the instruments of Satan by the which he draweth men vnto destruction To this he addeth a promise And he vvill flee from you that is he will not hurt you he will not ouerthrow you with his subtleties and delusions 8 Dravv neare to God and he vvill dravv neare to you clense you handes ye sinners and purge your heartes ye double minded He commandeth and promiseth He commaundeth that we drawe neare vnto God to wit by fayth and true obedience For as he is sayd to depart from God which doth abandon and giue himselfe to the lustes of the worlde by which he draweth neare vnto the deuill so he which departeth from these is sayd to draw neare vnto God He promiseth when he sayth And he vvill dravv neare vnto you This promise is grounded vpon the continuall loue of God towards mankind whereby he desireth not the death of a sinner He doth here call them sinners which exercise manifest impietie and them double minded which sayde in wordes that they did worship God and in the meane season did follow their owne lusts and concupiscence 9 Suffer afflictions and sorovve ye and vveepe Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauines He setteth this agaynst the pleasures of them which follow their owne lustes and laugh and reioyce in them For it becommeth the godly rather to mourne and suffer affliction and so to be ashamed for the sinnes which they haue committed that they cast their countenance downe to the earth for shame For that the greeke word signifieth which y e Apostle here vseth 10 Cast dovvne your selues before the Lorde and he vvill lift you vp Bicause the godly are contēned and dispised in the world the Apostle doth encourage theē bid theē remaine in that subiectiō wherby they are subiect to God in true feare also he doth comfort thē when he saith y t it wil come to passe that God at the length will lift them vp and wipe away the teares from their face For by the word of lifting vp is signified comfort agaynst the sorrow of this present life and deliuerance from all the miseries and troubles of this life 11 Speake not euil one of an other brethren He that speaketh euill of his brother or he that condemneth his brother speaketh euil of the lavv and condemneth the lavv if thou condemnest the lavv thou arte not an obseruer of the lavv but a iudge He doth againe represse the intemperance of the tongue in accusing and condemning other adding a most strong reason taken of the grieuousnes of the deed No man ought to speake against the law and condemne it He that speaketh agaynst his brother and condemneth him speaketh against the law and condemneth it Therefore no man ought to speake against his brother and condemne him The Minor or second proposition of the argumēt he proueth because he that condemneth the law is not an obseruer of the law but a iudge Now to condemne the law is to reiect the authoritie thereof and to challenge vnto himselfe that right which is due to the law and so to peruert the order of thinges For it is the office of the lawe to prescribe a rule of life and to iudge of those thinges that are done But it is the dutie of man to submit himselfe to the authoritie of the lawe and to obserue it But he which doth the contrarie that is he that vsurpeth authoritie to iudge and censure others doth with sacrilege chalenge that to himselfe which is proper to the law Iames in this place speaketh onely agaynst those which of a peruerse and corrupt iudgement speake against their brethren that they may distaine their good name and get vnto them selues an opinion of holines he doth not reprehend those which iudge of duetie so as they follow the authoritie and rule of the law in iudgeing For he that doth this is to be sayd not so much to iudge himselfe as to pronounce the iudgement of God which we see Iames here often times to haue done 12 There is one lavv giuer vvhich is able to saue and to destroy VVho art thou that iudgest ā other mā That which is proper vnto God no man without sacrilege can vsurpe vnto himselfe It is proper vnto God to be a Lawgiuer and a Iudge which hereby is manifest bicause he only hath power to saue and to destroy Therfore no man can take vpon him selfe this authoritie without sacrilege Iames speaketh here also as I admonished before of rashe iudgement proceeding from a desire of deprauing and sclaundering 13 Go to novve ye that say to day or to morovv vve vvill go into such a citie and continue there a yere and buye and sell and get gaine 14 And yet ye cannot tell vvhat shall be to morrovv For vvhat is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and aftervvarde vanisheth avvay 15 For that ye ought to say If the Lorde vvill and if vve liue vve vvill do this or that This is a correction of rashe presumption in determining vpon things to be done and he prescribeth two conditions which he requireth in all deliberations The first is that we giue place to the will of God and that we attempt nothing without calling vpon him The cause of this condition is for that the will of God ought to be vnto the godly a rule to worke by The other condition is that we doe alwayes thinke vpon the fraylenesse of our lyfe which seing it is lyke vnto a vapour that continueth but a small time he is vnwise which promiseth vnto himselfe things that are to come and vncertaine Wherefore we are admonished in this place that we doe so behaue our selues in all our doings that we may be ready whensoeuer we shall depart from hence 16 But novve ye reioyce in your boastings all such reioycing is euill He sheweth frō whence this presumption in doing things doth come to wit of an arrogant reioycing which seing it is euill and alwayes to be auoyded that also which springeth thereof is not without good cause to be eschewed 17 Therefore to him that knovveth hovve to do vvell and doth it not to him it is sinne The conclusion directly brought in of that which went before shoulde be this No man therefore of a vayne reioycing ought rashly to purpose with himselfe to doe anye thing as though the euent or falling out thereof did lye in his owne handes But in the place of this conclusion he putteth an exaggerating or amplifying of that sin which he reprehendeth He sinneth more grieuously which sinneth willingly and knowing thereof than he which offendeth of ignorance Wherefore he cannot be excused which knoweth what is to be done and howe it is to be done and yet doth it not Chap. 5. The summe of the fift Chapter AS he forbiddeth a rashe othe and giueth counsayle to the afflicted hauing first sharply rebuked the rich and
demaunded what are the causes of good workes by which men ought to be stirred vp and pricked forward to worke well There are numbred three most weyghty causes necessitie dignitie and reward Necessitie may be made to be of fiue sorts of y e cōmāndemēt of worship of det of holding fast y e fayth of auoyding punishmēt of cōuersion or regeueratiō Necessitie of the commaundemēt is bicause God doth seriously and seuerely commaund obedience toward his lawe Keepe mine ordinances sayth he and walke therein Paul sayth This is the will of God euen your sanctification Necessity of dette or dutie that we owe is declared Rom. 8. We are detters not to the flesh but to the spirite for we are not our owne but his that hath redemed vs with his bloud Necessitie of holding fast the fayth is commaunded to vs of Paule If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his housholde he denieth the fayth and is worse than an infidel And agayne Fight a good fight hauing fayth and a good conscience neyther of which is kept while we giue our selues to sinne Necessitie of auoyding punishment is confirmed by the testimonie of Dauid For iniquitie sayth he thou doest chastice the children of men Necessitie of conuersion is affirmed in this saying As I liue sayth the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waye and liue When therefore conuersion is made man is also quickened by fayth through the holy Ghost Moreouer vnto conuersion is ioined regeneration which is a beginning of a newe lyfe a newe light wisedome righteousnesse and a renuing of the image of God in vs. The seconde cause is dignitie which consisteth in this that the man conuerted or regenerate is nowe the sonne of God according to that saying He gaue power to be the sonnes of God to them that beleeue in his name Howe great a dignitie is it that they which beleeue are the temple of the holy ghost liuing that Christ dwelleth in them by fayth that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost doe come vnto them and will dwell with them that they are the members of Christ On the contrarie wey what a wickednes it is for the children of God to resemble the image of the enimie howe great a daunger it is that the temple of God shoulde be polluted with the filthinesse of Satan what a cruell thing it is to driue God out of his dwelling place Wherefore it becommeth the children of God to imitate their heauenly father which sayth Be ye holy for I am holy Herevpon Paule sayeth that we are called to sanctification and not to vncleannes The thirde cause is a rewarde that is a recompence of the pacience and obedience of them that beleeue This rewarde is not giuen for the worthinesse of the worke but for the promise of grace Seing that the good workes that are done of the godly are the bounden duties of seruants and vnperfect and defiled it may be demaunded why God hath added promises to good workes And there may be numbred fiue causes hereof The first that they may be testimonies of the prouidence of God For God will haue it knowne that good things pertayning to the bodye are created of him and are not spreade abroade by chaunce but are of him giuen to the Church and preserued according to the saying He is thy life and the length of thy dayes in the dayes of hunger they shall be satisfied the rich haue suffred hunger but no good thing shall be wanting to him that feareth the Lorde The seconde that they may be testimonies that God will yea euen in this lyfe keepe and preserue his Church Wherefore Paule sayth 1. Tim. 4. Godlynesse hath the promise of the lyfe present and of that that is to come Bicause God will of his infinite goodnesse gather his Church for his sonnes sake the mediatour he keepeth this order of nature he maketh the earth fruitefull that he may feede and nourishe his Church euen in this life and bicause for his Churches sake he doth feede also the rest it becommeth vs especially to be thankfull The thirde bicause God will haue corporall necessitie to be a monishment warning concerning fayth prayer hope giuing of thankes therefore hath he set forth his promises wil haue these good things to be asked loked for by fayth by this asking and looking for he will haue fayth hope and pacience to increase The fourth that they may be warnings of the promise of grace bicause that fayth which acknowledgeth the sonne and receyueth reconciliation ought alwayes to go before in the asking of corporall things and for the sonnes sake the other promises were set forth and ratified All these things are comprehended in the saying Whatsoeuer he shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you The fift bicause God will haue both these things to be knowne both that the Church is subiect to the crosse and yet nowithstanding that it is marueylously preserued in this lyfe euen among perils and daungers that all the maruaylous preseruations of the Church and al the wonderfull deliuerances of the same may be testimonies of the presence of God in his Church as it is sayde Num. 14. That the Egyptians maye knowe that thou O Lorde art among this people Iosu 3. Ye shall knowe that the Lorde God is in the middest of you 1. Kings 17. That all the earth may knowe that there is a God in Israel Esay 37. Nowe O Lorde our God saue thou vs out of the hande of Zenacherib that all the kingdomes of the earth may knowe that thou onely art the Lorde Seing that al men haue sinne it is rightly demaunded whose obedience doth please and whose doth not please To this question I doe aunswere thus Sinnes are of two sorts some are committed of them which know and are willing agaynst their conscience such sinnes are not in them that beleeue For if he that beleueth doth fall agaynst his conscience he doth as it were shake of the holy ghost renounce the fayth and is made guiltie of the wrath of God and except he repenteth he falleth headlong into eternal punishment Moreouer they which being deceyued by the delusions of the deuill doe reuolt from the foundation that is doe renounce and forsake any article of the fayth whether they vnderstande it or vnderstande it not doe cease to be holy doe shake of the holy ghost and become guiltie of eternal wrath and displeasure as Cherinthus Ebion Arius Fotinus and such lyke heretikes Other some sinnes are not committed agaynst the conscience as blindnesse and ignorance doubting many omittings of our dutie and vicious affections agaynst which euilles the godlye doe striue and doe beleeue that they are put away for the mediators sake Although this vncleannesse is in
nature But they that are not occupyed in this following doe falsly attribute to themselues a christian name Furthermore they are not counted the lawfull sonnes of God but bastardes rather For God acknowledgeth none among his sonnes but whom he seeth at the least to endeauour to imitate his fathers vertues To this pertayneth that saying of the Lord in the Prophet If I be a father where is mine honour But the cheefest parte of honour which children can doe to their parents is to imitate their vertues Whosoeuer earnestly looketh for the glorye of christianitie let him set before himselfe this cause of shewing mercy to his neighbour and let him not suffer himselfe to be led away with euil examples from this necessary and due worship of God The second cause is the commaundement of God vnto which all creatures ought to obey Of this cause Iesus the sonne of Sirach maketh mention chap. 29 Helpe the poore for the commandements sake and turne him not away because of his pouertie And a little after Bestow thy treasure after the commaundement of the most high and it shal bring thee more profite then Gold Our treasure that doth neuer fayle we must lay vp and keepe in heauen but yet it is in this life bestowed vpon the poore vpon whom the benefites that be bestowed the Lord so accepteth as if we had bestowed them vpon himselfe All the testimonies of the Scripture which doe commend vnto vs the loue of our neighbour doe require especially liberalitie towarde the nedie For this is the chiefe part of true loue Hereunto belongeth that saying of the Lorde Deut. 15. I commaund thee saying thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother that is needy He that contemneth this precept of the Lord how can he loue God how can he feare him for thus sayth Iohn Whosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And Iob 6. He that taketh away mercie from his neighbour hath forsaken the feare of the Lord. Whosoeuer therefore determineth to loue God and to feare him from his heart let him thinke that he doth owe obedience to God commaunding Of which thing Micheas speaketh after this sort I will shew thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The thirde cause is the imitation of examples of Christ our Lord first and then of his members Christ was made poore for vs that he might enrich vs. What therefore do we agayne owe to the members of Christ especially seing he witnesseth that that is done to himselfe whatsoeuer we doe to the least of his members Matth. 25. The holy fathers desired nothing more than to relieue the poore Saints Abraham doth reuerence strangers and biddeth them to eate with him that he may shewe liberalitie vnto them Lot desired the Angels to come into his house whom he thought to be poore straungers Cornelius the courtier is written to haue giuen himselfe to continuall prayer and almes which the scripture witnesseth to haue come vp into remembrance before God The fourth cause is the dignitie and estimation of almes godly bestowed before God Prouerb 21. To do mercie and iudgement is more acceptable to the Lorde then sacrifice Christ sayth Matth. 9. I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Heb. 13. To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased So great dignitie so great estimation is there before God of the almes godly bestowed It is preferred before sacrifice God is sayd to be singularly moued and delighted therewith This dignitie ought worthily to admonishe them which abounde in this worldes good that they indeuour according to the counsell of Paule to be rich in good workes The fift cause is our neighbour himselfe But that euery man is neighbour one to another the Parable of the Samaritane doth teach although this neighbourhode is greater with some than with other some Euery man both godly and also vngodly is neighbour vnto me and that first by reason of our creation Secondly for likenes sake Thirdly in respect of our common life and humane societie And although this triple bonde wherewith men are bounde among themselues is a great cause wherefore men ought to doe good vnto men neuerthelesse there is yet a farre greater bonde wherewith Christians are knit togither with Christians For first one vocation is common to all Christians whereby we are called to the vnitie of spirit in the bonde of peace Agayne by the same spirit we are begotten agayne to be the sonnes of God whereby it commeth to passe that both we haue one father which is God and also we are brethren among our selues Moreouer we are members of the same mysticall bodye the heade whereof is Christ Finally we haue the same hope of the glorie to come for we are heyres of eternall lyfe in Christ Iesus our Lorde If we doe earnestly thinke vppon this fift cause of mercie towarde our neighbour there is none that doth not acknowledge howe necessarily liberalitie is to be shewed to them that be in neede I do not make mention of that bond by which al men in this world are debters one to another Who wil seme to be a contemner of the vnitie of the spirite whereunto the Gospell calleth vs Who can abide to heare that he is a denier of spirituall brotherhoode Who dare so despyse the members of Christ that he will suffer them to be tormented wyth colde hunger and nakednesse Who will not worthilye suffer him to be partaker with him of the things of this worlde which soone fade awaye whom he assuredly thinketh shall be heyre with him of the heauenly treasures If this cause of liberalitie and mercie were esteemed of many according to the worthinesse thereof they woulde not set their mindes so much vpon deceyte and vniust gayne they woulde not so much spoyle and rob the needie members of Christ and they would thinke more of cherishing and making much of their owne fleshe As often as we see any that is in miserie crauing our helpe and succour let vs I pray you remember the saying of Esay Hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh The sixt cause is the punishment yea and that manifold of them which are hard toward the poore The first is the wrath of God Ecclesiasticus 4. Turne not thine eyes aside from the poore because of anger The second is the curse In the same place it is sayd For if the curse thee in the bitternes of his soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him The third is the refusing of thy prayer which thou makest in thy necessitie Prouerb 21. He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crye and not be heard A horrible punishment truly then which none
It proceedeth from the vertue of the death buriall and resurrection of the Lord which in time past was represented in the olde sacrifices which were first bound and then kylled but all the whole vertue is in the Crosse of Christ Therefore to bynde the concupyscence of the flesh is to fasten it to the crosse of Christ that in it it may be mortified that it be not effectuall to worke Wherefore this beast is then bound when thou doest not those thinges which it commaundeth it is wholy mortified when the force thereof is not felt which commeth not to passe before we haue changed this lyfe with death which is a passage to the true lyfe To the bynding and mortifying of this beast all the exercises of godlinesse must be referred as prayer reading meditation sobrietie diligence in our dutye flying of euell occasions thinking on the prouidence of God consideration of the euell of concupyscence the gloryous end of victorye the shame and dishonestye that accompanieth them whiche submytte them selues to this beast Thus much briefly concerning the inward tentation of seducing or beguiling and of the remedy agaynst it The outwarde tentation of beguyling is whose beginning and cause is without a man and this may be distinguished according to the diuersitye of the causes Wherefore seeing that some time the worlde somtime the deuel sometime the thinges that are about vs are the causes thereof it commeth to passe that there be three differences of this outward tentation The world therefore tempteth when it prouoketh to sinne by it vanitie and wickednesse Many are ouercome by this kind of tentation For when they beholde the most corrupt maners of men and see them also vnpunished many are allured by this example Whereupon it is sayde that an euill custome is the nourishing of euel Agaynst this kinde of tentation we must sette the glory of the kingdome of Christ wherewith the vanitie of the world being compared is as a smoke sone vanishing away Secondly let vs think vpon the shortnes of mans life which although it maye be filled with the vanitie of the worlde yet those continuall delightes in the kingdome of God are by infinite degrees to be preferred before it Also let vs consider how Christ the Lord and many of the sayntes of God despised the vanitie and wickednes of the world looking vnto the price that is set before them that runne lawfully The deuill tempteth men after diuers sortes and that vnto this ende that he may hinder them from being gathered togither into the folde of Christ or that when they are gathered togither he may cast them out agayne that they should not be saued For there is nothing more pleasant vnto him than the destruction of all men And for this cause he vseth especially three engines to inuade the folde of Christ For eyther he corrupteth the doctrine or raiseth vp offences or else giueth occasions of infinite mischiefes that I may in the meane season say nothing of his hypocrisie tyrannie and craftinesse which he continually vseth to assayle the Church of Christ He entreth into the heart of man and with speede taketh out the worde of God from thence that a secure contempt of God maye follow as in Rabshakeh or hatred and wrath agaynst God as in Saul or a furious defending of a wicked opinion as in the Papistes Such were the tentations of Cain Saul Iudas Samosatenus Arius and in our time of Seruetus and of very manye other and at thys time Satan doth rage much more than euer he did at any other For he knoweth that the end of his furie is at hand and that the sonne of God will shortlye come who shall iudge him with all his members to euerlasting torments What remedie is here the aduersarie is mightie the companie of his warriours is great we haue neede therefore of a most strong defence What I pray you is that This is the victorie sayeth Iohn that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth And Salomon sayth the name of the Lorde is a strong tower the righteous runneth vnto it and is in safegarde For seeing there is no other waye to ouercome this tentation of the deuel then a liuely fayth in Christ the cōquerour of Satan y t this liuely fayth may be kindled with earnest prayer let vs with exceding care and studie kepe y e puritie of doctrine wheron fayth dependeth Also agaynst offences and other practises of Satan let vs fortifie and strengthen our selues with the examples of the Saintes and encourage our selues with the hope of our deliuerance which shall be through Iesus Christ whom we looke for to come shortly to iudge the quick and the deade More defences agaynst the assaultes of Satan Paule numbreth vp Eph. 6. which ought from thence to be taken The things that are about vs doe aboue measure also tempt vs. Before vs death the iudgement of God hell Behinde vs our sinnes that are past many things committed and omitted On our right hande power riches honour On our left hand perils persecutions offences the most sorrowfull state of the Church of God outwardly in this world These euels Iesus Christ onely doth remedy whiles he is possessed by fayth For if thou beholdest those thinges that are before vs he hath ouercome death with life he hath satisfied the iudgement of God paying the ransome for our sinnes he hath spoyled hell If thou lookest vnto those thinges that are behind vs it is he onely which maketh a full satisfaction for sinnes If thou settest the treasures of all good things in him the power riches and honour of the worlde shall not easilye drawe thee from Christ neither shalt thou giue ouer being discouraged with any euils so as thou possessest him by a liuely fayth and desirest his helpe agaynst all things that doe annoy or hurt thee Tentation of presumption is when a man is prouoked to tempt God by abusing his long sufferance iustice mercie liberalitie and many other benefites This tentation truly is daungerous for if any man be ouercome of it he sinneth more freely and boldly bicause he determineth with himselfe that God is good and mercifull and slowe to anger as the Psalme sayth This tentation these thinges doe chiefly remedie first a thinking on the shortnesse of lyfe secondly a consideration of tragicall and lamentable examples For many sinning securely haue bene sodenly preuented by the wrath of God and taken from hence without repentance thirdly the very vnworthynes it selfe For what is a more vnworthie thing than for the chylde to despise the father bicause he is good to him and mercifull towarde him Let euery one therefore walke carefully in the sight of the Lorde and knowe that it is a deuelishe furie and madnesse to sinne aduisedlye and of a sette purpose or to deferre repentance bicause GOD is sayde to be long suffering gentle and mercifull For he is sayde also to
Psalme place him amōg the dwellers in y e tabernanacle of y e Lord that is among the heires of eternall life which contemneth a vile person and honoureth them that feare the Lorde Whether is this accepting of persons or no Accepting of persons is properly when as the true cause by the which wee ought to pronounce of the person being neglected we doe consider in the persons some other thing without the cause for which eyther we pronounce false sentence agaynst the person or otherwise doe accept and fauour the person Wherefore this precept of the Apostle doth not subuert and ouerthrowe the order of God established in the fourth commaundement concerning the honor of superiours But if any mā should despise a poore man that is godly and preferre a rich man that is wicked he leauing the true cause shoulde iudge amisse as Iames sheweth when he sayth 2 For if there come into your company a man vvith a gold ring and in goodly apparel and there come in also a poore man in vile rayment 3 And ye haue respect to him that vveareth the gaye clothing and say vnto him sit thou here in a goodly place and say vnto the poore stande thou there or sit here vnder my footestoole 4 Are ye not partiall in your selues and are become iudges of euill thoughtes By this example he declareth what maner of accepting of persons he condemneth to wit that which followeth a false iudgement for a true in iudging men For he which doth that is not onely condemned by the iudgement of his owne conscience but also his iudgement is peruerse and naughtie which taketh riches for a rule of difference He doth not therfore simply forbid to honor the rich but he speaketh by the way of comparison and condemneth him which honoureth wicked rich men with the contempt of godly poore men Wherefore that accepting of persons is here condemned which followeth a false difference for a true which keepeth not a right maner which erreth from the right ende If any man therfore preferreth a rich man before a poore bicause he is rich his iudgement is peruerse and corrupt Agayne if thou doest so preferre a rich man before a poore that thou handle the poore man reprochfully there is sinne in the maner thereof Finally if thou preferre a rich man before a poore to winne fauor thereby thou hast erred from the right ende For what thing is more vnworthie than to despise the poore man which is godly and learned and honourably to receyue and entertayne the rich man which is vngodly and vnlearned He which maketh such a difference with himselfe betweene the poore man and the riche is become a iudge of euill thoughtes that is is not rightly affected but iudgeth peruersly agaynst the rule of godlynesse and charitie 5 Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this vvorlde that they shoulde be rich in fayth and heires of the kingdome vvhich he promised to them that loue him He doth in a short entrance or preface stirre vp the hearers to be attentiue to the argument which he afterwarde annexeth God hath chosen the poore of this world which are rich in fayth that they should be heyres of the kingdome which he hath promised to them that loue him Therefore the poore of this world are not to be contemned In this argument note the order of our restoring againe In the first place is set election which is noe where els to be sought but in Christ Ephes 1. In the second is set fayth whereby generall election is applyed to the hearers of the Gospel For God hath chosen on this condition if men be engraffed by fayth in his sonne without whom is no election but mere reprobation In the third is put inheritance whereby is signified adoption by which the beleeuers receiue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God In the fourth is added loue for that is the true fruite of fayth and an affection proper to the sonnes of God It is no maruayle therefore if God hath promised a kingdome to them that loue him For they by fayth haue obtayned power to be the sonnes of God yea and to be called heires of the heauenly kingdome For it is manifest out of Paule that loue is not the cause of reigning when he sayth The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Of Election THis place doth admonish that I speake something concerning election For I see not a fewe to erre from the true cause thereof Paule sayth 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world c. And here Iames saith God hath chosen the poore of this vvorld Hereupon some do not rightly gather y t wise mighty noble and rich men are reprobates on the contrary the ignorant weake vnnoble and poore are chosen For if wisedome power noblenes and riches which all are the giftes of God were the cause of reprobation and contrariwise foolishnes weakenes vnnoblenesse and pouertie were the cause of election it should follow that all rich men are reprobates and all poore men chosen but both is false For not a few rich and noble men are godly chosen and saued and many poore men are vngodly reprobates and condemned Why therfore doth Paule say Not many wise men not many mighty not many noble Paule doth not speake of the counsel of God who will that al men shall be saued and come vnto the acknowledging of the truth 1. Timoth. 2. Which would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentaunce 2. Pet. 3. But he accuseth the naughtines of men which abuse the giftes of God to their owne destruction The Gospell calleth all but some pretend one thing some an other wherby they doe not come Many being entised and as it were made druncken with wisedome many with might many with noblenes many with riches many also with other thinges cannot abide the sweete sauour of the Gospell Whereby it commeth to passe that not by the counsell of God which hath created no man to certayne damnation but by their owne fault they are not elect For God will haue all at length to be saued if so be that they doe embrace by fayth the author of their saluation They which contemne him doe worthely fall away from saluation For God will cast awaye those and condemne them no otherwise then an earthly father doth cast of and disherit an obstinate and disobedient sonne which he woulde not haue done if he had obeyed his father If therefore we consider the counsell or purpose of our creation and restoring againe by Christ God in deede will haue all men to be saued but yet by saluation and life that is by Christ the mediatour But if thou marke the euent or ende he will condemne all
which they doe moderate punishments The arguments of the Stoickes haue a fayre shewe but they are grounded on a false foundation agaynst which let those reasons be set which I haue rehearsed 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shall be iudged by the lavve of libertie 13 For there shal be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie and mercie reioyceth against iudgement He bringeth in a generall exhortation to liue godly and holily by an argument taken of the sentence of the last iudgement which is recited Matth. 25. For when as the Apostle sayth as they that shall bee iudged by the lavve of libertie he hath relation to the sentence of the Lorde who when he iudgeth the worlde shall saye vnto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the worlde For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. Contrariwise he shall say to them on the left hande Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. To this pertayneth that saying Iohn 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shal heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurrection of condemnation And 2. Cor. 5. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill That these sayings and such like are to be vnderstand of the qualitie of thē that shal be saued not of the causes of saluation the whole consent of y e scripture yea the precious bloud of Christ doth shew as shortly after I will more distinctly declare But why doth he call it y e law of libertie That by that name he may shew y t the fruites of libertie are by good right required of christians For as he which doth commit sinne is the seruant of sinne so he which is deliuered by Christ will be no more bonde but free therefore will not take vpon him the yoke of bondage He sheweth a cause or reason when he sayth for there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie but he that sheweth mercie is so farre of from being condemned y t he shal reioyce against cōdemnation triumphing ouer death sin and the deuill These things doe teach how necessary continuall repentance and a perpetuall studie of godlynesse and righteousnesse is among Christians least by their owne fault they lose the free benefit of saluation But bicause the aduersaries of free saluation doe abuse this place and such like and make the causes of saluation of the tokens and qualities of them which shall be saued I will briefly gather an aunswere whereby the godly reader may haue wherewith he maye be able throughly and truly to answere to this false cauill Seing therefore that the Scripture doth expressely say that the Lord shall giue to euery man according to his deedes Or as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians according to that euery man hath done whether it be good or euill First of all this is to be helde that this generall sentence which is the very voyce of God himselfe ought to be applied vnto two sortes of men according to the proportion of fayth that is to the wicked according to the lawe to the godly according to the Gospell after this maner when the Lord giueth vnto the wicked according to their dedes without all doubt he giueth vnto them hel and condemnation For those are the merits of the dedes of vngodlines But cōcerning y e godly or regenerate there are mo things to be considered For first it is euident out of the infallible worde of God that eternall life is not the wages of seruantes but the inheritance of children and the free gift of God Rom. 4.5.6.8 Iohn 1.3.5 Secondly the proportion betwene the heauēly father and an earthly father is to be considered for as an earthly father doth giue vnto his childrē according to their deedes that is inheritance to them that are obedient and disheriteth them that are disobedient so God the father promiseth inheritance to his children but those which of children are made obstinate and enemies he suffreth not to enioy the inheritance But nowe it is manifest that the childrē of an earthly father are neither children nor heires through desert of their works After the same sort the children of God are neyther made children nor heires bicause of their works but through the grace of adoption which is receyued by fayth alone notwithstanding eyther of them doth giue vnto his children according to their dedes But y t this may yet be more plainly vnderstand how God shall giue to euery mā according to his dedes foure circūstances are to be weighed of vs the first wherof is that the rigour of the law is takē away from y e godly according to y e saying Galat. 3. Christ hath redemed vs from the curse of the lawe The seconde is that the person nowe beleeuing doth by fayth please God and is heire of eternall life Iohn 1. The thirde that God doth not onely require obedience of the person that beleeueth but also doth promise him a rewarde and that not of debt for the worthinesse of the worke but of grace for his fatherly promise sake The fourth that workes so done by fayth are testimonies of fayth as proper effectes are most certaine tokens of their cause And therefore it is sayde that God shall giue vnto euery man according to his dedes both because dedes are the true tokens of the feare of God of fayth and also that the whole creature maye beare witnesse of the iustice of God in iudging This answere is taken from the conferring of the Scripture which we must of necessitie surely hold lest that with the Papistes we attribute saluation to the merits of works or with the Antinomians and Libertines we lay aside all care and studye to do well This solution is made manifest by an euident example Mat. 18. where y e Lord saith that y e kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a certayne king that is that there is the same reason of the spiritual state of the Church which is betweene an earthly king and his seruants in the affaires of this present life For euen as the king his seruant owing him ten thousand talents yet when he fell downe and besought him he forgaue him the whole dette freely and of his mere liberalitie so God the father doth freely forgiue them all debtes that is sinnes which flie vnto him for succour with trust and confidence in Christ Hereof it is manifest that remission of sinnes is free But euen as the king called agayne vnto punishment that seruant being vnthankefull
vvorkes and through the vvorks vvas the fayth made perfect 23 And the Scripture vvas fulfilled vvhich sayth Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes and he vvas called the frend of God 24 Ye see then hovv that of vvorkes a man is iustified and not of faith onely The summe of this reason is this Such as the fayth of Abraham was ought also the fayth of other beleeuers to be For he is therefore called the father of the beleeuers bicause that they that beleeue ought to imitate and follow his fayth but the faith of Abraham had workes ioyned with it which is thereby proued bicause he did so much esteeme obedience toward God that he would rather kill his onely sonne then not obey God Therfore the fayth of other also ought to haue workes ioyned with it which if it haue not it is worthely to be accounted vaine and dead This is the summe of the argument Now let vs wey the wordes of the Apostle which are wrested of the Schoolemen against free iustification First the word iustified is to be discussed which is as much as if he had sayd was declared to be iust or was knowen to be iustified and that this is so I proue by three necessarie arguments The first is taken of the scope and end of this present disputatiō For Iames hath not purposed a disputation of the causes of iustification but onely doth shew by what effects iustification may be gathered and as it were set before the eyes of men Seing therefore it is an exceeding great errour of effects to make causes in respect of the same thing they are by no meanes to be borne which forgetting the scope ende of the disputation proposition that is to be proued presume very high go about to disproue the doctrine of Paul concerning free iustification when as the purpose of Paul was far otherwise thā of Iames. For Paul seketh the cause of iustification Iames the effects of the same Paul descendeth frō y e causes to y e effects Iames contrariwise ascendeth frō the effects to y e causes Paul seketh how we are iustified Iames how we are declared to be iustified Paule excludeth works as causes of iustification Iames includeth the same as the effectes of iustification Seing there is so great difference betwene the purpose of Paule and Iames who seeth not the vanitie of the Scholemen which say that the Apostles are contrary the one to the other The seconde necessarie argument is taken of the order of the causes and the effects Genes 15. Abraham is pronounced to be iustified Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse But this came to passe thirtie yeares at the least before he receyued a commaundement concerning the offering of his sonne Isaac Genes 22. Howe therefore can it be that he shoulde be sayde to be iustified by that worke which he did the thirtie yere after y t he was by the voyce of God said to be iustified It is necessarie therfore that to be iustified in Iames doe signifie to be declared iustified The thirde necessarie argument is taken of the wordes of the Angell Genes 22. After that Abraham had purposed to kil his sonne at the commaundement of God was called back from his purpose by the voice of the Angel he heareth of the Angell Now I know that thou fearest God seing for my sake thou hast not spared thine only son What other thing I pray you do these words meane than that y e voluntarie obedience of Abraham was a testimonie of the feare of God a certaine declaration of the iustification of Abraham And thus briefly it is declared what the word of iustification doth signifie in this disputation of Iames. Afterwarde when he sayth that the fayth vvrought vvith his vvorkes he expresseth the nature of a liuely fayth to wit that it is effectuall and full of good workes Seing that the fayth of hypocrites hath not this nature it is in no case to be iudged a true and liuely fayth This saying therefore of Iames doth teach nothing else but that good workes doe proceede of fayth That which Iames addeth through the vvorkes the fayth vvas made perfect is nothing els than y t the fayth of Abraham was declared by his workes not to haue bene counterfait or hypocriticall but true and sincere For if thou doest cal that perfect here which is in it degrees absolute no mortall man liuing at any time hath had a perfect fayth Moreouer when he sayth that the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is not to be referred vnto the cause but vnto the effect For by that deede Abraham declared that he was in very deede iustified before by fayth This fulfilling therefore ought to be referred to the experience of men and not to the iudgement of God 25 Likevvise also vvas not Rahab the harlot iustified through vvorks vvhen she had receyued the messengers and sent them out another vvay He proueth by another example y t a true a liuely faith is not without works Rahab by her dede or works declared hir selfe to be iustified by fayth when with the perill of her life she sent away y e messengers of the people of God least they shoulde come into the hands of them that sought them 26 For as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead euen so the fayth vvithout vvorkes is deade By a most apt similitude propounded he proueth that the fayth of hypocrites is vayne in as much as it is like a deade bodie or carkas wherein is no liuely spirite and therefore no mouing or sense of a liuing creature is founde in it And thus Iames by sixe firme reasons hath proued that a true fayth is frutefull in good workes and that the fayth of hypocrites which is voyd of workes is a vayne boasting rather than fayth A declaration of the doctrine of repentance WHen as Christ doth define the Gospel to be preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name he setteth forth two things vnto bs whereof one is the benefite which the Gospell offereth the other the meanes by which the benefite is applyed vnto men The benefite which is offered is forgiuenesse of sinnes The meanes is repentance For they onely which repent are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes wherewith is ioyned iustification saluation and eternall lyfe Hereof it easily appeareth that nothing is more necessarye for a man in this life than to vnderstande wherein true repentance consisteth without the which forgiuenesse of sinnes commeth vnto no man Of this wholsome and true repentance I will speake and will so declare the matter by the worde of God and manifest examples that euerye man may acknowledge the truth and playnnes thereof The foundation therfore of the preaching of repentance without all doubt is the mercie and grace of
first and fourth commaundement as the dutie of the ministers of the word the function of the magistrats the seruice of them which helpe the magistrate the care and charge of maisters of housholds the occupations of them whose helpe is profitable and necessarie in the states ordayned of God the traffique of Marchants which bring in profitable marchandice briefly all offices which serue eyther for the order of the Church of God or of an house or of y e common weale are lawfull in them selues and also in the persons when they are lawfully called vnto them And although it be free for euery man to choose any kinde of life to the which he shall feele himselfe apt yet we must put a difference betweene a publike and a priuate office To a publike office is required ordinarie authoritie For no man may take vnto himselfe a publike office either in the Church or in the common weale except he be appointed thereunto by ordinary authoritie he that doth the contrarie doth sume and in affliction can haue no certayne comfort Wherefore here the godly man will especially take heede that he doe not enter into a publike office without a lawfull calling A priuate office euery man may choose vnto himselfe yet the authoritie of parents ought not here to be contemned He may applie his minde to the trade of marchandice whom this kind of life doth please he may follow husbandry which thinketh that it is commodious for him he may choose some arte or occupation which is perswaded that it will be profitable vnto him An idle life belongeth not vnto a godly man but vnto an Epicure rather wherefore of that I will say nothing In the execution of the office or dutie more things are to be cōsidered First let faith loue be rules of the actions Faith taketh hede that it offendeth not God referreth al things to y e glory of God Loue admonisheth y t there be no iniurie done to any man that y e cōmodities of our neighbour be furthered Faith desireth God to work with it to be it helper Loue embraceth our neighbor in God Faith kepeth him that worketh in the feare of God Loue kepeth him in charitie toward his neyghbour Here if riches by y e blessing of y e Lord come vnto him y t laboureth in his lawfull calling singular heede is to be taken y t our riches be not made vnto vs through our own fault thornes snares For they that are rich haue instruments both vnto vertues also vnto vices euē as their minds are affected which possesse thē Therfore Plato in my iudgemēt hath rightly said y e riches w tout wisedom are blind but y t the same do quickly see whē they folow true wisedom For true is this saying Riches of euill and mischiefe much are ministers with speede Which doe also contention amongst vs often breede And for that cause the Lord sayth That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen For the most parte vse their riches ill which they might vse well if they woulde take the counsayle of godly wisedome First of all therefore let the godly man knowe how he ought to be affected in his riches this may very well be knowne both by the wordes of Dauid and also of Paule Dauid sayth If riches increase set not your hearts thereon Paule sayth Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God These two sayings doe preach both of the minde or affection of a rich man and also of the vse of riches The mind ought not to be set vpon riches or vpon a desire to haue a godly man ought not to measure his felicitie with the deceitfull measure of riches but he ought to vse them well least that he himselfe layeth snares for himselfe Nazianzenus doth very well describe the mind of a godly man toward riches saying One droppe or little portion of wisedome I wish more Then of riches and worldly wealth abundance and great store When as the couetous and vngodly man contrariewise sayth One droppe of fortunes pleasant cuppe I doe much rather craue Then great increase yea euen a tunne of wisedome for to haue Whosoeuer therfore wil be godly let him cast away trust confidence in riches least that they be made snares vnto him least that they doe shutte from him the passage to the kingdome of heauen Let a sure hope be reposed in God alone whether riches be increased or diminished yea or quite taken away let vs hold fast the true treasure which is Christ Iesus For he that hath him is rich in deede although with Lazarus he doth beg his breade Moreouer when thy mynde is thus affected toward riches this care shall come into it that thou doe rightly dispose the riches bestowed vpon thee of God and that thou be a faythfull stewarde of them Wherefore I will herevnto adde a few wordes concerning the lawfull vse of riches Ischomachus in Xenophon being asked concerning the lawfull vse of riches aunswered in these wordes I ought with my riches to honour the Gods royally to helpe my frendes wherein they haue neede and to suffer the Citie to be vnadorned in nothing wherein I am able This man being ignorant of true religion maketh three partes of the vse of riches the first part he attributeth to the worship of God the seconde to his friends being in nede the thirde to the maintaining and adorning of the common weale wherein he liueth But although this sentence of a prophane Philosopher is to be praysed and worthie to be commended to the godly yet I will shewe more distinctly and plainly the godly and true vse of substance and riches which consisteth in foure poyntes The first and principall vse of riches ought to be that they serue to the maintayning and increasing of the glorie of God This vse is confirmed by the ende of man Man was first made and afterwardes regenerate by the holy ghost that he shoulde glorifie God Therefore what gifts so euer we haue they ought to be referred to this ende of our creation and restoring agayne Here many being miserably deceiued do sin For there are some which bestow nothing at all to the mayntaining of the ministerie There are some which doe wickedly take away those things that were appoynted of our auncetors for the seruice of God There are some which with their riches doe encrease the power of tyrannes to the oppressing of the church abolishing of religion for whom it were better if they had neuer bene borne For their portion shall be with the deuill whose members they are Let the godly man therfore vnto whome riches haue chaunced in this worlde loke vnto this ende of his creation and bestowe part of his goodes vpon this vse that he may set forth the glorie of
the Ministers of the Gospel whosoeuer they be that knowing and priue therevnto do offer the most holy bodie and bloud of y e Lord vnto Vsurers do not onely wickedly communicate with other mens sinnes whereof they shall also at the length suffer the punishment But also as much as in them is they doe with sacrilege cast the body and bloude of the Lorde into a most vile and filthie sinke of Satan of which wickednesse they shall in no wise auoyde the punishment But thou wilt say many which are as euill as Vsurers doe come to the supper of the Lorde I beleeue this truly For euen Iudas also the brother of Vsurers did come to the table of the Lord but what did it profite him did he not togither with the breade swalowe the spirite of Satan and that not through the fault of him that offred but through his owne proper fault receyuing it The Lorde truly offred saluation but he infected with the venim of couetousnesse did wickedly refuse that which the Lorde offered and all that Satan gaue he swallowed quite vp But concerning the punishment of Burial the censure and iudgement of our auncetours did not want most iust reason But this he shall best vnderstand which shall perceiue the cause why we do solemnise the funerals of saints and holy men with ceremonies and obsequies But what is the cause The hope of a glorious resurrection For it is a most worthy thing that we should bestow honest buriall vpō those bodyes which we hope in time to come shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ For when we see the bodies of the faintes to be committed to the dust we doe lift vp our mindes to him which in time to come the voyce of the Archangel going before shall say Arise ye dead And to the dead being raised vp he shall giue the glorie of immortalitie But now seing that the vngodly among whom are vsurers as the chiefe souldiers and hierlinges of Satan occupying the first place shal rise againe as Daniel witnesseth to euerlasting ignominie and confusion what godly man will iudge them worthie of the honour of Christian buriall The 15. Psalme numbreth him among the godly Who in his eyes despiseth a vile person and honoureth them that feare the Lord How therefore shall he cause him to be buried in glorious and honorable buriall whom he doth abhorre Ieremie foretelleth that a tyranne shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse and that by the iust iudgement of God What shall we determine by the same iudgement of God cōcerning Vsurers which are crueller then any tyrannes I doe not passe or esteme though some champion doe falsly attribute vnto himselfe the spirite of prophecie and say that it may come to passe that many which are the enemies of Vsurers may be buried with the buriall of an Asse and in the meane time Vsurers may be brought to buriall with great pompe the bells ringing and torches caried light before them I will make no other aunswere to these but that euen as in the sighte of the Lorde the death of his saints is precious so is their buriall also honourable before God Wherefore that which we haue witnessed concerning the honest buriall of the Saints doth pertayne to Ecclesiasticall discipline and not to the iudgement of God whose wayes are vnsearchable What will here come to passe whome shall I not haue resisters and striuers agaynst this most iust censure and iudgement of the Church surely they wil not be wanting which with their colours and fayre gloses will mitigate the euill of Vsurie Many will crie the Serpent which deceyued our first parentes being their maister that the lawe of Moses many yeares ago by the comming of Christ was repealed made voyde and abolished and doth nothing pertayne to christian people who enioy their libertie do not suffer them selues to be straitly bound with the prohibition of Moses This speach truly is plausible but it is reproued by the testimonie of the conscience For they which paynt their couetousnes with this colour being deceiued of their domesticall Eue which was miserably seduced by the serpent doe fall headlong into their owne destruction and deceyue themselues by their owne subtiltie For these men doe not weygh aright the prohibition of Moses neyther doe they conferre the forbidding of Vsurie with the lawe of charitie as they shoulde doe which if they did they should plainly see that vsurie being established the rule of charitie is ouerthrowne which God will haue to be perpetuall Seing therefore that charitie shall be abolished neither in this life nor in the life to come as much as pertayneth to the commaundement and will of God and obedience perpetually due to the same who doth not see that Vsurie which is quite contrarie to charitie is condemned But of this thing sufficient For before it was shewed of vs at large when we did intreate of the causes of forbidding Vsurie that the forbidding of Vsurie did proceede from the lawe of charitie Wherefore without al doubt they shalbe foūd naked before God the iudge which vse this leafe already perced through to hide their filthines Perhaps some will yet except and say There is no iniurie done to him that is willing He which doth humbly desire to borow money of an Vsurer doth couenant to pay Vsurie not compelled thereunto but willingly therfore an Vsurer which helpeth a man that humbly intreateth him is not to be saide to doe against charitie The principle from whence this reason is taken is doutfull in as much as it fayleth in two partes of which one is true the other false For euerie will is not without constraint and of it selfe which we may easily see in examples The wayfaring man doth willingly deliuer his treasure to the theefe which he would not doe if he did not feare the sweard of the theefe The mariner doth make losse of his marchandise and that willingly when shipwracke is at hand but from whence I pray you doth that will come truly not of election or choice without constraint but of feare of the shipwracke which is at hand For the mariner doth therfore cast away his marchandise willingly leaste that he himselfe perish togither with his marchandise Wherefore two euils being set before him he will willingly choose that euill which seemeth to be the lesse After the same maner is the will of him that boroweth money vpon Vsurie affected concerning the couenant and promise to pay interest which truly he promiseth willingly which he would not doe if he were not constrained by pouertie therby to auoyde a greater euil Furthermore where as some doe obiect that families and common weales cannot stand without Vsurie this surely I confes to be true in this corruption of the worlde and in the banishment of manly vertue which was in our auncetours But from whence I pray you commeth that commoditie by which thou criest
that families common weales are maintained doth it come of Vsurie no truly For no good thing can come of Vsurie by it self but rather a sea of euils Now if perhaps any good seeme to come of Vsury that is not to be attributed to vsurie but to the lending which lending if it were done w tout Vsurie it would more profit families common weales But thou wilt say thou losest labour in speaking which goest about to call Vsurers being Idolaters for Vsurers in steede of God do worship riches as God into the right way But be it so inasmuch as they as adders are deafe at y e word of y e Lord. For they heare nothing with so great indignatiō of mind as that their Vsurie is condemned That most filthie lucre is more pleasant vnto them then that they would want it euen with any perill set before them And surely hereupon it is that not a few which might liue welthily enough for the maner of their calling of the profites of their owne land doe sell their inheritance that a certaine sūme of money being scraped togither and put out to Vsurie they may liue idlely vpon their Vsurie and inuent diuers subtile deuises by which they may hold their detters not without vsurie vpon vsurie vntil they haue vtterly vndone them not without the exceding great losse of families and common weales But although these perhaps will not allow of our sentence yet it is our duty to admonish them that at the least they thinke that the day will come vnlooked for in which they shall render an account to the iust iudge who as he is corrupted with no accepting of persons so is he deceiued with no sophistrie or subtiltie And then at the length Vsurers shall perceiue that we did aduertise them of good and profitable things and that that heathen Poet Hesiodus did say true who being no vaine Poet writeth after this sorte Vse not ill meanes to gaine for gaine ill got from verie losse and damage diffreth not From whence had Hesiodus this had he it out of the word of God which Vsurers doe contemne no truly For that sillie man did not see at any time the writinges eyther of the Prophets or of the Apostles From whence therefore had he it experience and nature being his teachers he set forth in writing this most true oracle verye well agreeing with the voyce of the Prophets and Apostles With Hesiodus agreeth Pindarus that most auncient Poet of y e Thebans whom for his singular wisedome Alexander the great is sayde to haue embraced for he saith thus much in effect The mindes of men are redier to praise deceitfull gaine Then iustice to embrace and eke true dealing to maintayne Although they creepe to that sharpe daye their life being nigh spent When for vniustice done they shall receiue due punishment That day which shal follow the delightes and pleasurs that the vngodly take of their vniust gaine Pindarus calleth a day appoynted for punishment For as in the next day after the festiuall dayes in which the most part doe more freely without consideration giue ouer themselues to all kind of pleasures and delites men are wont to call to remembrance wherin they did offend more licentiously through drunkennes so the day of death and of the last iudgement shall be to Vsurers as the next day after festiual dayes in which they doe at the last repent them of their sinnes but in vaine For he is by no meanes thought truly to repent which abstaineth from sin against his will These thinges I thought good to write somwhat more at large that I might aduertise Vsurers of the wrath of God and of the punishment that hangeth ouer their heades which they shall no way escape except they doe repent in time and for a testimony of their repentance do iustly restore againe if they shall be able that which they haue vniustly taken But if they shall not be able let them at the least doe what they can let them craue of God pardon of their fault let them aske them whom they haue hurt with their vsurie forgiuenes of the iniurie that they haue done and let them be reconciled to the Churche by publicke satisfaction least that their portion be with Iudas But if any shall contemne and deride these our counsels and admonitions which I dout not but it will come to passe it maketh no matter to me I seeke the saluation of wretched men I tell out the truth which he that will not obey shall in his time finde a iust iudge who will most iustly punish both his contempt and the contempt of his fauourers Of the third AFter we haue now spoken of the prohibitions of Vsurie and of the causes thereof and also of the punishments of them who despising the law both of God and of man doe practise Vsurie which is prohibited the place requireth that we see whether there be any contract or bargaine like vnto Vsurie in part yet not disagreeing with the charitie toward our neighbour and if there be anye such how farre a godly man may vse the same with a good conscience and without offence to God First of all this is to be helde as most certayne that Vsurie condemned by the worde of God is therfore vnlawfull prohibited and condemned because it is contrarie to the foundation which proceedeth from the lawe of charitie that which thou wilt not haue done to thy selfe doe not thou to an other But that this our foundatiō is vnmoueable we haue declared before where we haue layde the foundations of contracts and bargaines For there we shewed that charitie is the scope and end of all duties in this humane societie Of this foundation an vnmoueable consequent is concluded that no contract is condemned which is not repugnant to the charitie toward our neyghbour Wherefore if any such can be shewed it shalbe without doubt accounted lawfull although it shall appeare much like vnto Vsurie For it is not iust and meete that we doe condemne al profitable contractes and bargaines in a common weale vnder a pretence of Vsurie because of the likenes And although many such contracts are wisely condemned of the lawyers yet we will speake of them of which the greatest controuersie is especially in this realme But that we may iudge of these contracts without errour and find out that which with a good conscience and without offending God it is lawfull to follow it shall be needeful to speake of diuers sortes of men that it may be vnderstād to whom we are bound to lend and to whom we are not for there Vsurie is properly committed Here the lawes of magistrates may determine of those thinges which they shall wisely know to be good and profitable for their common weale For this is to be marked as a profitable rule in the societie of man that bargaynes allowed by the lawes and by the authoritie of the magistrate that is of a good and wise
foundations the Anabaptists leane vnto to whom I would yeeld if that the former reasons did not better instruct me But that it may be vnderstand what the prohibition of the Lorde meaneth which seemeth to be vniuersall we must mark the purpose of Christ in this whole sermon of workes It is not the purpose of the Lorde to correct the lawe of his father but to disclose and reproue the errours of the interpreters of the lawe The law of the father is thou shalt sweare by my name This lawe the Lord doth not abolish but doth rather mayntaine it whiles that he reprehendeth the corrupting thereof The Pharises of this lawe concluded after this sort God hath commaunded that we sweare by his name therefore we may sweare for euery cause and after euery sort This erroneous consequent the Lord reprehendeth when he saith Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe thine othes to the Lord. But I say vnto you sweare not at all neyther by heauen c. The generall word at al ought to be referred to the maner of swearing then receiued to wit to sweare for euery cause and after euery sorte according to the maner of prophane men Here therefore Christe prohibiteth his Disciples and them that trulye feare the Lorde to sweare rashly for euerie cause and after euerie sort For he will haue the name of God to be reuerensed and worshipped more religiously then that it be taken in vayne Iames likewise doth not abolish the commaundement of God concerning the religion or right vsing of an oth but he doth onely correct the custome of swearing rashly and after euery sort For the lawfull maner of swearing is reckened among the promises of the Gospell Iere 4. Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth in truth in equitie and righteousnes This is not a saying of commaunding but of promising that the true Israell may become a true worshipper of God and that the Gentiles may embrace the true religion of God A proofe whereof shall be that they shall sweare after this maner the Lord liueth and not after this Baal Saturne or Iupiter liueth But that which is sayde Osee 4. Neyther shall ye sweare the Lorde liueth is a voyce of threatning For he threatneth the vnthankfull Iewes that their countrie shall be made desolate for their stubbornnes and disobedience against God that in the place of the true worship of God shall be set the worship of Idoles whereupon it shal come to passe that they shall not sweare any more the Lorde liueth but Baal liueth c. The Anabaptists vrge the forme prescribed of the Lorde Let your communication be yea yea nay nay What meaneth the Lorde by these wordes that in stede of a rash oth they vse constant aduised talke The Lord therefore requireth constancie in our sayings that our yea be yea and our nay be nay He doth not forbid but that it is lawfull for vs to flie to a religious oth when the weightines of the cause doth so require but they do more forcibly vrge that which followeth For sayth Christ Whatsoeuer is added more then these commeth of euil That is that which is rashly added more then a simple affirming or denying no weightie cause requiring it commeth of euill that is of an euill affection of the minde or of an euill conscience or of the deuel himselfe He sayth not that a lawfull oth commeth of euel but a rash oth onely which is taken with a certayne lightnes of an euel custome and for euery light cause Againe it may sometime fall out that an oth commeth not of the euel of him that sweareth but of him that doth not beleue a bare and simple affirmation which when it commeth to passe a religious oth shall not therefore be euell For euery thing is not euill which commeth of euil in asmuch as it falleth out often times that those thinges that are euell are the occasions of those thinges that are good as when we say that good lawes doe come of euell maners and conditions to wit by occasion not by effect 13 Is any among you afflicted let him pray Briefe admonitions are annexed and first that he which is afflicted and suffreth persecution doe pray For there is no more present remedie agaynst the miseries of this world then prayer proceeding from fayth Whatsoeuer sayth the Lord ye desire when ye pray beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you And the reason thereof is very wel noted in the booke of Iudith chap. 9. where the most holy woman doth thus say in her prayer In the prayer of the humble and meeke hath thy pleasure bin euermore And Psalm 49 Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Is any merie let him sing He counseleth him that is in prosperitie to sing by which counsel the Apostle teacheth three thinges For first when he biddeth vs sing he will haue vs acknowledge God to be the author of our prosperitie Secondly he will haue vs extoll and prayse him giuing him thankes for his benefites Thirdly that we doe not with the world abuse our prosperitie to the contempt of God but that we doe rather rest in the author thereof singing vnto him and not attributing any thing to our selues But the worlde dooth contrary for it neyther acknowledgeth God to be the author of the felicitie which it enioyeth neyther is it thankefull to him so farre is it of that it singeth vnto God yea it doth rather furiously triumph with prophane ioye and gladnes 14 Is any sicke among you Let him call for the elders of the Church and let them pray for him and anoynt him vvith oyle in the name of the Lord 15 And the prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shalbe forgiuen him He counseleth him that is sicke what he must doe First let him send for the elders as Phisitions of his soule Then let the elders being called pray for the sicke and anoint him with oyle not that he may die but that he may miraculously be restored to health as y e Apostle here plainly speaketh But seing that oyle was an outward signe of the gift of healing which gift continued for a time to confirme the doctrine in the primitiue Church and nowe the Church hath not that gift It were fond and foolish to keepe still the signe without the thing signified by the signe That I may in the meane season say nothing concerning the idolatrous adiurations and trust in the anointing wherein was thought to be a most sure aide and defence agaynst the deuel which kind of things they doe retayne as yet in the papacie Wherfore let vs leaue to the papists their colour wherewith they may sinere their dead to be sent into hell Moreouer this place doth most manifestly confute the opinion of the Nauatians which denied them returning to