be a iust Iudge which is angrye with sinnes and is determined seuerelye to punishe the vnrepentant Tentation of triall is whereby the fayth of man toward God is tried to wit eyther when any worke is committed to a man heauie and grieuous to the flesh or any affliction commeth to him from God for his trials sake or when any heresie agaynst the articles of our fayth is suffred to arise Abraham receiueth a commaundement from God wherein he is commaunded to kill for a burnt offering his sonne Isaac his onely heire which Sara a free and noble matron brought foorth vnto him This commaundement without all doubt was heauie and grieuous to the flesh but what doth Abraham here He preferreth obedience toward God before this his most tender sonne then whom nothing was more precious vnto him in this world and prepareth himselfe to execute the commaundement of God Genes 22. Iob is oppressed with affliction in his body and with many other miseries but in patience he preferreth obedience toward God before his owne life and all other thinges whatsoeuer I am sure sayth he that my redeemer liueth that I shall rise out of the earth in the latter day Also shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not receiue euel The primitiue Church was tempted with many and diuers heresies as we are at this day but as they did so let vs set the fountaine of our sauiour agaynst all the cesterns of Heretikes full of deuelish stinch and filthines Of this kinde of tentation Moses speaketh Deut. 13. The Lorde your God proueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule Agaynst this kind of tentation let vs strengthen our selues with two thinges with holding fast the puritie of the Gospell and with constant obedience toward God both in prosperitie and also in aduersitie 15. Then vvhen lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne vvhen it is finished bringeth forth death In the former verse the Apostle compareth concupiscence to a bayt wherewith the fisher couereth his hooke that he may deceiue and catch the fishes here he compareth the same to a woman that bringeth forth children that he may thereby signifie that it is the mother and fountayne of all sinnes yea and of all euel Concupiscence is then sayd to haue conceiued when it possesseth the affection and will which when it is done forthwith it bringeth forth actuall sinne whereof as it were a certayne issue commeth death and damnation Here therefore is mention made of two kindes of sinne to wit originall and actuall Originall sinne is signified by the name of concupiscence the proper and next effect thereof This although by it selfe and of it owne nature it is a mortall sinne yet in the regenerate it is pardoned so that it bringeth not death except first it begin to reigne through the euel desires thereof Whereupon Paule Rom. 6. sayth Let not sinne reigne therefore in your mortall body that ye should obey it in the lusts therof Actuall sinne is when we doe voluntarily submit our selues to concupiscence to obey it and suffer it to haue the whole rule in vs. 16 Erre not my deare brethren Bicause that many had perswaded themselues that men are tempted of God to doe that which is euel he doth agayne admonish and exhort them that they suffer not themselues to be entangled with this errour signifying that many absurd thinges and vnworthy of God doe follow this opinion But that they may more attentiuelye and gently here the most strong reason thereof he doth as it were prepare them by calling them by the name of brethren and by a signification of his loue wherwith he embraceth them For we doe more willingly heare them whose goodwill we perceiue toward vs when as contrariwise we feare the deceites of them whose minds we vnderstand to be estraunged from vs. 17 Euerie good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth dovvne from the Father of lights vvith vvhome is no variablenes neyther shadovv of turning 18 Of his ovvne vvill begat he vs vvith the vvord of truth that vve should be as the first fruites of his creatures This is a most strong reason wherin the Apostle doth confute the errour of them which did contend that God doth tempt men to doe euel yea and that he is the author of sinne But that the partes of this reason may be the better perceiued and the benefits of God toward vs may be more manifestly acknowledged I will make a resolution of the wordes and will diuide them into sixe partes in euery of which I will bring in the proposition of the Apostle that it may be vnderstand of what great force this reason is to confute the errour of the aduersaries First therefore he saith Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift that is nothing at all counterfait is frō aboue By which saying he signifieth that solliciting or mouing to doe euell is in no wise from aboue for how should it agree that good thinges and euell shoulde flowe out of the same fountayne But if any man doe except that the euell of punishment is from aboue let him againe knowe that the cause that is the euel of offence is in man which God being iust doth iustly punish Wherefore if thou considerest the iustice of God the punishment is not to be called euell but good Secondly he sayth Comming dovvne from the Father of lightes As Father here signifieth the author and fountayne so by the word lights is ment all good things euen as by the word darkenesse calamities of euerye sorte are to be vnderstand Whereof is made this reason God is the father of lightes that is the author of all good thinges therefore he is not the author of darknesse that tentation to euell should be attributed to him Let this testification of the prayse of God be marked which belongeth onely vnto him to wit that he is the fountayne and author of all good thinges which ought to admonish vs of prayer wherein we maye aske those thinges which are good of him who is the fountayne of all goodnes We ought hereby also to be admonished of thankefulnes that we may shewe our selues thankefull towards him Thirdly he addeth vvith vvhom is no variablenesse These wordes seeme to be a preuenting of an obiection For least anye man should saye that he is the authour both of good thinges and of euell he setteth against that his constancie whereby he is immutable in his doings Seing therfore variablenes hath not place with God and that he is manifestly proued to be the author of all goodnes who can without blasphemie attribute vnto him those thinges that be euel Fourthly he addeth or shadovv of turning These wordes also seeme to be a preuenting of an obiection We see that the turning and chaunge of the heauenly lights is diuers
God according to these sayings Repent for the kingdome of God is at hande Nowe the kingdome of God is the kingdome of grace in which Christ being a King and Priest doth reygne Ierem. 36. Returne euery man from his euill waye that I may forgiue their iniquitie and their sinnes Againe I desire not the death of the wicked returne and come agayne Also O ye disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellions And Christ saith I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance These testimonies doe sufficiently proue that mercye through Christ is the foundation of the preaching of repentance For without all doubt repent or as the Prophetes speake returne is not the voyce of the lawe condemning but of God hauing mercie and offering saluation life and deliuerance from the sentence of the law that condemneth Wherefore there is no doubt but the preaching of repentance is a part of the preaching of the Gospell especiallye since it is manifest that the lawe doth preach vnto sinners eternall punishment and Christ being raysed vp from the dead doth affirme that repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes is to be preached in his name But bicause there are two things in man which doe hinder him that he cannot see his euilles and repent and amende at the voyce of the Gospell to wit ignorance and dulnesse or sluggishnesse The Lorde doth giue a remedie for both these euils He remedieth ignorance by the law For by the preaching of the lawe he bringeth vs to the knowledge of sinne whereof the Gospell biddeth vs repent that we may be saued By the lawe as Paule sayth commeth the knowledge of sinne Dulnesse or sluggishnesse he shaketh of by diuers meanes he setteth forth threatenings of eternall death he denounceth wrath and displeasure agaynst them that doe not amende He chasteneth the impenitent with corporal punishments with diseases and by diuers other meanes he setteth tragicall and lamentable examples before their eyes as of Cain Iudas Saule Achitophel and diuers others which examples Christ doth applie vnto all when he sayth Except ye amende your liues ye shall all likewise perishe He witnesseth his wrath and displeasure by diuers signes in the heauen the earth and in the sea sometime by pestilence sometime by warres he stirreth vs vp to obey the voyce of the Gospell he setteth forth the death of his sonne which doth witnesse of the wrath of God agaynst sinners except they repent Act. 2. Christ which calleth all that he weary and laden vnto him y t they being conuerted by repentance may be eased of their burden doth sende the Lawyer that doth not acknowledge his euill vnto the law We haue a most excellent and liuely example hereof Luk. 15. in the prodigall sonne He being first pinched with hunger doth perceyue his euill Then a hope of a better state if he did returne to his father gaue to the yong man a mynde to repent for he is encouraged by confidence in his fathers gentlenesse to seeke for reconciliation This example doth teach plainly that the beginning of repentance is an acknowledging of the mercy of God which stirreth vs up to hope well which doe see and perceyue our owne euils and perils For as this yong man through trust in his fathers clemencie doth returne vnto his father after that he being taught by hunger did perceiue his euils so we with confidence of mercy in Christ doe returne vnto God after that by the preaching of the lawe we haue come into the knowledge of our selues by feeling the curse and wrath of God doe shake of our dulnesse and sluggishnesse Nowe what wholesome and true repentance is and of what parres it consisteth we will declare by testimonies of the Scripture and by examples Ieremie sayth Let euery man returne from his euill way and I will forgiue your iniquitie and your sinnes This saying conteyneth two things a commaundement and a promise The commandement is that the vngodly doe returne from his euill wayes The promise is of reconciliation and attonement for sinne Herevpon it is gathered that repentance is a conuersion or a turning of man vnto God in the which conuersion he doth depart from euill he beleueth the promise of reconciliation and studieth to leade a newe lyfe according to the will of God Adam hauing fallen into sinne did hyde himselfe with the leaues which he tooke of the tree and did not see his euill neyther as yet did knowe the promise concerning the seede but when he is accused by the voyce of God threatning death vnto him he acknowledgeth his sinne which also did exceedingly displease him so that there was in him a misliking of his fact but not true repentance But when he heareth the promise concerning the seede of the woman which shoulde come and breake the heade of the serpent and abolishe sinne he returneth vnto the Lorde with true repentance he is sorie for his sinne he comforteth himselfe with the fayth of the promise calleth vppon God and taketh heede least that agayne he doth agaynst his conscience offende God Dauid hauing fallen into adulterie being as it were lulled a sleepe with a certayne drowsinesse doth liue securely but when he is reprehended of the Prophet he begynneth to lament his sinne and there were in him horrible terrours and extreme feare which he himselfe describeth in the Psalmes There is no rest in my bones bicause of my sinne for he did feare euerlasting punishment But hearing this voyce of the Prophet by the commaundement of God Thou shalt not die the Lorde hath put away thy sinne He turneth agayne vnto the Lorde and repenteth he hateth his sinne he flieth vnto mercie by fayth saying Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindenesse He promiseth obedience in time to come My mouth shall shewe forth thy prayse Also I shall teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee In this example also we see what conuersion is what is the foundation and partes thereof Lyke vnto this were the examples of Manasses of the sinfull woman of the theefe of Peter of Paule which examples when we doe applie them to the rule they doe most plainly set before vs the liuely formes of true repentance But bicause the doctrine of repentance is chiefe in the Church and bicause it is very profitable for men to be well instructed concerning it we will briefly declare by definitions the partes thereof as they are taught in our Churches oute of the word of God and by famous and well knowne examples The partes thereof as is sayd before are contrition fayth and newe obedience Contrition is not a misliking of the fact as was in Iudas but it is the beginning of true repentance to wit an extreme feare of conscience for sinne a true hatred of sinne and an auoyding of sinne not without hope of
It proceedeth from the vertue of the death buriall and resurrection of the Lord which in time past was represented in the olde sacrifices which were first bound and then kylled but all the whole vertue is in the Crosse of Christ Therefore to bynde the concupyscence of the flesh is to fasten it to the crosse of Christ that in it it may be mortified that it be not effectuall to worke Wherefore this beast is then bound when thou doest not those thinges which it commaundeth it is wholy mortified when the force thereof is not felt which commeth not to passe before we haue changed this lyfe with death which is a passage to the true lyfe To the bynding and mortifying of this beast all the exercises of godlinesse must be referred as prayer reading meditation sobrietie diligence in our dutye flying of euell occasions thinking on the prouidence of God consideration of the euell of concupyscence the gloryous end of victorye the shame and dishonestye that accompanieth them whiche submytte them selues to this beast Thus much briefly concerning the inward tentation of seducing or beguiling and of the remedy agaynst it The outwarde tentation of beguyling is whose beginning and cause is without a man and this may be distinguished according to the diuersitye of the causes Wherefore seeing that some time the worlde somtime the deuel sometime the thinges that are about vs are the causes thereof it commeth to passe that there be three differences of this outward tentation The world therefore tempteth when it prouoketh to sinne by it vanitie and wickednesse Many are ouercome by this kind of tentation For when they beholde the most corrupt maners of men and see them also vnpunished many are allured by this example Whereupon it is sayde that an euill custome is the nourishing of euel Agaynst this kinde of tentation we must sette the glory of the kingdome of Christ wherewith the vanitie of the world being compared is as a smoke sone vanishing away Secondly let vs think vpon the shortnes of mans life which although it maye be filled with the vanitie of the worlde yet those continuall delightes in the kingdome of God are by infinite degrees to be preferred before it Also let vs consider how Christ the Lord and many of the sayntes of God despised the vanitie and wickednes of the world looking vnto the price that is set before them that runne lawfully The deuill tempteth men after diuers sortes and that vnto this ende that he may hinder them from being gathered togither into the folde of Christ or that when they are gathered togither he may cast them out agayne that they should not be saued For there is nothing more pleasant vnto him than the destruction of all men And for this cause he vseth especially three engines to inuade the folde of Christ For eyther he corrupteth the doctrine or raiseth vp offences or else giueth occasions of infinite mischiefes that I may in the meane season say nothing of his hypocrisie tyrannie and craftinesse which he continually vseth to assayle the Church of Christ He entreth into the heart of man and with speede taketh out the worde of God from thence that a secure contempt of God maye follow as in Rabshakeh or hatred and wrath agaynst God as in Saul or a furious defending of a wicked opinion as in the Papistes Such were the tentations of Cain Saul Iudas Samosatenus Arius and in our time of Seruetus and of very manye other and at thys time Satan doth rage much more than euer he did at any other For he knoweth that the end of his furie is at hand and that the sonne of God will shortlye come who shall iudge him with all his members to euerlasting torments What remedie is here the aduersarie is mightie the companie of his warriours is great we haue neede therefore of a most strong defence What I pray you is that This is the victorie sayeth Iohn that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth And Salomon sayth the name of the Lorde is a strong tower the righteous runneth vnto it and is in safegarde For seeing there is no other waye to ouercome this tentation of the deuel then a liuely fayth in Christ the cōquerour of Satan y t this liuely fayth may be kindled with earnest prayer let vs with exceding care and studie kepe y e puritie of doctrine wheron fayth dependeth Also agaynst offences and other practises of Satan let vs fortifie and strengthen our selues with the examples of the Saintes and encourage our selues with the hope of our deliuerance which shall be through Iesus Christ whom we looke for to come shortly to iudge the quick and the deade More defences agaynst the assaultes of Satan Paule numbreth vp Eph. 6. which ought from thence to be taken The things that are about vs doe aboue measure also tempt vs. Before vs death the iudgement of God hell Behinde vs our sinnes that are past many things committed and omitted On our right hande power riches honour On our left hand perils persecutions offences the most sorrowfull state of the Church of God outwardly in this world These euels Iesus Christ onely doth remedy whiles he is possessed by fayth For if thou beholdest those thinges that are before vs he hath ouercome death with life he hath satisfied the iudgement of God paying the ransome for our sinnes he hath spoyled hell If thou lookest vnto those thinges that are behind vs it is he onely which maketh a full satisfaction for sinnes If thou settest the treasures of all good things in him the power riches and honour of the worlde shall not easilye drawe thee from Christ neither shalt thou giue ouer being discouraged with any euils so as thou possessest him by a liuely fayth and desirest his helpe agaynst all things that doe annoy or hurt thee Tentation of presumption is when a man is prouoked to tempt God by abusing his long sufferance iustice mercie liberalitie and many other benefites This tentation truly is daungerous for if any man be ouercome of it he sinneth more freely and boldly bicause he determineth with himselfe that God is good and mercifull and slowe to anger as the Psalme sayth This tentation these thinges doe chiefly remedie first a thinking on the shortnesse of lyfe secondly a consideration of tragicall and lamentable examples For many sinning securely haue bene sodenly preuented by the wrath of God and taken from hence without repentance thirdly the very vnworthynes it selfe For what is a more vnworthie thing than for the chylde to despise the father bicause he is good to him and mercifull towarde him Let euery one therefore walke carefully in the sight of the Lorde and knowe that it is a deuelishe furie and madnesse to sinne aduisedlye and of a sette purpose or to deferre repentance bicause GOD is sayde to be long suffering gentle and mercifull For he is sayde also to
which they doe moderate punishments The arguments of the Stoickes haue a fayre shewe but they are grounded on a false foundation agaynst which let those reasons be set which I haue rehearsed 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shall be iudged by the lavve of libertie 13 For there shal be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie and mercie reioyceth against iudgement He bringeth in a generall exhortation to liue godly and holily by an argument taken of the sentence of the last iudgement which is recited Matth. 25. For when as the Apostle sayth as they that shall bee iudged by the lavve of libertie he hath relation to the sentence of the Lorde who when he iudgeth the worlde shall saye vnto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the worlde For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. Contrariwise he shall say to them on the left hande Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. To this pertayneth that saying Iohn 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shal heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurrection of condemnation And 2. Cor. 5. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill That these sayings and such like are to be vnderstand of the qualitie of thē that shal be saued not of the causes of saluation the whole consent of y e scripture yea the precious bloud of Christ doth shew as shortly after I will more distinctly declare But why doth he call it y e law of libertie That by that name he may shew y t the fruites of libertie are by good right required of christians For as he which doth commit sinne is the seruant of sinne so he which is deliuered by Christ will be no more bonde but free therefore will not take vpon him the yoke of bondage He sheweth a cause or reason when he sayth for there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie but he that sheweth mercie is so farre of from being condemned y t he shal reioyce against cōdemnation triumphing ouer death sin and the deuill These things doe teach how necessary continuall repentance and a perpetuall studie of godlynesse and righteousnesse is among Christians least by their owne fault they lose the free benefit of saluation But bicause the aduersaries of free saluation doe abuse this place and such like and make the causes of saluation of the tokens and qualities of them which shall be saued I will briefly gather an aunswere whereby the godly reader may haue wherewith he maye be able throughly and truly to answere to this false cauill Seing therefore that the Scripture doth expressely say that the Lord shall giue to euery man according to his deedes Or as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians according to that euery man hath done whether it be good or euill First of all this is to be helde that this generall sentence which is the very voyce of God himselfe ought to be applied vnto two sortes of men according to the proportion of fayth that is to the wicked according to the lawe to the godly according to the Gospell after this maner when the Lord giueth vnto the wicked according to their dedes without all doubt he giueth vnto them hel and condemnation For those are the merits of the dedes of vngodlines But cōcerning y e godly or regenerate there are mo things to be considered For first it is euident out of the infallible worde of God that eternall life is not the wages of seruantes but the inheritance of children and the free gift of God Rom. 4.5.6.8 Iohn 1.3.5 Secondly the proportion betwene the heauēly father and an earthly father is to be considered for as an earthly father doth giue vnto his childrē according to their deedes that is inheritance to them that are obedient and disheriteth them that are disobedient so God the father promiseth inheritance to his children but those which of children are made obstinate and enemies he suffreth not to enioy the inheritance But nowe it is manifest that the childrē of an earthly father are neither children nor heires through desert of their works After the same sort the children of God are neyther made children nor heires bicause of their works but through the grace of adoption which is receyued by fayth alone notwithstanding eyther of them doth giue vnto his children according to their dedes But y t this may yet be more plainly vnderstand how God shall giue to euery mā according to his dedes foure circūstances are to be weighed of vs the first wherof is that the rigour of the law is takē away from y e godly according to y e saying Galat. 3. Christ hath redemed vs from the curse of the lawe The seconde is that the person nowe beleeuing doth by fayth please God and is heire of eternall life Iohn 1. The thirde that God doth not onely require obedience of the person that beleeueth but also doth promise him a rewarde and that not of debt for the worthinesse of the worke but of grace for his fatherly promise sake The fourth that workes so done by fayth are testimonies of fayth as proper effectes are most certaine tokens of their cause And therefore it is sayde that God shall giue vnto euery man according to his dedes both because dedes are the true tokens of the feare of God of fayth and also that the whole creature maye beare witnesse of the iustice of God in iudging This answere is taken from the conferring of the Scripture which we must of necessitie surely hold lest that with the Papistes we attribute saluation to the merits of works or with the Antinomians and Libertines we lay aside all care and studye to do well This solution is made manifest by an euident example Mat. 18. where y e Lord saith that y e kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a certayne king that is that there is the same reason of the spiritual state of the Church which is betweene an earthly king and his seruants in the affaires of this present life For euen as the king his seruant owing him ten thousand talents yet when he fell downe and besought him he forgaue him the whole dette freely and of his mere liberalitie so God the father doth freely forgiue them all debtes that is sinnes which flie vnto him for succour with trust and confidence in Christ Hereof it is manifest that remission of sinnes is free But euen as the king called agayne vnto punishment that seruant being vnthankefull
and cruell toward his fellowseruants and that which before he forgaue him when he humbly besought him nowe he requireth agayne of him being stubborne and cruel toward his fellowes So God after he hath receiued vs being sorie for our sinne into fauour will haue vs imitate his example in liberalitie and goodnes toward our neighbour This the Lord teacheth Luke 7. propounding an example of two detters the one whereof ought vnto the lender fiue hundred pence and the other fiftie who when they had nothing to pay he forgaue them both Here the Lord asked the Pharises whether of them will loue the lender most to whom when the Pharise had made aunswere he to whom he forgaue most the Lorde sayd thou hast truly iudged signifying that God doth require thankfulnesse of them whom he hath freely receiued into fauour Hereof are gathered two thinges to wit both that forgiuenesse is free and also that they which haue obtayned forgiuenesse doe owe thankfulnes vnto God 14 VVhat auayleth it my brethren though a man sayth he hath fayth vvhen he hath no vvorkes can that faith saue him Bicause there were among them to whom the Apostles did write hypocrites which when they were touched with no true repentance yet they did boast that they were saued by faith when as they had no true and liuely faith in dede he maketh a confutation of their erroneous opinion and teacheth that that faith is vayne which doth not bring forth it true fruites This proposition is diligently to be marked faith which hath not workes is vneffectuall and vayne or as Iames speaketh cannot saue This onely proposition is confirmed euen vnto the end of the chapter Wherefore they are fowly deceiued which compare Iames with Paule when as Iames disputeth onely of the vayne boasting of hypocrites Paule of a liuely fayth And therfore let vs diligently marke in this place what faith the Apostle calleth vayne to wit that which hath no obedience toward God accompanying it in asmuch as it neither worshippeth God nor dooth wel to it neighboure wherevpon it manifestly followeth that Iames doth not speake of a liuely and a right fayth from which the spirit of Christ cā not be separate For where the spirit of Christ is there are newe actions of the newe man although not perfect yet vnperfect by which the force and vertue of fayth is acknowledged and brought forth What therfore is that vaine faith is it altogither vneffectuall It bringeth forth no good fruites for it is voyde of life but it bringeth forth the bitter fruites of hell and death For it is a most fruitefull mother of vanitie superstition and hypocrisie it is a foolish boasting it is but an image of faith it is a stoppe or let from saluation it is a guider or leader vnto death briefly it hath it portion with hypocrites and deuels 15 For if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly foode 16 And one of you saye vnto them depart in peace vvarme your selues and fil your bellies notvvithstanding ye giue them not those thinges vvhich are needeful to the body vvhat helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no vvorkes is dead in it selfe He maketh manifest the proposition by a most apt similitude Euen as that speech is vayne wherein it is sayde to the needy warme your selues and fill your bellies when as helping handes are not also put to so that fayth is vayne and dead which is in the mouth without the fruite of works Note here the name of faith which he calleth vaine for when it is called deade it is compared to a carkas wherefore it deserueth no better to be called faith thē a carkas deserueth to be called a liuing creature This vsing of one word for another doth sufficiently shew y t Iames doth dispute of a vayne opiniō which of y e hypocrites was called faith according therfore to the opinion y t they had of fayth y e Apostle speaketh by a licence of rhetoricke 18 But some man might say thou hast the faith and I haue vvorkes shevv me thy faith out of thy vvorks and I vvill shevve thee my faith by my vvorkes An other reason that faith which is voyde of it fruites is vayne as if he sayde some godly man O thou hypocrite may represse thy vanitie by obiecting thus vnto thee thou hypocrite hast faith as thou sayest for it is a licence of scorning I haue workes thou if thou can shew me thy faith by thy works which truly thou canst not doe bicause thou hast none I will shewe thee my fayth by my works Wherefore it is manifest that thy faith is like vnto a dead carkas but that myne is liuely which appeareth by the fruites and liuely motion therof For euen as the spirite which is inwardly in a liuing creature quicke and lusty doth bewray it selfe by mouing and feeling and by the outward actions so a liuely fayth doth shewe it selfe by good workes The word faith is here vsed in diuers significations For in the first place it signifieth a boasting of fayth but in the latter place a liuely faith 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest vvell the deuils also beleeue it and tremble He teacheth both what the fayth of hyprocrites is also how vaine it is yea and that it doth not saue He affirmeth therefore that there fayth is only a knowledge of the hystory For they beleeue that there is a God That this is vaine he proueth by this reason the faith of the deuils doth not saue For the deuils are not saued The boasting of hypocrites is the fayth of the deuils for it hath nothing in it which the fayth of the deuils hath not Therefore the boasting of the hypocrites which they falsly cal fayth doth not saue and therefore is vayne Whereas the Apostle in this place doth acknowledge no other fayth in hypocrites then is in the deuils it is no meruaile because he taketh from it the power of iustifying But of what sort fayth is in the disputations of Paule it is taught Rom. 4. by a manifest example propounded to wit that it is not onely a knowledge of the mercy promised but also a trust and confidence whereby a man determineth with himselfe that the promes doth appertaine vnto him wherwith is ioyned as an vnseparable companion thankfulnesse of mind toward God prayer patience mortifying of the olde man stirring vp of the newe man and other fruites of the righteousnes of fayth which frutes although they doe not iustifie yet that is the nature of a iustifying fayth that it alwayes bringeth foorth those fruites sometime more sometime lesse euen as it hath receiued increase 20 But vvilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith vvhich is vvithout vvorkes is dead 21 VVas not Abraham our father iustified through vvorks vvhen he offred Isaac his son vpō the alter 22 Seest thou not that the faith vvrought vvith his
pardon as appeareth in the prodigall sonne For a knowledge of mercy must of necessitie goe before true repentance according to the saying of Ambrose No man can repent except first he hopeth for pardon and that of Augustine The mercye of God is necessary not onely when we doe repent but also that we may repent Fayth is a knowledge consent and desire of the promised mercy and a sure confidence in Christ the mediatour Although the former examples and the fourth chap. to the Rom. doe confirme this definition yet let vs adde more reasons concerning the properties of fayth Christ pronounceth them saued that beleeue therfore it must needes be that fayth doth signifie a trust in the promise seeing that no man is saued by knowledge alone Agayne Paule doth sometime call this fayth a sure trust or confidence sometime a perswasion whereby a man doth certaynely perswade himselfe that God both will and also is able to performe that which he hath promised This therfore is that fayth by which alone without the workes of the law the Apostle affirmeth that a man is iustified before God For such a fayth onely as we haue described doth apprehende Christ and possesse him with all his benefites I will therfore set forth a playne and manifest doctrine concerning this iustification which commeth by fayth in Christ and will briefly confute the errours with the which this doctrine both in time past and also in our age is darkned and made obscure Iustification is a deliuerance from sinne of the man that doth beleeue in Christ an imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and an accepting of him being iustified to life euerlasting freely for Christes sake In this definition fiue principall poynts are to be considered First fayth by which the grace which is offred is receyued wherevpon Paule sayth we are iustified by fayth For fayth is as it were a certayne hande wherewith we receyue Christ offered vnto vs with his obedience that it may be our righteousnesse The seconde is a clensing or deliuerance from sinne through the satisfaction made by Iesus Christ according to that saying of Iohn The bloude of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne To this also belongeth that saying of Dauid Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen Also Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lorde imputeth not iniquitie What deliuerance is it is to be gathered by y e definition of sinne For as sinne is a defect or reuolting from the lawe and will of God with a bonde vnto eternall death and condemnation so deliuerance is the discharging or setting free of a man from the bonde of death and condemnation But that this deliuerance doth come vnto him that beleeueth in Christ many testimonies doe witnes He that beleeueth in the son hath euerlasting life The third is the imputation of y e righteousnes of Christ For his obedience death passion and resurrection are the matter foundation of our iustification 2. Cor. 5. He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we shoulde be made the righteousnesse of God in him This righteousnes which he sayth that we are made in him the Apostle defineth Rom. 5. when he sayth As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous Christian righteousnesse therefore is the obedience of Christ imputed to the beleeuer For fayth is imputed to hym for righteousnesse which beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked Of these this also followeth that the qualitie of righteousnes is in Christ but is imputed vnto vs which is proper vnto him For we are so iust before God as Christ was a sinner As he after a sort tooke vpon him our person whereby he might be made guiltie in our name and might be iudged as a sinner not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of other seing that he himselfe was pure and cleane frō all sinne and might suffer punishment due vnto vs and not vnto him So we nowe are iust in him not bicause we do satisfie the iudgement of God with our workes but bicause we are accounted righteous with the righteousnesse of Christ which by fayth alone we doe put on that it might be made ours The fourth is an accepting of the person vnto eternall life For Paule setteth this degree after iustification Rom. 8. Whom he iustified them be also glorified To this belongeth the saying of the Lorde He that beleeueth in me shall not perish but shall haue euerlasting lyfe The fift freely for Christes sake freely that all the merites of men maye be excluded for Christes sake that the redemption of the onely begotten sonne of God may be acknowledged to be the merit of so great a treasure Although this doctrine of our Churches is grounded vpon the iust sounde and perfite worde of God yet there be diuerse and sundrie errors spred abrode agaynst it For there be some which place this iustification of man in the workes done of men other some will needes haue it to consist of fayth and workes togither some go about to establishe a certayne essentiall righteousnesse Although these things which we haue spoken doe confute the errours of these yet we will speake somewhat seuerally of them They which affirme that mā is iustified by works are more easily confuted seeing that the most manifest oracles of God doe crie out agaynst this errour Dauid cryeth out openly Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And Paule Rom. 3. Therefore by the workes of the lawe shal no fleshe be iustified And to the Galath As manye as are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the curse Agayne If righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Their opinion therefore is manifestly false which affirme that a man is iustified that is made iust by workes But we acknowledge with Iames that good workes are required to the declaring of this iustification that the good tree may be knowne by it fruites neyther is there any disagreeing betweene Paule and Iames. For when Paul sayth that a mā is not iustified by works he signifieth that he is not made iust and without fault before God by workes When Iames sayth that men are iustified by workes he meaneth that men are by workes declared to be iust But the saying of them hath somewhat a fayrer shewe which affirme that the righteousnesse whereby the wicked man is iustified before God doth consist of fayth and works togither For they saye that fayth is the beginning of righteousnesse and workes the perfection thereof whose errour S. Paule confuteth by these reasons Rom. 10. I beare them recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For they being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and going about to stablishe their owne righteousnes haue not submitted themselues to
the righteousnes of God For Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerye one that beleeueth Here Paule maketh this to be the cause of the casting of of the Iewes for that they woulde ioyne their owne righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of God which is by fayth and of both ioyned togither make one forme of righteousnesse Also Rom. 11. he reasoneth thus If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Paule here first setteth downe two contrarie propositions without any meane betwene them If election and saluation be of workes it is not of grace If it be of grace it is not of workes bicause that debt and gift are so contrarie that neither of them may rightly be sayde one of the other or both of them of any thirde Eyther therefore we are iustified and saued by fayth alone or by workes but the testimonies before alledged doe proue that no man is iustified by workes Agayne if christian righteousnesse did consist of fayth and works togither the reasoning of Paule were fonde and vayne Rom. 4. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnesse Here Paule maketh two sortes of righteousnesse which differ the one from the other For they haue contrarie causes For the righteousnesse of fayth by which he that beleeueth is iustified is imputed and giuen freely but the righteousnesse of works is not free Furthermore if one part is to be attributed to fayth the other part to workes in the iustification of man two absurdities should followe thereof one that the promise shoulde be made vncertaine which ought to be certaine Another that the satisfaction of Christ coulde not suffice except it were stablished by our workes Wherefore we embrace the saying of Augustine which sayth It is grace in no poynt except it be free in all poyntes But the occasion of the errour of the Papistes was a Philosophicall imagination which knoweth no righteousnesse except it be a certayne qualitie in vs. For it vnderstandeth not that a man may be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnesse of another Nowe let vs come to essentiall righteousnesse concerning which first it is to be vnderstand y t we are in no wise righteous before God by y e essential righteousnes of God but in respect of the principall efficient cause For the formall righteousnesse by which we are righteous before God is no other than the obedience of Christ as Paule plainly teacheth Rom. 5. By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous But the obedience of Christ is of two sortes of the crosse and of the lawe By the obedience of the crosse whereby he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Philip. 3. the Lorde doth make a full satisfaction for our sinne The obedience of the lawe he imputeth vnto vs that beleeue that by it we maye appeare righteous in the sight of God Paule sayth that this righteousnesse or obedience of Christ is imputed to them that beleeue therfore it is neyther substance nor qualitie abyding in them whereby a man is made righteous formally Wherefore this affirmance is surely to be helde that christian righteousnes is the obedience of the sonne of God imputed to him that beleeueth But in the meane season we must also vnderstande this that the Scripture maketh mention of three kindes of righteousnesse of man whereof one is of fayth by which we stande before God and this is perfect as the obedience of Christ is perfect neyther is it diminished or increased by the diminishing or increasing of fayth For the Publicane had this full and perfect as well as Peter although the fayth of Peter was much more manifest and knowne Another is the beginning of obedience which is also called the righteousnesse of a good conscience This is not set agaynst the wrath of God bicause it is not perfect obedience of the lawe yet it is necessary in as much as it is the proper fruite of fayth An other there is which is as yet looked for whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 5. For we through the spirite wayte for the hope of righteousnesse through fayth And 1. Iohn 3. Dearly beloued nowe are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure This righteousnesse therefore is a making of vs lyke vnto God a dwelling of God in vs a full fruition of God an absolute and perfect loue And although we must confesse that the heartes of them that beleeue are the temples of the holy ghost and Christ sayth Iohn 14. If any man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and wil dwell with him yet it doth not followe that this dwelling of God in vs is the righteousnesse whereby we stande before God but it is a diuine presence in vs by which we are renued doe feele comfort and begyn to approch to eternall life Furthermore if men were iustified here by essentiall righteousnesse there shoulde be no difference betweene the righteousnesse by which we are righteous in this lyfe and that by which we shall be like vnto God in all eternitie But Paule putteth a manifest difference betweene these two For he sayth that we haue the righteousnesse of fayth nowe here in this lyfe but that we doe looke for another righteousnesse which Iohn defineth to be a framing or fashioning whereby we shall be fashioned lyke vnto God which fashioning shall proceede from hence in that we shall see him as he is Newe obedience is necessarily ioyned with fayth For regeneration which cannot be absent from a iustifying fayth doth necessarily bring forth it fruites which are seene in newe obedience For after that a man through the grace of regeneration is made a newe tree he ought to bring forth newe that is good fruites which Paule in his Epistle to the Philip. calleth the frutes of y e righteousnes of fayth Iames pronounceth in his own peculiar and proper phrase that men are iustified by the same that is acknowledged and declared iust This newe obedience is sometime called sanctification which consisteth of the mortifying of the fleshe and of the quickening of the spirit For Paule sayth thus Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption He is made our wisedome in the preaching of the Gospell He is made our righteousnesse by the attonement for sinne and imputation of righteousnesse He is made our
the Ministers of the Gospel whosoeuer they be that knowing and priue therevnto do offer the most holy bodie and bloud of y e Lord vnto Vsurers do not onely wickedly communicate with other mens sinnes whereof they shall also at the length suffer the punishment But also as much as in them is they doe with sacrilege cast the body and bloude of the Lorde into a most vile and filthie sinke of Satan of which wickednesse they shall in no wise auoyde the punishment But thou wilt say many which are as euill as Vsurers doe come to the supper of the Lorde I beleeue this truly For euen Iudas also the brother of Vsurers did come to the table of the Lord but what did it profite him did he not togither with the breade swalowe the spirite of Satan and that not through the fault of him that offred but through his owne proper fault receyuing it The Lorde truly offred saluation but he infected with the venim of couetousnesse did wickedly refuse that which the Lorde offered and all that Satan gaue he swallowed quite vp But concerning the punishment of Burial the censure and iudgement of our auncetours did not want most iust reason But this he shall best vnderstand which shall perceiue the cause why we do solemnise the funerals of saints and holy men with ceremonies and obsequies But what is the cause The hope of a glorious resurrection For it is a most worthy thing that we should bestow honest buriall vpō those bodyes which we hope in time to come shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ For when we see the bodies of the faintes to be committed to the dust we doe lift vp our mindes to him which in time to come the voyce of the Archangel going before shall say Arise ye dead And to the dead being raised vp he shall giue the glorie of immortalitie But now seing that the vngodly among whom are vsurers as the chiefe souldiers and hierlinges of Satan occupying the first place shal rise againe as Daniel witnesseth to euerlasting ignominie and confusion what godly man will iudge them worthie of the honour of Christian buriall The 15. Psalme numbreth him among the godly Who in his eyes despiseth a vile person and honoureth them that feare the Lord How therefore shall he cause him to be buried in glorious and honorable buriall whom he doth abhorre Ieremie foretelleth that a tyranne shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse and that by the iust iudgement of God What shall we determine by the same iudgement of God cōcerning Vsurers which are crueller then any tyrannes I doe not passe or esteme though some champion doe falsly attribute vnto himselfe the spirite of prophecie and say that it may come to passe that many which are the enemies of Vsurers may be buried with the buriall of an Asse and in the meane time Vsurers may be brought to buriall with great pompe the bells ringing and torches caried light before them I will make no other aunswere to these but that euen as in the sighte of the Lorde the death of his saints is precious so is their buriall also honourable before God Wherefore that which we haue witnessed concerning the honest buriall of the Saints doth pertayne to Ecclesiasticall discipline and not to the iudgement of God whose wayes are vnsearchable What will here come to passe whome shall I not haue resisters and striuers agaynst this most iust censure and iudgement of the Church surely they wil not be wanting which with their colours and fayre gloses will mitigate the euill of Vsurie Many will crie the Serpent which deceyued our first parentes being their maister that the lawe of Moses many yeares ago by the comming of Christ was repealed made voyde and abolished and doth nothing pertayne to christian people who enioy their libertie do not suffer them selues to be straitly bound with the prohibition of Moses This speach truly is plausible but it is reproued by the testimonie of the conscience For they which paynt their couetousnes with this colour being deceiued of their domesticall Eue which was miserably seduced by the serpent doe fall headlong into their owne destruction and deceyue themselues by their owne subtiltie For these men doe not weygh aright the prohibition of Moses neyther doe they conferre the forbidding of Vsurie with the lawe of charitie as they shoulde doe which if they did they should plainly see that vsurie being established the rule of charitie is ouerthrowne which God will haue to be perpetuall Seing therefore that charitie shall be abolished neither in this life nor in the life to come as much as pertayneth to the commaundement and will of God and obedience perpetually due to the same who doth not see that Vsurie which is quite contrarie to charitie is condemned But of this thing sufficient For before it was shewed of vs at large when we did intreate of the causes of forbidding Vsurie that the forbidding of Vsurie did proceede from the lawe of charitie Wherefore without al doubt they shalbe foūd naked before God the iudge which vse this leafe already perced through to hide their filthines Perhaps some will yet except and say There is no iniurie done to him that is willing He which doth humbly desire to borow money of an Vsurer doth couenant to pay Vsurie not compelled thereunto but willingly therfore an Vsurer which helpeth a man that humbly intreateth him is not to be saide to doe against charitie The principle from whence this reason is taken is doutfull in as much as it fayleth in two partes of which one is true the other false For euerie will is not without constraint and of it selfe which we may easily see in examples The wayfaring man doth willingly deliuer his treasure to the theefe which he would not doe if he did not feare the sweard of the theefe The mariner doth make losse of his marchandise and that willingly when shipwracke is at hand but from whence I pray you doth that will come truly not of election or choice without constraint but of feare of the shipwracke which is at hand For the mariner doth therfore cast away his marchandise willingly leaste that he himselfe perish togither with his marchandise Wherefore two euils being set before him he will willingly choose that euill which seemeth to be the lesse After the same maner is the will of him that boroweth money vpon Vsurie affected concerning the couenant and promise to pay interest which truly he promiseth willingly which he would not doe if he were not constrained by pouertie therby to auoyde a greater euil Furthermore where as some doe obiect that families and common weales cannot stand without Vsurie this surely I confes to be true in this corruption of the worlde and in the banishment of manly vertue which was in our auncetours But from whence I pray you commeth that commoditie by which thou criest
that families common weales are maintained doth it come of Vsurie no truly For no good thing can come of Vsurie by it self but rather a sea of euils Now if perhaps any good seeme to come of Vsury that is not to be attributed to vsurie but to the lending which lending if it were done w tout Vsurie it would more profit families common weales But thou wilt say thou losest labour in speaking which goest about to call Vsurers being Idolaters for Vsurers in steede of God do worship riches as God into the right way But be it so inasmuch as they as adders are deafe at y e word of y e Lord. For they heare nothing with so great indignatiō of mind as that their Vsurie is condemned That most filthie lucre is more pleasant vnto them then that they would want it euen with any perill set before them And surely hereupon it is that not a few which might liue welthily enough for the maner of their calling of the profites of their owne land doe sell their inheritance that a certaine sūme of money being scraped togither and put out to Vsurie they may liue idlely vpon their Vsurie and inuent diuers subtile deuises by which they may hold their detters not without vsurie vpon vsurie vntil they haue vtterly vndone them not without the exceding great losse of families and common weales But although these perhaps will not allow of our sentence yet it is our duty to admonish them that at the least they thinke that the day will come vnlooked for in which they shall render an account to the iust iudge who as he is corrupted with no accepting of persons so is he deceiued with no sophistrie or subtiltie And then at the length Vsurers shall perceiue that we did aduertise them of good and profitable things and that that heathen Poet Hesiodus did say true who being no vaine Poet writeth after this sorte Vse not ill meanes to gaine for gaine ill got from verie losse and damage diffreth not From whence had Hesiodus this had he it out of the word of God which Vsurers doe contemne no truly For that sillie man did not see at any time the writinges eyther of the Prophets or of the Apostles From whence therefore had he it experience and nature being his teachers he set forth in writing this most true oracle verye well agreeing with the voyce of the Prophets and Apostles With Hesiodus agreeth Pindarus that most auncient Poet of y e Thebans whom for his singular wisedome Alexander the great is sayde to haue embraced for he saith thus much in effect The mindes of men are redier to praise deceitfull gaine Then iustice to embrace and eke true dealing to maintayne Although they creepe to that sharpe daye their life being nigh spent When for vniustice done they shall receiue due punishment That day which shal follow the delightes and pleasurs that the vngodly take of their vniust gaine Pindarus calleth a day appoynted for punishment For as in the next day after the festiuall dayes in which the most part doe more freely without consideration giue ouer themselues to all kind of pleasures and delites men are wont to call to remembrance wherin they did offend more licentiously through drunkennes so the day of death and of the last iudgement shall be to Vsurers as the next day after festiual dayes in which they doe at the last repent them of their sinnes but in vaine For he is by no meanes thought truly to repent which abstaineth from sin against his will These thinges I thought good to write somwhat more at large that I might aduertise Vsurers of the wrath of God and of the punishment that hangeth ouer their heades which they shall no way escape except they doe repent in time and for a testimony of their repentance do iustly restore againe if they shall be able that which they haue vniustly taken But if they shall not be able let them at the least doe what they can let them craue of God pardon of their fault let them aske them whom they haue hurt with their vsurie forgiuenes of the iniurie that they haue done and let them be reconciled to the Churche by publicke satisfaction least that their portion be with Iudas But if any shall contemne and deride these our counsels and admonitions which I dout not but it will come to passe it maketh no matter to me I seeke the saluation of wretched men I tell out the truth which he that will not obey shall in his time finde a iust iudge who will most iustly punish both his contempt and the contempt of his fauourers Of the third AFter we haue now spoken of the prohibitions of Vsurie and of the causes thereof and also of the punishments of them who despising the law both of God and of man doe practise Vsurie which is prohibited the place requireth that we see whether there be any contract or bargaine like vnto Vsurie in part yet not disagreeing with the charitie toward our neighbour and if there be anye such how farre a godly man may vse the same with a good conscience and without offence to God First of all this is to be helde as most certayne that Vsurie condemned by the worde of God is therfore vnlawfull prohibited and condemned because it is contrarie to the foundation which proceedeth from the lawe of charitie that which thou wilt not haue done to thy selfe doe not thou to an other But that this our foundatiō is vnmoueable we haue declared before where we haue layde the foundations of contracts and bargaines For there we shewed that charitie is the scope and end of all duties in this humane societie Of this foundation an vnmoueable consequent is concluded that no contract is condemned which is not repugnant to the charitie toward our neyghbour Wherefore if any such can be shewed it shalbe without doubt accounted lawfull although it shall appeare much like vnto Vsurie For it is not iust and meete that we doe condemne al profitable contractes and bargaines in a common weale vnder a pretence of Vsurie because of the likenes And although many such contracts are wisely condemned of the lawyers yet we will speake of them of which the greatest controuersie is especially in this realme But that we may iudge of these contracts without errour and find out that which with a good conscience and without offending God it is lawfull to follow it shall be needeful to speake of diuers sortes of men that it may be vnderstād to whom we are bound to lend and to whom we are not for there Vsurie is properly committed Here the lawes of magistrates may determine of those thinges which they shall wisely know to be good and profitable for their common weale For this is to be marked as a profitable rule in the societie of man that bargaynes allowed by the lawes and by the authoritie of the magistrate that is of a good and wise
iudge or lawyer are permitted to a christian man For it is lawfull for a christian to vse ciuil ordinances these ordināces are of force not only for reasons sake but also because of the authority of y e magistrate Let a christian man therfore so instruct his conscience y t it may vnderstand y t these things are permitted bicause God doth allow lawes and magistrates and will haue vs to vse ciuil ordinances and in bargaynes let him be content with that meane with that equalitie that the lawes and the magistrates doe appoynt except they doe playnely varye from the ten commaundements and from the law of nature This rule doth first admonish vs that we do iudge reuerently of y e lawes and ordinances of a good magistrat Secondly that we iudge not rashly too sharply of y e bargaines which the lawes do approue Now as we haue purposed let vs see y e orders and states of men In the first state may be the poore and beggers whiche being hindred with old age or grieued with sicknesse or otherwise with some great calamitie oppressed are not able to liue without the almes of other no nor to make any gaine To these we doe by bond owe the duties of charitie and almes Wherefore we must giue vnto these without al expectation of recompence or dutie agayne for the commaundements sake of God and for charities sake which by nature we owe one to an other And this det is so necessary that he that doth refuse to pay it doth obstinatly violate the commaundement of God doth vngodly refuse to obey the precept of Christ doth cruelly oppresse the members of Christ doth wickedly reiect the lawe of charitie and purchaseth vnto himselfe certayne destruction Hereuppon therefore it may easily be knowne how necessarye a duty it is to giue almes and to relieue with his abilitie those that doe in very deede stand in neede But because I see that there are many causes by which the most parte are hindred whereby they are not occupyed in this necessary and dutiful office as in many there is a studie of couetousnes ignorance of the prouidence of God heathenish diffidence riot abuse of thinges to much folly much vnprofitable spending and alas cruel vnmercifulnes in the most parte whereby it commeth to passe that they are not moued with the neede of them that be in miserie I will here somwhat at large handle the place of almes and that for this purpose that both the necessitie of our dutye whereby we are bound to them that neede in deede may be vnderstand and also we being admonished may more wyllingly and readyly doe our dutie and be made more liberall toward the poore First therefore I will shew where almes is to be giuen and what are the kindes therof Secondly I will rehearse the causes with which the godly ought to be stirred vp to giue almes Thirdly I will note the affection of him that giueth almes and I will also prescribe a maner and measure to be obserued in giuing almes Lastly I will intreate of the endes of almes which is godly bestowed and of the fruite that commeth vnto them that giue almes with a cherefull mind according to the commaundement of Christ Of Almes WHo soeuer hath determined to giue almes let him giue his almes in this order First of all let him be mercifull to himselfe that is let him giue the first almes to himselfe which then is done when a man leauing his owne euill wayes doth turne himselfe vnto the Lorde by true repentance For no mercy for so the word almes doth signifie can be shewed of him which as yet is not vnder the mercie of God Wherefore Iesus the sonne of Syrach doth well admonishe when he sayth Chap. 30. Haue mercie on thine owne soule pleasing God and comfort thine heart driue sorrowe farre from thee When he sayth Haue mercie on thy soule pleasing God he sheweth in what thing that mercy doth consist which we ought to shewe to our selues to wit in turning vnto God and in fayth without which it is vnpossible to please God After this sort Abraham did begyn his almes according to whose example all the rest of the godly haue begun their almes at them selues To this pertayneth that saying of Augustine If thou wilt giue almes begyn at thy selfe For howe can he be mercifull to another which is cruell to himselfe He that hath begon his almes after this maner will forthwith turne himselfe to his neighbour and will shewe mercy vnto him Herevpon riseth the first distinction of almes that there is one kynde of almes which euery one bestoweth vpon himselfe which is by nature the former another which euerye man giueth to other which is by nature the latter Nowe this latter may also be made to be of two sortes one spirituall another ciuill That which is spirituall pertayneth to the spirite which he bestoweth which calleth him into the right way that erreth from the folde of Christ and bringeth him into Christes shepefolde There is no almes more diuine than this none more profitable finally none more necessarye For as the soule doth excell the bodie so almes whereby the soule is refreshed is by many degrees to be preferred before the almes with which the necessities of this frayle bodie are relieued and as eternall good things are more to be esteemed than all the commodities of this lyfe which continue but a short time so the almes which helpeth to the attayning of eternall life is more to be esteemed than the almes that serueth for this frayle life There is great commendation hereof in Iames the Apostle who sayth Brethren if any of you hath erred from the truth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death shal hyde a multitude of sins Ciuill almes doth belong to this present lyfe to wit when we being touched with pitie doe succour the neede of the poore To eyther kynde of mercie Christ doth exhort vs by the example of his father when he sayth Be ye mercifull as your heauenly father also is mercifull Let euerye one remember this precept which acknowledgeth Christ for his maister The causes with which the godlye ought to be stirred vp to giue almes are very many among which these are the chiefe The first cause is Christianitie it selfe or the profession of Christian religion For this doth require that we abounde in euerye good worke and that we embrace and cherishe one another as the members of one body the head whereof is Christ When this is done of faith in Christ we doe in the feare of God practize true christianitie that is we do truly imitate the diuine nature For seeing God whom christianitie biddeth vs follow is rich in mercy we by following his mercy are after a sort sayde to be followers of the diuine
grace that had fallen after they knew the truth Wherefore this testimonie of Iames is especially to be marked For he sayth playnely If they haue committed sinnes that is if they haue committed any thing agaynst their conscience they shalbe forgiuen them 16 Acknovvledge your faults one to an other An other briefe admonition concerning pardoning one an others faults that hapned among them For it cannot otherwise be but that in this weakenes of nature and in this most corrupt and as it were doting olde age of the worlde many offences be incident which the Apostle will that we both acknowledge also pardoÌ„ one an other The Papists interpret this place of the confession and rehearsall of our sinnes which is made to the Priest which fayned deuise of theirs is not only contrary to the custome of the Church in the Apostles time for such kind of confession was vnknowne to Iames and the other Apostles but also it is playnly confuted by the words of Iames who sayth Acknovvledge your faults one to an other For if the interpretation of the Papists were good then not onely the lay man shoulde confes his sinnes to the priest but also the priest should confes his sinnes to the lay man which their priestly dignitie can in no case away with And pray one for another that ye may be healed Another briefe admonition concerning mutuall prayers For he biddeth vs pray one for another that we maye be healed that is that there maye be as fewe offences amongst vs as may be For I referre this to the health of the mindes and affections which being sicke many times offences doe as it were certaine little sores burst forth For the prayer of a righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent A reason of that which went before taken of the effect of godly prayer And note that as he requireth one thing in him that prayeth so he requireth an other in the prayer it selfe In him that prayeth he requireth righteousnes wherefore Paule also biddeth vs lift vp pure hands This righteousnes coÌ„sisteth in two things to wit that he which is about to praye doth fully perswade himselfe that his sin is forgiuen him and that he cast of all purpose of sinning For he that doth not this doth lose his labour In the prayer he requireth efficacie that is a singular feruentnesse which proceedeth from fayth whereby a man determineth that he is heard through the merit and intercession of the Lorde his mediatour 17 Helias vvas a man vnderinfirmities euen as vve are and he prayed earnestlye that it might not rayne and it rayned not on the earth by the space of three yeares and sixe moneths 18 And he prayed agayne and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite A confirmation of the last reason by an example Helias prayed effectually Helias vvas righteous Therefore the prayer of the righteous is effectuall In steade of the Maior or first proposition of this argument the confirmation thereof is set downe whereof reade 17. Chap. lib. 3 of Kings But least any man except and say that that was done because of the singular holynes and merits of the man he preuenteth them and sayth that he was subiect to like passions as we are inasmuch as he was subiect to the same affections and infirmities of the corrupt nature that we are 19 Brethren if any of you hath erred from the truth and some man hath conuerted him 20 Let him knovv that he vvhich hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his vvay shall saue a soule from death and shall hyde a multitude of sinnes Diligence in furthering the saluation of their brethren is commended to the godlye that one call another from the errour of his way that is of doctrine and of life Which he that doth first saueth the soule of him that did erre secondly hideth a multitude of sinnes in as much as a sinner being conuerted by his admonition is reconciled to God and his sins are couered with God and are throughly forgotten But howe can a man saue the soule of a man from death And how shall he hide a multitude of sinnes By the ministerie and not by his owne proper power So Paule sayth that he did beget the Galathians and writing vnto Timothe he sayth In doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee Although it belongeth to God only to saue yet he adioyneth vs vnto him as it were associates and ascribeth vnto vs for the ministeries sake that which in very dede belongeth only vnto himselfe This ought to make y e dignity of y e ministerie of the word more commendable vnto vs when we heare that we in procuring the saluation of men are workers togither with God to whom he doth impart also diuine honour after a sorte Howe a man doth hide a multitude of sinnes I haue nowe declared he doth it not by power but by doctrine and pardon By doctrine he causeth the sinner to turne himselfe vnto God who onely clenseth sin by pardon while he hideth the faults of his brother Herevnto pertayneth that saying Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes The Papistes which of this saying doe gather that man by his loue doth merite remission of sinnes are deceyued as the setting of one contrarie agaynst the other 〈…〉 for there hatred 〈…〉 agaynst another as contrarie causes 〈…〉 Hatred sayth he stirreth vp strifes 〈…〉 â—ereth the multitude of sinnes For as haâ— is the cause of contentions among men so loue couereth faultes eyther by reforming them or by winking at them FINIS The author of this Epistle vvho vvhat he vvas Of vvhat authoritie this Epistle is and from vvhence the same authoritie is taken The occasion vvhich moued Iames to vvrite this Epistle is of tvvo sortes The end and purpose of the Apostle The maner and order The profite vse of this Epistle The author of this Epistle is a glasse of godlinesse why VVhy this Epistle certaine other in the newe Testament are called Generall The partes of this chapter are six which are here in order rehearsed To vvhom the Apostle vvriteth this Epistle The kingdom of Christ and the kingdomes of the vvorlde doe greatly differ The ends of the tentation of the godlye and of the vngodly are diuers The effectes of the tentation of the godly We must continue constant vnto the ende Matth. 10.22 The finall effect of the crosse of the godly Two kinds of perfection mentioned in the scripture Gen. 17.1 Matth. 5.48 Philip. 3.12.13.14.15 Definitions of christian perfection taken out of the wordes of Paule VVho may be sayd to be perfect according to the vse of the Scriptures A liuely example of christian perfection Gen. 22.2.3.4.6.9 The commandement of God to Abraham The obedience of Abraham tovvarde God VVhat vve must doe if vve vvill be counted perfect in this life Another example vvhere by perfection and the partes thereof