth that in the Scriptures is so often mention made of the redemption wherby the Israelites might haue learned that God whiche was ones the author of saluation will be an euerlastinge preseruer thereof And Dauid putteth vs in mynde by hys owne exaumple that those benefites whiche God hathe particularly bestowed vpon euery man doe afterwarde auaile to the confyrmation of his faithe Yea when God seemeth to haue forsaken vs it behoueth vs to stretche oure wittes further that hys aunciente benefites maie recomforte vs as it is saide in an other Psalme I haue ben mindefull of olde daies I haue studied vpon all thy workes c. Againe I will remembre the workes of the Lorde and his meruelles from the beginning But bicause without the word all quickly vanisheth awaie that we conceiue of the power of God and of his woorkes therefore we do not without cause affyrme that there is no faithe vnlesse God geue lighte vnto it with testimonie of hys grace But here a question myghte bee moued what ys to bee thought of Sara and Rebecca bothe which being moued as it semeth with zele of saith passed beyonde the bondes of the word Sara when she feruently desyred the promysed issue gaue her bondmaide to her housbande It can not be denied but that shee many waies sinned but nowe I touche onely thys faulte that beinge carryed awaye wyth her zele she did not restraine herselfe within the bondes of Gods worde yet it is certaine that that desire proceeded of faith Rebecca being certified by the oracle of God of the electiō of her sonne Iacob ▪ procured his blessing by euell crafty meanes she deceued hir husbande the witnesse and minister of the grace of God shee compelled her sonne to lye she by dyuerse guiles and deceites corrupted the trueth of God Fynally in makinge a scorne of hys promise shee dyd as muche as in her laye destroie it And yet thys acte howe muche soeuer it was euell and woorthy of blame was not without faith for it was necessarie that she sholde ouercome many offenses that shee might so earnestly endeuoure to atteine that whiche without hope of earthly profite was ful of greate troubles daungers As wee may not say that the holy Patriarche Isaac was altogether without faithe bicause he beinge by the same oracle of God admonished of the honoure transferred to the yonger sonne yet cessed not to bee more fauourably bente to hys fyrste begotten sonne Esau. Truely these examples do teache that oftetimes erroures are mingled with faithe but yet so that faith if it be a true faith hath alwaie the vpper hande For as the particular erroure of Rebecca did not make void the effect of the blessing so neither did it make voide her faith whyche generally reigned in her mynde and was the beginning and cause of that doynge Neuerthelesse therein Rebecca vttered howe readye mans mynde is to fall so sone as he geueth hym selfe neuer so lyttle lybertie But thoughe mans defaut and weakenesse dothe darken faith yet it doth not quenche it in the meane time it putteth vs in minde how carefully wee oughte to hange vpon the mouthe of God and also confyrmeth that whyche wee haue taughte that faythe vanysheth awaye vnlesse yt bee vpholden by the woorde as the myndes boothe of Sara and Isaac and Rebecca hadde become vaine in theyr croked wanderinges out of the waie vnlesse thei had ben by Gods secret brydle holden in obedience of the worde Againe not without cause we include all the promises in Christ forasmuche as in the knowledge of him the Apostle includeth al the Gospell and in an other place he teacheth that all the promises of God are in him yea and Amen The reason whereof is ready to be shewed For if God promise any thinge he therein sheweth hys good will so that there is no promise of hys that is not a testimonie of his loue Neither maketh it any mater that the wycked when they haue great and continuall benefites of Gods liberalitie heaped vpon them doe thereby wrappe themselues in so much the more greuous iudgement For syth thei do neither thinke nor acknowlege that those things com vnto them frō the hande of God for if thei acknowlege it thei do not with themselues consider his goodnesse therefore thei can not thereby be better taught of his mercie than brute beastes which according to the measure of their estate do receiue the same frute of Gods liberalitie yet they perceiue it not Neither doth it any more make againste vs that many times in refusing the promises apointed for them they do by that occasion procure to them selues the greater vengeance For although the effectuall workinge of the promyses do then onely appeare when they haue founde faith with vs yet the force and natural propretie of them is neuer extinguyshed by oure vnbeleefe or vnthankfulnesse Therefore when the Lorde by hys promyses doth prouoke man not onely to receiue but also to thynke vpon the frutes of hys bountifulnesse hee doth therwith all declare vnto him hys loue Wherevpon we muste returne to thys poynte that euery promyse is a testifieng of Gods loue towarde vs. But it is out of question that no man is loued of God but in Christe he is the beloued Sonne in whome the loue of the Father abydeth and resteth and then from hym poureth it selfe abroade vnto vs as Paule teacheth that wee haue obteyned fauoure in the beloued one Therefore it muste needes bee deryued and come vnto vs by meane of hym For thys cause the Apostle in an other place calleth him oure peace in an other place hee setteth hym oute as a bonde whereby God is with fatherli natural kindenes bound vnto vs. It foloweth then that we must caste our eyes vpon hym so oft as any promyse ys offered vs. And that Paule teacheth no absurditie that all Gods promyses whatsoeuer they bee are confyrmed and fulfilled in hym There be certayne exaumples that make for the contrarie For yf ys not lykely that Naaman the Syrian when hee requyred of the Prophete the manner how to worship God arighte was instructed concerning the
Mediator yet his godlynesse is praised Cornelius a Gentile a Romaine could scarcely vnderstand that which was knowen not to al the Iewes yea that very darkely yet his almes praiers were acceptable to God And the sacrifice of Naaman by the Prophets answer allowed Whych thing neither of them coulde obteine but by faythe Lykewise yt maie be sayde of the Ennuche to whome Philppe was carried why the yf he hadde not had some faythe woulde not haue taken vpon him the trauayle and exspenses of so longe a iourney to worshippe Yet we see when Philippe examined him how he bewrayed his ignorance of the Mediator And truely I graunte that theyr faythe was 〈◊〉 vnexpressed not only concerning Christes person but also concerninge his power and the office committed vnto him of the Father Yet in the meane time it is certaine that thei were instructed in suche principles as gaue them some taste of Christe althoughe but very small Neyther ought this to seeme strange For neither wold the Eunuche haue come in haste to Ierusalem from a farre countrie to worship an vnknowen God neither did Cornelius when he had ones embraced the Iewish religion spende so much time without being acquainted with the first groundes of true doctrine As for Naaman it had ben to fonde an absurditie for Elyzeus when he taught him of small thynges to haue saide nothinge of the principal pointe Therefore although there were among them a darke knoweledge of Christ yet it is not likely that ther was no knowledge bicause thei did vse them selues in the sacrifices of the lawe whiche must haue been discerned by the very ende of them that is Christe from the false sacrifices of the Gentiles But this bare and outward declaration of the word of God ought to haue largely sufficed to make it be beleued if our owne blyndenesse and stubbournesse did not withstande it But oure minde hath suche an inclination to vanitie that it can neuer cleaue faste vnto the trueth of God and hathe suche a dulnesse that it is alwaie blinde and can not see the light thereof Therefore there is nothynge auailably done by the worde without the enlightninge of the holy ghoste Whereby also appeareth that faithe is farre aboue mans vnderstanding Neither shal it be sufficient that the minde be lightned with the spirit of God vnlesse the hearte be also strengthened and stablished with his power Wherein the Schoolemen do altogether erre whiche in considerynge of faithe do onely take holde of a bare and simple assent by knowledg leauinge out the confidence and assurednesse of the heart Therefore faith is both waies a syngular gyfte of God bothe that the mynde of man is cleansed to taste the trueth of God and that his hearte is stablished therein For the holy ghoste not onely is the beginner of faythe but also by degrees encreaseth it vntil by it he bring vs to the heauenly kingdome That good thinge saith Paule whiche was committed to thy keping kepe in the holy ghoste which dwelleth in vs. But howe Paule saithe that the holy ghoste is geuen by the hearing of faythe we may easily dissolue it If there hadde ben but one onely gyfte of the holy ghoste then it had ben an absurditie for him to call the holy ghost the effect of faith whyche is the author and cause of faithe But when he maketh report of the gyftes wherewyth God garnysheth his Churche and by encreasinges of faithe bryngeth it to perfection it is no meruell if he ascribe those thynges to faithe whiche maketh vs fitt to receiue them This is reckened a moste strange conclusion when it is saide that no man but he to whome it is geuen can beleue in Christ. But that is partely bycause they do not consyder either howe secrete and hye the heauenly wysedome is or howe greate mans dulnesse is in conceiuinge the misteries of God and partly bycause they looke not vnto that assured and stedfast constantnesse of hearte that is to saye the cheefe parte of faith But if as Paule preacheth no manne is wytnesse of the wyll of manne but the spirite of manne that is within him then howe shoulde man be sure of the will of God And if the truth of God be vncertaine among vs in those thinges that we presently beholde with our eye how shold it be assured stedfast among vs ther wher the lord promiseth such thinge as neither eye seeth nor witt comprehendeth But herein mans sharpnesse of vnderstanding is so ouerthrowen faileth that the fyrste degrees of profitinge in Gods schoole is to forsake his owne wit For by it as by a veile cast before vs we are hyndred that we can not atteine the misteries of God whiche are not disclosed but to little ones For neither dothe flesh blood disclose nor natural man perceiue those things that are of the Spirit but rather to him the learning of God is foolishnesse bicause it is spiritually to be iudged Therfore herin the helpe of the holy ghost is necessarie or rather herein his force onely reigneth Ther is noman that knoweth the minde of God or hath ben his counseller but the holy Spirit searcheth out all thinges euen the depe secretes of God by whome it is brought to passe that we know the minde of Christ No man saith he can come to me vnlesse my father that sent me drawe hym Euery one therfore that hath heard learned of my father commeth Not that any man hath seen the father but he that is sent to God Euen as therfore we can not come vnto Christ but being drawen by the Spirit of God so when we be drawen we are lifted vp in witt minde aboue our owne vnderstanding For the soule enlightned by hym taketh as it wer a new sharpnes of vnderstanding wherwith it maye beholde heauenly misteries with brightnes wherof it was before daseled in it selfe And so mans vnderstanding receiuing brightnesse by the lighte of the holy ghost doth neuer till then truely beginne to taste of those thinges that belong to the kingdome of God being before altogether vnfauourie and without iudgment of tast to take assay of them Therfore when Christ did notably set out vnto two of hys Disciples the misteries of his kingdome yet he nothing preuailed vntill he opened their senses that they might vnderstand the Scriptures When the Apostles weare so taughte by his Godly mouth yet the Spirit of truth must be sent vnto them to poure into their mindes that same doctrine whiche they had hearde with their eares The worde of God is like vnto the sunne that shineth vnto all them to whome it is preached but to no profit amonge blinde men But we are al in this behalfe blind by nature therfore it can not pearce into our minde but by the inward master the holy ghoste making by his enlightning an entrie for it In an other place when we had to entreat of the corruption of natur we haue
accompt a thousand yeres like as one daye For thys conioyning and aliance the scripture sometime confoundeth the names of Faythe and Hope For when Peter teacheth that we are by the power of God preserued through faithe vnto the disclosinge of saluation he geueth that vnto faithe whyche dyed more fittely agree with hope and not without cause for asmuche as we haue already taught that hope is nothing els but the nourishment and strength of faithe Sometimes they are ioyned together as in the same epistle That your faithe and hope shoulde be in God But Paule to the Philippians out of faith deriueth expectation bicause in pacientli hoping we holde our desires in suspense till Gods conuenient oportunitie be opened All whiche matter wee maye better vnderstande by the tenth chapiter to the Hebrues whyche I haue already alleaged Paule in an other place although he speake vnproprely yet meaneth the same thing in these wordes We loke in the spirit through faith for hope of righteousnesse euen bicause we embracing the testimonie of the Gospell concerning his free loue do loke for the time when God shall openly shewe that whiche is nowe hidden vnder hope And nowe it is plaine how folishly Peter Lomberd laieth two foundations of hope that is the grace of God the deseruing of works Hope can haue no other mark to be directed vnto but faith we haue already declared that faith hath one only mark the mercie of God to which it ought to loke as I maie so speake with both eyes But it is good to heare what a liuely reasō he bringeth If saith he thou darst hope for any thing without deseruinges y◠shal not be worthy to be called hope but presumption Whoe gentile reader will not worthyly abhorre suche beastes that saie it is a rashe and presumptuous dede if a man haue cōfidence that God is true of his word For where the Lord willeth vs to loke for all thinges at his goodnesse thei saie it is presumption to leane and rest vpon it A master meete for suche scholers as he founde in the madde schole of filthy babblers But as for vs when we se that wee are commaunded by the oracles of God to conceiue a hope of saluation let vs gladly presume so much vpon his truthe as trusting vpon his onely mercie casting away the confydence of workes to be bolde to hope well He will not deceiue that saide Be it vnto you according to your faithe The thyrde Chapter That we ar regenerate by faithe Wherein is entreatch of Repentance ALbeit we haue already partly taught how faith possesseth Christe how by it we eioye hys benefites neuerthelesse thys weare yet darke vnlesse we dyd also make declaratiō of the effectes that we feele thereby Not without cause it is said that the summe of the Gospell standeth in repentance and in forgeuenesse of sinnes Therfore leauing out these two pointes whatsoeuer we shal saie of faith shal be but a hungry vnperfect yea in manner vnprofitable disputation of faith Now forasmuch as Christ doth geue both vnto vs we obteine both by faith that is to saie both newnesse of life fre reconciliation reasō ordre of teaching requireth that in this place I beginne to speake of bothe Oure next passage from faith shal be to Repentance bicause when this article is well perceiued it shall the better appeare howe man is iustified by onely faithe and mere pardon yet how real holinesse of life as I maie so call it is not seuered frō free imputation of righteousnesse Now it ought to be oute of question that Repentance doth not only immediatly folow faith but also spring out of it For wheras pardon forgeuenesse is therfore offred by the preaching of the Gospel the the sinner being deliuered from the tyrānie of Satan from the yoke of sinne frō miserable bondage of vices maie passe into the kingdome of God truly no man can embrace the grace of the Gospell but he muste returne from the erroures of hys former life into the right way and applie all his studie to the meditation of repentance As for them that thinke that repentance dothe rather goe before faithe than flow or spring forth of it as a frute out of a tree thei neuer knew the force therof and are moued with to weake an argument to thinke so Christ saie thei Ihon in their preachinges do first exhorte the people to repentance then thei afterwarde saye that the kyngdome of heauen is at hand Such cōmaundemēt to preach the Apostles receiued such ordre Paule folowed as Luke reporteth But while thei superstitiously stick vpon the ioining together of syllables thei mark not in what meaning the words hang together For whē the lord Christ Ihō do preach in this manner Repent ye for the kingedome of heauen is come neare at hande do they not fetche the cause of repentance frō very grace promise of saluatiō Therfore their words are as much in effecte as if thei had said because the kingdō of heauē is com nere at hand therfore repēt ye For Matthewe when he hathe shewed that Ihon so preatched saith that in him was fulfilled the prophecie of Esaie concerninge the voyce cryeng in the wyldernesse Prepare the waie of the Lorde make streight the pathes of oure God But in the Prophete that voice is cōmaunded to beginne at comfort and glade tydinges Yet when we referre the beginning of repentance to faith we do not dreame a certaine meane space of time wherein it bringeth it out but we meane to shew that a man can not earnestly applie him selfe to repentance vnlesse he know him selfe to be of God But no man is truely perswaded that he is of God but he that hathe firste receiued his grace But these things shal be more plainely dyscussed in the processe folowing Paraduenture this deceiued them that many are firste by terroures of conscience tamed or framed to obedience before that thei haue throughli disgested yea before they haue tasted the knowledge of grace And this is the feare at the beginning whiche some accompte among vertues bicause thei see that it is nere to true and iuste obedience But oure question is not here how diuersly Christ draweth vs vnto him or prepareth vs to the endeuoure of godlinesse only this I say that ther can be no vprightnesse founde where reigneth not that Spirit whiche Christe receyued to communicate the same to his membres Then according to that saieng of the Psalme Wyth thee is mercifulnesse that thou maiest bee feared Noe man shall euer reuerently feare God but he that trusteth that God is mercifull vnto him no man wil willingly prepare himselfe to the kepinge of the lawe but he that is perswaded that his seruices please him which tendernesse in pardoning and bearing with faultes is a signe of fatherly fauoure Whiche is also shewed by that exhortation of Osee Come let vs returne to
be much matter to abace our selues Agayne we 〈◊〉 commaunded whatsoeuer giftes of God we see in other men so to reuerence and esteme those giftes that we also honour those menne in whom they be For it were a great lewdnesse for vs to take from theÌ„ that honor the God hath vouchesaued to geue theÌ„ As for their faults we are taught to winke at them not to cherish them with flattering 〈◊〉 that we should not by reason of those faultes triumphe agaynst 〈◊〉 to whome we ought to beare good will and honour So shall it â—ome to passe that wyth what man so euer we haue to doe we shall â—chaue our selues not only temperatly and modestly but also gently and frendly As a man shal neuer come any other way to true mekenesse but yf he haue a heart endued with abacyng of hymselfe and reuerencyng of other Now howe hard is it for thee to do thy dutie in sekyng the profit of thy neyghbour Thou shalt herin labour in vayne vnlesse thou depart from regard of thy selfe and in a manner put of thy selfe For howe canst thou performe these thynges that Paule teacheth to bee the workes of charitie vnlesse thou forsake thy self to geue thy self wholy to other Charitie sayth he is patient and gentle not proude not disdaynefull enuieth not swelleth not seketh not her owne is not angry c. If this one thyng be required that we seke not the things that are our owne we shall doe no small violence to nature whiche so bendeth vs to the only loue of our selues that it doth not easily suffer vs negligently to passe ouer our selues and our owne thynges to watch for other mens coÌ„modities yea to depart with our owne right to reâ—igne it to an other But the Scripture to leade vs thether as it were by the hand warneth vs that what so euer gracious giftes we obteyne of the Lord they are coÌ„mitted vnto vs vpoÌ„ this conditioÌ„ that they shold be bestowed to the coÌ„mon benefit of the church that therfore the true vse of al Gods graces is a liberal bountiful coÌ„municating of them to other There can be no certaine rule nor more forceable exhortation could be deuised for the keping of the same thaÌ„ when we be thaught that all the good giftes that we haue are thynges of God deliuered coÌ„mitted to our trust vpoÌ„ this coÌ„dition that they shuld be disposed to the benefit of our neighbours But the Scripture goeth yet further when it coÌ„pareth them to the powers wherewith the meÌ„bers of mans body are endued No meÌ„ber hath his power for himself nor applieth it to his priuate vse but poureth it abrode into the other membres of the same body taketh no profit therof but such as procedeth from the coÌ„mon coÌ„moditie of the whole body So whatsoeuer a godly man is able to do he ought to be able to do it for his brethreÌ„ in prouiding none otherwise priuately for himself but so that his minde be bent to the coÌ„mon edificatioÌ„ of the church Let this therfore be our order for kindnesse and doyng good that whatsoeuer God hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs wherby we may help our neighbour we are the Baylies therof bound to render accompt of the disposyng of it And that the only right disposing is that which is tried by the rule of loue So shal it come to passe that we shal alway not only ioyne the trauail for other mens coÌ„moditie with the care of our owne profit but also set it before the care of our owne And that we should not happen to bee ignorant that this is the true lawe of disposyng all the giftes that we receyue of God he hath in the olde time set the same lawe euen in the smalest giftes of his liberalitie For he commaunded the first frutes of corne to be offred vnto him by whiche the people might testifie that it was vnlawfull for them to take any frute of the goods that were not first consecrate to him If the giftes of God be so onely then sanctified vnto vs when we haue with our owne hande dedicate them to the authour thereof it is euideÌ„t that it is an vntrue abuse thereof that doth not fauour of suche dedication But it shal be vayne for thee to goe about to enriche the Lord with communicatyng to him of thy things Therefore sithe thy liberalitie can not extende vnto him as the Prophet saith thou must vse it toward his saintes that are in earth Therfore almes are compared to holy oblations that they maye nowe be correspondent to these of the lawe But that we shuld not be wery with doyng good which otherwise must needes come quickly to passe that other thing must be adioyned which the Apostle speaketh of that charitie is patieÌ„t not moued to anger The Lord coÌ„mauÌ„deth to do good to al vniuersally of whoÌ„ a great part are most vnworthy if thei be coÌ„sidered by their owne deseruing But here the Scripture helpeth with a very good meane wheÌ„ it teacheth that we must not haue respect what meÌ„ deserue of theÌ„selues but that the image of God is to be considered in all men to which we owe all honour and loue But the same is most diligently to be marked in theÌ„ of the householde of sayth in so muche as it is in them renewed and restored by the Spirit of Christ. Therfore whatsoeuer maÌ„ thou light vpon that needeth thy helpe thou hast no cause to withdraw they selfe froÌ„ doyng him good If thou say that he is a stranger but the lord hath geueÌ„ him a marke the ought to be familiar vnto thee by the reason that he forbiddeth thee to despise thine owne flesh If thou say that he is base nought worth but the lord sheweth him to be such a one to whom he hath vouchesaued to geue the beautie of his image If thou saye that thou owest him nothing for any thing that he hath done for thee but God hath set him as it were in his place in respect of whome thou knowest so many so great benefites wherwith he hathe bound thee vnto him If thou say that he is vnworthy that thou shuldest labour any thing at al for his sake but the image of God whereby he is coÌ„mended to thee is worthy that thou shouldest geue thy selfe and all that thou hast vnto it But yf he haue not only deserued no good at thy hande but also prouoked thee with wronges and euell doynges euen this is no iuste cause why thou shuldest cesse both to loue him to do for him the dutifull workes of loue Thou wilt saye he hath far otherwise deserued of me But what hath the Lord deserued Which when he coÌ„maundeth thee to forgeue all wherein he hath offended thee truely he willeth the same to be imputed to himself Truely this is the only way to come to that which is vtterly agaynst the nature of maÌ„ much more is it hard for man I meane to
which felyng the sinner commeth into possession of his saluatioÌ„ when he acknowlegeth by the doctrine of the Gospel that he is reconciled to God that obteyning forgeuenesse of sinnes by meanes of the righteousnesse of Christ â—e is iustified and although he be regenerate by the Spirit of God he thinketh vpon continuall righteousnesse layed vp for him not in the good workes to which he applieth himself but in yâ— only righteousnesse of Christ. When these thinges shal be euery one particularly weyed they shal geue a perfect declaratioÌ„ of our senteÌ„ce Albeit thei might be better disposed in an other order than they are set forth But it maketh litle mater so that they hang together in such sort that we may haue the whole mater truely declared surely proued Here it is good to remember the relation that we haue before sayd to be betwene faith and the Gospell bycause it is sayd for this cause that faith iustifieth for that it recemeth embraceth the righteousnesse offred in the gospel And whereas it is sayd to be offred by the gospel therby al coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of workes is excluded Which thing Paule declareth many times els where but most plainly in two places For to the Romanes comparing the lawe and the gospell together he sayth the righteousnesse that is by the law is thus the man that doth these thinges shal liue in them But the righteousnesse that is of faith offreth saluation if thou beleue in thy heart and confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and that the father hath raysed him vp from the dead See you not how he maketh this the difference of the law and the Gospel that the lawe geueth righteousnesse to workes and the Gospel geueth tree righteousnesse without helpe of workes It is a notable place and that maye deliuer vs out of many harde doubtes yf we vnderstande that the same righteousnesse that is geuen vs by the Gospell is free from all conditions of the lawe This is the reason why he doth more than ones with great seming of contrarietie set the promise by way of opposition against the law as it the inheritance be of the law then is it not of the promise all the rest in the same chapter to the same effect Truely the lawe it selfe hath also her promises Therefore there must needes be in the promises of the gospel somthing different diuerse froÌ„ the promises of the lawe vnlesse we will confesse that the comparison is very sond But what diuersitie shall this bee vnlesse it be that they are freely geuen and vpholden by the only mercie of God whereas the promises of the lawe hange vpon the condition of workes Neyther let any manne here carp agaynst me and saye that in this place the righteousnesse is reiected whiche menne of their owne force and freewill would compell God to receiue for asmuch as Paule without exception teacheth that the law in coÌ„maunding profiteth nothing bicause there is none not only of the coÌ„mon multitude but also of the perfectest that fulfilleth it Loue vndoubtedly is the chefe point of the law when the Spirit of God frameth vs vnto it why is it not to vs a cause of righteousnesse but for that euen in the holy ones it is vnperfect and therefore of it self deserueth no reward The second place is this It is manifest that no man is iustified by the lawe before God Bicause the righteous man shall liue by fayth But the law is not of faith but the man that doth these thynges shall liue in them Howe coulde this argument otherwise stande together vnlesse we agree vpon this point that workes come not into the accompt of faith but are vtterly to be seuered from it The lawe sayth he differeth from fayth Why so bicause workes are required to the righteousnesse thereof Therefore it foloweth that workes are not required to the righteousnesse of faith By this relation it appereth that they which are iustified by faith are iustified byside the deseruing of workes yea without the deseruyng of workes bycause faith receyueth that righteousnesse which the Gospel geueth And the gospel differeth from the law in this point that it bindeth not righteousnesse to workes but setteth it in the only mercy of God Like herunto is that whiche he affirmeth to the Romanes that Abraham had nothyng to glorie vpon bycause fayth was imputed to him vnto righteousnesse he addeth a confirmation bycause then there is place for the righteousnesse of faith when there are no workes to whiche a rewarde is due Where bee workes sayth he due rewarde is rendred vnto them that whiche is geuen to faith is freely geuen For the very meanyng of the wordes that he vseth in that place serue to proue the same Wheras he adioyneth within a litle after that therefore we obteyne the inheritance by fayth as accordynge to grace hereupon he gathereth that the inheritance is of free gift bicause it is receyued by fayth and how commeth that but bicause fayth without any help of workes leaneth wholy vpon the mercie of God And in the same meanyng without dout he teacheth in an other place that the righteousnesse of God was openly shewed without the law although it haue witnesse borne of it by the law the Prophetes bicause excludyng the lawe he sayth that it is not holpen by workes and that we obteyne it not by workyng but come empty that we maye receyue it By this time the reader perceiueth with what equitie the Sophisters do at this daye cauill at our Doctrine when we saye that man is iustified by faith only They dare not denie that man is iustified by faith bicause it is so often fouÌ„d in Scripture but bicause this word Only is neuer expressed they can not abide to haue such an addition made Is it so But what will they answer to these wordes of Paule where he affirmeth that righteousnesse is not of fayth except it be freely geuen Howe can free gift agree with workes And with what cauillations will they mocke out that whiche he sayth in an other place that the righteousnesse of God is manifestly shewed in the Gospell If righteousnesse be manifestly shewed in the Gospell surely therein is conteyned not a torne or halfe righteousnesse but full and perfect Therefore the lawe hath no place therein And they stande vpon not only a false but also a foolish shifte about this exclusine word Only Doth not he perfectly enough geue al things to only faith that taketh al thinges from workes What I praye you meane these sayenges that righteousnesse was manifestly shewed without the law that maÌ„ is iustified freely and without the workes of the law Here they haue a witty shifte to escape withall whiche although they deuised it not themselues but borowed it of Origene certaine of the old writers yet is very foolish They prate that the ceremoniall workes of the law not the moral are excluded They profit so with
continuall brawling that they know not the very first rules of Logike Do thei thinke that the Apostle doted when he alleged these places to proue his sayeng The man that shal do these thynges shall liue in them and Cursed is euery one that fulfilleth not all thinges that are written in the volume of the lawe Unlesse they be mad they will not saye that life was promised to the kepers of Ceremonies or curse thretened onely to the breakers of them If these places be to bee vnderstanded of the morall lawe it is no doubte that the morall workes also are excluded from the power of iustifieng To the same purpose serue these argumentes that he vseth bycause the knowledge of sinne was by the lawe therefore righteousnesse is not by the lawe Bycause the lawe worketh wrath therefore it worketh not righteousnesse Bycause the lawe can not make conscience assured therefore also it can not geue righteousnesse Bycause fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse therefore righteousnesse is not a rewarde of worke but is geuen beyng not due Bycause we are iustified by fayth therefore gloryeng is cut of If there had ben a lawe geuen that might geue life then righteousnesse were truely by the lawe but God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that the promise might be geuen to the beleuers Let them nowe fondly saye yf they dare that these thynges are spoken of ceremonies and not of manners but very children would hisse out so great shamelesnesse Therefore let vs hold this for certayne that the whole lawe is spoken of when the power of iustifieng is taken awaye from the lawe But if any manne maruell why the Apostle vsed such an addition not beyng content with only namyng of workes the reason is ready to be shewed for it For although workes be so hiely estemed yet they haue that value by the allowance of God rather than by their owne worthinesse For whoe can booste vnto God of any righteousnesse of workes but that which he hath allowed Whoe dare clayme any reward as due vnto theÌ„ but such as he hath promised They haue therfore this of the bountifulnesse of God that they are compted morthy both of the name and reward of righteousnesse they be of value only for this cause when the purpose of him that doth them is by them to shew his obedience to God Wherfore the Apostle in an other place to proue that Abraham could not be iustified by workes allegeth that the law was geuen almost fower hundred and thirty yeres after the couenant made Unlearned men would laugh at suche an argument bicause there might be righteous workes before the publishyng of the law But bicause he knew that there was no such value in workes but by the testimonie vouchsauing of God therfore he taketh it as a thing coÌ„fessed that before the law thei had no power to iustifie We vnderstaÌ„d why he namely expresseth the worke of the law wheÌ„ he meaneth to take awaye iustification froÌ„ any workes bycause controuersie may be moued of those and none other Albeit sometime he excepteth all workes without any additioÌ„ as when he sayth that by the testimonie of Dauid blessednesse is assigned to that man to whome the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes Therfore they can with no cauillatious bryng to passe but that we shall get this generall exclusiue only And they do in vayne seeke that triflyng sutteltie that we are iustified by that only faith whiche worketh by loue so that righteousnesse must stand vpon loue We graunt in deede witn Paule that no other faith iustifieth but that whiche is effectually workyng with chatitie but that faith taketh not her power of iustifiyng from that effectualnesse of charitie Yea it doth by no other meane iustifie but bicause it bryngeth vs into the communicatyng of the righteousnesse of Christ. Or els all that which the Apostle so earnestly presseth should fall to nought To him that worketh sayth he the reward is not teckened accordyng to grace but accordyng to Det. But to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustiâ—ieth the vnrighteous his fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse Could he speake more euidently than in so sayeng that there is no righteousnesse of faith but where there are no workes to whiche any reward is due and that only then fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse when righteousnesse is geuen by grace that is not due Now let vs examine howe true that is whiche is sayd in the definition that the righteousnesse of fayth is the reconciliation with God whiche consisteth vpon the only forgeuenesse of sinnes We muste alwaye returne to this principle that the wrath of God refteth vpon all men so long as they coÌ„tinue to be sinners That hath Esaye excellently well set out in these wordes The haÌ„d of the Lord is not shortened that he is not able to saue nor his eare dulled that he can not heare but your iniquities haue made disagreement betwene you and your God and your sinnes haue hidden his face from you that he heareth you not We heare that sinne is the diuision betwene man and God and the turnyng awaye of Gods face from the sinner Neyther can it otherwise be For it is disagreyng froÌ„ his righteousnesse to haue any felowship with sinne Wherefore the Apostle teacheth that manne is enemie to God till he be restored into fauour by Christ. Whome therfore the Lord receyueth into ioynyng with him him he is sayd to instifie bycause he can neyther receyue him into fauour nor ioyne him with himselfe but he muste of a sinner make him righteous And we further say that this is done by the forgeuenesse of sinnes For if they whome the Lord hath recoÌ„ciled to himself be iudged by their workes they shal be found still sinners in deede whoe yet must be free cleane from sinne It is certayne therefore that they whom God embraceth are no otherwise made righteous but bicause they are cleansed by hauing the spottes of there sinnes wiped awaye by forgeuenesse thaâ— such a righteousnesse maye in one worde be called the forgeuenesse of sinnes Both these are most clerely to be seene by these wordes of Paule whiche I haue already alleged God was in Christ reconcilyng the world to himself not imputyng their sinnes to man and he hath lette with vs the word of reconciliation And then he addeth the summe of his message that him which knew no sinne he made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Here he nameth righteousnesse and reconciliation without difference that we maye perceyue that the one is mutually conteyned vnder the other And he teacheth the manner to atteyne this righteousnesse to be when our sinnes are not imputed vnto vs. Wherefore doubte thou not hereafter howe God doth iustifie vs when thou hearest that he doth reconcile vs to himself by not imputyng sinnes So to the Romanes he proueth by the testimonie of
Christ the sonne of God is oures and we likewise are in him the sonnes of God and heyers of the heaueÌ„ly kingdome beyng called by the goodnesse of God not by our owne worthinesse into the hope of eternal blessednesse But bicause they do biside these assayle vs as we haue sayd with other engines goe to let vs goe forward in beatyng awaye these also First they come backe to the promises of the lawe which the Lord did set forth to the kepers of his law and they aske whether we wil haue them to be vtterly voyde or effectuall Bycause it were an absurditie and to be scorned to say that they are voyde they take it for confessed that they are of some effectualnesse Hereupon they reason that we are not iustified by only faith For thus sayth the Lord And it shal be yf thou shalt heare these commaundementes and iudgementes and shal kepe them and do them the Lord also shall kepe with thee his couenant and mercie whiche he hath sworne to thy fathers he shall loue thee and multiplie thee and blesse thee c. Agayne If ye shall wel direct your wayes and your endeuors yf ye walke not after strange Gods yf ye do iudgement betwene man and man and goe not backe into malice I will walke in yâ— middest of you I will not recite a thousand peces of the same sorte whiche sithe they nothyng differ in sense shal be declared by the solutioÌ„ of these In a summe Moses testifieth that in the lawe is set forth blessyng and curse death and life Thus therfore they reson that eyther this blessyng is made idle frutelesse or that iustification is not of fayth alone We haue already before shewed how if we sticke faste in the lawe ouer vs beyng destitute of al blessing hangeth only curse which is thretened to al transgressors For the Lord promiseth nothyng but to the perfect kepers of his law such as there is none found This therefore remaineth that all mankinde is by the law accused and subiect to curse the wrath of God from whiche that they maye be loosed they must needes goe out of the power of the law and be as it were brought into libertie from the boÌ„dage therof not that carnall libertie whiche should withdraw vs froÌ„ the kepyng of the law should allure vs to thinke all thinges lawfull and to suffer our lust as it were the stayes beyng broken with loose reynâ—s to runne at riot but the spiritual libertie whiche may comfort and rayse vp a dismayed and ouerthrowen conscience shewyng it to be free from the curse and damnation wherewith the lawe helde it downe bond and fast tied This deliuerance from the subiection of the law and Manâ—mission as I may cal it we obteyne wheÌ„ by fayth we take holde of the mercie of God in Christ whereby we are certified and assured of the forgeuenesse of sinnes with the felyng whereof the law did prick and bite vs. By this reason euen the promises that were offred vs in the lawe should be all vneffectuall voyde vnlesse the goodnesse of God by the Gospell did help For this condition that we kepe the whole law vpoÌ„ which the promises hang and wherby alone thei are to be performed shal neuer be fulfilled And the Lord so helpeth not by leauyng part of righteousnesse in our workes and supplyeng part by his mercieful bearyng with vs but when he setteth only Christ for the fulfillyng of righteousnesse For the Apostle when he had before sayd that he and other Iewes beleued in Iesus Christ knowing that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe addeth a reason not that they should be holpen to fulnesse of righteousnesse by the fayth of Christ but by it should be iustified not by the workes of the law If the faythfull remoue from the law into fayth that they may in fayth finde righteousnesse which they see to be absent from the law truely they forsake the righteousnesse of the lawe Therefore now let him that list amplifie the rewardinges whiche are sayd to be prepared for the keper of the law so that he therewithall coÌ„sider that it coÌ„meth to passe by our peruersnesse that we fele no frute thereof till we haue obteyned an other righteousnesse of faith So Dauid when he made mention of the rewardyng whiche the Lord hath prepared for his seruantes by and by descendeth to the reknowledging of sinnes wherby that same rewarding is made voyde Also in the xix Psalme he gloriously setteth forth the benefites of the law but he by by crieth out Whoe shall vnderstand his faultes Lord cleanse me froÌ„ my secret faultes This place altogether agreeth with the place before where when he had sayd that all the wayes of the Lord are goodnesse and truth to them that leaue him he addeth For thy names sake Lorde thou shalt be mercifull to my peruersnesse for it is muche So ought we also to reknowledge that there is in deede the good will of God set forth vnto vs in the lawe if we might deserue it by workes but that the same neuer coÌ„meth to vs by the deseruyng of workes How then Are they geuen that they should vanish awaye without frute I haue eueÌ„ now already protested that the same is not my meaning I say verily that they vtter not their effectualnesse toward vs so long as they haue respect to the merit of workes and that therfore if they be considered in themselues they be after a certayne maÌ„ner abolished If the Apostle teacheth that this noble promise I haue geuen you commauÌ„dementes which who so shal do shall liue in them is of no value if we stand still in it and shal neuer a whit more profit than if it had not ben geuen at all bicause it belongeth not euen to the most holy seruauntes of God whiche are all far from the fulfillyng of the lawe but are compassed about with many transgressions But when the promises of the Gospel are put in place of them which do offre free forgeuenesse of sinnes they bryng to passe that not only we our selues be acceptable to God but that our workes also haue their thanke and not this only that the Lord accepteth them but also exteÌ„deth to them the blessinges whiche were by couenant due to the keping of the law I graunt therefore that those thinges whiche the Lord hath promised in his lawe to the folowers of righteousnesse holinesse are rendred to the workes of the faythfull but in this rendryng the cause is alway to be coÌ„sidered that powreth grace to workes Now causes we see that there be three The first is that God turnyng away his sight froÌ„ the workes of his seruaÌ„tes which alway deserue rather reproche than praise embraceth them in Christ and by the only meane of faith reconcileth them to himself without the meane of workes The secoÌ„d that of his fatherly kindnesse and tender mercifulnesse he lifteth vp workes to so great
the beginning And here by the way it shal be profitable to touch what these formes of speakyng do differ from the promises of the law I cal promises of the law not those which are eche where coÌ„monly writteÌ„ in the bokes of Moses for as much as in them also are found many promises of the Gospel but those which properly belong to the ministerie of the law Such promises by what name so euer you list to cal them do declare that there is reward redy vpon condition if thou do that which is coÌ„maunded thee But when it is sayd that the Lord kepeth the couenaÌ„t of mercie to theÌ„ which loue him therin is rather shewed what maÌ„ner of men be his seruantes which haue faithfully receiued his couenant than the cause is expressed why the lord should do good to them Now this is the manner of shewyng it As the Lord vouchsaueth to graunt vs the grace of eternal life to this end that he should be loued feared honored of vs so whatsoeuer promises there are of his mercie in the Scriptures they are rightfully directed to this and that we should reuerence and worship the author of the benefites So ofte therefore as we heare that he doth good to them that kepe his law let vs remeÌ„ber that the children of God are there signified by the dutie whiche ought to be continual in them that we are for this cause adopted that we should honor him for our Father Therfore lest we should disherite our selues from the right of adoptioÌ„ we must alway endeuor to this wherunto our calling tendeth But let vs againe kepe this in minde that the accoÌ„plishment of the mercie of God hangeth not vpoÌ„ the workes of the faithfull but that he therfore fulfilleth the promise of saluation to them whiche answer to their callyng in vprightnesse of life bicause in them he acknoweth the natural tokeÌ„s of his children which are ruled with his Spirit vnto good Herunto let that be referred which is in the xv Psalme spoken of the Citezens of the Church Lord whoe shal dwel in thy tabernacle and whoe shal rest in thy holy hill The innocent in haÌ„des of a cleane heart c. Agayne in Esaie Whoe shall dwel with deuouring fire He that doth righteousnesse he that speaketh right thinges c. For there is not described the staye whereupon the faythfull may stand before the Lord but the manner wherewith the most merciful father bringeth theÌ„ into his felowship therein defendeth streÌ„gtheneth them For bicause he abhorreth sinne he loueth righteousnesse whoÌ„ he ioyneth to himself them he cleanseth with his spirit that he may make theÌ„ of like fashion to himself his kingdome Therfore if the question be of the first cause wherby the entrie is made open to the holy ones into the kingdome of God froÌ„ whense they haue that thei may stand fast abide in it we haue this answer ready bicause the Lord by his mercie both hath ones adopted them perpetually defendeth them But if the question be of the manner then we must come downe to regeneration and the frutes therof which are rehersed in that Psalme But there semeth to be much more hardnesse in these places which do both garnish good workes with the titiÌ„e of righteousnesse affirme that man is iustified by them Of the first sort there be very many places where the obseruinges of the coÌ„maundementes are called iustifications or righteousnesses Of the other sort that is an exaÌ„ple which is in Moses This shal be our righteousnesse if we kepe all these commauÌ„dementes And if thou take exception say that this is a promise of the law which being knit to a coÌ„dition impossible proueth nothing There be other of which you caÌ„ not make the same answer as this And that shal be to thee for righteousnesse before the Lord to redeliuer to the poore man his pledge c. Againe that which the Prophet sayth that the zele in reuenging the shame of Israell was imputed to Phinees for righteousnesse Therfore the Pharisees of our time thinke that here they haue a large matter to triuÌ„ph vpon For when we say that when the righteousnesse of faith is set vp the iustificatioÌ„ of workes geueth place by the same right they make this argument If righteousnesse bee of workes then it is false that we are iustified by faith only Though I graunt that the commaundementes of the law are called righteousnesses it is no maruell for they are so in deede Howebeit we muste warne the readers that the Grecians haue not fittly translated the Hebrue word Hucmi Dikaiomata righteousnesses for coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts But for the worde I willingly release my quarell For neyther doe we denie this to the law of God that it conteineth perfect righteousnesse For although bycause we are detters of all the thinges that it commaundeth therfore euen when we haue performed ful obedience therof we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes yet bicause the lord hath vouchsaued to graunt it the honor of righteousnesse we take not away that whiche he hath geuen Therefore we willingly confesse that the full obedience of the lawe is righteousnesse that the kepyng of euery coÌ„mauÌ„dement is a part of righteousnesse yf so be that the whole summe of righteousnesse were had in the other partes also But we denie that there is any where any suche forme of righteousnesse And therefore we take away the righteousnesse of the law not for that it is maymed and vnperfect of it felfe but for that by reason of the weakenesse of our flesh it is no where seene But the Scripture not only calleth simply the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of the Lord righteousnesses but it also geueth this name to the workes of the holy ones As when it reporteth that Zacharie his wife walked in the righteousnesses of the Lord truely wheÌ„ it so speaketh it weyeth workes rather by the nature of the law thaÌ„ by their owne propre estate Howbeit here againe is that to be noted which I eueÌ„ now sayd that of the negligence of the Greke translator is not a law to be made But for asmuch as Luke wold alter nothing in the receiued traslation I will also not striue about it For God hath commaunded these thinges that are in the lawe to men for righteousnesse but this righteousnes we performe not but in keping the whole lawe for by euery transgression it is broken Wheras therfore the law doth nothing but prescribe righteousnesse if we haue respecte to it all the seueral coÌ„maundementes therof are righteousnes if we haue respect to men of whome thei are done thei do not obteine the praise of righteousnesse by one worke beinge trespassers in many and by that same worke whiche is euer partly faulty by reason of imperfection But now I come to the second kinde in which is the chefe hardnes Paul hath nothing more strong to proue the righteousnesse of faiâ—he than that whiche is written of Abraham that his faithe was
which hath not walked in the councell of the wicked which beareth temptation Blessed are they which kepe iudgement the vndefiled the poore in Spirit the meeke the mercifull c. they shall not make but that it shall bee true which Paul saith For bicause those thinges that ar ther coÌ„mended are neuer so in man that he is therfore allowed of God it foloweth the man is alwai miserable vnlesse he be deliuered from misery by forgeuenesse of sinnes For asmuch as therfore all the kindes of blessednes which ar extolled in the scriptures do fal down void so the man receiueth frute of none of theÌ„ til he haue obteined blessedness by forgeuenes of sins which mai afterward make place for theÌ„ it foloweth that this is not only the hiest the chefe but also the only blessednes vnlesse paraduenture you will haue that it be weakned of those which consist in it alone Now ther is much lesse reason why the calling of meÌ„ righteous shoulde trouble vs which is coÌ„monli geueÌ„ to the faithful I grauÌ„t verili that thei ar called righteous of the holines of liâ— but for asmuch as thei rather endeuor to the folowiÌ„g of righteousnes than do fulfil righteousnes it self it is mete that this righteousnes suche as it is giue place to the iustification of faith from whence it hath that which it is But thei say that we haue yet more busines with Iames namelye which with opeÌ„ voice fighteth against vs. For he teacheth both that AbrahaÌ„ was iustified by works and also that al we are iustified by workes not by faith only What then wil thei draw Paul to fight with Iames If thei hold Iames for a minister of Christ his saying must be so takeÌ„ that it disagre not froÌ„ Christ speakiÌ„g by the mouth of Paul The holy ghost affirmeth by the mouth of Paul that AbrahaÌ„ obteined righteousnesse by faith not by workes we also do teach that all are iustified by faith without the works of the law The same holy ghost teacheth by Iames that both Abrahams righteousnes and ours consisteth of workes not of only faith It is certain that the holy ghost fighteth not with himselfe What agrement shall ther be therfore of these two It is enough for the aduersaries if thei pluck vp the righteousnes of faith which we wolde haue to be fastened with most depe rootes but to render to consciences their quietnesse thei haue no great care Whereby verily you may see that thei gnaw the iustificatioÌ„ of faith but in the meane tim do apoint no mark of righteousnes wher coÌ„sciences may stay Therfore let them triumph as thei list so that thei may boaste of no other victorie than that thei haue taken away all certainetie of righteousnesse And this wretched victorie thei shal obteine where the light of truth being quenched the lord shal suffer theÌ„ to ouerspred the darknes of lies But whersoeuer the truth of God shal stand thei shall nothing preuaile I deny therefore that the saieng of Iames which thei still coÌ„tinually hold vp against vs as it wer the shelde of Achilles doth any thing at al make for theÌ„ That this may be made plaine first we must loke at the mark that the apostle shooteth at then we must note wher thei be deceiued Bicause there were theÌ„ many whiche mischefe is wont to be continual in the Church which openly bewraied their infidelitie in neglecting omitting al the propre works of the faithful yet cessed not to boaste of the false name of faith Iames doth here mock the folish boldnes of such meÌ„ Therfore it is not his purpose in any point to diminish the force of true faith but to shew how â—ondly those trifles did chalenge so much the vaine image of it that being contented herw t thei carelesly ranne dissolutely abroade into all licentiousnesse of vices This ground being coÌ„ceiued it shal be easy to perceaue where oure aduersaries do misse For thei fal into two deceites in the word the one in the name of faith that other in the word of iustifieng Whereas the Apostle nameth faith a vaine opinion farr distant from the truth of faith it is spokeÌ„ by waie of graunting which is no derogation to the matter whych he sheweth at the beginning in these words What profiteth it my brothreÌ„ If any man say that he hath faith hath no works He doth not say if any haue faith wtout workes but If any man boast More plainely also he speaketh a little after where he in mockerie maketh yt worse than the deuills knowledg last of al when he calleth it dead But by the definition you maye sufficiently perceaue what hee meaneth Thou beleuest saith he that there is a God Truely if nothing be conteined in thys faith but to beleue that there is a God it is now no maruel if it do not iustifie And when this is taken from it let vs not think that any thing is a bared from the Christian faith the nature whereof ys farre otherwise For after what manner doth true faith iustifie vs but when it coÌ„ioyneth vs with Christ that being made one with him we may enioy the partakyng of hys righteousnesse It dothe not therefore iustifie vs by this that it conceiueth a knowledge of the beinge of God but by thys that it resteth vpon the assurednesse of the mercy of God We haue not yet the work vnlesse we examine also the other deceite in the word for asmuche as Iames setteth part of iustificatioÌ„ in works If you wil make Iames agreing both with the rest of the Scriptures in himself you must of necessitie take the word of Iustifieng in an other significatioÌ„ thaÌ„ it is takeÌ„ in Paul For Paul saith that we ar iustified wheÌ„ the remeÌ„brance of our vnrighteousnes being blotted out we ar accoÌ„pted righteous If Iames had ment of that takinge he had wrongefully alleged that out of Moses AbrahaÌ„ beleued God c. For he thus frameth it together AbrahaÌ„ bi works obteined righteousnes bycause he sticked not at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God to offer vp his sonne And so the Scriptur was fulfilled whiche saithe that hee beleued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If it be an absurditie that the effect is before hys cause eyther Moses dothe in that place falsely testifie that faythe was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse or he deserued not righteousnesse by that obedience whiche he shewed in offering vp of Isaac Abraham was iustified by his faith when Ismael was not yet conceiued whych was nowe growen past childehode before that Isaac was borne Now therfore shal we saie that he got to himself righteousnesse by obedience which folowed long afterward Wherefore either Iames did wrongfully misturne the order which it is a wickednesse to thinke or he meant not to say that he was iustified as though he deserued to be accompted righteous How then Truely it appeareth that he speaketh of the declaration of righteousnesse and not the
dealing which he knew to be pleasing to the merciful kindnes of God agaist al euel speaking of meÌ„ whatsoeuer it be For we se what he saith in an other place that he knoweth no euel by himself but the he is not therby iustified namly bicause he knew that the iudgment of god far surmuÌ„teth the bleareyed sight of meÌ„ Howsoeuer therfore the godly do defend their innoceÌ„ce agaist the hypocrisie of the vngodly by the witnessing iudgmeÌ„t of God yet when thei haue to doe wyth God alone they all crye oute wyth one mouthe If thow marke iniquitie Lorde Lorde who shall abide it Entre not into iudgement with thy seruantes bycause euery one that liueth shall not be iustified in thy sight and distrusting their owne workes thei gladly sing Thy goodnesse is better than life There are also other places not vnlyke to these before in which a man may yet tarry Salomon saith that he whiche walketh in his vprightnesse is righteous Againe That in the path of righteousnesse is life and that in the same is not death After whiche manner Ezechiell reporteth that he shal liue life that doth iudgment and righteousnesse None of these do we either denye or darken But let there come forthe one of the sonnes of Adam with such an vprightnesse If ther be none either thei must perishe at the sighte of God or flee to the sanctuarie of mercie Neither do we in the meane time denie but that to the faithfull their vprightnesse though it be but halfe vnperfect is a step towarde immortalitie But whence commeth that but bicause whome the Lord hathe taken into the couenant of grace he searcheth not their works according to their deseruinges but kisseth them with fatherly kindenes Wherby we do not only vnderstand that which the scholemen do teache that works haue their value of the accepting grace For thei meane that workes which are otherwise in sufficient to purchase righteousnesse by the couenant of the law are by the accepting of God auauÌ„ced to the value of equalitie But I saie that thei being defiled bothe with other trespassinges with their owne spottes are of no other value at al than in so muche as the lord tenderly graunteth pardoÌ„ to bothe that is to say geueth free righteousnesse to maÌ„ Neither are here those praiers of the Apostle seasonaly thrust in place wher he wissheth so great perfectioÌ„ to the faithful that thei may be faultlesse vnblamable in the day of the loâ—â— These wordes in deede the Celestines did in olde tune turmoile to affirme a perfectioÌ„ of righteousnes in this life But which we thinke to be sufficient we answer brefely after Augustine that al the godly oughte in dede to endeuoure toward this mark that thei may one day appeare spotlesse faultlesse before the face of God but bicause the best most excellent maÌ„ner of this life is nothing but a going forward we shal then not til then atteine to this mark when being vnclothed of this flesh of sinne we shall fully cleaue to the lord Yet wil I not stiffely striue with him which will geue the title of perfectioÌ„ to the holy ones so that he also limit the same with the words of Augustine himselfe Whan saich he we wil cal the vertue of the holy ones perfect to the same perfectioÌ„ also belongeth the acknowledging of imperfection bothe in trueth and in humilitie The .xviii. Chapter That of the rewarde the righteousnesse of Workes is ill gathered NOw let vs passe ouer to those saiengs which affirme the God wil rendre to euery man according to his workes of whiche sort are these Euery man shal beare away that which he hath done in the body either good or euel Glory honoure to him that worketh good trouble distresse vpoÌ„ euery soule of him that worketh euel And thei whiche haue done good thinges shall goe into the resurrection of life thei which haue done euell into the resurrection of iudgement Come ye blessed of my father I haue hungred ye gaue me meate I haue thirsted ye gaue me drinke c. And with thâ— let vs also ioine these saiengs which cal eternal life the reward of works Of whithe sort ar these The rendring of the handes of a man shal be restored to him He that feareth the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t shal be rewarded Be glad reioise behold your reward is plentiful in heauen Euery man shal receiue reward according to his labore Wher it is said that God shal rendre to euery man according to his works the same is easily assoiled For that manner of speaking doth rather shew the ordre of folowing than the cause But yt is out of dout that the lord doth accoÌ„plish our saluatioÌ„ by these degrees of his mercy wheÌ„ those whom he hath choseÌ„ he calleth to him those whoÌ„e he hath called he iustifieth those whom he hath iustified he glorifieth Although therfore he do by his only mercie receiue them the be his into life yet bicause hee bringeth them into the possession therof by the race of good works that he may fulfil his work in them by such ordre as he hath apointed it is no maruel if it be said that thei be crowned accordig to their works by which wtout doubt they are prepared to receiue the crowne of immortalitie Yea after this manner it is fittly said that thei worke their own saluation when in applieng themselues to good works they practise theÌ„selues toward eternall life namly as in an other place thei are coÌ„maunded to work the meate which perisheth not when bi beleuing in Christ thei get to theÌ„selues life yet it is by by afterwarde added Which that sonne of man shal geue you Wherby appeareth that the word of Working is not set as contrary to grace but is referred to endeuoure therfore it foloweth not that either the faithful artheÌ„selues authors of their own saluatioÌ„ or that the same proceedeth froÌ„ their works How then So sone as thei are taken into the felowship of Christ by the knowledge of the Gospell the enlightning of the holy ghost eternal life is begone in them Now the same good worke which God hath begonne in them must also be made perfect vntil the day of the lord Iesu. And it is made perfect when resembling the heauenly father in righteousnesse holinesse thei proue theÌ„selues to be his children not swarued out of kinde There is no cause why we shold of the name of reward gather an argument that our works ar the cause of saluacioÌ„ First let this be determined in our hearts that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is not a reward of seruants but an inheritance of childreÌ„ which thei only shal enjoy that ar adopted of the lord to be his children for no other cause but for this adoptioÌ„ For the sonne of the bond womaÌ„ shal not be heir but the soÌ„ne of the sre woman And in the
a crooked figure as men sometime speake mingle him selfe with the multitude as one of the people but rather seuerally confesseth his owne gyltinesse humbly fleeth to the sanctuarie of forgeuenesse as he expresly sayth When I coÌ„fessed my sinnes the sinnes of my people And thys humblenesse Dauid also setteth out with his own example when he saith Entre not into iudgement with thy seruant bicause in thy sight euery one that liueth shall nat bee iustified In suche manner Esaie prayeth Loe thou art angry bicause wee haue sinned the worlde is founded in thy waies therefore we shal be saâ—ed And we haue been all filled with vncleannesse al our righteousnesses as a defiled cloth and wee haue al withered away as a leafe our iniquities do scatter vs abroade as the winde and there is none that calleth vpon thy name that rayseth vp himselfe to take holde of thee bycause thou hast hidde thy face froÌ„ vs and hast made vs to pine awaie in the hande of oure wyckednesse Now therfore O Lord thou art our father we are claye thou art our fasshioner we are the worke of thy hand Be not angry O Lord neither remembre wickednes for euer Behold loke vpon vs we ar al thy people Loe how thei stand vpoÌ„ no affiance at al but vpon this onely that thinking vpon this that thei be Gods thei despire not that he wil haue care of them Likewise Ieremie If our iniquities answer against vs do thou for thy names sake For it is bothe most truely most holyly written of whome soeuer it be which being written by an vnknoweÌ„ author is fathered vpon the Prophet Baruch A soule heauy deosolate for the greatnes of euel croked weake a hungrye soule fainting eies geue glorie to thee O Lord. Not according to the righteousnesses of our fathers doe we poure out praiers in thy sight aske mercie before thy face O Lord our God but bicause thou art merciful haue mercie vpon vs bicause we haue sinned before thee Finally the beginning also the preparing of praieng rightly is crauing of pardoÌ„ with an humble plaine confession of fault For neither is it to be hoped that euen the holiest man may obteine any thinge of God vntil hee bee freely reconciled to him neither is it possible that God may be fauourable to any but theÌ„ whom he pardoneth Wherfore it is no maruel if the faithful do with this keie opeÌ„ to theÌ„selues the dore to pray Which we learne out of many places of the Psalmes For Dauid wheÌ„ he asketh an other thing saith Remembre not the sinnes of my youthe remember me according to thy mercie for thy goodnesses sake O lord Again Loke vpoÌ„ my afflictioÌ„ my labore forgeue al my sinnes Wher we also see that it is not enough if we euery seuerall day do cal our selues accoÌ„pt for our new sinnes if we do not also remeÌ„bre those sinnes which might seeme to haue been long agoe forgotten For the same Prophet in an other place hauing coÌ„fessed one haynous offense by this occasioÌ„ returneth eueÌ„ to his mothers wombe wherin he had gathered the infectioÌ„ not to make the faulte seme lesse by the corruptioÌ„ of nature but the heaping together the sinnes of his whole life how much more rigorous he ys in coÌ„demning himself so much more easy he maye finde God to entreate But although the holy ones do not alwaye in expresse woordes aske forgeuenesse of sinnes yet if we diligently weie their praiers whiche the Scripture rehearseth we shal easily finde that which I say that thei gathered a minde to praie of the only mercy of God so alwaye toke their beginning at appeasing him bicause if euery man examine his owne conscience so far is he froÌ„ being bold to open his cares familiarlie with God yâ— he trembleth at euery coÌ„ming toward him except that he standeth vpoÌ„ trust of mercie pardon Ther is also an other special confession wher thei aske release of peines that thei also praie to haue their sinnes forgeuen bicause it weare an absurditie to will that the effecte to be takeÌ„ awaye while the cause abideth For we muste beware that God be fauourable vnto vs before that he testifye hys fauoure wyth outwarde signes bycause boothe hee hymselfe wyll keepe thys ordre and yt should lytle profyte vs to haue hym benefytiall vnlesse oure conscience feelynge hym appeased shoulde througely make hym louelye vnto vs. Whyche wee are also taughte by the aunswere of Christe For when hee hadde decreed to heale the manne sycke of the Palsey hee sayde Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee lifting vp our mindes therby to that which is chefely to be wisshed that God first receiue vs into fauoure and then shew forth the frute of reconciliation in helping vs. But byside that speciall confession of present gyltynesse wherby the faithful make supplication to obteine pardon of euery speciall faulte peine that general preface which procureth fauour to praiers is neuer to be omitted bicause vnlesse thei be grounded vpon the free mercie of God they shall neuer obteine any thing of God Whereunto maye be referred that sayeng of Ihon If we confesse oure sinnes he is faithfull righteous to forgeue vs and cleanse vs from al iniquitie For which cause it behoued praiers in the time of the law to be hallowed with expiatioÌ„ of bloode that they might be acceptable and that so the people sholde be put in minde that thei are vnworthy of so great a prerogotiue of honour til being cleansed from their defilinges thei shold of the onely mercie of God conceiue affiance to praye But wheras the holy ones seme somtime for the entreating of God to allege the helpe of their owne righteousnes as when Dauid saith Kepe my soule bicause I am good Again Ezechias RemeÌ„bre lord I beseche thee that I haue walked before thee in truthe haue done good in thyne eyes by such formes of speaking thei meane nothing els than by their very regeneratioÌ„ to testifie theÌ„selues to be the seruants childreÌ„ of God to whom he himselfe pronounceth that he wil be mercifull He teacheth by that prophet as we haue already seen that his eies are vpon the righteous his cares vnto their praiers Againe by the apostle that we shal obteine whatsoeuer we ask if we kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts In which sayenges he doth not value praier by the worthines of works but his will is so to stablish their affiance whose own coÌ„scieÌ„ce wel assureth theÌ„ of an unâ—ayned vprightnes inocenci such as al the faithful ought to be For the same is taken out of the very truth of God which the blindeman that had his sight restored saith in Ihon that God heareth not sinners if wee vnderstaÌ„d sinners after the coÌ„moÌ„ vse of the scripture for such as wtout al desire of righteousnesse do altogether slepe rest vpoÌ„ their sinnes forasmuch as no heart can
therfore faulti gredines of vengeaÌ„ce did beare rule therin God graÌ„ted it WherupoÌ„ it semeth that it mai be gathered that although the praiers be not framed accordiÌ„g to the prescribed rule of the word yet thei obteine their effect I answer first that a general law is not takeÌ„ away by singular examples again that soÌ„time special motioÌ„s haue ben put into a few meÌ„ wherby it came to passe that ther was an other coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of theÌ„ thaÌ„ of the coÌ„moÌ„ people For the answer of Christ is to be noted wheÌ„ the disciples did vndiscretly desire to couÌ„terfait the exaÌ„ple of Elias that thei knew not with what spirit thei were endued But we must go yet further say that the praiers do not alwai please god which he graÌ„teth but that so much as serueth for exaÌ„ple that is by clere praise made plaine which the scripture teaceth namely yâ— he succoureth the miserable heareth the gronings of theÌ„ which being vniustli trobled do craue his help that therfor he executeth his iudgmeÌ„ts wheÌ„ the coÌ„plaints of the poore rise vp to hiÌ„ although thei be vnworthy to obtein anithiÌ„g be it neuer so litle For how oft hath he taking veÌ„geance of the cruelties robberies violeÌ„ce silthi lustes other wicked doings of the vngodly subduiÌ„g their boldnes rage also ouerthrowiÌ„g their tyraÌ„nous power testified that he helpeth the vnworthili oppressed which yet did beat the aire with praieng to an vncertaine godhed And one psalme plainly teacheth that the praiers want not effect which yet do not pearce into heauen by faith For he gathereth together those praiers which necessitie wringeth no lesse out of the vnbeleuers thaÌ„ out of the godly by the very feliÌ„g of nature to which yet he proueth by the effect that god is fauourable Is it bicause he dothe with such gentlenes testifie that that thei be pleasing to him No. but to enlarge or to set out his mercie by this circumstance for yâ— euen to vnbeleuers their praiers ar not denied then the more to pricke forward his true worshipers to pray when thei see that profaine wailiÌ„gs somtime waÌ„t not their effect Yet ther is no cause why the faith ful shold swarue froÌ„ the law laid vpoÌ„ theÌ„ by God or shold enuie the vnbeleuers as though thei had gotten som great gaine wheÌ„ thei haue obteined their desire After this maÌ„ner we haue said that the lord was bowed with the repeÌ„tance of Achab that he might shew by this exaÌ„ple how easy he is to entreat toward his elect when true turning is brought to appease him Therfore in the psalme he blameth the Iewes that thei hauing bi experieÌ„ce proued him so easy to grant their praiers yet wtin a litle after returned to the stubbornes of their nature Which also plainely appeareth by the historie of the Iudges namely that so oft as thei wept although their teares were deceitful â–ª yet thei were deliuered out of the hands or their enemies As therfore the lord indifferently bringeth forth his sunne vpoÌ„ the good the euel so doth he also not despise their weepinges whose cause is righteous their miseries woorthy of helpe In the meane time he no more heareth these to saluation thaÌ„ herein ministreth foode to the despisers of his goodnes The questioÌ„ semeth to be somwhat harder of AbrahaÌ„ Samuel of whom the one being warraÌ„ted by no word of god praied for the Sodomites the other agaiÌ„st a manifest forbiddiÌ„g praied for Saul Likewise is iâ— of Ieremie which praied that the citie might not be destroied For though their requestes were denied yet it semeth harde to take faith from them Butte this solution shall as I truste satisfie sober readers that tâ—ei being instructed with the general principles whereby God coÌ„mauÌ„deth theÌ„ to be merciful eueÌ„ also to the vnworthy wer not altogether wtout faith although in a speciall case their opinion deceyued theÌ„ Augustine writeth wisely in a certaine place How sayth he do the holy ones praie by faith to ask of God contrarie to that which he hath decreed Euen bicause thei pray according to his wil not that hidden an vncheaÌ„geable wil but the wil which he inspireth into them that he mai heare them after an other maÌ„ner as he wisely maketh differeÌ„ce This is wel said bicause after his incoÌ„prehensible couÌ„sel he so teÌ„pereth the successes of things that the praiers of the holy ones be not voide which ar wrapped both with faith errore together Neither yet ought this more to auayle to be an exaÌ„ple to folow thaÌ„ it excuseth the holy ones theÌ„selues whome I denie not to haue passed measure Wherfore wher appeareth no certaine promise we must ask of God with a coÌ„ditioÌ„ adioined To which purpose serueth the saieng of Dauid Watch to the iudgment which that hast coÌ„maunded bicause he telleth that he was warranted by a special oracle to aske a temporall benefite This also it is profitable to note that those things which I haue spokeÌ„ of the fower rules of right praier are not so exactly required with extreeme rigor that God refuseth the praiers in which he shal not finde either perfect faith or perfect repentaÌ„ce together with a feruentnesse of zele wel ordered requestes We haue said that although praier be a familiar talke of the godly with God yet we must kepe a reuerence modestie that we geue not loose reines to all requestes whatsoeuer thei be that we desire no more thaÌ„ God geueth leaue theÌ„ least the maiestie of God shold growe in contempt with vs that we must lift our mindes vpward to a pure and vndefiled worshiping of him This no maÌ„ hath euer performed with such purenesse as it ought to be For to speak nothing of the coÌ„mon sort how many coÌ„plaintes of Dauid do sauore of vnteÌ„perance not that he meant of purpose to quarel with God or carpe against his iudgments but bicause he fainting for weakenesse found no other better comfort than to cast his sorrowes into his bosome Yea God beareth with our childish speache and pardoneth our ignoraÌ„ce so oft as any thing vnaduisedly escapeth vs as truely wtout this teÌ„der bearing ther shold be no libertie of praieng But although Dauids mind was to submit himself wholly to the wil of God he praied with no lesse patieÌ„ce thaÌ„ desire to obteine yet there arise yea boile out somtimes troublous affections which are much disagreing from the first rule that we haue set Specially we maye perceaue by the conclusion of the xxxix psalme with how great vehemence of sorrow that holy man was carried away that he cold not kepe measure Cesse saith he froÌ„ me til I go away be not A man wold saye that he like a desperate man desireth nothing els but that the hand of God cessing he might rot in his euels He saith it not for that he with an auowed minde runneth into such outrage or as the reprobate ar wont wold haue God
vsuall than this wickednesse that the people eche where despising the lawe of God did wholly burne with mad gredinesse to vowe whatsoeuer had pleased them in their dreame I wil not hatefully enforce nor particularly rehearse how hainously how many waies herein men haue offended but I thoughte good to say this by the way that it may the better appeare that we do not moue question of a nedelesse mater when we entreate of vowes Now if we will not erre in iudging which vowes be lawfull and which be wrongfull it behoueth to weye three thinges that is to saye who it is to whom the vowe is made who we be that make the vowe last of all with what minde we vowe The first pointe hath respect to this that we shoulde thynke that we haue to doe with God whome our obedience so muche deliteth that he pronounceth all willworships to be accursed howe gay and glorious soeuer they be in the eyes of mē If all voluntarie worshippes which we our selues deuise without commaundement be abhominable to God it foloweth that no worship can be acceptable to hym but that which is allowed by his worde Therfore let vs not take so great libertie to our selues that we dare vowe to God that which hath no testimonie howe it is estemed of him For whereas that which Paule teacheth that it is sinne whatsoeuer is done without Fayth extendeth to all doinges then verily it chefely hath place when thou directest thy thoughte the streighte waye to God But if we fall and erre euen in the smallest thinges as Paule there disputeth of the difference of meates where certaintie of Faith shineth not before vs howe muche more modestie is to be vsed when we attempte a thyng of greatest weyghte For nothyng oughte to be more earnest vnto vs than the duties of religion Lett thys therefore be the firste consideration in vowes that we neuer come to the vowing of any thing but that conscience haue firste certainly determined that it attempteth nothing rashly But it shall then be free from danger of rashnesse when it shal haue God going before it and as it were enforming it by hys worde what is good or vnprofitable to be done In the other thing which we haue sayd to be here to be cōsidered this is conteyned that we measure our own strengthes that we haue an eie to our vocation that we neglect not the benefite of libertie which God hath geuen vs. For he that voweth that which eyther is not in his power or disagreeth with hys vocation is rash and he that despiseth the boūtifulnesse of God wherby he is appoynted Lord of all thynges is vnthankefull When I say thus I do not meane that any thyng is so sett in our own hande that standing vpon confidence of our own strength we may promise the same to God For it was most truly decreed in the Councell at Arausium that nothyng is ryghtly vowed to God but that which we haue receiued of hys hande forasmuch as all thynges that are offred hym are hys mere gyftes But sith some thynges are by gods goodnesse geuen vs and other some thynges by his equitie denyed vs let euery man as Paule commaundeth haue respect to the measure of grace geuen vnto hym Therefore I do here meane nothyng ells but that vowes must be tempered to the measure which the Lord prescribeth thee in his geuing lest if the attēpt further thā he permitteth thou throw thy selfe down hedlong with takyng to much vpon thee As for example When those murtherers of whom mentiō is made in Luke vowed that they would tast of no meate tyll Paule were slayen although the deuise had not ben wicked yet the rashnesse it selfe was not to be suffered that they made the lyfe and death of a man subiect to their power So Iephthe suffred punishment for hys folly whē with hedlong heate he conceiued an vnaduised vow In which kynde unmaried life hath the chefe place of mad boldnesse For sacrificing Prestes mōkes nonnes forgettyng their own weakenesse thinke themselues able to kepe vnmaryed lyfe But by what Oracle are they taught that they shall haue chastitie throughout al theyr lyfe to the very ende wherof they vowe it They heare the worde of God concernyng the vniuersal state of men It is not good for man to be alone They vnderstande and I would to God that they did not fele that synne remayning in vs is not without moste sharpe prickes Wyth what confidence dare they shake of the general callyng for al their life long wheras the gift of continence is oftener graūted for a certayne time as opportunitie requireth In such stubbornesse let them not loke for God to be their helper but let them rather remember that which is sayd Thou shalt not tēpt the Lord thy God And thys is to tempt God to endeuor agaynst the nature put in vs by hym and to despise his presēt giftes as though they nothyng belonged vnto vs. Which they not only do but also mariage it selfe which God thought it not agaynst his maiestie to institute which he hath pronoūced honorable in al men which Christ our Lord hath sanctified with hys presence which he vouchesaued to honor with his fyrst miracle they dare call defyling only to aduaunce with maruelous commendations a certayne vnmarryed lyfe of what sorte soeuer it be As though they themselues dyd not shewe a clere example in their life that vnmarryed state is one thyng and virginitie an other which their lyfe yet they most shamelesly call Angelyke doyng herein verily to great iniurie to the Angels of God to whom they compare whoremongers adulterers and somwhat ells muche worse and filthier And truely here nede no argumētes when they are openly confuted by the thing it selfe For we playnly se with howe horrible peines the Lord doth commonly take vengeance of suche arrogance and contempt of his giftes by to muche truste in themselues I spare for shame to speake of the more secrete faultes of which euen this that is already perceiued is to much It is out of controuersie that we oughte to vowe nothing that may hinder vs from seruing of our vocation As if a householder should vowe that he will leaue his wife and his children and take other charges in hande or if he that is fi lt to beare office when he is chosen doe vowe that he will be a priuate man But what is meant by this that our libertie shoulde not be despised hath some difficultie if it be not declared Therefore thus in fewe wordes I expounde it Sith God hath made vs Lordes of all things and hath so made them subiect vnto vs that we should vse them all for our commoditie there is no cause why we shoulde hope that it shal be and acceptable worke to God if we yelde our selues into bondage to the outwarde thinges which ought to be a helpe vnto vs. I say thys for this purpose because many
the gētils it was necessary to haue god more expresly painted out vnto thē For wheras that saying that God is the minde of the world which is cōpted the most tolerable descripcion that is founde among the Philosophers is but vaine it behoueth vs more familiarly to know hym least we alway wauer in doutfulnesse Therfore it was his pleasure to haue an history of the creaciō remaining wherupō the Fayth of the church might rest seke for no other God but hym whō Moses hath declared to be the maker bilder of the world There is first set forth the tyme that by continual proceding of yeres the faithfull myghte come to the first original of mankinde and of al thinges Which knowledge is very necessary not only to confute those monstrous fables that somtyme were spred in Egipte and other partes of the worlde but also that the beginning of the worlde ones beyng knowen the eternitie of God may more clerely shine forth and rauishe vs in admiracion of it Neyther oughte we to be any thyng moued wyth that vngodly mocke that it is maruel why it came no soner in the mind of God to make the heauen the earth why he syttīg idle did suffer so immesurable a space to passe away sith he mought haue made it many thousande ages before wheras the whole continuaunce of the world that now draweth to an end is not yet come to sixe thousande yeres For why God so long differred it is nether lawful nor expediēt for vs to enquire Because if mans mynd wil trauaile to attaine thereunto it shal faile a hundred tymes by the way nether wer it profitable for vs to know that thing which God hymselfe to proue the modestie of our Fayth hath of purpose wylled to be hydden And wel did that godly olde man speake whiche when a wanton felowe did in scorne demaunde of hym what God had done before the creacion of the worlde aunswered that he builded hell for curious fooles let this graue and seuere warning represse the wantonnesse that tickleth many yea and dryueth them to euill and hurtfull speculacions Finally lette vs remember that the same inuisible God whoe 's wisedome power and iustice is incomprehensyble doth sette before vs the historye of Moses as a lokyng glasse wherein hys liuely image appeareth For as the eyes that eyther are growen dimme with age or dulled wyth any disease doe not discerne any thyng playnly vnlesse they be holpen with spectacles so suche is oure weakenesse that vnlesse the Scripture directe vs in sekyng of God we do forthwith runne out into vanitie And they that folowe their owne wantonnesse because they be nowe warned in vaine shall all to late fele with horrible destruccion howe muche it had ben better for them reuerently to receiue the secrete counsels of God than to vomite oute blasphemies to obscure the heauen with all And ryghtly doeth Augustyne complayne that wrong is done to God whē further cause of thinges is sought for than his onely will The same mā in an other place doth wisely warne vs that it is no lesse euel to moue question of immeasurable spaces of tymes than of places For howe brode soeuer the circuit of the heauen is yet is there some measure of it Nowe if one shoulde quarell wyth God for that the emptynesse wherein nothyng is conteyned is a hundred tymes more shall not all the godly abhore suche wantonnesse Into lyke madnesse runne they that busy them selues aboute Gods sitting stil because at their apointment he made not the world innumerable ages soner To satisfie their own gredinesse of minde they couer to passe wtout the cōpasse of the world as though in so large a circuite of heauen earth they could not finde things enough that with their inestimable brightnesse may ouerwhelme al our senses as though in six thousād yeres God hath not shewed examples in cōtinual cōsideracion wherof our myndes may be exercised Let vs therfore willingly abide enclosed within those boundes wherw t it pleased God to enuirō vs as it were to pen vp our mindes that they shold not stray abrod with liberty of wādrīg For like resō is it that Moses declareth y◠the work of God was not ended in a momēt but in .vi. dayes For by this circūstāce we ar wtdrawen frō forged inuencions to the one onely God that deuyded hys worke into vi dayes that it should not greue vs to be occupyed all the tyme of our lyfe in considering of it For thoughe oure eyes what waye soeuer we turne them are compelled to loke vpon the workes of God yet see we howe fyckle oure hede is and if any godly thoughtes doe touche vs. howe sone they passe away Here againe mans reason murmureth as though suche procedinges were disagreing from the power of God vntil suche time as being made subiecte to the obedience of Fayth she learne to kepe that rest wherunto the hollowing of the .vii. day calleth vs. But in the very order of thinges is diligently to bee considered the Fatherly loue of God towarde mankinde in this that he did not create Adam vntill he had stored the worlde with al plenty of good thinges For if he had placed him in the earth while it was yet barren and emptie if he had geuen him life before that there was any lighte he should haue semed not so wel to prouide for his commoditie But nowe where he first disposed the motions of the Sunne and the Planets for the vse of man and furnished the earth the waters and the aire wyth liuing creatures and brought forth aboundaunce of fruites to suffyce for fode taking vpon him the care of a diligent prouidēt householder he shewed his maruellous bountie towarde vs. If a man do more hedefully weye with himselfe those thinges that I doe but shortly touche it shall appeare that Moses was the sure witnesse and publisher of the one God the creator I omitt here that which I haue already declared that he speaketh not there onely of the bare essence of God but also setteth forth vnto vs his eternall Wisedome and Spirite to the ende we should not dreame that God is any other than such as he wil be knowē by the image that he hath there expressed But before that I begin to speake more at large of the nature of mā I must say somwhat of Angels Because though Moses applying himselfe to the rudenesse of the common people reciteth in his history of the creacion no other workes of God but such as are seen with oure eyes yet wheras afterwarde he bryngeth in Angels for ministers of God we may easily gather that he was the creator of them in whoe 's seruyce they employ their trauaile and offices Though therefore Moses speaking after the capacitie of the people doth not at the very beginning rehearse the Angels among the creatures of God yet that is no cause to the contrary but that we may plainly and expresly speake those thinges of
them which in other places the Scripture commonly teacheth Because if we desire to knowe God by his workes so noble and excellente an example is not to be omitted Beside that this pointe of doctryne is very necessary for the confutyng of many errors The excellence of the nature of Angels hath so daselled yâ— myndes of many that they thought the Angels had wrong offred them if they should be made subiect to the authoritie of one God and brought as it were in obedience And herevpon were they fained to be Gods There rose vp also one Manicheus with his secte whiche made themselues two originall beginninges of thinges God and the Deuell and to God he assigned the beginning of good thinges and of thinges of euil nature he determined the Deuil to be the author If our mindes should be entangled with this error God should not kepe whole hys glory in the creacion of the world For wher as nothing is more proper to God than eternitie and a being of hymselfe as I maye so terme it they which geue that vnto the Deuill dooe they not in a maner geue hym the tytle of Godhead Now where is the almightinesse of God become if such authoritie be grauÌ„ted to the deuil that he may put in execucioÌ„ what he wil though God say nay withstaÌ„de it As for the onely fundation that the Manichees haue that it is vnlawfull to ascribe vnto God that is good the creation of any thyng that is euyll that nothyng hurteth the true Faith whiche admitteth not that ther is any thing naturally euil in the whole vniuersalitie of the world because neither the frowardnesse and malice bothe of man and the deuell nor the sinnes that procede therof ar of nature but of the corruption of nature Neyther was there any thyng from the begynnyng wherin God hath not shewed an example bothe of his wisedome and iustice Therfore to answere these peruerse deuises it behoueth vs to lifte vp our myndes hyer than our eyes can atteyne to see For whiche cause it is likely that where in the Nicene crede God is called the creatour of all thynges thinges inuisible are expressed Yet will we be carefull to kepe the measure that the rule of godlynesse appointeth least the readers with searchyng to vnderstande further than is expedient shuld wander abroade beyng ledde away from the simplicitie of Faith And surely for as muche as the Holy ghoste teacheth vs alway for oure profite and suche thynges as are finally auaylable to edifie he doothe eyther leaue wholly vnspoken or but lightly as it were ouerrunningly touche them it shall be also our duetie to be content not to know those thynges that doo not profite vs. That the Angels for as muche as they are the ministers of God ordeyned to execute his coÌ„maundementes are also his creatures it ought to be certainly out of all question To moue doute of the tyme and order that they were created in shoulde it not rather be a busy waywardnesse than diligence Moses declareth that the earthe was made and the heauens were made with all theyr armies to what purpose than is it curiously to search what day the other more secrete armies of heauen beside the starres and planettes fyrst began to be But because I will not be long let vs as in the whole doctrine of religion so here also remembre that we ought to kepe one rule of modestie and sobrietie that of obscure thynges we neither speake nor thynke nor yet desyre to knowe any other thynges than that hath ben taught vs by the woorde of God and an other poynt that in readyng of Scripture we continually rest vpon the searchyng and studying of suche thynges as pertaine to edification and not geue our selues to curiositie or study of thynges vnprofitable And because it was Gods pleasure to instructe vs not in â—riflyng questions but in sounde godlynesse feare of his name true confidence and duties of holynesse let vs rest vpon suche knowledge Wherfore if we wil be rightly wise we must leaue those vanities that ydle men haue taught without warrant of the woorde of God concernyng the nature degrees and multitude of Angels I knowe that suche matters as this are by many more gredily taken holde of and are more pleasant vnto them than suche thynges as lye in dayely vse But if it greue vs not to be the scholers of Christe let it not greue vs to folowe that order of learnyng that he hath appoynted So shall it so come to passe that beyng contented with his scholyng we shall not onely forbeare but also abhorre superfluous speculations from whyche he calleth vs away No man can deny that the same Denyse what soeuer maÌ„ he was hath disputed many thynges bothe subtilly and wittyly in his Hierarchie of heauen but yf a man examine it more neerely he shall fynde that for the moste parte it is but mere babblyng But the dutifull purpose of a diuine is not to delite eares with pratyng but to stablishe consciences with teachyng thynges true certayne and profitable If one should reade that boke he would thinke that the man were slypped downe from heauen did tell of things not that he had lerned by heresay but that he had seen with his eies But Paule whiche was rauished aboue the thirde heauen hath vttered no suche thynge but also protesteth that it is not lawfull for man to speake the secretes that he had sene Therfore bidding farewell to that triflyng wisedome lette vs consider by the simple doctrine of the Scripture what the Lorde wold haue vs knowe concernyng his angels It is commonly red in the Scripture that the Angels are heauenly Spirites whose ministration and seruice God vseth for putting in execution of those thinges that he hath decreed For which reason the name is geuen them because God vseth them as messangers to shewe hym selfe vnto men And vpon like reason are deriued the other names that they are called by They are named armies because they do like a garde enuiron their prince and doo adorne and set forth the honourable shew of his maiestie and like souldiours they are alway attendyng vpon the ensigne of their capitain and are euer so prepared and in readynesse to do his commaundementes that so soone as he doth but becken to them they prepare them selues to worke or rather be at their worke alredy Suche an image of the throne of God to set out his roialtie the other prophetes doo describe but principally Daniel wher he saith that when God sate him downe in his throne of iudgement there stode by a thousande thousande and ten thousand companies of ten thousands of angels And because God doth by theÌ„ meruailously shewe foorth declare the might and streÌ„gth of his hand therfore they are named strengths bicause he exerciseth and vseth his authorite in the world by them therfore they are somtime called Principalities somtime powers somtime DominioÌ„s Finally because in them as it wer sitteth the
traiterous with sclaunders troublesome with seditions least they shuld seme to want the lyght of truth doo pretende a shadowe of rigorous seueritie and those thynges that are in the holy Scriptures commaunded to be done with a gentler kynd of healing sauyng the sinceritie of loue and kepyng the vnitie of peace to correct the faultes of brethren they abuse it to sacrilege of schisme and to occasyon of cuttyng of But to godly and quiet men he geueth this counsell that they mercifully correct that whiche they can and that whiche they can not paciently beare and grone and mourne with loue vntyll God eyther amende and correct them or at the haruest roote vp the tares and fanne out the chaffe Lette the godly trauaile to fortifie theim selues with these armures least while they seme to them selues strong and couragious reuengers of rightuousnesse they departe from the kingdom of heauen which is the only kyngdom of rightuousnesse For sithe it is Gods will to haue the communion of his Churche to be kepte in this outward felowshyp he that for hatred of euill men doth breake the tokeÌ„ of that â—elowship entreth into a waie wherby is a slippery falling froÌ„ the coÌ„munion of saints Let them thinke that in a great multitude there be many truly holy innocent before the eies of the Lord whom they see not Let them think that euen of them that be diseased there be many that doo not please or flatter them selues in their faultes but beyng now and then awakened with earnest feare of God doo aspire to a greater vprightnesse Let them thinke that iudgement ought not to be geuen of a man by one dede forasmuche as the holiest do sometime fall away with a most greuous fal Let them think that to gather a Church there lieth more weight both in the ministerie of the woorde and in the partaking of the holy misteries than that all that force shoulde vanishe away by the fault of some wicked men Last of all lette theim consider that in iudging the Churche the iudgement of God is of greater value than the iudgement of man Where also they pretend that the Churche is not without cause called Holy it is mete to wey with what holinesse it excelleth least if we will admitte no Church but suche a one as is in all pointes perfect we leaue no Churche at all It is true in dede which Paul saith that Christ gaue himself for the Churche to sanctifie it that he clensed it with the lauer of water with the word of life to make her vnto himself a glorious spouse hauyng no spotte or wrinkle c. Yet this is also nothyng lesse true â–ª that the Lord dayly worketh in smoothyng her wrinkles and wipyng away her spottes Whervpon foloweth that her holynesse is not yet fully finished Therfore the Churche is so holy that it dayly profiteth and is not yet perfect daiely procedeth is not yet come to the marke of holinesse as also in an other place shal be more largely declared whereas therfore the Prophetes prophecie that there shal be a holy Hierusalem through whiche straungers shal not passe and a holy temple wherinto vncleane men shall not entre let vs not so take it as if there were no spotte in the membres of the Churche but for that with their whole endeuour they aspire to holinesse souÌ„d purenesse by the goodnesse of God clennesse is ascribed to them whiche they haue not yet fully obteined And although oftentimes there be but rare tokens of such sanctification among men yet we must determine that there hath bene no time sins the creation of the worlde wherin the Lord hath not had his Churche and that there shall also be no tyme to the very ende of the worlde wherin he shall not haue it For albeit immediatly from the beginnyng the whole kynde of men is corrupt and defiled by the sinne of Adam yet out of this as it were a polluted masse God alway sanctifieth som vessels vnto honour that there should be no age without felyng of his mercie Which he hath testified by certayn promises as these I haue ordeined a testament to my elect I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant I will for euer continue thy sede I will builde thy seate in generation and generation Agyan the Lord hath chosen Syon he hath chosen it for a dwelling to himself This is my reste for euer c. Agayne These thynges sayth the Lorde which geueth the Sunne for the lyght of the day the moon and starres for the light of the night If these lawes shall faile before me then the sede of Israell shall also faile Hereof Christ him self the Apostles and in maner all the Prophets haue geuen vs example Horrible are those descriptions wherin Esaie Hieremie Ioel Abacuc and the other doo lament the sicknesses of the Churche of Hierusalem In the common people in the magistrate in the Priestes all things were so corrupt that Esaie douteth not to match Hierusalem with Sodom and Gomorrha Religion was partely despised partly defiled in their maners are coÌ„monly reported theftes extortions breaches of faith murthers and like mischieues Yet therfore the Prophets did neither erect to them selues new Churches nor buyld vp newe altars on whiche they might haue seuerall sacrifices but of what soeuer maner men they were yet because they considered that God had left his word with them ordeined Ceremonies wherby he was there worshipped in the myddest of the assemblie of the wicked they held vp pure handes vnto hym Truely if they had thought that they did gather any infection thereby they would rather haue dyed a hundred tymes than haue suffred them selues to be drawen therevnto Therfore nothing withheld them from departing but desire to the keping of vnitie But if the Prophets thought it against conscience to estrange them selues from the Church for many and great wicked doyngs not of one or two men but in maner of the whole people then we take to muche vpon vs if we dare by and by depart from the coÌ„munion of the Church where not all mens maners doo satisfie eyther our iudgemente yea or the Christian profession Now what maner world was there in the tyme of Christe and the Apostles And yet that desperate vngodlynesse of the Pharisees and yâ— dissolute licenciousnesse of liuing which then eche where reigned could not hynder but that they vsed the same Ceremonies with the people assembled with the rest into one temple to the publike exercises of religion Whereof came that but because they knew that the felowship of euill men did not defile them which with a pure coÌ„science did communicate at the same Ceremonies If any man be litle moued with the Prophets and Apostles let him yet obey the authoritie of Christ. Therfore Cyprian well saieth though there be sene tares or vncleane vessels in the Churche yet there is no cause why we shuld depart from the Churche we must onely labour that we may
be wheate we must vse diligeÌ„ce and endeuour as muche as we may that we may be a golden or syluer vessell But to breake the earthen vessels is the only work of the Lord to whom also is geuen an iron rodde And let no man chalenge to hym selfe that whiche is proprely belongyng to the Sonne onely to be able alone to fanne the floore and clense the chaffe and seuer all the tares by mans iudgement This is a prowde obstinacie and a presumption full of sacrilege which a peruerse furour taketh to it selfe c. Therfore let bothe these thynges remayn certainly fixed First that he hath no excuse that of his owne will forsaketh the outward coÌ„munion of the Church â–ª where the word of God is preached the sacraments ministred then that the faultes of a few or of many are no hindraÌ„ce but that we may therin rightly professe our faith by the Ceremonies institute by God bicause a godly conscience is not hurt by the vnworthines of any other ether pastor or priuate man and the misteries are to a holy vpright maÌ„ neuerthelesse pure holsome because they are together handled of vncleane meÌ„ Their precisenesse and disdainfulnesse procedeth yet further because they acknowledge no Chirche but such a one as is pure from al spottes be they neuer so smal yea they are angry with good teachers for that in exhorting the faithful to goe forwarde they teache them al their life long to grone vnder the burden of vices and to flee vnto pardon For they prate that by this meane meÌ„ be led froÌ„ perfection I graunte in dede that in earnest calling vpon perfection we ought not slowly or coldely to trauail much lesse to be idle but to fil our mindes with confidence therof while we be yet in our course I say it is a deuelish inuention Therefore in the Crede the forgeuenesse of synnes is aptly ioyned next after the Chirche For none do atteine it but only they that are citezens and of the household of the Chirch as it is red in the Prophete Therfore the bilding of the heaueÌ„ly HierusaleÌ„ ought to go before wherin afterward this mercifulnesse of God maye haue place that whosoeuer come vnto it their iniquitie may be takeÌ„ away I say that it ought first to be bilded not for that there caÌ„ be any Chirch wtout the forgeuenesse of synnes but because the lord hath not promised his mercy but in the CoÌ„munion of Sainctes Therfore the fyrst entry for vs into the Chirch kingdome of God is the forgeuenesse of synnes wtout which we haue no couenauÌ„t or coÌ„ioyning wyth God For thus he sayeth by the Prophete In the day I wil strike you a couenant with the beast of the feld with the fowle of the aire with the vermin of the earth I wil breake the sword war from out of the earth I wil make men to slepe wtout feare I wil espouse you vnto me for euer I wil espouse you I say in righteousnesse in iudgement in mercy and in coÌ„passions We see how by his mercy the lord recoÌ„cileth vs to himselfe And so in an other place when he foresayth that the people shal be gathered together agayne whoÌ„ he had scattered abrode in his wrath he saieth I wil cleanse theÌ„ froÌ„ al wyckednesse wherewith they haue synned agaynst me Wherfore by the signe of washing we enter into the felowshyp of the Chirch wherby we may be taught that there is no entrie open for vs into the householde of God vnlesse our fylthynesse be fyrst wiped away with hys goodnesse But by the forgeuenesse of sinnes the Lord doth not only receiue and adopt vs ones into the Chirch but by the same he also preserueth maynteineth vs stil in it For to what purpose wer it to haue suche a pardon grauÌ„ted vs as should serue for no vse But euery one of the godly is a wytnesse to himselfe that the mercy of God should be vain and mocking if it should be grauÌ„ted only but ones because there is none that is not in his own coÌ„scieÌ„ce priuie throughout his whole life of many weakenesses which nede the mercy of God And truly not in vain God promiseth thys grace peculiarly to theÌ„ of his own household not in vain he coÌ„maundeth the same message of recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ to be daily offred vnto theÌ„ Therefore as throughout al our life we carry about vs the râ—nantes of sine vnlesse we be susteined with the coÌ„tinual grace of the lord in forgeuing oure synnes we shal scarcely abide one momeÌ„t in the Chirch But the lord hath called his vnto eternal saluatioÌ„ Therfore they ought to thike that there is pardon alway ready for their sinnes Wherfore we ought to holde assuredly that by the liberalitie of God by meane of Christes deseruing through the Sanctification of the Spirite sinnes haue been and are daily pardoned to vs which be called graffed into the body of the Chirch To deale this benefite vnto vs the keyes were geuen to the Chirch For when Christ gaue the Apostles commaundemeÌ„t deliuered them power to forgeue sinnes he meante not this onely that they shoulde loose them froÌ„ sinnes that wer froÌ„ vngodlinesse coÌ„uerted to the faith of Christ but rather that they should continually execute this office among the faythful Which thing Paule teacheth when he writeth that the embassage of reconciliation was left with the ministers of the Chirche wherby they should oftentimes in Christes name exhort the people to reconcile themselues to God Therfore in the CoÌ„munion of Sainctes by the ministery of the Chirch it self sinnes are coÌ„tinually forgeueÌ„ vs when the Priestes or Bishops to whom the office is committed doe with the promyses of the Gospel coÌ„firme godly consciences in hope of pardoÌ„ forgeuenesse and that as wel publikely as priuately according as necessitie requireth For there be very many which for their weakenesse do nede a singular atonemeÌ„t And Paul reporteth that not only in commoÌ„ preaching but also in houses he had testified the Fayth in Christ and seuerally admonyshed euery one of the doctryne of saluation Therfore we haue here three thyngs to be noted First that with how great holynesse soeuer the children of God do excel yet they be alway in this estate so long as they dwel in a mortal body that without forgeuenesse of sinnes they can not staÌ„de before God Secondly that this benefite is so proper to the Chirche that we can not otherwise enioy it but if we abide in the CoÌ„munion therof Thirdly that it is distributed vnto vs by the ministers Pastors eyther by preaching of the Gospel or by ministryng of the Sacramentes that in thys behalfe principally appeareth the power of the keyes which the Lord hath geuen to the felowship of the faythful Wherfore let euery one of vs thinke this to be his duty no where els to seke forgeuenesse of sines than where the Lord hath set it Of publyke recoÌ„ciliation