churche of Christe so often called the spouse the wyfe the welbeloued of Christ but bicause the Lorde of his only loue mercie chose her Wherefore was Dauid chosen king from following the sheepe but bicause hee was a man SecuÌ„dum cor meum eueÌ„ after the hart of God that is to say whom God delighted in and loued Wherfore was Salomon chosen to sitte in the seate of Dauid before all his brethren but bicause Dominus dilexit cum The Lord loued him Wherfore did Christ choose the twelue Disciples before all other in the worlde Non vos me eligistis sed ego elegi vos You chose not me but I chose you But bicause sayth he as my father loued me so haue I loued you Wherefore leaned Iohn on the breast of Iesu and durst aske him more boldly than the other Disciples but bicause he was the disciple Quem diligebat Dominus whom the Lorde loued Wherefore are we chosen to be the people of God in the Iewes place But euen bycause God hath sayd Vocabo non plebem meam plebem meam non dilectam dilectam non misericordiam consecutam misericordiam coÌ„secutam I will call them my people whiche were not my people and her beloued whiche was not beloued and her to haue obteined mercy which had not obteyned mercy Wherfore now that we are chosen of God are we afflicted Quos diligit Dominus castigat The Lorde correcteth whome he loueth Wherfore can no affliction ouercome vs make vs fall from God as doo the reprobate the chaffe and seede in the stonie grounde but the Electe are purifyed in tribulation as golde in the forneys In his omnibus superamus per eum qui dilexit nos In all these thyngs wee ouercome through hym that loued vs Wherfore haue we in those afflictions sutche a confident truste in God that they shall not hurte vs Quia charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum Sanctum qui datus est nobis Bycause the loue of GOD is shead abroade in our hartes by the Holy Ghost whyche is gyuen vnto vs Then the fountayne and onely cause of all the grace and fauour that wee receyue of God is the loue of god Propter multam suam dilectionem qua dilexit nos Euen for the greate loue that hee loued vs withall And therefore Christe whyche is the well beloued sonne of God Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi complacui Thys is my well beloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased and in whom wee are made also the beeloued sonnes of God and who hath so loued vs that hee gaue his lyfe for vs than the whiche no man can haue a greater loue hee hath fully declared in the very fyrste woordes of thys Sentence the very fyrst and principall cause of the Worldes saluation saying Sic DEVS dilexit So God loued the worlde there is no cause hereof in manne but onely and all in god I doo not thys for youre sakes O Israell sayeth the Lorde God but for myne owne names sake You shall remember your owne wycked wayes and youre deedes that were not good and shall iudge your selues worthy to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities and for your abhominations Bee it knowne vnto you that I doo not thys for youre sakes sayeth the Lorde God. And as God dothe thys mercyfully vnto his Electe not for any cause in them but for his owne names sake The cause is altogether in him not in vs so the cause that moued hym is his mere goodnesse his infinite mercye his owne good wyll and his very loue vnto vs. What shal we say then to those false prophets that haue so sotted vs in our owne loue that they haue made vs beleue the cause to be in vs of oure saluation our pure naturall qualities our preparatiue workes oure free will oure good deedes and satisfactions to bee the cause why wee escape perdition our merits and our righteousnesse to be the cause why wee receyue eternall lyfe Our election to be the cause of Gods election our loue of God to be the cause of Gods loue to vs Nay soft sayth the Papist ye tell oure tale amisse we say not that these be the only causes neither grauÌ„t we that the loue of God is the only cause but ther are causes in both these parties God and the worlde which causes both ioyntly coÌ„curring together we are therby saued from perdition receiue eternal life We here what they say but what sayeth S. Paul These two saith he caÌ„ not in this matter be compartners Reliquiae secundum electionem gratia Dei saluae factae sunt si autem gratia iam non ex operibus alioquin gratia noÌ„ est gratia The remnaunt shall bee saued accordyng to the Election of the grace of GOD but yf it bee by grace then is it not by woorkes For otherwise grace were not grace And so on the contrary parte if it be of works then is it not of grace for otherwyse workes were not works And the reason is bicause of the opposition betwene grace and workes that the one hath to the other in the cause of Iustification for although in those that be alredy iustified workes are not seuered from grace nor grace from workes but rather al their workes be graces and gifts of God as S. Hierome sayeth Deus in nobis operatur opera â—…am omnia opera nostra operatus es domine ait propheta de eius dono c. God worketh all our workes in vs of his gyft for as the Prophet sayth Thou Lorde haste wrought all our workes Yet in this poynt of the causes of our saluation whether they be altogether of God or altogether of maÌ„ or ioyntly of God and man together that is to saye of Gods grace and mans works concurrent in this poynt grace and workes do so disagree and are become Membra diuidentia haue such a contrary aspect the one to the other that they can not here be ioyned without confounding them yea the one taketh awaye the nature of the other For first grace which signifieth free fauor and gift as S. Augustin saith Gratis datur propter ê“ gratia nominatur It is giuen freely or gratefully whervppon it hathe his name Grace But admitte there can be founde any cause in the partie to whoÌ„ it is giuen that by any meanâ—…s did deserue to haue it giuen him then is it not a mere free gift proceding only of gracious fauour and so is it not grace Likewise on the contrary part for works To him that worketh reward sayth saint Paule is not giuen according to grace or fauour but according to duetie Hee that hathe wrought for any thing be it little or much that he hath wrought so litle so much it debarreth from the nature of grace It is not of mere and free fauour that he hath any
vocatione sua sancta non ex operibus nostâ—…is sed iuxta pro positum suum God called vs wyth his holy callyng not by reason of our workes but according to his purpose Neyther are wee iustified by the the woorkes euen of Gods law In lâ—…ge nemo iustificatur apud Deum neyther saued hee vs sayeth S. Paule for the workes of our righteousnesse If then we are neyther saued nor iustified nor cal led for our workes shall wee thinke we be chosen for our workes when Gods choyce is before hys calling his calling before our iustifying our iustifying before wee obteyne saluation Naye if our workes be not the cause of our sauing nor of our iustifying nor yet of our calling much lesse be they the cause of oure election whiche was before the foundations of the world were cast I grant that God foresaw we should do good works howbeit our good woorkes were not the cause of his election but his election was the cause of our good workes Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem vt essem us sancti immaculati in coÌ„spectu eius per charitatem He chose vs in him before the making of the worlde that we should be holy and vnreprouable in his syght through loue Then were not good works to come the cause of Gods choise made before but God that by his election did ordein them to glory ordeined them also to do good workes after And so good workes are not in the cause wherfore but in the purpose whereto the elect of God are chosen Conditi sumus ad bona opera Wee are made of God to doo good workes Good workes are the fructes of the sprite of God after he hath iustifyed vs Quomodo enim potest iuste viueâ—…e saith S. Augustine qui non fueâ—…it instificatus How can he liue iustly that before hand shall not be iustified 〈◊〉 bâ—…na opera iustificatum non praecâ—…dunt iustificandum They folowe hym that is iustified already but they goe not before him that is to be iustified Then are not good woorks the cause but the effects of Gods worâ—…s in vs He chose vs he called vs hee conuertâ—…d vs he gaue vs faith he maketh vs ayte to do all good workes to the prayse of his glory and not to merite our saluation by them For saythe Saincte Augustine 〈◊〉 facis opera tua vt glorificeris hoc prohibuit Si autem vt Deus glorificetur hoc iussit Christus If thou dost thy works for thys cause that thou mayst be glorifyed thys Chryst forbad thee But yf thou doste them that GOD maye be glorifyed thys Chryste commaunded thee These therfore and all these Papisticall cauillations that make man or any thing in man be it neuer so good to bee the cause of this good purpose of Gods eternall Election to the worldes saluation are but false Popish fetches and lying vauntes to establishe theyr owne ryghtousnesse to deface Gods glorye and are no causes at all that moued God hereto Nay soft sayth the Papiste stay your conclusion there is one thyng yet behynde Be it that none of all these are the causes no not mannes good woorkes nor that wee ought to woorke to merite saluation thereby but to set foorth the prayse and glorie of GOD and that God made all things for his glorie yet notwithstanding myght this be some cause euen that hee sawe hee shoulde get glory by vs and by oure woorkes Neyther myghte this seeme so small a cause for had he not saued vs then should not he haue ben glorifyed by oure good workes What then Bonoruâ—… meorum non eges sayeth Dauid Thou haste no neede of my good workes Maye a man bee profitable vnto God as hee that is wyse may be auaylable vnto himselfe is it any thyng vnto the Almightie that thou arte iust or is it profytable to him that thou 〈◊〉 est thy wayes vprighte Can his glory shine no other way but by our workes or by our saluation What if all we had ben lost had he lost any thyng therby Lost Christ any sparke of hys glorie by the lost chyld Iudas Lost God any glorie by the wyckednesse of Pharao Nay he got glory therby and so hee doth ouer all his enemies They hinder not his glorie as they thynke they doo nor he hath any neede that wee should encrease it and set it out And thoughe we had neuer ben borne he had lost no glorie and we had vtterly ben loste he had loste no glorie and no creature had euer bene made he had loste no whit of glory It had ben al one to him although not al one to vs for he hath no nede of vs nor of any creature but we haue nede of him To coÌ„clude therfore none of all these are any causes that moued God to bestowe this benefit on the worlde that it should not perishe but haue eternall lyfe why what is the cause then is it a causelesse thing is there no cause of it Yes verily and that a great cause What is that we haue runne thorough all causes that I thynke maye well bee reckened vp and you haue denyed them euery one In deede Papist thou haste runne rounde aboute the wood and haste assayed at manye a gappe to enter but canste not get in lyke to the olde riddle What is that that runneth rounde aboute the tree and neuer entreth in They hadde wonte to say it is the barke of the tree but it is a blind Papist that sticking only to the trees rinde and barke looketh altogether on the outwarde apperance of man and searcheth to fynd in the visyble creature the cause of the highest workes of the inuisible Creator O saplesse barke of a rotten and frutelesse tree twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes when wylte thou be able to fynde out this cause of Gods eternall purpose he that will fynd a thing must seke it where it is not where it is not The Papistes seke this cause where it is not not where it is In maÌ„ they haue raked metely wel but ther it is not they haue sought ouer al the world and euery creature neither is the cause of Gods purpose to be fouÌ„d in any creature no not in the elect theÌ„selues Where muste it needes then remayne but euen in the Creator the cause of the purpose in the purposer and only in God himself and to say the truth it can not be otherwise For sithe the purposer is God and God is agens liberrimum he can not bee tyed to causes besydes himselfe for then he were not free sith Gods purpose is eternall as is hymselfe without beginning and al other things and causes haue beginning then is nothing the cause of Gods purpose but Gods purpose is the cause of euery thing For if he had not purposed ought to haue ben it had not ben but it is it is then bycause he purposed it shold be To coÌ„clude sith God
must appere Sic luceat lux vestra Let your light so shine before men that they may se your good workes And therfore works of S. Iames are called Fructus iustitiae the frutes of rightousnesse fructus spiritus the frutes of the spirite The frutes of the tree are not the cause of the trees iuyce sap but the iuyce and sap is the cause of the trees frutes The frutes are not the cause that the tree lyueth but the sappe and iuyce is cause of the trees lyfe The tree hath not fruite before it hath sappe and iuyce nor yet hath fruite in receyuing sappe and iuyce But after it hath receyued sappe and iuyce then in due tyme it bryngeth foorthe his fruite And very wel herein dothe the scripture in diuers places liken a iustified manne to a good and fruitefull tree for fyrste sayth Christ the tree muste be made good it muste bee planted sayeth Dauid by the water syde to take his iuyce Wee muste sayeth Saint Paul be grafted in Christ and his woorde sayeth Saincte Iames be ingrafted in vs Wee muste bee braunches of the true Uine we muste haue his sappe and iuyce in vs fyrste and thys is our fayth in hym and oure lyfe in vs or euer we can bring forth our frute Nowe being thus replenished with the moste sweete iuyce of faith it is not more vnpossible for a tree to be frute lesse thā it is for a faithful mā to be without good workes We do not say therfore faith is without good workes for good works immediatly folow faith and waite vppon her as their maistresse at an inche and be always attendant on the bidding and becke of faith to do whatsoeuer she comaundeth them but the maistresse is one and the mayden is an other only we denie that the handmaiden intermedleth in this high matter of Iustification whiche is alone betwene God and vs faith she onely on oure parte maketh vp the spousall betwixte Christe and vs Desponsabo te mihi fide I wil sayth Christ espouse thee to me by faith faith shal ioyne our hands togither A saucie Iill were that handmayden that woulde intrude her selfe in to her mistresses priuiledge This then belongeth to faith alone to receiue this benefit at gods handes and to nothing but onely faithe for she alone can fully doo it Why then sayth the Papist what should let but that the diuell may be saued and that the diuell may doo good also and so be no more the diuel that was a lier and murderer from the beginnyng For the diuels haue faith Daemones credunt sayth S. Iames the diuels beleue The diuell in dede was a lier from the beginning and a murtherer Et qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est He y wilfully maliciously cōmitteth maynteineth these sinnes is euen a limme of the diuell But how the Papists legende or rather legion of lies will euicte them to be willfull mainteyne◅s of lies let them looke to it as for their murders al the world doth ring of them and openly crie with Christ Vos estis ex patre vestro diabolo ye are euen of your father the deuell And as this is an argument against the deuell that he hath not faith Euen so is it an argument against them that they haue no faith neither And where in the diuels defence they replie that the deuill beleueth this argueth not that he hath the true and right belefe No say they Did not he crie out to Christ that he was the holy one and son of the liuing God Here was belefe profession of it the thing that they professed to beleue is true What wil they gather hereon that saying of the Apostle If we confesse with our mouth the lord Iesus Christ and beleue in our hart that God raised him from death we shall be safe Do they thinke the diuell beleueth on this fashion They shew themselues earnest proctors for the deuell but the deuell hath no true faith for all that he so sayde nor they his proctoures neither thoughe they confesse Christ and thinke him to be the sonne of God euen as mutche as did the deuel althoughe their works shew the contrarye that they thinke him not so mutche to be Christe as the deuels dyd thinke him for to be For if they did they woulde at least haue that the dyuels haue with all a feare and trembling at him they wold feare so shamfully to abuse him as they doe For saynt Iames ioyneth these two things together in the diuels Daemones credunt contremis◅unt The diuels beleue and tremble Which later word of horror and feare hauing hatred ioyned withall Quem metuūt oderūt whom they feare they hate him this the Papists leaue out As the diuell alleaging scripture to Christ left out the best parte of it and hacked and hewed the sentence as the Papists mangled the word of God in piece meale and dare not set it out whole as God hath set it out This therefore shewethe they haue no more faith thā the diuel hath Yea they know not what faith doth meane For as already is sayde beleefe is not only a knowledge nor an acknowledging of Christ wherby we verely thinke him to be the sonne of God and sauior of the world and approue this our thought with assent thervnto alowing it so to be But also it is a stedfast confidence and trust in him apprehēding him and applying him to vs And this thing which is the principall thing in belefe the diuels haue not nor can not haue They haue the first part of knowledge and a shew they made here of the seconde that is acknowledging But the third and especiall thing in belefe a trusty confidēce in him they had not Which if they had had they wold haue fled vnto hym haue caught holde on hym but they feared and hated him and therefore with trembing fled from him Now this third thing in faith whiche is principally to be reckened vppon the Papist considereth not And this is the cause whie hee so staggereth in a continuall doubte whether he shall be saued with Christe or he shall bee damned with the diuell and feling thys continuall trembling in himselfe for who wolde not tremble standing in this perplexitie And hearing that the diuels tremble also in their belefe he concludeth that belefe is no more but a fyrme opinion of a thing so to be and at the most a trembling assent therunto And therfore saithe the Papist the diuell hathe faithe But seing withall the diuells apparant condemnation that he is not nor can be iustified he concludethe hereon that only faithe iustifieth not for if it dyd the diuel were iustified Then reasoneth he if faith be not able to iustifie we must seeke helpe of good woorkes to iustifie vs whiche good workes the diuell hathe not Now seeking to be iustified by works he is entred into sutche a laborsom mase and infinite
Neyther is the handling worthie of any name although the matter can not be named worthily inough For the matters sake therfore not for the manner of it I shoued it out when I could not holde it in and among others chéefely commend it to your good Lordship whome as God hath made not onely a singular succourer and especiall setter forth of his truth and al good letters but also a publike patrone therevnto and euen a father to our moother and nourice of learning the renounted vuiuersitie of Cambridge that now God be praysed for it flourisheth vnder your protectioÌ„ so he vouchsafe to his glory your ioy and our comfort long to blesse and prosper your honour therin Your Lordships humble to commaundâ—… in Christ Iohn Brigges Sic Deus dilexit mundum c. So God loued the worlde that hée gaue his only begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perishe but haue Euerlasting lyfe RIGHT Honorable and deare beloued in the Lord Iesus This sentence is the entrie into that portion of Scripture that is appoynted to be red for the Gospell this daye and a parcell of the disputation whyche Nichodemus hadde in the nyght with Christe A shorte sentence and for the vnderstanding plaine and easy but for the contente of the matter a most notable sentence comprehending in briefe wordes both all things and the causes of them all God the Creator and al the world created the mercifull loue of God the miserable perdition of Mankind Gods election without beginning mans saluation without ending the most singular gifte of God without comparison the Eternall life of man without merites To be briefe what is not conteyned in this sentence the whole scope and argument whereof standeth on the causes of our saluation euen the groundeworke and principles of Christianitie the locke and keye of our Religion Whiche being opened all controuersies at this day in question betwene vs and our aduersaries as depending hereon are apparant and soone decided For my playner and easyer processe herevppon I purpose to diuide this sentence into foure parts Wherof the first shal be of gods eternall purpose to the world In these two endes Vt non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternaÌ„ that it shold not perish but haue eternal life The second shal be of the cause that moued Almightye God to this purpose of the worlds saluation that is to say Sic dilexit euen the only ioue of god The thirde part shall be to consyder the meanes that God being thus purposed and moued wrought this benefite by that is to say Vt daret filium suum vnigenitum He gaue his only begotten sonne to worke it The fourth and the last part shall be to consider wyth what effertuall instrument we receyue and apply those causes of our saluation to our benefite that is to wit Qui credunt in eum By a stedfast Faith in hym Wherein are comprehended these foure causes The originall cause and fountain of mans saluation Gods eternall purpose the motiue cause inducyng hym therevnto Gods loue the efficiente and formall cause thereof the Sonne of GOD the 〈◊〉 and instrumentall cause of the same Gods gifte of Faith in Manne Thus this whole sentence So God loued the worlde c. beeing 〈◊〉 and deuided orderly into these foure partes lette vs make oure entrie into the seuerall consyderations of them with faythfull and humble Prayer Precatio You haue hearde deare Christians whereon I purpose to proceede euen on this sentence Sic Deus c. Yee haue hearde what notable matter it conteynethe what is the summe and argument thereof and howe I haue distributed the same Wherof the fyrst part hath to behold the eternal purpose of Almightie God in these endes that the world should not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe This parte hath two things principally to consider Whereof the syrste is these two endes perdition and lyfe eternall The seconde is these two parties God and the worlde God that deliuereth from perdition and giueth eternall life the world that is deliuered from perdition and receiueth eternall lyfe The former is comprehended in these woordes Vt non pereat sed habeat aeternam vitam that it should not perishe but haue Eternall lyfe Whiche wordes are placed last and are the ende of the sentence and lyke wise are the last end that wee shall come vnto But bicause the drifte whereto the sentence tendeth and we also directe the leuell of all oure life is to escape perdition and to obteyne life eternall not vnorderlye it commeth to bee fyrst consydered For although the ende is laste in practise yet in mynde the ende is fyrste of all Hee that is aboute to buylde an house fyrste hath his generall ende and purpose wherefore he wold build and or euer he set on the building he deuiseth his platforme how he shal be able to compasse the same Quis ex vobis c. Which of you sayeth Christ disposed to buylde a Toure sitteth not downe before and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to perfourme it least after he hath layde the foundation and is not able to perfourme it all that beholde hym begynne to mocke him saying This man began to buylde and was not able to make an ende Or what Kyng going to make battaile againste an other Kyng sitteth not downe fyrst and casteth in his mynde whether he be able with tenne thousande to meere him that commeth against him with twentie thousande c. What man hauing a iourney to goe first considereth not the place whether the entent wherefore and the manner howe he wil trauaile thether and then he setteth on his Iorney and last of all commeth there This is the differnce of the foole and wise as our Prouerbe sayth to looke or we leape As Esope telleth of the two Froggs that in a dry Sommer sought for water and when they came to a deepe pit Here sister sayth the one is a good place for vs to abide in here is water inough nay softe quod the other Frog let vs viewe a litle ere we leape in if water shoulde faile here also howe should we get out again The wise therfore geue this councell Quicquid agas prudenter agas respice finem Whatsoeuer thou doest doe it warily and forecast the ende therof Beholde howe Christ commendeth the steward whiche otherwise was a wicked man for this his industrie in prouidyng for the ende O that the children of life were halfe so wise so prouident and forecastyng as the children of this worlde in their generation be O that rashe youthe amongst vs wolde consider this order in their vnaduised enterprises being caried aware in the headstronge wilfull delight of present pleasures and will not se the wretched ende Qui ducit ad interitum that hurlethe them headlong into destruction and all bicause they wolde not forsee the sequele and ende thereof Voluptates specta abeuntes non accedentes Looke not on pleasures face but
and espied the dryfte and daunger of this erroure and then hee passed all the Doctoures herein that eyther were in hys tyme or wente before him or any that hath succeeded hym Myghtyly confuted he Pelagius generalitie by the Woorde of GOD shewing howe this sentence and all sutche other are not absolutely to bee vnderstoode of euery manne in the worlde but so that they maye agree with the other places whyche doo clearely sette oute Gods election and reprobation GOD would all menne shoulde bee saued that is to wit sayeth Sainct Augustine none shall bee saued but whome God would shoulde bee saued God wold all menne should be saued All men sayth Sainct Augustine that is Non de singulis generum sed de generibus singulorum not euery man but men of euery sorte withoute respecte of person place tyme dignitie or any other regarde than of hys owne choyce and wyll euen as he hym selfe hath protested Miserebor cuius miserebor et misericordiam prestabo cui misericordiam prestabo I wyll haue mercie on whome I wyll haue mercie and I wylle shewe mercye to whome I wyll shewe mercie And on the contrary he created the wycked to an euyll daye that is euen vnto damnation hee hated Esau before hee hadde donne good or ill And Pharaos hearte he haâ—…dened agaynste his owne comaundement To conclude on bothe parts the electe and reprobate Cuius vult miseretur quem vultindurat He is mercyful to whom hee will and whome hee will hee hardeneth not that hee delyghteth in theyr destruction whome hee hardneth or is the author or partaker of their wyckednesse as the Papistes blaspheme Gods iudgementes and sclander vs reuiuyng encreasing and mainteyning tooth and naile the errours of Pelagius For Gods workes to the wicked are iust and righteouse and that he saueth some it is hys mercie Hee myghte haue damned all yf hee hadde woulde And yf he hadde woulde without all succour or resistance we had all bene damned euery mothers childe If he had but said the word and wolde it had benne so vndoubtedly and then wo worth vs that euer we were borne as Christ sayd on the lost childe Iudas What then though we had bin vtterly vndone yet god had done but Iustice to vs all he had done vs no wrong wee had deserued it and he had gotten glorye on his enemies as he did on the diuels and Pharao but the Lords name be blessed immortally he woulde not the world shold perishe he wold the glorie of his mercie should shine aboue the glorie of his iustice Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius His mercie is aboue all his works And therfore of his infinite mercie he chose his choise out of the world whom here for the foresaide causes he calleth the worlde and in other places are called the electe of god And thus as he wolde not that euery one shoulde be damned so he wolde not that euery one sholde be saued For if he would not only he could but al vndoubtedly should haue bin saued It is an ill argument to reason from the power of god by it selfe to the will of god or to the work and doing of god as the Papists do in their article of Transubstanciation saying Can not God make bread his body can not God make his body go through a dore the dore remayning whole and shutte can not god make his body be in many places at once Ergo he wyl Ergo he dothe it This is an insufficient consequence But to reason from the will of God to the power of God is a good argumente To reson from the power the wil of God to the effect and worke of God is a necessary sequele as appeareth by this argument Whatsoeuer God can do and wil doo that shal be done but God can and will saue all men ergo all men shall be saued This is a right argument but this is a manyfest false conclusion for then none shoulde be damned But the Scripture sayth many shall be damned as before is proued Then the conclusion is not true but the falshod of the conclusion in a formall argument commeth of some falshod in the premisses Ex veris pâ—…ssunt nil nisi vera sequi The maior is so euideÌ„t true that none can denie it except he wil denie god himself then the falshod is in the minor the minor was this God can will saue all men Here the whole resteth on these two wordes can and will that God can do it if he would is out of controuersie then must the lot light on this word will To say therfore it is Gods wil that al men should be saued is a false principle But thus say the Papistes and wrest the woordes of God to denie his eternall purpose of election and reprobation the Papists therfore make an euident lye of god For if god wold Voluntati eius quis resistet who could resist the will of God could all the power in the world could all the Diuels in hell could man could we our selues can any creature in heauen and earth defeate the will of the Creator of Heauen and earth and all things in it Can the pot alter the potters will and shall we saye then man can frustrate Gods wil Let vs see for example an instance hereof Saule that afterward was called Paule was a naughtie persecuter a blynde Pharisey and an enimie of Christ and his religion and of iustice deserued damnation and God could haue damned him if he had wold but God woulde not that this his enemie shoulde be damned but haue eternall lyfe This purpose in God was determined before Saint Paule was borne as he saith of him selfe Elegit â—…os in eo c. he chose vs in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde When the tyme came according to the saying Quos elegit vocauit that Saul whom God had chosen shold be called then wold God cal Saule make him Paule Saule wold not be called that way No how proue ye Saule would not His purpose was euident to the contrary his letters his coÌ„mission his iourney was to make hauock in the congregation he breathed out saith the text threats 〈◊〉 euen his breath did blowe hostilitie Veniamus ad eius primordia Videamus Saulum saeuientem spectemus furentem spectemus odia anhelanteÌ„ fâ—…nguinemque 〈◊〉 c. Let vs come saith S Augustin to the very begin nings of him Let vs see Saule chaâ—…ing let vs looke on him raging Let vs behould him breathing hatred yea thirsting bloud This was the way that Paul weÌ„t for as yet his waye was not Christ what had he in his hart what but mischief Then is it euident that Saule was not willing yet for al that God was willing whose wil toke place Sauls wil or gods will Let vs see the combat betwene these contrary willes sodeynly God strake Saule downe he coulde haue striken him downe to hell but so hee
those thinges that pertaine to the spirite of god Here Simonides was at his witts ende and required respite Here Anaxagoras poynted vp to heauen with his finger but he coulde tell what it was in hys heart Here Democâ—…itus eyes so lette him that hee put them bothe out Here Cato cried Mitte arcana dei coelumque inquirere quid sit here Socrates durst affirme nothing but this one thing that he knew nothing Heere Aristotle confesseth he hadde but owles eyes And shall wee then make his metaphysiks good diuinitie as our Scholemen more blynde than those phylosophers did to confirme this matter withal but they haue so rooted them in the diuinitie of their god Aristotle that they can not lift vp themselues from themselues to search this cause of Gods benefite in God from whom it proceedeth but will seeke in them selues to fynde the causes of it Lette vs looke on them therfore a litle and see how busily or rather howe bussardly they looke in them selues to fynde oute the cause thereof For if they ransacked well all corners in themselues they shuld fynde many a slouenly corner and a full sluttish house many a fylthy synke of durt many an heape of dust raked vp many a rotten post many a foule copweb many an adders nest and euen a caue of Cacus a Cerberus denne a foule carrion of the body a fouler horrour of the soule frâ—…ught with sinne and wretchednesse how soeuer lyke a Phariseys cup like a painted sepulcher it carrie an outwarde countenance But doo they not se this in serching them selues or if they see it howe can they abyde the syght thereof nay verily they se it not Ther is a beame in their eyes called Philautia selfe loue and this little preatie moate dothe so hinder their syght forsoothe that they see no suche thing nor smell any such stench they are so acquainted with it nor fynde any suche fault in themselues neyther is that the thing they seke for and therfore although they sawe it they let that alone and passe by it with the Priest and the Leuite as though they sawe it not but they seeke for the contrary What merite what vertue what cause is in them selues wherefore God should bestow this so great a benefite vpon man No doubt there is a cause in man say they wherfore God did thus vnto man He sawe some thing in man that moued him thervnto peraduenture we haue founde the cause euen here had not the worlde done some good turne to God and so gifte gafte one good turne asketh another clawe me clawe thee the worlde might haue done so muche for God that God was indebted to the worlde he coulde not but euen of his Iustice Merito digni vel condigni vel congrui By the merite of dewty or worthinesse or congruitie requite the world with this benefite Stoode the case thus betwixte the worlde and God for then here is cause inoughe in man no Papist the case was nothing so nor so NoÌ„ ex operibus quae fecimus nos not of the works that we haue wrought Non secunduÌ„ opera nostra not acording to our works Ex operibus legis non iustificatur omnis caro no flesh shal be iustified no not by the works of Gods law for why ê™ erat legi impossibile The la we could not performe it it wrought but wrathe in vs and encreased our sin bicause we were sinners coulde not fullfil it and therefore became giâ—…ty and accursed by it If God then should worke by iustice Domine quis sustinebit Lorde who should abide it we had not done any good to him before at all that he shoulde recompence Quis prior dedit illi et retribuetur ei Who gaue him ought aforehand that he shoulde make him retribution in a pitifull case were we before he vouch safed for to choose vs wilt thou see what thou wast before God chose the either for any thing in thy parents or in thee euen from the first houre thou waste borne Looke the sixteenth chapter of Ezechiell before cited The woorde of the Lorde came vnto me saying Sonne of manne cause Hierusalem to knowe hâ—…r abhominations and say Thus sayeth the Lorde God vnto Hierusalem thine habitation and thy kinrede is of the lande of Canaan thy father was an Ammorite and thy mother an Hethite and in thy natiuitie when thou waste borne thy nauell was not cut thou waste not washed in water to soften thee thou wast noâ—… salted with salte nor swadled in cloutes none eye pitied thee to do any of these things vnto thee for to haue compassion vpon thee but thou wast cast out in the open fielde to the contempte of thy persone in the day when thou wast borne and when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thyne owne bloud and I sayde vnto thee when thou waste in thy bloud thou shalte liue euen when thou waste in thy bloud I sayde vnto thee Thou shalte liue Lo the pickle that euen the Churche and choyse of GOD was in beefore the Lorde dydde choose her If thou sayest yet peraduenture hee dydde thys for her frendes sake shee came of good parentage and was well allyed to those whom God hyghly fauoured and to whom God made a great promise to be good to them and to theyr seede after them True in deede hee dydde so but yet in this respecte see howe hee renounceth thys for anye cause also and vpbraydeth to her euen her father and mother and all the whole stocke shee came of Thou arte thy mothers daughter that hath caste off her husbande and her chyldren and thou arte the syster of thy systers whyche forsooke theyr husbandes and theyr chyldren youre mother is an Hethite and youre father an Ammorite and thyne elder syster is Samaria and her daughters that dwelle at thy lefte hande and thy yong syster that dwellethe at thy ryghte hande is Sodome and her daughters And as more sharpelye in Esaye hee callethe the Iewes the seede of the wycked corrupte chyldren the sonnes of Witches the seede of the adulterers and of the whore rebellious children false sede the egges of the Aspis the webbes of Spyders the generation of Uipers boasting in vaine of Abrahams parentage who himself also before he was called was an heathen was an idolater till God redemed and called him and therfore neither they nor he had deserued this benefite of eternall lyfe that God dyd purpose to them What then was the cause that moued God herevnto was not this the cause therof that although they had done no such good turnes to God by dutie or coÌ„gruitie to moue him to recompence yet they had not offended him nor displeased him And therfore God mighte the easyer be induced to bestow this benefit on them But had not euen the electe of God offended God were they not of olde Adam In quo omnes peccauerunt in whom all haue sinned that came of him are
reward giuen for of good conscience by right and iustice he deserueth somwhat euen of dutie Therfore if hee wrought any thing in this matter of the cause of his owne saluation he deserueth then somewhat euen of dutie to the obteyning of his owne saluation Neither let the Scholemen go so gingerly to worke with theyr threefolde distinction of deseruyng Merito digni condigni congrui by the merite of dignitie condignitie congruitie descanting by which of these three they shoulde make their clayme least they shoulde seeme to attribute too muche to manne A good playne fellowe that coulde scarse vnderstand these quaint termes what woulde he thynke hearing of desert but that it is plain debt and dutie ▪ Yea what could he thinke otherwise and why should he not clayme for his due somuch as he deserued for his worke And doth not saint Paul here without any such nicenesse go as plain ly to the matter and saye if it be of worke it is of duetie And againe Dignus est operarius mercede sua The workman is worthy of his rewarde He must be payde it he is worthy of it it is his dutie daly not with him in termes muche lesse tell hym it is free gift it proceedeth of gracious fauour of mere loue curtesy Thou liest it is his own euen of dutie he hath earned it wel and truly and therfore it is not gift nor fauour nor loue ▪ nor curtesy nor free nor grace but euen playn debt and dutie And shal we now say that of dutie we deserue heuen or deserue some part of our saluation of dutie that God is in our debt This were Iacke sauce in dede to claime debt of God to chalenge God of dutie but thou must nedes do thus if thou puttest in workes for any part of the cause of thy saluation Neither canst thou delude god on this wise by ioyning these two together as who shoulde saye thou wilt not ascribe all to thy selfe lyke the priest at Masse but like a good felow let God haue som part with the. Ha sut◅le foole Sim suttle deceued himself Thinkest thou thus to mo◅k God Thou mayst so bleare and deceiue a blinde Papist But Deus non irridetur God is not mocked no nor any that hearken to S. Paule that sayth These two can not be ioyned togither The olde bottell wyll holde no new wine the olde coate will not be pieced with new cloth for so the rent is worse so the bottels are burst and the wine is spilt This is an busit matche of mans workes and Gods grace in the cause of our saluation This is worse than Iugum ducere cum infidelibus To drawe the yoake with infidels This were euen Christe and Belial together For what is man but the child of Belial before God geue him his grace and wylte thou ioyne mans works and the grace of God togither to be cause of thy saluation nay S. Paule hath sued such a diuorce alredy betwene these two that if thou wilte haue grace to be a doer grace must be all the doer farewel works If thou wilt bring in works adiew fauor grace is clean gone These two cānot be ioyned together in the causes of saluation For sayth S. Aug. Si vllis bonis meritis datur iam non gratis datur sed debita redditur ac per hoc non vero nomine gratia nuncupatur vbi mer ces c. If it be geuen for any good merits then is it not geuē free but is of duty rendred and hereby it is not called grace by a true name sith that as the same apostle sayth reward is accompted not after grace or fauor but by debt But if that it may be fauor that is to say free it findeth nothyng in man whereunto it may be rightly indebted whiche is also truely vnderstode that is said Euen for nothing shalte thou make them safe then truly fauor giueth merites fauour is not giuen for merits then fauor goeth before faith it selfe from whom all works haue their beginning To conclude therefore as it commethe not by works alone nor chiefly so not ioyntlye neither with the fauoure and loue of God neither in partnor parcell nor any whyt by works at all for if it shoulde grace is expelled challenge is made of duty debt is claimed reioising is made but not with god but it commeth all of fauor Gratia saluati estis yee are saued by grace challenge dare not be made of dutie Dimitte nobis debita no◅tra Forgiue vs our deseruings Debt is damnation Nobis cō fusio faciei Unto vs belōgeth confusion of our faces Vbi est igitur gloriatio tua ▪ exclusa est Per quam legem factorum non s◅d per legem fidei arbitramur enim iustificari hominem per fidem absque operibus legis Where is then thy reioicing It is excluded By what lawe of workes No But by the law of Faith. Therfore wee deeme that a man is iustified by Faith without the workes of the lawe If then workes are thus by S. Paul in the matter of Iustification thrust clean out of the dores by the heade and shoulders shall wee suffer the Papists to bring them in and shoulder out grace and the fauour of God in the cause of his election and of our saluation But needes wyll the Papistes ioyne these two that can not be ioyned the merits of man and the fauour or loue of god Now syth they will needes ioyne them together whether wer it fitter to haue the better ende of the staffe to be the greater cause of the twain the cause proceding from god or the cause proceeding from man a reasonable man would think say without any studie for the matter surely the greater cause is in god Were he not then vnresonable and too too wicked that durst affirm the greater cause of our saluation to be in man Well what say the Papists to this question Man shal be saued why so Bicause God loues him as ye haue alredy proued yea but answere me precisely to this point wherfore thinkest thou God loues him Forsoth bicause that eyther he is a good man a iust man a vertuous man a man that loueth and feareth God or bicause he foreseeth he shuld so be and therfore he loueth him Why then mās goodnes is the cause of Gods loue But Vnumquodque propter quid illud magis Euery thing loke wherfore it is done and the thing wherfore it is done is greater than the thing that tendeth thereto I eate my meate wherefore To nourishe my bodye then is the nourishement of my bodye a greater cause than my meat as sayth Saint Paule Esca ventri The meate is made for the belly and not the bellie for the meate I take Physicke when I am sicke wherfore to recouer my health the r◅couery then of my health is greater than phisicke I laye mee downe to slepe why so to rest
my bodye and refresh my spirites then the rest of my body and the refreshing of my spirits is a greater matter than is my lying downe to sleepe I buylde an house what moueth me to doo suche cost to shelter and shrowde me from wynde and weather from heat and colde from danger and enimie and to defend and keepe me and myne then this my defence is a greater cause than my house buylding is And eueÌ„ so God loueth a man why loueth he him bicause he is a good man then the goodnesse of the man is a greater cause than the loue of god And thus in conclusion not onely the greater cause of mans saluation is in man and the lesser cause in God but also that little cause in God is referred to mannes goodnesse also And so the cause in God is cleane swalowed vp lyke a drop in the sea â–ª a beane in a Monks hoode a mouse in a cheese nay rather a ciphre in Algorisme the loue of God in the cause of mans saluation And yet for fashions sake the name of Gods loue of Gods grace of Gods mercie of Christs merits must be pretended but when all is done the woorke of man is the efficient is the formall is the finall and principall cause of mans saluation As Bonauenture sayeth that although the death and resurrection of Christe take away our sinnes and iustifie vs attamen neutri attribui potest propriè causalitas iustificationis habet tamen aliquam causae proprietatem scilicet per modum meriti interuenieÌ„tis ê“ reducitur ad causam materialeÌ„ formalis enim est gratia hoc est charitas c. Neuerthelesse the causing cause of Iustification can not proprely be attributed eyther to Christes death or to his resurrection although it hath some propretie of a cause that is to wit by the meanes of merite commyng betwene which is reduced to the materiall cause for the formall cause is grace that is to say charitie Heere is a name of grace but when the name is expounded it falleth out he ment not the loue and free fauour of God but charitie that is mans loue the very contrary in this poynt vnto grace and free fauour of god And so mans loue is the formall cause of mannes saluation but it muste bee called forsoothe the grace of God. Heere is agayne the Passion and Resurrection of Iesus Christe sayde to take away synnes and to Iustifie vs What can be a godlyer saying and truer than this Who could find fault with this Who woulde require more yf they meane as they say Why haue thei then another meaning What is that Forsoth the death and Resurrection doth it but not proprely as any cause therof Lo here is the cause cleane takeÌ„ away nay not so but it is not a cause properly how is it theÌ„ it hath yet some propertie of a cause This is a contrarie tale to it selfe at lest it hath som propertie of contrarietie But what kynd of propertie of a cause hath the deth and resurrection of Christ to take away sinnes and to iustifie man Forsoothe in this consideration by the meanes of mans desert and good works coÌ„ming betwene and being a stickler in the matter But how commeth it betwene as a small cause Nay as the material cause also of his saluation And so maÌ„s charity is the formal cause mans merits are the material cause Grace is named The deathe and resurrection of Christe is named but it is no cause properlie and if it haue anye propretie of a cause it is onely by reason of mannes merites goyng betweene Is not thys a proper doctrine Whether will not this doctrine presume to goe Why maye not the Papist say as well that manne is the cause of God as to say that mannes merites are the cause of Gods loue Is not the loue of God euen GOD hymselfe Quicquid dicitur de Deo Deus est The Wisdome of God is God the power of God is God and the loue of God is god And so Sainâ—…t Iohn dothe saye Deus est charitas qui maner in charitate in deo mâ—…net deus in eo God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Nowe if mannes goodnesse bee the cause of Gods loue is it not then the cause of God also What is prâ—…de if this bee not pride Where is Adam and Eue that woulde become like Gods if they be not here Where is that proude kyng of Babylon that sayde with Lucifer I wyll aâ—…cende aboue the cloudes I wil be like the most high but in this doctrine Where is that man of sinâ—…e that would exalt himself aboue all that is called God if not in this blasphemous presumption of the Papists Qui quaerentes suaÌ„ iustitiaÌ„ stabilire c. That seking to set vp their owne righteousnesse are not subiect to the righteousnesse of god But let this diuelishe doctrine goe wyth the diuell downe the lane from whence it came and let vs humbly receyue the doctrine of Iesus Christe that the cause whiche moued God to saue the worlde was onely in him selfe for his owne sake for his owne goodnesse and most merciful fauour for his tender loue that of his owne accorde good nature be vouchsafed to beare the worlde and not for any cause of goodnesse in the worlde were it neuer so little a cause For how little so euer thou ascribest to thy selfe thou takest from God thou robbest God of his glory and of his glorie God is a iealous god neyther will he part stakes with any other for any part or parcell therof Oh sayth the Papist it is a very little thing a small modicum that wee require and modicum non nocet a litle hurteth nothing an inche breakes no square That is not true modicum nocet modicum A little hurteth a litle yea and that a great deale in this case wherin on the one part God is all in all will haue all the glorie of it as right requireth if he haue not al he wil haue none There is no halting betwene God and Baal no agreement betwene God and the diuell no felowshippe wyth light and darkenesse And what is manne else but darkenesse â–ª but mancipium Sathanae the boÌ„dsclaue of Sathan before God lighten and deliuer him On the other part the diuel will not bee contente with a little grauÌ„t him neuer so litle in the beginning as good giue him all for in the ende he will striue to haue all giue him an inche hee will take an elle giue him but his little toe he will thrust his foote his leg his body after and seuen diuels more for company and the ende of that man shal be worse than the beginning Obsta principijs serò medicina paratur Stoppe therfore the beginnings otherwise it will be too late to seeke for healpe Take away the cause else the effect wil neuer be taken away Man will euer
cōtende they so harde for it and in no case will let it go Would they haue vs relent to thē that stand in the defence of the glory of God and wil not they relent to vs in so small a matter that belongeth only to the glorie of man Wherfore thinke ye do they thus Late◅ anguis in herba There is a Snake in the grasse a padde in the strawe surely there is a greater matter in it than they pretende or we are al aware of Nay say they here is neyther snake nor adder No is out of dout it is ex genimine viperarum of the generation of adders for so saint Iohn hath statly told vs Wel yet it is but a little one a yong adder ye nede not be so afrayd of it ywisse it can not sting ye oh kil it not it is a prety worm nay kill it for Gods sake it is a mischienous worme And though it can not sling now yet saith S. Paule Ven◅num aspidum sub labijs eorū the poyson of aspis is vnder the tong of it if it liue it will proue a firie serpent and sting the Israelite euen to death A yong cubbe can play pretily like a litle whelpe it will not bite the henne may goe by it it wil not hurte one chick O it is a pretie foole Alacke who woulde kill it but for all that kill it say I else it wil kill chicken hen cock and all and it may come by them yea not only the olde Foxes but the young cubbes wasted the Lordes Uineyard And therefore sayeth God Capite nobis v◅lpes paruulas Catche vs these yong Foxes and suffer them not neither only the yong Serpent and the cubbe but also euen the yong chyld of the Babylonian the very infante of concupiscence Oh softe what will yee doo Staye youre hande it is a sweete babe kille it not kyll it not sayeth the Papiste Kyll them euery mothers chyld sayeth Dauid Happie is the manne that taketh their children and dasheth theire braines againste the stones Unhappie then is the Papiste that saueth them and pitt◅eth the deathe of them as Saule did Agag and loste his kingdome for his laboure Lette vs not therefore through foolishe pitie that destroyeth a Citie relente herein to the Papiste but crucifie mortifie kill the olde manne and all the lustes of the fleshe for they are noughte but Inimicitia aduersus Deum Enemitie against God and can doo noughte else but synne And yf there bee any breathe lefte in thys chylde that olde Adam hath gotten of concupiscence it breatheth nothyng but the lawe of Rebellion against the lawe of the minde euen in the Saintes of GOD if there be any sparkes suffered it may breede a perillous daunger A greate blase and sore fire maye come euen of one sparke Ensample Lette but one sparke fall in a barrell of Gu◅pouder see what a flashe yee shall haue and all of one sparke Beware therefore of grauntyng the Papistes so mutche as one sparke of goodnesse in the cause of our saluation For of this one sparke whatsoeuer shall arise muste bee ascribed to this sparke as the originall of all be it neuer so great a fire It neither came of the wind although the winde encreased it neither of the layer too of the wood though he ministred the matter nor of the wood it selfe that burneth for that is but the matter whereon the fire dothe woorke but all the fire waxe it neuer so big came of that little sparke of fire So all the goodnesse that is in manne after his callyng sprang of this sparke of goodnesse before his callyng onely GOD is made here but the blower of the bellowes or the wood carier and layer of the styekes together a meane office for God whereby as we say sutche a man made the fire when in deede the first sparke was the very maker of it so they gyue God the name of making causing al our goodnesse but in very dede that goodnesse was caused and made of that fyrste sparke of goodnes that the Papists imagin to be in our selues before God called vs What a wicked doctrin is this that thus ascribeth al to it self and nothing to god in the causes of our saluation except it be such seruile offices in healping to kindle the fyer as wee our selues woulde disdayne and wold put the meanest seruāts we haue to do But suche doctrine such effect it wrought For out of this wicked roote haue sprong infinite horrible errours Out of this sparke so great a flame hath risen as hath mounted vp to suche an height that the Papistes say they can do all that God cōmandeth Which thoughe it be a moste false blase and crake of their owne righteousnesse The iuste man sinneth seuen tymes a day and when we haue done all that we can doo wee are vnprofitable seruaunts yet how shall we now extinguish this stame had it not ben better to haue quenched it when as they saye it was but yet a sparke But will it heere goe out or stinte and goe no further Nay rather this stame of pryde aryseth greater mountyng so farre aboue all the woorkes of erogation to the woorkes of supererogation that they boasted they could doo more than euer God commanded Which hath giuen suche a counterfeyte blase of holynesse the angel of darknesse transfiguring himself lyke an angel of light that all the candels on Candelmasse day gaue not half such a light as the Popishe Uotaries their Uoluntarie works did giue Wherby all these mischieues and thousandes mo did spring the grace of God was defaced Gods word it selfe was burned the Priestes woorshipped god with strange fire or rather God himself was quite abolished and Idols worshipped in his sted◅ the bodies of the Saintes of God the temples of the holy ghost were with this fyre cruelly consumed to ashes the rage whereof so kindeled ▪ that the sparkles haue flowen ouer all neuer so perfecte frendship is like vnto it We reade of notable neighborly loue in stories The Heathens lymited thys loue to them that dwelt next them Neyther they only but we also doo apply the name of neighbors to them that dwell nere vnto vs And indede a very greate commoditie it is to haue an honest neighbour dwell by a man no lesse ann◅yāce to be matched with an ill neighbour In so mutche that the olde Romains when they made a sale or let out an house among the chiefest cōmendations that the seller wold set it out withal or the bier wold require or esteme it for this was always one by name whether it had a good neighboure adioyning to it or no. For no smal benefits ensue of neighborly loue But the scripture comendeth a neighbour to vs in an other sense ▪ euen for the ◅rem man and stranger to me that I am no kyth nor kinne vnto nor acquainted wythall nor is my countrey manne yea though he be my enemie
that rightly Neyther are we against it that faithe shewe it selfe by works but rather they that dare not let theyr works come to the light and shew of the word of God least the worde should reproue their workes and shew them to be but works of darknesse to be their owne deuises not any suche good workes at all as they to the simple do crake vpon For the triall of this they shunne the light ▪ and therefore it is a good argument of our 〈◊〉 Christe against their works that they be nought Qui malè agit odit lucem nec venit ad lucem ne arguantur opera eius Hee that do the euill hateth the light and commeth not to the lyght least his workes should be reproued Wheras therfore faith should be shewed forth by works euen by this argument of S. Iames Ex effectibus fidei of the effects and and works of faith besides the forlayd argument of Saincte Paule are they agayne consuted to to haue no Fayth For where they not onely doo the woorkes of darknesse but openly defende and maynteyne them as the sitting vp of stewes and brothell houses and that euen vnder theyr owne Popes nose And thys is a ruled case of Christ A good tree can not bring forth euil frute Then surely if they were true beleuers on Iesus Christ they could not mainteine and defend suche wickednesse which is a thousand partes worse than the doing of it But as S. Iohn sayth In hoc manifesti sunt filij dei filij diaboli In this is manifest who are the sons of God and who are the sonnes of the diuell The sonnes of God doo sinne but it is of infirmitie but to maynteyn their sinfull worke is the very declaration of the childe of Sathan Oh saye they we mainteyne it not as good but confesse it to be euill howebeit we maynteyne it to driue away a greater euill But sayth S Paule Non faciamus malum vt inde eueniat bonum Let vs not do euill that good may come of it For it followeth Quorum damnatio iusta est Whose damnation is iust Now if they shall iustly be damned that wyll do euill that good may come theron shall they escape more iust damnation that will doo euill not that so muche as good may come thereon by theyr owne confession but onely the auoyding of a greater euill and yet that is no necessary auoyding of it neither Now if these euil doers shall be damned and no true beleuers shal be damned then are the Papistes no true beleuers muche lesse were they not extreme impudēt can they boast of workes that maynteine sutche open wickednesse But they wil say they boast not of this as in dede they haue little cause and mighte more honestly seeke fygge leaues to hyde their shame therein but they haue infinite other woorkes to shewe their faith by and that I do them iniurie they vpbrayding want of worls to vs to shewe our faith by and we to stande in examining of their workes to improue therby their faith but I crie them mercy I will no further rippe vp their euill workes but be contente for this once to haue shewed this one euil herbe that I thinke is able to marre all their pot of porrage For I tell yee it is Mors in olla Death in the porrage pot that no lesse thā damnation had they twenty good herbes besides But let them doe now as mutche for vs hardily and spare not and lay in our dishe so muche as but one like faulte I speake not this as though wee were without fault we are sinners greuous sinners the iustest of vs all and if we shoulde say we had no sinne we shoulde deceiue our selues and there were no truth in vs This doo the Papistes that say they can do all that God commanded but God commaunded not to sinne and therefore in saying they can fulfill the commaundements of GOD what do they saye but that they can be withoute sinne Whiche the proude Pharisey vaunted of that he was not a sinner as other men We sinne euen with the Publican but with the publican we are sorie for and repent vs of our sinne But name me one worke that God forbiddeth and we bidde defende and mainteyne the same one good worke that god biddeth and we forbid oppugne write against the same This wee haue named in them neyther shall they be euer able to name the lyke in vs But what neede we name say they any particular vice publikely defended of you when this only doctrine takes away all good workes For if I be iustified only by faith what neede I doo any good works are they not all cleane taken awaye No forsooth are they not taken away at all bycause they be remoued from the article of Iustification the workes remayn and that as necessarily to be done as before is shewed but they be not set in the place where the papists wold haue them placed in this article of receauyng Iustification where only faith consisteth Why then say they ye turne faith out of her cloathes if ye take works from her ye leaue her naked and doth a naked and bare faithe iustifie vs In deede woorkes are the cloathes of faith and serue as clothes doo decke and set this lady out but as the body was before the clothes and without the clothes and is of an other substance than the clothes so was faith before workes and is borne of God as naked as my nayle in respect of any merite of woorkes eyther preceding or concurring And thus was alwayes fayth pictured Nuda fides a naked faith But not so but that she is clad streyght wayes with the frutes of the spirite and the ornaments of al good woorkes but it is not her apparell that sets her out to god Omnia nuda sunt aperta oculis eius All things are naked open to his eyes But her apparell sets her out to man And so sayth S. Iames being a man Shewe me thy fayth by thy workes and I will shew thee my faithe by my woorkes Therfore works serue to shew forth faith to them that can not see but by outwarde shewing and so iustifieth one man before an other declareth vnto me y suche an one is iustified not to iustify him before God who seeth the things not seene Nec iuxta intuitū hominis ego iudico Homo enim videt ea quae parēt Dominus autē intuetur cor Neither do I iudge saith God after the sight of man for man seeth those things that appere but the Lord beholdeth the heart He loketh on the faith hidden within Domine oculi tui fidem respiciunt sayeth Ieremie O Lord thy eyes loke vppon the faithe Corde creditur ad iustitiam sayth S. Paule with the hearte wee beleeue to righteousnesse Fides est argumentum non apparentium Faith is an argument of things that appeare not But works
S. Paule you were sealed with the holy spirite of promise whiche is the earnest of our inheritaunce So that we haue boldnesse and entrance with the confidence which is by faith on him Nolite itaque amittere confidentiam Cast not away therfore your confidence which hath a great recompence of rewarde This is the trust that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske wee know we haue the petitions that we desire of him This is no diuels faith neuer a diuel in hel can do this Neither is this y faith of those wicked ones that are his meÌ„bers howsoeuer they vainly crake of that they haue not neyther is this the papists faith by the papists owne profession that he must stil waue in suspeÌ„ce haÌ„g in doubt but this is the faith of all those y shal receiue eternall lyfe These things sayth S. Iohn haue I written to you that beleue in the name of the sonne of God. Not that ye should hang in doubt but that ye should knowe howe that ye haue eternall life That yee haue it saith he not that ye may haue it may goe with it but ye haue it for saide he immediately before He that hathe the sonne hathe life and he that hathe not the sonne of God hath not life Sutche is the vertue of true belefe faith that he hath alredy life in true assurance bicause he hath him assuredly the whiche is truthe and life Well saithe the Papist for all this heauing and shouing yee shall not haue all youre will we haue yet then at the least one good qualitie vertue whiche shall saue vs and that is euen our faith if ye will admitte nomore But here the Papists begin to cauell and wraÌ„gle which is a signe they draw to the last cast For they know well inough where the scripture thus ascribeth iustifieng and saluation to faithe that it taketh not faith in that respect that it is any quality or habite in vs no not infused of God nor any vertue theologicall nor yet any action of the minde But only in respect of the relation that it hath to Iesus Christ to grace to the mercies to the promises and to the gift of God God is all in all the gift Christ is only my iustification but bicause the feete wherwith we com vnto it is faith We are brought in saith S. Paule Through faith into this grace wherin we stand Nam fide statis By faith we stand Per fidem ambulamus with the feet of faith we walke to the mounte of God Bycause the eye wherby I looke on Christe is faithe Abraham vidit diem meuÌ„ Abraham sawe my daye saith Christ with the eye of faith Bicause the hande wherby I receaue it is faithe Quotquot receperunt eum So many as receaued him euen those that beleeue in his name he gaue them power to be the sons of God by which hand God guided the Isralites Apprehendi manum eorum vt edueerem eos è terra Aegipti I tooke them by the hand to leade them out of the land of Aegipt And by which hand we take hold on heauen Apprehende vitam aeternam Take holde fast on eternall life with this hande of faith Bycause the hart wherin I kepe it is faith Corde creditur with the heart we beleue and he dwelleth in the harte by faithe Bycause all these things are ascribed to faith Therefore the scripture saith that faith doth iustisie vs when Christ dothe iustifie vs bicause by faith I receaue Christ which is my iustification This I do not by my works but by my faithe therefore I saye with S. Paule Faith iustifieth without workes that is faith only applyeth the mercies and merits of Iesus Christ freely offred vnto me without any preparation or merite at all of mine And thus dothe S. Paule plainly expound him selfe in the seconde chapter to the Ephesians Ye are saued by grace through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gifte of God it comme the not of works leste anye man shold boast him selfe For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordayned that we shold walke in them Here is first set down the state of iustification how we be saued Works are excluded from thys matter yea our selues and all as any cause hereof The reason is alleaged least we shold boast our selues and so all the glory shoulde not redeâ—…nde to God Then do they deface Gods glory and beaste themselues that put works or any thing in them selues in the cause of iustification The only 〈◊〉 is here made grace and least we sholde thinke any part of this grace to be in vs that is debarred also and grace is pronounced to be the only gift of God. Then is the meane shewed wherby we receyue this iustification through faith saith he here again works are lefte clene out and only faith is mencioned And thus is our iustificatioÌ„ wrought which done then beginneth S. Paul to deale with good works and sheweth the ende and ordinance of them not to be our iustifying or our meriting but only to walke in them And sheweth withal what good works are sutche as God hath ordained in Iesus Christ and not our own traditions And so in short and most pithy words knitteth vp all this controuersie Now if the Papist require to be further satisfied where S. Paule hath sayd we are saued by grace how it is wrought by grace least he sholde mistake grace for the good gifts that God hath geuen vs thinking by them for to be saued S. Paule with the lyke pithe and breuitie in the fourthe of the Romains declareth all the circumstance to him how it is wrought To him that worketh not saith he but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounetd for rightousnesse euen as dauid declareth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse with out works saying blessed are those whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinns are couered blessed is the man to whom the lorde imputeth not sinne The partie iustifieng is God the partie iustified is the vngodly man the vngodly manne hath no godly woorkes how then shall hee be iustified God offereth his promyse of iustification in Christe his sonne the vngodly man and destitute of all godly works beleueth Gods promise streight is thys man accepted before God for righteouse Why he hathe no righteousnesse in hym What though he is accepted for righteous He is altogether vngodly What of that All hys vngodlynesse is cleane couered neyther shall any poynt thereof be layde to his charge euen as though he had none at al And this is blessednesse and grace that that goodnesse he hath not is imputed to him euen as though hee had it And that wickednesse that hee hath â–ª is not