Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	unity_n	1,522	5	9.2638	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

his onely begotten and deare-beloued Son to the faithfull soule which hath not any other thing peculiar of her owne saue onely sinne and yet the Sonne of God hath not disdained to take her for his wel-beloued Spouse together with her peculiar dowry which is sinne And now by reason of the vnion which is in this holy marriage looke what the one hath is also the others Iesus Christ therefore saith thus The dowry of mans soule my deare wife that is to wit her sinnes and transgressings of the Law Gods wrath against her the boldnesse of the diuell ouer her the prison of hell and all other her euils are become mine and are in my power to doe what I list with them Wherefore it is at my choice to deale with them at my pleasure and therefore I will put out the hand-writing which is against the soule my wife I will take it out of the way I will fasten it to my crosse in mine owne body and in the same will I spoile principalities and powers and make a shew of them openly and triumph ouer them and consume them vtterly vnto nothing Now when God saw his Sonne who knew no sinne neither had any sinne in him thus willingly taking on him the foulenesse of our iniquity he made him to be sinne for vs euen the very sacrifice for our sinne and did sharply punish our sinne in him putting him to death euen the death of the Crosse Howbeit forasmuch as he was his wel-beloued and obedient Sonne he would not leaue him to death nor suffer his holy One to see corruption but raised him vp from death to life giuing him all power in heauen and earth and set him at his right hand in glory Now then the wife likewise with exceeding great ioy doth say The Realmes and Kingdomes of my most deare husband and Sauiour are mine by him I am an heire of Heauen my husbands riches that is to wit his holinesse his innocency his righteousnesse and his Godhead together with all his vertue and might are mine and for me and therefore in him I am holy innocent righteous and godly and there is not any spot in me I am well-fauoured and faire inasmuch as my lawfull husband hath not any blemish in him but is altogether goodly faire And sith that he is wholly mine and so consequently all that he hath is mine and all that he hath is pure and holy it followeth that I also am pure and holy Therefore to begin at his most innocent birth he hath thereby sanctified the birth of his Spouse conceiued in sinne The godly child-hood and youth of the Bridegroome hath iustified the childish and youthfull life of his dearely beloued Bride For the loue and vnion that is betwixt the soule of a true Christian and the Bridegroome Iesus Christ maketh all the workes of either of them to be common to them both By reason whereof when a man saith Iesus Christ hath fasted Iesus Christ hath prayed Iesus Christ was heard of the Father raised the dead draue diuels out of men healed the sicke dyed rose againe and ascended into Heauen Likewise a man may say that a Christian man hath done all the selfe-same workes forsomuch as the workes of Christ are the workes of the Christian because hath done them for him Verily a man may say that the Christian hath bin nailed to the Crosse buried raised againe is gone vp into heauen become the child of God and made partaker of the Godhead On the other side all the works that a Christian man doth are Christs workes because it is his will to take them for his And forasmuch as they be vnperfect and he throughly perfect and cannot away with any vnperfect thing he hath made them perfect with his vertues to the end that his wife should be alwayes ioyfull and well contented and not be afraid of any thing assuring her selfe that although there be yet still some default in her workes yet notwithstanding they be acceptable to God in respect of his Sonne vpon whom he hath his eyes alwayes fastened O that vnmeasurable goodnesse of God! How greatly is the Christian bound vnto God there is no loue of man be it neuer so great that may be compared with the loue that God beareth to the soule of euery faithfull Christian whereof Christ is the Bridegroome Whereupon S. Paul saith that Iesus Christ hath so loued his wife the Church which is builded of liuing stones that is of the soules of the beleeuing Christians that for to sanctifie her he hath offered himselfe to the death of the Crosse cleansing her with the washing of water by his Word to ioyne her to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or other like thing but that she should be holy and vnblameable that is to wit like vnto him in holinesse and innocency and also bee the true and lawfull daughter of God who hath loued the world so well that as Iesus Christ himselfe saith hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne to the end that euery one which beleeued in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting For God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but to the end that the World might be saued by him insomuch that hee which beleeueth in him shall not be damned Some man might demand after what manner the vnion of this holy Marriage is made and how the Soule which is the Bride and her Bridegroome Iesus Christ are knit together What assurance can I haue that my soule is vnited vnto Iesus Christ and become his Spouse How can I assuredly glory that I am Queene and Mistresse of his great riches as a wife may I can easily beleeue that other folkes shall receiue this honour and glory but I cannot perswade my selfe that I am one of those same to whom God hath giuen so great grace For I know mine owne wretchednesse imperfection My deare-beloued brother I answer thee that thine assurance consisteth in true and liuely faith wherewith as S. Peter saith God cleanseth mens hearts And this faith is grounded in the beleeuing of the Gospell that is to say in the beleeuing of the glad tidings which haue bin published on Gods behalfe thorow the whole world which tidings containeth in effect that God hath vsed the rigorousnesse of his iustice against Iesus Christ chastising and punishing all our sinnes in him And whosoeuer receiueth this good tidings and beleeues it stedfastly hath the true faith and doth enioy the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and is also reconciled vnto God and of the child of wrath is become the child of Grace and recouering the Image of God entreth into the Kingdome of God and is made the Temple of God who marrieth mans soule to his onely Sonne by the meane of this faith which faith is a worke of God and the gift of God as S. Paul saith oftentimes And God giueth it vnto those whom he calleth to him

to Paradise By this false conclusion thou mayest know my brother in what an errour thou art for thou weenest to haue the faith that maketh men righteous and thou hast it not Thou sayest thou art rich and hast no need of any thing and thou seest not how thou art poore wretched blind and naked I counsell to buy gold of God that is throughly fixed with fire that is to say true faith set on fire with good works to the intent thou mayest become rich and to cloath thy selfe with white rayment that is to wit with Christs innocency to the end that the shame of thy nakednesse which is the great filthinesse of thy sins be not seene to the whole world Then is the iustifying faith as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast forth brightnesse And like as the flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore like as if we see a flame of fire that giueth no light we know by and by that it is but vaine and painted euen so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that he hath not the true inspired faith which God giueth to his chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for certaine that S. Iames meant so when hee said Shew me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes For his meaning was that he which is plunged in ambitiousnesse and worldly pleasures beleeueth not though he say he beleeue forasmuch as he sheweth not in himselfe the effects of faith Also we may liken this holy faith to the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ who being very man but without sin did wonderfull things healing the sicke giuing sight to the blind walking vpon the water and raising vp the dead vnto life againe and yet these marueilous workes were not the cause that he was God For before he did any of those things he was God and the lawfull and onely begotten Son of God and he need not to worke those miracles to make himselfe God by them but forasmuch as he was God therefore he did them And so the miracles that Christ wrought made him not to be God but shewed openly that he was God In like wise true faith is as it were a Godhead in the soule of a Christian which doth wondrous workes and is neuer weary of well-doing and yet those workes are not the cause that a Christian is a Christian that is to wit that he is righteous good holy and acceptable vnto God neither needeth he to worke all those good workes to become such a one But forasmuch as hee is a Christian by faith like as Iesus Christ being a man was also God by his Godhead he doth all those good workes which make not the Christian to be righteous and good but shew him to bee good righteous and holy So then like as Christs Godhead was the cause that he wrought miracies euen so faith working through loue is the cause of the good workes that a Christian man doth And like as a man may say of Iesus Christ that he hath done this miracle or that and that those miracles besides that they glorified God were also a great honor vnto Iesus Christ as he was man who for his obedience euen vnto death was recompenced at Gods hand in his resurrection and had giuen vnto him all power both in heauen and earth which he had not afore as in respect of his manhood but deserued it by the vnion which is betwixt the Word of God and the manhood of Christ So doth faith in a Christian which faith by reason of the vnion that it hath with the soule attributeth that thing to the one which is proper to the other whereupon it commeth that the holy Scripture promiseth the Christian euerlasting life for his good works because good works are the fruits and testimonies of liuely faith and proceed of it as light proceedeth from a flame of fire according as I haue said heretofore And by this holy faith which imbraceth Iesus Christ it comes to passe that our soule is ioyned with Christ and is so vnited and knit to him that whatsoeuer Christ hath merited and deserued the same is imputed vnto the soule as though it had merited and deserued it And therefore S. Austin saith that God crowneth his owne gifts in vs. Of this vnion of the soule with Iesus Christ Christ himselfe beareth good record where hee prayeth to his Father for his Apostles and for such as should beleeue in him by their preaching I pray not saith he for them onely but also for all those that shall beleeue in me through their word to the end they may be all one thing that like as thou my Father art in me and I in thee so they also may be one in vs and that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and that I haue giuen them the glory which thou hast giuen me so as they should be one selfe-fame thing like as thou and I are one Whereby it appeareth euidently that if we beleeue the word of the Apostles who preached that Iesus Christ dyed for our sins rose againe for our iustification we become all one thing with him and forasmuch as he is all one with God we also become all one with God by the meane of Iesus Christ O wonderfull glory of the Christian to whom it is granted through faith to possesse the vnspeakeable benefits which the Angels long to behold By this present discourse a man may plainely perceiue the difference that is betwixt vs them that defend the iustification by faith and workes together Herein we agree with thē that we stablish works affirming that the faith which iustifieth cannot be without good workes and that those which are become righteous are they that doe the good workes that may rightly be called good workes But we differ from them in this that we say that faith maketh men righteous without the helpe of workes And the reason is ready namely because that by faith we put on Christ make his holinesse and righteousnesse to be ours And seeing the case so standeth that Christs righteousnesse is giuen vs by faith We cannot be so thanklesse blind and vnhappy as not to beleeue that he is of sufficient ability to make vs acceptable and right before God Let vs say with the Apostle If the bloud of Oxen and Goats and the Ashes of a Cow sprinkled cleanseth the vncleane as touching the cleansing of the flesh how much more shall that bloud of Iesus Christ who by the euerlasting spirit offered himselfe vndefiled vnto God to cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God

Baptisme we put on Iesus Christ as the Apostle S. Paul affirmeth and consequently we be made partakers of his righteousnesse and of all his goods and vnder this precious robe the sinnes that our frailty committeth lye hidden and couered and are not imputed vnto vs. And so according as S. Paul saith the blessednesse which the Psalmist speaketh of appertaineth to vs namely Blessed are they whose misdoings are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne But it standeth a Christian in hand to take good heed that vpon these words he take no liberty to sinne for this doctrine belongeth to none such as honour themselues with the name of Christians confessing Christ with their mouth and yet deny him in their deeds But it concerneth the true Christians who though they fight manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell doe notwithstanding fall daily and are constrained to say Lord forgiue vs our offences These are they to whom we speake to comfort them and to hold them vp that they fall not into despaire as though the bloud of Christ washed vs not from all sinne and that hee were not our aduocate and the atonement-maker for his members And therefore when we be prouoked to doubt of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that our owne conscience beginneth to trouble vs then must we furnish our selues with true faith and out of hand haue recourse to the precious bloud of Iesus Christ shed for vs vpon the altar of the Crosse and distributed to his Apostles at his last Supper vnder the veile of a most holy Sacrament which was ordained by Christ to the end that we should celebrate the remembrance of his death and that by the same visible Sacrament our troubled consciences might be assured of our atonement with God The blessed Iesus Christ made his last Will when he said This is my body which is giuen for you and This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes We know that a Testament saith Saint Paul although it be but a mans Testament yet neuerthelesse if it be allowed no man despiseth it or addeth any thing to it and that no Testament is of force till the Testator be dead but hath full power after the parties decease Then did Iesus Christ make his Testament wherein he promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and the grace and good fauour of himselfe and his Father together with mercy and euerlasting life And to the intent that the said Testament should be of full force he hath confirmed it with his owne precious blood and with his owne death By reason whereof Saint Paul saith that Iesus Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament that by his dying for the redemption of those transgressions which were in the former Testament they that are called might receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance For wheresoeuer is a Testament there must also be the death of the Testator for the Testament is confirmed by the death of the party insomuch as it is of no value so long as the maker of it is aliue Wherefore we be very certaine and assured by the death of Iesus Christ that his Testament is auaileable whereby all our mis-deeds are pardoned and we made heires of eternall life And for a token and faithfull pledge hereof in stead of a Seale he hath left vs this diuine Sacrament which not onely giueth our soules assured hope of their euerlasting Saluation but also warranteth vnto vs that immortality of our flesh forasmuch as it is euen now quickned by that immortall flesh of his and in a certaine manner becommeth partaker of the immortality thereof and he that is partaker of that diuine flesh by faith shall not perish for euer But vnto him that receiueth it without the said faith it turneth to a dangerous poyson because that like as when bodily sustenance findeth the stomacke incumbred with euill humors it corrupteth likewise and worketh great annoyance euen so if this spirituall food light into a sinfull soule that is full of malice and mis-beliefe it casteth it headlong into some greater ruine not through it owne default but because that to the vncleane and vnbeleeuer all things are vncleane notwithstanding that the things bee sanctified by the Lords blessing For saith Saint Paul hee that eateth of that bread and drinketh of that cup vnworthily is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord and he eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lords Body For he maketh no difference of the Lords Body which presumeth to the Lords Supper without faith and charity And forasmuch as he beleeueth not that Body to be his life and the cleanser of all his sinnes he maketh Iesus Christ a lyer and treadeth the Sonne of God vnder foot and esteemeth the bloud of the Testament whereby hee was sanctified but as a common or worldly thing and doth great wrong to the Spirit of grace and he shall be punished very sore at Gods hand for this his vnbeliefe and wicked hypocrisie For whereas he reposeth not that trust of his iustification in the passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ yet neuerthelesse he receiueth this most holy Sacrament and maketh protestation that he putteth not his trust in any other thing Whereby he accuseth himselfe and is a witnesse of his owne iniquity and condemneth himselfe to euerlasting death by refusing the life which God promiseth him in that holy Sacrament And in this point when the Christian feeleth that his enemies are like to ouercome him that is to wit when he beginneth to doubt whether he haue receiued forgiuenesse of his sinnes by Iesus Christ and that he shall not be able to withstand the diuell and his temptations and that the accusation of his owne doubtfull conscience comes to presse him so as he beginneth to feare lest hell fire should swallow him vp and death hold him in his euerlasting bands by reason of Gods Wrath I say when the good Christian feeleth himselfe in such agony Let him get him to his holy Sacrament with a good heart and stout courage and receiue it deuoutly saying in his heart and answering his enemies thus I confesse I haue deserued a thousand hels and euerlasting death by reason of the great sinnes which I haue committed But this heauenly Sacrament which I receiue at that present assureth me of the forgiuenesse of all my misdoings and of mine atonement with God For if I haue an eye to my workes there is no doubt but I acknowledge my selfe a sinner and condemne mine owne selfe in such wise as my conscience should neuer bee quiet if I should thinke that my sinnes are pardoned me for my workes sake But when I looke to the promises and couenants of God who promiseth mee forgiuenesse of my sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ I

am as sure that I haue obtained it and that I haue his fauour as I am sure that hee which hath made the promises and couenants cannot lye nor deceiue and through this stedfast faith I become righteous by Christs righteousnesse where through I am saued and my conscience quieted Hath he not giuen his most innocent body into the hands of sinners for our sinnes Hath hee not shed his blood to wash away my iniquities Why then doest thou vexe thy selfe O my soule put thy trust in the Lord who beareth thee so great loue that to deliuer thee from eternall death it hath pleased him that his only Sonne should suffer death and passion who hath taken vpon himselfe our pouertie to giue vs his riches laid our weakenesse vpon himselfe to stablish vs in his strength become mortall to make vs immortall come downe vnto the earth to aduance vs vp to heauen and become the Sonne of man with vs to make vs the children of God with himselfe Who is he then that shall accuse vs God is he that iustifieth vs and who shall condemne vs Iesus Christ is dead for vs yea and risen againe for vs and he sitteth at the right hand of God making Intercession for vs. Wherefore say with Dauid Why art thou heauy O my soule and why doest thou trouble mee doest thou see nothing but the Law sinne wrath heauinesse death hell and the diuell Is there not now to be seene Grace remission of sinnes Righteousnesse Consolation Ioy Peace Life Heauen Christ and God Trouble mee no more then O my soule for what is the Law what is sinne what is death and the diuell in comparison of these things Therefore trust in God who hath not spared his owne deare Sonne but giuen him to the death of the crosse for thy sinnes and hath giuen thee victory through him This is the sweet doctrine of the Gospell which I desire that all Christians could receiue with Thanksgiuing and an assured faith for then would Christ be nothing but Ioy and sweetnesse to them then would they take heart in the victory of Christs death who indeed was made a curse for vs subiect to wrath putting vpon him our person and laid our sinnes vpon his owne shoulders and he hath made with vs this happy change that is to say hee tooke vpon him our sinfull person and gaue vnto vs his innocent and victorious person wherewith wee being now cloathed are free from the curse of the Law And therefore may euery poore sinner say with an assured confidence Thou Christ art my sinne and my curse or rather I am thy sinne and thy curse and contrariwise thou art my Righteousnesse my Blessing and my Life my Grace of God and my Heauen And thus if wee by faith doe behold this brazen Serpent Christ hanging vpon the Crosse wee shall see the Law sinne death the diuell and hell killed by his death and so may with the Apostle Paul sing that ioying heart Dittie Thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ And so with these Thankesgiuings with these or such other like thoughts must wee receiue the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ After this manner is all fearefulnesse driuen out of the soule of the Christian and charitie is increased faith strengthened the conscience quieted and the tongue neuer ceaseth to praise God and to yeeld him infinite thanks for so great a benefit This is the vertue efficacie and only trust of our soule This is the Rocke whereupon if the conscience bee builded it feareth neither tempest nor the gates of hell nor Gods wrath nor the Law nor sinne nor death nor the diuels nor any other thing And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords Supper and Table consisteth in this diuine Sacrament When the Christian is at it he must hold his eyes fastened continually vpon the passion of our gracious Sauiour beholding him on the one side vpon the crosse loden with all our sinnes and GOD on the other side punishing chastising and whipping his owne onely begotten and deare beloued Sonne in stead of vs. O happy is that man that shutteth his eyes from all other sights and will neither heare nor see any other thing then Iesus Christ crucified in whom are laid vp and bestowed all the treasures of Gods wisedome and diuine knowledge Blessed say I is he that feedeth his minde with so heauenly a food and maketh himselfe drunken in the loue of God with so sweet and singular a liquor But before I make an end of this matter I will first aduertise the Christian that Saint Austin hath ordinarily beene wont to terme this holy Sacrament the bond of charitie and the mystery of vnitie And hee saith that whosoeuer receiueth the mystery of vnitie and regardeth not the bond of peace receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behoofe but as a witnesse against himselfe Therefore wee must vnderstand that the Lord hath ordained this holy Sacrament not only to make vs sure of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but also to inflame vs to peace vnitie and brotherly charitie For in this Sacrament the Lord doth after such a manner make vs partakers of his body as hee becommeth all one thing with vs and wee with him By reason whereof forasmuch as hee hath but one body whereof hee maketh vs partakers it is meet that we also should by such partaking become all one body together among our selues And this vnion is represented by the bread of the Sacrament which as it is made of many graines mingled and kneaded together in such wise as one of them cannot bee discerned from another So also must we bee ioyned together after such a sort and so vnited together into one agreement of minde as no diuision may creepe in And this doth Saint Paul shew vs when he saith Is not the cup of blessing which wee blesse the communion of the blood of Iesus Christ is not the bread that wee breake the communion of the body of Iesus Christ whereas we be many yet are wee but one bread and one body forsomuch as we be all partakers of one bread By these things we vnderstand that when we receiue his most holy communion wee must consider that wee are all of vs ingrafted into Christ and are all become members of one selfe-same body that is to wit of Iesus Christ in such wise as we cannot offend defame or despise any of our brethren but we must therewithall offend defame and despise our said head Iesus Christ neither can we be at variance with any of our brethren but in like wise we must be at oddes with him Also we cannot loue him except wee loue him in our brethren Looke how much care we haue of our owne body so much must we haue of our Christian brethren who are the members of our body And like as no part of our body feeleth any griefe which spreadeth not it selfe into

me To answer to these doubts of thine I say my right deare brother that thou must assure thy selfe that all these are but temptations of the diuell who by all meanes seeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faith and assureth vs of Gods good will towards vs. He laboureth to strip our soules out of this precious garment for he knoweth that none is a true Christian except he beleeue Gods Word which promiseth forgiuenesse of all sinnes and peace to all them which accept the grace of the Gospel Verily I say that he which vpon these promises of God perswadeth not himselfe assuredly that God is a mercifull and louing Father vnto him nor with stedfast confidence looketh to receiue the inheritance of the heauenly Kingdome at his hand is not faithfull in deed and maketh himselfe vtterly vnworthy of Gods Grace In respect whereof S. Paul saith that we be the Temple of God so far forth as we firmely maintaine the confidence and glory of our hope vnto the end And in another place he exhorteth that we should not giue ouer our trust which hath great reward of recompence And therefore my brethren let vs giue our whole endeauour to do the Will of God as it becommeth good children and beware that we sin not as neere as we can And although we fall oftentimes into sin through our owne frailty yet let vs not by and by surmize that we bee vessels of wrath or that we be vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghost for we haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before Gud the Father and he is the atonement-maker for our sinnes Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of S. Austin who saith that none of the Saints is righteous and without sinne and yet notwithstanding that he ceaseth not to be righteous and holy so farreforth as he retaines his holinesse with affection And therefore if we haue afflictions and tribulations let vs not thinke that God sends them because he is our enemy but because he is our most louing Father The Lord saith Salomon chastiseth him whom he loueth and scourgeth euery child of his whom he receiueth Wherefore if we haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell whereby man is receiued of God for his Child we must not doubt of Gods grace and good will towards vs. And when wee perceiue our selues to delight in Gods Word and to haue a desire to follow the life of Iesus Christ we must stedfastly beleeue that we be the children of God and the Temple of the holy Ghost for those things cannot be done by the power of mans wisedome but are the gifts of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in vs by faith and is as it were a seale of authority which sealeth vp Gods promises in our hearts the certainety whereof is printed aforehand in our minds and is giuen vs as a pledge to stablish and confirme the same As soone as you beleeue saith the Apostle S. Paul ye be sealed by the holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest peny of our inheritance Behold how he sheweth vs hereby that the hearts of the faithfull are marked with the holy Ghost as it were with a seale in respect whereof he calleth the holy Ghost The Spirit of promise forsomuch as he confirmeth the promise of the Gospell the which as I haue oftentimes told you is a happy tydings that promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life to all such as beleeue that all their misdoings are blotted out in Iesus Christ All we that beleeue in Iesus Christ saith Saint Paul are become the children of God and because we be his children he hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our heart which cryeth Father Father And to the Romanes Those saith hee that are guided by the Spirit of God are the children of God for yee haue not receiued againe the spirit of bondage in feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father For certainely the same Spirit beareth our spirit record that we be the children of God Now then if we be children we be also heires And we must marke well that in these two places the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely not of any speciall reuelation but of a certaine record which the holy Ghost doth commonly yeeld to all such as receiue the grace of the Gospell Then if the holy Ghost assure vs that we be Gods children and heires why should we doubt of our predestination The same man saith in the same Epistle Whom he hath predestinated them hath he also called and whom he hath called them hath he also made righteous and whom he hath made righteous them also hath he glorified What shall we then say to all these things If God be on our side who can be against vs And therefore if I plainely perceiue that God hath called me by giuing me faith and the fruits of faith that is to wit Peace of conscience mortification of the flesh and quickning of the spirit whether it be in whole or in part why should I doubt that I am not predestinated And moreouer we say with S. Paul that all true Christians that is to wit all such as beleeue the Gospell receiue not the spirit of this world but the Spirit that commeth from God by the inspiration whereof they discerne the things that God hath giuen them What maruell then is it if wee know that God hath certainly giuen vs euerlasting life But there are some which say that no man ought to presume so farre as to boast himselfe to haue the Spirit of God They speake in such wise as if the Christian should glory of the hauing of it for his owne deserts and not by the onely and meere mercy of God and as though it were a presumptuousnesse to professe himselfe a Christian or as though a man could bee a Christian without the hauing of Christs Spirit or as though we could without flat hypocrisie say that Iesus Christ is our Lord or call God our Father if the holy Ghost mooued not our hearts and tongues to vtter so sweet words And yet notwithstanding euen they that count vs presumptuous for saying that God hath giuen vs his holy Spirit with faith forbid vs not to say euery day Our Father but rather command vs. But I would haue them to tell mee how it is possible to separate faith and the holy Ghost asunder seeing that faith is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost If it be presumption to beleeue that the holy Ghost is in vs why doth Saint Paul bid the Corinthians try themselues whether they haue faith or no affirming them to bee reprobates if they know not that Iesus Christ is in them But in very deed it is a great blindnesse to accuse the Christians of presumptuousnesse for taking vpon them to glory of the presence of the holy Ghost without which glorying there cannot bee any Christianity at all But Iesus Christ

Iesus Christ doe continually reioyce with an vnspeakeable and glorious ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted with diuers temptations And therefore when the holy Scripture threatneth and frayeth the Christians they must vnderstand that it speaketh to such as are so licentious that forsomuch as they keepe not the thankefulnesse and honesty that belong to Gods children they must bee handled as seruants and held in awe vntill they come to taste and feele how sweet and pleasant the Lord is and vntill such time as faith worke his effects in them and that they haue so much childly loue as may suffice to keepe and maintaine them in honesty of Christian conuersation and in following the example of our Lord Iesus Christ And when the selfe-same Scripture exhorteth Christians to the true feare it meaneth not that they should feare the iudgement and wrath of God as though it were presently ready to condemne them for as I haue said already by the record which the holy Ghost giueth to their spirit they know that God hath chosen them and called them of his owne meere mercy and not for their deserts By reason whereof they doubt not at all but that by the self-same goodnesse and mercy he will maintaine them in the happy state wherein he hath placed them And after such manner the Scripture exhorteth them not to slauish feare but to childish feare that is to wit that like good children they should bee loth to offend against the Christian Religion or to commit any thing against the dutie and honesty of Gods true children and likewise to grieue the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them to the end that knowing the corruptednesse of our nature we should alwayes be heedfull and diligent and neuer haue any trust in our selues for in our flesh and in our minds doe the appetites and affections continually dwell which as deadly enemies of the soule lay a thousand snares and baites for vs incessantly labouring to make vs proud ambitious lecherous and couetous This is the feare whereunto the whole Scripture exhorteth the Christians that haue once tasted how sweet the Lord is and which bestow all their endeauour in following Christs foot-steps who cast not from them this holy feare because they labour to put off the old man And the good Christians must neuer bereaue themselues quite and cleane of this childly feare which is the singular friend of Christian charitie like as the slauish feare is such an enemy vnto it as they can by no meanes dwell together And by the foresaid things a man may plainly perceiue that the good Christian ought neuer to doubt of the forgiuenesse of his sins nor of Gods fauour Neuerthelesse for the better satisfying of the Reader I purpose to set downe herevnder certaine authorities of the holy Doctors which confirme this foresaid truth St. Hilary in his fifth Canon vpon Matthew saith It is Gods will that we should hope without any doubting of his vnknowne will For if the beleefe be doubtfull there can be no righteousnesse obtained by beleeuing And thus we see that according to S. Hilary a man obtaineth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand except he beleeue vndoubtedly to obtaine it And good right it is that it should be so For he that doubteth is like a waue of the Sea which is tossed and turmoyled with the wind And therefore let not such a one thinke to obtaine any thing at Gods hand But let vs heare S. Austin who in his Manuell counselleth vs to driue away the said foolish imagination which intendeth to dispossesse vs of the foresaid good and sage assurednesse Let such foolish imagination saith he murmure as much as it listeth saying Who are thou how great is that glory by what deserts hopest thou to obtaine it I answer assuredly I know in whom I haue beleeued and I know that hee of his great loue hath made me his sonne I know he is true of his promise and able to performe his word for he can doe what he will And when I thinke vpon the Lords death the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismay me for in his death doe I put all my trust His death is my whole desert it is my refuge it is my saluation my life and resurrection and the mercy of the Lord is my desert I am not poore of desert so long as the Lord of mercy faileth me not And sith the mercies of the Lord are many many also are my deseruings The more that he is of power to saue the more am I sure to be saued The same S. Austin talking with God in another place saith that he had despaired by reason of his great sinnes and infinite negligences if the Word of God had not become flesh And anon after he saith these words All my hope all the assurance of my trust is settled in his precious bloud which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him my poore heart taketh breath and putting my whole trust in him I long to come vnto thee O Father not hauing mine owne righteousnesse but that righteousnesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ In these two places St. Austin sheweth plainely that the Christian must not be afraid but assure himselfe of righteousnesse by grounding himselfe not vpon his owne workes but vpon the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and maketh our peace with God Saint Bernard in his first Sermon vpon the Annunciation saith most euidently that it is not ynough to beleeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of his sinnes but by Gods mercy nor any one good desire or ability to doe so much as one good worke except God giue it him no nor that a man cannot deserue eternall life by his workes but if God giue him the gift so to beleeue But besides all these things saith Saint Bernard which ought rather to be counted a certaine entrance and foundation of our faith it is needfull that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for the Loue of Iesus Christ See how this holy man confesseth that it is not ynough to beleeue generally the forgiuenesse of sinnes but he must also beleeue particularly that his owne sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ and the reason is ready at hand namely that forasmuch as God hath promised thee to accept thee for righteous through the merits of Iesus Christ if thou beleeue not that thou art become righteous through him thou makest God a lyer and consequently thou makest thy selfe vnworthy of his grace and liberality But thou wilt say to me I beleeue well the forgiuenesse of sinnes and I know that God is true but I am afraid that I am not worthy to haue so great a gift I answer that the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes shall not be a gift or free grace but a wages if God should giue it thee for the worthynesse of thy workes But I reply vpon thee that God accepteth thee