be a propitiation through Faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes by forgiuing of the sins that are past which God did suffer to shewe at this time his righteousnes that he might be iust and the iustifier of him that beleeueth on Iesus Heere you see that they which beleeue are freelie iustified by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus He saith freelie if it be freelie thē is it without respect of good woorkes For if good woorkes were the cause of iustification then were it of desert and not freely And S. Paule had not said rightly when hee said You are freely iustified if works should iustifie vs we are freely iustified by Christ Iesus Freely saith he through the redemptiō that is in the same our Christ If freelie through the redemption then not in respect of the workes of the lawe nor by the lawe And S. Paule saith That God is the iustifier of him that beleeueth in Christ Iesus he saith not the lawe is the iustifier And he saith further in the 19. verse of the same Chapter Now we know saith he that what thing soeuer the lawe saith it saith it to them that be vnder the lawe That euerie mouth might bee stopped and that all the world might bee in danger to God But who be those that be vnder the lawe The Phariseicall Iewes and the Papists for they both hold of the lawe But S. Paule telleth you to what end the lawe speaketh vnto you that wil be iustified by the law euen to stop your mouthes that will so vainely brag and boast in a phariseicall maner of the iustifying by the lawe And withall to bring all you lawmongers into Gods danger that will be iustified by the lawe and are not able to performe one title of the law according to the precise rule of God And Saint Iames saith vvhosoeuer shal keepe the whole lawe and yet faile in one point he is guiltie of all Behold if we faile but in one point we offende in all And it is not possible that man can liue in the world no not one but still hee shall offend and breake the lawe in one point or an other or rather in all And yet will these Papistes and Iesuites carrie such a pride in their bosome that they will bee iustified by the workes of the lawe But Saint Paule in the 27. verse of the same third Chapter demaundeth of such boasters saying VVhere is then thy bosting It is excluded By what lawe of workes Nay But by the lawe of Faith Therefore we hold that a man is iustified by Faith without the workes of the lawe Beholde here Saint Paules conclusion howe hee shuts out the workes of the lawe in respect of iustifying and telleth you plainly that without the workes of the lawe a man is iustified by Faith What more plainer matter can bee vttered to mainteine that Faith onely doth iustifie without the works of the law And although Saint Paule doth exclude the workes of the lawe from iustifying Doe wee then saith he destroy the lavv through faith God forbid but vvee rather mainteine the lavve Doth Saint Paule exclude the lawe and mainteine the lawe too How can this agree Forsooth verie well For he excludeth the lawe in respect of man as not being able to performe the same in such sort as the lawe requireth and as the lawe may iustifie him as it iustified Christ who performed it in full perfection so that no one title or letter thereof was left vnperformed by him whereby he was voide of sin And therevpon is he called the innocent and vnspotted lambe of God vvho did no sin but is altogither without sin which argueth the fulfilling of the lawe by Christ to the full satisfying of Gods iustice which none amongst the children of men was euer able to doe which when you doe then you may boast and claime saluation by it But because we cannot therefore it behoued Christ Iesu for the saluation of his elect to die and to doe that for his elect which the lawe could not doe being ther imperfect euen in the verie best of the elect And in that respect Saint Paule excludes the lawe as not beeing able to iustifie because of the imperfection therof in man And Saint Paule also mainteineth the lawe as a most perfect and excellent vertue and of such power as if any man can fulfill it and not offende in anie one point thereof he shall be iustified thereby and shall liue in the same As Saint Luke saith Doe this and liue But Saint Iames telleth you If you faile in one point you offende in all And Moses telleth you If you doe not all that is written in the lawe you are vnder the curse The law cursing vs for not doing it how doth it then iustifie vs It doth not But you cannot tell what the fulfilling of the lawe is you are blind therin and that maketh you to holde your wicked opinion But I wil tell you you Phariseical shauelings you that so much boast of your fulfilling of the law that you haue works not only sufficient for your selues but to spare for others which you term works of supererogation If yet you see your poore beggerly brother I mean not your beggerly Friers your coūterfeit beggers but your pore neighbors lie in the street and take him not into your lodging and vse him as your selfe to laie him in your own bed or in as good as you lie in your selfe and doe not feed him with as good meat drink as you feed your selfe and giue him as good clothing as you weare your selfe you cannot say you loue him as your selfe neither do you loue him as your selfe And how can you thē say you fulfil the lawe And againe who is hee amongst all the children of men from the beginning of the world to this day that in trueth could euer say that hee loued God aboue all but at one time or other the verie best failed therin None no not one Christ excepted And therfore al are vnder the curse of the law thē can you not be iustified thereby So that none can rightly say he is iustified by the works of the law grace being vnder the curse of the lawe because none is able to fulfil the lawe in his perfection according to the precise rule of God and as GOD doeth command it to be done But me thinketh I heare an olde Iesuite one of the purest sort of Papists a Puritan in deed such a precise person for life and good works as heauen gates cannot hold him out the force of his holie workes is such This champion he comes bragging out with bristles vp like a Hedgehog foming at the mouth like a Bore whetting his tuske for the combat and hee will mainteine and proue that the workes of the lawe doth iustifie And that it is so hee will proue it by Saint Iames who in his second Chapter saith
whole lawe as well the morall as the ceremoniall yea and rather the morall law then the ceremonial law Let vs consider of S. Paule in how many places where he of purpose writeth touching this matter of iustificatiō It is to be considered that S. Paule was the Apostle of the Gentiles amongst whome there was no part of the ceremoniall law vsed and then had S. Paule no cause to write in that sort of the ceremoniall law onely but of the morall lawe also Againe mark wherevpon S. Paule doth entreat before he come to those words By the vvorks of the lavve there shall no flesh bee iustified in Gods sight In the second Chapter to the Iewes he saith Beholde thou art called a Ievve and restest in the lavve and makest thy boasts of God or gloriest in God knovvest his vvill allovvest the thinges that are excellent in that thou art instructed by the lavv Then in the 21. 22. and 23. verse he saith Thou that preachest a man shoulde not steale Doest thou steale Thou that saist a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery c. Thou that gloriest in the lavv breakest thou the lavv Is not this ment trowe you of the morall lawe And so proceeding to the 3. Chap. where he proueth that al are sinners both Iewes Gentils And that there is none righteous none that doth good Their threates an open sepulclre c. VVhose mouth is full of cursing bitternes c. Now when he had thus laide abroad the wicked estate of man and breach of the moral law and seeing a man not able to fulfill the law in that sort as he may bee iustified therby before God Therfore saith Saint Paul in the same chapter By the works of the law shal no flesh be iustified in Gods fight Forby the law commeth the knowledge of sin which lawe must needes bee the morall lawe the law of the x-commandements For that is it that bringeth the knoledge of sinne And moreouer the ceremonial law was cleane taken away by Christ and was no more a law among the christian Iewes after Christes death and ther fore there was no cause why Saint Paule writing against iustification by workes should write as meaning only of the ceremonial law but of the moral law also And therefore master Papist you must yeelde your selfe conuicted and ouerwen in mainteyning that S. Paule doth meane onely the ceremoniall Law and not the morall Lawe Againe to your iustification by the workes of the lawe which S. Iames and Saint Paul speak of this is to bee vnderstoode that Saint Iames doeth meane iustification before men and it must nedes be so taken or els he must be flat against S. Paul who hath a number of places for this one place of S. Iames as before is set down and hereafter shall be if God permitte And if it should bee so that the writer of that epistle that beareth the name of saint Iames shoulde meane as the Papists take it that in plaine meaning workes done by the children of men doe iustifie before god yet I must rather preferre Saint Paule writing in so many places to the contrarie before that one place of Saint Iames and the rather because none doubtes of S. Paules epistles but to be his owne but the learned haue doubted of this Epistle which beareth the name of S. Iames whe ther S. Iames were the author writer therof or not but let it be S. Iames epistle yet he doth not say Ye see then that of works a man is iustified before God He leaueth out before God so that the meaning is then to be takē that good works may iustifie before men but not before God because of imperfection For there is iustification before God iustificatiō before men And the iustification before men is that which S. Iames meaneth Again S. Iames saith was not Abrahā our father iustified through works when he offred his sonne vpon the altar This iusti fication must nedes be taken to be before men and not before god and that it must be so taken let vs see what S. Paul saith of the said Abrahā For if Abrahā saith he wer iustified by works thē hath he wherin to boast or to reioice but not before God For what saith the scripture Abrahā be leued god it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse To him that worketh is the reward not reckned of grace but of duetie To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is coūted for righteousnes he saith if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to boast or to reioyce and so he hath if he were iustified by workes But yet with God good working Abraham could not boast in his good workes for though Abraham were one of the best among the children of men yet how he had beene able to haue stoode in tryall with God if his workes should haue beene wayed in the righteous ballance of Gods iustice without Christ no question but Abraham must haue fallen to the grounde And who will doubt but that Abraham in offering of his sonne whome hee so entirely loued to bee a sacrifice and to kill him who was begotten in their old age when they were past all hope to haue children and being his onely sonne and he to be the killer of him him selfe must needes haue inwarde conflictes passions combats and grieues in which sinne no doubt appeared before God inough to haue condemned him if God without mercy would narrowly haue looked vnto him And therefore to shew that Abraham was not iustified by workes Saint Paule saith if Abraham were iustified by workes which word if importeth a plaine negatiue in this place that Abraham was not iustified by his works and therfore that it might bee knowen that Abraham could not be iustified by his works before God but was to bee made righteous by faith he saith For what saith the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse But Saint Paul saith that God will rewarde euery man according to his works And therefore wil you say good works merite rewarde But Saint Paul vseth not these words here to teach that works doe merite rewarde And though God doth rewarde of his free mercy yet is it not of duetie or by desert when he rewardeth For he teacheth that Abraham could not be iustified by his works before God Then much les any man els which is not of his perfection The hipocriticall Iewes againste whō S. Paul wrote those words woulde take vpon them to iudge others of those vices which they themselues did cōmit which caused saint Paul to write against them those threatening words that God would rewarde them according to their deedes The like phrase praierwise thogh in the other place threatning wise hee vseth in his praier to the Lord against Alexander the Coppersmith and saieth The Lord rewarde him according to his deedes that is
without alteration of minde not mutable his knowledge certeine not ignorant of any thing All thinges past and to come are still present before him Neither is it with God as with men to be of one mind to day and of an other mind tomorow but God is still faithfull One and the selfe same from the beginning to the ende I say without alteration from his first decree in his secret counsell Thē all this being thus vndoubtedly true it cannot be saide that man can by himselfe otherwise or by any other meanes merit and worke out his owne saluation then hath beene alreadie wrought through the mercy and loue of God in and by Christ our Sauiour the onely ful worker of the same by suffering his most greeuous passion and death For how can it bee saide in any respect that man by his good workes can merit his owne saluation seeing before he was it was made sure to the elect in God his secrete counsell and decreed to stande firme without alteration being aduisedly purposed by God in Christ Before the foundation of the world So that without all contradiction and doubting all the good workes that hath bene wrought by mankind can not be said to merit their saluation The Iesuites in their last disputation in the Tower held those to be the works of Christ that man woorketh for that Christ worketh them in man and being the workes of Christ that are wrought in man they merit saide hee saluation But this cānot be true For electiō being decreed before euer man was and in that election mans saluation made sure and certeine by that decree through Christ his passion death and for his sake onely for that he would giue his life for the same in the appointed time How then can it bee saide without great absurditie and derogation of the maiestie of Christ Iesu his passion and death That mans good workes can merit or deserue that which many thousand yeares before hee wrought any good workes was made sure and certeine vnto him for and by Christ as is aforesaide Surely it is more then extreame doltishnes once to thinke it As for example A prodigall seruant that had consumed his maisters goods and thereby hee greatly indebted to his maister yet his maister in mercy loue not only forgaue him his debt but made him heire to all his landes Now if after that his maister had thus forgiuen his debt and made him heire to all his lands to the end the seruant should be a faithfull friend to him and loue him with all his hart the seruant would yet say I will so please my maister I will worke and doe so much good in his sight that I wil deserue that hee shall not onely forgiue me the debt which I owe him and the euill life which I led towardes him but also make me heire to all his lands Were not this to bee iudged a verie foolishe speach and the speaker a right paterne of an insolent foole To say he would merit or deserue that which before was made sure to him of meere mercie and loue Wisdome would rather haue exspected this kinde of speach from him my maister hath done much for me he hath not onely forgiuen mee the debt which I ought him and am neuer able to pay it but also he hath made mee heire to all his landes I will therefore by the helpe of God according to my bounden dutie extend my whole indeuour to the vttermost of my power to doe him the best seruice I can all the daies of my life and shall thinke all that I am able to doe to be nothing in respect of that more then fatherly kindnesse which hee hath done for mee This had beene rightly spoken and this must bee our speech which are the elect of God For we were elected before the foundation of the world that we by the working of the holie Ghost should be holie and blamelesse and not elected for that God sawe wee would bee holie and blamelesse to merit our owne saluation for that is contrarie to the meaning of the holy Ghost vttered by Saint Paule in the first to the Ephesians And so Gods election and decree vncerteine which is most certeine if our saluation should rest vpon our owne well or ill doing which cannot be For Gods election being once decreed which as Paule saith was before the foundation of the world it standeth sure for euer and resteth not vpon our well doing yet if wee leade not a godlie Christian life we showe our selues to be damned creatures and not of the number elected in whom the holie spirit of God worketh And here we see that God the father by his mercy and loue is the first efficient cause of our saluatiō The sonne of God the seconde efficient cause The passion and death of Christ Iesu the materiall cause and Faith the instrumentall cause For Faith apprehendeth and so cannot works and thereby we take hold on Christ his passion and death and man beleeuing Christ to be the sonne of God God and man and that hee died for his sinnes he thereby is certeinly assured that he is the elect of God the father bought and redeemed by Christ the meritor redeemer and Sauiour and written in the booke of life before the foundation of the worlde Faith now being the instrument wherewith we take hold on Christ assureth vs that wee are elected And good works proceeding from iustifieng faith declareth to the world that wee be the elect of God and we please God by doing of good workes but we merit not saluation thereby neither hath good workes any part in the merit of our saluation but onely Christ Iesu For when wee haue done all the good that euer wee are able to doe yet are we but vnprofitable seruants And how then can wee merit our owne saluatiō The best works that euer were without Faith pleaseth not GOD For without Faith it is impossible to please God Yea if it had not beene appointed that Christ shuld haue died in the world all the good workes that euer Christ did himself in the world without his death could neuer haue merited heauen for vs which if they could Christ would neuer haue died neither should hee haue needed But if Christes good works besides his death were not able to merite our saluatiō much lesse our good works which are as a stained cloth polluted Therefore only Christ by his passion death and not the woorkes of the lawe and of grace neither doth Faith merit saluatiō because it is the proper office of Christ onelie to merit the same much lesse then our good workes yet if we be voide of good workes and haue not Faith chiefly to beleeue that Christ is the sonne of God God and man and that he died for our sinnes then may wee be sure that as long as we remaine in that state wee be none of those whome God hath elected but are of the reprobate
number and cōdemned sort Faith therefore may bee without good workes and yet saluation to the beleeuer in Christ. The theefe that hanged on the Gibbet on the right hand of Christ at his death hee did no good workes yet he had Faith and that but at the instant before his death And Christ pronounced him his elect saying To day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise But rarely may Faith be found without good workes though workes done in ciuill charitie may be without Faith For Turkes and Iewes do as many ciuil charitable workes as all the Christians doe and yet are they without faith in Christ and therfore remaine in the state of damnation and their ciuill workes of charitie auaileth them nothing neither can they be saued by them Therfore Faith which apprehendeth Christ doth onely iustifie but so doth not workes for Faith is aboue good workes and good works are but handmaidens to Faith to wait vpon hir but not to merit saluation because of imperfection For the best works that euer were wrought by man besides Christ if they be brought to Gods tutch-stone they shall be found to be drosse and no fine golde Therefore we are to take hold onely on Christ Iesu by Faith and so shall wee stande sure of our saluation without doubting which workes cannot assure vs of And why then should any man hang vpon good workes which cannot assure vs of our saluation or think his owne workes Friers workes Priests workes or workes of supererogation to merit for them whē as the good works of Christ which were most pure and vndefiled could not saue mankind and because they coulde not saue mankinde Christ therefore would die to purchase that which good workes could not Peraduenture some will aske wherefore Christ should worke all his good works which he wrought in the worlde Was it not to merit our saluation and to purchase heauen for his elect I say no. Neither was it the purpose of the eternitie to send downe from heauen into the world the second person in Trinitie to take our mortall flesh and by fulfilling of the law to merit heauen for his elect But the purpose and end of his comming downe to take flesh was to die for the saluation of his chosen children who could not bee saued nor enter into the kingdome of heauen but onely by the bloudie sacrifice and death of that vnspotted and innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus And so heauen which was lost by Adams fall was not merited by fulfilling of the lawe or by doing the good works of grace either by Christ himselfe or by his chosen children You will aske againe to what end then did Christ all that was commanded in the lawe and fulfilled the same most perfectly if thereby hee should not merit heauen for his elect It is to be answered for fiue causes The first cause is to shewe that Christ by fulfilling of the lawe was a iust person had therefore no cause of death in him and that also hee dying suffered his death most wrongfully For Christ liuing iustly in the world without sin and without spot or blemish of sin fulfilling the whole lawe in such sort as neither the iustice of God nor all the deuils in hel coulde laie anie thing to his charge or could finde any one sparke of sin wheron they might take holde thereby to put Christ iustly to death and shewing him selfe thus to be a iust and most righteous person so fulfilling the whole lawe to the vttermost that might be ought not to haue died but to liue in the same according to the word Doe this and liue And therefore he was most wrongfully put to death But most graciously for poore miserable man whose deliuerance from the wrath of God and fiery lake of hell was wrought by the same death who otherwise must haue liued in perpetuall torments Christ his good works in deed was a fulfilling of the lawe in his owne humaine person alone but not for any others neither could mankind thereby be saued And therefore Christ would suffer his passion and death because that neither by his owne nor by others good workes mankinde could be saued which as afore is said if saluation for mankinde might haue come thereby Christ should neuer haue needed to haue died And now ye childrē of God heare the Trump of Christ Iesu sounding in your eares a conquest a conquest victorie victorie A conquest Victorie By whome Ouer whome And for whome Euen by Christ Iesu the most innocent and vnspotted lambe of God sacrificed slain And he it is that triumpheth ouer death hell and all the power of hell and ouer the wrath and iustice of God the Father and ouer the lawe of God so that now the iustice and lawe of God hath vtterly lost their force and Satan with all the power of hell hath lost their interest which they had woon against the elect by Adams fall And that by the most wrongfull putting to death the most innocent and immaculate lambe of GOD Christ Iesu. And for the chosen children in Christ is this most royall and victorious conquest woon Christ hath suffered the paine and we haue reaped the gaine And this hath the death of the blessed sonne of God Christ Iesu done which all the good workes in the world coulde neuer doe The second cause was that all persons should knowe that God had not commanded that which was impossible to be done by man for Christ beeing man did in his owne person fulfill the whole lawe did worke all the good works that the lawe required to be done euen to the vttermost silable of the lawe all was performed by Christ. The third cause was for example that all persons should follow Christ in well doing to liue in the world as hee liued in the world to hate sin as he hated sin to loue vertue as hee loued vertue that thereby our conscience might stand assured of our election that the world might iudge vs by seeing the workes of Faith to proceed from vs to be the elect of God in Christ Iesu and those whome Christ died for The fourth cause was to shewe the difference betwixt the first Adam the second Adam Christ Iesu. The first Adam in his first creation was the perfect image of God For God saide Let vs make man in our image according to our owne likenesse And hee was good in the sight of God hauing free-will to keepe himselfe so if hee would but hee fell by breaking the commandement The second Adam was borne the verie perfect sonne of God hauing also freewil which held and kept himselfe in the obedience of his heauenly father all the daies of his life and kept all the commandements which God had commanded The first could be tempted with an apple or fruite of the tree The second Adam Christ Iesu coulde not be tempted vvith all the kingdomes of the worlde The first Adam was Of earth earthly and subiect
to falling The second Adam was Of heauen heauenly and could not fall The fift cause and end of all his good workes his godlie life and conuersation in this world was to set foorth the glorie of his heauenly father And he so glorified him thereby that his heauenly father from heauen said This is my welbeloued sonne in vvhom I am well pleased c. And that we also which are the elect of God Might haue our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our heauenly Father which is in heauen according to the example of our maister Christ. Now here you may perceiue to what end the godly life and good workes which Christ did in this worlde did tende too which was not to merit saluation for mankind neither was that the pointed price for the same neither could that obteine it But as it is saide the verie price of our saluation was onelie the passion and death of Christ Iesu and not the works of grace And in Gods election before the creation of the worlde the saluation of mankinde was made as sure for them and Christ as sure of his elect whiche hee bought before they were though the price for the same was not then paid but to be paid in the appointed time as a man is sure of a peece of lande that is voide of encombrance which hee buyeth to paie for the same at a daie appointed The bargaine of which lands being set downe vnder hande and seale and all thinges done that ought to be touching the sale sauing payment which is reserued to the appointed daie The land is now the buiers and no man can take it out of his hands and the seller hath no more to do with the landes though yet hee bee not paide for the same neither can the seller haue action against the lande but against the buier And so the lande doth remaine firmely to the buyer still euen from the first concluding of the bargaine Euen so standeth it with the iustice and lawe of God and the mercie and loue of God in Christ for mankinde elect They haue nowe no more action against the elect which were bought by Christ and in time paide for the same then the seller hath against the lande which hee solde and in time was paide for it The elect were Christes from before the beginning after hee had bought them and they could not be taken out of his hands after the bargaine was once set downe and written vnder hande and Seale that is to saie written in the booke of life and sealed with the promised passion and death of Christ Iesu and so remained surely his owne for euer And therefore it is plaine that good woorkes hath no part in the saluation of the chosen children in Christ seeing the same was made sure to them before they were created or had done either good or euill neither could Gods election rest vncerteine vpon woorkes to come as a cause of saluation which are but the fruits of Gods children and of Faith And although good woorkes proceeding from iustifying Faith haue no part in the merit of our saluation yet be they of great vertue and force and haue their crowne For a godlie and a vertuous life in the children of GOD and the good workes which they doe which are the children of God elect in Christ Iesu doe please God and doe staie the wrath of God that the plagues due for sin as war pestilence famine and such like fall not vpon vs as a iust rewarde for our wickednesse And therefore to staie the wrath of God that his heauie hande fall not vpon vs and that the fauour and loue of God may still be bent towardes vs. The children of God by the operation of the holy Ghost who worketh both the will and the worke in all the elect of God because of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought do make their humble prayers vnto God doe all the good workes that they are able to doe to the glory of God and are made by the holy Spirite of God to hunger thirst after righteousnesse to detest and abhor sinne and thereby doe worke out their saluation That is to say they outwardlye shewe vnto the world by their good life and conuersation that they are the elect of God And they are assured in their owne consciences hauing a feeling of the holy Ghost working in them and by leading a godly Christian life that they are of that number which were chosen and appointed to saluation before the creation of the world And God blesseth that land that peple that obey and worke good in his sight by true faith in Christ geueth his peace plenty of al good thinges vnto them And thus the Lord doth crowne our good works rewardeth the same by these blessings the worldly blessings which god giueth vs are infinitely of greater value and more then al the best works that all the whole world is able to doe or deserue Therfore O miserable man what art thou that darest presume to lay thy defiled workes which euen the very best of them are most impure before the most high iust mighty pure god the iudge of righteousnes to merite thy saluation who setting aside his mercy cānot abide inperfection Augustine cryeth out woe be to the most vpright life of man if God examin the same setting his mercy aside Then when all the best workes that we are able to doe cannot deserue one of the least blessings which God hath daylie doth bestowe vpon vs what shouldest thou meane O miserable man to holde them meritorious to purchase saluation For thy best works thy best life is sin wilt thou haue sin to merit thy saluation what saith Gregory vpō the words of Iob in the 9. chapter whose words be these Man cannot be iustified being com pared to God The holy mā saith Gregorie doth perceiue that all the deseruing of our best works are faulty if they be weied in the righteous ballāce of the iust iudge And can that which is faulty deserue other then damnation if mercy in Christ Iesu go not betwixt therefore is Christ only the merite for vs and not our good works Wil you heare what Barnard saith who making a long discourse as out of a learned fathers booke I gathered of the vnrighteousnes of mans righteousnesse demaunding in the end of what value all our righteousnes may be in the sight of GOD. Shall it not be imputed filt hie like vnto a foule menstruous cloth according to the saying of the Prophet and if strickt narrowe examination be made thereof shall not all our righteousnesse befound vnrighteousness and nothing worth But there is yet another shifte in the Papistes storeboxe which I trowe will strike the matter dead And what is that trowe you Forsooth that by grace we be renouated which grace is geuen vs from
God the father whereby we fulfill the lawe And men by grace fulfilling the lawe doe merite their saluation But forasmuch as this grace cannot be geuen vs but by faith in the death merite of Christ Iesus therfore we say that by grace infused into vs by faith in Christ good works are wrought which are not now our works but the workes of grace and those workes merit saluation Who is able to ouerthrowe this Bulwarke buylded vpon so sure a rocke which being so profound is not possible for a man to vndermine the depth nor come neare the toppe thereof being so high But the God of heauen will with the breth of his mouth ouerthrow such wicked blasphemie whereupon by the helpe of whose power thus I aunswere that this is but a subtle cauill and vntruely spoken to say that they be not our works For although that by grace we receiue the holy Spirite of God who by his mighty power mightely stirreth vp our hearts replenished with faith in Christ Iesus to worke such charitable works as are prescribed in Gods booke though yet vnperfectly perfourmed on our parts yet can it not be saide but that they be our works euen as faith is saide to be our faith which wee receiue by grace As for example who will doubte of the woman which was diseased with an issue of bloud twelue yeares hauing a strong faith in Christ Iesus but that she had the same by grace And yet Christ saide vnto her thy Faith hath made thee whole here you see that Christ called it her faith though shee had the same by grace so of works they be our works though they be done by grace But let it be graunted for trueth that by the grace of God we being renouated receiue the holy spirite of God who worketh in vs all good things yea all the good workes that are wrought by man according to the saying of Saint Paul who saith It is God that worketh in you both the wil and the deede euen of his good pleasure And that wee could not haue obteyned grace from GOD the Father but by faith in the death and merite of Christ Iesus so that they are not now to bee called our workes but the workes of grace Let all this that is saide be graunted yet that by fulfilling of the law by the same grace we merite saluation that is vtterly false and repugnant to the word of God For Saint Iohn saith Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world The sinnes of the worlde being taken away what followeth then The kingdome of heauen and saluation to them whose sinnes are taken away by the slaine Lambe Christ Iesus But it is not saide Beholde the good workes of grace which take away the sinnes of the worlde but Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Then it is only Christ that meriteth heauen for vs by taking away our sinnes and not the workes of grace nor our fulfilling of the Law And why is hee called a Lambe because of his innocencie For Saint Peter saith He is a Lambe vndefiled and without spot And because hee was to be sacrificed and slaine as a sheepe to the slaughter He was innocent and as the Prophet saith He did neuer violence nor vnrighteousnes neither hath there beene any deceitfulnesse in his mouth He was without sin deserued not to die but he dyed therfore for something Trueth he died for our sins which were laid vpon him for Esay saith The Lord threw them al vpon him and so made him to be sinne for vs which knevve no sinne But by imputation were they made his sinnes And our sins being thus taken from vs and laide vpon him death had therby power ouer him which slewe him for our sinnes So that as by imputation Christ was made the only sinner for the elect and therfore dyed so are all the elect by imputatiō made as innocent Christ. And Christ clothing his elect with his innocencie God the Father beholdeth them no more as sinners to damnation but as Christ Iesus because Christ hath washéd cleane away in Gods iudgement all the filth of sinne from vs with his precious bloud which he hath shed vpon the crosse so as the filthy Chanelraker polluted with the filth of the Chanel durt is by the Barber washed cleane that no spot thereof is to bee seene so hath Christ out blessed Barber washed away all our filth the durt of sin in such sort as our heauenly father for his Christes sake beholdeth them no more And Christ once dying for the sinnes of his elect accordinge to the purpose of God in his secreate counsell before the creation of the world which purpose could not be altered but must stand still for euer hath thereby onely merited saluation for vs then is it great blasphemy to maintaine such an heresie which doth cut away the cause of our saluation by the only death and passion of Christ our Sauiour and attributeth the same to me rites and works by grace whereby they haue made the works of the lawe to put Christ cleane out of office in the merite of our saluation and only the workes of the lawe which are wrought by Faith and grace to be the meane to merite the same And Christ by his death and passion but only the cause of grace who in deede is the onely effectuall cause in the merit of our saluation so that the works of the Lawe and Grace haue no parte in the cause therof but only as effects do de clare vs to be the elect of God Saint Luke saith Feare not litle flock for it is your fathers plesure to giue you a king dome To giue you a kingdome see here is the kingdome of heauen giuen vs and that which is giuen cannot be said to bee bought or merited and if it were either bought or merited it cannot be said properly nor rightly to be geuen Then being geuē vs we by the works of the law and grace haue not merited it And so are we not iustified by them before God so the proposition that the workes of grace or the deedes of the law doe merit or iustifie before God is false though they be wrought through faith by the power of the holy Ghost and by grace because it is the proper office of Christ immediatly that is to say without any o ther mean or cause to purchase mans saluation and not the office of the holye Ghost by grace working in man for saluation coulde not bee purchased but by death and the holy Ghost coulde not die but Christ only by taking our flesh was lead as a sheepe to be slaine and made a sacrifice for sinne Therefore Christ is the onely purchaser of our saluation Neither doe the workes of the Law iustifie vs before God nor merite saluation for vs though they bee done after grace receiued But with what face can you O
fute in his booke of Predestination of Saints where in his 18. chapter he allead geth saint Paul in the first to the Ephesians to confute them saying He chose vs that we should be holy Not for that wee would be holy But S. Paul in this place is very plain against you scā the words wel he tels you that before the childrē of God had done either good or euil that the pur pose of God might remain according to election Gods wil purpose then is the first chiefest cause of electio reproba tiō the wil purpose of god as touching saluation being once past stands firm for euer There is no shadovv of turning in God And election reprobation resteth not only vpon Iacob Esau but it stretcheth ouer the whol world man womā and childe S. Paul saith as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the vvorld c. and vvho hath predestinated vs c. Here he includes al the elect not Iacob alone And as the good wil purpose of God is the first cause so the free mercie of Cod in Christ Iesus being also a first cause in the second person is the meane an inferior cause of our saluation bicause the wil purpose of god was first in God before election and to cut you off from your opinion that the works of grace to come and past which you say doe merit was and is the cause of election and saluation Saint Paules sword is redy at hād for he saith that the purpose of God might remaine in prede stinating he meaneth according to electi on not by works but by him that calleth And may it be doubted that the workes done by Iacob the elect vessell of God which Saint Paul speaketh of here were not wrought by grace Was elected Iacob without grace when hee did those good workes He was not for the Lord had chosen him and therefore hee could not be without grace And Iacob was elected but not by works saith he I praie you marke it well for hee saith not by workes Is the election not by workes Paule By whome then By him that calleth And who is he that calleth Euen God the Father through his mercie in Christ Iesus his sonne Then election wherein saluation is included resteth not in our workes and wil but in God who for Christ his sonnes sake by suffering passion and death for vs hath in his free mercie chosen called and appointed his elect to saluation And then resteth it not in our wil workes wrought by grace For Saint Paule in the same Chapter saith So then is it not in him that vvilleth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie You shall further see how Saint Paule in this Chapter if you please to reade it proceedeth still to mainteine election and reprobation of which he maketh a further discourse frō the sixteenth verse to the one and thirtie and then he saith But Israel which followeth the lawe of righteousnesse coulde not atteine vnto the lawe of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the workes of the law c. You may see now that our workes can neither atteine righteousnesse nor iustification But Christ onely doeth iustifie vs by Faith without workes For it is written Beholde I put in Syon a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence and whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not bee confounded Againe VVee which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustified by the woorkes of the law but by Faith in Iesus Christ. Euen vvee I saie haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that wee might bee iustified by the Faith of Christ and not by the woorkes of the lawe Because that by the workes of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified I doe not abrogate the grace of God For if righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died in vaine But Christ died not in vaine for our sins were the cause of his death therefore righteousnesse is not by the lawe Saint Paule himselfe hath so largelie and so plainlie laide abroad this matter of iustification by Faith without the works of grace that there needeth not any more to be saide of anie other for better vnderstanding of the matter then himselfe in plaine termes hath set downe But this is the malice of Satan in his impes to impungne the truth and by the deuils sophistrie to peruert whatsoeuer hath been set downe by the Saints of God to the glory of Christ Iesus But make what blind distinctions soeuer you wil vpon S. Paules wordes his wordes are plaine inough to ouerthrow your iustification by workes wrought by grace And Saint Paul speaketh plainlie to the whole world Iewe and Gentile of the whole lawe of Moses as well morall as ceremoniall that it iustifieth not before God And it doeth appeare that Bildad in the 25. Chapter of Iobe was of Saint Paules minde That a man cannot be iustified before God his wordes be these And how may a man be iustified vvith God Or hovv can he be cleane that is borne of a vvoman The meening of these wordes may thus be taken that if a man or the best life of man be compared with God it is so base so vile and so vncleane in the sight of God that it is impossible that he should be iustified before God And yet you Papistes will be so pure that by good workes you wil be iustified But will you heare what Saint Paule saith to the Iewes and so cōsequently to you Papists that will be iustified by the lawe hee saith whosoeuer are iustified by the lavv ye are fallen frō grace for vve through the spirit vvait for the hope of righteousnesse through Faith Though the circumcised were the cause that Saint Paule wrote these wordes and telleth them that they are bound to keepe the whole lawe that they were abolished from Christ. Then as in the former wordes plainely appeareth he telleth all iusticiaries That whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe or that will be iustified by the lawe they are fallen frō grace And in what state you stād that are fallen from grace I doubt not but you know euen frō saluatiō And I trust that in this place you will not saie but that Saint Paule speaketh as well of the morall lawe as of the ceremoniall lawe if you will not be too blinde or twoo wilfull And because you shall the better vnderstand that he speaketh here of the morall lawe he saith in the 14. verse of the same Chapter thus For all the lawe is fulfilled in one worde which is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And so going on still vpon the morall lawe telling them that if they bite or deuoure one another they shall be consumed one of another signifying vnto them that if they walke in the spirite they shall not fulfill the lustes of the
flesh and that if they be led by the spirite they are not vnder the lawe and so sheweth them what be the works of the flesh as adultery fornication vncleanesse wantonnesse idolatrie witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuie murthers dronkennes gluttonie and such like And so from these forbidden vices he goeth to the fruites of the spirite which are loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenesse temperancie against such saieth Paule there is no law Now maister Papist yee hearing al this from Saint Paule dare yee yet say that hee meaneth not the morall lawe when hee saieth By the workes of the lawe no flesh shalbe saued nor iustified in Gods sight but of the ceremoniall lawe And he saith in the third Chapter to Titus yet more plainely thus For we our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnes and enuie hatefull and hating one another But when the fulnesse and loue of God our Sauiour towarde man appeared not by the woorkes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie hee saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holie Ghost which he shewed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour That wee being iustified by his grace should bee made heires according to the hope of eternal life Now you iustified men behold here your downefall your breaknecke such a chokemorsel for you as if S. Paul had written no more but euen this peece of scripture alone it had bene sufficient to haue ouerthrowne your whole castle of comedowne of iustifying by the works of the law grace I beseech you sirs marke these words of Saint Paule how hee termeth them the workes of righteousnesse No doubt but these workes of righteousnesse which Saint Paule writes of here which were done by him others of the godly sort were wrought by grace receiued from God the Father And yet for all that wee are not iustified nor saued by them saith he but according to the free mercie of God he saued vs in Christ Iesus our Sauiour And you cannot denie but these be workes of the morall lawe And let it be that these good works done by S. Paule were the workes of Christ as the aduersarie before hath saide such workes be yet you see he saith Not by these workes of righteousnesse were they saued So that take it howe you will S. Paule cutteth good workes off from iustifying before God and that saluation commeth not thereby but by grace saith S. Paule for by grace saith hee you are saued through Faith that not of your selues It is the gift of God least any man shoulde boast himselfe for wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordeined that wee should walke in them Heere you see the cause of our saluation which is grace through Faith in Christ and not workes Saluation is the free gift of GOD to them that beleeue in Christ Iesus it is not of vs not of our morall works And he stops you from boasting of your selues and doth beate you cleane from the pride of your hearts that you should not once thinke that there coulde be 〈◊〉 good woorkes wrought by you that could merit saluation or iustifie you before God And with all he telleth you that they whiche are electe are Gods workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes of his free mercy and grace and not by nature are wee so created Wee are created vnto good workes which God hath ordeined that we should walke in them as the elect vessels of God not thereby to merit saluation but to signifie vnto the worlde that we be the elect of God who being possest with Faith shew forth the fruits of faith which are our good works to the example of others that they may folow in wel doing And will you here what S. Paule saith of himselfe whose words are these Doubtlesse I think all thinges but losse for the excellēt knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord. For whō I haue coūted al things losse do iudge them to be dung that I might win Christ and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes the righteousnesse of the lawe but that righteousnes which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnes which is of God through Faith Here he saith that hee might win Christ and bee founde in him that is to saie as one ingrafted in Christ by Faith laying aside his owne righteousnes which is of the law which is all his good workes whereof hee was full in the most perfect sort No Papist in the worlde like him no not the Pope himselfe as pure as they make him Of this righteousnesse woulde not S. Paule presume but laide it aside esteeming it no better then losse yea and all thinges to bee but dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesu his Lord and onely depended vpon the righteousnesse which is through the Faith of Christ. But to cut the Papists off from cauelling vpon this place that S. Paul should meane his righteousnes before grace and not his righteousnes after grace it is most euident plaine that he meaneth as wel his righteousnesse after grace as that before grace And although these wordes in the 7. vers vz. But the things that were vantage vnto me the same I counted losse for Christes sake May be taken to be spoken of his righteousnesse before grace as the Papists would haue it yet that which foloweth after maketh it manifest plain that he meaneth aswel his righteousnesse after grace as that afore grace For proofe wherof S. Paul saith in the 8. ver folowing Yea doubtles I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus my lord Note here that he saith euē in his apostleship whē he was a iust man and a righteous person that he thinketh all thinges but lost c. Hee meaneth not onely that righteousnes before grace but that after grace Note this worde all things for it is worthie the noting and is of great importance for when hee saieth all things it is a generall worde whereby hee excepteth nothing neither his workes done after grace neither his righteousnesse before grace neither anie thing els whatsoeuer he accounts all but losse and of no value for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus his lord We see here that S. Paule maketh no account of any thing but only of the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus which knowledge of Christ consisteth onely in beleeuing that by his death passiō we are redeemed from euerlasting death to eternal saluation And that there was no hope in S. Paule which hee could finde in himselfe whereby to receiue comfort of himselfe Behold how he complaineth of himselfe accuseth himselfe for that by himselfe he is led captiue vnto the law of sin and so with