demaunded what are the causes of good workes by which men ought to be stirred vp and pricked forward to worke well There are numbred three most weyghty causes necessitie dignitie and reward Necessitie may be made to be of fiue sorts of y e cōmāndemēt of worship of det of holding fast y e fayth of auoyding punishmēt of cōuersion or regeueratiō Necessitie of the commaundemēt is bicause God doth seriously and seuerely commaund obedience toward his lawe Keepe mine ordinances sayth he and walke therein Paul sayth This is the will of God euen your sanctification Necessity of dette or dutie that we owe is declared Rom. 8. We are detters not to the flesh but to the spirite for we are not our owne but his that hath redemed vs with his bloud Necessitie of holding fast the fayth is commaunded to vs of Paule If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his housholde he denieth the fayth and is worse than an infidel And agayne Fight a good fight hauing fayth and a good conscience neyther of which is kept while we giue our selues to sinne Necessitie of auoyding punishment is confirmed by the testimonie of Dauid For iniquitie sayth he thou doest chastice the children of men Necessitie of conuersion is affirmed in this saying As I liue sayth the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waye and liue When therefore conuersion is made man is also quickened by fayth through the holy Ghost Moreouer vnto conuersion is ioined regeneration which is a beginning of a newe lyfe a newe light wisedome righteousnesse and a renuing of the image of God in vs. The seconde cause is dignitie which consisteth in this that the man conuerted or regenerate is nowe the sonne of God according to that saying He gaue power to be the sonnes of God to them that beleeue in his name Howe great a dignitie is it that they which beleeue are the temple of the holy ghost liuing that Christ dwelleth in them by fayth that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost doe come vnto them and will dwell with them that they are the members of Christ On the contrarie wey what a wickednes it is for the children of God to resemble the image of the enimie howe great a daunger it is that the temple of God shoulde be polluted with the filthinesse of Satan what a cruell thing it is to driue God out of his dwelling place Wherefore it becommeth the children of God to imitate their heauenly father which sayth Be ye holy for I am holy Herevpon Paule sayeth that we are called to sanctification and not to vncleannes The thirde cause is a rewarde that is a recompence of the pacience and obedience of them that beleeue This rewarde is not giuen for the worthinesse of the worke but for the promise of grace Seing that the good workes that are done of the godly are the bounden duties of seruants and vnperfect and defiled it may be demaunded why God hath added promises to good workes And there may be numbred fiue causes hereof The first that they may be testimonies of the prouidence of God For God will haue it knowne that good things pertayning to the bodye are created of him and are not spreade abroade by chaunce but are of him giuen to the Church and preserued according to the saying He is thy life and the length of thy dayes in the dayes of hunger they shall be satisfied the rich haue suffred hunger but no good thing shall be wanting to him that feareth the Lorde The seconde that they may be testimonies that God will yea euen in this lyfe keepe and preserue his Church Wherefore Paule sayth 1. Tim. 4. Godlynesse hath the promise of the lyfe present and of that that is to come Bicause God will of his infinite goodnesse gather his Church for his sonnes sake the mediatour he keepeth this order of nature he maketh the earth fruitefull that he may feede and nourishe his Church euen in this life and bicause for his Churches sake he doth feede also the rest it becommeth vs especially to be thankfull The thirde bicause God will haue corporall necessitie to be a monishment warning concerning fayth prayer hope giuing of thankes therefore hath he set forth his promises wil haue these good things to be asked loked for by fayth by this asking and looking for he will haue fayth hope and pacience to increase The fourth that they may be warnings of the promise of grace bicause that fayth which acknowledgeth the sonne and receyueth reconciliation ought alwayes to go before in the asking of corporall things and for the sonnes sake the other promises were set forth and ratified All these things are comprehended in the saying Whatsoeuer he shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you The fift bicause God will haue both these things to be knowne both that the Church is subiect to the crosse and yet nowithstanding that it is marueylously preserued in this lyfe euen among perils and daungers that all the maruaylous preseruations of the Church and al the wonderfull deliuerances of the same may be testimonies of the presence of God in his Church as it is sayde Num. 14. That the Egyptians maye knowe that thou O Lorde art among this people Iosu 3. Ye shall knowe that the Lorde God is in the middest of you 1. Kings 17. That all the earth may knowe that there is a God in Israel Esay 37. Nowe O Lorde our God saue thou vs out of the hande of Zenacherib that all the kingdomes of the earth may knowe that thou onely art the Lorde Seing that al men haue sinne it is rightly demaunded whose obedience doth please and whose doth not please To this question I doe aunswere thus Sinnes are of two sorts some are committed of them which know and are willing agaynst their conscience such sinnes are not in them that beleeue For if he that beleueth doth fall agaynst his conscience he doth as it were shake of the holy ghost renounce the fayth and is made guiltie of the wrath of God and except he repenteth he falleth headlong into eternal punishment Moreouer they which being deceyued by the delusions of the deuill doe reuolt from the foundation that is doe renounce and forsake any article of the fayth whether they vnderstande it or vnderstande it not doe cease to be holy doe shake of the holy ghost and become guiltie of eternal wrath and displeasure as Cherinthus Ebion Arius Fotinus and such lyke heretikes Other some sinnes are not committed agaynst the conscience as blindnesse and ignorance doubting many omittings of our dutie and vicious affections agaynst which euilles the godlye doe striue and doe beleeue that they are put away for the mediators sake Although this vncleannesse is in
vvorkes and through the vvorks vvas the fayth made perfect 23 And the Scripture vvas fulfilled vvhich sayth Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes and he vvas called the frend of God 24 Ye see then hovv that of vvorkes a man is iustified and not of faith onely The summe of this reason is this Such as the fayth of Abraham was ought also the fayth of other beleeuers to be For he is therefore called the father of the beleeuers bicause that they that beleeue ought to imitate and follow his fayth but the faith of Abraham had workes ioyned with it which is thereby proued bicause he did so much esteeme obedience toward God that he would rather kill his onely sonne then not obey God Therfore the fayth of other also ought to haue workes ioyned with it which if it haue not it is worthely to be accounted vaine and dead This is the summe of the argument Now let vs wey the wordes of the Apostle which are wrested of the Schoolemen against free iustification First the word iustified is to be discussed which is as much as if he had sayd was declared to be iust or was knowen to be iustified and that this is so I proue by three necessarie arguments The first is taken of the scope and end of this present disputatiō For Iames hath not purposed a disputation of the causes of iustification but onely doth shew by what effects iustification may be gathered and as it were set before the eyes of men Seing therefore it is an exceeding great errour of effects to make causes in respect of the same thing they are by no meanes to be borne which forgetting the scope ende of the disputation proposition that is to be proued presume very high go about to disproue the doctrine of Paul concerning free iustification when as the purpose of Paul was far otherwise thā of Iames. For Paul seketh the cause of iustification Iames the effects of the same Paul descendeth frō y e causes to y e effects Iames contrariwise ascendeth frō the effects to y e causes Paul seketh how we are iustified Iames how we are declared to be iustified Paule excludeth works as causes of iustification Iames includeth the same as the effectes of iustification Seing there is so great difference betwene the purpose of Paule and Iames who seeth not the vanitie of the Scholemen which say that the Apostles are contrary the one to the other The seconde necessarie argument is taken of the order of the causes and the effects Genes 15. Abraham is pronounced to be iustified Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse But this came to passe thirtie yeares at the least before he receyued a commaundement concerning the offering of his sonne Isaac Genes 22. Howe therefore can it be that he shoulde be sayde to be iustified by that worke which he did the thirtie yere after y t he was by the voyce of God said to be iustified It is necessarie therfore that to be iustified in Iames doe signifie to be declared iustified The thirde necessarie argument is taken of the wordes of the Angell Genes 22. After that Abraham had purposed to kil his sonne at the commaundement of God was called back from his purpose by the voice of the Angel he heareth of the Angell Now I know that thou fearest God seing for my sake thou hast not spared thine only son What other thing I pray you do these words meane than that y e voluntarie obedience of Abraham was a testimonie of the feare of God a certaine declaration of the iustification of Abraham And thus briefly it is declared what the word of iustification doth signifie in this disputation of Iames. Afterwarde when he sayth that the fayth vvrought vvith his vvorkes he expresseth the nature of a liuely fayth to wit that it is effectuall and full of good workes Seing that the fayth of hypocrites hath not this nature it is in no case to be iudged a true and liuely fayth This saying therefore of Iames doth teach nothing else but that good workes doe proceede of fayth That which Iames addeth through the vvorkes the fayth vvas made perfect is nothing els than y t the fayth of Abraham was declared by his workes not to haue bene counterfait or hypocriticall but true and sincere For if thou doest cal that perfect here which is in it degrees absolute no mortall man liuing at any time hath had a perfect fayth Moreouer when he sayth that the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is not to be referred vnto the cause but vnto the effect For by that deede Abraham declared that he was in very deede iustified before by fayth This fulfilling therefore ought to be referred to the experience of men and not to the iudgement of God 25 Likevvise also vvas not Rahab the harlot iustified through vvorks vvhen she had receyued the messengers and sent them out another vvay He proueth by another example y t a true a liuely faith is not without works Rahab by her dede or works declared hir selfe to be iustified by fayth when with the perill of her life she sent away y e messengers of the people of God least they shoulde come into the hands of them that sought them 26 For as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead euen so the fayth vvithout vvorkes is deade By a most apt similitude propounded he proueth that the fayth of hypocrites is vayne in as much as it is like a deade bodie or carkas wherein is no liuely spirite and therefore no mouing or sense of a liuing creature is founde in it And thus Iames by sixe firme reasons hath proued that a true fayth is frutefull in good workes and that the fayth of hypocrites which is voyd of workes is a vayne boasting rather than fayth A declaration of the doctrine of repentance WHen as Christ doth define the Gospel to be preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name he setteth forth two things vnto bs whereof one is the benefite which the Gospell offereth the other the meanes by which the benefite is applyed vnto men The benefite which is offered is forgiuenesse of sinnes The meanes is repentance For they onely which repent are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes wherewith is ioyned iustification saluation and eternall lyfe Hereof it easily appeareth that nothing is more necessarye for a man in this life than to vnderstande wherein true repentance consisteth without the which forgiuenesse of sinnes commeth vnto no man Of this wholsome and true repentance I will speake and will so declare the matter by the worde of God and manifest examples that euerye man may acknowledge the truth and playnnes thereof The foundation therfore of the preaching of repentance without all doubt is the mercie and grace of
nature But they that are not occupyed in this following doe falsly attribute to themselues a christian name Furthermore they are not counted the lawfull sonnes of God but bastardes rather For God acknowledgeth none among his sonnes but whom he seeth at the least to endeauour to imitate his fathers vertues To this pertayneth that saying of the Lord in the Prophet If I be a father where is mine honour But the cheefest parte of honour which children can doe to their parents is to imitate their vertues Whosoeuer earnestly looketh for the glorye of christianitie let him set before himselfe this cause of shewing mercy to his neighbour and let him not suffer himselfe to be led away with euil examples from this necessary and due worship of God The second cause is the commaundement of God vnto which all creatures ought to obey Of this cause Iesus the sonne of Sirach maketh mention chap. 29 Helpe the poore for the commandements sake and turne him not away because of his pouertie And a little after Bestow thy treasure after the commaundement of the most high and it shal bring thee more profite then Gold Our treasure that doth neuer fayle we must lay vp and keepe in heauen but yet it is in this life bestowed vpon the poore vpon whom the benefites that be bestowed the Lord so accepteth as if we had bestowed them vpon himselfe All the testimonies of the Scripture which doe commend vnto vs the loue of our neighbour doe require especially liberalitie towarde the nedie For this is the chiefe part of true loue Hereunto belongeth that saying of the Lorde Deut. 15. I commaund thee saying thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother that is needy He that contemneth this precept of the Lord how can he loue God how can he feare him for thus sayth Iohn Whosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And Iob 6. He that taketh away mercie from his neighbour hath forsaken the feare of the Lord. Whosoeuer therefore determineth to loue God and to feare him from his heart let him thinke that he doth owe obedience to God commaunding Of which thing Micheas speaketh after this sort I will shew thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The thirde cause is the imitation of examples of Christ our Lord first and then of his members Christ was made poore for vs that he might enrich vs. What therefore do we agayne owe to the members of Christ especially seing he witnesseth that that is done to himselfe whatsoeuer we doe to the least of his members Matth. 25. The holy fathers desired nothing more than to relieue the poore Saints Abraham doth reuerence strangers and biddeth them to eate with him that he may shewe liberalitie vnto them Lot desired the Angels to come into his house whom he thought to be poore straungers Cornelius the courtier is written to haue giuen himselfe to continuall prayer and almes which the scripture witnesseth to haue come vp into remembrance before God The fourth cause is the dignitie and estimation of almes godly bestowed before God Prouerb 21. To do mercie and iudgement is more acceptable to the Lorde then sacrifice Christ sayth Matth. 9. I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Heb. 13. To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased So great dignitie so great estimation is there before God of the almes godly bestowed It is preferred before sacrifice God is sayd to be singularly moued and delighted therewith This dignitie ought worthily to admonishe them which abounde in this worldes good that they indeuour according to the counsell of Paule to be rich in good workes The fift cause is our neighbour himselfe But that euery man is neighbour one to another the Parable of the Samaritane doth teach although this neighbourhode is greater with some than with other some Euery man both godly and also vngodly is neighbour vnto me and that first by reason of our creation Secondly for likenes sake Thirdly in respect of our common life and humane societie And although this triple bonde wherewith men are bounde among themselues is a great cause wherefore men ought to doe good vnto men neuerthelesse there is yet a farre greater bonde wherewith Christians are knit togither with Christians For first one vocation is common to all Christians whereby we are called to the vnitie of spirit in the bonde of peace Agayne by the same spirit we are begotten agayne to be the sonnes of God whereby it commeth to passe that both we haue one father which is God and also we are brethren among our selues Moreouer we are members of the same mysticall bodye the heade whereof is Christ Finally we haue the same hope of the glorie to come for we are heyres of eternall lyfe in Christ Iesus our Lorde If we doe earnestly thinke vppon this fift cause of mercie towarde our neighbour there is none that doth not acknowledge howe necessarily liberalitie is to be shewed to them that be in neede I do not make mention of that bond by which al men in this world are debters one to another Who wil seme to be a contemner of the vnitie of the spirite whereunto the Gospell calleth vs Who can abide to heare that he is a denier of spirituall brotherhoode Who dare so despyse the members of Christ that he will suffer them to be tormented wyth colde hunger and nakednesse Who will not worthilye suffer him to be partaker with him of the things of this worlde which soone fade awaye whom he assuredly thinketh shall be heyre with him of the heauenly treasures If this cause of liberalitie and mercie were esteemed of many according to the worthinesse thereof they woulde not set their mindes so much vpon deceyte and vniust gayne they woulde not so much spoyle and rob the needie members of Christ and they would thinke more of cherishing and making much of their owne fleshe As often as we see any that is in miserie crauing our helpe and succour let vs I pray you remember the saying of Esay Hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh The sixt cause is the punishment yea and that manifold of them which are hard toward the poore The first is the wrath of God Ecclesiasticus 4. Turne not thine eyes aside from the poore because of anger The second is the curse In the same place it is sayd For if the curse thee in the bitternes of his soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him The third is the refusing of thy prayer which thou makest in thy necessitie Prouerb 21. He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crye and not be heard A horrible punishment truly then which none