this sentence be interpreted For there could nothing be more foolish then this saieng of Iames if a man would thus interpret it that no man obteineth remission of sinneâ— but because his works are worthie of so great a benefit This interpretation who so sticketh frowardlie by vnderstandeth not what remissioÌ„ of sinnes is or how the coÌ„science ought to be comforted when it seeth that it bringeth no good works to God which are sufficient to please him And this interpretation is cleane contrarie to other open saiengs of the Scripture which teach yâ— remission of sins commeth fréely as yâ— Psalmist saith I said I wil acknowledge mine offence accuse my selfe vnto the Lord thou forgauest me yâ— wickednes of my sin And Ro. 4. 5. To him the worketh not but beleeueth on him yâ— iustifieth yâ— vngodly his faith is couÌ„â—ed for righteousnes What can be more plainlie then yâ— sinnes are forgiue to a wicked vngodly man yâ— worketh not yâ— is not for anie of his works but fréely To conclude if the gospel forgiue not sins but for our good works sake for our worthines it diffe reth not froÌ„ yâ— law it saueth no more theÌ„ yâ— law this I trust wil suffice yâ— good wise For as touching them yâ— bring nothing to this cause but a will to brawle chide wil neuer suffer themselues to be satisfied And yet if we would contend by the number of authorities this one place of Iames is ouerthrowne with many witnesses of Paule if men wil vnderstand by iustificatioÌ„ al one thing in theÌ„ both Therefore Paule saith Faith iustifieth vnderstand thereby yâ— faith causeth yâ— we be counted iust reputed righteous that our sins are not imputed vnto vs but forgiuen vs for Christs sake When Iames saith works iustifie he meaneth thus Works declare vs iust and shew euidentlye that we are righteous Thus shalt thou make them agree Tindale Ye shall vnderstand yâ— S. Paule S. Iames be not contrarie in this matter For Paule to yâ— Romanes Galathians disputeth against them which attributeth iustification to good works And Iames reasoneth against them which vtterlie condemne works Therefore Paule sheweth the cause of our iustification Iames the effects In Paule is declared how we are iustified in Iames how we are knowne to be iustified In Paule works are excluded as not yâ— cause of our iustification in Iames they are approued as effects procéeding thereof In Paule they are denied to go before them that be iustified in Iames they are said to followe them that are iustified Geneua Ioine yâ— liuâ—ly faith of S. Paule with the good works of S. Iames bring both these into one life and then hast thou reconciled them both and so shalt thou be sure to be iustified both before God by Paules faith before men by S. Iames works I. Fox How Faith is nourished If Faith as it is written come by hearing that is as it is added by the worde of God then followeth it of necessitie that there is nothing whereby faith is more nourished mainteined and confirmed then by conâ—tinuall reading and repeating of the worde of GOD. This thiâ—â— testified Tertulian in his Apologie where he saith That to this end holie assemblies are gathered together to heare the word of God The Philosophers saie that if faith be by the word of God then by the same also it is nourished We know moreouer that of workes often repeated are confirmed habits or qualities as contrariwise if a man cease off from actioÌ„s they waxe weake wherfore if a man cease to reade to heare or to repeate the holie Scriptures faith will waxe feeble mâ—him And they which thinke that a liuelie pure faith maie continue in Churches wouâ— often preaching doe excéedinglie erre Chrifostome hath a verie apt similitude of a light or Lamp that burneth which easilie goeth out vnlesse there bee stillâ— Oyle powred into it By the Lampe or Light he vnderstandth Faith and by Oyle the worde of Godâ— and this he there writeth of the Parable of the wise and foolish virgins Pet. Maâ— vpon the Rom fol 326. Faith is nourished by hearing the word of God for the word of God is the foote of Faith according to Saint Paules saieng Rom. 10. 17. Faith commeth by hearing Hemmyng How Faith without Charitie is nothing worth If I had all Faith so that I could moue mountaines out of their places 〈…〉 had no charitie I were nothing ¶ Of this do some gaâ—her that â—aith without charitie cannot iustifie But this cannot be gathered of Saint Paule for it is open that hee speaketh not of this thing whereby that men maie be iustified but only he teâ—heth how they yâ— be iustified must work with charitie It is 〈…〉 that he speaketh not of faith that doth iustifie 〈…〉 but of that faith that doth worke out wardlie the which is called the gift of the holy Ghost as the gift of tongues the gift of prophesies the gift of healing the gift of interpretation as it is open in the Chapter before now is this Faith not giuen to iustifie but onelie to do myracles wonders and signes by And therefore saith Paule If I had all faith so that I could moue mountaines c. Saint Paule deserâ—â—eth this faith calling it faith that worketh by charitie not that it iustifieth by charitie for he saith ther plainly it is neither circumcisioÌ„ nor vncircumcision yâ— is of valure in Christ Iesu but faith He doth heere plainlie exclude from iustification the highest worke of the lawe Circumcision setteth faith alone not the gift of faith that doth miracles but the gift of faith that worketh by charitie D. Barnes ¶ Faith is héere taken for the gift of doing miracles which the wicked may haue Mat. 7. 22. also for that faith called historicall which beléeueth the mightie power of Christ but caÌ„not apprehend Gods mercie through him this diuels haue Iames 2. 19. therefore is separated from charitie but the faith yâ— iustifieth in effect cannot As. 1. Iohn 2. 9. Mat. 17. 20. Geneua How faith â—gendereth charitie That which the schoole-men teacheth yâ— charitie is before faith hope is a madnesse It is faith yâ— first ingendereth charitie in vs how more rightlie doth Barnard teach I beléeue saith he yâ— the testimonie of conscience which Paul calleth the glorie of yâ— godly coÌ„sisteth in thrée things For first of al it is necessarie to beléeue yâ— thou canst not haue forgiuenes of sins but by yâ— pardoÌ„ of god Then yâ— thou canst haue no good workes at all vnlesse he also giue it last of all that thou canst by no workes deserue eternall life vnles it be giuen thée also fréely A little after be addeth yâ— these things suffice not but yâ— there be a certeine beginning of faith because in beléeuing yâ— sinnes cannot be forgiuen but of God we ought also beléeue yâ— they are not forgiuen vs till also we be perswaded by the testimonie of the
for of iust is deriued Iustice. And to say briefely to be iust is to be cleare sound and vpright according to the degrée condition office person which euery man beareth and to aunswere the same in all pointes without blame Each degrée condition estate and person hath his order and Iustite c. Musc. in his Com. pla fo 421. IVSTIFICATION What is vnderstood by Iustification BY iustifieng vnderstande none other thing then to be reconciled to God and to be restored into his fauour and to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee As when I say God iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that God for Christs sake merites and deseruings onely receiueth vs vnto his mercie fauour and grace and forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Christ iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that Christ onely hath redéemed vs bought vs deliuered vs out of the wrath of God and damnation and hath with his works onely purchased vs the mercie fauour and grace of God and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Faith onely iustifieth vnderstand thereby that Faith and trust in the trueth of God and in the mercie promised vs for Christs sake and for his deseruings workes onely doth quiet the conscience and certefie hir that our sinnes be forgiuen and we in the fauour of God Tindale in his Prologue to the Romanes To iustifie is nothing els then to acquite him that was accused from all filthinesse as allowing his innocencie sith therefore God iustifieth vs by the intercession of Christ he doeth acquite vs not by allowaunce of our innocencie but by imputation of righteousnesse that we maye be counted for righteous in Christ which are not righteous in our selues Cal. 3. bo chap. 11. sect 3. This word iustifie in the Latine mens eares is as much to say as to make iust lyke as magnifie to make great and sanctifie to make holy And this sence of this word the Diuine schoolemen like well which they that doe followe them doe yet earnestly stand vnto Augustine also doth in diuers places still expound this word of iustifieng in this sence when he saith Beléeuing in him which iustifieth the wicked that is to say of the wicked doth make godly The Apostle Paule out of whose writings this entraunce of Iustification is principally taken vsed the word of iustifieng not in the sence that the Latine eares doe like but in that sence which the holy Scripture vseth it according to the custome of the holy language in which he was born brought vp and instructed in from his childhood In that language to iustifie is as as much to say as to quite a man of his offence and to pronounce him iust The contrary of it is to condemne a man of naughtinesse and wickednesse c. This word iustifie is not to make one iust which is vniust and wicked but is vsed in euery place for to quite a man of his fault and to pronounce and declare him iust Musc. fol. 222. How we are iustified freely and by Faith onely It is also the cause why Faith is plainly called by S. Paule the Faith of the chosen and for the which Iustification is attributed vnto it that honour is giuen vnto it forsomuch as many doth acknowledge himselfe by the same such as he is of his owne nature to wit a poore and miserable sinner the childe of wrath subiect to death and eternall damnation therefore spoyling himselfe of his owne Iustice and of all trust in his owne workes and merites he doth imbrace Iesus Christ to be cladde with his Iustice to the ende that by it his sinnes may be couered in such sort that they come not to count at the iudgement of God and so that the poore sinner by reputed iust as though he had neuer offended and that because the Iustice of Christ is allowed vnto him Faith as though the same were proper to the man to whom it is allowed Pet. Viret All men are sinners and want the glory of God but they are iustified fréely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. ¶ Héere Paule saith We are iustified fréely If there bée any deseruing lesse or more then it is not freely He saith also Of grace if it be any part of workes then it is not of grace for as S. Paule saith Then grace were no grace S. Ambrose saith vpon this place of S. Paule All men are sinners c. They are iustified fréely saith S. Ambrose for they doing nothing nor nothing deseruing alonely by Faith are iustified by the gifte of God Héere Saint Ambrose saith Men working nothing nor nothing deseruing are iustified by Faith onely D. Barnes ¶ Origen vpon the same tâ—xt saith That the Iustification of Faith is alonely sufficient so that a man do beleeue onely he is iustified though there be no woâ—â—â—es â—oke of him at al. By Faith was the théefe iustified without yâ— workes of y◠〈…〉 for yâ— Lord did not aske him what he had done nor looke for any works of him but did accept him onely for confessing of Christ. Wherefore saith Origen a man is iustified by Faith vnto whome as concerning Iustification the works of the law help nothing ¶ Héere it is plaine by Origen that workes doe helpe nothing to Iustification but Faith onely D. Barnes What thing doth purchase Iustification The same thing that purchaseth remission of our sinnes doth also purchase Iustification For Iustification is nothing els but remission of sinnes Now Faith purchaseth vs remission of sinnes Ergo by Faith we are iustified Now that Faith purchaseth remission of sinnes is well proued by the Article of our Faith Credo remissionem peccatorum I beléeue remission of sinnes Now if I haue not this remission for Faith then Faith deceiueth me For I doe beleeue onely because I would haue remission of sinnes What néede we to beléeue remission of sinnes if I may deserue it by workes D. Barnes What the true way of Iustification is The very true way of Iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christ Iesus alonely of his méere mercie and giueth vs fréely the gifte of Faith whereby we doe beléeue God and his holy word sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to naught yet God shall be founde true in his promise For this faith sake be we the children of God This is not such a Faith as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that he is eternall beléeue also that he made the world of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all things that God speaketh must be true and fulfilled with other such things This is not the Faith that we be iustified by for Diuells and Infidells haue this faith and also we may atteine to these things by the strength of reasonâ— But the Faithâ— that shall iustifie vs must be of another manner
repentaunce sought of them but onely that they must beléeue Arbitramur hominem iustificari absque operibus legis We béeing taught of Christ thinke saith Thomas according to the truth of the Apostle that euery man whether he be Ieâ— or Gentile is iustified by faith Act. 15. 19. By faith purifieng theyr hearts and that without the workes of the lawe And that not onely without the Ceremoniall workes which did not giue grace but also without the workes of the Morall commandements according to that saieng of Titus 3. ver 5. Not of the workes of the righteousnesse that we haue wrought The reason is presumed that we are saued for our merites the which he excludeth when he saith Not of the workes of the righteousnesse which we haue done but the true reason is the onely mercie of God There is not therefore in them the hope of iustifitation Sed in sola fide but in faith onely Workes are not the cause that any body is iust before God but they are rather the executions and the ministring of righteousnesse In this point though he swarue from the truth in many other points he speaketh right I. Bridges fol. 143. Our Aduersaries when they doe teach that the iustifieng of vs doth not consist in faith onely but in workes also what doe they els but obscure the glory of Gods grace and extoll the merite of our workes They doe not waye that it is necessarye that our iustifieng doe consist in faith onely for as much as it is bestowed freely If they cannot abide the word onely or alone let him leaue it and vse this word fréely For in case we be iustified fréely by faith as the Apostle doeth testifie it must néedes followe that we be not iustified by faith works but by faith onely If it be not by faith onely but by workes withall then is it not freely but of duetie If it be of dutie and not fréely then there is no glory of Gods grace at all Musculus fol. 229. ONE Of one Mediatour ¶ Looke Mediatour What the Prophet Ose doth meane by one head THen shall the Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head ¶ To wit after the captiuitie of Babilon when the Iewes wer restored but chiefe this is referred to the time of Christ who should be the head both of the Iewes and Gentiles Geneua ¶ The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sande of the Sea shore that cannot be numbred And it shall come to passe in the place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are no people of mine there shall it be sayd vnto them ye are the children of the lyuing God And the Children of Iuda the Children of Israel shall assemble together and shall appoint to themselues one head Upon which words S. Hierom writeth thus All these things shall come to passe because it is the great daye of the séed of God which séede is expounded not the Pope but Christ. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles the Children of Israel that is to say the Heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say not one Pope but one Christ. Iewel fol. 101. ¶ Let vs remember saith Augustine the corner stone that is Christ and not the Pope and the two walls the one of the Iewes and the other of the Heathen Iewel fol. 101. Of one Sheepefold And there shall be one Shéepefold ¶ When the Gentiles haue receiued the Euangelicall faith they shal be associate and ioyned to the faithfull people of the Iewes and so of them both there shall be one folde that is of the Iewes Gentiles there shall be one Church One God saith Paule one Faith and one Baptime Therefore we must be one euen as wée are called into one hope c. They which gather vpon this place that there shall be a mutual consent and agréement among men in the whole world insomuch as none shall remaine as Inâ—â—dell or vngodly doe erre and know not the Scriptures neither doe consider what is the state and drift of this place Againe ther are some which gather of this place that after the last day of Iudgment all both good and bad shall be gathered into one place of eternall life But the opinion of those men is most foolish For then shall the Shéepe be seperated from the Goates the iudgement of the Shéepe shal be one the iudgement of the Goates another as the Scripture plainly testifieth Marâ— vpon Iohn fol. 374. Of one Spirit He that cleaneth vnto God is one spirite with him ¶ Nico. Lyra vpon this place saith Vâ—us non secundum rem c. One spirit with God not one in déede but one in loue or according to affection So that we are vnited vnto God by faith and loue and none otherwise ORACLE What an Oracle is AN Oracle is properly the minde and aunswere of God by some diuine Interpreter declared as by some Prophet Priest or otherwise by man ORIGENIANI Of whom these Heretikes bare their name ORigeniani were Heretikes called after aâ—e Origen not he that was the great Cleark of Alexandria they condemned marriage yet liued they beastly their manner was to haue among them religious women like Nunnes whom they deâ—â—led yet vsed meanes to kéepe them from swelling Epiph. haer 63. Of the Heretikes that sprang of the learned Origen Origeniani againe were Heretikes which so called themselues of Origen Adamantius the great Clearke of Alexandria they taught as Epiphan saith haeres 64. that there was no resurrection that Christ was a creature the Holy ghost a like that the soules were first in heauen came downe into the bodies as it wer into prison that in the end the diuels should be saued Epiphanius as I read in Socrates Eccl. hist. li. 6. ca. 11. was become the enimy of Origen through the spite malice of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria The diuell bare Origen a displesure he procured heretikes to father vpon him lewd opinions He complaineth himselfe in a certaine Epistle how that Heretikes corrupted his works Pamphilus Martir the great friend and familiar of Eusebius wrote an Apologie in his behalfe Eusebius li. 6. ca. 3. 18. 20. 26. reporteth of the famous men that fauored Origen Socrates Eccle. histor lib. 6. cap. 12. writeth in his commendation Athanasius gaue of him a notable testimonie Chrisostome would in no wise bée brought to condemne either Origen or his works Socrates li. 6. cap. 11. 12. 13. ORIGINALL SINNE That no man is without originall sinne THe death of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is a mightie remedie against the wound of originall sin wherewith the nature of all men is in Adam corrupt and slaine and from whence the infection of all concupiscence hath sprong Augustine in the Articles falsely
c. which haue the gifte of continence and vse it to serue God with more frée libertie Geneua Obiection How can ye proue that they which make themselues chast or gelde themselues for the kingdome of heauens sake haue receiued the gift of chastitie before Aunswere When the Apostles had said If the matter be so betwéene man and wife then it is not good to marie Our Sauiour Christ did aunswere and say All men be not able to comprehend or receiue this saieng but they to whom it is giuen Now if ye will aske me who they be that geld themselues or make themselues chast for the kingdome of heauens sake I will answere that they gelde themselues and make themselues chaste for the kingdome of heauen sake vnto whom it is giuen He that is able to receiue this let him receiue it ¶ This gifte meaning Chastitie is not common for all men but is verie rare and giuen to fewe therefore men maie not rashlie abstaine from mariage Geneua How in breaking of Chastitie the one part may offend and not the other An adulterer abuseth a womans bodie against hir will the man doth sinne and yet the woman is vndefiled because hir minde is chast and vnspotted Lucretia the Romane Matrone liueth chast for euer of whose bodie though proude Tarquinius Sonne had his pleasure yet hir minde continued still most chast and faithfull to hir husbande and therefore shée not consenting in heart to sinne is by Fame recorded to bée the Ornament of all womanhood and perfect Chastitie and therefore saith Saint Hierom verie well Corpus mulieris c. Not violence but will doth defile a womans bodie S. Augustine to Victorianus saith Ad Deum ingemiscentibus c. He will euer be present with his that sigh grone to God as he hath wont to be present with his and either he suffereth nothing to be done in their chast bodies by diuelish lust or if he doth suffer where are their minde is not defiled with anie filthinesse of consent he doth defend his owne flesh from offence And whatsoeuer either the lust of the patient hath either not consented vnto nor suffered it shal be the fault of the onelie doer And all that violence shall not be imputed for the filthines of corruption but for the wound of suffering For the soundnesse of Chastitie is of such force in the minde that when the minde is vndefiled chastitie cannot be defiled in the bodie whose members might haue bene disseuered one from another In another place Magis timeamus c. Let vs feare more least the inward vnderstanding being corrupt the chastitie of faith doth therewith perish rather then least women should be violentlie defiled in their flesh for chastitie is not defiled by violence if it be kept sound and cleare in the minde forasmuch as none is defiled when the will of the suffered doth not filthelie vse the flesh but suffereth that thing without consent which another doth worke by violence Of counterfait Chastitie S. Paule foretelleth of Antichrists disciples 2. Tim. 4. that they shall beare a great countenance of continent life forbid mariage And of such S. Hierom saith Iactant pudicitiam suam impudenti facie They make bragges of their chastitie with whorish countenaunce Iewel fol. 482. CHAVNCE How nothing commeth by hap chaunce THe prouidence of God is of that nature that through the immutable certaintie thereof whereby all things be ruled it excludeth all chaunces and hap of fortune I call it chance and hap of fortune whatsoeuer appeareth and betideth vnlooked for vnforeséene at all aduentures and without anie sure cause or reason so that it appeareth to be done by no foresight at all neither of God neither of man such as without number doth befal among men in the world Therfore looke how much any doth yéeld vnto chaunce and fortune so much hée doth pul awaie from the prouidence of God Unto good christian men it is a cléere case y◠ther chaunceth nothing throughout all the whole world at hazard or all aduentures with the prouidence of God which disposeth all Wherfore my iudgement is sayth Musculus that chaunce and fortune be vaine words and to no purpose Musculus fol. 432. Achab the king when he went on warre-fare chaunged his apparell and would not be knowne to be the king but bée counted a rascall souldier yet was he slaine with an Arrow which was shot at aduenture which thing might haue bene seemed to haue bene done by chaunce when as yet God in verie déede gouerned the shot And in like manner as Plutarch telleth Pirrhus was slaine of a woman in besieging Thebes she throwing downe a Tyle from the house toppe Uerie manie such thinges are done in our time which séeme vnto vs therefore to haue happened by chaunce because we know not the causes of things and iudgements of God Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 172. ¶ Looke Fortune CHAVNTER What this word signifieth TO the Chaunter ¶ That is héere translate to the Chaunter is in Hebrue Lamnazah which word after y◠minde of Abrah Ezra Dauid Kimhi expositours in Hebrue signifieth to the chiefe of the singers which we commonlie cal in English setters of the quiers or chaunter◠This interpretation also do both the most best learned of the Latinists best alow and therefore haue I folowed the same the whole Psalter through Expressing it by this word chaunter Notwithstanding diuerse Authors doe diuerslie interpret it Some saie it signifieth to the victor or ouercommer Some to the victorie which maie thus agrée and concord together if thou take a Psalme to bée a stirring and an exhortation to put our trust in God béeing sure to obteine the victorie And where some interprete vnto the end vnderstand euen the same For therefore doe we put our trust in God that we maie come to the end of the victorie Some translate the title thus A vehement and often made exhortation in instruments of musike a Psalme to Dauid that is as they themselues expound it a Psalme reuelate to Dauid for Dauid is in Hebrue the Datiue case and not the Genitius T. M. CHEEKE What is meant by turning of the cheeke WHosoeuer saith Christ shall smite thée on the right chéeke turne to him the other also ¶ To turne the other chéeke is a manner of speaking and not to be vnderstood as the words doe sound and it is to cut of the hand and to plucke out the eie And as we commaund our children not onelye come nie a brooke or water but also not so hardie to looke that waye either to looke on fire or once to thinke on fire which are impossible to be obserued More is spoken then meant to feare them and to make them perceiue that it is earnest that wée commaund euen so is the meaning heere that we in no wise auenge but be prepared euen to suffer as much more neuer think it lawful to auenge how great so euer
by Salt for as Salt maketh meates sauorie so godly wisdome causeth our communication and talke to be allowable and haue a grace we ought to take héede with whom and before whom we do talke according to the audience to moderate and rule our communication Sir I. Cheeke Let your speach be alwaies gratious c. ¶ Perteining to edification and mixt with no vanitie Geneua How the nature of Christ is set out by the ceremonie of salt Upon all thine offering thou shalt bring Salt ¶ By this ceremonie is the nature of Christ set forth which is figured in all sacrifices For Christ is the true and heauenly Salt by whoÌ„ all that beleeue in him be made sauorie and pleasant vnto God the father so that they shall neuer so putrifie that they shall Perish The Bible note How salt in Baptime is not Christs ordinaunce The vse of Salt in the olde Testament was appointed to the Iewes by the law prescribed by Moses to them that were vnder the lawe If it had bene Christs pleasure yâ— his ministers should haue looked backe vnto the rites of Moses taken out of them such as they listed he would rather haue had declared the same or els the Apostle wold haue done it wherefore our opinion is saith Musâ—ulus that this vse of Salt also in Baptime is to be attributed vnto yâ— wil worship of the Bishops Mus. fo 290 Of the salted couenant Let it be a salted couenant for euer ¶ Like as Salt doth preserue flesh from corruption so this couenant shuld be sure stable and incorruptible The Bible note Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the couenant of thy God to be lacking ¶ All offerings must be salted with Salt signifieng that al our works must be directed after the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets and then shall they be acceptable in the sight of the Lord if they sauour of the Salt thereof or else not T. M. What the sowing of Salt meaneth Destroied the citie and sowed Salt in the place ¶ He sowed Salt there to make it barren for euer for Salt maketh the â—round vnapt to bring forth any thing as saith Plinie in hisâ— 13. booke the. 17. chapter Abimelech after he had destroied the citie of Sichem soweâ— Salt therein which was a token of a wildernesse and desart For Salt drieth the ground and maketh it vnfruitfull In Hebrew Malach signifieth Salt Thereof commeth the Uerbe Malach which is to Salt but in the Coniâ—gation Niphal Niuilah is a Uerbe which signifâ—eth to destroy to breake downe to wast That word leremy vsed in his 14. chapter And Dauid in his 107. Psalme God turneth a fruitfull land into a saâ—â—ish ground that is maketh it wast desart In the yeare 1165. Frederike Oenobarbus the Emperour ouerthrew Millaine sowed Salt there For that citie tooke part with Alexander the third being Pope against Caesar which thing Frederike tooke in ill part Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 170. SALVATION A firme Argument for the certeintie of our saluation ANd seeing it is sayd that faith shall be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnesse as it was in times past imputed vnto Abraham we haue a most firme argument of the certeintie of saluation For as Abraham behaued himselfe towardes the promise of God as touching that he should haue issue So must we behaue our selues towardes the promises of the remission of sinnes But he was certeine neither doubted hée whereof we ought to be certeine of the saluation promised vnto vs and by no meanes to doubt thereof This reason let vs holde fast and not suffer it to slip from vs. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 96. As the holy Scriptures teacheth vs we ought to hope such is the nature of hope not to confound we may manifestly infer that we ought not to doubt of our saluation There are which pretend the their doubt héereof springeth for yâ— they are vncertein whether they shal perseuer vnto yâ— end or no. But these meÌ„ shuld coÌ„sider yâ— we ought alwais to pray for perseueraÌ„ce For as saith Cipriane whom Augustine followeth in all the things which we aske in the Lords prayer is included perseueraÌ„ce And as Iames teacheth we must aske without doubting wherfore it is manifest yâ— we must by no meanes doubt of perseuerance especially seeing we haue in our hearts the holy Ghost alwayes bearing an excellent testimonie vnto vs thereof For as Saint Paule saith in this Epistle It is the spirit that beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and â—e which hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his And Paul writeth of himselfe that he is sure that neither life nor death nor principalitie nor power can pluck him from yâ— loue of God namely from the loue wherewith God loued him Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 967. How without the Church is no light or saluation S. Cipriane De simplicitate praelatorum saith Whosoeuer is separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulterous church yâ— same man is separated from the promises of the church neither perteineth he to Christs merits which hath left yâ— church of Christ. He is a strauÌ„ger he is vncleane he is an enimy He cannot now haue God his father who hath not the church his mother If he may scape that was out of the Arke of Noe he may also escape that is abroad out of the church He must néeds be a most wicked man whosoeuer he be that leaueth his owne country the fellowship of very good men and falleth away to the enimies Lactantius therefore most truely sayd It is onely the catholike church which receiueth true religion Héere is the fountaine of truth This is the household of faith This is yâ— temple of God into the which if one enter not or out of the which if any depart he is excluded from the hope of saluation life euerlasting for our sauiour said that out of the sheepfolde life is not to be sound Bullinger fo 843. The causes of our saluation The speciall cause why we obteine euerlasting life is yâ— voluntarie frée will of God And the second cause are yâ— merits of Christ for he died for the saluation of mankinde but this is also a frée gift of the good will of God The third cause is our faith by the which we embrace receiue this good wil of God and the merits of Christ. Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 373. It is most true that the eternall election of God in Iesus Christ is the onely and sole cause of saluation vnto vs miserable and mortall men And holy faith imbracing the mercie of God in Iesus Christ by the testimonie of the holye Ghost in our heartes is that which doth assure vs that it is so Moreouer I say vnto thée that if any man should goe about to take from thée this assurednes and to make thée doubtfull of thy saluation he goeth about