the roote or fyrste springe of that lytle goodnesse which is in vs vtterlye there is no beginning at all of any naturall disposition in vs to receyue the grace to the ende that suche disposition shoulde bee assysted by the seconde grace But cleane contrarie there is naturallye in vs nothinge but darknes and enemitie against God wherfore it was néedefull y â— god should of his onelye mercie fyrste of all drawe vs that is to saye to make vs altogether newe creatures concernyng the quallyties lyghtning those which be not onely partlye blynded but vtterlye darknesse it selfe geuinge vs hartes to vnderstande chaunginge our steny heartes into fleshie heartes creatyng in vs pure hartes that is to saye makinge newe altogeather that is within vs of a wycked wyll a good and godlye wyll briefelye workinge in vs to wyll and also to doo So that the Apostles woordes be verified that we cannot only thinke of our selues any thing that is good and that the children of God haue nothing but that which they receyued by grace So then for asmuch as grace must make vs good trées before wee can beare good fruite it foloweth that there is no méeting together of grace and free wyll for the spirite of God by his pure grace hath made vs free from sinne in vnyting vs by fayth to Iesus Christ from whome we get a new life to bring foorth fruite to God and lykewyse when our wyll being made free worketh thorowe grace there is no merites but onely frée rewarde geuen not being due For on y e contrary the best workes that we can doo deserue eternall payne were it not for the grace of God for the best workes of them selues doo but pollute the grace which God hath put in them 18 The thirde difference of the matter of good worke is to knowe wherto they be good THe thirde difference is yet greater that is to saye touchinge the worthinesse of good workes for our parte to speake in fewe wordes that for to vnderstande by what ryght or tytle we bee assured of eternall lyfe onelye Iesus Christ contenteth vs being geuen to vs and applyed to vs by fayth onely by the onelie grace mercie of God as we haue sayde before more at large And therefore wee detest and abhorre this woorde merites or to merite and confesse with harte and mouth that concernynge the beste woorkes whiche we can doo we count our selues vnprofytable seruauntes and that eternall lyfe is altogether of the pure and frée mercye and gyft of God Wherefore I make this argument more then hath béene sayde before in the tenthe article Good woorkes commeth from Iesus Christe dwellinge in vs by whose power and vertue we do them by grace as the corrupt nature of Adam in the whiche we were borne bryngeth forth in vs sinne For we must possesse Iesus christ which is y â— good trée before we can bring foorth good fruite in him For the cause ought to go before the effect And as S. Paul declareth that whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne it foloweth then consequentlie that faith goeth before good works For by it onely we embrace Iesus Christe Nowe he which hath true faith is immediatly iustified being fullie quieted and pacified in his coÌ„science Howe then can good workes Iustifie vs and consequentlie saue vs. For we must of necessity be iustified and so consequentlie haue iust tytle to Saluation before wée can doo any one good worke In this lyeth all our consolatioÌ„ that we haue our onelie refuge to the speciall grace and mercie which is presented to vs in Iesus Christ onelie which is not our Sauiour and redéemer in part but all altogether 19 To vvhat ende good vvorkes doo serue vs before God and before men BY this it appeareth plainelie howe wroÌ„gfully they charge vs as though we did disalow good workes where as on the contrarie we doo with all our powers endeuour our selues as muche as is possible for vs to declare which be the verie true good workes and from what spring or fountaine they procéede that the symple people be not deceyued ignorauntlie Notwithstanding we do not grouÌ„d our selues in any respect vpon our workes neither in part nor in al wheÌ„ we come to declare by what tytle eternal life is giuen vs but content our selues with Iesus Christ only And also we acknowledge our regeneratioÌ„ with the fruites proceedinge to our synguler comfort as foloweth Fyrste good workes serue to profite our neighbours and also to prouoke the verie Infidels to geue glorie to God Secondlie they assure vs more and more of our Saluation not as causes thereof but as testimonies and effectes of the cause to wéete of our fayth as wee haue declared in the thirtéenth article Beholde also whye it is sayde that God rendereth to euery manne accordyng to his workes and also that Abraham was Iustified by his workes not that our workes bée causes of our saluation in no wyse for that our a feeble foundation and vncertaine neyther dooe oure workes make vs righteous before God but because our good workes bee Testimonies and effectes of oure faythe the whiche apprehendeth Iesus Christe oure true and onelye ryghteousnesse as hath béene sayde heretofore Thirdelye wée knowe that water is of the nature of his firste Spryng So lykewise for that oure regeneration is neuer accomplyshed nor fullye perfecte here on earthe but there is continuall battayle betwéene the fleshe and the Spirite and there remayneth I saye greate and grosse darckenesse in oure vnderstandynge and lykewyse greate rebellyones in oure fleshe It followeth then that the beste workes whiche maye proceede from the perfectest man in the worlde if they were strayghtlie examined they shoulde bee founde none otherwise but deâ—â—lynge the graces of GOD lyke as wee see a cleare running water whiche is of it selfe pure is defyled and polluted by runninge throughe some vyle or filthie place Wherefore Dauid sayde that no lyuinge creature is founde iuste before GOD by his workes Also Sainte Paule cryed â–ª out and saide I doo not the good whiche I woulde doo and the euyll that I woulde not doo that doo I. O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mée from this boddie of death Beholde howe the Saintes of God teache vs to speake of our beste workes in steade to vse this woorde meriting and of merites Notwithstandinge wee confesse the goodnesse of our GOD to be so great that in consideringe his Chyldren not in themselues but in Iesus Christe his welbeloued Sonne with whome they be vnited and ioygned by Faith and also regardinge the fruites of his Graces not as they be polluted by our infirmities and weaknesse but because they be as it were procéeded or issued from him he doth accepte them and allowe them yea euen so farre as to recompence them as well in this lyfe by many blessynges bothe
synn 〈…〉 his glorye SO nowe there remayned nothing but that all the whole world should runne to ruine and destruction but that God beinge not onely most rightuâ—us but also moste mercifull had eterâ—ally ordained a meane to cause al those â—hinges to tourne to his greate glory to â—ete to the greater declaration of his â—â—finite goodnes towardes those whiche 〈…〉 hath also ordained and chosen eterâ—allye to be glorified in their saluation and likewise to the declaration of his pâ—wer d and wrath by the iust iudgemenâ— and condempnation of the vesselles 〈…〉 wrathe prepared to destruction For a 〈…〉 S. e Augustine sayde vearye well if aâ— were deliuered that which were dewâ— to synne by iustice should be secret anâ— hidde and if none were deliuered thâ—â— shoulde not be séene whiche grace haâ— geuen and graunted 17. Iesus Christ the onely medâ—atouâ— ordained and promised THis one and all onely meane is thâ— misterye of the incarnation of thâ— sonne of god with all that which foloweth it who was from age to agâ— promised euen from a Adam vnto sainâ— Ihon was published and preached bâ— the patriarkes as prophetes was all fygured diuers wayes vnder the law as is at large contained in the bokes 〈…〉 the olde Testamente to the ende thaâ— man moughte be saued by faythe 〈…〉 Iesus Christ for to come 18. The agrement and difference of the olde and nevve testament THer was neuer but one couenant of saluation betwene god man if we consyder the substance ther 〈…〉 which is Iesus Christ a But in conâ—â—deration of the circumstaunces there â—re two testaments or couenantes wherâ—f we haue the names and autentike reâ—isters called the holy Scripture and â—orde of god The one is called the old The other the newe b which is the betâ—er abolyshing the olde for as much as â—e olde did not propound and set foorth â—esus Christe but a farre of and hidden â—nder shadowes and fygures whiche â—ere abolished by his comming 19 vvherfore it behoued Iesus Christ to be a verye naturall man in bodie and soule vvithout synne IT behoued the Mediatour of this couenant and reconciliation to be a veryman without any spot of origiâ—all sinne or other for those reasons folowyng First for as muche as God 〈…〉 iust and man was bound and endetteâ— to his wraâ—he by his naturall corruption as we haue declared heretofore iâ— the fiftenth Article it was méete therâ— shoulds be a very man in whome thiâ— ruine and decaye shoulde be thorowlyâ— and perfectelye repayred for to pleasâ— God Secondlye man is bound to accomplishe and fulfyll all the righteousnes which god requireth of him for to be glorified then there must be a man for to accomplyshe perfitelye all righteousnes to please god Thyrdly all men be couered with an infinite nuÌ„ber of synnes as well inwardly as outwardly therfore culpable of y â— maledicton of god of necessity there must be a man which should satisfie fullye the iustice of God for to please him Forthlye no man beyng corrupte coulde in any wyse beginne to doe the least of these thynges but rather shoulde haue néede of a â—edemer euen for him selfe muche lesse then coulde he redeme or deliuer other men or do any thyng whiche shoulde be pleasyng or acceptable to God It was néedfull then that the Redemer and Mediator of man shoulde be a verye man in bodye and foule and yet neuerthelesse perfectlye and altogether pure and cleane from all synne 20. wherfore it was needfull that Iesus Christ should be very God IT was of necessitie y â— this Mediatour shoulde be verye God and not onlye man for these reasons folowing First if he had not bene very God he shoulde not haue bene a Sauiour but shoulde haue néeded a Sauiour for himselfe Secondly there muste be before the iustice God proporcion betwene the faulte and the payne thereof the offence or faulte is infinite for as muche as he is infinite against whose maiestie it is committed therefore it was nedefull to haue satisfaction that is infinite and consequently that he which shouldâ— do it as very man should also be infinite that is to saye verye god Thirdlye d for that the wrathe of god is infinite there was no strength of maÌ„ or Angell which coulde haue bene able to beare suche a burden but it should fal be ouerwhelmed vnder it therfore it was néedefull that he which should rise againe hauing the victorye ouer the deuill synne the worlde and death ioyned with the wrath of god should be not onelye perfect man but also very god Fynally god the better to declare his incoÌ„prehensible goodnes woulde make his grace not onelye equall e with our offence but woulde that it should exceede and surmount the trespasse For this cause euen as the f firste Adam the auctour of oure offence thoughâ—e he were created to the Image of god yet notwithstanding was earthy as his frailty and weaknes hathe well declared so on the coÌ„trary Iesus Christ the seconde Adam by whom we be deliuered is in such wife perfecte and very man that he is also heauenly that is to say very god for as much as the fulnes of the godheade dwelleth in him bodily So that if the disobedience of Adam doth astonishe or make vs afraid y e righteousnes of Iesus Christ should muche more comfort and stablishe vs and that we shoulde hope for a lyfe obtained vs by Iesus Christ much better then that which we haue lost in Adam yea so much better as Iesus Christ is aboue Adam 21. Howe the misterie of our saluation was fulfilled in Iesus Christ WE confesse then that for to fulfyll the couenante promised to the auncient fathers and prophesied by the mouthe of the prophets The trew and only eternal sonne of God in the time ordeined of the father toke on him the forme of a seruaunte that is to say a very humane nature with the infirmities of the same sinne excepted beinge conceyued in the wombe of the blessed vyrgin Mary by the vertue of the holy ghoste without any operation of man 22 The tvvo natures vvere vnited and knitte in one person from the first instaunt of the conception WE confesse that from the first instaÌ„t of this conception the person of the son was inseperably vnited with the nature of man in suche sorte that there be not two sonnes of God nor two Iesus Christs but one onely sonne of God Iesus Christ very God and very man yet neuerthelesse bothe these natures abyding and remainyng in their seueral properties For the diuinitie seperated from the humanity or the humanitie deuided or pluckte from the diuinitie or the one confused with the other woulde serue vs to no purpose 23 The virgin Marye is mother of Iesus Christ God and man IEsus Christ verye God and verye man that is to say hauyng a very trewe and humaine soule and a very humain
temporall and Spirituall as is declared in the symmilitude of the Talentes as also in this celestyall kingdome accordinge to his good pleasure not because it is dewe to our workes as though wee deserued them but by his pure grace and mercie onelie according as God sayde in his Lawe p not that he wyll paye theyr merites as dewe to those whiche loue him and keepe his commaundementes but that he wyll shewe mercie to them Fowrthlie good workes be certaine testimonies of our Faith and also doo assure of our eternall Election for fayth is necessarilie ioyned to Election Nowe that this is so muche more necessarie as the worlde maketh lesse accoumpt of it supposing that the doctrine of election were a certaine curious and incomprehensible thing which is contrarie Fayth is no other thing but an assuraunce whiche wee haue that the promyses of eternall lyfe appertayneth vnto vs because we were predestined and elected therevnto Wherefore all that is spoken of fayth and of the fruytes of faythe is spoken in vayne and vnprofytable excepte wee Ioyne this poynct of election as the onely staye and foundation of all that is aforesayde Nowe when Sathan putteth vs in doubte of oure election wee maye not search first the resolution in the eternal counsel of god whose maiesty we cannot comprehende but on the contrarye wée must begin at the sanctification whiche we fele in our selues to ascende vp more hier for asmuch as our sanctification frō whence procéedeth good works is a certaine effect of the faith or rather of Iesus Christe welling in vs by faith And whosoeuer is vnited to Iesus Christe is necessarilie called and elected of God to saluation in such wise as he shall neuer be reiected nor forsakē So it appeareth that the sanctifycation with the fruites therof be as y ◠fyrst step or degrée wherby we begin to ascende vp to the fyrst true cause of our saluation to wéete of our frée eternall electiō For whosoeuer saith that he beleueth notwithstanding gouerneth not his life by the spirit of God declareth wel that he is a lyar deceiueth himself For this cause Saint Peter admonished vs to make our vocation Election sure by good workes Not that they be the cause or y ◠foundation of our vocation Election For S. Paule declareth plainly the contrarie But for asmuch as good works bring a certaine testimony to our conscience that Iesu Christ dwelleth in vs consequently we cannot perishe beinge elected to saluation 20. Remedies against the last and most daungerous temptation vvhiche is ▪ vvhether vve be saued or not HEre resteth yet the last and moste daungerous temptations of all Sometime it hapneth that Iesus Christ deferreth to call some of his elected vntyl y ◠last howre of their life so y e it séemeth y ◠they be not very well furnished with these vertues wherof we haue spoken neither did euer féele them for that y e cause was not as yet working in them and the cause must goe before the effect And also sometimes the perfectest and most holyest persons fall into this extremitie sorrowing and lamenting for that they feele not these good mocions but séemeth that it is vtterly quenched in them and then Sathan bringeth in these doubtes that where as before they thought they had faith but was not but a shadow or vain appearāce of faith Or elles that whereas they beleued before nowe by theyr owne fault the gift is taken from them Nowe wee muste take heede to resist thys temptatyon as most daungerous of all Concerning those whiche feele theyr vocatiō to be long ere it come to thē yet their assurance is neuerthelesse grounded and established vppon some of these articles and effects aforesaid And as for their interior testimonie of cōscience of tentymes it worketh more lyuelye then in some of those which are called muche sooner as the experience is well declared in the poore théefe that was hanged by Christe And concerning the workes of regeneration it is to be vnderstande that the gretest and most eccellent workes whiche the holye ghoste worketh in vs is the hate of synne the loue of God the assuraunce of our saluation in Iesus Christe and the inuocation of hys name Wherefore he that feeleth these mocions in hym selfe although it bée not vntyll the houre of death hathe a certayne testimonie of hys true faythe ▪ and consequently of his election and saluation And for those whiche féele those good mocions quenched in them sorowing and lamentyng as it happeneth sometimes to the holiest most perfectest persons Let them consyder these pointes folowyng to ouercome suche temptations First for as much as the two operations and effectes aforesayde bee as the two Ankers to holde vs fast and when one fayleth to sticke the more surer to the other vntyll wee haue gotton strength on bothe sydes againe As when Dauid and Sainct Peter fell so beastly yet there is no doubt but they lamented and sorrowed vntyll they felt the workyng of theyr regeneration and sanctification But béeyng in theyr temptation they stayed them selues vpon the Anker of the testymonye which the spirite of God broughte into their conscyence whyche caused them not to doubte not withstandynge theyr fall but that they were the children of God and that theyr fault was forgeuen them Secondly although both these operations and effectes bee verye féeble and weake yet ther is no cause to be discouraged For it is not required of vs for to beleue fullye and perfecttlye but to beleue onelye in suche wise as if one lytle sparke of fayth and so folowyng one lytle mocion of the workyng of it so that it be true and vnfaynedly that is to saye comminge from the true roote of fayth bee sufficient to assure vs of oure saluation The reason is for that oure saluation is not onely stayed vpon oure fayth although without faythe none can be saued but vpon hym whome we apprehende by fayth that is to saye Iesus Christ And fayth is of suche vertue that accordinge to the promise of God one lytle sparke thereof how lytle so euer it bee doth apprehende Iesus Christ fully and perfectlye Yet not withstandyng the greater our fayth is the greater power it hath to ioyne vs nearer nearer and to graffe vs déeper in Iesus Christe And wee ought to be displeased and to lament when in steede of goinge forewarde we recoyle and slyde backwarde and yet the Diuell hath not wonne his processe Although we slyde backe so that our slyding bring vs to steppe vp againe and go the better forwarde Thyrdlie when we be so lamenting and troubled for the feelynge of our neclygence and synnes let vs séeke to the lyke examples of the Saintes which were as deepe in as wée or rather deeper yet neuerthelesse they ceased not to pray with assurance to be hard because they were the chyldren of God howe great and beastly sinnes soeuer they
buylding not beyng restrayned to any certayne Church or place as they haue dreamed of Saint Peter who by this meanes they haue made bishop in stéede of Apostle But being sent to preach thorowe out y ◠worlde according as the spirit of the Lord conducted lead them as the historie of the Actes of the Apostles declared And not as these falle legendes full not onely of folyes and lyes but also of blasphemies wherwith Sathan hath stuffed and fylled the church the Euangelystes were as coadiutors of the Apostles whome they followed as we sée of Sylas of Timothe and of S. Luke and others which ordinarelye accompanyed Saint Paule and were sent foorth and appointed by him as the necessity of the churches dyd requyre The Prophetes were restrained more to certaine places who had syngular giftes for to expound the secreetes of the scriptures and sometymes they had the gyfte to vnderstande and reueale thinges to come for to approue and confyrme by those myracles the doctrine of the Apostles in these first beginnings of the Church Then remaineth nowe to declare of the pastors and doctours whose office is necessarie and perpetuall in the Church of God in such measure as it pleaseth God We shall speake of those here particularly 15 Of the offyce of pastours and doctours THe charge and offyce of those in generall and namelie of pastors is to be diligent take he de to their doctrine vnder the which also we comprehend the sacraments to praier vnder the which also we vnderstand the blessing of mariages of the faithfull accordyng to the auncient custome of the Church although often tymes the deacons haue supplied that office of the administration of the sacramentes and also that which concerneth mariages al the which things Iesus Christe dyd vnderstande by byndinge and lowsynge shutting and opening and by the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which is a matter verye euyll vnderstoode as yet much worse practised For asmuch then as Heauen is proposed and set open to vs as a perpetuall dwellyng place and there is none other waye to go nor other gate to enter in then Iesus Christe And for so muche as the onelye meanes to haue Iesus Christe is fayth the which is created and preserued in vs by the holy Ghost thorow the preaching of the Gospell and the Sacramentes as it hath bene sayde heretofore Behold then wherfore it is sayd that the pastours or doctours to whome this worde and administration of sacramentes is committed haue the keye of the kingdome of heauen Because that by theyr preachings the worlde may be brought to eternall life hauing in their mouthes the word of reconciliation and trueth Moreouer because that our sinnes hold vs bound And the preaching of the Gospell annexed with the Sacramentes declareth to vs the delyuerance from sinne from death and from the deuyll For this cause it is sayde that the Ministers haue power to loose and to bynde with the authoritye of God But here must be noted the poynts that foloweth 26 The difference betweene Pastors and Doctours THe fyrst dyfference betwéene Pastours and doctours consysteth in this that the doctours ought to expounde the scriptures symplie truly ▪ for to haue the true vnderstanding and sence and also to examine the Cathacuminie that is to saye those which be yet learning the principles of Christian religion As Origen dyd in the Church of Alexandria But the pastors office extendeth yet further which is to minister true doctrine by preaching for the necessitye of the Church to teach to reproue to comfort and exhort accordyng as is requisite publikely and particularly making common prayers and also watchinge daye and nyght ouer theyr flocke whiche they be charged with to feede publykely◠and particularlye with the worde of lyfe 27 The pastours and doctours bee but instrumentes by the which God conducteth the ministerie of his worde THe second is that neither of them dyrectly doo eyther bynde or lose nor open nor shut the kingdome of heauen for it appertaineth to god only which hath made our harts to chaūge them and to drawe them it is hée onelye that geueth remission of sinnes ▪ to saue and dampne bodye and soule But for as muche as hée is serued with men to declare his worde and mynister his Sacramentes who be as troonckes or conduites thorow whom he destilleth and powreth his grace into the hartes of his electe so it appeareth that this is the cause that so excellent tyttles and testymonies haue bene attrybuted to the faithfull ministers of the Gospell Christe him selfe sayth He that despiseth you despiseth me hauing respect to him that worketh in them and by them As for the ministers being considered a parte by them selues it must come to this which Saint Paule sayde he that planteth he that watereth is nothing but God which geueth the encrease ther must also be a respect that the Ministers of God ve not despised and on the contrary not to extol them into Gods place nor set them in his steede as men do often times Yea euen those which be nothynge lesse then the Ministers of God how shall we do then Let vs follow S. Paule who in speaking of Pastors and doctors saide let euery one so estéeme of vs as the ministers of Iesus Christ and distributers of the secretes of God 28 The marckes and tokens of false doctours and pastours THe thyrde poynte lyeth in thys which S. Paule ioyneth in y ◠same text the whiche is required also on the Ministers parte that euerie of them be found faithfull Now we accoumpt not them for faithfull and so by consequent worthye of the honour due to the ministers nor yet to be accepted as ministers which haue not receyued y e office and charge of the Lord that is to say those which haue bene thruste in without consent as is appoynted by the Church And namely when the Lord geueth this grace in the worlde that there is a Churche erected excepte God doth stur vp some one or two extraordinaryly as he hath alwayes done when it séemeth good to him For howe shall they preache sayth Saynt Paule if they bée not sente And to saye trueth what earthly Prince is there that woulde allowe those thinges within his Realme which bee done without his commaundement Wherefore we doo exhort all faithfull to take dillygent heede and beware of those whiche contempne the ordynarie meanes of a lawfull and godly election which importeth a true and free examination of manners learning and doctrine without ambition or wicked meanes whensoeuer it shal please God to erect his order in any place of the world For when this order by gods iust iudgemēt cānot be kept it wilbe folly to hope for any reformation confirmed by them who be the very enemies of the Church Also all extraordinarie vocations ought to be suspected and