sauiour testifieth of them saying in vaine doe they worshippe me teaching for doctrines mens precepts And the Lord by his Prophet sayeth who hath required these things at your handes But such we commende vnto the people as are prescribed vnto vs of God in his holy worke As it is saide What works are good Deut. 6 5 Thou shalt kéepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God Deut. 12. and thou shalt put nothing thereto neither shalt thou take any thing there from neither shall ye goe there from either to the right hande or to the left Ye shall not doe euery man what séemeth good in his owne eyes And therefore as S. Paul saith Rom. 12. Ephe. 5. wee exhort men to prooue what is the will of God acceptable and perfect which is in déede the reasonable seruice of God and besides the which all other seruings are vnreasonable For looke whose workes we doe his seruants we are if we doe the works of mans inuention then are we the seruants of men but and if we doe the workes which God hath required then are we the seruants of God Now touching the workes which God would haue vs to walke in some of thē are specified by our Sauiour saying Whē I was hungry ye gaue me meat Mat. 25. whē I was a thirst ye gaue me drinke when I was naked ye clothed me in prison and sicke ye visited me c. And by the Prophet Esay Esay 1. saying Cease to do euill learne to doe good séeke iudgement reléeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles and defend the widow Likewise the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. 3. Be ye all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be curteous not rendring euill for euill neither rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that ye are thereunto called 1. Pet. 2. that ye should be heires of blessing And in another place Lay aside all malice guile dissimulation enuie and euill speaking To be briefe therefore these such like are the workes which the holy Apostle haue taught christian people to bee conuersant in loue ioy Gal. 5. peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse fayth méekenesse and temperancie Concerning which vertues whiles our Popish doctors in these later dayes haue incombered themselues much about the workes of their owne inuentions they haue scarsely so much as once thought vpon them And not this onely but also that which is more absurd they ascribe the goodnesse of their workes to the power of mans fréewill or to the habit of vertue or strēgth of nature c. Wheras in old time men were taught to ascribe all the dignitie worthines of their workes to the faith of Christ For this is the nature office propertie of faith The nature of faith not only to reconcile vs to God by procuring vnto vs through the mediation of Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes and so to iustifie vs before God in heauen but also here in earth by renuing our hearts to bring foorth good workes and to make the same workes acceptable in the sight of God which otherwise through the infirmitie and corruption of our nature were impure and execrable in his sight For whatsoeuer is not of faith Rom. 14. Heb. 10. is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God To this effect our Sauiour saith Make the trée good and his fruit good For like as an euill trée cannot bring forth good fruit it may bring foorth faire fruites and such as to the eye may séeme good but when they come to the triall of the taste then it appeareth they are nothing lesse euen so an euill man such as all men are by nature and without faith cannot bring forth good works he may well bring forth such workes as may séeme faire and good but when they shall come to the tryall of the Lords taste they shall be found vnsauerie Paul before his conuersion liued after the strict maner of the Pharisées and did many faire and goodly workes yet had he no good works in déed before the grace of Christ had rooted faith in him The efficient cause of good works As touching the efficient or formall cause therefore of good workes next vnder God there is no other but faith For as a man séeth and féeleth by faith the loue and grace of God towards him in Christ his sonne so beginneth hee to loue againe both God and man and to doe for his neighbour as God hath done for him Whereunto Saint Augustine beareth witnes in these words saying August super Ioani ē Like as in the roote of the trée there appeareth no shew of beauty and yet whatsoeuer beautie or comelinesse is in the trée it procéedeth from the roote so from the roote of fayth as from a foundation procéedeth whatsoeuer merite or beautie the soule shal receyue Thirdly whereas the word of God doth not only teach men that their good works are euer vnperfect therefore are so farre from iustifying them that they haue néede dayly to pray vnto God that he may remit their imperfections The end vse of good workes Mat. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 2. Tim. 1. 2. Cor. 9. Heb. 10. but also that we are to doe good workes to set forth Gods glory to assure our consciences of our election to exercise our faith to relieue our neighbours and to prouoke others by our example to do the like They contrarily and most falsely teach men not only to doe good workes to the ende they may be iustified by them in the sight of God saying Tho. Aqui. Hosius in a. tom confes cap. 1. that Christ suffered for originall sinne or sinnes going before baptisme but the actuall sinnes which follow after baptisme must be done away by mēs merits so assigne vnto Christ the beginning of saluation or obteining of the first grace as they call it but the perfection or consummation therof they ascribe to workes and our strength against the truth of holy Scripture saying There is no remission of sinnes without blood Heb. 9. 1. Iohn 1. and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Also that man being holpe by grace is able not only to doe all that the law requireth but more also And hereof come the workes of supererogation contrarie not onely to that principle of holy Scripture which sayth 1. Iohn 1. If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs but also to the institution of Christ who hath not onely commanded but also taught his whole church and euery member of the same continually to pray saying Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus they derogate frō the benefite of Christ and attribute vnto works a great or the greatest part of our iustification directly against the veine of S. Pauls doctrine and first institution of the auncient Church of Rome and against all the principles of holy Scripture The tenth Chapter
as may appeare not onely by the decrée of Boniface the eight wherein he commaundeth euery man vpon paine of damnation not onely to beléeue but also to be subiect to the primacie or supreme authoritie of the Bishope But also by that they doe euery where burne those for heretikes which acknowledge not the same The seuenth Chapter Howe the Bishops of Rome in olde time were subiect to ciuill Magistrates AND as in olde time the Bishops of Rome kept themselues within the bounds limits of their own prouince and precinct so were they also as wel as all other ecclesiastical persons subiect to their Emperors lawful magistrates yea and that not onely in causes ciuill but also in ecclesiasticall gouernement Gregorius surnamed Magnus was subiect to Mauritius called him Lord saying you were then my Lord when you were not Lorde of the whole Empire Gregor ad Mauritium August lib. Epist 3. Epist 61. behold Christ himselfe shall make you answer by me which am his most simplest seruant and yours And before him Eleutherius his predecessor bishop of Rome writing to Lucius king of this realme calleth him by the name of Christs vicar Boniface also the first by humble supplication obteined of Honorius his Emperour that a lawe was established none should be made Bishop of Rome by ambition Dist 97. ca. Ecclesiae ca. Victor Iustinian also Emperour of Rome ordeined and constituted many wholesome lawes for the ordering and gouernement of the Cleargie as that no Bishop or Priest should excommunicate any man before his cause were knowen and proued to be such as for the which the auncient Canons of the Church woulde him to be excommunicate And if any should otherwise procéed contrarie to the same then the excommunicate person to bée absolued by an higher degree and the excommunicator to be sequestred from the Communion 24. q 3. cap. dc illicita so long as it should be thought méete by him that had the execution thereof c. Besides these many other such like examples if it were not to auoyde tediousnesse might be inferred But séeing the question groweth to this issue whether the Bishops of Rome ought by the diuine law of Gods word to be subiect to their lawful magistrates or not we will omit and cease to heape vp a multitude of examples out of mās law and produce a fewe witnesses out of the worde of God And first of all Christ our Sauiour did not onely commaund his disciples to giue their alleageance to Cesar but also himselfe paide tribute And the Apostle Paul writing to the ancient Romanes saith Rom. 13. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers vnder whose obedience neither Pope Cardinall Patriarch Bishop Priest Frier nor Monke is excepted nor exempted Theophil as Theophilactus expounding the same place declareth saying Hee teacheth all sorts whether he be Priest or Monke or else Apostle that they should submit themselues vnder their Princes And S. Augustine writing ad Bonifacium sayeth in such like sort Whosoeuer refuseth to obey the lawes of the Emperour which make for the veritie of God incurreth the danger of great punishment Aug. contra Cresco lib. 3 cap. 5. Also writing vnto Cresconium hee hath these wordes Kings according as it is inioyned them of God doe serue God in that they are kings if they in their kingdome commaund those things that be good and forbid things that be euill such as appertaine not onely to humane societie but also to Gods religion Vnder the olde Testament were not the Priests and Leuites subiect to the ciuill Magistrates yea euen in matters of Ecclesiasticall gouernement when king Dauid disposed them into foure and twentie orders or courses appointing them continually to serue in the ministerie 1. Para. 23. 24. 25 euery one in his proper order and turne as came aboute And when good king Ezechias renued the same institution of the Cleargie being decayed 2. Para. 31. 2. Parapo Chap. 31. But the Byshop of Rome at this day with his shaued Cleargie can not in anie kinde abide to bée ordered or disposed by any and therefore iudge good Christian Reader whether wée or they in this respect come nearer vnto the auncient constitution of the Primitiue Church The eight Chapter Of iustification NOw as we haue heard how the ancient Bishops in former time neither exempted themselues frō subiection to their lawful magistrates nor chalenged vnto themselues any vniuersall iurisdiction ouer others so let vs also in other points of their religion doctrine compare them with the first and primitiue time and we shall most plainly sée they are altogether vnlike vnto themselues And here to begin with the article of iustification first the blessed Apostles thēselues in al their writings and namely Paul the doctor teacher of the gentiles setteth forth no other meanes for iustificatiō or remission of sinnes but only faith aprehending the body or person of Christ Iesus crucified For as there is no way into the house but by the doore so is there no comming to God but by Christ alone which is by fayth And as the mortall bodie without bodily sustenance of bread and drinke can not but perish so the spirituall soule of man hath no other refreshing but only by faith in the bodie blood of Christ Iesus And for this cause it is saide To him doe all the Prophets witnesse that through his name Acts. 10. all that beléeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Hee that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. and be that obeyeth not the sonne Ephes 2. shal not sée life but the wrath of God abideth on him For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God When the kéeper of the prison at Philippos asked Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saued they answered him Acts 16. saying Beléeue in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued With this Charge and to this end our Sauiour sent foorth his disciples into all the world saying He that beléeueth and is baptised shal be saued but he that will not beléeue shall bee damned So Paul witnesseth that hee was called and sent of God to call the people to repentance that they might receyue forgiuenesse of sinnes Acts 16. and inheritance among them which are sanctified by fayth in Christ Thus the Apostles preached and thus were the olde Romanes to whom Paul sent a worthie Epistle notably deciding this question taught Acts. 10. The same did Cornelius a Romane and first that was baptised of all the Gentiles learne of Peter when he receiued the holy Ghost not by his own workes which he did according to the lawe but onely by hearing the fayth of Iesus preached And in this faith and doctrine not only the Church of Rome but the whole congregation of Gods people continued many yéeres as more plainely may appeare by the
testimonies of these ancient fathers Ambros li. 5. de orat Ambrose sayth it is not the lawe but the faith of Christ that congregateth the Church for the lawe is not of faith but the iust by fayth shall liue It is fayth therefore and not the law that iustifieth for righteousnesse commeth not by the law but by the fayth of Christ and he that refuseth fayth and prescribeth the workes of the law Ambros de vita beata lib. 1. cap. 6. declareth himselfe to be vnrighteous for the iust by fayth doth liue And the same father in another place sayth This is that which profiteth me namely that we are not iustified by the works of the law therefore I haue not wherein I may glorie or boast in my workes and for this cause I will glory in Christ I will glory not for that I am iust but for that I am redéemed not for that I am without sin but for that my sinnes are forgiuen me not for that I haue profited any or any hath profited me but for that I haue an Aduocate with the father euen Christ that shed his blood for mée Cyprian de passione domini Saint Cyprian writing vpon the passion of Christ sayth The gift could doe more than the transgresson and grace more then sinne for grace through the benefite of loue hath fréely without any merite absolued vs that were bound with the debt of condemnation Origen lib. 3 in epist ad Romanos Origen also vpon these words of the Apostle We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the lawe sayth The iustification of faith onely is sufficient so that if a man beléeue onely he is iustified albeit no worke as yet hath bene fulfilled by him and so hee alledgeth the example of the théefe August super Psal 70. Augustine vpon the 70. Psalme sayth The grace of God wherby we are fréely saued with out any our merits is commended in this Psalme And a little after Séeing then we are deliuered not by our merits but by his grace let vs praise him vnto whom we owe our selues wholy whatsoeuer we be Hiero. ad Galat. 4. Hier. writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians saith that neither Moses nor any other famous man amōg the ancient fathers could be iustified before God by the law Gregor super Ezech. Hom 7. Gregorie vpō Ezechiel sayth Let vs not trust in our wéepings nor in our workes but in the allegation of our Aduocate who liueth and reigneth with the father in the vnitie of the holy spirite Fulgentius Fulgentius saith the God crowneth in his saints that righteousnesse which he gaue thē fréely and wil preserue fréely and will fréely make perfect Maxentius saith Maxentius we verely beléeue that from Adam to this day none hath bene saued by the strength of nature but through the gift of the grace of the holy spirite in the fayth of the name of Iesus for there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen c. Item all the faithfull from Abel vnto Christ as many as haue beene saued haue béene saued by the same grace whereby we are saued Chrysost in serm de fide lege naturae Chrysostome fayth I can shew thée a faithfull man who without his good déedes both liued and obteyned the kingdome of heauen but none without faith hath had life c. And least here thou shouldest say hee wanted time c. I will not contende with thée herein but this one thing I dare boldly say that fayth onely by it selfe did saue him Basil in cōtione de humilitate Basile likewise saith this is perfect true glorying in God when any is extolled not for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledging him selfe to be void of true righteousnesse is iustified by fayth onely in Christ Bernard orat prim omnium sanctorum And finally Bernard sayth What can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not bee as the Prophet sayth like a menstruous cloth And if it should bée strictly iudged all our righteousnesse should bée found vnrighteous What then shall become of our sinnes séeing our righteousnes is not able to answer for it selfe Therefore let vs earnestly cry with the prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with all humilitie let vs flée vnto that mercie which onely is able to saue our soules By these testimonies gentle reader thou maist soone perceiue what was the iudgemēt of the godly learned in old time touching iustification And in this faith the Bishops of Rome with their Romanists should still remaine if they were such ancient Catholiks as they pretend and if they would follow the olde mother Church of Rome and hold the first liquour wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor sent of that liquor is now cleane put out through other vnsauerie infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no taste nor péece remaineth of al that primitiue doctrine which Saint Paul and other Apostles planted among the Gentiles The ninth Chapter Of good workes ALbeit the godly fathers in auncient dayes as hath beene in the former Chapter sufficiently declared nowhere could find any sure cōfort for the soule or rest peace of conscience with God the Lord but through grace and swéete promises of God giuen to mankind in Christ Iesus his sonne Yet notwithstanding they were not only abundātly fruitfull in good workes themselues but also most vehement and earnest in calling vpon all true faithfull people to serue the Lord in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life as by their liues and sermons may sufficiently appeare For to this end are we elected created called and fréely iustified to do all such good works as God hath prepared for vs to walke in Hereunto tend many exhortations both of Christ and his Apostles and also of the Apostolicall fathers which succéeded them not onely by order of place but also veritie of doctrine The like example of whose teaching if we doe not now folow let our sermōs preachings writings exhortations and liues also beare record For although we exclude good works from the office of iustifying yet we exclude them not from the practise and conuersation of Christian life but most earnestly call vpō all the faithful in Christ to walke worthie their vocation to lay downe their old conuersation to giue their members seruants of righteousnesse to offer their bodies to God a liuely sacrifice c. In déed we do not after the maner of our new found Romanes set foorth for good works the deuices of men as prayer for the dead going of pilgrimage to dumbe idoles reckoning vp of a certaine number of prayers to some certaine Saints giuing of rewards or building of Monasteries for to pull soules out of Purgatorie and such like which because they neitheir haue commandement nor promise in the worde of God Matt. 15. our
written against vs in decrées and hath nailed it vpon the crosse triumphing ouer all c. So that as the kingdome of Christ first began vpon the crosse euen so vpon the same crosse and at the same time the kingdoome of the lawe expired and the malediction of the lawe was so crucified vpon the crosse that it shall neuer rise againe to haue any power against them that be in Christ Iesus For like as a woman when her first husband is dead being nowe maried vnto another is quite discharged from her first husband euen so we being espoused to our seconde husbande Christ are vtterly discharged from our first husband the law Rom. 7. Rom. 6. and are no more vnder the law that is vnder the dominion malediction of the law but vnder grace that is vnder perpetual remissiō of all sinnes committed not only before baptisme but also after baptisme during all our life long For therein properly cōsisteth the grace of God in not imputing sin vnto vs so often as the repenting sinner rising vp by faith flieth vnto christ Psal 31. Acts 10. apprehendeth Gods mercie remission promised in him This difference of the law and the Gospel as it is necessarie cōfortable for troubled consciences to be well instructed in the same so is this later Church of Rome much to blame in this behalfe because it confoundeth togither these two being in nature so diuers and contrarie one from the other imagining the Gospel to be nothing els but a new law giuen by Christ binding to the promises therof the condition of our doings deseruings no otherwise then to the olde law and so diuided they the whole after this distinctiō into thrée parts to wit the law of nature the law of Moses and the law of Christ And as for the Gospel they say it was reuealed for no other cause but to shewe to the world more perfect precepts and counsailes then were in the olde law to the fulfilling whereof they attribute iustification and so leaue the poore cōsciences of men in perpetuall doubt and induce other manifold errours bringing the people into a false beléefe of Christ as though he were not a remedy against the law but came as another Moses to giue a new law vnto the world The xiij Chapter Of freewill FOr the better vnderstanding of this question we are to consider three estates or conditions of man in this world The first of his creation in respect wherof man was a most frée creature for hee was created according to the image of God to whom nothing is more agréeable than true or perfect fréedome and libertie and albeit he were in his first estate subiect not onely as Angels and all other creatures were subiect to the will seruice of God whose seruice is fréedome it selfe but also to some kinde of necessitie as namely to eate drinke and such like yet was he frée from all calamities which might bring death Hauing his will frée not onely in respect of all coaction or forcing to that which was euill but also in respect of all retraction impediment or withholding frō that which was good So that by his creation as there was nothing in him that might drawe or force him to will that was euill so was there nothing that might retract withdraw or hinder him from willing and also performing that was good And therefore in respect of this estate it is written of him that God had crowned him with glory and honour And in Ecclesiasticus we reade Eccles 15. that God at the beginning made man and left him in the hand of his counsell and gaue him his commandements and precepts c. he set fire and water before him that he might stretch out his hand to which he would August de nouo cant cap. 8. Which place August expounding of Adam saith God left him in the hand of his counsel that is he made him frée both in counsel and abilitie or ablenesse and power of counsell that hee might after his owne will either choose the good and refuse the euil or els refuse the good and choose the euill c. And hereof hee giueth this reason August de liber arbit cap. 2. saying God gaue vnto man in his creation fréedome of will that he might declare his goodnesse and iustice towards him goodnes if he had done right but the seueritie of iustice if he did euill The second estate or condition of man is in respect of his fall By the which fall as August witnesseth August in Ench ad Laurent ū cap. 30. man lost both himselfe and his frée will For when sinne in the conflict had gotten the maistrie it brought man into seruitude and bondage For although in respect of ciuill and mortall actions there remaineth in man a naturall knowledge and power of will yet euen therein men find and proue great difficultie in themselues whiles furious iust resist morall rectitude entisements and pleasures prouoke their sences Satan with wicked councellours dayly vrge and enforce them and God by his wonderfull prouidence disposeth their councels to a farre other end then they had purposed For as Ieremie saith Mans way is not in his owne power neither can he direct his owne goings Yet concerning those workes which are good workes in déede and may bee pleasing and acceptable to God man by nature hath no fréedome and libertie of will For such woorkes as appertaine vnto the seruice of God and so may bée acceptable and approoued in his sight depende vpon these two pointes namely knowledge and appetite affection or desire both which are wanting in man by nature And first touching knowledge Notwithstanding all men by nature haue in them a certaine fourme of knowledge reason and vnderstanding yet concerning those thinges which belong either to his owne saluation or to the setting foorth of Gods glory the Apostle saith the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 3. whereof we haue a singular example in Nicodemus a man not onely indued with good gifts of nature but also furnished with the helpe of art yet when he heard our sauiour intreating of the misteries of God stood as a man amased vnderstanding nothing And if by nature as you sée wee are rude ignorant of the things that appertein vnto God how shal we then or howe can wee either fréely will or rightly performe that wee knowe not Nowe secondly for our naturall appetite affection will and desire True it is that all men by nature haue in them an appetite affection will and desire For as Augustine witnesseth Agust lib. 3 Hypognost Omni creaturae inest illa volūtas qua appetitur quod placet declinatur quod displicet That is euery humane creature hath in himselfe a will whereby he desireth that hee liketh and fléeth that he disliketh But how this will or appetite of the natural man that is the man vnregenerate