pardon as appeareth in the prodigall sonne For a knowledge of mercy must of necessitie goe before true repentance according to the saying of Ambrose No man can repent except first he hopeth for pardon and that of Augustine The mercye of God is necessary not onely when we doe repent but also that we may repent Fayth is a knowledge consent and desire of the promised mercy and a sure confidence in Christ the mediatour Although the former examples and the fourth chap. to the Rom. doe confirme this definition yet let vs adde more reasons concerning the properties of fayth Christ pronounceth them saued that beleeue therfore it must needes be that fayth doth signifie a trust in the promise seeing that no man is saued by knowledge alone Agayne Paule doth sometime call this fayth a sure trust or confidence sometime a perswasion whereby a man doth certaynely perswade himselfe that God both will and also is able to performe that which he hath promised This therfore is that fayth by which alone without the workes of the law the Apostle affirmeth that a man is iustified before God For such a fayth onely as we haue described doth apprehende Christ and possesse him with all his benefites I will therfore set forth a playne and manifest doctrine concerning this iustification which commeth by fayth in Christ and will briefly confute the errours with the which this doctrine both in time past and also in our age is darkned and made obscure Iustification is a deliuerance from sinne of the man that doth beleeue in Christ an imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and an accepting of him being iustified to life euerlasting freely for Christes sake In this definition fiue principall poynts are to be considered First fayth by which the grace which is offred is receyued wherevpon Paule sayth we are iustified by fayth For fayth is as it were a certayne hande wherewith we receyue Christ offered vnto vs with his obedience that it may be our righteousnesse The seconde is a clensing or deliuerance from sinne through the satisfaction made by Iesus Christ according to that saying of Iohn The bloude of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne To this also belongeth that saying of Dauid Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen Also Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lorde imputeth not iniquitie What deliuerance is it is to be gathered by y e definition of sinne For as sinne is a defect or reuolting from the lawe and will of God with a bonde vnto eternall death and condemnation so deliuerance is the discharging or setting free of a man from the bonde of death and condemnation But that this deliuerance doth come vnto him that beleeueth in Christ many testimonies doe witnes He that beleeueth in the son hath euerlasting life The third is the imputation of y e righteousnes of Christ For his obedience death passion and resurrection are the matter foundation of our iustification 2. Cor. 5. He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we shoulde be made the righteousnesse of God in him This righteousnes which he sayth that we are made in him the Apostle defineth Rom. 5. when he sayth As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous Christian righteousnesse therefore is the obedience of Christ imputed to the beleeuer For fayth is imputed to hym for righteousnesse which beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked Of these this also followeth that the qualitie of righteousnes is in Christ but is imputed vnto vs which is proper vnto him For we are so iust before God as Christ was a sinner As he after a sort tooke vpon him our person whereby he might be made guiltie in our name and might be iudged as a sinner not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of other seing that he himselfe was pure and cleane frō all sinne and might suffer punishment due vnto vs and not vnto him So we nowe are iust in him not bicause we do satisfie the iudgement of God with our workes but bicause we are accounted righteous with the righteousnesse of Christ which by fayth alone we doe put on that it might be made ours The fourth is an accepting of the person vnto eternall life For Paule setteth this degree after iustification Rom. 8. Whom he iustified them be also glorified To this belongeth the saying of the Lorde He that beleeueth in me shall not perish but shall haue euerlasting lyfe The fift freely for Christes sake freely that all the merites of men maye be excluded for Christes sake that the redemption of the onely begotten sonne of God may be acknowledged to be the merit of so great a treasure Although this doctrine of our Churches is grounded vpon the iust sounde and perfite worde of God yet there be diuerse and sundrie errors spred abrode agaynst it For there be some which place this iustification of man in the workes done of men other some will needes haue it to consist of fayth and workes togither some go about to establishe a certayne essentiall righteousnesse Although these things which we haue spoken doe confute the errours of these yet we will speake somewhat seuerally of them They which affirme that mā is iustified by works are more easily confuted seeing that the most manifest oracles of God doe crie out agaynst this errour Dauid cryeth out openly Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And Paule Rom. 3. Therefore by the workes of the lawe shal no fleshe be iustified And to the Galath As manye as are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the curse Agayne If righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Their opinion therefore is manifestly false which affirme that a man is iustified that is made iust by workes But we acknowledge with Iames that good workes are required to the declaring of this iustification that the good tree may be knowne by it fruites neyther is there any disagreeing betweene Paule and Iames. For when Paul sayth that a mā is not iustified by works he signifieth that he is not made iust and without fault before God by workes When Iames sayth that men are iustified by workes he meaneth that men are by workes declared to be iust But the saying of them hath somewhat a fayrer shewe which affirme that the righteousnesse whereby the wicked man is iustified before God doth consist of fayth and works togither For they saye that fayth is the beginning of righteousnesse and workes the perfection thereof whose errour S. Paule confuteth by these reasons Rom. 10. I beare them recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For they being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and going about to stablishe their owne righteousnes haue not submitted themselues to
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
the righteousnes of God For Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerye one that beleeueth Here Paule maketh this to be the cause of the casting of of the Iewes for that they woulde ioyne their owne righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of God which is by fayth and of both ioyned togither make one forme of righteousnesse Also Rom. 11. he reasoneth thus If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Paule here first setteth downe two contrarie propositions without any meane betwene them If election and saluation be of workes it is not of grace If it be of grace it is not of workes bicause that debt and gift are so contrarie that neither of them may rightly be sayde one of the other or both of them of any thirde Eyther therefore we are iustified and saued by fayth alone or by workes but the testimonies before alledged doe proue that no man is iustified by workes Agayne if christian righteousnesse did consist of fayth and works togither the reasoning of Paule were fonde and vayne Rom. 4. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnesse Here Paule maketh two sortes of righteousnesse which differ the one from the other For they haue contrarie causes For the righteousnesse of fayth by which he that beleeueth is iustified is imputed and giuen freely but the righteousnesse of works is not free Furthermore if one part is to be attributed to fayth the other part to workes in the iustification of man two absurdities should followe thereof one that the promise shoulde be made vncertaine which ought to be certaine Another that the satisfaction of Christ coulde not suffice except it were stablished by our workes Wherefore we embrace the saying of Augustine which sayth It is grace in no poynt except it be free in all poyntes But the occasion of the errour of the Papistes was a Philosophicall imagination which knoweth no righteousnesse except it be a certayne qualitie in vs. For it vnderstandeth not that a man may be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnesse of another Nowe let vs come to essentiall righteousnesse concerning which first it is to be vnderstand y t we are in no wise righteous before God by y e essential righteousnes of God but in respect of the principall efficient cause For the formall righteousnesse by which we are righteous before God is no other than the obedience of Christ as Paule plainly teacheth Rom. 5. By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous But the obedience of Christ is of two sortes of the crosse and of the lawe By the obedience of the crosse whereby he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Philip. 3. the Lorde doth make a full satisfaction for our sinne The obedience of the lawe he imputeth vnto vs that beleeue that by it we maye appeare righteous in the sight of God Paule sayth that this righteousnesse or obedience of Christ is imputed to them that beleeue therfore it is neyther substance nor qualitie abyding in them whereby a man is made righteous formally Wherefore this affirmance is surely to be helde that christian righteousnes is the obedience of the sonne of God imputed to him that beleeueth But in the meane season we must also vnderstande this that the Scripture maketh mention of three kindes of righteousnesse of man whereof one is of fayth by which we stande before God and this is perfect as the obedience of Christ is perfect neyther is it diminished or increased by the diminishing or increasing of fayth For the Publicane had this full and perfect as well as Peter although the fayth of Peter was much more manifest and knowne Another is the beginning of obedience which is also called the righteousnesse of a good conscience This is not set agaynst the wrath of God bicause it is not perfect obedience of the lawe yet it is necessary in as much as it is the proper fruite of fayth An other there is which is as yet looked for whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 5. For we through the spirite wayte for the hope of righteousnesse through fayth And 1. Iohn 3. Dearly beloued nowe are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure This righteousnesse therefore is a making of vs lyke vnto God a dwelling of God in vs a full fruition of God an absolute and perfect loue And although we must confesse that the heartes of them that beleeue are the temples of the holy ghost and Christ sayth Iohn 14. If any man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and wil dwell with him yet it doth not followe that this dwelling of God in vs is the righteousnesse whereby we stande before God but it is a diuine presence in vs by which we are renued doe feele comfort and begyn to approch to eternall life Furthermore if men were iustified here by essentiall righteousnesse there shoulde be no difference betweene the righteousnesse by which we are righteous in this lyfe and that by which we shall be like vnto God in all eternitie But Paule putteth a manifest difference betweene these two For he sayth that we haue the righteousnesse of fayth nowe here in this lyfe but that we doe looke for another righteousnesse which Iohn defineth to be a framing or fashioning whereby we shall be fashioned lyke vnto God which fashioning shall proceede from hence in that we shall see him as he is Newe obedience is necessarily ioyned with fayth For regeneration which cannot be absent from a iustifying fayth doth necessarily bring forth it fruites which are seene in newe obedience For after that a man through the grace of regeneration is made a newe tree he ought to bring forth newe that is good fruites which Paule in his Epistle to the Philip. calleth the frutes of y e righteousnes of fayth Iames pronounceth in his own peculiar and proper phrase that men are iustified by the same that is acknowledged and declared iust This newe obedience is sometime called sanctification which consisteth of the mortifying of the fleshe and of the quickening of the spirit For Paule sayth thus Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption He is made our wisedome in the preaching of the Gospell He is made our righteousnesse by the attonement for sinne and imputation of righteousnesse He is made our
A LEARNED AND fruitefull Commentarie vpon the Epistle of Iames the Apostle vvherein are diligently and profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of Religion as are touched in the same Epistle Written in Latine by the learned Clerke Nicholas Hemminge professour of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Hafnie and nevvly translated into English by VV. G. ¶ JMPRINTED AT London by Thomas Woodcocke and Gregorie Seton and are to be solde at the signe of the blacke Beare in Paules Churchyarde ANNO. 1577. To the godly and reuerend Father and faythfull Minister of Christ M. Alexander Novvell Deane of the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London W. Gace wisheth grace and peace from God the father through Christ Iesus our Lorde GOD FROM THE BEGINNING hath as in a most cleare and euident glasse sette forth himselfe to be beholden and knowne of vs euen in his creatures in the orderly course of the worlde For when we see and consider the vnmeasurable greatnes of the worlde and the partes thereof to be so framed as they could not possibly in beautie be fayrer nor for profit better we vnderstande thereby the omnipotent power of God in creating them his diuine wisedome in ordering and disposing them his infinite goodnes in continually preseruing them that they runne not to ruine and vtter decay but are by him vpholden euen to the necessarie vse and sustentation of mans lyfe Although this creation of the worlde and the maruaylous ordering and preseruing thereof were sufficient whereby men might knowe God and worship him being knovvne or else be without excuse yet it hath pleased God of his great mercie to giue vnto vs his worde wherein he hath more plainly and fully reuealed himselfe and his will to our most singular commoditie and comfort For we through the fall of our first parentes being become blinde in vnderstanding corrupt in desiring and wicked in working are by the worde of God fruitefully of vs receyued lightned in our myndes reformed in our affections and ordered aright in our doings in so much as the Princely Prophet Dauid sayth that the meanes whereby a yong man shall clense his waye is to rule himselfe after this worde which worde also he pronounceth to be his delight and his counseller yea he perceyued it to be of such vertue and excellencie that he preferreth it before all worldly treasures whatsoeuer I loue sayth he thy commaundements aboue golde and precious stone Agayne thy lawe is dearer vnto me then thousandes of golde and siluer But I mynde not to enter here into the worthye commendation of this worde or to rehearse the manifolde and most singular commodities which redounde to the godly thereby Onely that which I haue mentioned out of Dauid may suffice to declare that it is a treasure of all other most precious Forasmuch then as the worde of God is a treasure so excellent what shall we thinke or say of the true and syncere Preachers and expounders thereof VVe acknowledge great friendship in them by whose meanes we attayne to an earthly commoditie and howe shall we be affected towarde them which open to vs the way to an heauenly treasure VVe thinke our selues much beholden to those which minister vnto vs the foode of this fraile life but vvhat recompence shall we render vnto them by whose meanes we come to enioy the foode of euerlasting lyfe VVherefore right worshipfull if I should render a reason of my labour bestowed in translating this treatise into the english tongue I thinke it were sufficient if I should say no more but that the word of God is therein soundly and syncerely expounded Although I may descend vnto particular pointes and shew other weightie causes thereof For you are not ignoraunt howe the Papists both haue bine and also be grieuous enemies to the doctrine of iustification by faythe onely in Christ pretending for their chiefe defence the testimonie of S. Iames where he seemeth to attribute iustification to workes and not to fayth onely whose authoritie they haue wrongfully wrested and misinterpreted VVhereby they haue not onely erred themselues but also haue caused many other to erre VVhich false interpretation of theirs is in this treatise very learnedly and throughly improued and the meaning of the Apostle truly and playnely declared Againe your wisedome doth well know that the mysteries of God are wisely and discretely to be disposed and not onely the doctrine of fayth faithfully to be taught but also the doctrine of workes diligently to be vrged both to stoppe the sclaunderous mouthes of many prating Papists and also to remedie many abuses very rife among vs. For whereas the syncere preachers of Gods worde doe according to the Scriptures teach that the bloud of Christ is a sufficient salue for the sore of sinne and that we are iustified by fayth alone in him without mens merits workes or satisfactions many sclaundering Papists are not ashamed most falsly to affirme that they are louers of lusts preachers of present pleasure and giuers of libertie to all licentious liuing and making no store of good workes doe cast onely fayth vnder mens elbowes to leane vpon VVhen as the true preachers haue alway preached and all the writinges of the godly haue most diligently taught that that fayth which is not liuely and fruitefull of good works did neuer profite any but to the increase of their owne damnation and contrariwise that that fayth whereby alone according to the Scriptures they teach that we are iustified hath good workes necessarily accompanying it not as causes of our saluation but as necessarie fruites of a liuely fayth as is also in this treatise of S. Iames very learnedly and diligently declared VVhereby not onely the Papists are admonished that they doe not open their lying lips so wrongfully to rayle vpon the true preachers of Gods word but also many other are aduertised of their dutie who by profession are Christians but in life more then prophane who are not ashamed to say if faith iustifie without works then let vs worke nothing but let vs onely beleeue and doe what we list and so like carnall and carelesse liuers they turne the libertie of the Spirite into wantonnes and fleshly libertie But let these men vnderstand that such prophane profession and carelesse contempt dooth highly displease almightie God and is diligently detected and sharpely reproued of his faythfull ministers both in wordes and writings whose wholesome admonitions let them carefully regard and be aduertised and brought thereby to follow in workes that vvhich they profes in vvords least they deceiue them selues and at the last reape most bitter fruites of their fayned fayth Not onely these are in this present treatise admonished of their dutie but many other most profitable poyntes of Christian doctrine and godly instructions are learnedly handled and liuely set forth therin vvhereby the Christian readers may learne to direct their doinges and order their life according to the prescript rule of Gods vvorde As for them vvhich obstinately
we may obteine and receiue good thinges at the hand of God Agayne it giueth to vnderstand that in prayer is required faith which resteth vpon the goodnesse of the mediatour Furthermore of this place is gathered that all douting is farre to be remoued from prayer for he which douteth or wauereth when he prayeth doth onely poure out wordes vnprofitably and prayeth not effectually whereupon this also followeth that if we must not wauer nor dout in prayer it is but in vayne to make more mediatours For they which seeke after more mediatours doe thinke that they are not heard for the one and onely mediatour Christ Moreouer with this saying of Iames disagreeth the opinion of the Papists who goe about to make faith and douting to agree togither To these may be added that all things that pertaine to the saluation of our soules are to be asked without any conditiō Finally the opinion of the Stoicks is here confuted concerning the necessitie of the falling out of thinges for as wisedome is here promised to him that asketh it by faith so the wisedome wherof mention is here made is not giuen to him that doth not aske it For he that vvauereth is like a vvaue of the sea tost of the vvinde and caried avvay 7 Neither let that man thinke that he shall receyue any thing of the Lorde This is a reason why in prayer he requireth fayth without wauering for he which wauereth saythe he is compared to a waue of the sea that is he is vnconstant For as the waue of the sea is driuen sometime into this coast sometime into that according as the winde and the raging of the sea is so a man douting now thinketh this thing shortly after his minde being changed he thinketh an other thing euen as he is driuen on with erroneous doctrine and blinde affections Such a man praieth in vayne bicause he is destitute of true faith These thinges ought to admonish vs of constancie both in doctrine and also in godly exercises But perhaps some man will obiect and saye there is douting in euerie man therefore there is a firme and constant fayth without wauering in no man I aunswere that according to diuers principles both may be both stedfast faith and doubting For if thou doest respect the spirite in the regenerate fayth is a firme consent nothing wauering But if thou lokest vnto the flesh doubts do oftentimes arise which are the works of y e flesh agaynst which the works of the spirit do striue We haue an exāple of eyther of these in Abraham Ro. 4. 8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his vvayes He is here sayde to be a double minded man which doubteth of the doctrine or wyll of God such a one bicause he is vnconstant in all his doinges therefore hath he no stablenesse or constancie in his prayer Let vs therefore in this place note that the foundation of all godly actions yea and of that most excellent worke of prayer is constancie in the doctrine concerning the will of God in fayth 9 Let the brother of lovv degree reioyce in that he is exalted 10 Againe he that is rich in that he is made lovv for as the floure of the grasse shall he vanish avvay Bicause both pouertie by which all kinde of calamitie as by a particular or an example is signified and also riches by the name whereof all prosperous succes in this lyfe is vnderstande may minister matter of tentation he doth very conueniently preuent an obiection and teacheth both that is the poore man and also the rich He teacheth the poore man not to fasten his eyes vpō the calamitie of this present life but rather to cōsider that he is exalted whereby hereafter he being made the son of God shall be aduanced vnto the glory of immortality He teacheth the rich mā to thinke with himselfe how fraile and deceitfull the riches of this world are which as they do not make him blessed that possesseth them so doe they sone vanish away euen as the floure of the herbe What doth not Paul say Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lorde Wherfore thē doth Iames bid him that is poore of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted and him that is rich in that he is made low The Apostles doe nothing disagree the one with the other For both of them doe place the foundation of true reioycing in the Lord. Wherfore these exceptions are to be held first what good thing soeuer we haue let vs acknowledge that we haue receiued it of God attributing nothing to our selues Secondly let vs holde fast this foundation that we trust to be saued through the onely mercy of God Finally let vs rest in the onely author of all goodnesse with these exceptions we may reioyce and that godly in euery kinde of thing that is good 11 For as vvhen the sunne riseth vvith heate then the grasse vvithereth and his floure falleth avvay and the goodly shape of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man vvither avvay in all his vvayes He amplifieth the comparison wherein he compareth the glory of riches to the fading floure which when the heate of the Sunne increaseth is wythered falleth away and perisheth As therefore it is a foolish thing to reioyce in vayne riches so the godly man should do preposterously if he being discouraged with the grieuousnesse of his pouertie shoulde be ouercome of tentation 12 Blessed is the mā that endureth tentation for vvhē he is tried he shall receiue the croune of life vvhich the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Before he willed that christians doe reioyce when they shall fall into diuers tentations now hauing confuted those thinges that seemed to be agaynst his purpose hee rendreth a reason of his exhortation The argument is concluded after this sort Blessed is the man that endureth tentation that is which fainteth not vnder the burden of tentation therefore the godly oughte with good cause to reioyce when they fall into diuers tentations The antecedent he proueth by the ende of tentation being ouercome after this maner when he that is tempted is tried he shall receiue a crowne of life therefore he may well be called blessed The antecedent is grounded vpon the promises of God vvhich crovvne sayth he God hath promised to them that loue him This place y e Papists abuse to confirme their opinion concerning merites of workes But the very circumstance of the place confuteth them For the Apostle dealeth here with them that are conuerted who being iustified before by fayth do go thorow diuers tentations to the hauen of blessednesse Agayne it is one thing to speake of the cause of saluation and another thing to speake of the way by which we must come vnto saluation which is free Neyther is the crowne of life a rewarde due to our fighte but a free recompence of our labour For
we doe not deserue a crowne by fighting but the father giueth it vnto his children of his mere goodnesse who considereth not so much what the children doe deserue as what he hath promised them of his fatherly loue Furthermore if any man obiect the crowne of life is promised to them that loue therfore loue is a merit or desert of the crowne We must aunswere that there is committed a fallacion of that which is not the cause as of the cause For the antecedent doth not contayne the cause of the crowne but the qualitie or maner of crowning And bicause there be two principles of things one that the thinges be the other that they maye be knowne what they be we must vnderstand y e concerning God his mere good will and pleasure and the redemption which his sonne hath wrought and fayth concerning our selues are the very principles which doe iustifie and saue vs. But if thou considerest the knowledge of righteousnesse and saluation the principles thereof are rightly sayd to be patience vnder the Crosse loue mercy towarde the poore and other vertues For these doe make that thou maiest be knowne to be righteous and saued Wherupon the Lord sayth I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I was naked and ye clothed me By these fruites of fayth the angels of God and men shall iudge the tree in the last day and thereby shall account the righteousnesse and saluation of the elect But here of more in the second chapter where shall be entreated of a liuely and of a dead fayth 13 Let no man say vvhen he is tempted I am tempted of God for God can not be tempted vvith euell neither tempteth he any man He being about to entreate of the causes of tentation first taketh away the error of them which thought God to be the author of tentation and forbiddeth that any man when he is tempted that is when he is prouoked to doe euill say that he is tempted of the Lorde For God wyll not haue sinne therefore he prouoketh not to sinne neither is delighted with the perdition of men Wherfore as God himselfe is voyde of tentation so doth he tempt no man that is he doth not moue him forwardes to sinne Thys place doth plainly make agaynst those that make God the author of sinne 14 But euery man is tempted vvhen he is dravvne avvay by his ovvne concupiscence and is entised He sheweth the cause and fountayne of tentation that is of prouoking to doe euill This fountayne or spring he maketh to be euery mans own concupiscence to the which he attributeth a double effect For the first it withdraweth the cogitation of man from that which is good Secondly it entiseth the affection of man and ouerwhelmeth him vnwares We must therfore striue agaynst the first motions least that being entised by our concupiscence we fall into sinne Of tentation and the remedie agaynst it TEntation is a driuing forward or perswading of a mā to enterprise some thing that is either to commit or to omit Hereof there are dyuers sorts whych take their differences of their endes For there is one tentation of seducing or beguyling there is another of presumption another of triall Of these three I wyll speake in order and shewe the remedyes agaynst euery of them Tentation of seducing is that the ende whereof is seducing or beguiling By this man is prouoked to enterpryse something agaynst the law of God whereby he being deceiued is miserably excluded out of the familie of God falleth from grace and becommeth guiltye of eternall death vntyll such tyme as he repent For fayth can not abide and and remaine when man giueth place to such tentation and knowing and willing doth disobediently despise the commaundement of God This tentation of seducing is of two sortes if thou considerest the causes thereof For it is eyther outward or inwarde I call that inward whose beginning and cause is in man himselfe to wit euel concupiscence which fighteth togither with a domesticall tyranne that is originall sinne and driueth a man to offend that by this meanes the olde man that is originall sinne may obtaine the rule in man But concupiscence in euery man is of two sortes one naturall an other of the flesh Naturall concupiscence is that by which we do naturally desire those thinges which by the right iudgement of reason we iudge eyther honest eyther profitable eyther pleasant This by it selfe is the worke of God in man and by no meanes to be condemned as long as it keepeth it selfe within it owne boundes that is whiles it desireth those thinges that are shewed by the right iudgement of reason to wit those thinges whiche are in very deede honest profitable and pleasant by which nature is not defiled but preserued Concupiscence of the flesh is when by the corruption of the flesh we desire those thinges whiche please the flesh and displease God as when we couet after any thing which is forbidden vs by the law of God This of Plato is worthely called a beast with many heads of which it is spoken prouerbially Concupiscence is the first beginning of all euells For it is a most fruitefull mother of pernicious children to this Marcus the Heremite did attribute selfe loue Of this do spring surfetting and drunkennesse couetousnesse thirst after vayne glorye Of this surfetting come vnlawfull lustes and all kindes of pernicious pleasures Of couetousnesse commeth fraud guile iniurye lying violence manslaughter Of thirst after vayne glory springeth pride wicked ambition diuers ill practises briefly contempt of God and of our neighbour Thou seest what a fruitefull mother of all vices the concupiscence of the flesh is which one hath called and not vnworthely the fountayne of all euel in asmuch as it is not onely the euident cause of all iniquitie and hatred of God but also it calleth men from that which is good and honest For when men doe study vpon heauenly thinges and meditate vpon diuine matters this commeth and with entisements as with certayne cordes draweth them backe Wherefore Iames doth not without good cause affirme that men are entised by their owne concupiscence But how shal we ouercome the concupiscence of the flesh This beast is to be bounde with singular art and cunning and to be mortified but it is bound not by mans strength but by a diuine power that is by the spirite of fayth which in the man that is regenerate doth ingender a certayne newe concupiscence which is called the concupiscence of the spirite This when it is first conceyued by the spirite of fayth setteth it selfe agaynst the concupyscence of the flesh whereupon there riseth in all the godly a very sore conflict betweene the flesh and the spirite Hereupon is that which Paule sayth The flesh lusteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh But from whence is that concupyscence of the spirite
be a iust Iudge which is angrye with sinnes and is determined seuerelye to punishe the vnrepentant Tentation of triall is whereby the fayth of man toward God is tried to wit eyther when any worke is committed to a man heauie and grieuous to the flesh or any affliction commeth to him from God for his trials sake or when any heresie agaynst the articles of our fayth is suffred to arise Abraham receiueth a commaundement from God wherein he is commaunded to kill for a burnt offering his sonne Isaac his onely heire which Sara a free and noble matron brought foorth vnto him This commaundement without all doubt was heauie and grieuous to the flesh but what doth Abraham here He preferreth obedience toward God before this his most tender sonne then whom nothing was more precious vnto him in this world and prepareth himselfe to execute the commaundement of God Genes 22. Iob is oppressed with affliction in his body and with many other miseries but in patience he preferreth obedience toward God before his owne life and all other thinges whatsoeuer I am sure sayth he that my redeemer liueth that I shall rise out of the earth in the latter day Also shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not receiue euel The primitiue Church was tempted with many and diuers heresies as we are at this day but as they did so let vs set the fountaine of our sauiour agaynst all the cesterns of Heretikes full of deuelish stinch and filthines Of this kinde of tentation Moses speaketh Deut. 13. The Lorde your God proueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule Agaynst this kind of tentation let vs strengthen our selues with two thinges with holding fast the puritie of the Gospell and with constant obedience toward God both in prosperitie and also in aduersitie 15. Then vvhen lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne vvhen it is finished bringeth forth death In the former verse the Apostle compareth concupiscence to a bayt wherewith the fisher couereth his hooke that he may deceiue and catch the fishes here he compareth the same to a woman that bringeth forth children that he may thereby signifie that it is the mother and fountayne of all sinnes yea and of all euel Concupiscence is then sayd to haue conceiued when it possesseth the affection and will which when it is done forthwith it bringeth forth actuall sinne whereof as it were a certayne issue commeth death and damnation Here therefore is mention made of two kindes of sinne to wit originall and actuall Originall sinne is signified by the name of concupiscence the proper and next effect thereof This although by it selfe and of it owne nature it is a mortall sinne yet in the regenerate it is pardoned so that it bringeth not death except first it begin to reigne through the euel desires thereof Whereupon Paule Rom. 6. sayth Let not sinne reigne therefore in your mortall body that ye should obey it in the lusts therof Actuall sinne is when we doe voluntarily submit our selues to concupiscence to obey it and suffer it to haue the whole rule in vs. 16 Erre not my deare brethren Bicause that many had perswaded themselues that men are tempted of God to doe that which is euel he doth agayne admonish and exhort them that they suffer not themselues to be entangled with this errour signifying that many absurd thinges and vnworthy of God doe follow this opinion But that they may more attentiuelye and gently here the most strong reason thereof he doth as it were prepare them by calling them by the name of brethren and by a signification of his loue wherwith he embraceth them For we doe more willingly heare them whose goodwill we perceiue toward vs when as contrariwise we feare the deceites of them whose minds we vnderstand to be estraunged from vs. 17 Euerie good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth dovvne from the Father of lights vvith vvhome is no variablenes neyther shadovv of turning 18 Of his ovvne vvill begat he vs vvith the vvord of truth that vve should be as the first fruites of his creatures This is a most strong reason wherin the Apostle doth confute the errour of them which did contend that God doth tempt men to doe euel yea and that he is the author of sinne But that the partes of this reason may be the better perceiued and the benefits of God toward vs may be more manifestly acknowledged I will make a resolution of the wordes and will diuide them into sixe partes in euery of which I will bring in the proposition of the Apostle that it may be vnderstand of what great force this reason is to confute the errour of the aduersaries First therefore he saith Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift that is nothing at all counterfait is frō aboue By which saying he signifieth that solliciting or mouing to doe euell is in no wise from aboue for how should it agree that good thinges and euell shoulde flowe out of the same fountayne But if any man doe except that the euell of punishment is from aboue let him againe knowe that the cause that is the euel of offence is in man which God being iust doth iustly punish Wherefore if thou considerest the iustice of God the punishment is not to be called euell but good Secondly he sayth Comming dovvne from the Father of lightes As Father here signifieth the author and fountayne so by the word lights is ment all good things euen as by the word darkenesse calamities of euerye sorte are to be vnderstand Whereof is made this reason God is the father of lightes that is the author of all good thinges therefore he is not the author of darknesse that tentation to euell should be attributed to him Let this testification of the prayse of God be marked which belongeth onely vnto him to wit that he is the fountayne and author of all good thinges which ought to admonish vs of prayer wherein we maye aske those thinges which are good of him who is the fountayne of all goodnes We ought hereby also to be admonished of thankefulnes that we may shewe our selues thankefull towards him Thirdly he addeth vvith vvhom is no variablenesse These wordes seeme to be a preuenting of an obiection For least anye man should saye that he is the authour both of good thinges and of euell he setteth against that his constancie whereby he is immutable in his doings Seing therfore variablenes hath not place with God and that he is manifestly proued to be the author of all goodnes who can without blasphemie attribute vnto him those thinges that be euel Fourthly he addeth or shadovv of turning These wordes also seeme to be a preuenting of an obiection We see that the turning and chaunge of the heauenly lights is diuers
he vvas By a very excellent similitude he rendreth a reason why he will not haue a hearer of the word onely The which similitude is thus much in effect Euen as he that beholdeth his image or shape in a glasse doth retayne in his minde a knowledge which soone passeth away and a weake memory of his forme and therefore such a contemplation profiteth nothing so a hearer of the word onelye retayneth no firme and sure knowledge For forthwith after he hath heard it it vanisheth away and therefore such knowledge is vnprofitable and nothing auayleth the hearer Hypocrisie is verie properly and fitly compared to an image appearing in a glasse For as in a glasse although there appeare a certaine similitude yet it is false inasmuch as those thinges are represented in the glasse on the left hand which are in deede on the right and those that are on the right hand are shewed to be on the left and by this meanes there is a counterfayting of the truth so in the workes of hypocrites although there be a fayre shewe outwardly in the sight of men yet it is false for that those thinges which are vngodly and wicked are counted holy and true If any man demaund how it commeth to passe that there is such a slender knowledge and so weake a memorye by the beholding of the glasse let him know that the maner of doing according to the philosophers doth follow the maner of being For bicause y e image or shape in a glasse doth but only seeme to be is not in dede it commeth to passe y t it maketh so weake slender an impression in y e mind as we see to be done in certain dreames also 25 But vvho so looketh in the perfect lavv of libertie and continueth therein he not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the vvorke shall be blessed in his deede He declareth who is to be counted a doer of the word and that as I admonished before according to grace and not according to the rigour of the law He calleth the law perfect bicause it prescribeth a perfect rule to liue by he calleth it of libertie bicause that how much more a man is giuen and addicted to it so that he beleeue in Christ so much the more he declareth himselfe to be free For to serue God is to reigne He that looketh in this law to the intent he may throughly knowe it and expresse it in his life he sayth the Apostle is not a forgetfull hearer of the word but a doer of it who also shal be blessed in his deede For fayth is knowne by the effects as a tree by the fruits which fayth onely doth apprehend Christ who alcne of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that he that reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord. Iames therefore speaketh here of the qualitie of them that are iustified and of the rewardes of their obedience and not of the causes of their iustifying Bernard sayth Good workes are not the causes of reigning but the way to the kingdome 26 If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his ovvne heart this mans religion is vayne He reprehendeth hypocrites which did boast that they did religiously obserue the lawe and yet in the meane time were giuen to backbyting and sclaundering which vice is common among all hypocrites as the historye of the Gospell doth shewe in the Pharise who gloried of his religion and in the meane season accused other men with his sclaunderous tongue From whence this vice proceedeth he sheweth when he addeth but deceiueth his ovvn heart that is is a louer of him selfe For he iudgeth that he is godly and religious but his religion is in vayne as is proued by the reason following 27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visit the fatherles and vviddovves in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the vvorld He proueth by certayne properties of religion that hypocrites which are giuen to sclaundering and euel speaking are not truly religious the concludeth his argument after this sort They that are truly religious doe keepe them selues vnspotted of the world and do shew mercy to the afflicted Hypocrites which will seeme to be religious doe not keepe themselues vnspotted of the world neither shew mercy to the afflicted Wherefore they are not religious but rather vaine boasters of religion It was not the purpose of Iames perfectly to define religion but onely to set downe certayne properties thereof disagreeing with the vanitie of hipocrites Wherefore they are not to be heard which here sharply reproue and find fault with Iames as a man ignorant of true religion For it is one thing to define a thing and an other to signifie or shew it by certayne signes and tokens Which it is an vnseemely thing and a shame for the sharpe reprouers and taunters of Iames not to know But this is a full and perfect definition of Christian religion Christian religion is a liuely fayth in Iesus Christ and a confession thereof wherto is ioyned a pure study of worshipping God and sincere charity towards men togither with a hope of immortality promised The substantiall partes therefore of Christian religion by nature ioyned togither are fayth the worship of God charitie towarde our neighbour and hope of saluation promised by Christ Chap. 2. The summe of the second Chapter AS he doth dehort those that are conuerted from despising and disdayning the poore and from accepting of persons so he doth condemne a vayne boasting of fayth which is voyde and destitute of it right and true fruites The order and partes of the second Chapter THere are two partes of this Chapter the fyrst whereof contayneth a dehorting or diswading For he doth therein dehort Christians from accepting of persons This parte consisteth of a propositiō and a confirmation The latter part contayneth a teaching or instructing For therein he teacheth that that fayth is vayne which wanteth works This part also consisteth of a proposition and a confirmation The exposition of the second Chapter with an obseruation of the Doctrine 1 My brethren haue not the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lorde of glory in respecte of persones THis is the first proposition of this Chapter contayning a certayne hidden reason which is thus to be resolued and made manifest Brethren doe not accept persons This is the bare proposition The reason of the proposition is this for that the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ and the accepting of persons doe so disagree that they cannot stand togither Why so Bicause the glory of Christ requireth that we reuerence all those in whom Christ dwelleth So the word of glory was not added in vayne It is an hebrue kind of speach wherby the Genitiue cases of nounes appellatiues are put oftentimes in the place of Epithites What doth not the
which haue not obeyed him calling by his Gospell This is confirmed by the saying of y e Lord in Matthew many be called but few be chosen Of this saying there are two parts the first commendeth vnto vs the goodnes of God which calleth many by his Gospel that they may be saued For we must not thinke that God calleth them whom he will not haue saued The latter part is a complaint of the greatest parte of men which contemne the Gospell and will not liue worthy of so noble a calling Wherof Christ complayneth in Matthew where he is reprehended which had not a wedding garment to the which reprehension afterward is ioyned this complaynt of Christe few are chosen This complaynt he also sheweth with teares Matth. 23. whē he saith How often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the hen gathereth the chickens vnder her wings and ye would not Behold Christ will Hierusalē will not The meaning therefore of the saying of the Lord is many be called to wit to obtayne saluation by Christ so that they will beleeue the Gospell But fewe be chosen that is fewe haue the wedding garment that is fewe doe beleeue and are godly in deede That this is the signification of the word election it is manifest out of the psalme where elect and peruerse or frowarde are set one against the other for he sayth thus with the elect thou shalt be elect and with the froward thou shalt be froward Therefore he is sayd to be elect which is in deede a godly and sincere worshipper of God keeping fayth and a good conscience Wherefore there is no cause that any man should be troubled with thinking of his election as though God had appoynted some certayne men to saluation and the greatest part of men to certaine damnation but rather let him thinke that this is the vnmoueable will of God that as he will saue without difference all that be penitent so on the contrarie he will condemne all that be impenitent And these are saide not to be elect because of the euent or ende For they haue shutte from them selues the way of saluation Let vs therefore obey the Gospell let vs liue in true repentance let vs not suffer our selues to be caried away from Christ with the cares of this world But rather let vs preferre obedience toward the Gospell before al things of the world whereby we may obtayne the saluation promised through our Lorde Iesus Christ in whom God hath chosen the beleuers before y e foūdations of the world 6 But ye haue despised the poore By this setting of one contrarie against the other he sheweth the grieuousnesse of the sinne God doth honour the poore that beleeue but you do despise the poore Your sinne therefore is grieuous and vnworthie of the heires of the kingdome of God Doe not the rich oppresse you by tyrannie and doe they not dravve you before the iudgement seates 7 Doe not they blaspheme the vvorthye name after vvhich ye be named In these wordes are conteyned two plaine arguments It is a foolish thing for men to honor them of whom they are oppressed and tormented and to contemne them that excell in true godlynesse You doe that when you doe honour your rich men which are tyrannes with the reproche and disdayne of the pore The vngodly rich men do blaspheme that worthy name of Christ whereby you will be named and whereof you are called Christians therefore it is an vnworthie thing that you shoulde honour them with the contempt of the poore 8 But if ye fulfill the royall lavve according to the Scripture vvhich sayth Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe vvell 9 But if ye regarde the persons ye commit sinne and are rebuked of the lavve as transgressours This is a preuenting of an obiection For he preuenteth the obiection of hypocrites by the which they might excuse themselues that they did well in honouring rich men seeing that honour is included in the loue which the lawe doth require toward our neighbour He aunswereth by a double condition If you fulfill that is if you endeuer by true fayth and integritie of mynde to performe it without colouring or hypocrisie For here the worde of fufilling is to be referred not to the degrees but to the substance of obedience or to the parts therof the royall lavve that is the lawe which is like the kings hie way that is streight and playne which leadeth the wayfaring man without turnings to the place appointed But that kings hie way is to loue our neighbour and to consider this only in him that he is our neighbour and to haue respect to no other things in him ye doe vvell that is your defence is iust But if ye regarde the person ye commit sinne but that you regarde the person it is manifest by your deede For you honor wicked rich men and despise godly poore men which truly is not to go in the kings hie way to the loue of your neighbour 10 For vvhosoeuer shall keepe the vvhole lavv and yet faileth in one poynt he is giltie of all 11 For he that sayd thou shalt not commit adulterie sayd also Thou shalt not kill Novv though thou doest none adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressour of the lavve He doth more forcibly vrge the hypocrites which did flatter them selues when as in one poynt of the law they had done their duty well whose hypocrisie he reprehendeth by this argument he which breaketh some one point of the law is a transgressor of the lawe and giltie by the iudgement of the lawe For he hath broken the whole law This is declared by propounding an example of the fift and sixe commaundement He which of this place doth contend either that all sins are alike or that the giltines of euery transgression is equale doth wrongfully vnderstande and take the wordes of the Apostle who in this place doth deale only with hypocrites which did iudge the perfection of the lawe in part agaynst whome the Apostle setteth transgression in part But that sinnes be not alike or equall as the Stoickes woulde haue them first it is euident by the causes For who doth not perceyue that it is more grieuous to sinne of maliciousnes than of infirmitie or ignorance Secondly the euent proueth the same He which sinneth wittingly and willingly doth as it were shake of the holy ghost but he that falleth through weakenesse doth not so Thirdly the vnequalitie of the punishment wherewith God the iust iudge punisheth doth conclude the vnequalitie of sinnes That seruant that knewe his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neyther did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Fourthly euery mans owne conscience doth naturally vnderstande the degrees of sinnes for they are vexed with some more with some lesse Fiftly the lawe of God and all ciuill lawes doe acknowledge degrees of sinnes according to
which they doe moderate punishments The arguments of the Stoickes haue a fayre shewe but they are grounded on a false foundation agaynst which let those reasons be set which I haue rehearsed 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shall be iudged by the lavve of libertie 13 For there shal be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie and mercie reioyceth against iudgement He bringeth in a generall exhortation to liue godly and holily by an argument taken of the sentence of the last iudgement which is recited Matth. 25. For when as the Apostle sayth as they that shall bee iudged by the lavve of libertie he hath relation to the sentence of the Lorde who when he iudgeth the worlde shall saye vnto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the worlde For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. Contrariwise he shall say to them on the left hande Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. To this pertayneth that saying Iohn 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shal heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurrection of condemnation And 2. Cor. 5. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill That these sayings and such like are to be vnderstand of the qualitie of thē that shal be saued not of the causes of saluation the whole consent of y e scripture yea the precious bloud of Christ doth shew as shortly after I will more distinctly declare But why doth he call it y e law of libertie That by that name he may shew y t the fruites of libertie are by good right required of christians For as he which doth commit sinne is the seruant of sinne so he which is deliuered by Christ will be no more bonde but free therefore will not take vpon him the yoke of bondage He sheweth a cause or reason when he sayth for there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie but he that sheweth mercie is so farre of from being condemned y t he shal reioyce against cōdemnation triumphing ouer death sin and the deuill These things doe teach how necessary continuall repentance and a perpetuall studie of godlynesse and righteousnesse is among Christians least by their owne fault they lose the free benefit of saluation But bicause the aduersaries of free saluation doe abuse this place and such like and make the causes of saluation of the tokens and qualities of them which shall be saued I will briefly gather an aunswere whereby the godly reader may haue wherewith he maye be able throughly and truly to answere to this false cauill Seing therefore that the Scripture doth expressely say that the Lord shall giue to euery man according to his deedes Or as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians according to that euery man hath done whether it be good or euill First of all this is to be helde that this generall sentence which is the very voyce of God himselfe ought to be applied vnto two sortes of men according to the proportion of fayth that is to the wicked according to the lawe to the godly according to the Gospell after this maner when the Lord giueth vnto the wicked according to their dedes without all doubt he giueth vnto them hel and condemnation For those are the merits of the dedes of vngodlines But cōcerning y e godly or regenerate there are mo things to be considered For first it is euident out of the infallible worde of God that eternall life is not the wages of seruantes but the inheritance of children and the free gift of God Rom. 4.5.6.8 Iohn 1.3.5 Secondly the proportion betwene the heauēly father and an earthly father is to be considered for as an earthly father doth giue vnto his childrē according to their deedes that is inheritance to them that are obedient and disheriteth them that are disobedient so God the father promiseth inheritance to his children but those which of children are made obstinate and enemies he suffreth not to enioy the inheritance But nowe it is manifest that the childrē of an earthly father are neither children nor heires through desert of their works After the same sort the children of God are neyther made children nor heires bicause of their works but through the grace of adoption which is receyued by fayth alone notwithstanding eyther of them doth giue vnto his children according to their dedes But y t this may yet be more plainly vnderstand how God shall giue to euery mā according to his dedes foure circūstances are to be weighed of vs the first wherof is that the rigour of the law is takē away from y e godly according to y e saying Galat. 3. Christ hath redemed vs from the curse of the lawe The seconde is that the person nowe beleeuing doth by fayth please God and is heire of eternall life Iohn 1. The thirde that God doth not onely require obedience of the person that beleeueth but also doth promise him a rewarde and that not of debt for the worthinesse of the worke but of grace for his fatherly promise sake The fourth that workes so done by fayth are testimonies of fayth as proper effectes are most certaine tokens of their cause And therefore it is sayde that God shall giue vnto euery man according to his dedes both because dedes are the true tokens of the feare of God of fayth and also that the whole creature maye beare witnesse of the iustice of God in iudging This answere is taken from the conferring of the Scripture which we must of necessitie surely hold lest that with the Papistes we attribute saluation to the merits of works or with the Antinomians and Libertines we lay aside all care and studye to do well This solution is made manifest by an euident example Mat. 18. where y e Lord saith that y e kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a certayne king that is that there is the same reason of the spiritual state of the Church which is betweene an earthly king and his seruants in the affaires of this present life For euen as the king his seruant owing him ten thousand talents yet when he fell downe and besought him he forgaue him the whole dette freely and of his mere liberalitie so God the father doth freely forgiue them all debtes that is sinnes which flie vnto him for succour with trust and confidence in Christ Hereof it is manifest that remission of sinnes is free But euen as the king called agayne vnto punishment that seruant being vnthankefull
sanctification when he giueth vs the holy ghost which doth after a sort turne our nature and make it that the olde man being by little and little mortified we maye liue after the spirite that is we may giue our myndes to godlynesse towarde God charitie towarde our neyghbour to holynesse of lyfe and diligence in our vocation briefly that we maye submit our selues wholy to the rule of the spirit In what man soeuer the force and vertue of this regeneration or of this sanctification is not felt there of necessitie fayth cannot be For a true and a right fayth is feruent in spirite and endeuoureth to bring forth it true fruites and desireth nothing more than to serue God in spirit and to abounde in all knowledge and vnderstanding Seing that this is in very deede the propertie of a iustifying fayth and of regeneration who can beare or abyde the saying of them which with all their might in words and writings do impugne the necessitie of good workes which truly we say are necessary not as merits and causes of saluation For y e saying of Paul is firme and vnmoueable Ephe. 2. By grace are ye saued through fayth and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least any man shoulde boast himselfe but as necessarilye accompanying a iustifying fayth and as the effectes of the spirite which doth regenerate vs. Furthermore that the reason and maner of good workes may be the better vnderstande I will declare in order sixe questions concerning good works The questions are these The first what workes are to be taught and to be done The seconde howe they maye be done The thirde howe they doe please The fourth what are the causes of good works The fift why promises are added to good works The sixt bicause all men haue sinne it is not without cause demaunded whose obedience doth please and whose doth not please When it is enquired what workes are to be taught and done two thinges are to be weyed of vs whoe we be and whome he is vnto whom obedience is to be giuen by workes When we beholde our selues considering our owne corruption we are admonished that we our selues doe not imagine workes by which we thinke to worship God For by our selues we do not vnderstand what eyther pleaseth or displeaseth God and the Lorde pronounceth that he is worshipped in vayne with the commaundements of men Let vs therfore certaynly thinke that workes albeit fayre and goodly which haue bene inuented of men are in no wise good But if we consider God we are admonished of reuerence toward him whereby it commeth to passe that we thinke that that onely pleaseth him which he prescribeth in his word For he onely is our law giuer Ezechiel comprehendeth both in chap. 20. walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers neyther obserue their maners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Also 33. I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israell therefore thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and admonish them from me Hereof therefore it manifestly followeth that no other workes are to be taught and done but those which are commended vnto vs by the word of God After that the mind of the godly man knoweth what workes are to be done forth with it inquireth how they may be done The dissoluing of this question is to be taken out of two sayinges of the Scripture The Apostle sayth to the Hebr. without fayth it is vnposible to please God And Christ sayth without me can ye doe nothing Wherefore these thinges are required in order First the knowledge of Christ Secondly trust and confidence in Christ Thirdly viuification whereby Christ doth quicken vs by the Gospell and poureth his holy spirite vpon vs. Herevnto maketh y e saying of Esay chap. 40. But they that wayt vpon the Lord shall renue their strength they shall lift vp the wings as the Egles they shall runne and not be wearie and they shall walke and not faint For there can be no loue no obedience except mercy and reconcilation for the mediatours sake be first apprehended In this consolation the diuinitie doth dwell in the heart For the eternall father is effectuall in deede by his sonne which comforteth by the voyce of the Gospell and the holye Ghost is giuen of the father and the Sonne which stirreth vp in vs ioye and calling vpon God according to these sayings I will poure vpon them the spirite of grace and compassion c. And in Iohn We will come vnto him and dwel with him 2. Cor. 3. We beholding the glory of the Lord with open face are changed into the same image that is we beholding the word which is the image of the eternall father and in consolatiō doth shew the presence and goodnes of God are made like vnto his image the holy Ghost inflaming our hearts After that the mind is taught how good workes may be done it inquireth furthermore how they please for they are done in vayne except they please Scipio fighteth for his countrey Dauid also fighteth but the workes of both of them doe not please God It is fitly therefore demaunded how good workes may please To the which question we aunswere in generall that they please in the regenerate The workes of Scipio did not please bicause he was not regenerate But the warfare of Dauid did please bicause Dauid was accepted by fayth But here are three thinges to be considered in order First we must certainly thinke concerning the person that he is reconciled by fayth and iust for Christes sake freely Then we must confesse that the person iustified by fayth cannot as yet satisfie the lawe For many inward sinnes doe abide and sticke euen in the Godly This vncleannesse is to be lamented and doubts and euil affections are to be resisted and striuen against and also we ought to pray with true sighes of the heart that God will not impute vnto vs this filthines wherein we are wrapped Thirdly although we acknowledge this our filthines notwithstanding we must certaynly thinke that God doth require a certayne vnperfect obedience in vs that this vnperfect obedience doth please for Christs sake For so Peter doth playnly teach Offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ which is our reconciliation and now maketh intercession for vs. Our obedience therefore doth not please God for the worthines or perfection thereof For by it selfe it is vnworthy to come into the sight of God neyther doth it fulfill the law as it is sayd but it pleaseth bicause of the person reconciled which for Christs sake is counted righteous so also doth he please although he carie about in the flesh sinne and great infirmitie Seing it is euident that a man is in no wise iustified by workes it may fitly also may be
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
of the discommodities of an vnbridled and an vnruly tongue As sayth he a little fire dooth with burning consume the whole wood so the litle tongue is as it were the kindling of many vices which although it be but smal yet it is a world of iniquitie that is a gathering togither or an heape of all wickednes as therfore in a little fire there is powre to kindle the whole wood so in the small tongue there is power to defile the whole body of man and to set on fire the course of nature when as it selfe is first set on fire of hell But what is the course of nature and what is it for the tongue to be set on fire of hell As the course of nature is the world it selfe so the tongue to be set on fire of hell is asmuch as to be breathed vpon of Satan himselfe wherby it is made a sit instrument to stirre vp all mischiefe in the worlde Hereunto may be referred that saying of Menander the tongue is the cause of many euills How true this is the tongue of Mahomet and other heretikes doth witnes 7 For the vvhole nature of beastes and of birdes and of creeping thinges and thinges of the sea is tamed and hath bene tamed of the nature of man 8 But the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euil The sixt reason taken from a comparison beastes byrdes and fishes of the sea may be tamed but the tongue that is vnbrideled and accustomed to speak ill can by no meanes be tamed It is therfore an exceeding great euill Wherefore we must most diligently take heede that we doe not giue it to much libertie Full of deadly poyson 9 Therevvith blesse vve God euen the father therevvith curse vve men vvhich are made after the similitude of God 10 Out of one mouth procedeth blessing and cursing The seuenth reason taken of the wonderfull inconstancie of the venimous tongue For it fayneth y e it blesseth God and by and by it curseth him in his image then which wickednes what can be greater My brethren these things ought not so to be The eyght reason taken of an inconuenience this disorder of the tongue and reprochfull speaking doth not become Christians wherefore it is especially to be auoyded 11 Doth a fountaine sende forth at one place svveete vvater and bitter 12 Can the fig tree my brethren bring forth oliues eyther a vyne figges so can no fountayne make both salt vvater and svveete The ninth reason taken of that which is vnpossible As it is vnpossible that a fountayne should be able to sende forth at one place swete water and bitter For that can no more be than that a figge tree shoulde be able to bring forth olyues or a vine figges so it can not be that that tongue which is giuen to euil speaking and sclandering should be able to bring forth any good thing not defiled w t the venim of the tongue the heart Wherfore seing that it is so let euery one applie his tongue only to speak well which will be counted godly among the children of God Wherfore let no man rashly vsurpe vnto himselfe authoritie to controll and finde fault with others 13 VVho is a vvise man and endued vvith knovvledge among you let him shevve by good conuersation his vvorkes in meekenesse of vvisedom Hitherto he hath beaten downe the statelynesse of proude controllers of other and hath with firme reasons bridled the vnrulinesse and saucinesse of the tongue Now bicause this euill did proceede of an opinion of wisedome he commendeth the true moderation of wisedome and teacheth the vse thereof in our lyfe and conuersation The proposition is this He that is endued with true wisedome and knowledge let him shewe it by the workes of an honest and meeke conuersation as by the true and continuall fruites thereof 14 But if ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your heartes reioyce not neyther be lyers agaynst the truth The first reason of the proposition taken of disagreeing or contrarie effects He which is full of bitter enuying contētion doth boast in vayne that he is a wise man For these wicked affections are contrarie to the nature of true wisedome which loueth honestie and meekenesse To be a lyer agaynst the truth in this place is falsly to vsurpe vnto himselfe the name of wisedome 15 This vvisedome descendeth not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and deuilish The seconde reason of contrarie causes Wisedome wherwith bitternesse of mynde and desire of contention are ioyned is earthly sensuall and deuelishe Therefore it is not true wisedome For true wisedome is heauenly spirituall and diuine Iames in this place doth not condemne naturall wisedome which is the good gyft of God by it selfe whereof he maketh here no mention but he condemneth the wicked affections of men and the vayne boasting of diuine wisedome 16 For vvhere ennying and strife is there is sedition and all maner of euill vvorkes The thirde reason of the discommoditie of enuy and contention which followe a vayne opinion of wisedome Experience doth sufficiently proue that when men are full of bitter enuie and desirous of contention the gate is open to them vnto sedition and all wickednes wherof Germanie being afflicted at this day hath to much experience 17 But the vvisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercie and good fruites vvithout iudging and vvithout hypocrisie The fourth reason taken of things annexed or ioyned vnto true and heauenly wisedome Which things we will declare by setting one contrarie agaynst the other Earthly wisedome is corrupted with affections heauenly wisedome is pure vndefiled and not polluted with affections Earthly wisedom is desirous of cōtention heauenly wisedome is peaceable that is diligent to make peace and quietnesse among men Earthly wisedome is rigorous and cruell heauenly wisedome is gentle and giueth place to rigour Earthly wisedome will yeelde to no man heauenly wisedome is tractable and doth easily obey him that commaundeth those things that be good and right Earthly wisedome is vnmercifull heauenly wisedome is mercifull and full of good fruites Earthly wisedome doth accept persons omitting the cause heauenly wisedome doth in no case regarde the persons but the causes Earthly wisedome hath hypocrisie ioyned with it heauenly wisedome is voyde of all hypocrisie 18 And the fruite of righteousnes is sovven in peace of them that make peace The fift reason taken of the fruite which commeth vnto them that vse wisedome and other giftes of God peaceably vnto edifying also he teacheth a generall rule concerning the vse not only of wisedome but also of other giftes For he will haue vs vse both wisedome and other giftes as the fruites of righteousnesse peaceably vnto edifying which if we shall doe we shall at the length ioyfully reape the fruites of our righteousnesse Chap 4. The summe of the fourth Chapter AS the Apostle
the instruments of Satan by the which he draweth men vnto destruction To this he addeth a promise And he vvill flee from you that is he will not hurt you he will not ouerthrow you with his subtleties and delusions 8 Dravv neare to God and he vvill dravv neare to you clense you handes ye sinners and purge your heartes ye double minded He commandeth and promiseth He commaundeth that we drawe neare vnto God to wit by fayth and true obedience For as he is sayd to depart from God which doth abandon and giue himselfe to the lustes of the worlde by which he draweth neare vnto the deuill so he which departeth from these is sayd to draw neare vnto God He promiseth when he sayth And he vvill dravv neare vnto you This promise is grounded vpon the continuall loue of God towards mankind whereby he desireth not the death of a sinner He doth here call them sinners which exercise manifest impietie and them double minded which sayde in wordes that they did worship God and in the meane season did follow their owne lusts and concupiscence 9 Suffer afflictions and sorovve ye and vveepe Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauines He setteth this agaynst the pleasures of them which follow their owne lustes and laugh and reioyce in them For it becommeth the godly rather to mourne and suffer affliction and so to be ashamed for the sinnes which they haue committed that they cast their countenance downe to the earth for shame For that the greeke word signifieth which y e Apostle here vseth 10 Cast dovvne your selues before the Lorde and he vvill lift you vp Bicause the godly are contēned and dispised in the world the Apostle doth encourage theē bid theē remaine in that subiectiō wherby they are subiect to God in true feare also he doth comfort thē when he saith y t it wil come to passe that God at the length will lift them vp and wipe away the teares from their face For by the word of lifting vp is signified comfort agaynst the sorrow of this present life and deliuerance from all the miseries and troubles of this life 11 Speake not euil one of an other brethren He that speaketh euill of his brother or he that condemneth his brother speaketh euil of the lavv and condemneth the lavv if thou condemnest the lavv thou arte not an obseruer of the lavv but a iudge He doth againe represse the intemperance of the tongue in accusing and condemning other adding a most strong reason taken of the grieuousnes of the deed No man ought to speake against the law and condemne it He that speaketh agaynst his brother and condemneth him speaketh against the law and condemneth it Therefore no man ought to speake against his brother and condemne him The Minor or second proposition of the argumēt he proueth because he that condemneth the law is not an obseruer of the law but a iudge Now to condemne the law is to reiect the authoritie thereof and to challenge vnto himselfe that right which is due to the law and so to peruert the order of thinges For it is the office of the lawe to prescribe a rule of life and to iudge of those thinges that are done But it is the dutie of man to submit himselfe to the authoritie of the lawe and to obserue it But he which doth the contrarie that is he that vsurpeth authoritie to iudge and censure others doth with sacrilege chalenge that to himselfe which is proper to the law Iames in this place speaketh onely agaynst those which of a peruerse and corrupt iudgement speake against their brethren that they may distaine their good name and get vnto them selues an opinion of holines he doth not reprehend those which iudge of duetie so as they follow the authoritie and rule of the law in iudgeing For he that doth this is to be sayd not so much to iudge himselfe as to pronounce the iudgement of God which we see Iames here often times to haue done 12 There is one lavv giuer vvhich is able to saue and to destroy VVho art thou that iudgest ā other mā That which is proper vnto God no man without sacrilege can vsurpe vnto himselfe It is proper vnto God to be a Lawgiuer and a Iudge which hereby is manifest bicause he only hath power to saue and to destroy Therfore no man can take vpon him selfe this authoritie without sacrilege Iames speaketh here also as I admonished before of rashe iudgement proceeding from a desire of deprauing and sclaundering 13 Go to novve ye that say to day or to morovv vve vvill go into such a citie and continue there a yere and buye and sell and get gaine 14 And yet ye cannot tell vvhat shall be to morrovv For vvhat is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and aftervvarde vanisheth avvay 15 For that ye ought to say If the Lorde vvill and if vve liue vve vvill do this or that This is a correction of rashe presumption in determining vpon things to be done and he prescribeth two conditions which he requireth in all deliberations The first is that we giue place to the will of God and that we attempt nothing without calling vpon him The cause of this condition is for that the will of God ought to be vnto the godly a rule to worke by The other condition is that we doe alwayes thinke vpon the fraylenesse of our lyfe which seing it is lyke vnto a vapour that continueth but a small time he is vnwise which promiseth vnto himselfe things that are to come and vncertaine Wherefore we are admonished in this place that we doe so behaue our selues in all our doings that we may be ready whensoeuer we shall depart from hence 16 But novve ye reioyce in your boastings all such reioycing is euill He sheweth frō whence this presumption in doing things doth come to wit of an arrogant reioycing which seing it is euill and alwayes to be auoyded that also which springeth thereof is not without good cause to be eschewed 17 Therefore to him that knovveth hovve to do vvell and doth it not to him it is sinne The conclusion directly brought in of that which went before shoulde be this No man therefore of a vayne reioycing ought rashly to purpose with himselfe to doe anye thing as though the euent or falling out thereof did lye in his owne handes But in the place of this conclusion he putteth an exaggerating or amplifying of that sin which he reprehendeth He sinneth more grieuously which sinneth willingly and knowing thereof than he which offendeth of ignorance Wherefore he cannot be excused which knoweth what is to be done and howe it is to be done and yet doth it not Chap. 5. The summe of the fift Chapter AS he forbiddeth a rashe othe and giueth counsayle to the afflicted hauing first sharply rebuked the rich and
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
a priuate men Wherefore it is certayne that they doe farre more grieuouslye sinne which wrongfullye possesse the goods of the Church The Lord condemneth them which doe not bestow somewhat vpon the poore of that substance which they haue how shall we thinke that they shall escape the iudgement of God which greedily get vnto themselues those thinges that belong to others He is reproued by the voyce of God which doth not suffer iniurie with a patient minde how may it be that he shoulde scape vnpunished which doeth iniurie to the members of Christ God is not deceiued with subtiltie he doth not receiue vniust excuses Wheresoeuer these couetous and greedy getters into their hands of the goods of the church doe turne them selues they cannot auoyde but that they are giltie of the seuenth precept For when the Lorde saith Thou shalt not steale he forbiddeth vs by anye pretence of right to chalenge to our selues vniustly any thing which belongeth to an other But although many at this day wrongfully possessing the goods of the Church doe seeme pleasantly to enioy them yet they cary about with them their conscience as a witnes which although it being as it were seared with an hote iron doth for a time rest securely neuertheles at length and that at the point of death being as it were raised out of a dead sleepe it shall be in stede of a thousand witnesses and shall more grieuously afflict the heart then any renting or tearing of the body can vexe and torment the body Then they shall truly perceiue that it was not for nothing which in time past was sayde of Esay chap. 33. Wo to thee that spoylest and wast not spoyled and doest wickedly and they did not wickedly against thee when thou shalt cease to spoyle thou shalt be spoyled when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedly they shall doe wickedly against thee They shal at length perceiue that these wordes of the Prophet doe not vanish away into the aer These men thinke that there is no daunger because they doe not feele the present hand of God whom notwithstanding the historie of the Iewish people doth sufficiently teach that the punishment of thē that commit sacrilege is not taken away although it be deferred for a time for their sakes whom the Lord by his goodnes dooth call vnto repentance The Iewish people contemned the voice of the Prophets but at the last the measure of their sinnes being filled vp they came to vtter destruction At this day the voyce of the Lord doth sounde in our eares and we sleepe securely on eyther side without repentance but our sinnes being come to the full the Lord will poure out his wrath also vpon vs and so that will come to passe which Ieremie hath foretold As a theefe that is taken with the deede commeth to shame euen so shalt thou come to confusion By which word the spirite of God doth signifie that it will come to passe that they at length shal suffer due punishment which mocking and scorning at the word of God do thinke that al things are lawfull vnto them which the lust and sensualitie of the minde doth perswade A Question of the right vse of the goods of the Church BEcause the goodes of the Church haue bin a long time in great abuse it is with good cause enquired what is the true and lawfull vse of the goods of the Church and vpon whom these goods ought to be bestowed For one doth not therefore by good right possesse the goods of the Church eyther because he weareth a hoode or because his voice soundeth in the church ye or because he vnderstandeth the Latine tongue in which errour many haue hithereto bin But here the holy fathers are to be heard which can iudge with a sincere iudgement Gratian rehearsing the sētence of Augustine doth witnes that the stipends of the Church that is the yearely reuenews and giftes ought to be distributed into four partes Whereof the first ought to be giuen to the Byshop and his familie for maintayning his office and hospitalitie not to mayntaine riot pride chaines of gold ringes of gold not to feede palfreys not to keepe a courtly rout but to necessarie and honest sustentation least that he being deceiued and caried away with the riches of this worlde doe forget his dutie as it is sufficiently knowne to haue come to passe in this realme in time past The second part ought to be giuen to the clergie whereof I make three orders or sorts In the first are they which teach and learne in the church to whom stipendes and exhibition is due least that being compelled with pouertie they forsake their office In the second are they which in time past haue serued the Church but now eyther grieued with sicknes or wasted with old age not able to execute their office To these liberall sustentation of the goods of the Church is due In the third order or sort are they which doe deserue it by their labour and trauail in the studies which are profitable to the Church these ought as souldiers to be maintained to the vse of the Church The thirde part ought to be bestowed vpon the poore which are such in dede whose lyfe past hath ben honest For they that haue spent their goodes in hunting and companying with harlots are vnworthie to be nourished or maintayned with the goods of the Church Let these begge for their liuing The fourth part ought to be reserued for the building and repayring of temples and houses This sentence of Augustine is a godly and a true partition of the goodes of the Church That holy man will not haue dogges and harlots to be maintayned with the goodes of the Church he will not haue ydle bellies and sluggishe drones to become fatte by the goodes of the Church He will not haue swarmes of Monks most vnprofitable lumps of earth to liue delicately of the goodes of the Church he will not haue smoke and vayne soundes of wordes to be solde for the treasure of the Church but he requireth a iust distribution according to the proportion of Geometrie which hath regarde both of the office and also of the labour in assigning stipendes And although I allowe this sentence of Augustine concerning the partition of the goods of the Church neuertheles this with good reason I adde First bicause ciuil gouernement is not meete for Bishops it is lawfull for godly Kings and Princes to transferre gouernement rule ciuil iurisdiction furniture and riches of Bishoppes vnto themselues so that they conuert them to the preseruing of the Church of God that is it is lawfull for godly Kings and Princes to fence and fortifie themselues with these goodes that they may haue wherewith they may defende the Church agaynst enemies and whereby they may be bountifull towarde the godly exiles and others that haue well deserued of the Church and of the common weale But that
true fayth is not destitute of good workes Hypocrites fayth is vaine The Gospell is the preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes The first foundation of the preaching of repentance Matth. 3.2 Ierem. 36.3 Ezech. 33.11 Ierem. 3.22 Matth. 9.13 Two thinges ther be which hinder repentance in vs wherunto the Lord addeth remedies A remedie agaynst our ignorance Rom. 3.20 How the Lord driueth away our sluggishnesse Luke 13.3 A liuely example VVhat true repentance is Howe Adam by little and little came vnto true repentance Dauid an example wherin the partes of true repentance are liuely set forth Psal 38.3 2. Sam. 12.13 Psal 51.1 vers 15. vers 13. The parts of true repentance Contrition the first part of repentance what it is What fayth is which is the seconde part of true repentance The definition of iustification Fayth Rom. 3.28 Deliuerance from sinne 1. Iohn 1.7 Psal 32.1.2 Iohn 3.36 Imputation of righteousnesse Howe we are righteous before God Accepting of vs vnto eternall lyfe Diuers errours in the doctrine of iustification The first errour of them which saye that we are iustified by works with a confutation thereof Psal 143.2 Gal. 3.10 Gal. 2.21 The seconde error of them which affirme that wee are iustified by sayth and workes togither and the same cōfuted Verse 6. Two kindes of righteousnesse The errour concerning iustification by fayth and workes togither from whence it proceeded The thirde errour in the doctrine of iustification confuted The obedience of Christ is double Christian righteousnes Three kindes of righteousnes of man Perfect righteousnesse in this lyfe Vnperfect righteousnes Righteousnes perfect and absolute in the lyfe to come Newe obedience doth necessarily accompanye saith 1. Cor. 1.30 Howe Christ is made our wisedome righteousnes sanctification c. Howe good workes are necessarie to saluation Sixe questions to be handled concerning good works The first question what good workes are to bee taught and done Such workes are to bee taught and done as God hath commended to vs in his worde The seconde question Howe those works which God hath prescribed may be done Heb. 11.6 Iohn 15.5 Zach. 12.10 Iohn 14.23 The thirde question how good workes which are done of vs do please God How our obedience pleaseth God Three speciall causes which ought to moue vs to doe good workes Fiue kindes of necessitie which oughte much to stirre vs vp vnto the doing of good workes Leuit. 18.4 1. Thess 4.3 1. Timo. 5.8 ◠Timo. 1.18.29 Ezech. 33.11 The second speciall cause which ought so moue vs to worke well Iohn 1.12 ◠Pet. 1.16 The third speciall cause which ought to stirre vs vp to good workes Fiue causes wherefore God hath added promises to good workes The first The second The third The fourth Ioh. 15.16 The fift Two generall sorts of sinnes VVhat followeth sinne agaynst the conscience The sinnes of the godly Psal 32. ◠Rom. 8.13 What the Apostle condemneth in the former wordes The names maisters and teachers are not taken away by the words of Iames. The greatest causes which moue men to sinne so often as they doe The tongue is compared to the bit of a bridle and to the rudder of a ship The discommodities which arise of an vnruly and an vntemperate tongue A hard thing to rule the tongue and therefore it must be bridled in time Vnpossible it is for a tongue accustomed to speake yll to vtter that which is good vndefiled True vvisdom will shewe it selfe by honest conuersation A man cannot be full of enuy and strife and also wise Contention and true wisedome can not stande togither Enuie strife open the gate to sedition wickednesse An excellent comparing togither of earthly and heauenly wisdom wherein is shewed howe the one differeth from the other The vse of wisedom and all other good gifts receyued of God The fourth Chapter consisteth of four Partes How men are led to sinne through the lustes of their own mindes Rom. 6.12 The inordinate carefulnesse of couetous men described We can not serue tvvo maisters we can not please both God and the worlde Math. 6.24 Spirituall adulterie The heart and thoughts of the vnregenerate are euill continually To whome God giueth his grace VVhat it is to submit himselfe to God To resist the deuill VVho is sayde to draw nere vnto God and who to drawe nere vnto the deuel VVe must not reioyce in our owne lustes but be ashamed for our sinne Though the godly be long cast downe yet the Lorde at length will raise them vp and comfort them VVe must not be rash to reproue and condemne our brethren To condemne the law what it is The office of the law All iudging of our brethren is not condemned of the Apostle Another reason against rash iudgers of their brethren Two necessarie conditions to be obserued in determining and purposing to doe thinges To sinne of will is farre more grieuous then to sinne of ignorance To what rich men the Apostle speaketh The exceding couetousnes of many rich men Vngodly richmen at the last shall not escape vnpunished Pay the true labourer his peny for his payne The rule of Christ consisteth of two principall poynts the first whereof is a commandement The prōise annexed to the commandement 1 Tim. 5 8. A lawfull calling VVhat offices are lawful to be allowed Howe euery man may take a priuate office vpon him selfe Most excellent rules to be obserued of euery man in perfourming his office and dutie VVhat wee must doe if God blesse vs with increase of riches Math. 19.23 How the rich of the worlde ought to be affected Psal 62.10 1. Tim. 6.17 The minde of the godlye concerning riches Howe the wicked and couetous are affected towarde riches How the godly man must behaue himselfe concerning his riches The vse of riches diuided into three parts The chiefe principall vse whervnto riches ought to serue How the first and principall vse of riches is vtterly neglected of many Examples of such as haue vsed their riches chiefly to the glorie of God The seconde right lawfull vse of riches Two sorts of men do chiefly offende in the seconde right vse of riches Matth. 22.11 A question The answere The thirde lawfull vse of riches wherein are twoo things especially to be taken heede of The fourth last lawful vse of riches VVhy God will haue the poore to be among vs. Mutuall societie and bargaines are very necessarie among men The first foundation of all contracts and bargaynes The confirmation of the first foundation of bargaynes Rom. 13. ◠1. Tim. 1.5 The effects of true loue Bargaines grounded vppon the foundation aforesayd are both equall and lawfull The seconde foundation of contracts and bargaynes He purposeth to speake of sixe seuerall kindes of bargaines How exchang of thinges is made and when it is lawfull In changing of thinges chiefly three kindes of deceit may be vsed Bying and selling neyther very auncient nor yet common among all nations A seller A byer 1.
Thessal 4.6 The office duty of him that selleth VVhat is to be obserued concerning the price of thinges Three kindes of men especially do offend in bying and selling An obiection The aunswere How greuously they sinne which enhance and rayse the price of thinges without cause To loue godlines with Aiax is so long onely to be godly while nothing is required of vs contrary to our owne affections in which number are too too many at this day Redeming of bargaines VVhat borowing is Two thinges to be marked in borowing A precept of Hesiodus concerning borowing and restoring that which is borowed VVe are bound by a double bond to lend vnto others Luke 6.35 How the Iewes corrupted the law concerning lending The meaning of the saying of Christ before mentioned concerning lending Luke 6.33 â—4 Psal 112.5 The lending of the godly and of the vngodly doe much differ VVhat the godly consider and regard in their lending Psal 15.1.2 Two sorts of borowing VVherin Vsurie consisteth The chiefe points which he meaneth to handle concerning vsury Foure prohibitions of vsurie The first prohibition of vsurie The very heathen Philosophers did disallow vsurie and affirme it to be contrarie to nature Other reasons prouing vsury to be against nature The second prohibition of vsurie out of the word of God Verse 25. Verse 37. Verse 19.20 Verse 8. The third prohibition of vsurie taken from ciuil ordinances lawes of common weales How Solon did moderate vsurie among the Athenians The moderation of vsurie which the ancient Emperours made The fourth prohibition of vsurie whiche is taken out of the decrees of Synodes and the sayings of holy fathers Gratianus against vsurie Psalm 15.5 Hierome against vsurie Augustine against vsurie Ambrose against vsurie Chrysostome against vsurie The money of an vsurer very fitly compared to the poison of an Aspe Lactantius against vsurie Bernard against vsurie The chiefe causes wherfore vsurie is forbidden Three kinds of punishment of vsurers How the auncient Romains punished vsurers and what they iudged of them The corruption of our time is great An example worthie to be noted of all but specially of vngodly vsurers Another example of an vsurer Though vsurers are not punished of men yet they shall not escape the punishment of God Though punishment be deferred yet it is not therfore taken awaye A profitable admonition to vngodly vsurers The spirituall punishment of vsurers though little esteemed of many yet truly exceeding grieuous Note How vsurers were punished heretofore according to the censure of the Church Vsurers were very iustly prohibited from the ceremonie of offring An obiection The aunswere Vsurers were in time past put back from the holy communion and that for most weightie causes reasons Matth. 7.6 An admonition to the ministers of the Gospell Vsurers in time past wer excluded froÌ„ christian buriall and that by the iust censure of the Church VVhy we solemnise the burials of holy men Reasons and testimonies wherfore vsurers haue bene excluded from christian buriall Ierâ— 22.19 Psal 116.15 VVith what fayre gloses some will seke to diminishe the heynousnesse of vsury * Their owne naturall corruption VVhere vsury is established there charitie is ouerthrown An obiection in the behalfe of vsurers The aunswer Euery will is not without constraint as it is shewed by examples Another obiection in the behalfe of vsurers The aunswer Vsurers are Idolaters and why Vsurie which some affirme to be the vpholding of families and common weales is in deede in the ende oft times the vtter ruin of them VVhat vsurers ought to doe to whom God hath giuen grace to repent and to forsake so detestable a sin No bargain is disallowed which is not contrarie to charitie A profitable rule concerning bargains The dutie of charity which we owe to the poore and impotent Diuers causes which hinder men that they are so slacke in the necessary dutie of giuing almes VVhy he purposeth to intreat of almes more at large VVhat chiefe poyntes he meaneth to handle concerning almes VVe must bestow the first almes vpon our selues VVherein the mercy consisteth which we ought to shew first to our owne selues The first distinction of almes Two kindes of almes which is bestowed vpon other Spiritual almes what it is how diuine and passing al other kinds of almes Iam. 5.19.20 Ciuil almes what it is Luke 6.36 The first cause yea and that most weighty which ought to stirre vp all christians to be diligent in giuing almes Malac. 1.6 The second cause which ought to moue vs to the giuing of almes He cannot rightly feare the Lorde which is not mercifull to the poore 1. Iohn 3.17 The third cause which ought to prouoke vs to be liberall in giuing almes The fourth cause which ought to stirre vs vp diligently to distribute our almes to the poore Almes rightly bestowed is a thing much accepted and esteemed before God The fift cause of giuing almes A triple bond wherwith all men are ioyned in neighbourhoode one with another Other exceeding neare bonds wherewith Christians are knit togither which also ought not a little to moue vs vnto liberall almes toward our nedy brethren Esay 58.7 The sixt cause that ought to moue vs to giue almes is the sundrye punishments which shall light vppon them that are vnmercifull towarde the poore Matth. 25.23 Two things diligently to be taken hede of in giuing almes VVhat affections ought to be in him that bestoweth almes Quantitie in almes how to be considered Tob. 4.9 Equalitie in almes Readines and chearefulnes in giuing almes Vpon whome especially almes is to be bestowed Prouer. 5.16 The endes of godly almes are foure â— Cor. 9.8 Psal 41.1 Prouer. 19.17 * That is such as eyther through pouertie age or for some other cause are not able to helpe themselues How we must behaue our selues in lending to artificers and labourers Three great faults in many artificers and labourers The first fault founde in artificers and workemen The seconde fault He speaketh not of our countrie Englande but of his owne countrie Denmarke whether the same may be sayde of our countrie that I leaue to the iudgement of others An obiection The aunswer The thirde fault in many artificers and workemen Very vniust vsury practiced among husbandmen Nice and delicate yong men Ill bringing vp is a cause of marring many which are of a good towardnes and wit An apt similitude How much bringing vp preuaileth either vnto vertue or vice it is declared by an excellent example Good education a most profitable patrimonie Two thinges which much hinder good education A very apt similitude The fewer the children the more diligently to be cared for that they be well brought vp Cruell loue in many mothers that thinke them selues to loue their children most dearely The second cause which hindreth good education The discommoditie of euill bringing vp is properly shewed Contending who shall passe one an other in quaffing and drunkennes Contending in vanitie and excesse of apparell How we must behaue our selues