also Quae culpa saith Pigghius ê™ peccatum possit esse animae adhuc innocentis recens nati paruuli c. what fault what sinne can there be of the innocent soule and of the litle child newe borne who for that he hathe not receyued the vse of reason and the facultie of freewil is not yet vnder the law nor can be obliged by any law whereof he may be made a transgressour But as this is a most false errour the cleane distruction of the Christian faith so is this a most true principle that what soeuer they be yong or olde Deus conclusit omnes sub peccato God hath shut vp all vnder synne neyther vnder the sinne of an other only and not of theyr owne synne but of Adams theyr first father imputed vnto them Naytheyr sinne is euen their owne sinne In quo omnes peccauerunt In whom all haue sinned neyther is al sinne to be measured by age of man or wil of man or reson of maÌ„ only but PeccatuÌ„ est iniquitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Iohn sinne is the swaruing from Gods law whiche sithe it bindethe all mankinde and none not regenerat in Christ are answerable thervnto it followethe they muste nedes be sinners old or yoÌ„g bicause without regeneration in Christ not Adam only himselfe of whome we came but all thâ—… whole substâ—…nce externall and internall of mankynd is so infected defiled with sin that no thyng but God câ—…n clense it Quis potest facere muÌ„duÌ„ de immundo coÌ„ceptuÌ„ semine nisi tu qui solus es Who can make a clean thing of a thing that 〈◊〉 ceyued by foule sâ—…de but only thou that art alonâ—… There is none cleane beefore him from sinne Ne infans quidem vnius diei No not the infant that is but one day olde 〈◊〉 that is lesse than a day olde while he is yet in his mothers wombe Ecce saith Dauid that was an holy prophet in iniquitatibus coÌ„ceptus sum in peccato coÌ„cepit me mater meâ—… Beholde sayth he I was begotten in wickednes and my mother conceaued me in sinne Was Dauids father an hoorehunter and his mother an harlot Was Dauid a bastard and misbegotten no suche thyng he was the lawful sonne of I sat Why then is the acte of matrimonie sin and wickednesse no suche thing neyther thou sinnest not if thou takest a wife sayth S. Paule and if a virgin marie she sinneth not yea mariage is honorable among all men and is a bed vndefiled Howe was then Dauid gotten and conceyued in synne For so the he came of sinful seede euen the sede that begat and conceyued Dauid was corrupt staynd with synne And as the seede was so was the chylde Quòd natum est ex carne caro est What that is borne of fleshe is flesh of Adam is Adam of a thorne is a thorn of a brieris brier of a crab is a crabbe and euery thyng yeldethe fruite after his owne kynd qualitie And therfore of a sinful father the chylde is borne a sinner euen the fyrst day and moment the chyld is born yea a sinner before it is borne Well say the Papistes admit all this in old and yong were sinne yet I trust ye wil make a distinction of sinne all sinne is not mortall synne Is no synâ—…ne venyall If there be peradueÌ„ture then the worlds synnes were not so great as that they deserued to peryshâ—… for their synnes and so myghte the easâ—…yer bâ—…e forgâ—…uen bycause theyr sinnes were veniall Nay Papist this helpeth thee not no more than thy other shiftes For although we graunte nor â—…uer denyed that there is distinâ—…tion to bee made of synnes of the whyche some bee originall some bee actuall some be in thoughte some be in worde some be indede some be of negligence som be of wilfulnesse some be of ignorance some be of malice some be more heynous than other some sinnes be yea and wee admit also this distinction of mortal sinne and veniall synne yet admit wee it not in suche sort as the Papistes do that thys difference is in the nature of synne whereby any is veniall as though it were bycause it is lesse synne therefore it shold bee veniall For be it more or be it lesse or of what sorte of synne so euer it be if it be synne it is mortall in the nature of it and deserueth no forgiuenesse but euen death for recompence For without all distinction sayde GOD to Adam When soeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalte dye And from hym it hathe followed that Vnius delicto omnes mortui fumus By Adams offence we are all deade Per peccatum introijt mors Death eâ—…tred by syn and therfore Stipendium peccati mors est The rewarde of synne is death For why it came from the dyuell Qui facâ—…t peccatum ex dia bolo est and the diuell is a murtherer from the begynnyng and therefore yf yee liue after the fleshe Moriemini yee shall dye Neyther is thys to bee vnderstoode of horrible synnes onely but euen Affectus carnis mors est The affection of the fleshe is Death also Neyther is thys to be eluded as thoughe the Apostle spake onely of a bodyly and temporall death but hee speaketh plat and playne of condemnation Iuditium quidem ex vno in condemnationem The faulte came of one offence vnto condemnation And agayn The faulte came on all menne to condemnation Why then saye the Papistes shall all menne bee damned And where is then youre Uenyall synne Forsooth euen it followeth at the harde heeles Gratia autem ex multis delictis in Iustificationem But the grace is of manye offences to Iustification Heere are manye offences named and all deserue damnation but they become Uenyall yea they hynder not Iustifycation How commeth thys of theyr owne nature nay but by grace by fauour by the gifte of God and not by the nature of the sinne in which respect all stande in the state of damnation But to those that are in Iesu Christe nihil est condemnationis there is no damnation vnto them not that the sin or sinner deserued this but for that they haue receaued the attonement made by Iesus Christe Yea but dydde not God saythe the Papist forsee that they shold receyue Christ and although they were all sinners and subiect to damnation yet did not he foresee that they wold repent them of their sinnes and become faithfull and amende their lyues when hee should call them and peraduenture therfore he wold they should not perishe but haue eternall lyfe euen bicause he foresaw they shoulde become good men although they were euill Nay Papist this is no cause no more thaÌ„ the other nei ther their workes presente neyther their workes to come For the scripture simply comprehendeth all workes whether they be past or they be present or they be to come Vocauit nos Deus
looke on pleasures backe loke not on plesure comming towards thee for she hath an whorishe painted smiling beautifull face to enamout thee but looke vpon pleasure going from thee and thou shalt se a most vgglie and filthie taile and end of had I wiste shame and wretchednesse O that doting age would consider this order not to looke backe lyke Lots wyfe to the follies of their youth and the world passed not neyghing lyke olde stallions and prouokyng other by delyghte in fylthie talke to sutche bestiall wickednesse as they haue liued in and can now do no more them seiues but be stales for the diuell to catche other not considering the wretched ende that them selues are euen ready to fall into Let vs therfore make our Omega our Alpha our end our beginning our last euen our firste As the Philosophers discribed wisdom by a serpente winding about in a rounde circle til she put her taile into her mouthe let vs be wise as serpentes dryuing all the actions of the circle of oure lyfe euen to the tayle and ende thereof If then in all worldly things this be the speciall difference of Folie and Wisedome to begin with the ende how mutche more with the last end the chiefe and euerlasting end to make our first beginning Memorare nouissima tua in aeternū nō peccab◅s These endes are here set out in these wordes Vt non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam that it should not perishe but haue eternall lyfe By perishing he meaneth death the contrarie to life but not this transitorie death wherby the soule for a time is dissolued from the body for this is via vniuersae terrae out eternall death of body and soule in hell fire prepared for the diuels and the reprobate As appereth by the contrary end that here he maketh relation vnto that is eternal life By eternal life he meaneth not only the coniunction again of the substaunce of body soule to unmortalitie but also he comprehendeth al the vnspeakeable glory ioye and felicitie that is prepared for the electe of god And here first of al thou hast to set before thee that there are but two endes not three endes after this present lyfe as the Papists do beare vs in hande of Purgatorie but the Scripture here and in all other places maketh mention of two only Secondlye for these two endes beholde the order that our sauiour Christ obserueth firste he placeth perdition and then Eternall life Thou muste first behold the danger thou standest in of condemnation else wilt thou neuer perfectly seeke for saluation He that perceiueth not him selfe to stand in peril wil neuer search the means to be deliuered The firste thing therefore is to set before vs thys ende of perdition whiche as it is a moste dreadfull sight the horror of eternall death so must we consider howe it came Perditio tua ex te ◅ Israel c. Thy perdition O Israel came euen of thy selfe of thyne owne wickednesse Stipendia peccati mors the reward of sinis death And here we see that in his nature no sinne is venial as the Papists saie but leadeth euen to perdition how◅eit not so but that by the meanes in this sentence set foorth not only the same is made veniall but also cleane taken away and no hindrance to the other end euen of eternal life Here is the law here is the Gospell in these two wordes comprehended Here is both sinne and grace wrath and fauoure euen life and death set before vs here is a wretched ende of perdition to be considered on the one part an ende without ende of all vnspeakable paine torment Compare me now this endlesse ende of perdition to the vayne pleasures that ende so soone of this transitorie life and put them altogither What hast thou gotten if thou hadst gayned al the world sayth Christ lost thine owne soule all the pleasures of this worlde are nothyng comparable to the to◅mēts woes of hell On the other part behold the end of eternal life those glories and ioys that tong can not expresse nor pen can write nor hart cōceiue that are layd vp for the sons of God whiche if thou viewest-well will so enflame thee that the ioyes glories of this life shall seme but grefes vile vnto thee the agonies afflictiōs of this life shall seeme nothing worthy of the glorie that shal be reuealed to thee Thou wouldest euer feare to sinne to behold perdition thou wouldest neuer feare to dye to beholde Eternall lyfe Here is not Pythagoras Y to looke vpon but a far more excellent matter than euer Pythagoras was able to discerne Pythagoras described the lyfe of Man by this letter Y that as the Y endeth in two strakes so the lyfe of man hath two ways leading to two endes But the true ends of mans lyfe Pythagoras neuer knewe as his foolishe opinions of the passage of mans soule out of one thing into an other dothe declare These endes Aristotle neuer knewe nor all the Peripatetici that dreamed the worlde to haue bene for euer without beginning and so to continue without endyng These endes Epicure neuer knewe considering the end of man no further than the bodily death These endes the Platonistes neuer knew whether the soule wente after the bodies deathe althoughe they imagined the soule was immortall These endes the Athenians neuer knewe that scorned S. Paule when he preached to them of the bodies resurectiō And wolde to god concerning these endes that Pythagoras Aristotle and Epicure that the Academikes and other Heathen had no disciples euen among vs Christians or rather wee were not worse than they that knowinge there are these two endes to ensue are nothing moued by them But is there any that knowing these two endes to followe are at least not so farrefoorth moued therby that they woulde not gladlie auoyd damnation and be partakers of eternall life surely none except he bee worse than madde Euery man woulde wish hym self wel the most wicked wil say on his alebench God sende vs to come to heauen none by their good will would be in hell although ye may here some ruffians iest therat Howe then commeth it to passe that so fewe obteyn eternal lyfe but this question is most easily assoyled Al runne in a race sayth S. Paule but all get not the garlande All would haue it but they refuse the meanes wherby they shoulde obteyne it Wishers and woulders were neuer good housholders theyr wishyng is but a vaine woulding either they know not what they would or they would not what they should The Turke the Iewe the Heretike they know there is an heauen they knowe there is an hell they would come to Heauen and not to hell But alacke they know not what they woulde Nescitis quid petitis but are carried awaye with theyr owne dreames of heauen and hell bicause they reiecte the worde of God that should
alas shal the father and mother teache it them nay it is no meruaile how coulde the olde Crabbe teache the yong Crab to goe but a byas They haue nousâ—…ed vp them selues in all wickednesse and so they teache their children so that as it were they clayme hel by inheritance It is a world to see how â—…oone wee are decked vp to be proude or ere we knowe what pride meaneth What a laughter and sport it is to the parentes to se their yong chyld do any vnhappy touch But Extrema gaudij luctus occupat this wicked beginning must nedes haue a wretched endyng Wilte thou loke thou foolish father to reape vertue and sowedst nought but vice thou wast disobedient to God and wilt theu loke thy chyld shal be obedient to thee Nay loke how thou hast done to thy children thy children wyll doo the lyke to thee What measure yee mete withall shal be met to you againe Beware therfore of nourishing them in vice of giuing euill ensample to them tinder wil not so sone take fyre as the child wil take hold of euil ensample And he that offendeth one of these little ones sayth Christe that beleueth in me it were better a mylstone were tied about his necke and he throwen into the bottome of the sea Neyther dothe Christe here excepte father mother or any other but who so euer he be that is occaâ—…ion of sinne to the childe by ensample instruction encoraging or by any other meanes this heauie sentence is pronounced on him Thou father therfore if thou loue thy childe yea if thou loue thy selfe bothe for his parte and for thine owne parte beware of euel ensample The fourthe cause of disobedience is the lacke of knowledge of his duety Thou bringest vp thy sonne in ignorance and idely and howe can he then but proue a stubborn pece chiefly when he hath no knowledge nor fear of god Now wil he stande in awe of thee or know his duetie to thee Dost thou loue in dede thy child loue thaÌ„ the more principall parte of him loue his soule more than his bodye loue the eternall life of him better than this temporall lyfe For else thou louest him not For proofe that thou louest hym thou shewest me what riches thou hast gathered for him what laÌ„des and rentes thou hast purchased for him what lyuings and offices thou haste prouided for him what payne what coste what trouble what sute what trauel what cares and God knowes withall what conscience thou haddest to compasse these things for thy chylde and is not all this a sufficient argument to proue thou louest him No surely is it not But I will healpe thee with a better argument Thou art content for thy chyld to goe lyke a carle to the dyuell before that thy chylde may come after to the diuel like a gentlemaÌ„ This is a token thou louest thy child that art content so thy chyld may be daÌ„ned thou wilt be damned too Now likest thou this loue is it not more worthy to be called hatred and worse it thou canst deuise â—… worser name for it this preposterous loue of thine to thy child Ah saist thou shal I not then prouide for my childe then were I worse sayeth Saincte Paule than an infidel I deny not but thou mayst yea and oughtest to prouide for him by all conuenient and godly meanes thou canst But the principall thyng that thou oughtest to prouyde for thy chylde is the Riches of the soule the knowledge the feare and the loue of god Primum quaerite regnum Dei 〈◊〉 omnia adijcientur â—…obis Fyrst seeke that thy chylde maye bee a Citizen of the kingdome of God that thy sonnes as Dauid sayeth maye bee As plantes growyng vp in thâ—…yt youthe in all Grace and Uâ—…ttue that thy daughters may bâ—… polished lyke the corner stones of the temple of God shining in the cleere beawty of shamefastnesse and modestie and become olde mothers in Israel And then all other things shall be cast vnto them by Gods prouidence When thou art dead and faire buried they shall haue inoughe to liue on and doe full well although thou hadst lefte them neuer a penie I was yong and now am oldâ—… saithe Dauid as who should saye I haue sene greate experience of many things in my dais yet neuer saw I the rightouse man forsaken and his seed beg their bred No though his father die yet is he as though he were not dead for he hath left one behinde him that is like him In his life he saw him and had ioy in him and was not sory in his death neither was he ashamed before his enemies he left behinde hym an auenger agaynst his enemies and one that should shew fauour to his frends Lo thus shall they be blessed that feare the Lorde bycause they bring vp their children in instructioÌ„ and information of the Lorde This is the true loue of the fathers and mothers to their children And this shall make if any thing wil make this loue of the parents descending to the children to ascende againe from the children to the parents so effectually that no earthly loue can be of greater force But be this loue also neuer so excellent when it once entreth this comparison of gods loue bicause it is so tied with the linkes of nature and bounden dewty on either parte although it somwhat resemble this loue of God our Father in heauen to vs his adopted sonnes in earth Wherby Dauid saith Sicut pater miseretur filioruÌ„ misertus est nostri dominus As the father hath mercie on his children so God hath had mercy on vs Can the mother forget her infant that she should not pitie the childe of her wombe although the mother coulde forget hir child sayth the Lorde yet will not I forget thee for I haue grauen thee vppon the palmes of my hands thy walles are euer in my sight Therfore I conclude on this loue as of the other that So God loued the worlde that no naturall loue of fathers and mothers to their children of children to their fathers and mothers is lyke this loue of God out heauenly father to vs. We reade of greate loue that seruauntes haue borne theyr maysters that maisters againe haue born theyr seruants the one hath suffred death to saue the other This was a notable loue Where are suche maisters and seruants now become nay it is now the old prouerbe vp downe trim tram such maister suche man suche cuppe suche couer neyther barrell better herring bothe maister and man may go in a line together for a great many of men and maisters now a dayes In many places where I come I heare the maisters complaine of their seruantes stubbornesse and vnfaithfull dealing of their seruantes dissolutenesse and lacke of awe But the maister seeth not howe God punisheth hym with his owne rodde howe his owne selfe is the cause here of He would haue his seruant all for
sonne than vs but only he did it for the loue of vs yet his loue of vs is onely in and for his sonne The Prince might seeke glorie and renowne by this strange fact as the Philosophers did in al their sufferings but Christ sought ignominie due to vs to bring vs to raigne in glorie with him In the ende the Prince must nedes die and his sonne also and how soone either of them God knowes And whether by not so famouse a deathe or no God knowes And how they shold haue liued with what troubles feares and changes God knows These things might moue them to be the willinger to suffer death that once they must nedes suffer and this they know But the sonne of God was not subiecte vnto deathe he neded neuer to haue died for death had no power ouer him as he truly sayd Habeo potestatē ponēdi animam meam iterum sumendi eam I haue power to geue ouer my life and to take it againe It lay in his owne power to die or not to die but that of his mere loue he vouchesaued for to die Moreouer the Princes death could worke but a small and trifling benefit the sauing of theyr bodily life for a whyle that perchaunce myght die body and and soule within a minute of an houre after But the death of oure vnspotted Lambe the sonne of God is become suche a sweete and acceptable sacrifice to GOD the Father and so effectuall vnto vs that if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for oure sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde To conclude there is as mutche difference betweene this or any other case that can be put of any creature husbande wife parentes children frend enemie neighbour stranger maister seruant prince subiect or whose loue soeuer it be as is betwene the creature creator as is betwene the person of a wretched mortal man the person of the liuing and immortall god The loue of God therefore whereby he so loued the worlde that he gaue his sonne for it doth excell all comparison doth excede all speache doothe passe all vnderstanding Wee speake but in a darke speeche theron we vnderstand it but as chyldren we see it but thorough a gl◅sle we know it but in part yea the angels meruaile at it and cannot fully conceaue the breadth the length the depthe the heigthe of this incomprehensible loue of God to manne and to knowe this loue of Christe whiche go◅th beyonde all knowledge But that we may haue some taste of this sweete loue of God some ioy of this his excellent gifte let vs deare beloued as we maye a little beholde the same He gaue his only begotten son Here are two things to be considered The one is the thing it self that for this loue he bestowed vpon vs The other is the maner of his bestowing it The thing that he bestowed was euen his sonne not his seruant but his sonne not his frende but his sonne euen his true begotten sonne and that his only begoten son Such as the father is suche is the sonne the Father is God the sonne is God God of the substance of his father very God and equall to his father in substance eternitie grace glorie power and euery thing For all that the Father hathe hee hathe giuen to him and he and the father are one Hee is the expresse image of the inuisible God the first begotten of all creatures the wisdome of his father by whome the world was made the light of the worlde the way the truth and the life the authour and fynisher of our faithe the prince of pastours and great shepeherd of our soules the true vine the bread of lyfe the rock and fountayn of the liuing waters the corner stone of the building and foundation therof the king of glorie the prince of peace the anoynted of God the high priest the mediator of the new Testament the lamb of god that taketh away the sinnes of the world the reconciler of God and man the Emanuel the Messias the blessed seede the hope and redemption of Israell The lord sauior Iesus Christ in whome is the fulnesse of the diuinitie in whom only is layde vp the vnsearchable treasorie of all the riches of the glorie grace fauor of this infinit loue of God euen the only begotten son of god So muche more excellent than the angels in as much as he hath obteined a more excellēt name thā they For vnto which of the angels sayde he at any tyme Thou art my son this day haue I begotten thee And agayne I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and againe when he bringeth in his firste begotten sonne into the world be saith And let al the angels of God worship hym c. to the Son he saith O god thy throne is for euer euer the scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellows And thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine handes they shal perish but thou dost remayn and they al shall waxe old as doth a garmēt and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp they shal be changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shal not fayle Vnto whiche of the angels sayde hee at any tyme Sitte thou at my right hād til I make thy enemies thy foote stoole And hath he then poured foorth on vs poore and wretched synfull misers sutche treasures of hys blessings that he hath giuen vs euen this his son in quem desiderant angeli prospicere on whom the angels desire to looke yea saithe the same sonne him self Dedit vnigenitum filium suum He gaue his only begotten sonne O infinite and vnspeakable loue O most preciouse gifte O most orient pearle O most happie marchant that can get this iewel The price of this gifte can not be tolde the value of this iewel is inestimable siluer and gold pearle and stone is nothing comparable to this wonderfull gifte of god No we are not bought with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the precious bloud of Christ the sonne of God The sonne of God why could no lesser gift haue serued vs might not he haue geuen vs an angell But euen his sonne And that his only begotten son Might not he haue gyuen vs one of his adopted sonnes some notable man or womā some patriarche some Prophet some apostle or some holy sainte of god No God spared not to giue his his onely begotten son for man Yea nothing coulde sufficiently pacifie the wrath of God satisfie his iustice make due recompence for our vndue offence reconcile vs to the fauour of GOD againe vanquishe
labyrinthe that he is neuer able to winde him selfe out to sit downe and rest him in a quiet conscience and persuade him self that he is alredy iustified For how can he thus quiet himselfe seeking iustification by woorkes when hee heareth Chryste saye When yee haue doone all that yee can do ye are vnprofitable seruantes and he feelethe styll in hym selfe manye doubtes and mutche imperfection And therefore hee maketh a generall resolution that wee can neuer attayne to any certaintie whether wee bee iustified or no and so ought continually to hang in a doubt therof and that it suffyseth vs in the meane space to recomforte oure selues wyth a generall beleefe that some shall bee saued but whether wee shall be saued or no that we still stande in doubt of say the Papistes Thus blyndely myserablye and infinitely they runne from one errour to an other for Ex quolibet se quitur quodlibet Grannte one falshoode and a number will followe and all commeth of this that boasting of faith theyknow not what faith meanes And so contending with vs about faith they bewray them selues that they haue no faith but in stede of faith mayntein plain infidelitie That whiche Christe flatly reproueth O ye of litle faith in respect that they douted that do they allowe for good necessarie That which made Peter to sinke and crie for helpe they crake they swimme safely and holde vp themselues by the chinne therin This argueth sayeth Saincte Iames whom they allege for their diuels faith that they them selues haue no true faith in God nor shall obteine any thing at his hands For sayeth he Postulet in fide nihil haesitans qui enim haesitat similis est fluctui maris non enim existimet homo ille Quam accipiat aliquid à domino Let him aske of the lorde in faithe doubting nothing at all for he that doubteth is tossed of the winde and caried away like a waue of the sea Neither let that man thinke that he shall receaue any thing of the lorde For a wauering minded maÌ„ is vnstable in al his ways By this popish doctrine then we shall obteyn nothing at the handes of God least of all saluation which aboue all ther things we ought to pray for if we doubte of Gods promises therin wee shall neuer be partakers of it But the Papists defend we must continually doubt thereof let not those Papistes therefore thynke that they shall receyue any goodnes no not faith or any grace of god or wisdom wher of S. Iames did speake left of all that euer they shal be saued but euer be faithlesse gracelesse godlesse frutelesse hopelesse and all euen bicause they euer doubt in God and call in question the veritie of his promises whiche is playne to deface them and to make him a lier like them selues as saithe S. Iohn Qui non credit deo mendacem facit eum He that beleeueth not GOD maketh him a lier and so muche the greater lier do they make him as God hath bound him selfe by an othe and therfore saithe S. Paule VVhen God made promise to Abraham bicause he had no greter to svvere by he sware by him selfe c. So God vvilling more abundantly to shevv vnto the heyres of promise the stablensse of his councell bownd him self by an othe by two immutable things wherin it is impossible that God shold lye that we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold faste the hope that is set before vs which vve haue as an anker of the soule bothe sure and stedfast Ideo ex fide saithe S. Paule Therfore it is of faithe that it mighte come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only vvhich is of the lawe but also to that seede whiche is of the faithe of Abraham vvho is the father of all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations before God whome hee beleued who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things whiche be not as though they were whiche Abraham aboue hope beleeued in hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spokeÌ„ euen so shal thy seed be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea and he fainted not in faith nor yet considered his owne body which was nowe dead being almoste an hundred yeares olde neyther yet that Sara was past chylde bearyng he staggered not at the promise of God thorough vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith and gaue glorie to God being full assured that he whyche had promysed was able to do it and therfore it was imputed to him for righteousnes neuerthelesse it is not written for him onely that it was reckned to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse so that wee beleeue on him that raysed vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification Thus S. Paule most pithyly expresseth the nature of true faith most contrary to the Papistes wauering doubt and their generall houeryng in the aire of an opinion knowing acknowledging suche a thing to be but true faith is a stedfast and confident application therof to our selues wherby we may be able to say vnto Christ with Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus My Lorde and my my God To say with Dauid Dominus salus mea quem timebo The Lorde is my saluation whome shall I bee afrayde of In te Domine speraui non confundar in aeternum In thee Lord haue I trusted I shall neuer bee confounded The Papistes call this a bolde presumption but God graunt vs to presume on this fashion as sayth S. Bernard Ego fidenter quòd ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini quoniaÌ„ misericordia affluunt nec desunt foramina ê‘ quae effluaÌ„t That that I haue not of my selfe I will boldly vsurpe of the bowels of the Lord for bycause they flow in mercie neyther want they holes whereout they flow This boldnesse vsurpation is a good presumption It is a firme faith that shal stand like mount Sion and nor be moued It is buylt on the rock that no tempest 〈◊〉 ouerturâ—…e and not on the sands of mens workes that euery doubtefull waue shall tosse and shatter it no the gates of hell shall not preuayle against this faith Si ambulauero in medio vmbrae mortis If I walke in the middle of the shadowe of death I will not feare for thou art with mee sayth Dauid And therfore sayth S. Paule Iustificati ex fide pacem habeamus erga Deum Being iustified by faith let vs haue peace not doubt to Godwarde lette vs assure our selues of the loue and fauour of god Qui credit in filium habet testimoniuÌ„ in seipso He that beleueth in the sonne hath the witnesse in himselfe For when you beleued sayth