all to himself saying Come vnto me all yee which labour and are laden with sinne and I shall refresh you And Peter saith there is no saluation but in Iesu Christ Nor no other name giuen vnder heauen by the which mā may obteine saluation Therfore sithēs no other may saue but he we should put all our trust hope in him and in his mercy only and neither in the law nor works for to all them which thinke they may bee safe by workes or made iust Christes death is in vaine or if there had beene giuen a lawe whiche might haue giuen life then righteousnes surely had beene of the law but it is manifest that by the law no mā is made iust before god because the iust shall liue by faith What wordes may bee more plaine then those are to exclude workes foorth of this article Now sithens the scripture teacheth vs so plainely that Christ is our Iustice our Sauiour and Redeamer satisfaction for our sinnes the ende and consommation of the lawe and hath freed vs from the lawe sinne and death and from the kingdome of Sathan our aduersarie and bought vs to the kingdome of righteousnesse without our merites or deseruinges Why will wee vsurpe his office to our selues and spoile Christ of his glorie or be come thrall againe to that thing from the which Christ hath freed vs. The which we do if we wilbe participāt with Christ in the making of our selues iust or mixt any workes with the article of iustication THE XIX CHAP. 1 As the good tree beareth good fruite so the good man worketh good workes 2 But as the fruit maketh not the tree good So workes make not the man iust 3 For as the tree is before the fruite So the mā is iust before the work be good 4 The cause why wee should worke good workes 5 The Captaines in the kingdome of christ his subiectes and reward and of his aduersarie Sathan THis faith which only iustifieth and giueth life is not idle nor remaineth alone Neuertheles it alone iustifieth And then it workes by charitie For vnfained faith may no more abyde Idle from working in loue then the good tree may from bringing foorth her fruite in due time and yet the fruite is not the cause of the tree nor maketh the tree good but the tree is the cause of the fruite and the good tree bringeth foorth good fruite by the which it is knowen goode Euen so it is of the faithfull man the workes make him not faithfull nor iust nor yet are the cause thereof But the faithfull and iust man bringeth forth and maketh good works to the honor glorie of God profit of his neighbour which beare witnesse of his inward faith and testifie him to be iust before man Therefore yee must be iust and good or euer yee worke good workes for Christ sayeth may yee gather grapes of thornes or figges of thrisles no no it is contrary theire nature Euen so it is with man till hee be made iust by faith as it is before writtin Hee may neuer doe a good worke but what euer hee doeth is sinne for al which is not of faith is sinne and christ sayeth to the Pharisies how can yee speake good while yee ar yet euill Therefore or euer we speak good or do good we must be made good that by the mercy of god through faith in christ without al our deseruings Then shal we worke al good works in the kingdome of Christ as his faithfull subiects There is two kingdomes two kinde of subiects which are direct contrary to other because there princes ar as cōtrary as ar light darkenes That is to say the kingdome of Christ and the kingdom of the Deuil To the kingdom of the Deuil mā is of his owne nature a perfite subiect the sonne of ire wrath To the kingdome of Christ man is made subiect through his second birth or regeneration which is by Baptisme in the bloud of Christ. To this kingdome man is bought neither with gold nor siluer but with the precious bloud of the sonne of God Christ Iesus and so is made seruaunt to righteousnes to serue vnto life Therefore who is made iust by faith through the mercy of god and merites of Christ Iesus must in faith which is not idle but euer working in loue serue Christ and embrace him in his hart Then shall he remaine in Christ Christ in him by the which ioyning through faith sinne shall haue no dominion nor shall not rule as a prince howbeit the dregges remaine in vs. They shall not be imputed to vs if we perseuere in faith as our forefather Abr. did euer working by loue and charitie And this is the cause why we shuld work good workes because wee are bought to the kingdome of Christ in the which rule as valiant Captaines faith hope charity working euer righteousnes vnto life The kingdome of the Deuill hath thre valiant Captaines which gouerne the same that is incredulitie dispaire and enuye euer working sinne and vnrighteousnes vnto death because the reward of sinne is death In this kingdome sinne ruleth as a prince hauing dominiō therefore if ye will serue sinne and obeye the same ye are seruants to that thing which ye obeye whither it be of sin vnto death or righteousnes vnto life But Christ hath redeamed vs and bought vs from this Realme that euen as Christ hath risen from death to the glorie of the Father right so we should liue in a new life and let not sin haue more dominion ouer vs. There is no mā so foolish who wil thinke he being deliuered of a vile prisō by the grace and mercy of a great Prince and brought to serue in his hall so made tēder to the prince that he is made participant of his sonnes heritage will say I will passe againe to prison because he is not a part of his owne deliuerance Verily it is euē so of their sayings which say I wil do no good becaus christ hath deliuered me And being deliuered I will sin and follow all libertie of flesh Wherfore should I do any good workes sithens Christ hath redeamed me without my deseruings My hartes ye which obiect these sayinges reade the scriptures and yee shall finde another lesson taught you And attend vpon your Schoolemaister which is the holy spirite who shall teach you the right waye that yee passe neither to the right hād nor to the wrōg but the right kingly way That is to confesse and euer haue prented in your hartes that by faith onely of the mercy and grace of god yee are made safe And then followe the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ giuing your whole studie and cure to loue charitie and all maner of righteous liuing to the glorie of god profit of your neighbour Not that there through ye ar made safe but that ye may be found
our iniquities and seeke them of vs who might abyde it Who should stand in thy iudgement and say I am innocent Therefore our onely hope is that helpe mercy and fauour is with thee O ye which are aduersaries to faith prent these wordes in your hartes which yee reade with your mouthes but take no care of them and then yee shall not impung this Article of iustification but saye with vs the wordes of the prophete enter not into iudgemēt with thy seruant O Lorde for in thy sight no liuing creature shalbe found iust THE XIII CHAP. 1 The iustice of a Christian. 2 The questions of the wicked against the manifest will of God taught in the scriptures 3 Tokens declaring the serpentes seede NOw sithēs our forefathers which liued most iust could not be made iust in the deedes of the lawe or in no law could finde this iustice by the which a wicked man is made iust of necessitie we are compelled to seeke the iustice of a christian man without all lawe or workes of the lawe And of another then our self which is iust and innocent that no law may or cā accuse through his iustice we must be maid iust for of our selfes we are not iust Nor no man as the prophet saith the 13. Psalme And the Apost Ro. 3. cha All mē haue left god and altogether are becom vnprofitable none of them is found good except one which is the man Christ Iesu the only begotten sonne of god by whom and by his merits through faith in his bloud we are all receaued into the fauour grace and mercy of God the father accepted as righteous and iust without all our merites or deseruinges to the euerlasting life This is the iustice of a christian which at length shal be declared with gods grace hereafter Here the aduersaries will moue three questions to se if they may impung the trueth The first is wherfore gaue god the law to mā or what auailed the giuing of the same if man of his owne power and strength may not fulfill the lawe The second questiō is if man may not be made iust through the deedes and works of the law wherefore should man do any good works The third is how were the fathers made iust by what meanes To the first question concerning the giuing of the lawe the cause wherefore it was giuen and why we fulfill not the same I will answere vnto it presently And the other two questions shalbee discussed with the Article of iustification That is with the discussing of the iustice pertaining to a Christian man And in the forthsetting of good workes which followed faith as the true fruites thereof But first yee shall note and keepe well in memorie that the wicked euer obiects questions and causes vnto god on this maner when any thing occurres which transcendeth their fleshely wit and reason then say they wherefore did god this or that thing the which sayinges declareth thē to be the serpents seed of whom they learned that lesson For it was his first proposition made vnto our mother Eue in Paradise saying Wherefore hath god commanded you that ye should not eat of all the trees in the paradise thus he perswaded the woman to giue him answere of the cause not perteining her to know so brought her to cōfusion Euē so doth the vngodly sonns of the deuil inquiring at God the causes of his secret iudgements as wherefore hath god chosen one and reiected another with other such vnprofitable questions of the predestination and forescience of God But in all such matters which are aboue our capacitie and reason let vs saye with the Apost O highnes o deepenes o profoūdnes of the riches of the knowledge and of the wisedome of God How in comprehensible are the iudgements of him and vnsearchable are the wayes of him for who hath knowen the minde of the lord or who hath beene his Counsellour or who hath first giuen to him that hee should giue againe to them for of him and by him and in him are all thinges To whome be honour praise and glorie for euer Herefore my well beloued bretheren inquire ye nothing of the workes of god and of his secret iudgementes but as his worde teacheth you and seeke no cause of his workes more then of his diuinitie But be content to knowe those thinges which are in your capacitie and vnder iudgement of the reason of man For as Iob sayth in his booke if God hastely inquire vs who shall answeare vnto him or who may say vnto him wherefore doest thou so He is god whose Ire no mā may resist Read the whole 10. chap. for confirmatiō of this matter And I exhort you by the mercy of god to reade the Scriptures not as they were a prophane historie of Hector Alexander or other gentill histories Nor yet as the manly science of Plato Aristotle the bishop of Romes lawe or others which are but the science of men and may be iudged by the reason of man but with an humble hart submit you to god and his holy spirit who is Schoolemaister of his scriptures and will teache you all veritie necessarie for your saluation according to the promisse of Iesus Christ. For the vnderstanding of the scriptures is not of manly wisedome or knoweledge but the Godly men moued by the holy spirite haue spoken and forth showen the perfite knowledge of the scripture as Saint Peter saith in his second Epist. the 1. chap. Therefore think the scriptures not difficil but to the fleshly man which shal get no vnderstanding thereof They deceaue you which say the scriptures ar difficil no man cā vnderstād them but great clearkes Verily whome they call their clearkes knowe not what the scriptures meane feare nor dread not to reade the scriptures as yee are taught here before And seeke nothing in them but your own saluation and that which is necessarie for you to knowe And so the holy spirit your teacher shall not suffer you to erre nor go beside the right waye but lead you in all veritie And so will we passe forward to the question before rehearsed Wherefore god gaue the law as we are taught by his scriptures THE XIIII CHAP. 1 An introduction to answere the first question of the wicked 2 To what creatures god gaue law and why he gaue the law to man 3 Of Adams gifts before his fall hath no man experience 4 The law giuen to Moyses and why man may not fulfill the law THere can nothing be perfitly vnderstand without the groūd and foūdation be sought knowē So for the true knowledge of this question ye must begin at god and know him as he hath cōmanded in his scriptures and seeke him no other wayes and by him yee shall get knowledge of your selfe God being without beginning as he is without ending in the beginning made all creatures perfite right and good and last of all men to his owne
nor quietnes in their conscience with God because they reiect the mercy grace and peace of god the which ar the substāce of the estate of a christiā wherein the iust liueth by faith ar so necessary that they should euer be blowen in at the eares of the faithful by the ministers of the word Therefore where euer the Apost S. P. writed or preached howbeit there was no question of the law nor workes thereof hee neuer pretermitted in the beginning of his Ep. as the other Apost in like maner vsed to certifie the Christian congregation of the substance of this article saluting thē with grace and peace which is asmuch to say as the mercy of god by the which ye are made iust and accepted as righteous in the fauour of god the Father through faith in Iesus Christ our only Lord and Sauiour Rest quietnesse in your cōscience I desire to be with you and remaine with you continually that thereby ye may worke the fruites of faith by charitie or loue in righteousnes to the glorie of god and profite of your neighbour through Iesus Christ by whome we haue this mercy and grace and entres to the father and the same grace the which grace is giuē to vs by god in Iesus Christ that no fleshe should reioyce in his sight who hath giuen him selfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs out of this presēt wicked worlde according to the will of god the father according to the riches of his mercy the which hee hath aboundantly shed forth vpon vs by whose mercy we are made safe He hath called vs by his holy vocation not according to oure workes but according to his purpose and mercy the which hee hath giuen to vs by Iesus Christ. And S. Peter saith blessed bee god the father of our lord Iesus christ who according to his great mercy hath begotten vs of newe into a liuely hope by the rysing of our Lorde Iesus Christ from the death Therefore if wee bee borne and gotten of new by mercy It is not of workes nor of our deseruinges but freely giuen vs by the grace and mercy of God through faith in Iesu Christ. Nor we haue no righteousnesse of the law nor workes as is before clearely proued by the scriptures at length And the same S. P. testifieth in his owne body to bee true who wrought many excellét works of the law Neuertheles he reputeth all but filthines that he may winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne iustice or righteousnes which is of the law but that iustice which is of the faith of Iesu christ And seing the holy Ap. the chosen vessell of god might not obteine righteousnes in the law nor works but in the mercy of God through faith in the pretious bloud of Iesu Christ Alace what blindnes is in vs wicked and miserable sinners which will euer glory cry good works which we neuer do and will haue them mixt with this article of iustificatiō In so much that Christ after our iudgement is not sufficient to saue vs and make vs iust howbeit it be the cause wherfore he was made man for vs only Therefore let vs cōclude with the Ap. and the holy scripturs that by faith only in christ we ar made iust without the law workes thereof And after mā be made iust by faith and possesseth Christ in his hart knowing perfitely him to be his iustice and his life thē shall he not be idle but euē as the good tree shal bring forth good fruite because a man truely beleeuing hath the holy spirite and where he is hee suffereth not man to bee idle but doth moue and prouoke him to all godly exercises of good workes as the loue of god patience in troubles and afflictions calling vpō the name of god thankesgiuing to the forthshowing of charity and loue vnto all This is the order of a Christians life and the substance of good workes as hereafter followeth and as we haue also touched some thing in the beginning concerning the trouble and patience thereof THE XXII CHAP. 1 What workes should Christians doe 2 The life of man is a perpetuall battell 3 What is the law of the members and what the law of the spirite 4 What sacrifice we should offer to god what is required that our sacrifice be acceptable 5 Who followeth Christ who goeth before him who is equall with him BEcause good workes are the fruites of faith and necessarie must follow the same and proceede of the iustified man as the good fruits of the good tree without the whiche no Christian man may gette witnessing of his faith Therefore after the forthsetting of the article of iustification should euer mention be made of good workes and all faithfull taught to doe the same The which methode S. P. vseth in all his ep but specially in the Epist. to the Romans and Galath For being iustified by faith we are at peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ. But then hastely riseth the battel and strife with the world and persecution because all which wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution Then shalt thou begin to reioyce of thy trouble knowing surely that thou art the sonne of God because he chasteneth all sonnes whom he loueth This affliction whether it be in spirit or body bringeth pacience to thee which is the proufe of thy faith Then conceaue thou hope whose office is to confort thee that thou bee not ouercomme in thy affliction so then faith and hope being ioyned together the loue fauour and grace of god are by his holy spirite shed abroade in our hartes by the which we as valiant knightes passe to a new battell against the deuill the world and the fleshe of whome wee obteine victorie by faith and suffer not sinne to rule ouer vs. This methode to good workes teacheth the Apost Rom. the .5 and 6. Chapter exhorting vs that as wee of before gaue oure members to bee weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne to the death that now wee being iustified by faith giue to god our members weapons and armour of righteousnesse vnto life For the rewarde of sinne is death but the grace of god is eternall life by our lord Iesu christ Then let vs surely beleeue hee who hath begunne the good worke in vs which is god shall performe the same to the daye of our Lord Iesus Christ. And so to begin good works is not to suffer sinne to rule in this mortall body that we obeye not the lustes concupiscence of the same The whole life of man is but a battell vpon the earth And who soeuer will pas fordward in the seruice of god hee must prepare him for tentation and trouble This battell S. P. had and as a knight of great experience taught vs the same how he fand a law in his mēbers repungning
whē we cast frō vs all our wisedome righteousnesse holines and redemption and receaue them frō Christ who is made to vs by god our wisdome iustice holynesse and redemption And confesse vs to haue nothing of our selues but euill and all our goodnes to be from god as S. Iames saith in his Ep. the 1. Ch. This our crosse is no other thing but the troubles and afflictions both spirituall corporall that we haue in this presēt life the which are the probatiōs exercises of our faith whereby the same is tryed searched by our heauenly father to our weale And testifie vs to be the sonnes of god and not bastardes And therefore we should gladly accept the same with thankes giuing from the bottome of our hart thinking them to come to vs for the best and that we are the beloued of god So accepting them And then in the greatest troubles and afflictions raise vp our hartes with faith hope beleeuing surely our good god to be so faithfull and true that he wil not suffer vs to be ouercome or confoūded tēpted aboue that we be able but will euen giue the issue with the tentatiō that we may bee able to beare it because our weak and fragill nature is knowē to him He will haue cōpassion vpō vs for Christs sake by whome wee are reconciliate to his fauour So let vs not go astray but follow Christs footesteppes That is to suffer all thinges patiently and thinke that we haue deserued more for our sinnes Also remembring that Christ our sauiour hath suffered ten thousand times more for vs. On this maner we followe Christs footsteppes who hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse that being dead frō sinne we shuld liue in righteousnes My harts ye which are aduersaries to the article of iustificatiō learn to read the scripturs with effect to the perfite vnderstanding thereof and thē ye shal obteine knowledge to begin to do good workes in faith pleasant and acceptable to god Since we haue made mention of three kinde of personnes that is of them which goe before Christ of them which goe astray from Christ and of them which follow Christs footesteppes It is necessarie to let them bee knowen by them selues that the true and faithfull may be knowē by their deedes They which confide in their owne workes merites and deseruings thinking therethrough to obteine the kingdome of heauen and satisfie for their owne sinnes Not onely for them selues but also of the superaboundāce of their merits for others of the which they make marchādise These are they which goe before Christ and are called Antichristes or contrarie to Christ because they vsurpe his office and wilbe Iustifiers of them selues and others They which thinke faith not sufficient to iustifie without workes but will haue their own good deedes ioyned to helpe Christ in their iustification These are they which go astray frō Christ wilbe equall with him in their owne iustification for none of these hath Christ suffered death Therefore hee shall abstract frō these two kindes his wisedome righteousnes holines and redemption and shall suffer them to contend with the law in the latter iudgement whose workes being accused and the puritie and cleanes required according to the perfection of the lawe all their noble workes and deedes of good zeale and intention shalbee found abomination in the sight of God how excellent or shining that euer they be before men to whome it shalbe said Passe your waye from mee ye workers of iniquitie Lucifer was throwen downe out of the heauen because hee would haue made him equall with god Adam forth of paradise becaus he pretēded to know more then was giuen him in commandemēt to know c. The Pharisie of whom Christ maketh mention pretended no other thinge but a great rewarde for his good workes The same thing pretende all they which impūg this article of iustificatiō for will ye compare their sayings and doinges it is the same selfe thing but of another arrayemēt Neuertheles they are as like as a egge is like another And so they are not of Christes little flocke which hee hath chosen and follow him The thrid kind of personnes are they which putte all their trust hope and confidence in Christe take his crosse vpon their backes and dayly followe Christ in his footsteppes neither declining to the right hande nor to the left that is grounded in faith euer working by charitie absteining frō euill and doing good works in the which they put no confidence but thinke when they haue done all whiche is commanded them to doo neuertheles they think them selues but vnprofitable seruants they lay their sinns vpō Christes backe and follow him by faith ascribing all their wisedome iustice holynesse and redemption to Christ and nothing to them selues nor their merites because they are sinners and through the dregges of sinne left in them of the old corrupted man their workes are not perfite according to the perfection which the law requireth Therefore they may not stande in iudgement with them of their owne power and strēgth but beleeue the same workes through faith in Christ to bee accepted as obedience to the lawe and through Christs merites made perfite These are they to whome it shalbee saide Come vnto mee yee blessed of my Father and possesse the Kingdome of Heauen prepared vnto you from the beginning of the Worlde Against the whiche the Lawe hath no place to accuse nor condemne their workes of any imperfection because they are Christs workes made by him perfite through faith in his bloud THE XXIII CHAP. 1 What the reason of man perswadeth to be done in the matter of religion 2 Argumentes against good zeale and good intention 3 The papisticall church this day is worse thē the externall church of the Iewes in the dayes of the Prophets Christ. 4 What fruite bringeth the good zeale of man THe blinde reason witte and vnderstanding of man which is but the desires and appetites of the fleshly man is the cause why wee misknowe the good and perfite order to doe good workes taught vs in the scriptures neglecting the worde of god following our own will which teacheth vs good zeale and good intention This our reason affirmeth good and thinketh that God shall approue the same according to our desire whiche is but flesh I meane of the whole man and all that is in him But the spirit and word of god teacheth vs to walke in the spirite not to performe the desires and lustes of the fleshe For the flesh euer contendeth against the spirite and the spirite against the flesh Therefore we are commanded to fight valiantly against the desires of the fleshe and to absteine from the lustes and appetites thereof and to followe the will of God which is to walke in the spirite and clothe vs with Christe Iesus This order the Apostle teacheth Galath
by man Therefore we let the specialities of them passe and referre the same to thy iudgement good reader Thankes be to god these abuses and groundes are not vnknowen we will passe forward to the knowledge of the workes commanded vs to doe and work by the scriptures of god as the fruites of faith THE XXIIII CHAP. 1 What workes Pastors should teache vnto their flocke 2 Wherefore the yoke of Christ is sweete and his burden light to Christians 3 Vocation mediate and immediate 4 Vocation in generall by the which all true Christians are equall made Kinges and Preists in Christ bloude IF any will aske or inquyre what workes should the faithfull doe I can finde no perfiter answear to make thereto then the Euangell teacheth vs. As S. Luke sayeth the 3. chapter Iohn the baptist preaching repentance in remission of sinnes the people inquired at him what they should doe to whom he answeared saying He that hath two coates giue to him that hath not one And he that hath meate let him doe in like maner This is no other thing but to exercise the deedes of mercy and charitie toward thy neighbour as the Prophet Esay sayeth breake thy breade to the hungry needie and the poore who ar cast out bring into thy house when thou seest the naked clothe him contemne or despise not thy owne flesh This is the forth-showing of thy faith which S. Iames desireth of thee in his epistle Thou art taught the same with the other works of charity to thy neighbour Ezech. the 15. The Publicanes and open sinners inquired in like maner what they should doe to whom he answeared saying yee shall doe no further then that which is commaunded you to doe as he would say decline and cease to doe euill and learne to doe good as yee ar teached by the Propete Esay the 1. Chapter And Dauid teacheth you the perfecton of religione saying Come to me my sonnes and heare mee and I shall teach you the feare of of the Lord. Who is he who liueth and loueth to see good dayes let him refraine his toung from euill and his lippes that they speake no fraude decline from euill doe good seeke peace and followe the same Therefore passe your waye and sinne no more for I will not send you to the lawe to get remeady of your sinnes But looke in the law and behold what is ordeined you to do The which will declare you to be sinners transgressours And then ye shall seeke Christ for remeady whose forerunner I am It is he in whome ye shall finde remeady Therefore I say vnto you beholde the lambe of god which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And being inquired of the souldiers what they should doe He answered saying yee shall strike nor hurt no man nor yet do wrong or iniurie to any personne but bee content of your wages which is asmuch to say as oppresse none take no persons geare violently yee are publicke officers depute by princes magistrats for keeping of good rule and order amongst the people for rest and quietnes of the commō weale for the which cause ye haue your wages Your office is honest and the good worke of god Therefore looke on your own vocation and do that iustly which is commanded you and exceede not your bounds Here is a good order taught you which are ministers of the worde to learne the auditour in generall or speciall to doe good works That is to show them the works cōmanded by god the right fruits of repentance and faith to the which ye should send them and not to vaine workes inuented by man which is no other thing but to heape sinne vpon sinne And Christ being asked by the Iewes What shall we doe say they that we might work the workes of god answered saying This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whome hee hath sent Here hee sent them not to the law howbeit the law be the worke of god but to faith which is not the work of mā but the work of god which hee worketh in man Therefore Christ saith to vs Beleeue and yee shalbee safe And so let vs say with S. Peter Lord to whome shall we passe thou hast the words of life wee will seeke no other but beleeue in thee Yee shal consider that Christ after hee had refreshed the people with their corporall foode Then he taught them the perfection of a Christian man And fed them with the spirituall foode And they which receaue the same did follow him the rest left him which had no faith but tooke his doctrine carnally of externall and outwarde workes as did the young man to whome Christ made the answere as is before rehearsed Math. the 19. Chap. By the which scriptures we are taught to follow christ becaus there is no perfection but in the following of him Therefore as wee haue receaued our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs walke in him being rooted and builded in him and cōfirmed in the faith as we haue learned aboūding in the same with giuing thanks as the Apost saith Coloss. the 2. Chap. for hee is the fountaine of all goodnes and the head of our felicitie and let vs haue respect to no other thing nor laye no other foundation For as the Apost saith No man may lay another foundation nor that which is already layde the which is Iesus Christ. Let vs build vpon this foundatiō gold siluer and pretious stones which are the workes of God commanded in the holy scripture to bee wrought into faith euery one according to his vocatiō in the which we should walke worthely as wee are called with all humilitie and meeknesse and patience supporting one another in loue and charitie carefull to keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the band of peace as we are taught by the Apost Ephes. the 4. Chapter And Christ saith Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in harte and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules For my yoke is easie and my burden light The which wordes Christ would neuer haue spoken if hee had laden vs with the law For that burdē is so weightie that neither we nor our fathers might beare it as S. Pet. saith in the Actes of the Apost the 15. Chapter But verily the yoke of Christe is easie and his burden is light to the faithfull chosen for they lay all vpon Christs back and follow him through faith confiding nothing in their owne workes nor merites but euer working all good according to their vocation giuing all glorie and honor vnto God not exceeding the boundes of their vocation which is the best rule that the faithfull can haue to doe good workes to the knowledge thereof we will make some short declaration and then make an ende Yee shall vnderstande that there is two kindes of godly vocatiōs The one is immediate by
sight of man and also done by him of a good intent and for a good cause hee offered sacrifice for feare that the people should not passe from him hee being then prepared for battell against the ennemies of god He did show the deede of mercy in sauing of the life of an aged and impotent King And for the loue hee had to the worshipping of god assented to the people and keept the fattest bestiall most pretious cloathing and iewels of gold siluer to offer the same to god in a sacrifice Was this not a goodzeale and intention but ye may read the great punishment which god laide vpon him which shal remaine for an example in all ages to come THE XXVI CHAP. 1 The office of a bishop 2 Bishoppes should not mixt them with worldly matters 3 If the flocke perish their bloud shalbe required of the bishop 4 Bishops should exhort their flock to frequent the reading of the scripture 5 Bishoppes can doe no good workes without they preach the word of God 6 The punishement of bishops which leaue that vndone which God cōmādeth and attende vpon their owne superstitions IF thou bee called to the office of a bishop or minister of the worde of god preach the pure and syncere worde to the flocke committed to thy charge Counsell and confort the weake and feeble Minister the sacramentes in their due forme according to the word of god Exceede not the boundes of thy vocation but walke thereinto conforme to the ordinance of the holy spirite taught thee in the two Epistles of Saint Paull written to the first bishop that he made called Timotheus And to another called Titus There thou shalt finde the workes which thou art bound to doe and what is thy office specially in the first to Tim. the 3. Chapter and to Titus the 1. Chap. There is nothing left vnexpressed that is necessary to thee to work in the scripturs of god Thou art commanded to be a mirrour or example to thy flocke in teaching of the word in good life and honest conuersation in loue and charitie in faith and chastitie euer exercising thy selfe in reading exhorting and teaching the which if thou doe thou shall saue thy selfe and others Thou should not meddle thee with secular affares or busines for that is not thy vocation follow the example of the Apostles in all ryghteousnesse and godly liuing in faith loue pacience meeknes sweetnes as thou art taught If yee wil remember dayly vpon the office yee are called to which are bishops yee shal find you to haue a great charge and worke to doe and not a great dignitie or Lordeshippe But alace now yee take thought of the lordshippe dignitie rent and profite and looke neuer to the worke yee should doe the cause thereof is the neglecting of your vocation The which if yee will vnderstand perfitely yee would not omit the charge and comandement giuen to you by god and inuent vaine superstitious workes not commanded The principall work yee should doe is to preach teach which yee neuer doe because ye can not and to excuse you ye haue as yee say others to whom yee commit the cause and charge Yee are blinde know no thing They to whom yee commit the charge know as litle or lesse So perish the poore people in ignorance for yee are blinde and leaders of the blinde and therefore both fall in the myre Neuerthelesse the bloud of thē shalbe required at your hands as the Prophete Ieremie sayeth the 23 chapter And Ezech. the 34 chapter the which I pray you reade for there yee shall see clearely your deeds laid before you with sore threatnings Yee should not onely your selues cōtinuallie reade and teache the scripturs but also yee should cōmād the flocke in your charge to seeke their spiritual food in the same This was the order in the church of Christ in the beginning The minister of the worde to teache and preache and the auditors to reade That therby they might take the teaching the better as the Thessalonians did at the preching of the Apost as ye may reade and cōsider in the Actes of the Apost the 17. chapter And Christ teacheth vs to search the scriptures for they beare witnesse of him And S. P. sayeth All thinges which are written they ar written to our learning that through patience and consolation of Scriptures we may haue hope that is of eternall life The which is the marke whereat shoote al the faithfull for in the Scriptures of God all things are conteined necessarie for our saluation Alace thinke yee not shame which ar bound oblished vnder the paine of eternall damnation to teache your flocke this maner of doctrine to inhibit and forbid them to looke vpon the scripture either to heare or reade them This is farre differēt from the order of the apost yea and of the holy fathers of the church lōg time after as appeareth clearly by the teaching of Chrisost. writting vpō the 1. chap. of S. Math. the 2. 5. hom where he with a great lamētatiō reproueth the secular mē housholders which alledged the reading teaching of scripturs perteined not to thē Exhorting them to giue attēdance to the scripturs that they might instruct there families and household how they should liue according to the order of the scripture as becōmeth christians but by the cōtrarie yee would that none of your flocke or auditors should know thē lest your misdeeds wer espyed The feeding of your flocke the attēdāce and care yee should take therevpon is so necessary that without the doing thereof yee can doe no good works at all according to your vocation which can please god because in neglecting of this yee neglect faith out of the which all good workes should spring So should all your good workes follow faith And this principal point of your vocatiō is the cause that S. P. departing from Ephe. to Ieru called befor him the ministers of the word in the cōgregatiō certifieing thē he would not returne againe in bodily presence and therefore hee left to them this legacie saying Attend and take heede vnto your selues and to the whole flock in the which the holy spirit hath put you bishoppes to guide and rule the Church of god the which he hath redeamed with his bloud For I knowe after my departing there shall enter in amongst you rauening wolues which shall not spare the flocke And of your selues there shall rise men speaking wickednes that they may leade disciples to follow them Therefore bee diligent and vigilant keeping in memorie that by the space of thre years I ceased not day and night with teares and weeping warning and admonishing euery one of you c. If the Apostle had knowen any better work or more excellent to haue bene left in memorie or legacie to the ministers of the word he would no doubt haue expressed the same And euē so S. P. in his
The firme weake shall find strēght and confort The rude and simple true knowledge and erudition The learned and godly humble reioycing by the omnipotēt spirite of Iesus Christ to whome bee glorie before his congregation Amen This worke following cōteineth three principall parts The first parte how mā being in trouble should seek refuge at God alone And that naturally all men is subiect to trouble and howe profitable the same is to the godly Last of the cruell persecution of Sathan and his members against the chosen of God The secōd part cōteineth how mā is released of his trouble by faith and hope in the promisses of god therefore declareth the article of Iustification prouing that faith onely iustifieth before God without all deseruing or merite of our workes either preceeding or following faith with a solutiō to certaine cōtrarie argumēts made by the aduersaries of faith this article With the true vnderstāding of such scriptures as they alledge for thē The third and last part conteineth the fruites of faith whiche are good workes which euery man should worke according to their owne vocation in euery estate All this plainely may be perceaued in the life of our first parent ADAM which by transgression of Gods commandement fell in great trouble and affliction From which hee should neuer haue beene released without the goodnesse of God had first called him And secondly made vnto him the promisse of his saluation The which ADAM beleeuing before euer hee wrought good workes was reputed iust After during all his life hee continued in good workes striuing contrarie Sathan the worlde and his owne flesh ¶ THE AVTHOR VNTO THE FAITHFVLL Readers THE loue fauour mercy grace and peace of God the Father God the Sonne with the illumination of God the holy Ghost bee with you all my welbeloued brethrē which thirste after the knowledge of the word of God And most feruently desire the same to the augmentation increasing of the church of Christ dayly to flourish in godly wisedome and vnderstanding through faith vnfained euer working by loue Amen THE I. CHAPTER 1 What should be the study of man And vvhat man should do in time of tribulation AS desirous as the wild hart is in the most burning heat and vehement drouth to seeke the could fontaine or riuer of water to refresh his thirst So desirous should we be O lord God to seeke vnto thee our Creator Maker in all our troubles and afflictions and say with the Proph. Dauid Wherefore art thou sad or sorowfull O thou my soule or sprit why troubles thou me beleeue and hope surely in God that is Confide in his mercy call to remembrance the tyme by past how mercyfull helply propiciāt he hath bene to the fathers and deliuered them of their troubles Euen so shall hee do to thee if thou beleeuest vnfainedly in him seek hym in his worde not inquiring his name what they call him nor what similitude forme or shape he is of for that is forbidden thee in his lawe hee is that he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God of the Fathers to whome he made the promis of our redemptiō He would show his name no other waye to Moys Exo. 3. chap. but cōmanded him to passe to the people of Israel and say vnto them he which is hath send me to you that is my name frō the beginning that is my memorial frō one generatiō to another THE II. CHAP. 1 How mā comes to the knowledge of god 2 Where shold man seeke God and how he should receaue him 3 And by whome we should offer our petitions BY faith are wee taught to knowe god the father maker and creator of al Heauen Earth and all creatures whom we should beleeue to be almightie of infinite power mercy iustice and goodnes that he created in the beginning all thing of nought as the scripture teacheth vs Gen. 1. Chap. And that by the word which is the sone of god he made all thing which is made who is equall to the father in deuine nature and substance without beginning in the bosome of the father which was with god in the beginning and was also god And at the prefined and preordinate time by god the father was send into the world and made man taking our manly nature and cloathing him with the same and dwelled among vs. And after long time conuersing amongst vs teaching and preaching the realm of heauē being exercised in al trobles and calamities in the which this our mortall body is subiect except sin only finaly for our sakes suffered the most vile death for our redemption And rose from the same the 3. day for our iustification And after 40. daies ascended to the heauens and sites at the right hand of the father our aduocat as testifies the holy scriptures of him And thereafter send the holie spirit to instruct his Disciples of all veritie as hee had promised of before who proceeding from the Father and the Sonne the third person of the Trinitie descended vpon the Disciples in a visible signe of fyrie tounges by whome all Creatures is viuificat and hath life is gouerned ruled sustained and cōforted without the which all creatures would turne to nought Of this maner knowe thy God three Persons distinct in one substance of godhead Confound not the personnes nor deuide not the godhead But beleeue fearmly indoubtedly as thou art teached in the Symbole of the Apostles and of the holy man Athanasius confessed in the holy church of Christ. Ascend no higher in the speculatiō of the Trinitie thā thou art teached in the scriptures of God If thou wilt haue knowledge of the father seek him at the Sone If thou wilt know the Son seek him at the Father For none knoweth the Sone but the father none may com to the knowledge of the father but by the Sonne And also Christ being desired of Phillip one of his Apostles to show them the Father answeared this long time I am with you and ye haue not knowen me Phillip he who hath seene me hath sene the Father beleeuest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me Therefore whath euer thou desirest which good is seeke the same at the son for the Father hath giuen all thing in his power for that cause christ cōmāded vs all to come vnto him seeing he hath al things giuē to him and also cōmandeth vs all to come to him great fooles we are which seeke any other way of the which we are incertaine either in Heauen or in Earth as concerning our saluation wee are sure he loueth vs will heare vs according to his promise Greater loue thā this cā no man showe but that he put his life for his frendes Yea verily we being his Enemies he willingly gaue him selfe to the death to get vs
life and to reconcile vs to the Father Therefore if we will haue our thirst and drouth quenched refreshed seeke vnto Christ who is the fōtain ofliuely water of the which who soeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst but it shalbe to him a fontaine of running water to euerlasting life THE III. CHAP. 1 The fruit of tribulatiō vnto the faithfull 2 God is a peculiar father vnto the faithfull what care he takes of them and wherfore 3 Tribulation the signe of Gods loue 4 The iudgement of the wicked concerning tribulation what they do and why they despaire therein THis vehement drouth and thirst had Dauid the holy Proph. when he said O god thou art my God of most might and power therefore I seeke thee early in the morning with most ardēt desire mysoule thristeth after thee and my flesh desirs thee great feruēt was this desire of the holy man as ye may read the .62 ps which teacheth vs howe profitable holesom cōmodious the trobles afflictiōs and incōmodities of the world are to the faithfull and godly men In so much that the flesh which euer of the own nature is aduersarie enemy to the spirit drawing entising the same frō the true worshipping of god with frequēt troubles calamities is so brokin and debilitat that it takes peace with the spirit and altogether most feruētly seeks god saying better is thy goodnes mercy benignitie the which thou showest to thy faithfull flock thē this corporall life therfore my lippes shall neuer cease to praise thee O happy is that trouble and afflictiō which teacheth vs thys way to know our good god moues this thirst in our soule that we may learn to cry vnto our god as the fathers did O thou my god as Dauid s. Paul say in diuers places I giue thanks sayth Paule to my god for you my bretheren Howbeit hee be god to all creatures by creation yet to the faithfull he is one speciall and peculiar god whose troubles and afflictions he seeth and shal deliuer them thereof Euen as he did his people of Israell forth of the handes of Pharao without all our deseruinges or merites Therfore let vs not looke vpon our merites worthines or vnworthines but only to his mercy and goodnes putting all our trust hope and beliefe into him into no other thing either in heauen or earth and say with the Prophete Dauid O Lord my strength I shall loue thee The Lord is my surenes my refuge and my deliuerance and after be vnto me a God Defender and a house of refuge that thou mayst saue me for thou art my strength for thy names sake thou shalt lead me and nourish me that is I put no cōfidence in my owne strength wit nor manly power but only into thy mercy goodnes by the which I am defended preserued frō al euils lead and keeped in all goodnes for thou takest care vpon me and art my only refuge and strength vnwinneable in all my troubles and aduersities Therefore my welbeloued bretheren let vs reioice greatly of this our litle trouble and afflictions and consider them to be good not euil the signs and tokens of the goodwill of God toward vs not of Ire nor wrath and receaue them forth of his hands nether of chaunce accident nor fortune but of his permissiō and certaine purpose to our weale as the tryall and exercysion of our faith And that hee punisheth vs not that wee bee lost thereby but to drawe and prouoke vs to repentance according to that saying I will not the death of a sinner c In the which he requireth of vs obediēce faith and calling vpō his name as the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs saying Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble I shal deliuer thee and thou shalt honor me that is beleeue me euer present with them which vnfainedly call vpon me and I shall not abstract my fauor helpe and supply from them but shall so deliuer them that they may therfore giue me great thankes and praise For I desire no other thing of mā This maner of trouble bringes Patience and Patience Proufe and Proufe hope which frustrates not but greatly conforts the faithfull The world hath another iudgemēt of this trouble and the wicked man when the same happeneth to him hee grudges murmurs contrarie God saying Why hath God punisht me what haue I done to be punisht of this maner Thē gathers he in his hart had I don this thing or that thing soght this remeady or that remedy these thinges had not happened to me And so thinkes that they are come to him either by chaunce or fortune or neglecting of manly wisdome thus he fled from god and turneth to the help of mā which is vaine In the which finding no remeadie finally in his wickednesse despaires for hee can do no other thing because al things wherin he put his trust beliefe hath left him and so rests no consolation THE IIII. CHAP. 1 What do the faithfull in time of tribulation 2 What we haue of our owne nature and what of Iesus Christ. 3 What Adam did after his trangression 4 The goodnes of god showen vnto Adam 5 What Adā wrought in his iustification 6 To Abraham being an Idolater was made the promis that he should be the Father of many Nations and the conclusion therevpon BVt the godly say O my good God thankes and prayse be to thee who hast visited thy froward child vnprofitable seruant hast not suffered me to runne on in my wickednes but hast called me to repentance I know my offenses iustly haue I deserued thys punishmēt yea ten thousand times more for my sins the which sore repenteth me Our wicked nature teacheth vs to fly from thee to diffide or doubt of thy mercy and goodnes And to excuse in our selfes our sinne and vice and obiect the same in another as our forfather Adam did hauing no respect to person or loue of any creature more then he had for cōtrarie his owne fellow which was of his owne flesh he obiected the crime to excuse himselfe Yea and also against God thinking that the good work of god making the woman and geuing her to hym in fellowship was the cause of his sin and fal as the scriptures saye Ge. 3. Chap. But faith in the bloud of thy onely begotten sonne christ Iesu leadeth vs to thy mercy stoole and hope conforteth vs that wee are not ouercome in this battell knowing perfectly that the fleshe is subiect to these bodyly afflictions that the dregges of sin may be mortified in vs the which we haue of our forefather Adam Thys corruptiō of nature teacheth vs what we haue of our first Parentes and what we are of our selfes which being cōsidered shal lead vs to the knowledge of god in whome we shall find goodnes mercy
and iustice as we may clearly perceaue in our first parent For after he had transgressed the law and commandemēt of god he fled from him whom god followed moued of loue toward his handie work and called him again in the which he did shew his goodnes and whē he accused Adam of his sin he was not penitēt nor trusted not in the mercy of god or asked forgeuenesse But excused hys transgressiō and fault Neuerthelesse god of his infinite mercy made the promes of saluatiō or euer he would prononce the sentence contrarie the man or woman saying to the serpēt I shall put enymity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and the womans seede The seed of the womā shal tread downe thy head and thou shal sting the same on the heele Adam was cōforted with these words and through faith in thys promis was of wicked made iust that is receaued again in fauour and through faith in the bloud of Christ to be shed was accepped as iust And thereafter god manifested his Ire and wrath contrarie sinne which of his righteous iudgemēt he can not suffer vnpunished and pronūced the sentēce first against the woman and then against the man and eiected them forth of paradise cloathing them with skinne coates saying behold Adam is made as it were one of vs knowing good and euil that is asmuch to say O miserable mā now thou mayest perceaue thy state and the fruites thou hast gotten for the transgression of my cōmandemēt what is thy knowledge that thou hast learned nothing but to fly from thy Maker to passe frō life to death from great pleasure to all miserie And so Adam is spoyled of all the noble gifts he was indued with in his creation as here after time place at more length shalbe showen read with order the 3. Chapter of Genes and thou shalt vnderstand this matter clearly Nowe yee may see what was our first parents part in the obteining of this promisse of God Very lie no more then he had of his creatiō but rather lesse for beyng but dust and clay hee made no euill cause but being made man he disobeyed his Maker trangressed his law vsurping glorie to hym selfe and knowledge which became him not to seeke For the which he deserued nothing but eternall dampnation Abraham in his fathers house an Idolater as he was and the rest of his house made no good cause to god nor merite to obteyne the promisse that he should bee the father of all faithfull but only beleeued in the promis of god as hereafter shalbe discussed but euen as thei were accepted as iust through faith without all their merites or deseruinges so shall wee bee which are the Sonnes of Abraham and heires of the promisse No other way shold we seeke but the order taught vs in the scriptures of God that is if wee wilbe sure of our saluation and haue passage to the father passe vnto Christ who sayeth I am the waye the trueth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me If yee had knowledge of me ye should also haue knowledge of the Father Therefore if we will walke right in the way go with christ and walk in him if wee will not bee deceaued passe vnto him for he is the veritie who cā nether deceaue nor be deceaued if we wil not die the eternal death he is the life These gifts may we haue of no other but of him by him only through faith in the mercy of God by the operation of the holie spirit THE V. CHAP. 1 The consolation of Adam expelled from Paradise 2 The consolation of Adam whiche hee tooke of his two sons turned in dolor 3 What Adam did when hee receaued Seth for Abell whome Cain slew 4 The confort of Adam in all afflictions and example left to vs therinto GReat was the trouble and afflictiō both of body and spirite which was in Adam standing trimbling before god whome hee had so highlye offended perceauing him self deceaued of the false promis made by the Serpent which was that he shuld not die how beit hee eat of the aple but should bee like vnto God knowe good and euill being therefore eiected forth of that pleasant gardin of all delite and pleasure in to the miserable earth to eat his bred with the sweat of his face Trust well he was sore penitēt now would haue suffered great torment vpon his body to haue satisfied for his offences but that could not be nor might not stand with the iustice of god What was his confort then nothing but this promisse which he apprehended by faith and beleeued him to be in the fauour of god for that promiseth seedes sake This conforted his spirite or els of despair he had perished in this sorrow trouble for he found no remeady in himself For his bodily cōsolatiō god sent him twoo sonnes by naturall propagation to his owne Image and similitude This was no litle consolation and confort to Adam but this bodilie confort turned shortly into great displeasure when the one Brother slewe the other of malice by the which Adam was destitute of all succession Thus dolorously lead he his life a long time desiring euer at God succession in place of Abell Of whome god had pitie and compassion and sende him a Sonne named Seth of whome descended the promissed seed that god might be found true in his sayings for rather would he haue raysed Abel frō death to life then his promis shuld not haue bene fulfilled By this was the dolor and trouble of Adam conuerted into ioy and gladnes For the which hee gaue thankes and praise vnto God saying god hath sēt me another seed for Abell whom Cain hath slain here he saith not that he hath gottē a sonne in place of Abell Howbeit by naturall generation he begat him Eue bare him of her bosom but saith god hath sent me another seede for Abell ascriuing the same to the gift of god and not to the work of man This is a notable exāple to al the faithful to receaue all thinges forth of the handes of God giuing him euer thankes therfore as the holy Fathers did not contemning the work nor helpe of man whome God maketh the instrument to do that thing which is his godly will to performe Let vs herefor take example of our forefather that like as he was subiect to trobles and afflictions all the daies of his life in this miserable world Euin so are we let vs take therefore all thing in patience thinking vs to haue deserued the same iustly how iust that euer we be or appeer to the world trust well there is nor was neuer mā which descended of Adam by naturall propagation iuster nor he was after his fall for there is no mention in the scripture of any offense done by Adā cōtrarie the lawe of his god after his expulsion forth of paradise And as for
his first rebellion and corrupting of hys nature we are all gilty of that as he was and then also gilty of our sinnes proceeding of that rebellion wherefore we may well be worse then he but no better Thinke well he confessed him iustly punished thought he deserued more punishment than euer was put vpon him Taking euer consolatiō of the sweet promises of god in the which he beleeued and in all his troubles conforted him with hope to be deliuered of them as all faithfull doe And to be restored to the glorie hee was eiect frō for his owin foolishnes without al merits or deseruings of himself which ware nothing in him and muchles in vs. There hath beene no difference betweene the expulsion of ADAM forth of paradise and Lucifer out of the heauin if the promisse had not beene made to ADAM Through faith in the which promis he euer hoped victory against the deuill who had deceaued him that by power and strength of the promissed seed not through any power or might of him self Euin so should we do cōfiding in the promisses of god and the merites of the promissed seed Christ Iesu to be deliuered of the tyrannie of the Deuill the calamities and trubles of thys miserable world THE VI. CHAP. 1 Wherfore we should reioyce in tribulation 2 Vnder what pretext the wicked pursues the iust 3 Whereby ryseth the dishonoring of God 4 The diuersitie of opinions touching the article of iustification and who are iust before God 5 What is the substance of iustification and why the article therof should be holden in memorie TO the faithful these bodily afflictions and troubles are marueilous necessarie for by them the faith is tryed and made more pretious thē gold which is purified by the fire for by many troubles it is needefull to vs to enter in the realme of heauen by firme and constāt perseuering in faith as sayth S. P. And also it behoued Christ to suffer so to enter into his glory that is not for him selfe but for vs. Therfore the godly men in theyre troubles and afflictions take great consolation and confort And anchors them vpon God alone by faith to whome they can come no other way thinke them no better nor greater then their maister christ but should take both confort consolatiō of his word saying seeing the world hath persecuted mee they shal persecute you also This persecution is a communiō with the passions of Christ in the which wee haue great matter to reioyce so we suffer not as homicides theefes or euill doers but for Christs sake and his word as S. Pet. sayth in his first Epist. the 4. Chapter But in this matter take no care what the world iudge of thee but to thy owne conscience and the scriptures of god for the iudgemente of the world pronuncis cōtrarie to the word of god calling them which professes the same Heretikes seditious men and perturbers of common weales Therfore they thinke they punish iustly in birning slaying banishing and confisking of landes and goodes And howbeit the faithfull suffer all patiently and vndeserued yet they say they suffer iustly as traitors heretickes homicides perturbers of common weales and euill doers Let these sayinges not moue the faithfull brother but confort thee with thy Maister Christ who was called by the aduersaires of veritie a seducer of the people a drūkard a deuourer or glutton an open sinner conuersant amongest them an authorizare of their sins His Apostles were called heretikes and their doctrine heresie The Prophets were called perturbers of common weales and traitors to their countrie prophesing cōtrary the common weale and libertie of the realme as ye may reade of Elias and Ieremie in diuers places of his prophesie Which Scriptures I praye you reade and ye shall perceaue no difference betwene the blasphemations of the Prophetes of Christ himselfe and his Apostles and the faithfull in these dayes for all was and is done by the wicked vnder colour of holynes Herefore let vs seek refuge at our god and sticke fast to his word who can nether deceaue nor be deceaued for the world is full of deceit iudgeth euer the wrong part of the which vniust iudgement cōmeth all the diuersity of opiniōs and sittes ruling this day in the church of Christ to the dishonoring of the name of god deminishing of his glory and no little perturbation of common weales the cause hereof is the neglecting of faith taking frō the same her due office which is to iustifie only by her selfe without the deedes or workes of the law that is mā of wicked is made iust by the mercy of God through faith in the bloud of Iesu Christ without the deedes or workes of the law This I dare affirme because the scriptures of god testified the same to be true as herafter shalbe declared at lēgth Here ryseth the contention for some brags and boastes them to haue faith haue no works others reioysing them to haue faith attribute and giue the iustification to works others haue workes and looke nothing to faith as hipocrites others again there are the which haue nether faith nor works as the plaine wicked vngodly My welbeloued brethren let vs auctorise neither of these persons For all they impung this article of iustification Against the first speakes S. Iames in his Epist. Against the next Saint Paule speakes in his Epist. to the Roma Galath and diuers other places And against the other two kindes of men the hole scriptures speakes By these cōsideratiōs moued I thought necessarie for my owne eruditiō your confort my welbeloued brethren to declare forth show my beliefe cōcerning the article of iustification as the scriptures teache mee hauing no respect to mās opinion that thereby we may haue consolation through our mutuall faith And be more ready to giue coumpt and reakoning to all which aske of vs any question of our faith Alwayes in this and all other thinges submitting my selfe to the scriptures of god and aucthoritie of the faithful church of christ which is gouerned ruled keeped and defended from all spot of heresie by the holy spirit who moues this ardent thirst in our soule to seeke Christ the fontaine of liuing watter loue charity in our harts to Christ our brothers saluation as our owne The fondatiō and grondstone hereto is faith and the shielde or buckler to defende vs with against the firy dartes of Sathan at the which he euer shoots becaus it is our victorie against him and gets dominion of the world but if he finde vs destitute or disarmed of our shield he shal wound vs so that hee may safely or lightly take vs captiue to his realme therfore this our faith shold neuer be idle but euer working by loue that is to bee euer cled with our shield being vigilant walkfull because our said aduersarie Sathan is euer
going about vs as it were a roaring lion seking for the pray to deuour or swolow Against whom we shold resist stoutly into faith taking in our hand the sword of the spirit which is the word of god with the rest of the armour perteyninge to a christian knight specified by S. P. Ephe. the 6. Chapter The substance of the article of iustification is to cleaue and stick fast by our God knowing him our Maker and Creator and to beleeue firmly and vndoubtedly that wee are not righteous nor iust of our selfs nor yet by our workes which are lesse nor wee but by the helpe of another the onely begotten Sonne of God Christ Iesu who hath deliuered and redeemed vs from Death the Deuill and finne And hath giuen to vs eternall life as hereafter at length shalbe declared Aboue all thing the saide article is to be holden in memorie recent among the faithfull And at euery tyme houre driuen and inculcat in their eares as it were a trumpet without the which faith which is the fondation of the christian religion and Church of Christ is made so darke and mistie that no place shalbe founde where vpon to build the the perfite workes of faith THE VII CHAP. 1 What obtained Adam and Eue seeking wisdome contrarie Gods commandement and what they which seekes iustification other wayes then teacheth the scriptures 2 Whereby is the wicked man made iust 3 Where may Sathā enter and where not 4 What wrought the lawe into Adam and the office thereof vnto vs. THe ground stone and sure firme rock whereupon all godly workes and vertues are builded our said aduersarie Sathan vexed in the paradise when in the beginning he perswaded entised our forefather Adam and Eue to leaue their faith into God their Maker and Creator and consent to his false perswasiō which was that through their owne wisedome strength and power they might be made equall and like vnto god who gaue them life promised the same euer to endure with all pleasures commodities in paradise The Deuill perceauing the woman voide and without faith loue and feare of God said howbeit ye eat of the fruicts of this trie ye shall not die the death ye know not wherefore God hath forbiddē you to eate of the same but I shall show you the cause God knoweth that in what soeuer daye yee shall eate of the fruict of this trie your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be like Gods knowing good euill This same persuasion hath all the wicked which perswades man to trust to his owne workes merites power and strength therby to be made iust and to get greate rewarde of god for doing of workes not commanded by God but inuented by mās vaine conceat thinking that God shallbe pleased therewith But surely euen as our forefather was deceaued so shall we be if we consent thairto Heerefore giue trust to no thing in this case or matter but to God and his word keeping euer faith pure and clean without all mixtiō of works in the making of a wicked mā iust And then our aduersarie shall get no place to enter to deceaue vs. Ye shall vnderstande that Adam knew good and euill before the eating of the aple for that teached him the law of nature and the other great wisedome hee was cloathed with as yee may reade in Eccles. the 17. Chap. saying god created them with the spirit of knowledge and with wisedome and vnderstanding hee fulfilled the harts of them and shew vnto them good and euill His iudgementes iustice also he shew to thē What thē was the knowledge Adā got of the eating of the aple onely that he had offended his good god trāsgressed his law the which shew to him his offences and sin By this knowledge he vnderstood that hee was fallen frō the good state in which he was created shuld haue remained if he had obeyed the law of his god into the miserable estate of sin for he had neuer knowen what the trangression of the lawe had bene if he had not sinned The law before taught him what he should doo leaue vndone what was good what was euill and after he sinned the lawe vttered the same to him broght him in knowledge thereof for it can do no other thing to the sinner but trouble his minde and bring vpon him great feare and dread This proues the sayings of god to ADAM inquiring who hath showen vnto thee that thou was naked but that thou hast eaten of the tree of the which I commauded thou shouldest not eat This hatred and enimity is old which Sathan hath moued cōtrary mankind had the beginning at the first creation of man of malice cōceaued to bring man in the same rebellion he was in This persecution of sathan shal endure to the latter iudgement therefore let vs bee walke full and diligent euer armed with our shield faith the word of god euer printed in our hartes taking no care of wordly troubles hoping hastely to be deliuered therfrō cōsidering we haue no permanēt Citie here but as Pilgrimes trauailing to and fro beholding and looking for that heauinly citie and place prepared to vs from the beginning of the world THE VIII CHAP. 1 Wherefore Cain slew Abell howe long god suffered the article of iustification to be pursued by the seede of Cain 2 What paine hee tooke at last and howe Sathan reserued his seede 3 Whereof sprang the Idolatrie whiche abounded betweene the dayes of Noe and Abraham and vnder what pretext it was defended SHortly hereafter the said aduersarie a man killer and lyer perswaded entised the one brother to slaye the other of malice without any cause but that the one brother Abell being iust godly offered into faith a more pleasant and acceptable sacrifice vnto God then the other Cain who was wicked and an hipocrit whose sacrifice pleased not god becaus the person was not acceptable to him Therefore god looked to Abell and to his workes vnto Cain and his workes he looked not There followed against the saide article the perpetuall persecution of Sathan intolerable by the sonnes of Cain while God wes compelled prouoked of his ryghteous iudgement to drowne the whole worlde once to purge the same from sin reseruing defending through his mercy onely the perauthor of faith and righteousnesse Noe. Neuerthelesse Sathan keped his seed in the third sonne of Noe Cham as testifies the historie After this the whole world rysing in a madnes fury impugning this article of iustificatiō finding inuenting innumerable Idols and religions with the which they pretēded to please God with their owne works and inuentions euerie one making to him selfe a particular or peculiare god or gods The which is no other thing but to think that without the help of Christ of their owne power works Inuentions they may redeeme them selues from sin all euils and please
image and similitude male female hee made them whom he indued and cled with most excellent gifts of nature and godly vertues with originall iustice full integritie the law of nature imprented in his hart with power to do the same of his own freewil And put him in the paradise of pleasure that he should labour kepe the same with cōmandement to eate of the fruites of al the trees of paradise and forbad him to eate of the fruites of the trie of knowledge of good and euill standing in the middes of the Paradise Adioyning the paine if he transgressed this commandement saying whatsoeuer day thou eatest of the same thou shalt dye the death Not only gaue god a lawe to man but also to beast Sunne Moone Elementes and all his Creatures in their kindes the which they should not transgresse nor ouerpasse That in his creatures hee might be glorified and haue obediēce of them to that effect hee made them and gaue them the lawe This exposition yee shall finde in the 148. psal Where the prophet exhorts all creatures animate and inanimate to preach and forth show the glorie of god because he said the word they were made and gaue commandement they were created So the law was giuen to man to the effect he should knowe his Maker glorifie him and obeye him for obedience is the fulfilling of the law To obeye god is to loue God with all thy hart with all thy mind power strēgth and thy neighbour as thy selfe This lawe was prented pure and cleane in the hart of Adam who had free will and power of himself to do the same For God made man in the beginning and left him in the power of his owne counsell hee gaue to him his preceptes and commandements saying if thou wilt keepe the commandementes they will keepe thee c. Hee put before him fire and water that hee might put his hand to which of them he liked He layd before him life and death good and euill saying what euer shall please him shalbe giuen to him c. The perfection of Adam and knowledge of the law the rightuousnesse and integritie of him in his creation with the excellent gifts and godly vertues he was indued with are vnspeakeable as saith Ecclesiasticus the 17. Chapter God created man of the earth and made him after his owne Image and similitude turned and conuerted him againe in the same And cled him with vertues according to himself c. Read the whole Chap. which will instruct you of these noble vertues and qualities of Adam What might hee want being perticipant in vertues to the godly nature nothing at all and so all the workes of god were made perfite the which he neuer altered nor changed No more did he his lawe but after the fall of mā by his prophetes and holy Preachers hee set forth and vttered his lawe in the same forme pure estate as it was created That man thereby might the more perfitly knowe his weakenes and imperfection Therefore the Apost saith by the law is the knowledge of sinne The lawe is not sinne but sinne is not knowen but by the law That is the cause why the law workes anger and hatred The law of Moyses of the two Tables was but a vttering and declaration of the law of nature And that proues the sayinges of Christ For when he had made a long sermon teaching his disciples and the people the perfection of the lawe of Moys as ye may read the 5.6 7. Chap. of S. Math. concludes on this maner All things whatsoeuer ye wil men do to you doo ye the same to them For this is the law and prophetes Here ye see the law and all the preaching of the Prophetes ioyned in a knot to the Lawe of nature which teacheth vs what we should doo and what we should leaue vndone This lawe was perfitly prented in the hart of Adam who wanted no perfection to fulfill obserue and keepe the same to the vttermost perfection thereof For transgression of the cōmandemēt of god our forefather Adam was exiled banished forth of paradise and spoiled of the integritie perfection and all the excellent qualities dignities and godlie vertues with the which he was indued by his creation made rebell and disobediēt to God in his owne default And therefore hee might not fulfill the law to the perfection as the same required For the lawe remaining in the owne perfection Iust holye and good requireth and asketh the same of mā to be in deed fulfilled But all men proceeding from Adam by naturall propagation haue the same imperfection that hee had The which corruption of nature resisteth the will and goodnes of the law which is the cause that wee fulfill not the same nor may not of our power strēgth through the infirmitie and weakenes of our flesh which is enemie to the spirit as the Apostle saith O miserable man accuse not God but thy selfe because thou fulfillest not the lawe For howbeit thou in thy default fell from thy goodnes and perfection of nature by the which of thy own friewill and power thou might haue fulfilled the law into euilnes and imperfection and hath corrupted thy nature Neuertheles God remained iust good true and vnchangeable and his lawe also which requireth of thee her duty not according to the fragilitie of thy nature but to the puritie of her nature according to the good will of God Therefore impute no fault to god nor yet to his lawe that thou fulfillest not the same but to thy selfe and thy corrupted nature which obeyed the will of the Deuill and resisted the good-will of god THE XV. CHAP. 1 What remained in man after his fall and what may man do thereby 2 The opinion of the Philosophers touching the wickednes of man 3 The office of the lawe and what shall man accused thereby doe 4 The conclusion of Paule and euasion of Sophistes therefrom with argumēts conuincing them as Lyers NOtwithstanding after the fall of man remained with our first parents some rest and footsteppes of this lawe knowledge and vertues in the which hee was created And of him descended in vs by the which of our free will and power we may do the outward deedes of the law as is before written This knowledge deceaued and beguiled the Philosophers for they looke but to the reason and iudgement of man and could not perceaue the inward corruptiō of nature but euer supponed man to bee cleane and pure of nature And might of his own free wil and naturall reason fulfill all perfection And when they perceaued the wickednes of man from his birth they iudged that to be by reason of the planete vnder whome he was borne or through euill nourishing vpbringing or other accidents and could neuer consider the corrupted nature of man which is the cause of all our wickednes And therefore they erred and were deceaued in their
may saue you It is writtē all which is not of faith is sinne How then can ye do any worke preceeding faith that it may please God or prouoke him to loue you considering all that ye doo out of faith is sinne Will ye say that he deliteth in sin No no it is a thinge most abominable in his sight therfore all that euer ye do how excellēt the work be in your sight it is sin before God and yee heape sinne vpon sinne which is abomination in his sight as sayeth the Prophete Esay The workes which follow faith make you not iust because or euer yee worke good works yee must be made first iust and thereafter in faith yee worke the works of iustice Neuerthelesse the saide workes may not saue you nor merite the kingdome of heauen to you muchlesse may they merite to others But yee are made safe by the mercy of God and not of workes as S. P. sayeth Not of workes of righteousnesse which we haue done shall we be saued but according to his mercy God hath saued vs Here yee see not onely workes excluded in generall forth of this article but also the workes of iustice which can not be done but by the iustified man where are then your workes which deserue the kingdome of heauen of their worthinesse not onely to your selues but superaboundant to others They are excluded by the Scriptures of God Therefore I exhort you to exclude them also cleaue to faith THE XXI CHAP. 1 The opinion of the wicked seeking their owne glorie 2 The workes commanded by God done without faith ar abomination before him 3 Whereby commeth the new birth 4 Paule refuseth his workes seeking no Iustification thereby 5 The conclusion of all the Scriptures 6 What is giuen to man which hath true faith I Meruell greatlie of your blindnesse which are aduersaries to this article would euer mixt it with works specially of your owne making that yee may bee a parte of your owne saluation But I ought not meruell thereat because yee seek your own glory not the glory of god for euer ye cry the law the law good works good works the which yee neuer doe nor yet it is in your power of your selfe to complete according to the perfectiō that yee may set thē before the iudgement seat of god And this same thing did your forefathers the scribes Pharisies against Christ. And now yee against his faithfull litle flocke of the same blindnesse and ignorance For to establish your owne iustice yee neglecte the iustice of god and will not be subiect thereto as the Apost sayeth And Christ sayeth Yee are they which iustifie your selues before men but god knoweth your harts because that which is of great estimation in mens eyes is abominable before god Euen so it is of your workes not commanded by god how honest or shining that euer they be in the sight of of man for verily God wilbe pleased with no workes of mans innentioun but with the workes commanded by him selfe And the same should be done in faith according to his will and not ours for the which we are commanded and should daylie praye Thy will o heauenly father be fulfilled not ours What better works cā mā doe thē the works cōmāded by god as praiers almes deedes fastings and keeping of holy dayes and others as ye may reade Esay the first Chap. The which god by the mouth of the prophet calleth abomination And Christ called prophecying preaching casting forth of Deuils miracles wonders and signes and many other great and excellent vertues done in his name The workes of iniquitie and the doers of them the workers of iniquitie saying passe away from me all yee which are workers of iniquitie for not all which say vnto mee Lord lord shall enter in the kingdome of heauen But they which doo the will of my Father whiche is in Heauen These workes are contemned by god for no other cause but that they ar wrought by the wicked without faith or mixt with the article of iustificatiō thinking therethrough to be made iust or to be a part of their owne iustification And therefore cannot please God but greatly displease him because the good worke is conuerted into sinne through the iniquitie of man Neuerthelesse they appeare in the sight of man to be most excellent good and should haue a great reward after the iudgement of man but yee see here what rewarde god giueth them And seing the workes commaunded by God to be done are so displeasant in his sight wrought by the wicked without faith What shalbe of your workes which are not commanded by God nor haue no authoritie in his Scriptures but inuented by your selues of your good zeale and intention to make your selues iust by them hauing no respect to faith but to the working of them of the selfe deed yea verily expresse contrarie the scripture and plaine Idolatrie Neuerthelesse he that doth them yee make iust and he that doth them not yee condemne Is this any other thing but to make the death of Christ in vaine and to be iustifiers of your selues for seing the iustice which is of value before God is not of the deedes of the law how can it be of your deeds Therefore Christ wil say vnto you Passe from me all ye workers of iniquitie I know you not Notwithstanding in other places of the scripture yee shall finde the same workes greatly commended by God where they are done by the iust man as the fruites of faith reward promised to the workers of them So they confesse them vnprofitable Seruantes when they haue done all that they can For Christ saide to his Disciples when yee haue done all whiche is commanded you to doe then say wee are vnprofitable seruantes Wee haue done that which wee were bounde to doe And if they which fulfill all the commandements of god are compted or repute by him vnprofitable seruants what haue wee to glorie in which fulfill not one of his commandements Now I pray you lay this text to your assertion if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements and ye shal thinke shame of your sayings insomuch as yee would impung the article of iustification there with and mixt workes with faith to the making of a wicked man iust Now I trust it be sufficiently prouen by authority of the scripture as is before rehearsed at length to the satisfactiō of a Christian and godly man that works are excluded forth of this article of iustificatiō haue no participatiō therewith but follow faith as the due fruites therof that all glorie may redound to god howbeit the wicked hypocrits and iustifiers of thē selues will neuer be satisfied by any authoritie of the scripture for they cannot nor will not be content with god nor his word but euer impung the same to establish their owne authoritie and glorie And therfore are neuer at rest
thereby the strentgh of the flesh somewhat is dantoned and ceaseth to rebell against the spirite And beginneth to seeke god who is a peculiar Father to the faithfull deliuering them from all tribulations Not for their worthynesse but for his own mercie Worldly tribulations are the signe and token of gods loue albeit the wicked and vnfaithfull iudge otherwise which in tyme of tribulation runne from God seeking help at man which is but vaine whereof they being frustrate and deceaued fall in desperation The sommary of the fourth Chapter THe faithfull thanke god in tribulation and albeit our wicked nature teacheth vs to flye from God as did our first parent Adam after his transgression Yet faith in Iesus Christ leadeth vs to the throne of our Fathers grace where we finde goodnes mercy iustice giuen to vs freely by Iesus Christ as they were giuen to Adam Who albeit fled from god yet he moued of loue toward his own handywork followed him and albeit Adam at the voice of god repented not but obstinately excused his sinne yet god made to him the promisse of saluation before hee pronounced his wrath cōtrary sinne which of his righteous iudgement hee must punish And so Adam wrought nothing which might moue god to make this promisse more then hee wrought that of dust and clay hee should be made a liuing Creature to the Image and similitude of god And to Abraham being an Idolater was made the promisse hee should be the father of many nations which hee merite not to whiche promisse Abraham giuing credite was reakoned iust by the which it is plaine that the mercy of god and not our workes is the cause that hee calleth vs by his worde whereto wee giuing credite are reakoned iust all our deseruinges or merites being excluded The Sommarie of the 5. Chapter ADam expelled forth of paradise had no consolation except in the blessed seede promissed By whom hee beleeued him to stande in gods fauour for all bodily consolation which hee had of his two Sonnes was turned in dolour when Cain killed Abell In the which dolour Adam many yeares remained will God hauing compassion vpō him gaue him another sonne named Seth of whome descended the blessed seede For this sonne Adam gaue thankes vnto god taking all afflictions in patience knowing him worthie of greater punishmēt by whose example we should patiently with thankesgiuing vnto god suffer all tribulatiō For none descending of Adā by naturall propagatiō are iuster then hee was after his fall which all his life suffered trouble hauing no confort but that he should ouercome all worldly calamitie yea and also the slightes of Sathan which had deceaued him by the blessed seede promissed And this same should be our confort in all tribulations The sommarie of the 6. Chap. BY bodily afflictions our faith is tryed as gold by the fire They are also a communion with the passions of Iesus Christ. And therefore in them haue we matter and cause to reioyce considering we suffer without cause committed contrarie man Notwithstāding the wicked persecute the faithfull in all ages as if they had beene mischieuous or euill doers as may be seene in the persecution of the prophets Apost of Iesus Christ him self The cause hereof is the neglecting of gods word and taking from faith her due office whereof riseth all dishouring of god for none may or can honour god except the iustified man And albeit in diuerse men there be diuerse opinions of iustification yet they alone in whome the holy spirit worketh true faith which neuer wanteth good workes are iust before god The substance of iustification is to cleaue fast vnto god by Iesus christ and not by our selfe nor yet by our workes And this Article of iustification should be holden in recent memorie because without the knowledge thereof no workes are pleasant before God The sommarie of the seuinth Chap. AS by perswasion of Sathan Adam and Eue seeking wisedome contrarie Gods commandemēt were deceaued and fell in extreame miserie So they seeking iustification otherwise then teach the Scriptures remaine vnder the wrath of god for faith alone reconciliateth man to god which the Lawe whose office is onely to vtter sinne and trouble the conscience as it did to Adam after his transgression may not doe Therefore who list to resist Sathan let him cleaue to faith for it is the onely shield which his dartes may not pearse The sommary of the eight chapter CAin a wicked hipocrit killed his brother Abell For no other cause but that his brothers sacrifice pleased god because it was offered into faith And the posteritie of Cain pursued perpetually them which depēded vpon the blessed seede while god was compelled to drown the whole world 8. persons being reserued amongst whom yet was keept the seed of Sathan in the third sonne of Noe Cham. From the dayes of Noe to Abraham this article of iustification altogether was obscured Idolatry spredding ouer all The cause thereof was they followed the external works of the holy fathers in sacrifice but had no respect to faith without the which all sacrifices ar Idolatrie The sommarie of the ninth Chapter GOd of his mercy prouiding that his Church should not perish altogether renewed to Abraham the promisse of the blessed seede made to Adam whereto Abraham giuing credit is without his workes reakoned iust But shortly after begā sathā newly to pursue the iust by his mēbers stirring vp Ismaell against Isaac Esau against Iacob but the iust at the end shall preuaile as hath done Iesus Christ whose brethrē we ar by reason he is very man of the seed of Adam And also because in him wee are adopted and made the sonnes of god The fleshly mā is euer deceaued iudging the wicked to bee the chosen as Abraham beleeued Ismaell And Isaac beleeued Esau to haue beene their heires But faith iudged righteously which caused Rebecca to labour with diligence that Iacob the youngest sonne should be blessed by his father The sommary of the 10. Chap. THe Iewes hauing a carnall opiniō of the seede promissed that their Messias should rule temporally as did Dauid refused Iesus Christ appearing simple poore But the cause which moued Sathā to stirre vp his members against Christ was that hee plainly taught that by faith without all workes man is reakoned iust For the wicked thinking to make their foolishe workes a part of their iustificatiō may neuer suffer them to bee damned And the true Preacher can neuer but exclude them from the iustification of man as did the prophetes Iesus Christ him selfe and his Apostles for which they suffered death leauing to vs a sure testimonie for confirmation of this article which after Christs death was plainly preached The sommarie of the 11. Chapter SAthan perceauing his crafts wherewith hee deceaued mankinde discouered and his head troden downe by the death of Christ cled him in a new arrayement And finding them whiche should haue truely preached idle perswaded man to inuent new
Workes iustifie before men onely Heb. 11. Cornelius had faith and thereby wroght good workes Heb. 11. What faith Cornelius had wherefor was Peter sent vnto him Esa. 65. Math. vlt. Mar. 16. Luc. 24. Sophistes would make the holy spirit speaking in S.P. contrarie to him selfe Psal. 49. Note The nature of loue * Why Charitie is called the chiefest Collos. 3. Io. 15. Math. 19. Luc. 18. * The wordes of Christ vttered the hipocrisie of the young man How the wicked doo read the scripturs Rom. 14. Marke diligently Tit. 3 The workes of Iustice is excluded in the cause of iustification The wicked aduance theÌ„ of works which they neuer doe Rom. 10. â—ue 16. Esa. 55 56 57. 58. Zach. 1. God neuer was nor wilbe pleased with works of mans inuention Workes which of them self are good done without faith are abomination before god Math. 7. Note well Luc. 17. Esay 48. * Hypocrites are neuer at rest in their conscience A repetition of the article of iustification and substance thereof The salutation of the Apost Rom. 1. Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 1. Galath 1. Ephe. 1. 2. 2. Timoth. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Philip. 3. * Paule wrought many excellent good workes but reputeth them nothing The entresse to good workes The method of S.P. in wreting Ro. 5. 2. Tim 3. Prou. 3. Heb. 12. Apo. 3. Rom. 5. 1. Io. 5. The reward of sinne is death Ro. 6. Philip. 1. The beninning of good workes Iob. 7. Whosoeuer serueth the lord must prepare him self for trouble Rom. 7. * The repungning of the flesh Ro. 8. Rom. â— Rom. 12. Colloss 3. Io. 6. The will of God Ro. 6. To bee crucified with Christ. The sacrifice pleasant to God Psal. 50. Psal. 4. The old man Collos. 3. * That is loue and extoll his magnificence in all kinde of godlie life Ephe. 4. Esa. 1 Mat. 16 Marc. 8. Luc. 14. 1. Pet. 2. Who followeth Christ. 1. Cor. 1. The cros of the faithfull Heb 1. â— Rom. 8. Psal. 30. 70. God will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that we may susteine 1. Cor. 10. Esay 53. 1. Pet. 2. * Who goeth before Christ. * Who goeth astray froÌ„ Christ. Luc. 16. Math. 7. The punishment of pride Luc. â—8 To follow Christ. Math. 27. All men depeÌ„ding vpon his own reason is deceaued The coÌ„futation of good zeale good inteÌ„tion Gen. 6. Gen. 8. Psal. 43. Deutr. 12. Ier. 11. * The coÌ„mandement of god contrarie our good zeale Psal. 115. Esa. 55. Mich. 6. All which man shold doe is conteined in the scriptures Psal. 93. Who doth workes not commaÌ„ded by God in his scriptures incurris his malediction Ier. 15. â—9 4. Reg. 21 2. Cro. 33. The fruits of good zeale Ier. 2. The wordes of Ieremie ar true this day 〈◊〉 â—2 11. Exod. 20. Leuit. 26. Deu. 5. Psal. 80.96 113. * Strange worshipping of God is not conteined in the scriptures Good workes Esa. 58. Ier. 7. 26 Ezech. 18. Psal 33. 1. Pet. 3. Tac. 1. Io. 1. Luc. 3. The vocation and office of men of warre Io. 6. Faith is the worke of God Io. 6. There is no perfection but in Christ. 1. Cor. 3. * Christ is the head and foundation of our felicitie vpon whom we should build good workes Coloss. 3. Math. 11 * Wherefore Christs yoke is easie and his burdeÌ„ light Of generall and speciall vocations Immediate vocation Mediate vocation Vocation generall * Charitie is the baÌ„d of peace 1. Cor. 12. Ephe. 4. 5. * Why the faithfull are called one body 1. Cor 3 Ephe. 2. Act. 9.14 20. Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 12. Math. 38. Mar. 16. Iob. 33. Act. 10. Ia. 2. Gal 2. Galath 3 1. Pet. â—â— Al faithful are kinges and priests Note well Ephe. 5. * Euery member should serue in his owne vocation Rom. 12. Ro. 13. * Loue is euer debt Men shuld seeke no knowledge but it which is profitable The diuision of the estaits of men The office of kinges and magistrates The king should loue his subiects Pro. 1. Psal. 110. * No man may know god but by his word The king should haue knowledge of gods law Deu. 17. Iosu. 1. Psal. 1. 3. Reg. 3. Iaco. 1. Psal. 19. Sap. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Luc. 1. The king should set forth the true and destroy the false religion of god in his kingdome Deut. 17. Psal. 2. Deut. 4. * To seeke wisedome other wayes but in gods scripturs is foolishnes 1. Cor. 1. Zach. 7. 7. Esay 1. Psal. 81. Exod. 28. Leuit. 19. Deut. 16. Exod. 18. Io. 10. * Iudges should be honoured because they are participant in power with god Deut. 1 Psal. 11. Esay 40. 1. Pet. 1. Iac. 1. Whereof shall iudges be accused whereof not * A iudge of corrupted life caÌ„ neuer minister iustice equallie * Subiects follow the vices of their superiour magistrates * God coÌ„monly punished the wicked by them which are more wicked Ier. 7. Marke diligently 1. Reg. 15 1. Reg. 15. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 2. 1. Tim 6. The bloud of the flocke perished for fault of spiritual food shalbe required at the bishope Ezech. 3. The coÌ„plaint of Chrisostom * Without a bishope preache truelie he can do no good worke before god * The legacie Paull vnto bishops That is sorrow eterne daÌ„nation abideth you 1. Cor. 3. 1. Timoth 6 Tit. 2. 2. Timoth. 2 Malach. 2. Sap. 11. 1. Reg. 2 3. Reg. 2. 1. Reg. 2. * The punishment of Dauid perteineth to bishops aswell as to princes Ephe. 5 Collos. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 1. Cor. 7. Coloss. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 1. Tim. 1. Tim. 5. Psal. 77. Deut. 6. Coloss. 3.4 Ephe. 6. * Right Prayer * The vnfaithles worke no good workes Ro. 14. * The life of the fathers should be cleane because it is a mirrour to the sonnes 1. Tim. 3. Marke diligently Deut. 8. Math. 4. The faithfull lameÌ„t the faults of others