then whether these be not the greatest and include not the rest They cannot deny but these are punishments due for sinne that the greatest also including all other If therefore the Scripture teach vs that Christ hath freed vs from these then it is euident that he hath freed vs from all Wherefore marke that it is thus written Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnatioÌ„ to those that are in Christ Gal 3.13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when he was made a curse for vs. If it were not thus that they that beleeue in Christ were assured that Christ had freed them both from all their sinnes and also from their penalty due therefore how coulde it be true that we read Rom. 5.1.2 that they that are iustified by faith haue peace with God through Christ accesse to his grace wherin they stand reâ—olce And if there were not yet enough done to satisfie the iustice of God why did Christ say giuing vp the ghost cosummatum est it is finished Ioh. 19.30 And why is the promise to al Gods children vttered in these wordes Ierem. 31.34 I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more Yea how can it stand with Gods iustice that hauing for-giuen to the beleeuer all his sinnes hee yet should punish him for them and cause him to satisfie for them Will God punish and driue to satisfaction where the cause is already taken away when he hath been satisfied at once already to the vttermost farthing as it is euident he hath beene in Chryst for al that beleue in him For other wyse Christ hauing taken vpon him to satisfie the iustice of his heauenlye Father shoulde not nor coulde not haue risen agayne ascended into heauen and sit at the right hand of his father Thereby it is euident that by his abasement he hath fully satisfied his father gone through with the work he took in haÌ„d is now able to apply the same to those the be his Yea but all this letteth not wil they say but that we may hold still that by our satisfactions God in part is satisfied seeing we graunt that they are made auailable satisfactions by Christes satisfaction Yea but that were yet to say that Christ purgeth his from their sinnes not by himself but by the helpe and sufferings of others the plaine contrary whereof wee reade Heb. 1.3 in these words He hath by himself purged our sinnes How say you then to manyfold afflictions and in the ende to death laid vppon them that beleeue say they I answeare that these are no satisfactions to God for sinnes already committed but they are his fatherly chastisements to admonish vs to repent vs of sinnes paste and to take heed of sinne hereafter And they are both occasions to them to exercise their vertues and to those that are without instructioÌ„s to take heed of going on in wickednes seeing the Lord so chastiseth his owne house And as for death the stinge thereof is taken away in respect of such soy howsoeuer it be remain the rewarde of sin to the vnbeleeuer yet to theÌ„ the beleeue it is but the last strok of the battel as the dore thorow which they passe froÌ„ this worlde full of misery to the next full of ioy and felicity It is a pitifull thing that of these they cannot tell what to make vnlesse they make them meanes to derogate from the most sufficient and infinite satisfaction made by Christ If the glory of Christ were deare vnto them as it ought they were perswaded as they should that he was both able willing to go thorow with the worke which he tooke in hand that is to be a perfect and a ful Sauiour in himselfe and by himselfe whatsoeuer they thought of theÌ„ they would not once dare to cause theÌ„ to encroch thus vpon his office Alas it is lighter then vanitie it selfe for them to say that by the vertue of Christ there is deserued for them that beleeue in him that eternall punishments due to theÌ„ should be turned into teÌ„porall y for his sake God will coÌ„tent himself with these For first it is a mere deuise of their owne head vtterly without warrant froÌ„ Gods reuealed wil in his word secoÌ„dly howe can it staÌ„d with any reason that he the for Christs sake wil forgiue the greater wil stick at the lesse that he that will forgiue the eternal punishment wil not for-giue the temporary And lastly what a toy is it to imagine that Christ tooke so much paines to satisfie the iustice of his heauenlye father to leaue the accomplishment thereof to the vncertainty of mens satisfactions And truely as you see by this that I haue said their vanity contrariety to the word writren in this particular pointe of their faith concerning remission of sinnes so if you will listen but a while you shall finde their fault as great in the next concerning their iustifying vp or making of themselues righteous by their owne righteousnesse done after faith Concerning which point you are to vnderstand dearly beloned that the quistyon betweene vs and them therein is not as they woulde make the woorlde beleeue whether Chryst be of power in them that beleeue aftertually to cause them to dye to sinne lyue to righteousnes For as you haue before hearde I haue already betermyned that vnlesse it be a faith arcâ—â—panyed with that power it is a deade and 〈◊〉 fayth And therefore wee as earnestlye 〈◊〉 them that beleue to bring forth fruits worthy of forth as they can doe for their lyues But herein lyeth the questyon whether fayth iustifye for the worke it bryngeth foorth or for Chrystes 〈◊〉 whom it apprehendeth and so whether wee may trust to these good fruites when wee haue brought them foorth as that the reby wee may thinke and beleue we are iustyfied before God 〈◊〉 maâ—ited to be saiâ—ed We say wee may not account other wyse of them then as of fruit as and â—â—â—rctes of out full iustification appreâ—â—â—ded in Christ seruing to the glory of God Mit. 5.16 and to testifie both to our seâ—â—â—â— and others that soluation is prâ—pâ—â—â—d for vs in Christ in heauen Iohn 13.35.2 Peâ— 1.5 And in no case â—arâ— we make them any cause eyther of our iustification or saluation But we say with Saint Barnard ser 1 de annâ—â—â—â—â—tione Mariâ— that thou canst not deserâ—e et â—â—â—all life by any woorkes 〈…〉 merites are not such that â—rerâ—all life 〈…〉 as that God shoulde doe man wrong if therefore he shoulde not giueÌ„ it for our good woorkes are Gods giftes and so for them wee are indebted to him and not hee to vs. They accompt of them as of a meritorious cause of their saluation and as of the formall cause of their iustification and therefore to that end they doe them and trust in them Wheras we hold that wee bee in the state of iustification onely for Chrysts sake apprehended by faith
Lorde The blessed state of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne that not onely immediatly after their death they shal rest from their labours and enter vppon their rewarde and so bee blessed but that also this their state is certaine without any falling backe from it and therefore still their reward is called life euerlasting in the scriptures And surely if this be their state immediatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of falling backe to worse then of the contrary it must needs follow that quite contrary immediatly after their death shal be the state and condition of al that die not in the Lord and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vnto a better What neede there then a general iudgement will some say I answere for two causes that the bodies thē may be restored to their soules againe that both the ioies of the faithful paines of the faithles to the ful manifestatiō both of gods mercy iustice may be cōsummate and ful that so god thē may outwardly solemnly iustify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt which imediatly before at euery mās death he had laid vpon them Lastly we are not to passe ouer or forget how our aduersaries the Papistes abuse this last clause of the text For they hearing that workes follow such thereupon inferre that works merit eternal blisse The abuse of this place therby to prooue that workes merite confuted Indeed hereupon it followeth as I haue noted before that none haue a right faith in Christ but those that haue also good works to accompany them whensoeuer they dye in the Lord which I would not haue forgotten But hereupon to gather that our workes merite heauen we may not For then they should go before our being in the Lord be a cause therof whereas here it is only sayde that they follow and accompany such Which it should seeme that Augustine had obserued li. de Fide operibus ca. 14. when he said that good workes goe not before iustification but they follow a man iustified Let them therefore followe in Gods name as a fruit of a man in the Lorde but let them not step before as a cause of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderstād that this argument is stark naught good workes shal be rewarded with heauēly blisse therefore they merite it Is no man rewarded but he which hath merited and deserued it first The heire when he commeth to his fathers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time yet hee hath not his inheritance for those his paines for then rather some seruant oftentimes should haue the inheritance but for that he was his fathers son heire before Euen so it is in this case we are born the sons of God by faith in Christ Ioh. 1.12 13. so coheires with him of heauen Rom. 8.17 thereby first and then follow good workes in vs not as a cause why we shal haue this inheritance but as a fruit effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vs. And yet when we come to the inheritance because it cōmeth after these our works after a sort we may say that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded yet we haue not that reward for our workes but for that we working so were the sons heires of God But for the better loosing of al such popish knots vnderstād that it is not al one to say good works shal be rewarded and to say good works haue merited that rewarde For there are rewards giuen of mercy and so is this as well as of debt and duty Rom. 4.4 Againe there is great ods betwixt these two questions who shal bee saued and why man shal bee saued To the former we answere the well worker to the latter only for Christs sake apprehended by faith And therfore take this for the conclusion we shal be iudged Secundū operum indicium non propter operum meritū according to the testimony y our workes giue of vs not for the merit of our workes For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9 We are saued by grace through faith that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast himself And yet this doctrine neither letteth nor staieth at al frō good works but is y◠only fountain indeed from whēce al true works do spring flow And therfore y◠Apo. Paul as you may obserue throughout al his epistles first laboreth to set down this doctrine then thereupon after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life the like course tooke Peter as you may see in his first epistle And yet these knewe how to prouoke to good works and in no case may be counted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to imbrace this doctrine effectually but therby he feeleth by experience his hart so enflamed with loue towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby displaied vnto him both in sauing him frō perishing and in thus freely preparing heauē for him that frō that loue of his there floweth riuers flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God wherin he walketh chearfully cōfortably But the Papists being bastards no lawful children of the Lorde beeing not assured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē of a slauish feare with a seruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe the good which they do Which indeed in matter maner of doing is such that though it carrye the shew of godlines yet it is not so indeede For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word but matter good inough with thē For a good worke is any thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of the elders or their own good intent Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as stincking in his sight Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 Co. 2.20 c. And as for their maner of doing it is like the Pharises ioyned with a conceit that therefore they may despise others trust to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works Which kinde of doing Christ hath cōdēned Mat. 6.1 Luk. 18.9 c. in forbidding vs to do our workes as the Pharisees did in sending home the proude Pharisee vniustified And therfore in very deed as they are without all true christian faith so are they without al true good works And therefore whosoeuer hath any thing to comfort himself by this place it is none of thē No doubt of it this noble mā whose body lieth here amongst vs to be encōbed though euen in outwarde shew of almes giuing other good works he ouermatched most merit mongers yet seeing he trusted only to the meries of Christ and neuer to his owne workes but did them only of loue and thankefulnesse towas his God is among those of whome it is here said Their workes accompany them and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof Whose example as wee that bee of the same faith are to followe that so with him we may bee in euerlasting remembrance both with God and good men as no doubt hee shall so it is an example to stoppe the mouths of the aduersaries that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion haue no good woorkes following them The secōd conclusiō Thus at last right honorable and dearely beloued we haue runne thorow this portiō of scrpture and considered both the generall and particular vse thereof And so first we haue heard how strongly it is warranted to conteine nothing but soūd truth namely that not whosoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny but whosoeuer is by a true a liuely faith vnited vnto Christ dieth in him which is neither a miraculous historicall temporarie dead or popish faith but a faith seeking and apprehending saluation onely in Christ Iesus shal thēceforth be blessed immediatly in resting from all woe in body and soule and in entring vppon possession of their euerlasting rewarde and then thereby more particularly we haue obserued that therefore the body riseth againe and that the soule is neither mortall nor sleepeth that there is no popish purgatory nor any thing that can be done by others for soules departed that can doe them any good to ease or better their estate and finally that though here bee offered vs great encouragement to good workes yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand All which doctrine and lessons our honourable friend here departed as I haue from point to point shewed you hath already found true by experience God of his mercy giue vs all grace so to set his example before vs that wee may so followe him that we may euery one of vs one day also to Gods glory and our own euerlasting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our selues This O Lorde we beseech thee to grant vs all for thy onely sonne Iesus Christes sake to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be all power honour might and maiestie nowe and for euer Amen September 22. An. Do. 1594. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs all now and euer to direct sanctifie and gouerne vs in all our waies works thoughts Amen FINIS
all nor any like hee not prefixed yet no doubt it is necessarily to be vnderstood â—he proâ—â—sition is â—iuersall For the propositioÌ„ being indefinit the latter part therof so vndoubtedly vnseparably belonging to the former as it doth it must needs be equiualent to an vniuersal proposition therefore all one in effect with this All they that dy in the Lord are blessed theÌ„ceforth besides the vsual maner of the scripture which is to set down vniuersal propositions indefinitely confirmeth the same as Ioh. 3.6 18. By the Lord is meant Christ And by the Lord we haue here to vnderstaÌ„d our Lord sauior Iesus whose vsual title in the scripture this is as Ro. 1.3 1. Co. 1.2 2. Cor. 1.3 yâ— worthily both for that he is our creator also redeemer What it is to die in the Lord. it is coÌ„fessed of al denied of none But what it is to dy in the lord here in this place al interpreters be not of one mind Some vnderstaÌ„d it generally of al those which die in the state of grace tauour of the Lord through a souÌ„d and right christian faith in him other some take it yâ— onely hereby Martyrs are meant therefore these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with word for word sound in the Lord they translate for the Lord or for the Lords cause Which later interpretatioÌ„ the papists best like of as appeareth in the Rhem. notes vpoÌ„ this place For the place so takeÌ„ say they it maketh not at al against our doctrine of purgatory For we neuer taught yâ— martyrs weÌ„t thither but haue alwaies confessed that such are immediatly after their death blessed Of whoÌ„ with Aug. sermone de verb. Apost 17. Cap. 1. wee say they haue alwaies said that he doth iniury to a martyr that praieth for a mâ—rtyr Wherfore it shal be very necessary to coÌ„sider whether of these interpretations is the rather in this place to bee followed They that folow the later vrge this as the only reason of their so doing that the circumstaunces of the place leades them to take it as spoken only to the comfort of those that through the tyranny of Antichrist shall loose their liues for the profession of the pure doctrine of Christ That it is spoken to the comforte of such yea and especially to the comforte of such I will easilie graunt but onely to the comfort of such and therefore onely of such I cannot in anie case think For no doubt of it the Lord hauing foreshewed vnto Iohn the fall of Antichristes kingdome and the maner how and consequently hauing let him in spirite foresee howe he woulde free and chafe against all those that beeing admonished by the Gospell shoulde fully seperate themselues from him to rest onely in and vpon Christ as he did thereupon foresee that he would raise cruell persecution against theÌ„ that through the feare thereof he mihgt reclaime them so hee without all peraduenture in spirite foresawe that no faire meanes or subtile perswasions would be omitted to heale vp the wound of the beast again withal that the saints of god should finde is as hard a matter to staÌ„d stedfast in Christ vnto their liues end against those assaultes as against the other that is his cruell persecutioÌ„ For daily experieÌ„ce teacheth that this way he preuaileth more a great deale than by the other And therefore if there were cause why these words of my text should be vttered recorded to animate incourage men in the time of persecution to stand stedfast in the truth against Antichrist there was as good cause why they shoulde bee so also to the streÌ„gthning of meÌ„ to liue die in the same truth what faire allurements subtil deuises or cuÌ„ning perswasioÌ„s soeuer were vsed to draw them froÌ„ the same So that as wel he is told here that he is blessed that dieth in his bed a right souÌ„d Christian faith notwithstanding these meanes vsed to him before to seduce him as hee that dieth in the fire for the profession of the same faith And yet though they haue it graÌ„ted them that the words especially concerne Martyrs yet vnderstanding the words generally they serue aswel to the coÌ„fort of them rather better than if they were true only in them For this argument followeth strongly whosoeuer dieth in the Lord that is in a right souÌ„d christian faith he is thenceforth immediatly blessed therfore martyrs who not only dye in the faith but for that faith Further who knoweth not that it is an vsuall thing in the scriptures in all other good learning to proue particulars by generals And therfore what reason is there to the contrary but that here to the comforting of them that dye for the Lord the blessed state generally of al that dye in the Lord should be set foorth wherein they might see themselues of al other vndoubtedly included Hereby then it appeareth that their reason of restraining the words to theÌ„ only that dye for the Lord is taken away therfore also the consequent which they wold infer therupon falleth to the ground Besides this diuerse reasons I haue which inforce me to vnderstand the woordes generally of all that die in the Lord when and wheresoeuer and they are these first it is somewhat harde to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Lorde for the Lorde Secondly when the circumstance coherence of the text wil wel suffer as in this place that it cary a sense to the generall coÌ„fort of Gods Church then vnnecessarily to restraine it to some sort of members therof only caÌ„not be but a fault For it is as it were a needlesse shrinking vp of the sinnews and pulling in of the armes of the holy scripture And lastly in the interpreting of scripture it is a rule greatly to be commended If the question of the sense arise vpon a phrase of speech as here it doth to consider the vse of the same or like phrase in other places of scripture and to take it in that sense that best agreeth with the vse therof in other places of scripture Now in this case we neither finde that to liue in the Lord or to die in the Lorde are taken in any other place for to liue or die for the Lordes sake but to dye in the Lorde to bee taken in this generall seâ— seâ— to depart this life in a sounde and right Christian faith wee finde elsewhere in the Scripture For 1. Thessal 4. where it is euident that the Apostle speaketh generally of all those that shal haue a ioyfull resurrection hee calleth them first those that sleepe in Iesus vers 14. after those that be dead in Christ verse 16. where it were absurd to restraine these phrases to those only that dy for Christs cause For it were to restrain the comfort of the generall resurrection only to such These and some other such like reasons as it should seeme haue
to beleeue that for his â—â—ly sake they shal not only be quit of al their sins the punishmeneâ— due for the same but that also God will vouchâ—â—â—â— to accouÌ„t theÌ„ righteous and woâ—â—thy or meet for the kingom of heauen for his righteousnes imputed vnto theÌ„ So that faith seeketh for the whol matter and cause to be saued by in Christ Iesus alone in him alone it findeth apprehendeth sufficient matter why the owner of it shold be iustified and saued The grouÌ„d of this faith in the coÌ„futation of the popish faith you haue heard already wherunto ad yet these 2 manifest places wherof the first is in the 10. of Ioh. 1. 7. where Christ flatly teacheth that he is the only dore into Gods sheepfold that so earnestly that he pronouÌ„ceth theÌ„ all theeues robbers that seek to get in any other way The other is in the 4. of the Act. 10.12 where we read that Peter boldly before the high Priests and their company in a solemne assembly sayth Be it knowen vnto you all to all the people of Israell that there is saluatioÌ„ in no other but in Iesus of Nazareth For amoÌ„g meÌ„ there is giueÌ„ no other naÌ„e vnder heaueÌ„ wherby we must be saued The which 2 places if there wer no more to be fouÌ„d through out the whole scripture were sufficient to put vs out of all doubt that there is no part of saluation to be looked for but only in through and for Iesus Christ And therfore the greater is the iudgment of God vppon the Church of Rome which notwithstanding these places will yet seeke for some part of the cause of their saluation by their owne satisfactions and merites But 〈◊〉 to whom the Lord hath giuen grace to see the glorious riches which hee hath prepared for vs in this his son hereby may be assured the seeing there lacketh in Christ neither ablenesse nor willingnes to be such a one that wtout all wauering wee may he bold to beleeue that God as both able and willing freely fully soly wholy to iustifie vs here and to glorifie vs elswhere for this his sons sake alone Which persuasion grounded vpoÌ„ this and other such groundes in the Scripture before touched is that which I boldly affirme vnto you to be the faith that indeede maketh vs to be in the Lord so ready to dye in the Lorde I exhort you therfore as many as be desirous to dye in the Lord to seeke in time by this sayth to liue in the Lord. Remember that it is the Lordes gift that by the ordinary means of the word preached Gal. 5. Ro. 10.14 1. Cor. 1.21 And therfore if you would haue it and hauing it once reteyne and keepe it you must diligently seeke it at the Lords hands by the vse of this means and that while the Lord doch offer the means vnto you least as he threatneth Pro. 1.24.26 Because he called ye refused he will laugh at your destructioÌ„ mock when your fear commeth Do not defer off the seeking for it and the streÌ„gthening of it vntil old age come If you wil do in it you must learne to liâ—â— in iâ— first and there is no reason yâ— you should spend the strength of your dayes in vanity ignorance misbeliefe and infidelity in the seruice of 〈◊〉 in the and 〈◊〉 these things are weary of you to think that it is enough to serue God with your old dry rotten bones God neuer liked to be serued with the lame blinde and maimed of the flock but the strong lusty vnblemished hee alwaies called for Mal. 1.8 13. And therfore let euery one in his youth time of his streÌ„gth remeÌ„ber his creatour turn vnto him Ec. 12.1 A briefe report testimony of the Earle of Bedfords life and death Of this fayth and early and timely seeking for it this noble person whose funeral and burrall we are now about hath bin a noble example vnto vs. For we know that not only in his later daies in her Maiesties time that now is when to be of this fayth was and hath bin safe and commendable vnto him but also before when to shewe himselfe of this fayth was daungerous to his liuing and honour he hath shewed himselfe in his life a zealous and constant professor and confessour of this faith vsing al good means both priuatly and publikely to nourish it by the diligent vse of the means aforesayd I my selfe haue bin both an eye witnesse and an eare witnesse that both in respect of his sins he had infallible tokens of a very broken and contrite hart and thought as baselye of himselfe in respect of himselfe as a true penitent man should and that yet casting his eyes vpon Gods mercyes towards such in Christ noâ—â—aÌ„ could be more comforted and râ—ysed vp agayne Notwithstanding he was as free from the common corruptions of the world wherinto â—eâ— of his place are greatly assaulted and prouoked to fall and as ful of loue and charity and all the fruites thereof as lightly amongst men any can be found yet this I canne testifie of him and I thinke so canne all that knew him and were acquainted with him that he was neuer the more puffed vppe with any conceyt of his own righteousnes yea though his course of life and dealing with all men were such that he had got this title commonly in the mouthes of al The good Earle of Bedforde yet stil his cry was that only in Iesus Christ and his merites was all his hope and trust concerning his saluation And truely as he liued in this faith in this sort so to the glory of his God al our good exaÌ„ple and his own euerlasting comforte hee dyed constantly in the same And therefore as they that were most about him can testifie a litle before his death in this his last sicknesse out of the abundance of his heart and fayth that was lodged therein hee vttered these words with great comfort Satan is cheyned Satan is cheyned The seede of the woman hath broken the serpentes head The seede of the woman hath broken the serpents head Euen for mee Euen for mee And a little before his death he ioyned in prayer with a godly Minister whom hee kept in his house for the watering of himself and his family from time to time with the water of life vnto the Lorde most earnestly and made in his hearing after some good comfort giuen him by him a notable sweete and Christian confession of his fayth in God the father God the son and God the holy Ghost shewing how fully he hoped to be saued in and for Iesus Christs sake alone coÌ„cluding in the end thus Thus I beleeue with my heart to iustification confesse with my mouth to saluation and so quietly within a very litle space after gaue vppe the Ghost I dare therefore be bolde to place him within the number of them that here in my text the