the righteousnes of God For Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerye one that beleeueth Here Paule maketh this to be the cause of the casting of of the Iewes for that they woulde ioyne their owne righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of God which is by fayth and of both ioyned togither make one forme of righteousnesse Also Rom. 11. he reasoneth thus If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Paule here first setteth downe two contrarie propositions without any meane betwene them If election and saluation be of workes it is not of grace If it be of grace it is not of workes bicause that debt and gift are so contrarie that neither of them may rightly be sayde one of the other or both of them of any thirde Eyther therefore we are iustified and saued by fayth alone or by workes but the testimonies before alledged doe proue that no man is iustified by workes Agayne if christian righteousnesse did consist of fayth and works togither the reasoning of Paule were fonde and vayne Rom. 4. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnesse Here Paule maketh two sortes of righteousnesse which differ the one from the other For they haue contrarie causes For the righteousnesse of fayth by which he that beleeueth is iustified is imputed and giuen freely but the righteousnesse of works is not free Furthermore if one part is to be attributed to fayth the other part to workes in the iustification of man two absurdities should followe thereof one that the promise shoulde be made vncertaine which ought to be certaine Another that the satisfaction of Christ coulde not suffice except it were stablished by our workes Wherefore we embrace the saying of Augustine which sayth It is grace in no poynt except it be free in all poyntes But the occasion of the errour of the Papistes was a Philosophicall imagination which knoweth no righteousnesse except it be a certayne qualitie in vs. For it vnderstandeth not that a man may be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnesse of another Nowe let vs come to essentiall righteousnesse concerning which first it is to be vnderstand y t we are in no wise righteous before God by y e essential righteousnes of God but in respect of the principall efficient cause For the formall righteousnesse by which we are righteous before God is no other than the obedience of Christ as Paule plainly teacheth Rom. 5. By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous But the obedience of Christ is of two sortes of the crosse and of the lawe By the obedience of the crosse whereby he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Philip. 3. the Lorde doth make a full satisfaction for our sinne The obedience of the lawe he imputeth vnto vs that beleeue that by it we maye appeare righteous in the sight of God Paule sayth that this righteousnesse or obedience of Christ is imputed to them that beleeue therfore it is neyther substance nor qualitie abyding in them whereby a man is made righteous formally Wherefore this affirmance is surely to be helde that christian righteousnes is the obedience of the sonne of God imputed to him that beleeueth But in the meane season we must also vnderstande this that the Scripture maketh mention of three kindes of righteousnesse of man whereof one is of fayth by which we stande before God and this is perfect as the obedience of Christ is perfect neyther is it diminished or increased by the diminishing or increasing of fayth For the Publicane had this full and perfect as well as Peter although the fayth of Peter was much more manifest and knowne Another is the beginning of obedience which is also called the righteousnesse of a good conscience This is not set agaynst the wrath of God bicause it is not perfect obedience of the lawe yet it is necessary in as much as it is the proper fruite of fayth An other there is which is as yet looked for whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 5. For we through the spirite wayte for the hope of righteousnesse through fayth And 1. Iohn 3. Dearly beloued nowe are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure This righteousnesse therefore is a making of vs lyke vnto God a dwelling of God in vs a full fruition of God an absolute and perfect loue And although we must confesse that the heartes of them that beleeue are the temples of the holy ghost and Christ sayth Iohn 14. If any man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and wil dwell with him yet it doth not followe that this dwelling of God in vs is the righteousnesse whereby we stande before God but it is a diuine presence in vs by which we are renued doe feele comfort and begyn to approch to eternall life Furthermore if men were iustified here by essentiall righteousnesse there shoulde be no difference betweene the righteousnesse by which we are righteous in this lyfe and that by which we shall be like vnto God in all eternitie But Paule putteth a manifest difference betweene these two For he sayth that we haue the righteousnesse of fayth nowe here in this lyfe but that we doe looke for another righteousnesse which Iohn defineth to be a framing or fashioning whereby we shall be fashioned lyke vnto God which fashioning shall proceede from hence in that we shall see him as he is Newe obedience is necessarily ioyned with fayth For regeneration which cannot be absent from a iustifying fayth doth necessarily bring forth it fruites which are seene in newe obedience For after that a man through the grace of regeneration is made a newe tree he ought to bring forth newe that is good fruites which Paule in his Epistle to the Philip. calleth the frutes of y e righteousnes of fayth Iames pronounceth in his own peculiar and proper phrase that men are iustified by the same that is acknowledged and declared iust This newe obedience is sometime called sanctification which consisteth of the mortifying of the fleshe and of the quickening of the spirit For Paule sayth thus Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption He is made our wisedome in the preaching of the Gospell He is made our righteousnesse by the attonement for sinne and imputation of righteousnesse He is made our
A LEARNED AND fruitefull Commentarie vpon the Epistle of Iames the Apostle vvherein are diligently and profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of Religion as are touched in the same Epistle Written in Latine by the learned Clerke Nicholas Hemminge professour of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Hafnie and nevvly translated into English by VV. G. ¶ JMPRINTED AT London by Thomas Woodcocke and Gregorie Seton and are to be solde at the signe of the blacke Beare in Paules Churchyarde ANNO. 1577. To the godly and reuerend Father and faythfull Minister of Christ M. Alexander Novvell Deane of the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London W. Gace wisheth grace and peace from God the father through Christ Iesus our Lorde GOD FROM THE BEGINNING hath as in a most cleare and euident glasse sette forth himselfe to be beholden and knowne of vs euen in his creatures in the orderly course of the worlde For when we see and consider the vnmeasurable greatnes of the worlde and the partes thereof to be so framed as they could not possibly in beautie be fayrer nor for profit better we vnderstande thereby the omnipotent power of God in creating them his diuine wisedome in ordering and disposing them his infinite goodnes in continually preseruing them that they runne not to ruine and vtter decay but are by him vpholden euen to the necessarie vse and sustentation of mans lyfe Although this creation of the worlde and the maruaylous ordering and preseruing thereof were sufficient whereby men might knowe God and worship him being knovvne or else be without excuse yet it hath pleased God of his great mercie to giue vnto vs his worde wherein he hath more plainly and fully reuealed himselfe and his will to our most singular commoditie and comfort For we through the fall of our first parentes being become blinde in vnderstanding corrupt in desiring and wicked in working are by the worde of God fruitefully of vs receyued lightned in our myndes reformed in our affections and ordered aright in our doings in so much as the Princely Prophet Dauid sayth that the meanes whereby a yong man shall clense his waye is to rule himselfe after this worde which worde also he pronounceth to be his delight and his counseller yea he perceyued it to be of such vertue and excellencie that he preferreth it before all worldly treasures whatsoeuer I loue sayth he thy commaundements aboue golde and precious stone Agayne thy lawe is dearer vnto me then thousandes of golde and siluer But I mynde not to enter here into the worthye commendation of this worde or to rehearse the manifolde and most singular commodities which redounde to the godly thereby Onely that which I haue mentioned out of Dauid may suffice to declare that it is a treasure of all other most precious Forasmuch then as the worde of God is a treasure so excellent what shall we thinke or say of the true and syncere Preachers and expounders thereof VVe acknowledge great friendship in them by whose meanes we attayne to an earthly commoditie and howe shall we be affected towarde them which open to vs the way to an heauenly treasure VVe thinke our selues much beholden to those which minister vnto vs the foode of this fraile life but vvhat recompence shall we render vnto them by whose meanes we come to enioy the foode of euerlasting lyfe VVherefore right worshipfull if I should render a reason of my labour bestowed in translating this treatise into the english tongue I thinke it were sufficient if I should say no more but that the word of God is therein soundly and syncerely expounded Although I may descend vnto particular pointes and shew other weightie causes thereof For you are not ignoraunt howe the Papists both haue bine and also be grieuous enemies to the doctrine of iustification by faythe onely in Christ pretending for their chiefe defence the testimonie of S. Iames where he seemeth to attribute iustification to workes and not to fayth onely whose authoritie they haue wrongfully wrested and misinterpreted VVhereby they haue not onely erred themselues but also haue caused many other to erre VVhich false interpretation of theirs is in this treatise very learnedly and throughly improued and the meaning of the Apostle truly and playnely declared Againe your wisedome doth well know that the mysteries of God are wisely and discretely to be disposed and not onely the doctrine of fayth faithfully to be taught but also the doctrine of workes diligently to be vrged both to stoppe the sclaunderous mouthes of many prating Papists and also to remedie many abuses very rife among vs. For whereas the syncere preachers of Gods worde doe according to the Scriptures teach that the bloud of Christ is a sufficient salue for the sore of sinne and that we are iustified by fayth alone in him without mens merits workes or satisfactions many sclaundering Papists are not ashamed most falsly to affirme that they are louers of lusts preachers of present pleasure and giuers of libertie to all licentious liuing and making no store of good workes doe cast onely fayth vnder mens elbowes to leane vpon VVhen as the true preachers haue alway preached and all the writinges of the godly haue most diligently taught that that fayth which is not liuely and fruitefull of good works did neuer profite any but to the increase of their owne damnation and contrariwise that that fayth whereby alone according to the Scriptures they teach that we are iustified hath good workes necessarily accompanying it not as causes of our saluation but as necessarie fruites of a liuely fayth as is also in this treatise of S. Iames very learnedly and diligently declared VVhereby not onely the Papists are admonished that they doe not open their lying lips so wrongfully to rayle vpon the true preachers of Gods word but also many other are aduertised of their dutie who by profession are Christians but in life more then prophane who are not ashamed to say if faith iustifie without works then let vs worke nothing but let vs onely beleeue and doe what we list and so like carnall and carelesse liuers they turne the libertie of the Spirite into wantonnes and fleshly libertie But let these men vnderstand that such prophane profession and carelesse contempt dooth highly displease almightie God and is diligently detected and sharpely reproued of his faythfull ministers both in wordes and writings whose wholesome admonitions let them carefully regard and be aduertised and brought thereby to follow in workes that vvhich they profes in vvords least they deceiue them selues and at the last reape most bitter fruites of their fayned fayth Not onely these are in this present treatise admonished of their dutie but many other most profitable poyntes of Christian doctrine and godly instructions are learnedly handled and liuely set forth therin vvhereby the Christian readers may learne to direct their doinges and order their life according to the prescript rule of Gods vvorde As for them vvhich obstinately
vvorkes and through the vvorks vvas the fayth made perfect 23 And the Scripture vvas fulfilled vvhich sayth Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes and he vvas called the frend of God 24 Ye see then hovv that of vvorkes a man is iustified and not of faith onely The summe of this reason is this Such as the fayth of Abraham was ought also the fayth of other beleeuers to be For he is therefore called the father of the beleeuers bicause that they that beleeue ought to imitate and follow his fayth but the faith of Abraham had workes ioyned with it which is thereby proued bicause he did so much esteeme obedience toward God that he would rather kill his onely sonne then not obey God Therfore the fayth of other also ought to haue workes ioyned with it which if it haue not it is worthely to be accounted vaine and dead This is the summe of the argument Now let vs wey the wordes of the Apostle which are wrested of the Schoolemen against free iustification First the word iustified is to be discussed which is as much as if he had sayd was declared to be iust or was knowen to be iustified and that this is so I proue by three necessarie arguments The first is taken of the scope and end of this present disputatiō For Iames hath not purposed a disputation of the causes of iustification but onely doth shew by what effects iustification may be gathered and as it were set before the eyes of men Seing therefore it is an exceeding great errour of effects to make causes in respect of the same thing they are by no meanes to be borne which forgetting the scope ende of the disputation proposition that is to be proued presume very high go about to disproue the doctrine of Paul concerning free iustification when as the purpose of Paul was far otherwise thā of Iames. For Paul seketh the cause of iustification Iames the effects of the same Paul descendeth frō y e causes to y e effects Iames contrariwise ascendeth frō the effects to y e causes Paul seketh how we are iustified Iames how we are declared to be iustified Paule excludeth works as causes of iustification Iames includeth the same as the effectes of iustification Seing there is so great difference betwene the purpose of Paule and Iames who seeth not the vanitie of the Scholemen which say that the Apostles are contrary the one to the other The seconde necessarie argument is taken of the order of the causes and the effects Genes 15. Abraham is pronounced to be iustified Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse But this came to passe thirtie yeares at the least before he receyued a commaundement concerning the offering of his sonne Isaac Genes 22. Howe therefore can it be that he shoulde be sayde to be iustified by that worke which he did the thirtie yere after y t he was by the voyce of God said to be iustified It is necessarie therfore that to be iustified in Iames doe signifie to be declared iustified The thirde necessarie argument is taken of the wordes of the Angell Genes 22. After that Abraham had purposed to kil his sonne at the commaundement of God was called back from his purpose by the voice of the Angel he heareth of the Angell Now I know that thou fearest God seing for my sake thou hast not spared thine only son What other thing I pray you do these words meane than that y e voluntarie obedience of Abraham was a testimonie of the feare of God a certaine declaration of the iustification of Abraham And thus briefly it is declared what the word of iustification doth signifie in this disputation of Iames. Afterwarde when he sayth that the fayth vvrought vvith his vvorkes he expresseth the nature of a liuely fayth to wit that it is effectuall and full of good workes Seing that the fayth of hypocrites hath not this nature it is in no case to be iudged a true and liuely fayth This saying therefore of Iames doth teach nothing else but that good workes doe proceede of fayth That which Iames addeth through the vvorkes the fayth vvas made perfect is nothing els than y t the fayth of Abraham was declared by his workes not to haue bene counterfait or hypocriticall but true and sincere For if thou doest cal that perfect here which is in it degrees absolute no mortall man liuing at any time hath had a perfect fayth Moreouer when he sayth that the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is not to be referred vnto the cause but vnto the effect For by that deede Abraham declared that he was in very deede iustified before by fayth This fulfilling therefore ought to be referred to the experience of men and not to the iudgement of God 25 Likevvise also vvas not Rahab the harlot iustified through vvorks vvhen she had receyued the messengers and sent them out another vvay He proueth by another example y t a true a liuely faith is not without works Rahab by her dede or works declared hir selfe to be iustified by fayth when with the perill of her life she sent away y e messengers of the people of God least they shoulde come into the hands of them that sought them 26 For as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead euen so the fayth vvithout vvorkes is deade By a most apt similitude propounded he proueth that the fayth of hypocrites is vayne in as much as it is like a deade bodie or carkas wherein is no liuely spirite and therefore no mouing or sense of a liuing creature is founde in it And thus Iames by sixe firme reasons hath proued that a true fayth is frutefull in good workes and that the fayth of hypocrites which is voyd of workes is a vayne boasting rather than fayth A declaration of the doctrine of repentance WHen as Christ doth define the Gospel to be preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name he setteth forth two things vnto bs whereof one is the benefite which the Gospell offereth the other the meanes by which the benefite is applyed vnto men The benefite which is offered is forgiuenesse of sinnes The meanes is repentance For they onely which repent are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes wherewith is ioyned iustification saluation and eternall lyfe Hereof it easily appeareth that nothing is more necessarye for a man in this life than to vnderstande wherein true repentance consisteth without the which forgiuenesse of sinnes commeth vnto no man Of this wholsome and true repentance I will speake and will so declare the matter by the worde of God and manifest examples that euerye man may acknowledge the truth and playnnes thereof The foundation therfore of the preaching of repentance without all doubt is the mercie and grace of
we may obteine and receiue good thinges at the hand of God Agayne it giueth to vnderstand that in prayer is required faith which resteth vpon the goodnesse of the mediatour Furthermore of this place is gathered that all douting is farre to be remoued from prayer for he which douteth or wauereth when he prayeth doth onely poure out wordes vnprofitably and prayeth not effectually whereupon this also followeth that if we must not wauer nor dout in prayer it is but in vayne to make more mediatours For they which seeke after more mediatours doe thinke that they are not heard for the one and onely mediatour Christ Moreouer with this saying of Iames disagreeth the opinion of the Papists who goe about to make faith and douting to agree togither To these may be added that all things that pertaine to the saluation of our soules are to be asked without any conditiō Finally the opinion of the Stoicks is here confuted concerning the necessitie of the falling out of thinges for as wisedome is here promised to him that asketh it by faith so the wisedome wherof mention is here made is not giuen to him that doth not aske it For he that vvauereth is like a vvaue of the sea tost of the vvinde and caried avvay 7 Neither let that man thinke that he shall receyue any thing of the Lorde This is a reason why in prayer he requireth fayth without wauering for he which wauereth saythe he is compared to a waue of the sea that is he is vnconstant For as the waue of the sea is driuen sometime into this coast sometime into that according as the winde and the raging of the sea is so a man douting now thinketh this thing shortly after his minde being changed he thinketh an other thing euen as he is driuen on with erroneous doctrine and blinde affections Such a man praieth in vayne bicause he is destitute of true faith These thinges ought to admonish vs of constancie both in doctrine and also in godly exercises But perhaps some man will obiect and saye there is douting in euerie man therefore there is a firme and constant fayth without wauering in no man I aunswere that according to diuers principles both may be both stedfast faith and doubting For if thou doest respect the spirite in the regenerate fayth is a firme consent nothing wauering But if thou lokest vnto the flesh doubts do oftentimes arise which are the works of y e flesh agaynst which the works of the spirit do striue We haue an exāple of eyther of these in Abraham Ro. 4. 8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his vvayes He is here sayde to be a double minded man which doubteth of the doctrine or wyll of God such a one bicause he is vnconstant in all his doinges therefore hath he no stablenesse or constancie in his prayer Let vs therefore in this place note that the foundation of all godly actions yea and of that most excellent worke of prayer is constancie in the doctrine concerning the will of God in fayth 9 Let the brother of lovv degree reioyce in that he is exalted 10 Againe he that is rich in that he is made lovv for as the floure of the grasse shall he vanish avvay Bicause both pouertie by which all kinde of calamitie as by a particular or an example is signified and also riches by the name whereof all prosperous succes in this lyfe is vnderstande may minister matter of tentation he doth very conueniently preuent an obiection and teacheth both that is the poore man and also the rich He teacheth the poore man not to fasten his eyes vpō the calamitie of this present life but rather to cōsider that he is exalted whereby hereafter he being made the son of God shall be aduanced vnto the glory of immortality He teacheth the rich mā to thinke with himselfe how fraile and deceitfull the riches of this world are which as they do not make him blessed that possesseth them so doe they sone vanish away euen as the floure of the herbe What doth not Paul say Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lorde Wherfore thē doth Iames bid him that is poore of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted and him that is rich in that he is made low The Apostles doe nothing disagree the one with the other For both of them doe place the foundation of true reioycing in the Lord. Wherfore these exceptions are to be held first what good thing soeuer we haue let vs acknowledge that we haue receiued it of God attributing nothing to our selues Secondly let vs holde fast this foundation that we trust to be saued through the onely mercy of God Finally let vs rest in the onely author of all goodnesse with these exceptions we may reioyce and that godly in euery kinde of thing that is good 11 For as vvhen the sunne riseth vvith heate then the grasse vvithereth and his floure falleth avvay and the goodly shape of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man vvither avvay in all his vvayes He amplifieth the comparison wherein he compareth the glory of riches to the fading floure which when the heate of the Sunne increaseth is wythered falleth away and perisheth As therefore it is a foolish thing to reioyce in vayne riches so the godly man should do preposterously if he being discouraged with the grieuousnesse of his pouertie shoulde be ouercome of tentation 12 Blessed is the mā that endureth tentation for vvhē he is tried he shall receiue the croune of life vvhich the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Before he willed that christians doe reioyce when they shall fall into diuers tentations now hauing confuted those thinges that seemed to be agaynst his purpose hee rendreth a reason of his exhortation The argument is concluded after this sort Blessed is the man that endureth tentation that is which fainteth not vnder the burden of tentation therefore the godly oughte with good cause to reioyce when they fall into diuers tentations The antecedent he proueth by the ende of tentation being ouercome after this maner when he that is tempted is tried he shall receiue a crowne of life therefore he may well be called blessed The antecedent is grounded vpon the promises of God vvhich crovvne sayth he God hath promised to them that loue him This place y e Papists abuse to confirme their opinion concerning merites of workes But the very circumstance of the place confuteth them For the Apostle dealeth here with them that are conuerted who being iustified before by fayth do go thorow diuers tentations to the hauen of blessednesse Agayne it is one thing to speake of the cause of saluation and another thing to speake of the way by which we must come vnto saluation which is free Neyther is the crowne of life a rewarde due to our fighte but a free recompence of our labour For
we doe not deserue a crowne by fighting but the father giueth it vnto his children of his mere goodnesse who considereth not so much what the children doe deserue as what he hath promised them of his fatherly loue Furthermore if any man obiect the crowne of life is promised to them that loue therfore loue is a merit or desert of the crowne We must aunswere that there is committed a fallacion of that which is not the cause as of the cause For the antecedent doth not contayne the cause of the crowne but the qualitie or maner of crowning And bicause there be two principles of things one that the thinges be the other that they maye be knowne what they be we must vnderstand y e concerning God his mere good will and pleasure and the redemption which his sonne hath wrought and fayth concerning our selues are the very principles which doe iustifie and saue vs. But if thou considerest the knowledge of righteousnesse and saluation the principles thereof are rightly sayd to be patience vnder the Crosse loue mercy towarde the poore and other vertues For these doe make that thou maiest be knowne to be righteous and saued Wherupon the Lord sayth I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I was naked and ye clothed me By these fruites of fayth the angels of God and men shall iudge the tree in the last day and thereby shall account the righteousnesse and saluation of the elect But here of more in the second chapter where shall be entreated of a liuely and of a dead fayth 13 Let no man say vvhen he is tempted I am tempted of God for God can not be tempted vvith euell neither tempteth he any man He being about to entreate of the causes of tentation first taketh away the error of them which thought God to be the author of tentation and forbiddeth that any man when he is tempted that is when he is prouoked to doe euill say that he is tempted of the Lorde For God wyll not haue sinne therefore he prouoketh not to sinne neither is delighted with the perdition of men Wherfore as God himselfe is voyde of tentation so doth he tempt no man that is he doth not moue him forwardes to sinne Thys place doth plainly make agaynst those that make God the author of sinne 14 But euery man is tempted vvhen he is dravvne avvay by his ovvne concupiscence and is entised He sheweth the cause and fountayne of tentation that is of prouoking to doe euill This fountayne or spring he maketh to be euery mans own concupiscence to the which he attributeth a double effect For the first it withdraweth the cogitation of man from that which is good Secondly it entiseth the affection of man and ouerwhelmeth him vnwares We must therfore striue agaynst the first motions least that being entised by our concupiscence we fall into sinne Of tentation and the remedie agaynst it TEntation is a driuing forward or perswading of a mā to enterprise some thing that is either to commit or to omit Hereof there are dyuers sorts whych take their differences of their endes For there is one tentation of seducing or beguyling there is another of presumption another of triall Of these three I wyll speake in order and shewe the remedyes agaynst euery of them Tentation of seducing is that the ende whereof is seducing or beguiling By this man is prouoked to enterpryse something agaynst the law of God whereby he being deceiued is miserably excluded out of the familie of God falleth from grace and becommeth guiltye of eternall death vntyll such tyme as he repent For fayth can not abide and and remaine when man giueth place to such tentation and knowing and willing doth disobediently despise the commaundement of God This tentation of seducing is of two sortes if thou considerest the causes thereof For it is eyther outward or inwarde I call that inward whose beginning and cause is in man himselfe to wit euel concupiscence which fighteth togither with a domesticall tyranne that is originall sinne and driueth a man to offend that by this meanes the olde man that is originall sinne may obtaine the rule in man But concupiscence in euery man is of two sortes one naturall an other of the flesh Naturall concupiscence is that by which we do naturally desire those thinges which by the right iudgement of reason we iudge eyther honest eyther profitable eyther pleasant This by it selfe is the worke of God in man and by no meanes to be condemned as long as it keepeth it selfe within it owne boundes that is whiles it desireth those thinges that are shewed by the right iudgement of reason to wit those thinges whiche are in very deede honest profitable and pleasant by which nature is not defiled but preserued Concupiscence of the flesh is when by the corruption of the flesh we desire those thinges whiche please the flesh and displease God as when we couet after any thing which is forbidden vs by the law of God This of Plato is worthely called a beast with many heads of which it is spoken prouerbially Concupiscence is the first beginning of all euells For it is a most fruitefull mother of pernicious children to this Marcus the Heremite did attribute selfe loue Of this do spring surfetting and drunkennesse couetousnesse thirst after vayne glorye Of this surfetting come vnlawfull lustes and all kindes of pernicious pleasures Of couetousnesse commeth fraud guile iniurye lying violence manslaughter Of thirst after vayne glory springeth pride wicked ambition diuers ill practises briefly contempt of God and of our neighbour Thou seest what a fruitefull mother of all vices the concupiscence of the flesh is which one hath called and not vnworthely the fountayne of all euel in asmuch as it is not onely the euident cause of all iniquitie and hatred of God but also it calleth men from that which is good and honest For when men doe study vpon heauenly thinges and meditate vpon diuine matters this commeth and with entisements as with certayne cordes draweth them backe Wherefore Iames doth not without good cause affirme that men are entised by their owne concupiscence But how shal we ouercome the concupiscence of the flesh This beast is to be bounde with singular art and cunning and to be mortified but it is bound not by mans strength but by a diuine power that is by the spirite of fayth which in the man that is regenerate doth ingender a certayne newe concupiscence which is called the concupiscence of the spirite This when it is first conceyued by the spirite of fayth setteth it selfe agaynst the concupyscence of the flesh whereupon there riseth in all the godly a very sore conflict betweene the flesh and the spirite Hereupon is that which Paule sayth The flesh lusteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh But from whence is that concupyscence of the spirite
he vvas By a very excellent similitude he rendreth a reason why he will not haue a hearer of the word onely The which similitude is thus much in effect Euen as he that beholdeth his image or shape in a glasse doth retayne in his minde a knowledge which soone passeth away and a weake memory of his forme and therefore such a contemplation profiteth nothing so a hearer of the word onelye retayneth no firme and sure knowledge For forthwith after he hath heard it it vanisheth away and therefore such knowledge is vnprofitable and nothing auayleth the hearer Hypocrisie is verie properly and fitly compared to an image appearing in a glasse For as in a glasse although there appeare a certaine similitude yet it is false inasmuch as those thinges are represented in the glasse on the left hand which are in deede on the right and those that are on the right hand are shewed to be on the left and by this meanes there is a counterfayting of the truth so in the workes of hypocrites although there be a fayre shewe outwardly in the sight of men yet it is false for that those thinges which are vngodly and wicked are counted holy and true If any man demaund how it commeth to passe that there is such a slender knowledge and so weake a memorye by the beholding of the glasse let him know that the maner of doing according to the philosophers doth follow the maner of being For bicause y e image or shape in a glasse doth but only seeme to be is not in dede it commeth to passe y t it maketh so weake slender an impression in y e mind as we see to be done in certain dreames also 25 But vvho so looketh in the perfect lavv of libertie and continueth therein he not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the vvorke shall be blessed in his deede He declareth who is to be counted a doer of the word and that as I admonished before according to grace and not according to the rigour of the law He calleth the law perfect bicause it prescribeth a perfect rule to liue by he calleth it of libertie bicause that how much more a man is giuen and addicted to it so that he beleeue in Christ so much the more he declareth himselfe to be free For to serue God is to reigne He that looketh in this law to the intent he may throughly knowe it and expresse it in his life he sayth the Apostle is not a forgetfull hearer of the word but a doer of it who also shal be blessed in his deede For fayth is knowne by the effects as a tree by the fruits which fayth onely doth apprehend Christ who alcne of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that he that reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord. Iames therefore speaketh here of the qualitie of them that are iustified and of the rewardes of their obedience and not of the causes of their iustifying Bernard sayth Good workes are not the causes of reigning but the way to the kingdome 26 If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his ovvne heart this mans religion is vayne He reprehendeth hypocrites which did boast that they did religiously obserue the lawe and yet in the meane time were giuen to backbyting and sclaundering which vice is common among all hypocrites as the historye of the Gospell doth shewe in the Pharise who gloried of his religion and in the meane season accused other men with his sclaunderous tongue From whence this vice proceedeth he sheweth when he addeth but deceiueth his ovvn heart that is is a louer of him selfe For he iudgeth that he is godly and religious but his religion is in vayne as is proued by the reason following 27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visit the fatherles and vviddovves in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the vvorld He proueth by certayne properties of religion that hypocrites which are giuen to sclaundering and euel speaking are not truly religious the concludeth his argument after this sort They that are truly religious doe keepe them selues vnspotted of the world and do shew mercy to the afflicted Hypocrites which will seeme to be religious doe not keepe themselues vnspotted of the world neither shew mercy to the afflicted Wherefore they are not religious but rather vaine boasters of religion It was not the purpose of Iames perfectly to define religion but onely to set downe certayne properties thereof disagreeing with the vanitie of hipocrites Wherefore they are not to be heard which here sharply reproue and find fault with Iames as a man ignorant of true religion For it is one thing to define a thing and an other to signifie or shew it by certayne signes and tokens Which it is an vnseemely thing and a shame for the sharpe reprouers and taunters of Iames not to know But this is a full and perfect definition of Christian religion Christian religion is a liuely fayth in Iesus Christ and a confession thereof wherto is ioyned a pure study of worshipping God and sincere charity towards men togither with a hope of immortality promised The substantiall partes therefore of Christian religion by nature ioyned togither are fayth the worship of God charitie towarde our neighbour and hope of saluation promised by Christ Chap. 2. The summe of the second Chapter AS he doth dehort those that are conuerted from despising and disdayning the poore and from accepting of persons so he doth condemne a vayne boasting of fayth which is voyde and destitute of it right and true fruites The order and partes of the second Chapter THere are two partes of this Chapter the fyrst whereof contayneth a dehorting or diswading For he doth therein dehort Christians from accepting of persons This parte consisteth of a propositiō and a confirmation The latter part contayneth a teaching or instructing For therein he teacheth that that fayth is vayne which wanteth works This part also consisteth of a proposition and a confirmation The exposition of the second Chapter with an obseruation of the Doctrine 1 My brethren haue not the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lorde of glory in respecte of persones THis is the first proposition of this Chapter contayning a certayne hidden reason which is thus to be resolued and made manifest Brethren doe not accept persons This is the bare proposition The reason of the proposition is this for that the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ and the accepting of persons doe so disagree that they cannot stand togither Why so Bicause the glory of Christ requireth that we reuerence all those in whom Christ dwelleth So the word of glory was not added in vayne It is an hebrue kind of speach wherby the Genitiue cases of nounes appellatiues are put oftentimes in the place of Epithites What doth not the
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 haue not obeyed him calling by his Gospell This is confirmed by the saying of y e Lord in Matthew many be called but few be chosen Of this saying there are two parts the first commendeth vnto vs the goodnes of God which calleth many by his Gospel that they may be saued For we must not thinke that God calleth them whom he will not haue saued The latter part is a complaint of the greatest parte of men which contemne the Gospell and will not liue worthy of so noble a calling Wherof Christ complayneth in Matthew where he is reprehended which had not a wedding garment to the which reprehension afterward is ioyned this complaynt of Christe few are chosen This complaynt he also sheweth with teares Matth. 23. whē he saith How often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the hen gathereth the chickens vnder her wings and ye would not Behold Christ will Hierusalē will not The meaning therefore of the saying of the Lord is many be called to wit to obtayne saluation by Christ so that they will beleeue the Gospell But fewe be chosen that is fewe haue the wedding garment that is fewe doe beleeue and are godly in deede That this is the signification of the word election it is manifest out of the psalme where elect and peruerse or frowarde are set one against the other for he sayth thus with the elect thou shalt be elect and with the froward thou shalt be froward Therefore he is sayd to be elect which is in deede a godly and sincere worshipper of God keeping fayth and a good conscience Wherefore there is no cause that any man should be troubled with thinking of his election as though God had appoynted some certayne men to saluation and the greatest part of men to certaine damnation but rather let him thinke that this is the vnmoueable will of God that as he will saue without difference all that be penitent so on the contrarie he will condemne all that be impenitent And these are saide not to be elect because of the euent or ende For they haue shutte from them selues the way of saluation Let vs therefore obey the Gospell let vs liue in true repentance let vs not suffer our selues to be caried away from Christ with the cares of this world But rather let vs preferre obedience toward the Gospell before al things of the world whereby we may obtayne the saluation promised through our Lorde Iesus Christ in whom God hath chosen the beleuers before y e foūdations of the world 6 But ye haue despised the poore By this setting of one contrarie against the other he sheweth the grieuousnesse of the sinne God doth honour the poore that beleeue but you do despise the poore Your sinne therefore is grieuous and vnworthie of the heires of the kingdome of God Doe not the rich oppresse you by tyrannie and doe they not dravve you before the iudgement seates 7 Doe not they blaspheme the vvorthye name after vvhich ye be named In these wordes are conteyned two plaine arguments It is a foolish thing for men to honor them of whom they are oppressed and tormented and to contemne them that excell in true godlynesse You doe that when you doe honour your rich men which are tyrannes with the reproche and disdayne of the pore The vngodly rich men do blaspheme that worthy name of Christ whereby you will be named and whereof you are called Christians therefore it is an vnworthie thing that you shoulde honour them with the contempt of the poore 8 But if ye fulfill the royall lavve according to the Scripture vvhich sayth Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe vvell 9 But if ye regarde the persons ye commit sinne and are rebuked of the lavve as transgressours This is a preuenting of an obiection For he preuenteth the obiection of hypocrites by the which they might excuse themselues that they did well in honouring rich men seeing that honour is included in the loue which the lawe doth require toward our neighbour He aunswereth by a double condition If you fulfill that is if you endeuer by true fayth and integritie of mynde to performe it without colouring or hypocrisie For here the worde of fufilling is to be referred not to the degrees but to the substance of obedience or to the parts therof the royall lavve that is the lawe which is like the kings hie way that is streight and playne which leadeth the wayfaring man without turnings to the place appointed But that kings hie way is to loue our neighbour and to consider this only in him that he is our neighbour and to haue respect to no other things in him ye doe vvell that is your defence is iust But if ye regarde the person ye commit sinne but that you regarde the person it is manifest by your deede For you honor wicked rich men and despise godly poore men which truly is not to go in the kings hie way to the loue of your neighbour 10 For vvhosoeuer shall keepe the vvhole lavv and yet faileth in one poynt he is giltie of all 11 For he that sayd thou shalt not commit adulterie sayd also Thou shalt not kill Novv though thou doest none adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressour of the lavve He doth more forcibly vrge the hypocrites which did flatter them selues when as in one poynt of the law they had done their duty well whose hypocrisie he reprehendeth by this argument he which breaketh some one point of the law is a transgressor of the lawe and giltie by the iudgement of the lawe For he hath broken the whole law This is declared by propounding an example of the fift and sixe commaundement He which of this place doth contend either that all sins are alike or that the giltines of euery transgression is equale doth wrongfully vnderstande and take the wordes of the Apostle who in this place doth deale only with hypocrites which did iudge the perfection of the lawe in part agaynst whome the Apostle setteth transgression in part But that sinnes be not alike or equall as the Stoickes woulde haue them first it is euident by the causes For who doth not perceyue that it is more grieuous to sinne of maliciousnes than of infirmitie or ignorance Secondly the euent proueth the same He which sinneth wittingly and willingly doth as it were shake of the holy ghost but he that falleth through weakenesse doth not so Thirdly the vnequalitie of the punishment wherewith God the iust iudge punisheth doth conclude the vnequalitie of sinnes That seruant that knewe his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neyther did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Fourthly euery mans owne conscience doth naturally vnderstande the degrees of sinnes for they are vexed with some more with some lesse Fiftly the lawe of God and all ciuill lawes doe acknowledge degrees of sinnes according to
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
pardon as appeareth in the prodigall sonne For a knowledge of mercy must of necessitie goe before true repentance according to the saying of Ambrose No man can repent except first he hopeth for pardon and that of Augustine The mercye of God is necessary not onely when we doe repent but also that we may repent Fayth is a knowledge consent and desire of the promised mercy and a sure confidence in Christ the mediatour Although the former examples and the fourth chap. to the Rom. doe confirme this definition yet let vs adde more reasons concerning the properties of fayth Christ pronounceth them saued that beleeue therfore it must needes be that fayth doth signifie a trust in the promise seeing that no man is saued by knowledge alone Agayne Paule doth sometime call this fayth a sure trust or confidence sometime a perswasion whereby a man doth certaynely perswade himselfe that God both will and also is able to performe that which he hath promised This therfore is that fayth by which alone without the workes of the law the Apostle affirmeth that a man is iustified before God For such a fayth onely as we haue described doth apprehende Christ and possesse him with all his benefites I will therfore set forth a playne and manifest doctrine concerning this iustification which commeth by fayth in Christ and will briefly confute the errours with the which this doctrine both in time past and also in our age is darkned and made obscure Iustification is a deliuerance from sinne of the man that doth beleeue in Christ an imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and an accepting of him being iustified to life euerlasting freely for Christes sake In this definition fiue principall poynts are to be considered First fayth by which the grace which is offred is receyued wherevpon Paule sayth we are iustified by fayth For fayth is as it were a certayne hande wherewith we receyue Christ offered vnto vs with his obedience that it may be our righteousnesse The seconde is a clensing or deliuerance from sinne through the satisfaction made by Iesus Christ according to that saying of Iohn The bloude of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne To this also belongeth that saying of Dauid Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen Also Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lorde imputeth not iniquitie What deliuerance is it is to be gathered by y e definition of sinne For as sinne is a defect or reuolting from the lawe and will of God with a bonde vnto eternall death and condemnation so deliuerance is the discharging or setting free of a man from the bonde of death and condemnation But that this deliuerance doth come vnto him that beleeueth in Christ many testimonies doe witnes He that beleeueth in the son hath euerlasting life The third is the imputation of y e righteousnes of Christ For his obedience death passion and resurrection are the matter foundation of our iustification 2. Cor. 5. He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we shoulde be made the righteousnesse of God in him This righteousnes which he sayth that we are made in him the Apostle defineth Rom. 5. when he sayth As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous Christian righteousnesse therefore is the obedience of Christ imputed to the beleeuer For fayth is imputed to hym for righteousnesse which beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked Of these this also followeth that the qualitie of righteousnes is in Christ but is imputed vnto vs which is proper vnto him For we are so iust before God as Christ was a sinner As he after a sort tooke vpon him our person whereby he might be made guiltie in our name and might be iudged as a sinner not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of other seing that he himselfe was pure and cleane frō all sinne and might suffer punishment due vnto vs and not vnto him So we nowe are iust in him not bicause we do satisfie the iudgement of God with our workes but bicause we are accounted righteous with the righteousnesse of Christ which by fayth alone we doe put on that it might be made ours The fourth is an accepting of the person vnto eternall life For Paule setteth this degree after iustification Rom. 8. Whom he iustified them be also glorified To this belongeth the saying of the Lorde He that beleeueth in me shall not perish but shall haue euerlasting lyfe The fift freely for Christes sake freely that all the merites of men maye be excluded for Christes sake that the redemption of the onely begotten sonne of God may be acknowledged to be the merit of so great a treasure Although this doctrine of our Churches is grounded vpon the iust sounde and perfite worde of God yet there be diuerse and sundrie errors spred abrode agaynst it For there be some which place this iustification of man in the workes done of men other some will needes haue it to consist of fayth and workes togither some go about to establishe a certayne essentiall righteousnesse Although these things which we haue spoken doe confute the errours of these yet we will speake somewhat seuerally of them They which affirme that mā is iustified by works are more easily confuted seeing that the most manifest oracles of God doe crie out agaynst this errour Dauid cryeth out openly Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And Paule Rom. 3. Therefore by the workes of the lawe shal no fleshe be iustified And to the Galath As manye as are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the curse Agayne If righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Their opinion therefore is manifestly false which affirme that a man is iustified that is made iust by workes But we acknowledge with Iames that good workes are required to the declaring of this iustification that the good tree may be knowne by it fruites neyther is there any disagreeing betweene Paule and Iames. For when Paul sayth that a mā is not iustified by works he signifieth that he is not made iust and without fault before God by workes When Iames sayth that men are iustified by workes he meaneth that men are by workes declared to be iust But the saying of them hath somewhat a fayrer shewe which affirme that the righteousnesse whereby the wicked man is iustified before God doth consist of fayth and works togither For they saye that fayth is the beginning of righteousnesse and workes the perfection thereof whose errour S. Paule confuteth by these reasons Rom. 10. I beare them recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For they being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and going about to stablishe their owne righteousnes haue not submitted themselues to
sanctification when he giueth vs the holy ghost which doth after a sort turne our nature and make it that the olde man being by little and little mortified we maye liue after the spirite that is we may giue our myndes to godlynesse towarde God charitie towarde our neyghbour to holynesse of lyfe and diligence in our vocation briefly that we maye submit our selues wholy to the rule of the spirit In what man soeuer the force and vertue of this regeneration or of this sanctification is not felt there of necessitie fayth cannot be For a true and a right fayth is feruent in spirite and endeuoureth to bring forth it true fruites and desireth nothing more than to serue God in spirit and to abounde in all knowledge and vnderstanding Seing that this is in very deede the propertie of a iustifying fayth and of regeneration who can beare or abyde the saying of them which with all their might in words and writings do impugne the necessitie of good workes which truly we say are necessary not as merits and causes of saluation For y e saying of Paul is firme and vnmoueable Ephe. 2. By grace are ye saued through fayth and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least any man shoulde boast himselfe but as necessarilye accompanying a iustifying fayth and as the effectes of the spirite which doth regenerate vs. Furthermore that the reason and maner of good workes may be the better vnderstande I will declare in order sixe questions concerning good works The questions are these The first what workes are to be taught and to be done The seconde howe they maye be done The thirde howe they doe please The fourth what are the causes of good works The fift why promises are added to good works The sixt bicause all men haue sinne it is not without cause demaunded whose obedience doth please and whose doth not please When it is enquired what workes are to be taught and done two thinges are to be weyed of vs whoe we be and whome he is vnto whom obedience is to be giuen by workes When we beholde our selues considering our owne corruption we are admonished that we our selues doe not imagine workes by which we thinke to worship God For by our selues we do not vnderstand what eyther pleaseth or displeaseth God and the Lorde pronounceth that he is worshipped in vayne with the commaundements of men Let vs therfore certaynly thinke that workes albeit fayre and goodly which haue bene inuented of men are in no wise good But if we consider God we are admonished of reuerence toward him whereby it commeth to passe that we thinke that that onely pleaseth him which he prescribeth in his word For he onely is our law giuer Ezechiel comprehendeth both in chap. 20. walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers neyther obserue their maners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Also 33. I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israell therefore thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and admonish them from me Hereof therefore it manifestly followeth that no other workes are to be taught and done but those which are commended vnto vs by the word of God After that the mind of the godly man knoweth what workes are to be done forth with it inquireth how they may be done The dissoluing of this question is to be taken out of two sayinges of the Scripture The Apostle sayth to the Hebr. without fayth it is vnposible to please God And Christ sayth without me can ye doe nothing Wherefore these thinges are required in order First the knowledge of Christ Secondly trust and confidence in Christ Thirdly viuification whereby Christ doth quicken vs by the Gospell and poureth his holy spirite vpon vs. Herevnto maketh y e saying of Esay chap. 40. But they that wayt vpon the Lord shall renue their strength they shall lift vp the wings as the Egles they shall runne and not be wearie and they shall walke and not faint For there can be no loue no obedience except mercy and reconcilation for the mediatours sake be first apprehended In this consolation the diuinitie doth dwell in the heart For the eternall father is effectuall in deede by his sonne which comforteth by the voyce of the Gospell and the holye Ghost is giuen of the father and the Sonne which stirreth vp in vs ioye and calling vpon God according to these sayings I will poure vpon them the spirite of grace and compassion c. And in Iohn We will come vnto him and dwel with him 2. Cor. 3. We beholding the glory of the Lord with open face are changed into the same image that is we beholding the word which is the image of the eternall father and in consolatiō doth shew the presence and goodnes of God are made like vnto his image the holy Ghost inflaming our hearts After that the mind is taught how good workes may be done it inquireth furthermore how they please for they are done in vayne except they please Scipio fighteth for his countrey Dauid also fighteth but the workes of both of them doe not please God It is fitly therefore demaunded how good workes may please To the which question we aunswere in generall that they please in the regenerate The workes of Scipio did not please bicause he was not regenerate But the warfare of Dauid did please bicause Dauid was accepted by fayth But here are three thinges to be considered in order First we must certainly thinke concerning the person that he is reconciled by fayth and iust for Christes sake freely Then we must confesse that the person iustified by fayth cannot as yet satisfie the lawe For many inward sinnes doe abide and sticke euen in the Godly This vncleannesse is to be lamented and doubts and euil affections are to be resisted and striuen against and also we ought to pray with true sighes of the heart that God will not impute vnto vs this filthines wherein we are wrapped Thirdly although we acknowledge this our filthines notwithstanding we must certaynly thinke that God doth require a certayne vnperfect obedience in vs that this vnperfect obedience doth please for Christs sake For so Peter doth playnly teach Offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ which is our reconciliation and now maketh intercession for vs. Our obedience therefore doth not please God for the worthines or perfection thereof For by it selfe it is vnworthy to come into the sight of God neyther doth it fulfill the law as it is sayd but it pleaseth bicause of the person reconciled which for Christs sake is counted righteous so also doth he please although he carie about in the flesh sinne and great infirmitie Seing it is euident that a man is in no wise iustified by workes it may fitly also may be
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
we doe rightly say that ciuil gouernment is not meete for Bishops those sayings doe sufficientlye shewe which put a difference betweene the ministerie of the Gospell and ciuill gouernement As my father sent me sayth the Lorde so sende I you My kingdome is not of this worlde The kings of the Gentiles reigne ouer them but ye shall not be so The weapons of our warfare are not carnall But the Papistes obiect that certayne Prouinces were giuen to the Romane Bishoppe of Constantine If we graunt this to be true though it be most false yet though that power was giuen to Syluester it was not lawfull for him to receyue it in that function in which he was and to deliuer it to his successours Bicause euerye one ought to doe the duties of his vocation according to the saying Studie to be quiet and to meddle with your owne businesse The Bishop ought to teach the King to gouerne and ouersee armies stipends warres the peace of the bodies These things therefore are not to be committed to a pastour but let euery one in his calling be mindefull of his rule Doe your owne businesse Agayne let euery one walke as God hath called him Agayne doe those things deuoutly which God hath commaunded thee The saying therefore but it shall not be so with you maye not onely be vnderstande thus that Christ doth not giue ciuill power with the ministerie of the Gospell but also that it be not taken or exercised of him that is in y e ministerie When as the Papists obiect the aunswere of the Lorde to the saying Beholde here are two swordes they doe sufficiently declare that they deale Sophistically and subtilly For when he aunswereth that it is ynough he signifieth the complaynt concerning the two sortes of enimies It is ynough that the swords both of the high Priests and also of Pilate are drawne against you Hereof without all doubt is concluded that ciuil gouernement is not meete for Bishoppes and Pastours Wherefore Christierne the thirde king of Denmarke did well and godly when he transferred the dominion and rule of Bishops vnto himselfe to preserue and maintaine the studies necessarie to the Church and to represse the enemies of the Gospell Moreouer wheresoeuer the reuenues of the Church are as yet more plentifull as where it is well looked vnto them of whome it is sayde a godly King or Prince ought as a stewarde and nourisher of the Church to haue regarde of the goods that remayne and especially to take heede that the goodes of the Church be not possessed of ydle bellies which neyther haue serued the Church at any time neyther doe serue it neyther are able to serue eyther it or the cōmon weale For as the Lorde aboue is the defender of other publike goods so is he also the defender of the goods of the Church And as it belongeth to the king if a citie doe bestowe the goodes of the treasure yll and amisse to prouide and see that they be more diligently and profitably bestowed so also doth it belong to Kings and Princes to haue a care of the goods of the Church that those things which haue hitherto serued superstition may nowe be applyed to their true vses But in the meane season let euery one take hede least that vnder a pretence of godlynes he conuert the goodes of the Church to riot and prophane vses 7 Be pacient therefore brethren vnto the comming of the Lorde Vpon the rebuking of rich men he bringeth in an exhortation to godly poore men that when they see what kynde of ende there shall be of them which abuse their riches in this lyfe they may rather paciently beare the present miseries then that they will desire the riches of rich men with perill of their saluation And this is the proposition of the exhortation Beholde the husbandman vvaiteth for the precious fruite of the earth and hath long pacience for it vntill he receyue the earely and the latter rayne 8 Be ye also pacient therefore and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lorde dravveth neare The first reason of the proposition is taken of the example of husbandmen Euen as husbandmen labouring in tilling and sowing their fieldes doe paciently looke for frute so the godly ought by pacience to looke for the ende of faith which is the saluation of their soules That is called former rayne which falleth in the Spring time the seede being nowe newly cast into the earth That is called latter rayne which falleth in the Autumne when the eares of corne are full whereby the graines do swell and are made bigger The reason of the calling thereof is bicause the whole time that the seede is in the ground is compared to one day y e beginning whereof is the Spring time and the ende the Autumne 9 Grudge not one against an other brethren least ye be condemned beholde the Iudge standeth before the doore The seconde reason taken from the punishment of impacience By the name of grudging is signified an inwarde complaynt which proceedeth from impacience To stand before the doore is to be neare at hande 10 Take my brethren the Prophets for an ensample of suffring aduersitie and of long pacience vvhich haue spoken in the name of the Lorde The thirde reason of the example of the Prophetes who though they did supplie the place of the Lorde in preaching the worde yet they were not free from affliction wherein they declared exceeding great pacience See the 11. Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrues 11 Behold vve count them blessed vvhich endure The fourth reason taken from thinges that are adiacent or adioyned one to an other They are sayde to be blessed which suffer Matth. 5. Therfore it behoueth vs patiently to suffer present afflictions But they are blessed two maner of wayes by feeling and by the euent or ende By feeling because they doe in deede vnder the Crosse feele the presence of God comforting them By euent or ende because they shal in deede be deliuered according to the promise of Christ Matth. 5. Ye haue heard of the patiēce of Iob and haue knovven vvhat ende the Lord made The fift reason taken of the ende of present remedies which he sheweth by propounding the famous example of holy Iob. Iob was afflicted aboue measure but the ende which the Lord gaue was most ioyfull For the time of affliction being ouercome he receyued cōfort and was gloriously deliuered from all his afflictions And so in our present troubles and miseries our eyes are to be fastened not so much vpon these miseries as vpon the ioyfull ende of them For the Lorde is very pitifull and mercifull The confirmation of the fift reason taken from the affection of God toward them which doe beare afflictions patiently in fayth Because oftentimes mention is made in the Scripture of the mercy of God and that for most iust cause and God is saide to be