reward giuen for of good conscience by right and iustice he deserueth somwhat euen of dutie Therfore if hee wrought any thing in this matter of the cause of his owne saluation he deserueth then somewhat euen of dutie to the obteyning of his owne saluation Neither let the Scholemen go so gingerly to worke with theyr threefolde distinction of deseruyng Merito digni condigni congrui by the merite of dignitie condignitie congruitie descanting by which of these three they shoulde make their clayme least they shoulde seeme to attribute too muche to manne A good playne fellowe that coulde scarse vnderstand these quaint termes what woulde he thynke hearing of desert but that it is plain debt and dutie ▪ Yea what could he thinke otherwise and why should he not clayme for his due somuch as he deserued for his worke And doth not saint Paul here without any such nicenesse go as plain ly to the matter and saye if it be of worke it is of duetie And againe Dignus est operarius mercede sua The workman is worthy of his rewarde He must be payde it he is worthy of it it is his dutie daly not with him in termes muche lesse tell hym it is free gift it proceedeth of gracious fauour of mere loue curtesy Thou liest it is his own euen of dutie he hath earned it wel and truly and therfore it is not gift nor fauour nor loue ▪ nor curtesy nor free nor grace but euen playn debt and dutie And shal we now say that of dutie we deserue heuen or deserue some part of our saluation of dutie that God is in our debt This were Iacke sauce in dede to claime debt of God to chalenge God of dutie but thou must nedes do thus if thou puttest in workes for any part of the cause of thy saluation Neither canst thou delude god on this wise by ioyning these two together as who shoulde saye thou wilt not ascribe all to thy selfe lyke the priest at Masse but like a good felow let God haue som part with the. Ha sut◅le foole Sim suttle deceued himself Thinkest thou thus to mo◅k God Thou mayst so bleare and deceiue a blinde Papist But Deus non irridetur God is not mocked no nor any that hearken to S. Paule that sayth These two can not be ioyned togither The olde bottell wyll holde no new wine the olde coate will not be pieced with new cloth for so the rent is worse so the bottels are burst and the wine is spilt This is an busit matche of mans workes and Gods grace in the cause of our saluation This is worse than Iugum ducere cum infidelibus To drawe the yoake with infidels This were euen Christe and Belial together For what is man but the child of Belial before God geue him his grace and wylte thou ioyne mans works and the grace of God togither to be cause of thy saluation nay S. Paule hath sued such a diuorce alredy betwene these two that if thou wilte haue grace to be a doer grace must be all the doer farewel works If thou wilt bring in works adiew fauor grace is clean gone These two cānot be ioyned together in the causes of saluation For sayth S. Aug. Si vllis bonis meritis datur iam non gratis datur sed debita redditur ac per hoc non vero nomine gratia nuncupatur vbi mer ces c. If it be geuen for any good merits then is it not geuē free but is of duty rendred and hereby it is not called grace by a true name sith that as the same apostle sayth reward is accompted not after grace or fauor but by debt But if that it may be fauor that is to say free it findeth nothyng in man whereunto it may be rightly indebted whiche is also truely vnderstode that is said Euen for nothing shalte thou make them safe then truly fauor giueth merites fauour is not giuen for merits then fauor goeth before faith it selfe from whom all works haue their beginning To conclude therefore as it commethe not by works alone nor chiefly so not ioyntlye neither with the fauoure and loue of God neither in partnor parcell nor any whyt by works at all for if it shoulde grace is expelled challenge is made of duty debt is claimed reioising is made but not with god but it commeth all of fauor Gratia saluati estis yee are saued by grace challenge dare not be made of dutie Dimitte nobis debita no◅tra Forgiue vs our deseruings Debt is damnation Nobis cō fusio faciei Unto vs belōgeth confusion of our faces Vbi est igitur gloriatio tua ▪ exclusa est Per quam legem factorum non s◅d per legem fidei arbitramur enim iustificari hominem per fidem absque operibus legis Where is then thy reioicing It is excluded By what lawe of workes No But by the law of Faith. Therfore wee deeme that a man is iustified by Faith without the workes of the lawe If then workes are thus by S. Paul in the matter of Iustification thrust clean out of the dores by the heade and shoulders shall wee suffer the Papists to bring them in and shoulder out grace and the fauour of God in the cause of his election and of our saluation But needes wyll the Papistes ioyne these two that can not be ioyned the merits of man and the fauour or loue of god Now syth they will needes ioyne them together whether wer it fitter to haue the better ende of the staffe to be the greater cause of the twain the cause proceding from god or the cause proceeding from man a reasonable man would think say without any studie for the matter surely the greater cause is in god Were he not then vnresonable and too too wicked that durst affirm the greater cause of our saluation to be in man Well what say the Papists to this question Man shal be saued why so Bicause God loues him as ye haue alredy proued yea but answere me precisely to this point wherfore thinkest thou God loues him Forsoth bicause that eyther he is a good man a iust man a vertuous man a man that loueth and feareth God or bicause he foreseeth he shuld so be and therfore he loueth him Why then mās goodnes is the cause of Gods loue But Vnumquodque propter quid illud magis Euery thing loke wherfore it is done and the thing wherfore it is done is greater than the thing that tendeth thereto I eate my meate wherefore To nourishe my bodye then is the nourishement of my bodye a greater cause than my meat as sayth Saint Paule Esca ventri The meate is made for the belly and not the bellie for the meate I take Physicke when I am sicke wherfore to recouer my health the r◅couery then of my health is greater than phisicke I laye mee downe to slepe why so to rest
thyng for the abuse Thys doctryne beeyng ryghtlye vsed is so farre from anye inducemente to dispayre or presumption that it is the moste excellente Triacle that canne bee receyued to expell the vyolence of bothe these poysons there is no suche medicine but maye bee so euell geuen or taken that it maye worke a contrarye effect but take the medicine as it should be taken and no wise or learned man wil disalow it The Corinthians dyd so vnworthely receaue the Lordes Supper that they eate and dranke theyr owne damnation And for this cause many were sick and weake among them and many died shal none therfore receaue it yea shall it not be offered to all so many abuse this doctrine of Gods election and reprobation euen to their owne damnation shall we not therfore receaue it at al yea had not all the more daunger the more nede to knowe howe to receyue it rightly The Papists snatche at the ensamples of those that haue hurt them selues by it and alledge gladly against vs what inconueniences may ensue hereof but they tell not of the good that coÌ„meth of it and howe many are confirmed in their faith therby where as the euyl is not of this doctrine but of the diuell and their abusage Euen as Christe him selfe is an offence and stomblyng blocke an occasion of warre and persecution not of himself but by the wickeds not taking or mistaking of him This doctrin rightly taughte and so receaued firste sheweth vs what of our selues we be children of wrathe enimies of God an heape of sin deseruers of damnation and euen a worlde of wickednesse we are the worlde This consideration is terrible and woulde bring vs in deede to desperation if it wente no further but it goeth further it sheweth vnto vs the comfortable sight of Gods mercie that hath taken vs out of the world and made vs inheritours of another worlde Neither that this matter hangs in doubt but is already certainely doone and ratified in the booke of life Gods eternall purpose that cannot be changed Nowe for me to doubte that cannot be changed now for me to doubtewhether I am one of this choise number or no I haue no sutche cause lest of all to thinke I am one of the reprobate and so dispaire I learne no sutch thinge by this doctrine neither ought I to iudge my self at all mutch lesse before the time of iudgemeÌ„t come and then let Chryst be my iudge in the meane time I haue good cause to hope the beste where I know not the worste for I haue Christ on my side if he be with vs who can be against vs Christ iustifieth who can condemne And for warrant of Christ I haue his word and Sacramentes I heare them and receaue them And Christ hath sayde Qui ex Deo est Verba Deâ—… audit propterea nos non auditis quia ex Deo noÌ„ estis In whiche wordes he not only comforteth me by an infallible token that I heare his word which reprobates doo not but also confirmeth my fayth in this Article that I heare it bycause I am of god I am not of God bicause I heare it for then myghte I haue cause to doubte if my beeing of God depended on my hearyng but my beeyng of God is grounded on him and therof springeth my obedience of hearing his worde to bee a witnesse to confirme me that I am of god Yea I â—…ecken so muche the more that I am of God that the diuel tempteth me to despaire He saith to me Thou art of the number of the damned and although in the secrete iudgements of God he know no more than I knowe no nor so mutche bycause I feele Gods spirite testifying to my spirite the assurance of Gods fauour Yet bicause he assayleth me with this most sharpe temptation I knowe he is mine enimie and he being mine enimie I know I am none of his I am Gods betweene whome and Belial there is no conuention but enimitie and tentation Now then he thus assayling me as I feare him not being in the hande of Christe and thence can not hee nor all the diuels in hell fetche me I reason boldely out of the hande of Christe that the diuel my tempter is a lier and was from the begynnyng chiefely when hee speakethe his owne but this is his owne when he sayth I am damned from whence hath he it he is not Gods counsellour therfore it is his owne deuise euen therfore it is a lie and it being a lye it foloweth then am I the elect childe of God to be saued And thus his temptation driueth not me to desperation but makes me so much the more surer of my saluation But now that the diuell can not doo by desperation he assayeth by presumption For euen thus he assaulted Iesus Christ first to driue hym to dout whether he were the sonne of God in his fauour or no and to make him feare that he should perish Wherin when he preuayled not but was ouerthrowne euen by this confidence that wee ought to haue of the prouidence of GOD then hereon he tooke occasion to tempte Christ by presumption That where he certainly assured hym selfe to be the chylde of God and so depended on his prouidence that he knewe hee coulde not perishe Upon this woulde the diuell haue drawne hym to presume by presumption of the certentie of Gods protection to haue hurled downe hym self hedlong and forsake the meanes of descending downe that God hadde appoynted But Chriâ—…te confuted him saying Non tentabis dominum â—…euÌ„ tuum Thou shalte not tempt the Lorde thy God And euen thus when he can not by this doctrine breede wanhope in vs as he dothe to sominâ—… and the Papistes woulde bring vs all to the nerâ—…e dore by of continuall doubte then he sturreth vs vp to presumption that if we bee chosen alreadie and our names enrolled the matter purposed and ratified and can not be changed then needest thou not feare to doe what thou wilte to liue as thou lust What nedest thou take paynes why suffrest thou affliction what nedest thou to praye why sholdest thou go to sermons what nedest thou do any good why ensuest thou not thy pleasure why liuest thou in nede why killest thou not thy selfe thou art sure of Heauen alredy and shalt streight ways be in glory whatsoeuer thou lust to do thus doth the Deuil tempt the children of God euen by this holsom doctrin many that ar amoÌ„g vs but not of vs Exâ—…eruÌ„t è nobis sed noÌ„ fueâ—…uÌ„t è nobis for if they had beÌ„ of vs they wold haue coÌ„tinued with vs These whom the diuel setteth on this hil top hee maketh in dede to presume as he himself once did plucketh theÌ„ down hedloÌ„g into al mischief as he himself was hurled doun into al misery â–ª this he doth I grant and herein the Papists sar true that he doth it by occasioÌ„ of this
churche of Christe so often called the spouse the wyfe the welbeloued of Christ but bicause the Lorde of his only loue mercie chose her Wherefore was Dauid chosen king from following the sheepe but bicause hee was a man SecuÌ„dum cor meum eueÌ„ after the hart of God that is to say whom God delighted in and loued Wherfore was Salomon chosen to sitte in the seate of Dauid before all his brethren but bicause Dominus dilexit cum The Lord loued him Wherfore did Christ choose the twelue Disciples before all other in the worlde Non vos me eligistis sed ego elegi vos You chose not me but I chose you But bicause sayth he as my father loued me so haue I loued you Wherefore leaned Iohn on the breast of Iesu and durst aske him more boldly than the other Disciples but bicause he was the disciple Quem diligebat Dominus whom the Lorde loued Wherefore are we chosen to be the people of God in the Iewes place But euen bycause God hath sayd Vocabo non plebem meam plebem meam non dilectam dilectam non misericordiam consecutam misericordiam coÌ„secutam I will call them my people whiche were not my people and her beloued whiche was not beloued and her to haue obteined mercy which had not obteyned mercy Wherfore now that we are chosen of God are we afflicted Quos diligit Dominus castigat The Lorde correcteth whome he loueth Wherfore can no affliction ouercome vs make vs fall from God as doo the reprobate the chaffe and seede in the stonie grounde but the Electe are purifyed in tribulation as golde in the forneys In his omnibus superamus per eum qui dilexit nos In all these thyngs wee ouercome through hym that loued vs Wherfore haue we in those afflictions sutche a confident truste in God that they shall not hurte vs Quia charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum Sanctum qui datus est nobis Bycause the loue of GOD is shead abroade in our hartes by the Holy Ghost whyche is gyuen vnto vs Then the fountayne and onely cause of all the grace and fauour that wee receyue of God is the loue of god Propter multam suam dilectionem qua dilexit nos Euen for the greate loue that hee loued vs withall And therefore Christe whyche is the well beloued sonne of God Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi complacui Thys is my well beloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased and in whom wee are made also the beeloued sonnes of God and who hath so loued vs that hee gaue his lyfe for vs than the whiche no man can haue a greater loue hee hath fully declared in the very fyrste woordes of thys Sentence the very fyrst and principall cause of the Worldes saluation saying Sic DEVS dilexit So God loued the worlde there is no cause hereof in manne but onely and all in god I doo not thys for youre sakes O Israell sayeth the Lorde God but for myne owne names sake You shall remember your owne wycked wayes and youre deedes that were not good and shall iudge your selues worthy to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities and for your abhominations Bee it knowne vnto you that I doo not thys for youre sakes sayeth the Lorde God. And as God dothe thys mercyfully vnto his Electe not for any cause in them but for his owne names sake The cause is altogether in him not in vs so the cause that moued hym is his mere goodnesse his infinite mercye his owne good wyll and his very loue vnto vs. What shal we say then to those false prophets that haue so sotted vs in our owne loue that they haue made vs beleue the cause to be in vs of oure saluation our pure naturall qualities our preparatiue workes oure free will oure good deedes and satisfactions to bee the cause why wee escape perdition our merits and our righteousnesse to be the cause why wee receyue eternall lyfe Our election to be the cause of Gods election our loue of God to be the cause of Gods loue to vs Nay soft sayth the Papist ye tell oure tale amisse we say not that these be the only causes neither grauÌ„t we that the loue of God is the only cause but ther are causes in both these parties God and the worlde which causes both ioyntly coÌ„curring together we are therby saued from perdition receiue eternal life We here what they say but what sayeth S. Paul These two saith he caÌ„ not in this matter be compartners Reliquiae secundum electionem gratia Dei saluae factae sunt si autem gratia iam non ex operibus alioquin gratia noÌ„ est gratia The remnaunt shall bee saued accordyng to the Election of the grace of GOD but yf it bee by grace then is it not by woorkes For otherwise grace were not grace And so on the contrary parte if it be of works then is it not of grace for otherwyse workes were not works And the reason is bicause of the opposition betwene grace and workes that the one hath to the other in the cause of Iustification for although in those that be alredy iustified workes are not seuered from grace nor grace from workes but rather al their workes be graces and gifts of God as S. Hierome sayeth Deus in nobis operatur opera â—…am omnia opera nostra operatus es domine ait propheta de eius dono c. God worketh all our workes in vs of his gyft for as the Prophet sayth Thou Lorde haste wrought all our workes Yet in this poynt of the causes of our saluation whether they be altogether of God or altogether of maÌ„ or ioyntly of God and man together that is to saye of Gods grace and mans works concurrent in this poynt grace and workes do so disagree and are become Membra diuidentia haue such a contrary aspect the one to the other that they can not here be ioyned without confounding them yea the one taketh awaye the nature of the other For first grace which signifieth free fauor and gift as S. Augustin saith Gratis datur propter ê“ gratia nominatur It is giuen freely or gratefully whervppon it hathe his name Grace But admitte there can be founde any cause in the partie to whoÌ„ it is giuen that by any meanâ—…s did deserue to haue it giuen him then is it not a mere free gift proceding only of gracious fauour and so is it not grace Likewise on the contrary part for works To him that worketh reward sayth saint Paule is not giuen according to grace or fauour but according to duetie Hee that hathe wrought for any thing be it little or much that he hath wrought so litle so much it debarreth from the nature of grace It is not of mere and free fauour that he hath any
my bodye and refresh my spirites then the rest of my body and the refreshing of my spirits is a greater matter than is my lying downe to sleepe I buylde an house what moueth me to doo suche cost to shelter and shrowde me from wynde and weather from heat and colde from danger and enimie and to defend and keepe me and myne then this my defence is a greater cause than my house buylding is And eueÌ„ so God loueth a man why loueth he him bicause he is a good man then the goodnesse of the man is a greater cause than the loue of god And thus in conclusion not onely the greater cause of mans saluation is in man and the lesser cause in God but also that little cause in God is referred to mannes goodnesse also And so the cause in God is cleane swalowed vp lyke a drop in the sea â–ª a beane in a Monks hoode a mouse in a cheese nay rather a ciphre in Algorisme the loue of God in the cause of mans saluation And yet for fashions sake the name of Gods loue of Gods grace of Gods mercie of Christs merits must be pretended but when all is done the woorke of man is the efficient is the formall is the finall and principall cause of mans saluation As Bonauenture sayeth that although the death and resurrection of Christe take away our sinnes and iustifie vs attamen neutri attribui potest propriè causalitas iustificationis habet tamen aliquam causae proprietatem scilicet per modum meriti interuenieÌ„tis ê“ reducitur ad causam materialeÌ„ formalis enim est gratia hoc est charitas c. Neuerthelesse the causing cause of Iustification can not proprely be attributed eyther to Christes death or to his resurrection although it hath some propretie of a cause that is to wit by the meanes of merite commyng betwene which is reduced to the materiall cause for the formall cause is grace that is to say charitie Heere is a name of grace but when the name is expounded it falleth out he ment not the loue and free fauour of God but charitie that is mans loue the very contrary in this poynt vnto grace and free fauour of god And so mans loue is the formall cause of mannes saluation but it muste bee called forsoothe the grace of God. Heere is agayne the Passion and Resurrection of Iesus Christe sayde to take away synnes and to Iustifie vs What can be a godlyer saying and truer than this Who could find fault with this Who woulde require more yf they meane as they say Why haue thei then another meaning What is that Forsoth the death and Resurrection doth it but not proprely as any cause therof Lo here is the cause cleane takeÌ„ away nay not so but it is not a cause properly how is it theÌ„ it hath yet some propertie of a cause This is a contrarie tale to it selfe at lest it hath som propertie of contrarietie But what kynd of propertie of a cause hath the deth and resurrection of Christ to take away sinnes and to iustifie man Forsoothe in this consideration by the meanes of mans desert and good works coÌ„ming betwene and being a stickler in the matter But how commeth it betwene as a small cause Nay as the material cause also of his saluation And so maÌ„s charity is the formal cause mans merits are the material cause Grace is named The deathe and resurrection of Christe is named but it is no cause properlie and if it haue anye propretie of a cause it is onely by reason of mannes merites goyng betweene Is not thys a proper doctrine Whether will not this doctrine presume to goe Why maye not the Papist say as well that manne is the cause of God as to say that mannes merites are the cause of Gods loue Is not the loue of God euen GOD hymselfe Quicquid dicitur de Deo Deus est The Wisdome of God is God the power of God is God and the loue of God is god And so Sainâ—…t Iohn dothe saye Deus est charitas qui maner in charitate in deo mâ—…net deus in eo God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Nowe if mannes goodnesse bee the cause of Gods loue is it not then the cause of God also What is prâ—…de if this bee not pride Where is Adam and Eue that woulde become like Gods if they be not here Where is that proude kyng of Babylon that sayde with Lucifer I wyll aâ—…cende aboue the cloudes I wil be like the most high but in this doctrine Where is that man of sinâ—…e that would exalt himself aboue all that is called God if not in this blasphemous presumption of the Papists Qui quaerentes suaÌ„ iustitiaÌ„ stabilire c. That seking to set vp their owne righteousnesse are not subiect to the righteousnesse of god But let this diuelishe doctrine goe wyth the diuell downe the lane from whence it came and let vs humbly receyue the doctrine of Iesus Christe that the cause whiche moued God to saue the worlde was onely in him selfe for his owne sake for his owne goodnesse and most merciful fauour for his tender loue that of his owne accorde good nature be vouchsafed to beare the worlde and not for any cause of goodnesse in the worlde were it neuer so little a cause For how little so euer thou ascribest to thy selfe thou takest from God thou robbest God of his glory and of his glorie God is a iealous god neyther will he part stakes with any other for any part or parcell therof Oh sayth the Papist it is a very little thing a small modicum that wee require and modicum non nocet a litle hurteth nothing an inche breakes no square That is not true modicum nocet modicum A little hurteth a litle yea and that a great deale in this case wherin on the one part God is all in all will haue all the glorie of it as right requireth if he haue not al he wil haue none There is no halting betwene God and Baal no agreement betwene God and the diuell no felowshippe wyth light and darkenesse And what is manne else but darkenesse â–ª but mancipium Sathanae the boÌ„dsclaue of Sathan before God lighten and deliuer him On the other part the diuel will not bee contente with a little grauÌ„t him neuer so litle in the beginning as good giue him all for in the ende he will striue to haue all giue him an inche hee will take an elle giue him but his little toe he will thrust his foote his leg his body after and seuen diuels more for company and the ende of that man shal be worse than the beginning Obsta principijs serò medicina paratur Stoppe therfore the beginnings otherwise it will be too late to seeke for healpe Take away the cause else the effect wil neuer be taken away Man will euer
Neyther is the handling worthie of any name although the matter can not be named worthily inough For the matters sake therfore not for the manner of it I shoued it out when I could not holde it in and among others chéefely commend it to your good Lordship whome as God hath made not onely a singular succourer and especiall setter forth of his truth and al good letters but also a publike patrone therevnto and euen a father to our moother and nourice of learning the renounted vuiuersitie of Cambridge that now God be praysed for it flourisheth vnder your protectioÌ„ so he vouchsafe to his glory your ioy and our comfort long to blesse and prosper your honour therin Your Lordships humble to commaundâ—… in Christ Iohn Brigges Sic Deus dilexit mundum c. So God loued the worlde that hée gaue his only begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perishe but haue Euerlasting lyfe RIGHT Honorable and deare beloued in the Lord Iesus This sentence is the entrie into that portion of Scripture that is appoynted to be red for the Gospell this daye and a parcell of the disputation whyche Nichodemus hadde in the nyght with Christe A shorte sentence and for the vnderstanding plaine and easy but for the contente of the matter a most notable sentence comprehending in briefe wordes both all things and the causes of them all God the Creator and al the world created the mercifull loue of God the miserable perdition of Mankind Gods election without beginning mans saluation without ending the most singular gifte of God without comparison the Eternall life of man without merites To be briefe what is not conteyned in this sentence the whole scope and argument whereof standeth on the causes of our saluation euen the groundeworke and principles of Christianitie the locke and keye of our Religion Whiche being opened all controuersies at this day in question betwene vs and our aduersaries as depending hereon are apparant and soone decided For my playner and easyer processe herevppon I purpose to diuide this sentence into foure parts Wherof the first shal be of gods eternall purpose to the world In these two endes Vt non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternaÌ„ that it shold not perish but haue eternal life The second shal be of the cause that moued Almightye God to this purpose of the worlds saluation that is to say Sic dilexit euen the only ioue of god The thirde part shall be to consyder the meanes that God being thus purposed and moued wrought this benefite by that is to say Vt daret filium suum vnigenitum He gaue his only begotten sonne to worke it The fourth and the last part shall be to consider wyth what effertuall instrument we receyue and apply those causes of our saluation to our benefite that is to wit Qui credunt in eum By a stedfast Faith in hym Wherein are comprehended these foure causes The originall cause and fountain of mans saluation Gods eternall purpose the motiue cause inducyng hym therevnto Gods loue the efficiente and formall cause thereof the Sonne of GOD the 〈◊〉 and instrumentall cause of the same Gods gifte of Faith in Manne Thus this whole sentence So God loued the worlde c. beeing 〈◊〉 and deuided orderly into these foure partes lette vs make oure entrie into the seuerall consyderations of them with faythfull and humble Prayer Precatio You haue hearde deare Christians whereon I purpose to proceede euen on this sentence Sic Deus c. Yee haue hearde what notable matter it conteynethe what is the summe and argument thereof and howe I haue distributed the same Wherof the fyrst part hath to behold the eternal purpose of Almightie God in these endes that the world should not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe This parte hath two things principally to consider Whereof the syrste is these two endes perdition and lyfe eternall The seconde is these two parties God and the worlde God that deliuereth from perdition and giueth eternall life the world that is deliuered from perdition and receiueth eternall lyfe The former is comprehended in these woordes Vt non pereat sed habeat aeternam vitam that it should not perishe but haue Eternall lyfe Whiche wordes are placed last and are the ende of the sentence and lyke wise are the last end that wee shall come vnto But bicause the drifte whereto the sentence tendeth and we also directe the leuell of all oure life is to escape perdition and to obteyne life eternall not vnorderlye it commeth to bee fyrst consydered For although the ende is laste in practise yet in mynde the ende is fyrste of all Hee that is aboute to buylde an house fyrste hath his generall ende and purpose wherefore he wold build and or euer he set on the building he deuiseth his platforme how he shal be able to compasse the same Quis ex vobis c. Which of you sayeth Christ disposed to buylde a Toure sitteth not downe before and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to perfourme it least after he hath layde the foundation and is not able to perfourme it all that beholde hym begynne to mocke him saying This man began to buylde and was not able to make an ende Or what Kyng going to make battaile againste an other Kyng sitteth not downe fyrst and casteth in his mynde whether he be able with tenne thousande to meere him that commeth against him with twentie thousande c. What man hauing a iourney to goe first considereth not the place whether the entent wherefore and the manner howe he wil trauaile thether and then he setteth on his Iorney and last of all commeth there This is the differnce of the foole and wise as our Prouerbe sayth to looke or we leape As Esope telleth of the two Froggs that in a dry Sommer sought for water and when they came to a deepe pit Here sister sayth the one is a good place for vs to abide in here is water inough nay softe quod the other Frog let vs viewe a litle ere we leape in if water shoulde faile here also howe should we get out again The wise therfore geue this councell Quicquid agas prudenter agas respice finem Whatsoeuer thou doest doe it warily and forecast the ende therof Beholde howe Christ commendeth the steward whiche otherwise was a wicked man for this his industrie in prouidyng for the ende O that the children of life were halfe so wise so prouident and forecastyng as the children of this worlde in their generation be O that rashe youthe amongst vs wolde consider this order in their vnaduised enterprises being caried aware in the headstronge wilfull delight of present pleasures and will not se the wretched ende Qui ducit ad interitum that hurlethe them headlong into destruction and all bicause they wolde not forsee the sequele and ende thereof Voluptates specta abeuntes non accedentes Looke not on pleasures face but
vocatione sua sancta non ex operibus nostâ—…is sed iuxta pro positum suum God called vs wyth his holy callyng not by reason of our workes but according to his purpose Neyther are wee iustified by the the woorkes euen of Gods law In lâ—…ge nemo iustificatur apud Deum neyther saued hee vs sayeth S. Paule for the workes of our righteousnesse If then we are neyther saued nor iustified nor cal led for our workes shall wee thinke we be chosen for our workes when Gods choyce is before hys calling his calling before our iustifying our iustifying before wee obteyne saluation Naye if our workes be not the cause of our sauing nor of our iustifying nor yet of our calling much lesse be they the cause of oure election whiche was before the foundations of the world were cast I grant that God foresaw we should do good works howbeit our good woorkes were not the cause of his election but his election was the cause of our good workes Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem vt essem us sancti immaculati in coÌ„spectu eius per charitatem He chose vs in him before the making of the worlde that we should be holy and vnreprouable in his syght through loue Then were not good works to come the cause of Gods choise made before but God that by his election did ordein them to glory ordeined them also to do good workes after And so good workes are not in the cause wherfore but in the purpose whereto the elect of God are chosen Conditi sumus ad bona opera Wee are made of God to doo good workes Good workes are the fructes of the sprite of God after he hath iustifyed vs Quomodo enim potest iuste viueâ—…e saith S. Augustine qui non fueâ—…it instificatus How can he liue iustly that before hand shall not be iustified 〈◊〉 bâ—…na opera iustificatum non praecâ—…dunt iustificandum They folowe hym that is iustified already but they goe not before him that is to be iustified Then are not good woorks the cause but the effects of Gods worâ—…s in vs He chose vs he called vs hee conuertâ—…d vs he gaue vs faith he maketh vs ayte to do all good workes to the prayse of his glory and not to merite our saluation by them For saythe Saincte Augustine 〈◊〉 facis opera tua vt glorificeris hoc prohibuit Si autem vt Deus glorificetur hoc iussit Christus If thou dost thy works for thys cause that thou mayst be glorifyed thys Chryst forbad thee But yf thou doste them that GOD maye be glorifyed thys Chryste commaunded thee These therfore and all these Papisticall cauillations that make man or any thing in man be it neuer so good to bee the cause of this good purpose of Gods eternall Election to the worldes saluation are but false Popish fetches and lying vauntes to establishe theyr owne ryghtousnesse to deface Gods glorye and are no causes at all that moued God hereto Nay soft sayth the Papiste stay your conclusion there is one thyng yet behynde Be it that none of all these are the causes no not mannes good woorkes nor that wee ought to woorke to merite saluation thereby but to set foorth the prayse and glorie of GOD and that God made all things for his glorie yet notwithstanding myght this be some cause euen that hee sawe hee shoulde get glory by vs and by oure woorkes Neyther myghte this seeme so small a cause for had he not saued vs then should not he haue ben glorifyed by oure good workes What then Bonoruâ—… meorum non eges sayeth Dauid Thou haste no neede of my good workes Maye a man bee profitable vnto God as hee that is wyse may be auaylable vnto himselfe is it any thyng vnto the Almightie that thou arte iust or is it profytable to him that thou 〈◊〉 est thy wayes vprighte Can his glory shine no other way but by our workes or by our saluation What if all we had ben lost had he lost any thyng therby Lost Christ any sparke of hys glorie by the lost chyld Iudas Lost God any glorie by the wyckednesse of Pharao Nay he got glory therby and so hee doth ouer all his enemies They hinder not his glorie as they thynke they doo nor he hath any neede that wee should encrease it and set it out And thoughe we had neuer ben borne he had lost no glorie and we had vtterly ben loste he had loste no glorie and no creature had euer bene made he had loste no whit of glory It had ben al one to him although not al one to vs for he hath no nede of vs nor of any creature but we haue nede of him To coÌ„clude therfore none of all these are any causes that moued God to bestowe this benefit on the worlde that it should not perishe but haue eternall lyfe why what is the cause then is it a causelesse thing is there no cause of it Yes verily and that a great cause What is that we haue runne thorough all causes that I thynke maye well bee reckened vp and you haue denyed them euery one In deede Papist thou haste runne rounde aboute the wood and haste assayed at manye a gappe to enter but canste not get in lyke to the olde riddle What is that that runneth rounde aboute the tree and neuer entreth in They hadde wonte to say it is the barke of the tree but it is a blind Papist that sticking only to the trees rinde and barke looketh altogether on the outwarde apperance of man and searcheth to fynd in the visyble creature the cause of the highest workes of the inuisible Creator O saplesse barke of a rotten and frutelesse tree twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes when wylte thou be able to fynde out this cause of Gods eternall purpose he that will fynd a thing must seke it where it is not where it is not The Papistes seke this cause where it is not not where it is In maÌ„ they haue raked metely wel but ther it is not they haue sought ouer al the world and euery creature neither is the cause of Gods purpose to be fouÌ„d in any creature no not in the elect theÌ„selues Where muste it needes then remayne but euen in the Creator the cause of the purpose in the purposer and only in God himself and to say the truth it can not be otherwise For sithe the purposer is God and God is agens liberrimum he can not bee tyed to causes besydes himselfe for then he were not free sith Gods purpose is eternall as is hymselfe without beginning and al other things and causes haue beginning then is nothing the cause of Gods purpose but Gods purpose is the cause of euery thing For if he had not purposed ought to haue ben it had not ben but it is it is then bycause he purposed it shold be To coÌ„clude sith God
must appere Sic luceat lux vestra Let your light so shine before men that they may se your good workes And therfore works of S. Iames are called Fructus iustitiae the frutes of rightousnesse fructus spiritus the frutes of the spirite The frutes of the tree are not the cause of the trees iuyce sap but the iuyce and sap is the cause of the trees frutes The frutes are not the cause that the tree lyueth but the sappe and iuyce is cause of the trees lyfe The tree hath not fruite before it hath sappe and iuyce nor yet hath fruite in receyuing sappe and iuyce But after it hath receyued sappe and iuyce then in due tyme it bryngeth foorthe his fruite And very wel herein dothe the scripture in diuers places liken a iustified manne to a good and fruitefull tree for fyrste sayth Christ the tree muste be made good it muste bee planted sayeth Dauid by the water syde to take his iuyce Wee muste sayeth Saint Paul be grafted in Christ and his woorde sayeth Saincte Iames be ingrafted in vs Wee muste bee braunches of the true Uine we muste haue his sappe and iuyce in vs fyrste and thys is our fayth in hym and oure lyfe in vs or euer we can bring forth our frute Nowe being thus replenished with the moste sweete iuyce of faith it is not more vnpossible for a tree to be frute lesse thā it is for a faithful mā to be without good workes We do not say therfore faith is without good workes for good works immediatly folow faith and waite vppon her as their maistresse at an inche and be always attendant on the bidding and becke of faith to do whatsoeuer she comaundeth them but the maistresse is one and the mayden is an other only we denie that the handmaiden intermedleth in this high matter of Iustification whiche is alone betwene God and vs faith she onely on oure parte maketh vp the spousall betwixte Christe and vs Desponsabo te mihi fide I wil sayth Christ espouse thee to me by faith faith shal ioyne our hands togither A saucie Iill were that handmayden that woulde intrude her selfe in to her mistresses priuiledge This then belongeth to faith alone to receiue this benefit at gods handes and to nothing but onely faithe for she alone can fully doo it Why then sayth the Papist what should let but that the diuell may be saued and that the diuell may doo good also and so be no more the diuel that was a lier and murderer from the beginnyng For the diuels haue faith Daemones credunt sayth S. Iames the diuels beleue The diuell in dede was a lier from the beginning and a murtherer Et qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est He y wilfully maliciously cōmitteth maynteineth these sinnes is euen a limme of the diuell But how the Papists legende or rather legion of lies will euicte them to be willfull mainteyne◅s of lies let them looke to it as for their murders al the world doth ring of them and openly crie with Christ Vos estis ex patre vestro diabolo ye are euen of your father the deuell And as this is an argument against the deuell that he hath not faith Euen so is it an argument against them that they haue no faith neither And where in the diuels defence they replie that the deuill beleueth this argueth not that he hath the true and right belefe No say they Did not he crie out to Christ that he was the holy one and son of the liuing God Here was belefe profession of it the thing that they professed to beleue is true What wil they gather hereon that saying of the Apostle If we confesse with our mouth the lord Iesus Christ and beleue in our hart that God raised him from death we shall be safe Do they thinke the diuell beleueth on this fashion They shew themselues earnest proctors for the deuell but the deuell hath no true faith for all that he so sayde nor they his proctoures neither thoughe they confesse Christ and thinke him to be the sonne of God euen as mutche as did the deuel althoughe their works shew the contrarye that they thinke him not so mutche to be Christe as the deuels dyd thinke him for to be For if they did they woulde at least haue that the dyuels haue with all a feare and trembling at him they wold feare so shamfully to abuse him as they doe For saynt Iames ioyneth these two things together in the diuels Daemones credunt contremis◅unt The diuels beleue and tremble Which later word of horror and feare hauing hatred ioyned withall Quem metuūt oderūt whom they feare they hate him this the Papists leaue out As the diuell alleaging scripture to Christ left out the best parte of it and hacked and hewed the sentence as the Papists mangled the word of God in piece meale and dare not set it out whole as God hath set it out This therefore shewethe they haue no more faith thā the diuel hath Yea they know not what faith doth meane For as already is sayde beleefe is not only a knowledge nor an acknowledging of Christ wherby we verely thinke him to be the sonne of God and sauior of the world and approue this our thought with assent thervnto alowing it so to be But also it is a stedfast confidence and trust in him apprehēding him and applying him to vs And this thing which is the principall thing in belefe the diuels haue not nor can not haue They haue the first part of knowledge and a shew they made here of the seconde that is acknowledging But the third and especiall thing in belefe a trusty confidēce in him they had not Which if they had had they wold haue fled vnto hym haue caught holde on hym but they feared and hated him and therefore with trembing fled from him Now this third thing in faith whiche is principally to be reckened vppon the Papist considereth not And this is the cause whie hee so staggereth in a continuall doubte whether he shall be saued with Christe or he shall bee damned with the diuell and feling thys continuall trembling in himselfe for who wolde not tremble standing in this perplexitie And hearing that the diuels tremble also in their belefe he concludeth that belefe is no more but a fyrme opinion of a thing so to be and at the most a trembling assent therunto And therfore saithe the Papist the diuell hathe faithe But seing withall the diuells apparant condemnation that he is not nor can be iustified he concludethe hereon that only faithe iustifieth not for if it dyd the diuel were iustified Then reasoneth he if faith be not able to iustifie we must seeke helpe of good woorkes to iustifie vs whiche good workes the diuell hathe not Now seeking to be iustified by works he is entred into sutche a laborsom mase and infinite