trumpe of Euangelicall Embassy soundeth a farre higher and more shrill note nothing so meanely exercised of it selfe about those present thinges whiche concerne this present life though otherwise it doe minister many holsome restoritiues for the good preseruation thereof but proclaimeth a far more happy league and hostage of a better euerlasting felicitie against infinite and the neuer ceassing vexations and calamities not of this worlde only but which presse downe and oppresse the whole frame of the vniuersall creation it rayseth vpp and geueth vndaunted courage against the vnaoydable assaultes of death and the Diuell it displayeth also remedie a ready coÌ„quest therof Yea it properly layth down and discouereth the passable way which doth bring vs home againe vnto God and the meanes also whereby we may vntwyne our soules out of the entangled Laberinth of sinnes and conuey vs too the heauenly glory that neuer shal haue end And because to attaine too this so vnspeakeable surpassing excellencie of immortall felicitie may no possible passage be founde else but through the bowels and blood of Gods owne sonne and our faith in the same heereof commeth it that glauncing ouer the name of woorkes many times though not altogeather suppressing the vse of them the whole ministerie of Euangelicall doctrine doeth exercise it selfe chiefly aboute those thinges which may best certifie distressed consciences of the merites of Christe not of any our deseruinges of the supercelestiall bountie of Gods mercy and of the vnuanquishable force of faith Not because the good works of the godly are meane whiles nothing auaileable beyng perfourmed acording to Gods lawe for they profite very muche not them only to whom they bee imparted but be acceptable also vnto God By meanes whereof they procure great commendation not only in the sight of men but be many times bountifully rewarded of God yea euen to great benefite and gayne of the authors therof Let vs therfore graunt vnto the lawe of the Lord her due honour that it be holy and immaculate conuerting soules Which wee do not embase but establishe rather Let the commendable industrie of the godly employed in the exercise of Gods commaundements haue her proper dignitie her glorious and manifold rewardes in this life which we do not abridge but encrease and aduance more highly For what one thing can allure Christian heartes to pursue the way of good life more seriously and cheerefully then when as being made familiarly acquainted with Gods mercie they feele and conceiue throughly first and especially theyr duetie towardes God next what they owe towards their neighbours for gods sake Or what can be more agreeable with conuenience of naâ—urall reason then that each person ought so to behaue himselfe towards others as either by proof he hath fouÌ„d god affecâ—ed towards himself or doth trust y t in time to come he shal be Goe to let vs imagine this in our minde that mans lewdnesse is growne so altogeather dissolute as that it will not bee enclined to any gratefull remembraunce of dutifull requital nor bee enduced to any couenable thankfulnesse what shal we beleeue that the dulnesse of mens natures will be sooner reclaimed with seuere aâ—steritie of disicpline and feare of the whippe and that the Lawe shall preuaile further with her sterne lookes then the sweete and amiable embrasings of the louing Gospell but be the matter as it will yea let vs moreouer graunt this also That â—o â—ame the licentiousnesse of sinne is none other way reserued but the very snaffle and mozeroll â—f correction what shall wee say when the moste bountiful father of heauen and earth geueth out in speciall charge to powre out plentifully vpon all fleshe indifferently the incomprehensible riches of his free mercy shall wee speake nothing thereof And when as the maister of the housholde is of his owne nature so bountifull and liberall as Ianuensis reporteth shall his stewarde pinch and be a Niggard Finally to reach yet one step further and too confesse as the trueth is that amongst all the chaunces changes of this life nothing is more honorable nothing more excellent then the commendation of vertue and that they haue perfourmed matter of great valour which do with rules of good lawes and preceptes of commendable maners endue the mindes of men and reduce them from vice to treade the tracke of vertue and â—o admit this also that in all ciuill societie this point of doctrine is of all others most necessarie yet doe I demauâ—d this one question of these men what benefite or aduantage all those our trauailes and labouresâ— bee they neuer so holy may procure vs at the handes of God in all these naturall corruptions of this life which cannot possibly be altogether reclaimed with any lawe nor with any coÌ„mandementes You wyl say that they will auaile very much for we yeeld to God dutifull thankfulnesse and to our neighbour necessary ayde and thereby many times doe obteine of God honour and estimation not only to our selues but for the common weale also and bee many times preserued wonderfully rewarded by god the most assured rewarder of all godly actions according to the most euident testimonie of the Psalmographe saying on this wise For thy seruant keepeth them and in keeping of them is great reward Admit this I say to bee true Neuerthelesse for as much as this rewarde it selfe and recompencing of good workes doth not stretch it selfe beyond the limitted boundes of this present life this is also vndoubted true that when wee haue made a curious collection of all the most famous and most exquisite workes yea of the best holy ones in the worlde yet in respect of the principall fountaine and originall cause of iustification all this huge heape of our woorkes and merites doe nothing at al auaile to purchase immortalitie of eternal life with God and his holy Angels nor to obteine to be raised from the deadâ— nor to the destroying the force of death and the Deuill ne to the cleansing of our sinfull fleshe nor yet to winne that glorious crowne of that endlesse kingdome in the worlde to come To procure those so many I say so meruâ—ylous vnmeasurable benefits so infinitly and incredibly surmounting all capacitie and reach of our nature and hope our merites and woorkes bee they neuer so holy yeelde not any furtheraunce or benefite at al. To bring this to passe is the only workmanship of Iesu Christ This is the only benefite of the sonne of God not due too any our desertes but a free gift proceeding from his onely meere liberalitie and mercie and receiued of vs by faith not as any recompence of workes but powred foorth oftentimes euen into the bosome of the moste vnworthie which seeme too bee farthest of from all hope without any regarde had of those which doe feede theyr owne fancies most vpon confidence and good opinion of their own wel doing euen of his own free mercy bounteous liberalitie
maiestie of that popish kingdome The brauerie whereof whoso could blaze out witâ— most loftie titles stateliest style was adiudged the most profound and delicate diuine And then these notable and inuincible oracles were finely sifted out not of any light trash but coonned out of the verie bowels of diuine Philosophie Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith should not faint Feede my sheepe Ergo the most holy father the Pope of Rome is enthronized the vniuersal Prince of the Romish Sea vnto whom onely are giuen the keyes of al maner iurisdiction The Romish Church hath taught thus Thâ—s hath it seemed good to the vniuersall Bishop who carieth about with him the holie Ghost within the cubbard of his breast These be the traditions of the holie fathers Ergo this is the Catholike Church In good fellowship gentle Reader what â—tronger force of illusion coulde possibly bee seene at any tyme In so maruelous a confusion of thicke and darkened clowdes what coulde bee more easie than for the vnlettered and vnskilful multitude to wander vppe and downe by whole heapes into any amazed errour whatsoeuer euen as a man hauing first pyked an others eyes out of his heade might easily leade him then to breake his necke where him lyâ—ted Herein vnlesse the most mightie Lorde Creator of all thinges and gouernoâ—r of all thinges looking downe from aboue had put to his helping hanâ—e in time what coulde all the Counsels of men agreeing togither in one all their forces and powers conspiring togither preuayle agaynst that so mightily forâ—ifyed force of popishe Monarchie by such a continuall course of succeeding yeares established the proofe whereof manie greate and probable argumentes haue heretofore declared For how often hath attemptes beeâ—e giuen euen of the most puissant Monarchies Kinges and Potentaâ—es of the worlde to snaffle this intollerable ambition of popane arrogancie yet voyd of al successe notwithstanding For immediatly vpon an assay made princes being sâ—aâ—ed eytâ—er through feare of further perill or lead on â—he blinde side by craâ—ty collusion or zeale of Religion or circumuented by trayterous reâ—cuâ—tyng of theyr Subiectes at home haue surceassed all the sorte of them â—rom further exploites Examples whereof albeit in number infinite may easily and readily â—ee vouched if out of Fraunce Germanie Cicilie Austriche â—e wâ—ulde reckon vp all and euery particular King and Emperâ—urâ— bearing the names of Phillip Lewes Otto Henry Fredericke as wee might yet passing ouer for this present forâ—aigne princes we wil coâ—tent ourselues with a brief Catologâ—e taken out of our natiâ—e Countrey Moâ—umâ—ntes suche as shal suâ—â—ice for this present purpose William of NormaÌ„die wearing the Croâ—n of this land .500 yeres agoe or very neere theraboutes this Romishe tyrannicall Ierarchie whereof I spake before began too growe somewhat more lofâ—ie then before against whose hauty arrogancy Henry the first of that name a learned and puissant Prince of courage beganne somewhat to bende his browes After whose death his successour Henry the second did set himself against the Pope in more forcible maâ—er But Pandolâ— the Popes Legate forthwith qualified the king Not long after succeeded Iohn king of Englande who was much more eagerly sharpened aâ—gaynst the Pope but this force preuailed nothing at al. After them reigned Henry the thirde of that name who mightâ—ly laboured to stay the Romishe money markettes exceeding all measure and meane within his owne kingdomes This was a woorthie enterprise certes well beseeming the noblenesse of a most worthie king But the inâ—atiable pride of the Pope gate the vpper hande notwithstanding King Henry hath his counsels quoth the Pope so haue I my councel also What shal we say to this that the same hath beene earnestly impugned by learned and graue diuines as wee finde recorded in Histories to call backe that moste insolent tyranny of that proude Peacocke to some meane and reasonable order wherein these also did but beate the ayre and loose their labour for either they were pricke foorthwith to prison or raked to recant or tormenâ—ed with tortures compelled to bee mute Amongest whom innumerable names of godly Martyres besides the Valdenses Albingenses Merindolanes Bohemias be registred of recorde What other cause procured the death of that godly martyr Ierome Sauouarolla whose worthie sermons published in the Italian tongue and printed at Uenice Italy it selfe to this day yet can in no wise digest What else was the destruction of those two Moonks burnt at Auynyon vnder Pope Innocent the sixth What other cause did consume to ashes WilliaÌ„ Sawtreâ— Swinderbie Thorpe Gâ—alter Bruite a very learned young man Iohn Badbie Lorde Cobham right honorable of parentage and infiniâ— others partakers of the same persecution What other matter raked out of graue Iohn Wicklife being buried long before In which Catalogue let bee numbred also whom for reuerence due vntoo them I may not forget Tauler Wesel Groningensis Hilton Isenua William de Sancto amore Nicholas Oremmus William LaudiueÌ„sis Iohn Poliacensis Armacan Peter de Vineis the Archbishoppe of Tullensis of whom Auentine maketh mention But I passe ouer these as being ouer auncient whom if I shuld rehearse by particularitiesâ— mine OratioÌ„ wold scarce find an end I wil draw neare to these yeeres wher with we be better acquainted in the which I knowe not by what meanes the impietie of this Romishe fury waxyng more rype in riot rusht abrode into the worlde but euen then chiefly whereas by your trayterous treacherie and mercilesse crueltie you haled too the sâ—ake the most worthie Father Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage â— partakers of the same Martyrdome vnder colour of SuÌ„mons to the Councell by the Emperors safe conduit with trayterous practice yee Romane Popes cannot deny to bee procured by your meanes If I demauÌ„d the cause of this tyranny what aunsweare wyll you make wherein had they offended what was theyr crime did they any way blasphemously abuse them selues agaynst the name of Christe nothing lesse But for that the good men moued in conscience in discharge of theyr faith and dutie durste aduenture to pinche the pride of the Pope To suche an vnspeakable outrage coupled with insatiable sauagenes was the vntreatable insolency of this Babylonicall struÌ„pet crawled vp at that season that neyther it might bee lawâ—ull for any person whatsoeuer once too dare quacke against her yea though he did so yet shoulde hee little preuaile Wherefore if that so mightie power and outstretched Dominion of your stately state the like whereof was neuer hearde of to beare sway on earth by any memory of man fortified and established with so great authoritie suche huge Hostes Armies Treasures Munitions Aliances Confederates wherof you were seased in so long continued a possession vnuanquishable almoste against all attemptes whatsoeuer hitherto seeme somewhat crazed nowe brought on knee I suppose by
be found which being famous raysed aloft as a citie builded vpon an high hill may bee seene of al people a farre of and ought to bee credited of all the Nations of the earth And bicause this shape of a Church can not be seene any where at this present but amongst that people and nation onely ouer whom the Bishop of Rome must be acknowledged for chief head hereof must it follow of necessitie That there is no true and glorious Church of Christ except this onely Romish Church and that al other Churches besides be foreiners infamous and no Churches at al as the which being not able to deriue any certenâ—ie of their discent and antiquity ought not in any respect beare the name of Christian Churches but must be accounted rather for dennes and conuenticles of heretiques And thus much nowe by the way touching the Church the treatie whereof God willing shall bee sette forth with larger discourse in other bokes hereafter This lesson in the meane â—pace will not bee amisse to bee foretolde That if it bee true that Christ himselfe did plainly pronounce that his kingdome was not of this worlde and this also as true which hee doth else where affirme that the things which doe seeme mightie and glorious to the iudgement of men are accounted for vile drosse and abhomination in the sight of God finally if the estate of the most holy Apostles and Martyrs of Christ was alwayes such as it became rather odious to the worlde then accepted or of any estimation that such as applied neerest to Christ were alwayes despised most and that the Disciple cannot bee greater than his maister certes it can not possibly bee that this Churche of the Pope so mightie and glorious in the worlde so renowmed and famous in worldly pompe and excâ—sse so magnified and fawned vpon with the wel likings and alliances of Princes should haue any affâ—nitie or alliance at all with Christ the onely head of the Church or any fellowship with the Apostles I come nowe to other partes of the Romish doctrine in the which the Papists do seeme no lesse Iewish then in the shaping and fashioning of their Church as I sayd before For if the doctrine of Paule bee most true where discoursing of the reiection of the Iewes that sought their iustification by the lawe he rendered a reason wherefore they could not attaine thereto Bycause sayth he they sought to be come righâ—eous not by faith but by workes Lâ—t vs see I pray you what else doth the Romish religion proclaime at this day then that wee oughâ— to make our way passable to heaueÌ„ by industrious works precepts of good life reposing the whole shoote anker of assured affiance trust in the same not bycause we beleue on him that doth iustifie the sinner but in doing workes of this life which do exclude all impietie How shall we say that the great Clearkes and Doctours which teach this such like doctrine do differ from naturall Iewishnesse If the Iewes seeking to be iustiâ—ied by woorkes were for this only cause cleane cut of from true rightuousnesse according to the testimonie of Paule what hope may they conceyâ—e at the length to attaine true rightuousnesse which thrusting faith into a corner do raise vppe the whole building of their iustification vpon that tickle and sandle foundation of workes But thou wilt say these men doe not so altogether abrogate fayth but that they couple her together with works by a necessarie and an inseparable coniunction I do know indeede that fayth is peraduenture in some estimation amongst them yet such an estimation this is as that they will in no wise yeeld vnto her her true dignitie and due place of estate For whereas no one thing is resiant in vs nor giueÌ„ vnto vs miserable wretches fâ—oÌ„ aboue that may make vs acceptable vnto God may obteine his fauour may cure our diseases may deliuer from the fetters and chaines of sinne may turne away wrath and vengeance may ouercome the worlde may crush in peeces the horrible tyrannie of death and the deuill may stande boldely and vnuanquishable in the face â—f hell gates finally which may ouerspreade vs poore forlorne caâ—â—iues drowned in the doung and durt of the earth with the gladsome sunneshine of heauenly life and vnspeakeable glorie of immortalitie besides this onely inestimable Iewel namely fayth in Christ in the which all our hope and riches togither with all the promises of God are fast locked vp as it were in a certaine Arke of couenant when as also the selfe same fayth linked and vnited togither with other vertues doth not onely farre surmount al those vertues in her singular excellencie and power but also of her owne force onely and alone satisfie and accomplish all the partes of our redemption yea and so accomplishe the same as that where she leadeth alwaies whole troups of most excellent vertues with her needeth not neuerthelesse any their helpe at al towards the procuring of Gods fauour I beseech you for the loue you beare to Christ what peruerse peuishnâ—sse and I know not whether more malicious or shamelesse impudencie of men is this I say of the false docâ—ors of Rome which being addicted to the Romish ragges seeme by a certaine destinie as it were borne of purpose for the vtter ouerthrowe of Christes Church so to embase this same faith in Christ euen vnder al other vertues as a very naked bare fruitlesse thing of it selfe as that they scarcely can finde in their heartes to graunt her any commendation in heauen or any place of acceptance in earth For what else doe these wordes of theirs import wherewith they tearme this fayth onely onely rashnesse yea and no fayth at al but impudencie temeritie and arrogancie Where they affirme the Gospel whereof we make mention to be sediâ—ious full of fraude and deceyte Moreouer where in all their bookes and writings they doe so vtterly suppresse this fayth of Christ as that they dare presume to say that there is no passable way to heauen but that which is purchased with holy workes and most excellent integritie of life I will couple herewith though not out of the foresayd Authour but out of the publike instrument and decree of the late Tridentine Councell In which Councell whereas those gay iolly gallants did most filthily erre in many thinges yet played they not the Philosophers in any one decree more perilously then where they vttered their Stoicall opinion in the doctrine of Iustification by Christ. Which being proclaymed vnto vs throughout the whole tenour of the Scriptures to bee freely giuen without all mediation of any other thing besides the onely promise of God through fayth in Iesus Christ our Lorde contrariwise those gracious fathers do so iumble and wrappe vp this grace of God full of sauing health and freely offered wholy replenished with most comfortable consolation and safety in one hotchpot mingled as it were with
their beggerly byhang decrees as that they shame not to denie That the Gospel is the only and absolute promise of eterternal life without any condition of obseruing the law and the coÌ„maundements of God and again that our iustification doth consist not of the free fauour of the Lord not of gracious imputation not of onely râ—mission of sinnes but of holinesse and of renuing the inward man through voluntarie acceptaunce of grace for so they speake and of spiritual giftes whereby we are not only reputed but also are called and be truly righteous in deede euery man receyuing of himselfe his owne rightuousnesse not by any other meane ne yet that rightuousnesse properly which is of Christ Iesus but which is proper and peculiar to euerie particular person himself By meanes wherof it commeth to passe that faith vnlesse she be accompanied with hope as they say and charitie doth not vnite any person vnto Christ perfectly nor is able to make any man to bee a liuely member of his bodie Neither are those other fables any whit more sauâ—â—ie which those graue Tridentine BeÌ„chers haue dreamed of workes and eternal life For although fayth as wee confesse be for many great and vrgent causes with charitie by a certain necessarie and vnseparable coupling togither of most absolute societie for what is more â—greeable to conuenience of reason then that these which be endued with a through feeling of their renuing in Christ vnto euerlasting life of their free admission into heauen should after so many so manifold benefites receiued not shew theÌ„selues vnthankful nor disobedient should not welter in fleshly appetites shuld not be caried away with the tickling delights of this world should not be drowned in carelesse securitie nor slumber in slouth but so fashion and frame themselues as men enflamed with a voluntary serious earnest cheerfulnes of mind should not slacke any point of most industrious endeuor to serue the Lord faithfully shoulde commit no accion whatsoeuer to the preiudice and hurt of his neighbor Admit I say that we grauÌ„t all these to bee as they bee in verie deede most true and withall confesse such an vnauoydable and necessarie coniunction betwixt them that fayth neyther possibly can nor ought in any wise be sequestred from godly conuersation of life what theÌ„ Shal we therfore yeeld ouer to good works this most souerain benefit of euerlasting life which the heauenly Maiestie hath vouchsafed to be free by the onely free mercie of God as the proper and peculiar ofâ—ice of fayth and adnihilate make frustrate the grace of God So that mans obedience shall be an esâ—oppell to Gods mercie so that the lawe shall foreclose the Gospel and merit be an hinderaÌ„ce preiudice to grace But where did these famous Clearkes learne this Logike so to iumble and choppe the verie things themselues which differ so farre asunder in their endes and effectes and to make such a confused mingle mangle of them in one lump as it were without al order without any respect of choise as the Cooke sâ—irreth his pottage about What bicause fayth doth alwayes associate her self and is delighted with the sweete and ioyful felowship of most excellent vertues worketh alwayes through loue shall shee therefore not be alone in iustifying bycause she is fruitfull and industrious in woorking or shall shee therefore not onely and alone iustifie vs in heauen without woorkes bicause shee is full of woorkes on earth Or when shee dooth iustifie vs in heauen before Godâ— shall this our iustification bee therefore sayde to bee ascribed to anie our charitie or vnto Iesus Christ in respect of any reward or of the only gift of God for any our merit or deseruing of works or of the free promise of god If God doe accomplish the whole action of our iustification for his promise sake with what scriptures at the length will these Romish Rabbines vnderprop that their ruynous relike shrined in their notable Councel of Trent for a matter vnreprouable whereby they giue the worlde to vnderstande That eternal life is to be proclaymed to them that be good workers Again where they giue out that by the promise of God eternal life shall bee rendered to good woorkes as an vndoubted rewarde But where did God euer make anie such promise that the heauenly inheritaunce shoulde be giuen vpon any such condition as a rewarde vnto them which shall offer themselues vnto the dreadfull Assise of the high Iudge with a white stoale as they tearme it of vndefiled renouation For suche is the doctrine of these graue Fathers which kind of doctrine if bee too bee admitted for infallible I beseeche you what neede is there of Christe or his Gospell sithens men may so easily climbe vp into the kingdome of heauen by woorkes as it were by a paire of stayres yea to what purpose then serueth that which Saint Paule doth so earnestly and so often plod vpon That life euerlasting is the gyft of God not of any worke least any man should boast himselfe Our Lorde and Sauiour Christe vndoubtedly dyd instruct vs in his Gospell farre other wise then these Lordly Fathers as the which hath directed the onely way to heauen not to passe thither by woorkes but by faith He that beleeueth in me sayth he hath life euerlasting Againe setting downe a speciall marke promiseth That he that seeth the Sonne and beleeueth on him shall haue life euerlasting And redoubling the same promise else where He that beleeueth in mee shall not die for euer And why rather did he not vse these speaches with these gay woorkemaisters To wit that they which did lead heere in this worlde an holy and vpright life ful of good woorkes shoulde thereby purchase heauen What then because all thinges bee ascribed vntoo faith passing ouer all mention of woorkes shal we therfore condemne this doctrine as an vtter aduersary too works making no estimate of holy and vertuous liuing God forbid But these Romanists ouermuch sweating and moyling in theyr Summularies Sententionaries Decretaries Thomists and resolutions and I had almoste saide altogeather blinded in theyr Philosophicall quiddities doe not conceiue aright of the heauenly purpose and meaning of Christe neither do they sufficiently enter into due consideration of the purpose force and inwarde kernell of the Euangelicall Philosophie neyther do discerne the difference betwixt the Lawe and the Gospell as they ought to doe For whereas the whole force of the lawe consisteth in prescribing certaine rules whereby this transitorie life may be directed in holynes integritie whereby may be knowne what is to be ensued and what to be eschewed by what meanes Gods wrath kindled against vs may bee pacified and howe his punishmentes and corrections may be mitigated and in what wise other inconueniences and calamities of this life may eyther be â—urned quite away or otherwise quallified by petition And where as on the other side that othâ—r
Who as is only holy who only as hath power of life and death and of al authoritie in heauen and earth so is he onely alone able to beâ—â—ow his graces vpon whom he will being tyed to none nor holden bound to any law Nowe therefore sith by his glorious Gospel as by the antentique seale of his euerlasting wil he hath deliuered vnto vs so manifest and determinate a demonstration of his vnchangeable will witnessing thereby That whosoeuer beleâ—ueth in him shal of his gift enioy euerlasting life and the glory of his kinâ—dome what may godly ministers doe in discharge of theyr function more duetifully but by faithfull proclaiming theyr commission to put in executioÌ„ the charge committed vnto them by their Lorde and Maister What and wil the Pope of Rome with his councell of Trident require vs to renounce the Gospel of Christ and to post ouer vpon their pelting war raâ—mâ— the crowne of glory to the lawe of workes which Christe hath already warranted too faith yea will they haue vs so saucie as to challendge them as a duetie which Christe assured to all of free gift or do these holy fathers thinke it to bee reasonable that we shoulde hearken vnto them rather then vnto Christe Christe doeth very plainly and expresly set downe in the Gospell Thy faith hath made thee whole And shal we say on the contrary part Thy workes hath made thee whole Christ saith Beleeue onlyâ— al things are possible to him that beleeueth And shal we turning the cart before the horse yeelding chiefe preheminence to works promise al things to become possible to them that worke and not to them that beleeue only I beseech you what notable peece of worke wrought they towards the curing of their maladies which were commaunded but to lift vp their eies only and too looke earnestly vpon the brasen Serpent Finally where the holsome doctrine of the gladsome Gospel seemeth to enterlace heere and there many graue and weightie councels to the embracing of most absolute integritie to prescribe many â—ules to allure to liue wel If a man would discend into the due consideration of the end scope of the Euangelicall exhortatioÌ„s he shal find nothing y t doth more nearely resemble the meaning purpose of Christ our Sauior that doth approch more neerely to the direct end of al his speaches actions myracles then this one thing chiefly aboue al other namely to draw all men to faith the knowledge of Christ as who did very wel know that all our safetie righteousnesse doth depende wholy vpon this only faith in him Paul likewise treating vpon nothing else almost throughout al his Epistles how learnedly how industrioâ—sly doth he vrge al his force of skil to acquaint vs throughly with this doctrine that the whole substance of our saluation strongest piller of our righteousnes was grouÌ„ded not vpon the saâ—des of y e law not propt vp w t the slimie morter of works not raised vp w t any our sweating or moyling but promysed by the free mercy of god accomplished by the only workmaÌ„ship of Christ geuen receiued through our only faith and beliefe in him and yet not excluding meane whiles the works of the law so as they might not be alwaies attendaunt vppon the man that is iustified as fruites and effects of faith but that they shuld in no wise be taken for the original cause of iustification and againe neither making this cause of iustificatioÌ„ to depeÌ„d so wholy vpoÌ„ faith as that we might therfore slacke any part of our dutie in doing good al the rest of our life But to the end we shuld not be carried away with vaine confidence of works nor grounde our righteousnesse which wee receiue only at Christes handes else where in the only faith in Iesus Christe And for this cause Of faith saith S. Paule that the promise might be made sure by grace which otherwyse woulde bee alwaies whirled aboute in vnstable vncertaintie if it rested wholy vppon perfection of workes and by the same meanes woulde it come too passe withal that the promise should be thrust cleane out of credite For if we bee adopted into inheritance by the law then is faith become void the promise is of none effect â— which the Apostle doth with like phrase of speache vrge againe in his Epistle to Titus For iâ— inheritaunce come by the law sayth he then not of promise nowe And againe to the Romanes to the same effect If of grace then not of workes now otherwise grace shuld not be graceâ— And why so I pray you is it because the law is so manifestly repugnaÌ„t against the promise or that grace is so dirâ—ctly contrary to good works as that they cannot come togegether vnder one roofe but the one wyll stiffle vp the other Let vs heare the answere of the Apostle God forbid that any man shal thus think with himselfe that there is any such mortal enmitie betwixt grace good works as that who so cleaueth to grace must foorthwith become a deadly foe to good works or as though who so take holde of the promises of God the same may in no wise walk in the coÌ„mauÌ„dements of the law For what can be more familiar together theÌ„ the grace of god the fruits of good works Who was stronger in faith then AbrahaÌ„ who more excellent then he in all maner of vertues Grace and good works therfore doth not simply differ ech froÌ„ other but acording to the diuersity of the obiect wherunto they be referred Wherfore the state of the question must be aduisedly coÌ„sideratly noted For the question in this place doth not tend heereunto whether the person that is alredy inuested in the inheritance of grace ought to liue welâ— but how the possessioÌ„ of this inheritance may be woÌ„ne namely whether it come of free gift to the vnworthie or to theÌ„ that deserue it by force of the lawe or by promise for any respect of works or of the speciall and onely benefite of faith without workes Here loe the shamelesse sacriledge of the Popes iuggling bewrayeth it self which directly against the authoritie of Gods worde would vnder a very sâ—ye and suttle but most pernicious pretâ—nce of magnifying and establishing the commaundementes of God restreigne against al equitie right al whatsoeuer Christ his Apostles and the most euident meaning of the holy Ghost vouchsafed to endue poore forlorne man with all of very free and franke liberalitie for the incredible comfort and coâ—solation of the godly to the slippery state of miserable workes From out which one platfourme very ill fauouredly framed it is incredible to be spoken what rotten ruinâ—s haue ensued what monstruous superstitâ—on what beggerly and patched religion and howe troublesome a confusion of doctrine hath heretofore too to long preuailed against Gods church yea euen to this day doth holde captiue miserably entangle the coÌ„sciences of