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
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
is they that of this interrogatiue Nō potest saluare te sine te can not God saue thee without thee do make an affirmatiue Non potest saluare te sine te God cannot saue thee withoute thee It is they that make Gods will to depende on mannes wyl It is they that will tye Gods wyll to causes in manne and yet to man will giue free will bynding Christ and letting Barrabas go free but as they see not the miserable bondage of mans wil which S. Paule saith helde him captiue vnder the lawe of sinne so they shewe howe muche lesse they see the will of GOD whiche the more he hathe reuealed to them and they see it not they shewe them selues to haue eyes and see not to bee euen blyn◅ed of God and repreb◅te and what so◅uer they prattle of Gods wyll to other that it stretchethe not to them For were they not wilfull blinde herein S. Augustines sober distinctions aboue rehersed ▪ on this worde Omnes All. myght haue suffised them by restraining all to all degrees and sorts of men not to euery particular man that is manifest sh◅l not be saued Neither deuised S. Augustine this distinetion of his own head as they do theirs but considering the circumstance of the place euen the text doth giue it ▪ For where as S. Paul had willed Prayers and supplications to be made for all men chiefly for Princes and those that are in authoritie that we might liue a quiet life ▪ in al godlinesse honestie vnder them to proue that no sort and degree of men is excluded from prayer he inferreth this reson For god wold al mē to be sau◅d what meaneth this illatiō here but as who shold say For there is no state or degree amōg men but is capable of the state of eternall life and therfore pray for al as this is a playn and true vnderstanding and no cauillation so the other of S. Augustine is also a true and easie exposition by conuersion of the sentence to inferre the meaning therof God would all should be saued that is none shuld be saued but whome God would should be saued and all that God wold should be saued shall be saued for his will shall not be hindered not that he would euery body to be saued Neyther is this so farre fet an interpretation but that our selues vse it commonly As if I would say All men go from England by shippe to Fraunce must this needes inferre that euery man goth by ship to Fraunce This schoole master teacheth all the Children in the towne must it nedes follow that euery childe in the towne is taught of him who will not renot restrayne this word All in this and all such other sayings to all sutch as go thether to all such as are taughte and not to all simply and to euery body These expositions then of Sainct Augustine or rather of the texte it selfe and of our common phrases beeing sufficient to any that is not disposed to wrangle bothe to confirme Gods elections and to proue no alteration in Gods wil yet if these wolde not satisfie them why shoulde they not rather admitte that distinction of Gods will whiche the auncient and godly learned Fathers vsed of Voluntas signi and Voluntas beneplaciti the will of the signe and the will of the acceptable pleasure of GOD then to deuise such a former and after will as maketh contrarietie infirmitie vnaduisednesse repentance and alteration in the nature and will of God and all to wreste Gods will to take awaye Gods election For although God wold so farre as the signe stretcheth that euen the reprobate shold be partakers of the worde and Sacramentes that are the sygnes of Gods Churche euen so well as his electe which is a great good will of God vnto thē And though he would they should receaue diuers graces therby yet followeth it not that euer God woulde that hereby they shoulde bee inheritours of hys gracious fauour and euerlasting glorie In this distinction is no variablenesse for God euer knew who were his what he woulde do how he wold do that he purposed to doe to whome he woulde and he would not do it howe farre it should take place in these and howe farre in those and as hee willed for euer so it was so it is so it shal be so it must be none can alter nor defeat his will whatsoeuer he wil His will be doone in earthe as it is in Heauen his wil be blessed for euer euer Amen Wel say the Papists how true soeuer this doctrine be it is a perillous doctrine to be taught vnto the people ye ought not to preache it and why so since it is truthe Truthe neuer shames his mayster Truthe wyll euer preuayle and what shoulde we teache in matters of saluation but the Truthe and all the truthe and nothyng but the truth Wold they haue vs teache lies like them or would they haue vs to conceale the truthe in so weighty a matter and so necessary to be throughly knowen as the causes of our saluation Why God the Father reuele it and his prophets endite it Why did Christ so openly and playnly preache it and his Euangelists and apostles put it in writing to be couered with a bushell or to be setin a candelstick doth God giue vs that that wil brede more hurt than good more peril than profit surely they blaspheme God that so saye eyther of this or any other doctrine in the scripture Omnis scriptura diuinitus inspirata It is written by the very finger of God the holy Ghost not only to enstruct vs but to confute them They say it will breede nothing in vs but desperation or presumption but they she we a greate desperate presumption in them selues thus impudentely to sclaunder the worde of God although were it not the veritie of God they were the more to bee borne withall bycause they measure it by their owne doctrine they that be in hel think there is no other heauen The Papists thynke this doctrine to breede presumption or desperation bycause theirs dothe so Doth not theirs bring a man euen to the pit brink of desperation that maketh a man alwayes mystrusting lest he shal be damned What an anguish and torment of mind is this As the Poets feigne how the Egle alwayes gnaweth Prometheus his hearte as Sisiphus is punished still to roll vp the restlesse stone that alwayes falleth downe the hill againe so that man can neuer quiet his mynde hanging euer betwene dispaire and hope Is not this the very porche of hell and yet they say we muste all our lyfe stande in this doubtfull perpleritie neyther can wee haue any assuraunce of the fauoure and loue of god And this is al their doctrines consolation Who would haue thought that the Papistes are so neare H◅ll and Desperation as this Doctrine bryngeth them vnto But no meruaile As they brewe so they muste drynke as their clothe will
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
him that pretende and vaunte to be his chiefest seruitors and most holy catholike childreÌ„ But they lie the more that haue the more to answeare for I meane the cancred Papist and mayntener of these wicked doings against God his anointed Christe and with the bare name of Christ abused the credulous and simple people But let vs dere Christians now that the mistery of iniquitie wrought by them is opened them aÌ„ of sin disclosed euen the child of perditioÌ„ which is an aduersary and exalteth him selfe against al that is called god or that is worshipped sitting as God in the temple of God and bosting him selfe as god Let vs now be no loÌ„ger be deceued by him but be rather ashamed y we haue bin so fowly so long missed And sith God hath lightned vs sitting in darknesse the shadow of death with the light of his truth yea with his owne son the true light of the worlde Let vs goe forth of their tents let vs be bold to enter into the holy place by the bloud of Iesus let vs draw neere with a true hearte in the assurance of faith since wee haue an high priest which is ouer the house of God let vs acknowledge to be our only lorde and sauiour this most excellent gift of God that all the world is not able to counteruaile to be that king that only is able doth rule defend and preserue his Churche throwout the world to be that priest that hath made of his owne body a ful perfect sacrifice once for al sufficient for all the sinnes of the worlde To be that only mediator that only intercessor that is able to stande betwixte God and vs Vnus est deus vn ' mediator homo Iesus Christus There is one God and one mediator the man Iesus Christ. He only trode the wine presse he onely iusteyned Gods wrathe he onely fulfylled Gods iustice he only reconciled Gods loue and fauoure he is the only meanes that God hath vsed to work our saluation by And here welbeloued see and dreade the iustice of God againste sinne nothyng could pacifie it but his son It is not suche an easie matter to put away sin as the papists pretende if any such thing could haue don it to what purpose neded God haue geuen his only begotten son To what purpose neded his son haue suffred the sharp stoures of sutche a bitter and reprochefull deathe if sinne our deliuery from sinne had bin so smale a matter But sinne is most horrible in the sight of God seuereth vs from god Iniquitates vestrae diuiseruÌ„t inter vos Deum vestrum Your sins haue made a diuision betwen you and your God saithe Esaie In how infinite places doth God threatten his wrath against sinne and sinners that prouoke him to anger that styrre vp his indignation that kindle his furie that heape wrath on them selues But how sore a matter this is to susteine Gods wrath reade the eight twenty and nine twenty chapters of the Deuteronomie how the wrath of the Lorde shall smoke against the sinner How his wrath is a consuming fyer Who knoweth the power of thy wrath saieth Dauid Horrendum est incidere in manus dei It is a dreadful thing to fall in the hands of god No saynt no angell no creature can abide his displeasure The heauens shall flee the elementes melt and the earth shall burne before him Only Iesus Christ sustained the brunt of his wrath and that with a most hard bicker It made him sweate euen dropps of bloode with water it made him cry out on the crosse My God my God why haste thou forsaken mee Thys greate wrathe susteyned hee because he tooke on him our sinnes that were the sonnes of wrathe to 〈◊〉 vs children of grace To make vs righteousnesse 〈◊〉 was accounted sinne that knew no sinne To make vs blessed he became accursed He is our peace and hath reconciled vs to god by the crosse in his blood Euen because hee loued vs he gaue him selfe for vs to bee a sacrifice of sweete smell to God that was appeased with his obedieÌ„ce Ecce veniâ—… who moste redily offred himselfe to his father for vs Behold I come and am ready to doe and suffer thy will with which oblation the Father is so wel pleased that he hath not appointed vs to wrathe but to obtein saluation by the means of our lord Iesus Christ whiche died for vs. Let vs not therfore wallow in this securitie if God spared not his sonne for vs will he spare vs that neither feare his wrath nor yet are moued by his loue if the greene tree were thus ordred shal the rotten tree stand nay the axe is euen at the roote therof to hewe it downe to be cast into the fire that brings not forth good frute For although Christ be made vnto vs of God our wisedome our righteousnesse oure holynesse and our redemption yet must we be wise as serpentes not be children in wit but walke wisely redeming the time he is our righteousnesse but we must bee righteous also for sayeth S. Iohn If yee know that he is righteous knowe ye that he whiche do the righteously is borne of him and therefore giue not youre membres weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto synne but of ryghteousnesse vnto GOD. Wee must put on the brestplate of righteousnesse and suffer for righteousnesse sake and then shall we be blessed Chryste is oure holynesse yet followeth it not we must therfore be vnholy but on the coÌ„trary Sancti critis quoniam ego sanctus sum You shall be holye bycause I am holy Non enim vocauit nos Deus ad immundiâ—…iem sed ad sanctificationem For God hath not called vs to vnholynesse but to holynesse Thys is the will of God euen your holynesse Hee is our redemption and hath redemed vs not from all kynde of seruice but from the seruice of sinne vt vltra non seruiamus peccato From the cnrse of the lawe Christus redemit nos à maledictione legis He tooke away the force from dearh and broughte lyfe to lyght He destroyed throughe death him that hadde the power of deathe that is the diuell and that he myght delyuer them whiche all their lyfe tyme were subiecte to bondage Hee gaue hymselfe for vs to delyuer vs from all vnrighteousnesse What shall wee saye then shall we continue styll in sinne that grace maye abounde God forbidde How shall we that are deade to sinne lyue yet therin c. Shall wee sinne by cause wee are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace God forbidde Naye wee are not so redeemed but styll remayne in bondage and debte to GOD hys chyldren and seruants hauing our frute in holinesse and the end euerlastyng lyfe Whiche lyfe wee shall haue by Christe yf we dye with Christe if wee forsake euyl and
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