thou giuest as a nurse and to worke what thou commandest as a laborer For Salomon calls him sluggarde who hides his hande in his bosome will not put it to his mouthe not so much for meate as to performe with his hande what he speakes with his mouthe And thus let vs folowe S. Peters aduise As euery one haue receiued grace so to employe it towardes others in grace of speache grace of action that as the holy ghoste appeared in fashion of a tongue so allso he is called in holy scriptures Digitus Dei the finger of God our Sauiour saying he caste out diuells by the finger of God that is by the vertue of the holie spirite which is a finger of action as well as a tongue of speache that as our couÌ„tryman venerable Bede hath written a Treatise teaching men to speake or expresse their mindes by the signes motions of their fingers as we vse to talke with dumbe meâ— so we shoulde learne according to our English phrase to handle our tongues well i. by the workes of our handes to make good the wordes of our tongue For otherwise that accusation of Ieremy will fall vpon vs mendacium operatus est we haue wroughte alye whiles our bad actions doo falsefye our good speches or when we doo good for hypocrisy not for sincerity it is a monstrous lye because ordinary lyes are spoken but such a lye is wroughte operatus esi mendacium a lye with a wroughte latchet which may be seene Contrarywise a true seruante of God one who will teach his fellowe seruantes the iuste complete will of his maister he must learne Salomons lesson Read my lawe as the apple of thine eye vidz with attention And write it on thy fingers namely in execution so the prophet saith the worde of our lorde was made in the hande of Aggaeus where he mentioneth making of it in his hande for reuealing of it to his knowledge because our knowledge is vayne without practise as in Geometry the Mathematiques one quarter of an howres practicall demonstration will make you to vnderstand more then a whole weekes theoricall study and as the 7. planets giue more influence then the fixed starres because the one are fixed in their spheres and the other haue their peculiar motions for influence procedeth from lighte motion not from lighte alone and therfore we must like S. Ihon Baptiste as well burne mooue in heate of charity as shyne stand still in lighte of faith Not as the Lacedimonian of the nightingall to haue a sweete voyce only and nothing else Nor Iacobs milde voyce Esaus roughe handes Nor as Agis said of a witty Sophister that when he helde his peace he had nothing good in him Or as Stratonicus coÌ„ming by a fountyen asked of the inhabitantes nexte it whether the water were good they answered we vse to drinke of it TheÌ„ saith he it is like to be naughte for your faces complexions seeme to be corrupted iudging of their founteyne by the operation effectes therof as we likewise shall be discerned by our deedes what is in the founteyn of our hartes WHAT BE THE WAYES OR PROCEEdinges of our iustification what faith doth teache vs in these wayes Sect 5. 1. WHerfore least penitent or thirsty men shoulde drinke of corrupted founteynes I will directe as many as I can to the cleare waters of healthfull doctrine whose springes are only within the boundes of the Carholique churche I will teach the wicked thy wayes vidz such as haue bene in wickednes of sinne or of heresye I will shew them thy waâ—es of iustification 2. I will teach them that somtime thy lawes and thy wayes are called iustifications praying with Dauid I woulde my wayes mighte be directed to keepe thy iustifications 2. soÌ„time they are said to be iustifyed who are only declared to be iuste which is imputatiue righteousnes wherof Esay said wo be to you who doo iustifye the wicked for bribes 3. somtime for the first iustification or obteyning of iustice vnto a sinner wherof S. Paul saith whom God calleth he iustifâ—eâ—h 4. somtime for encrease or proceeding in further iustice which is called a second iustification of one allready iuste of which S. Iames speaketh concluding that a man is iustifyed by workes and not by faith only and S. Ihon willeth him who is iuste to be further instifyed 3. I will teach them that the end of our iustification is the Glory of God the saluation of our soules That the cheife efficient cause of our iustification is the Goodnes Mercy of God the efficient by-way of merite is the passion of Christe the efficient by-way of instrument vnited is the humanity of Christe the efficient by-way of instrument separate are the Worde Sacramentes their Administers The materiall cause or subiect of our iustification is the minde of man esâ—ecially the will wherin this iustice is wroughte remayneth The formall cause in habite intrinsecall is the habite of grace or charity infused in habite extrinsecall or exemplar it is the very iustice of our Sauiour Christe in which S. Paul admonisheth vs we shoulde beare the image of the celestiall man i. Christe as we haue borne the image of the terrestriall man Adam But the formall cause in Acte are good workes which in one respecte are the Effectes of our iustice and in another haue allso so efficiency in our iustification as likewise haue feare faith hope loue repentance all which laste as dispositions preparing our minde will doo euery one in some sorte iustifye I will teach them that faith necessary to iustification is not to be restreyned only to the promises of Gods mercy but it must beleeue all Truthe which God hath taughte And that faith is seated principally in the vnderstanding not in the will as a confidence for so it should be all one with hope And that in the vnderstanding it is a firme assent vnto all thinges which God propoundeth to be beleeued and not a knowledge of them 4. Touching the firste Our Sauiour in the holy Goâ—pells and in the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles they doo often require other pointes of faith to be beleeued beside the promises of mercy as that Châ—iste is omnipotent that he is the Sonne of God that he is God and man and the true Messias that he was crucifyed and rose agayne c. so all the other Articles of the Apostles Creede whatsoeuer the Caluinistes say to the contrary are poyntes of justifying faith wâ—thout beleefe wherof no man can be saued and yet moste of them perteâ—ne to other matters then to promises of mercy 5. Touching the second that faith is an assent of the vnderstanding in beleefe not a confidence of the will which perteyneâ— to hope and therfore S. Paul saith that in Christe Iesu we haue truste and accesse in confidence through his faith therfore faith is not a
truste or confidence but the cauâ—e of truste and confidence which we get throughe faith And S. Augustin saith Credere nihil aliud est nisi cun assensu â—ogitarâ— to beleeue is noâ—hing else but to thinke of a matter with assent therunto And S. Bonauenture maketh a double certeinty one of faith in the vnderstanding anotheâ— of hope in the will By the fiâ—ste we beleeue firmely as true all propositions of Gods worde in generall and by the second we haue good confidence in the particuler application of those thinges which may perteyne to our selues as good for vs For attingimus Deum we are joyned or doo reach vnto God only by our vnderstanding and our will in our vnderstanding is faith and because our will considers thinges eyther as juste and so we loue them or as pâ—ofitable and so we desire them therfore in ouâ— will is both hope expecting our heauenly profitable Good â—harity louing all that is equally just And so we haue the 3. Theologicall vertues faith hope and charity 6. In the thirde poynte Faith is not a distincte knowledge but an obedient assent captiuating the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith for where there is a playne knowledge of truthe it needeth not to captiuate the vnderstanding to obedience Therfore the Apostle twice reckoneth knowledge faithe as two seuerall giftes of God and the common phrase is oportet discentem credere A learner must beleeue viz such thinges as he doth not or cannot vnderstand S. Hilary said It hath rather a rewarde then neede of pardon to be iâ—norante what thou beleeuest as in the mistery of the Trinity Saint Prosper alledging those wordes of scripture Excepte you beleeue you shall not vnderstand collecteth thence that faith procedeth not of vnderstanding but vnderstanding cometh fâ—om faith and S. Auguâ—tin accordingly prayed credam vt intelligam non intelligam vt credam o Lorde let me beleeue that so I may vnderstand not by vnderstanding to beleeue wâ—erfore faith going before knowâ—edge is not all one with knowledge For firste there is apprehension next is Assent which twoo togeather make faith and thirdly is knowledge nâ—w in â—arte and hereafter fully when fides shall be vides when we shall knowe as we are knowne 7 Note alâ—so that this apprehension is ey ther indistincte and in grosse or it is euident and particuler this laste is neither necessary nor enoughe vnto faith the firste is necessary but not enoughe for both of them must haue Assent Therfore if a country-man or othâ—r ignorante playne soule doo giue his firme Assent to that which he apprehendes but grossely he hath faith wheras a heathen philosopher or other cunning Clarke â—houghe he haue neuer so cleare an apprehension yet he hath no faith if he haue not assent and credite to that which he vnderstandeth wherfore faith consisteth more in Assenting obedience then in vnderstanding knowledge 8. Likewise this Assent is double eyther grounded on reason and the euidence of the matter or vpon the authority of the Teacher The firste may be called knowledge but the latter is properly faith So saith S. Augustin That which we vnderstand we â— we it vnto reason but what we beleeue vnto Auctority And yet thus thoughe faith be not knowledge yet is knowledge both profitable to encrease out loue of God and commendable in them who desire so to profite And therfore with Dauid I will teach the wicked in matters of faith what to beleue yeilding their Assent to the infallibility of the churche and in matters of knowledge how to vnderstand by illustration of argumentes grounded vpon reason for these are the wayes of God and of certeyn truthe which if they be not sensibly demonstrable to fleshly eyes yet are they euidently credible to spirituall hartes Thus I will teach thy wayes which are thy iustifications HOW MANY OTHER PATHES DOO LEAD vnto the wayes of iustification and that we are not iustifyed by faith only Sect. 6. ANd the vngodly will be conuerted vnto thee How shall a wicked heretique or ignorante man learne thy wayes of truthe By obedient faith How shall an vngodly Catholique or a lewde sinner be conuerted vnto thee in a good life By iustifying faith It is faith which beginnes first to iustifye a sinner and secondly allso the iuste shall liue by his faith In matter of our iustification alwayes faith must be one yet only faith doth neuer iustifye Neither firste as the only Disposition vnto iustice nor 2. as the only formall cause of our iustice nor 3. as the only encreaser or preseruer of our iustice 2. Luther on the Galathians once said that faith is our formall iustice for which a man is iustifyed making faith an essentiall cause of our iustification But since all protestants reiect that saying and make it only a bare instrument as a hande receiuing an almes and so to iustifye vs only relatiuely Yet touching the concurrence of other vertues and good workes the Electorall Wittembergians or softer Lutherans following Melancthon with whom herein concurreth Caluin they require the presence of good workes as necessary signes and fruites of faith yet denying them to haue any efficiency vnto iustification But the Saxonians and harder Lutherans following Illyricus deny any necessity of good workes to iustification either in presence or in efficience alledging these sayinges of Luther Faith doth iustefye without and before charity and in his disputation whither workes auayle to iustification he auoucheth That faith excepte it be without the least workes doth not iustefye nor is faith These and many other be their particuler dissentions among themselues thoughe against Catholiques good workes they all conspire That only faith iustifyeth 3. But the Councell of Trent beside faith which is the firste Disposition requireth allso Dispositions of feare hope loue penitence a purpose of vsing the necessary Sacramentes and a purpose of a new life in obseruing Gods commandements The firste then is faith as S. Paul saith It behooueth him that cometh to God to beleeue that he is and that he is a iust Iudge and a punisher of euill and a mercifull father and rewarder of good Out of the one procedeth nexte feare which likewise as well as faith is an introduction or disposition to iustification For Ecclesias saith He that is without feare cannot be justifyed and Esay saith From thy feare we haue conceiued brought forthe the spirite of saluation 4. Then from beholding of mercy and rewarde thirdely groweth Hope which likewise doth iustefye as the Apostle expressely speaketh we are saued by hope and in the psalmes often They shall be saued deâ—iuered because they hoped in God Fourthly after hoping for Good foloweth â—oue of the Benefactor which loue is before remission of sinnes eyther in time if it be an imperfecte loue only beginning or in nature if it be perfecte in all ouâ— harte abounding as our Sauiour said to S. Mary Magdalen Manie sinnes are
from thy motions and inspirations of grace O giue me yet grace to ouercome theses desires and since they proceede of my corrupte nature o let me finde the more helpe to conquer them and the more mercy to pardon them DAVID IN THE FORMER VERSE ACcuseth not his parentes nor is the Acte of mariage of it selfe any sinne Sect. 2. 1. DAuid here doth not accuse his Father Iesse as if he had begotteÌ„ him in adultery for it is certein he was lawfully borne much lesse in that respecte therfore excuse his owne faulte with Bersabee as if it were naturall for Bastardes to become Adultereâ—s Nor doth he meane any Actuall sinne which his parentes mighte paraduenture haue coÌ„mitted in his generation for their actuall sinne doth neither infecte nor perteyneth to the childe 2. But as there is a Conception of humane seede in the action of carnall copulation so there is a Conception of humane nature in the substance of that which is engendred In the firste as in their owne action the parentes many times doo offend yet not in that but in the second doo we contracte participate our originall corruption as being of the substance of humane nature which is deriued vnto vs by our parentes from Adam 3. In the firste euen maryed couples may offend throughe inordinate luste thoughe paraduenture by the Priuiledges which are called the Goods of matrimony that may be but veniall in them which in others is criminall And yet their luste and other circunstances may be so disordenate that in their copulations they allso doo committe somtimes euen mortall faultes for a man may offend and be vnchaste with his owne wife as well as become dronke with his owne wyne 4. Not that the Acte of matrimony is of it selfe euill sinnefull But as it is sinne to eate or drinke imtemperately or to eate when or what we are forbidden so maryed couples doo offend in the vse of matrimony being immoderate in excesse or in times or places prohibited or in the manner immodest or vnnaturall 5. Otherwise matrimony being an office of nature and a Sacrament of the churche the due accomplishment therof is not a sinne for as it is naturall it intendeth prolem to haue children and it keepeth fidem obseruing the faithfull title and promise giuen of eche to others body Beside which among Catholique Christians this Sacrament giueth grace and betokens the loue and vnion betwene Christe and his churche 6. And these three proles fides Sacramentum Progeny fidelity the Sacrament are called Bona matrimonij the Goods or benefites of matrimony To the first is referred not only the generation but allso the good education of children The second is not meante to be theological faithe but vertuous fidelity as it is a parte of Iustice in obseruing true loue loyalty and in yeilding mutuall dutyes assistance ech to other and so for performance of all these perteyning both to progeny and fidelity is required vsuall cohabitatioÌ„ excepte when some vrgent or greater cause doo necessarily enforce any absence The third which is the sacrament if the partyes hinder it not by indisposition giueth grace of vnion when the contracte is lawfully made by expresse wordes of the present or by apparent signes of consent by which grace their mindes are extraordinarily knit vnited in honest and discrete loue And as our Sauiour Christes loue to his churche is inseparable so the sacramentality of mariage grounded herevpon causeth this bond of mariage Among Christians to be so indiuisible that thoughe in some cases they may be separated from bed and boarde or from cohabitation yet the mariage at the firste or afterwardes hauing bene once lawfull they can neuer be so disioyned that either parte may mary agayne whiles the other doth liue 7. These three foresaid Goods or benefites of matrimony doo cause the copulation of man wife not only not to be sinne but to be a good action of vertue when it procedeth either from intention of progeny or hath purpose yeilding mutuall fidelity yea it is an action of sanctity or holynes when it respecteth the sacramentality depending on the great mistery of holy loue betwene Christe and his churche 8. Wherfore no Catholiques euer termed lawfull mariage duely vsed to be vncleanes pollution carnall filthynes as Caluin others doo sclander vs herein as they vse to doo allso almost in all other pointes but they either reprehend vnlawfull mariages or true mariages vnlawfully vsed Or as S. Ierome writeth against Iouinian the carnall acte betwene maryed Couples may in some sense be called vncleanes as it is said in the Apocalipse These are they who were not polluted with women for they are virgins eyther in coÌ„parison of pure virginity for thoughe in the acte of mariage it is possible they may kepe one perfection of chastity yet they doo herein euer loose the higher perfection of vndefiled virginity so maryed partyes may be called coÌ„paratiuely defiled with women Or else their carnall delighte in copulation may be called fleshly pollution eyther as caused of the remnants of our carnall concupiscence and of that same naturall rebellious disobedience of our flesh against our reason or because for the moste parte by many maryed people it is often vsed excessiuely or disornately neither referred to progeny fidelity nor to any other honest end without some of which intentions it is sinne at least veniall and so why may it not somtime be called or named according as it is most commonly practised not expressing or so strictely naming the lawfull vse but so insinuating the vnlawfull and vsuall abuse For we knowe that the moderate and ordinate vse is so farre from being sinne that S. Paul commandeth maryed couples to yeild ech to other mutuall beneuolence and all Catholique Doctors so accompte it a worke meritorious as an acte of vertue and of religion orderly as holy religious vertuous meritorious And so speaketh S. Augustin therof when it is intended 1. as an Acte of justice or 2. of obedience or 3. of charity directed eyther firste to procreation of children to be broughte vp in the seruice of God or secondly to the performance of promised fidelity for auoyding fornication or thirdly for rendring ech to other mutuall loue and duty And when their modest delightes how intensiue soeuer in nature are directed to all or to any of the forementioned purposes as they are vertuous and cannot be condemned so on the contrary when they are soughte for luste and without any of the former respectes then how feeble soeuer nature be they cannot be excused 9. This I haue said to shew that neither Dauid complayneth of any actuall sinne committed by his parents in his generation nor that the lawfull orderly vse of matrimony hath of it selfe any sinne Not if it had the particuler faultes of our parents could not be ascribed to their children WHY OVR MOTHER IS MENTIONED TO BE Accessary to our originall
we may be free from all these neither partaking in passion nor for opinion consulting with flesh and bloudde but hauing power giuen to be made sonnes so be borne of God let vs proceede with Dauid earnestly to repeate the name which we loue and to shew the strong desire of our petition by a zealous and vehement repetition Deus Deus salutis meae O God O God of my saluation SOME SHORTE PETITIONS DIRECTED vnto the name Goodnes of God Sect. 2. 1. O God O God of my saluation Some interprete this worde God in greeke to signifye one who beholdeth or one who runneth He seeth our saluation in his foreknowledge and in his exceding loue he runneth spedily to performe all our redemption O God looke vpon vs O God runne vnto vs. Beholde vs for our saluation and hasten vnto vs in our redemption See vs allso in thy foreknowledge of our redemption o God O God come running vnto vs in thy loue of our saluation Furthermore because we hauâ— neede to be saued and sanctifyed in the knowledge of our vnderstanding and in the affections of our will therfore allso bring vs saluation of vnderstanding to see thee and knowe thee O God· O God hasten vs by willing affection to runne vnto the and to loue thy saluation as in another pâ—alme it is said Thou arte my illumination and my saluation viz vnto my will saluation and illumination to my vnderstanding Therfore o God so looke vpon me that I may allso see thee being rightly illuminated O God so runne vnto me that I may come vnto thee being deuoutly affected 2. O God the Author o God mediator of my saluation O infinite Deity O mercifull humanity of my Redeemer O Iesus who arte God! O Christe who arte man O Emmanuel who arte God with vs men O soÌ„ne of man because thou tookest maÌ„hood of a blessed pure Virgin O sonne of God! because thou arte God of God and the eternall substance of the eternall Father O God which arte man O man who arte God! Thou hast auowed of thy selfe I am the saluation of the people working our saluation by suffring as man and accomplishing our saluation by ouercoming as God o deliuer vs from blouddes by the bloud of thy saluation It is a worke of great power to deliuer me from my sinfull corruption of blouddes O God O God it is a fauour of much mercy to shed thine owne bloud for my saluation O God deliuer me from those blouddes for only the power of God can worke it O God grante me saluation in thy bloud for only the mercy of God will accomplish it deliuer and cleanse me from my abhominable corruption of humane bloud by the inestimable preciousnes of diuine bloud this I doo accompte desire as a mysterye of God and a mercy of God for my admirable saluation Deliuer me from blouddes O God O God of my saluation WE DOO REIOYCE OVR LORDES iustice by trusting in his promises or by acknowledging of his mercy which forgiueth the offendour and yet fullfilleth iustice Sect. 3. 1. ANd my tongue shall rejoyce thy iustice O lorde thou wilte open my lippes and my mouthe shall declare thy prayse Saint Gregory saith that the iustice of God is faith in his true religion and we doo reioyce his iustice when we resiste or forsake heresy for Gods cause neither coueting the aduancements or aboundances of this worlde nor fearing his disgustes or pouerity for it is better to liue depending vpon the worde and promises of God in a patient firme hope then to relye vpon the best vncerteintyes of all this worlde in any present possession For without true catholique faith it is impossible to please God and by this faith a iuste man shall liue First spiritually reioycing more that he is a poore member of the Catholique Churche then if he were a mighty riche Prince in heresye and secondly for his body and for his necessityes praying trusting vnto him whose most fatherly prouidence feedeth the Birdes of the ayre and clotheth the lillyes of the feilde and with whom if there be prouision for sparrowes there is more for men and as he hath done good to our soules so he will not neglecte our bodyes 2. O my soule for thy life kepe euer this confidence on him and so reioyce on his fatherly iustice for if we aske him bread he will not giue vs a stone But especially let vs reioyce in his iustice for hauing deliuered vs from the lothsome blouddes of our sinne and broughte vs to the knowledge of his truthe into the estate of iustice of iustification by his grace Allso with men it semes iustice to reuenge an iniury and to free a malefactor is accounted iniustice neither will the rigor of mans sentence be satifyed thoughe an hundred others woulde giue their liues for one offendor coÌ„demned but the party who is guilty must be executed therfore o lord we will reiâ—yce in thy iustice which is appeased by the death of thy only sonne to make him a Sauiour of life for millions of slaues this thy iustice doth both free and aduance heynous offendors this thy iustice doth release any iniury and pardon any penitent malefactor Thy mercy hath propounded promised all this and this thy iustice doth performe ALL THE WORDES OF OVR MOVTH should proceede from God and agayne be referred vnto God Sect. 4. 1. O Lord thou wilte open my lippes and my mouthe shallâ— declare thy prayse Excepte thou O Lorde doo open my lippes excepte thou doo giue me this grace neither can my tongue reioyce nor my mouthe declare thy prayse It is not you which speake said our Sauiour but the spirite of â—y father which is in you therfore with Dauid I will harken what our Lorde speaketh within me andso by his assistance in mine owne comforte for his honor I will exercise all the instrumentes of my voyce my tongue my lippes and my mouthe My tongue shall frame wordes my lippes shall grace their soundes and my mouthe shall pronounce their full sense to reioyce in his iustice to declare his prayse 2. The wise man said It is thou o lord who doost shut vp the mouthes of the proud and makest the tongues of infantes to become eloquent If we open our mouthes of our selues we eyther speake vainly or falsely and sometime we ioyne theÌ„ both together speaking falsely to obteyne vainglory wheras if thou O God diddest open our lippes If we did directe our speeche to thy honor we shoulde euer haue truthe in our tongue and thy prayse in our harte It is conuenient alwayes to remeÌ„ber that saying Quis Cui Quid Quare tu dicas fac saepe requiras Who to whom what wherfore thou arte about to speake firste doo thou examine thy selfe If I be to teach O Lord open my lippes that it may be to profite soules not to set out my selfe not insisting in persuasible wordes of humane wisedome
doth more respecte the intention of the minde then the worke of the hande In that lawe were more earthly temporall promises then heauenly and euerlasting but in ours there are more eternall spirituall promises then corporall transitory In both lawes there are indeede both eternall temporall promises and both doo require obedience of harte of hande for loue for feare for vnder both lawes there are some perfect men some imperfect But vnder the lawe of Christe there is more perfection so more loue then feare yet some feare more promises eternall then temporall and yet some temporall these temporall promises this feare in the lawe of Christe are for the imperfecte And on the other side for those which were perfect in the lawe of Moyses some did obey for loue with a good harte and for such it had some promises spirituall but these were fewer much inferior vnto them of the Gospell SOME OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWENE the Lawe the Gospell Sect. 2. 1. BVT the principall difference is that Moyses lawe did not iustifye ex opere operato nor did the sacrifices ceremonyes therof conteyne grace in themselues For the mysterye of our Sauiours incarnation passioÌ„ not being really accoÌ„plished they could not really conteyne vertue of that which yet was not only ex opere operantis if the partyes offering were in state of grace had faith in the expected Messias then did those sacrifices iustifye not as conferring grace of themselues causally but only as signes accidentally It is true the sacramentes of our lawe in like sorte require faith deuotion but moreouer in themselues they are more then signes and doo conteyne confer grace not corporally abiding in them for so can nothing meerely spirituall be conteyned in a bodily substance But instrumentally really remayning in them and so virtually intended to passe be conueyed by them For our sacraments effect grace cheifly as instrumentall causes and that as instrumentes mediate separate such as is a staffe not as an instrument coniuncte immediate such as a hande And so the principall efficient cause of grace is God himselfe the humanity of our Sauiour Christe as an instrument coniuncte and as separate instrumentes and causes of grace are our sacramentes both satisfactions for sinne and meritorious of fauour 2. Wherfore thoughe the sacrifices of the olde lawe iustifyed as signes testifying the faith obedieÌ„ce of the offerer yet this was only ex opere operâ—Ì„tis by the obedience faith of the partyes applying the merites of our Sauiour Christe by that faith as only by an inwarde acte of the minde in the offerer which inward action of faith thoughe alwayes it be necessary yet furthermore we haue the vertue of our Sauiours passion applyed vnto vs allso by the outwarde vse of externall sacraments which is a priuiledge of more fauor a prerogatiue of more grace 3. And thus is the lawe of Christe more perfect more abundant in grace then was the law of Moyses for what the Leuiticall law did but promise signifye our EuaÌ„gelicall law doth exhite performe as S. Augustin said significando causat gratiaÌ„ in signifying doth allso cause grace in vs. Wherfore thoughe the lawe of the gospell propound more temporall afflictions and lesse store of worldly prosperity yet doth it affoarde a more speedy passage to heauen so much greater rewarde of eternall glory thirs was generally for a more carnall sensuall people more imperfect but ours is especially for men more perfect more spirituall which as it requires more perfection so it doth enable vs with more grace and so it is a much easyer yoke because it doth endue vs with farre greater strengthe 4. If you consider them both by the bare outward letter yet as S. Augustin said the lawe had the gospell hiddenlie inuolued and the gospell hath the lawe plainlie reuealed the lawe did foreshew our Sauiour as one a farre of dimly sene and the gospell doth manifest him clearly as one present And in respecte of their commandements admonitions other instructions let them be alike in this poynte of their letter that in both of theÌ„ the letter doth kill because when the letter of the lawe or gospells commandement is not fulfilled it is accidentally or improperly said to be the occasion of sinne so to kill yet seing it is the spirite which giueth life and considering that the lawe of Moyses was a dead lawe working wrathe requiring obedience not enabling to obey and considering that in the lawe of Christe beside the outward letter commandements writteÌ„ in paper there is allso abundaÌ„ce of grace inwardly shed into all good Christians hartes not only prescribing what we are to doo but assisting vs euer in the doing this is an excellent difference and a confortable encoragement 5. Wherfore S. Augustin said In the olde testament the lawe was established outwardlie by which vniust men shoulde be terrifyed but in the new it is inwardlie giuen by which they mighte be iustifyed And so the lawe was made by Moyses but grace truthe was giuen by Iesus Christe and therfore the Apostle saith their lawe was giuen in tables of stone but ours is written in the fleshye tables of our hartes and calleth their lawes a ministration of death condemnation but ours he nameth a ministratioÌ„ of the spirite of iustice because with ours we receiue inwarde grace helping to be saued but theirs had only the outward letter which accused 6. In this respecte Dauid mighte say that our lorde would not be delighted with the sacrifices of Moyses lawe althoughe he had so strictely commaÌ„ded them he exacteth them and yet refuseth them they were commanded therby to shew the faith obedience of the Offerers and yet he refused them in regarde of any value in the sacrifice it selfe they were exacted because of that which they did signifye but he did not regarde them for any worthe or vertue in themselues As when the Poste or other messenger bringes vs a letter whose cariage must coste vs deare Sir here is a letter for you pay me for the portage If we desire firste to read it he will say no if he suspecte we will returne it him vnpayde for he knowes we care not for the bulke of the letter but for the meaning of the wordes and that the paper of it selfe is nothing nere worthe the price which he demandes so the sacrifices of the olde lawe were required for signification of the Messias and were accepted according to the faith of the offerers not for any value which of it selfe was in the bloud of beastes or in the swetenes of fruites 7. Thus S. Ierome and others note of Abel that our Lorde more respected the person offering then the sacrifice offered And so S. Augustin obserueth in Abel 3. primarye vertues vidz he was the firste preist the firste virgin