of the threatnings which S. Paule vseth to the Galathians who hauing béene deceiued by false Preachers beleeued not that the Iustification by fayth was sufficient of it selfe but went about stil to be made righteous by thelaw Unto whom S. Paule saith Iesus Christ shall nothing profite you that iustifie your selues by the law for you bee falne from grace because that we through the spirit of sayth wayt for the hope of righteousnesse Now if the seeking of righteousnesse forgiuenesse of sinnes by the keeping of the law which GOD gaue vpon mount Sinai with so greate glorie and maiestie bée the denying of Christe and of his Grace what shall wée say to those that will néeds iustifie themselues afore God by theyr owne lawes and obseruances I woulde wishe that suche folkes shoulde a little compare the one with the other and afterwarde geue Iudgement themselues God myndeth not too doe that honour nor to geue that glory to his owne lawe yet they will haue him too geue it too mens lawes and ordinances But that honour is geuen onely to his onely begotten sonne who alone by the sacrifice of his death and passion hath made full amendes for al our sinnes past present and to come as Saint Paule and Saint Iohn declare Wherfore as often as we apply this satisfaction of Iesus Christs vnto our soules by fayth out of all doubt we obteine forgeuenesse of our sinnes and become good and righteous before God through his righteousnesse And therfore after that Saint Paule hath said that as touching the righteousnesse of the law he had liued vnblameable he addeth and yet whatsoeuer I haue gained by it I haue accompted in all respectes too bée but losse for the loue of Christe And specially I esteeme all thinges to bée losse for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christe my Lord for whom I haue compted all things too bée losse and déeme them but as doung so may I winne Christ and be founde in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the lawe but the righteousnes which is by the fayth of Iesus Christe w t righteousnes is giuen by God I meane the righteousnes of faith that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ. O most notable words which al Christians ought to haue engrauen in their hearts praying God to make them to fast it perfectly Lâ—e howe Saint Paule sheweth plainely that whosoeuer knoweth Christe aright estéemeth al the woorks of the lawe to be hurtfull for somuch as they make vs too swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ too whom euery man ought to impute his saluation and too trust onely vnto him alone And to inforce this sentence the more he addeth further that he estéemeth all things but as doung so he may gayne Christ he found incorporated in him declaring therby that whosoeuer trusteth in his owne workes pretendeth not iustifie himselfe by them getteth not Iesus Christ nother is engraffed into him And forasmuch as the whole mystery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof to the end we might the better vnderstand what he meant to say he addeth and repeteth oftentunes that he had nothing to do with all the outward iustification all y â— righteousnes that is grounded vpon the keping of the law but y â— he would cloth himself with the righteousnes which God geueth by sayth to all them that beléeue that all our sinnes are fully chastised and punished in Iesu Christ and that Iesus Christ as Saint Paule saith is made our wisedom righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end as it is writteÌ„ that he which wil glory should glory in y â— Lord and not in his owne woorks Uery true it is that in the holy Scriptures there are some textes to be found which beyng misvnderstood séeme to gainesay this holy doctrine of Saint Paules to attribute iustification remission of sinnes vnto works and to charity But those authorities haue already byn well expounded by some who haue shewed plainly that such as haue vnderstood them in the sense aforesaid vnderstood them not aright Wherefore my déere beloued brethren let vs not folow the fond opinions of the bewitched Galathians but rather let vs followe the trueth which S. Paule teacheth vs and let vs geue the whole glory of our iustification vnto Gods mercie and to the merites of his Sonne who by his owne bloodshed hath set vs frée from the soueraintie of the law and from 〈…〉 geue vs life and endlesse felicitie I say yet further that he hath deliuered vs from the dominion of the lawe insomuch as he hath geuen vs his holy spirit who teacheth vs al truth that he hath satisfied the law to the ful giuen the same satisfactioÌ„ vnto al his members that is to wit to al true Christians so as they may safely appeare at Gods throne because they be clothed w t the righteousnes of his Christ by him deliuered from the curse of the lawe Then can not the law any more accuse vs or coÌ„ndenm vs nor moue our affections or appetites nor increase sinne in vs. And therefore S. Paule saith that the obligation which was against vs is cancelled by Iesus Christ discharged vpon the trée of the crosse insomuch as he hath set vs frée froÌ„ the subiectioÌ„ of the law consequently from the tyranny of sinne and death which can no more holde vs oppressed because it is ouercome by Iesus Christ in his resurrection so coÌ„sequently by vs which are his members in such maner that we may say with Saynte Paule and with the Prophet Osée Death is quite vanquished and destroied O death where is thy sting O Hel where is thy 〈…〉 strength of sinne is the law But God bée praised who hath granted vs victory by our Lorde Iesus Christ. He is the blessed séede that hath crushed the head of the venomous Serpent that is to wit of the Diuel insomuche that al those which beleue in Iesus Christe reposing their whole trust in his grace doe ouercome sinne death the diuel hel as Christ hath done He is that blessed séed of Abraham in the which God hath promised blessednesse to al nations It behooueth euery particular person too fighte with the sayd horrible serpent to deliuer himselfe froÌ„ that curse But that enterprise was so great that all the force of the whole world knit together was not able too goe through with it Wherfore our God the father of mercy being moued with compassion of our miseries hath geuen vs his onely begotten sonne who hath deliuered vs froÌ„ the venim of the serpent and is himself become our blessednesse and righteousnesse condicionally that we accept the same renouncing all our owne outwarde iustifications Then my déere brethren let vs imbrace the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ and let vs make it ours by meanes of fayth let vs assure our selues that we be righteous not for our own workâ— but
he take no liberty to sinne for this doctrine belongeth to none suche as honor themselues with the name of Christians confessing Christ with their mouth and yet deny him in theyr déedes But it cōcerneth the true Christians who though they fight manfully against the fleshe the worlde and the Deuil doe notwithstanding fall dayly and are constreyned to say Lorde forgeue vs our offences These are they to whom we speak to comfort them and to holde them vp that they fall not into despayre as though the blood of Christe washed vs not from all sinne and that hée were not our aduocate and the Attonementmaker for his members And therefore when wée bée prouoked too doubt of the forgeuenesse of our sinnes and that our owne cōscience beginneth to trouble vs then must wée furnishe our selues with true faith out of hād haue recourse to the precious blood of Iesus Christe shed for vs vpō the altar of the crosse distributed to his Apostles at his last Supper vnder the veile of a most Holy Sacrament which was ordeined by Christ to the end y ◠wée shoulde celebrate the remembrance of his death and that by the same visible Sacrament our troubled consciences might be assured of our attonement with God The blessed Iesus Christe made his last Will when he said this is my body which is geuen for you and this is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the forgeuenesse of their sinnes Wée knowe that a Testament saith S. Paul although it be but a mans Testament yet neuer thelesse if it be allowed no man dispiseth it or addeth any thing to it and that no Testament is of force til the testator be dead but hath ful power after y ◠parties decease Then did Iesus Christe make his Testament wherin he promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and the grace and good fauor of him selfe and of his father togeather with mercy and euerlasting life And to the intent that the saide Testament shoulde be of ful force he hath confirmed it with his owne precious blood and with his owne death By reason whereof Saint Paul sayeth that Iesus Christe is the Mediator of the newe Testament that by his dying for the the redemption of those transgressions which were in the former testament they that are called might receiue the promise of the eternal inheritance For whersoeuer is a Testament there must also be y ◠death of the Testator for the Testament is confirmed by the death of the partie insomuch as it is of no value so long as the maker of it is aliue Wherefore we be very certaine assured by the death of Iesus Christe that his Testament is auaileable whereby all our misdéedes are pardoned and we made heyres of eternal life And for a token and faithfull pledge héereof in stéed of a Seale he hath left vs this Diuine Sacramente which not onely giueth our soules assured hope of their euerlasting Saluation but also warranteth vnto vs that immortality of our flesh forasmuch as it is euen nowe quickened by that immortall flesh of his in a certaine maner becōmeth partaker of the immortalitie therof he that is partaker of that diuine flesh by faith shal not perish for euer But vnto him that receiueth it without the saide faith it turneth too a dangerous poyson bicause that like as whē bodily sustenance findeth the stomacke incumbred with euill humors it corrupteth likewise and worketh great anoyance euē so if this spirituall foode light into a sinfull soule that is full of malice and misbeliefe it casteth it headlong intoo some greater ruine not through it owne default but because that too the vncleane and vnbeléeuer all thinges are vncleane notwithstanding that the thinges bee sanctified by the Lords blessing For saith S. Paul be that eateth of that bread drinketh of that cup unworthily is is giltie of the body and blood of the Lord and hée eateth drinketh his own damnation bicause he maketh no differēce of the Lordes body For he maketh no difference of the Lords body which presumeth to the Lords supper without faith and charity And forasmuch as he beleueth not that body to be his life and the cleanser of all his sinnes he maketh Iesus Christe a lyar and treadeth the sonne of god vnder foote and estéemeth the blood of the Testamente whereby he was sanctified but as a cōmon worldly thing and doth great wrōg to the spirite of grace he shal be punished very sore at Gods hād for this his vnbelief and wicked hypocriste For whereas he reposeth not that trust of his iustificatiō in the passiō of our Lord Sauior Iesus Christ yet neuerthelesse he receiueth this most holy Sacrament and maketh protestation that he putteth not his trust in any other thing Wherby he accuseth himselfe and is witnesse of his owne iniquitie and condēneth himselfe to euerlasting death by refusing the life which GOD promiseth him in that holy Sacrament And in this point when the Christiā féeleth that his enimies are like to ouercome him that is too wit when he beginneth too doubt whether hee haue receiued forgiuenesse of his sinnes by Iesu Christe and that he shall not be able to withstand the Deuill and his temptations and that the accusation of his owne doubtfull conscience comes too presse him so as he beginneth too feare least Hell fire should swallow him vp death hold him in his euerlasting bands by reason of gods wrath I say when the good Christian féeleth himselfe in suche an agony Let him get him to his holy Sacrament with a good hearte and stout courage and receiue it deuoutly saying in his heart and answering his enemies thus I confesse I haue deserued a thousand hels and euerlasting death by reason of the great sinnes which I haue committed But this heauenly Sacramēt which I receiue at that preset assureth me of the forgiuenesse of all my misdoinges of mine attonement with God For if I haue an eye to my works there is no doubt but I acknowledge my selfe a sinner condemne mine owne self in such wise as my cōscience should neuer be quiet if I should thinke that my sinnes are pardoned mée for my workes sake But when I looke to the promises and couenants of God who promiseth me forgeuenes of my sinnes by the blood of Iesus Christe I am as sure I haue obteined it that I haue his fauour as I am sure y ◠he which hath made y ◠promises couenants cannot lye nor deceiue and through this stedfast faith I become righteous by Christes righteousnes wherthrough I am saued and my conscience quieted Hath he not geuen his most innocent body into the hands of sinners for our sins Hath hee not shed his blood to wash away my iniquities Why then doest thou vexe thy selfe O my soule put thy trust in the Lorde who beareth thée so great loue that to deliuer thée
from eternall death it hath pleased him that his only sonne should suffer death and passion who hath taken vpon himselfe our pouertie to geue vs his riches laid our weakenesse vpon himselfe to stablish vs in his strength become mortall to make vs immortall come down untoo the earth to aduance vs vpp too heauen and become the sonne of man with vs too make vs the children of God with himselfe Who is hee then that shall accuse vs God is he that iustifieth vs and who shall condemne vs Iesus Christe is dead for vs yea and rysen agayne 〈◊〉 vs and sitteth at the right hande of God making intercessioÌ„ for vs. Let vs then D my soule leaue of these teares and sighes THE CIII Psalme 1 MY Soule prayse thou the Lorde and all that is within me praise his holy name 2 My soule prayse thou the Lord forget not all his benefites 3 Which forgiueth al thine iniquitie healeth all thine infirmities 4 Which redéemeth thy life from the graue and crowneth thée with mercy and compassion 5 Which satisfieth thy mouth with good thinges and thy youth is renued like the Eagles 6 The Lorde executeth righteousnessâ— and iudgement to all that are oppressed 7 No made his waies knowne vnto Moses and his workes vntoo the children of Israell 8 The Lord is ful of coÌ„passion and mercy sâ—ow to anger and of great kindnesse 9 We will not alway chide neither kéepâ— his anger for euer 10 He hath not delt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities 11 For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towarde them that feare him 12 As farre as the East is from the West so far hath he remoued our sinnes from vs. 13 As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him 14 For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust 15 The dayes of man are as grasse as a floure of the field so florisheth he 16 For y â— winde goeth ouer it it is gone and the place therof shall know it no more 17 But y â— louing kindnes of y â— Lord endureth for euer euer vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that feare him amp his righteousnes vpon childrens childreÌ„ 18 Unto them y â— keep his couenaÌ„t think vpon his commaundements to doe them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all 20 Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that doe his commandemeÌ„t in obeying the voyce of his woordâ— 21 Praise the Lord al ye his hostes ye his seruants that do his pleasure 22 Praise the Lord all ye his works in al places of his dominion my soule prayse thou the Lorde So hath he had mercy on vs in giuing vs his onely sonne With this faith w t those thaÌ„ksgeuings with these or such other like thoughts must wee receiue the sacrament of the body and bloode of our Lorde Iesus Christ. After this maner is all fearfulnesse driuen out of the soule of the Christian and charity is increased fayth strengthened the conscience quieted the toung neuer ceasseth to prayse God and to yéeld him infinit thanks for so great a benefite This is the vertue efficacie only trust of our soule This is the rocke wherevpon if the conscience be buylded it feareth nother tempest nor the gates of hel nor Gods wrath nor the law nor sinne nor death nor the diuels nor any other thing And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords supper and table consisteth is this diuine sacrament When the Christian is at it he must hold his eyes fastened continually vppon the passion of our gratious Sauiour beholding him on the one side vppon the crosse loden with all our sinnes and God on the other side punishing chastising and whipping his owne onely begotten and Déerebeloued sonne in steade of vs. O happie is that man that shutteth his eyes from al other sights and will neither heare nor sée any other thing than Iesus Christ crucified in whoÌ„ are layde vp and bestowed al the treasures of Gods wisdome and diuine knowledgeâ— Blessed say I is he that féedeth his minde with so heauenly a foode and maketh himselfe drunken in the loue of God with so sweete and singular a liquor But before I make an ende of this matter I will first aduertise the Christian that Sainte Augustine hath ordinarily béene woont too terme this holy Sacrament the bonde of charity and the mystery of vnity And he saith that whosoeuer receiueth the mystery of vnitie regardeth not the bond of peace receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behooâ—e but as a witnesse agaynst himselfe Therfore we must vnderstaÌ„d y â— the Lorde hath ordeyned this holy sacrameÌ„t not only to make vs sure of y â— forgiueues of our sins but also to inflame vs to peace vnity brotherly charitie For in this Sacrament the Lord doth after such a maner make vs parlakers of his body as he becommeth al one thing w t vs we with him By reasoÌ„ wherof forasmuch as he hath but one body wherof he maketh vs Partakers it is méetâ— that we also shoulde by such partaking becom al one body together amoÌ„g our selues And this vntoÌ„ is represeÌ„ted by the bread of the sacrament which as it is made of many grains mingled kneaded together in such wise as one of them caÌ„ not be discerned froÌ„ another So also must we be toyned together after such a sort so vnited together into one agréement of mind as no diuision may créep in And this doth S. Paule shew vs when he saith Is not the cup of blessing which we blesse the coÌ„munioÌ„ of the blood of Iesus Christ is not the bread y â— we break the coÌ„munion of the body of Iesus Christe whereas we be many yet are we but one bread and one body forsomuch as we be all Partakers of one bread By these thinges we vnderstand that when we receiue his most holy coÌ„munion we must coÌ„sider that we are al of vs ingraffed into Christ are all become members of one selfsame body that is to wit of Iesus Christ in such wise as we caÌ„not offend defame or despise any of our brethren but we must therewithall offend defame and despise our saide head Iesus Christ neyther caÌ„ we be at variance w t any of our brethren but in likewise we must be at oddes with him Also we cannot loue him excepte wee loue him in our brethren Look how much care we haue of our owne bodie so much must we haue of our Christian brethren who are the meÌ„bers of our body And like as no parte of our body féeleth any griefe which spreadeth not it selfe into al the other parts so ought we to determine w t our selues that our brother feleth not any inconuenience which should not moue vs to coÌ„passioÌ„ With such maner of thoughtes must
Christ and all that is his as we possesse our own garmēt And therfore to be clothed with Iesus Christ is nothing else but to beleeue for a certaintie that Christ is wholy ours and so is he in very déede if we beléeue so and hold our selues assured that by the same heauenly garment we be recetued into fauour before God For it is moste certaine that he as a most déere father hath geuen vs his sonne meaning that all his righteousnesse and al that euer he is can or hath done should be in our power and iurisdiction in such wise as it shoulde be lawfull for vs to make our boast of them as if we had done purchasen and deserued them by our owne strength And whosoeuer beléeueth this shal find that his belief is good true as we haue shewed heretofore Then must the Christiā haue a stedfast faith beliefe y ◠al the goods al the graces al the riches of Iesus Christ are his for sith y ◠God hath geuen vs Iesus Christ himself how should it be possible that he hath not geuen vs all things w t him Wow if this be true as true it is in déed y ◠Christian may rightly say I am y ◠child of God Iesu Christ is my brother I am Lord of heauē and earth of hel of death of the law insomuch as the law cannot accuse me nor lay any curse vppon me bicause the righteousnes of God is become mine And this fayth is it alone y ◠maketh a mā to be called a christī which clotheth him with Iesus Christ as we haue saide afore And boldly may this be called a great mystery wherunder are contamed marueilous things things not hearde of cōcerning y ◠great God which cānot enter into mās heart except God do first soften it w t his holy grace as he hath promised to do by his holy prophet saying I wil giue you a new heart and I wil put a new mind into you and I wil take away the stony hart out of your bodie I wil giue you a heart of flesh Now then he that beléeueth not after the said maner that Iesus Christ with all the goods that he possesseth is his cannot call himselfe a true Christian nor euer haue a quiet and ioyfull conscience nor a good and feruent courage too doe good but shal easily faint in doyng of good woorkes yea and moreouer hee shall neuer bee able to doe woorkes that are truely good This only beléefe and trust y ◠we haue in the merites of Iesus Christ maketh men true christians stout cheereful mery louers of God ready to doe good works Possessors of Gods kingdome and of God himselfe his right dearely beloued children in whō the holy Ghost doeth truely dwell What heart is so cowardly cold vile which cōsidering the inestimable greatnesse of the gift that God hath bestowed vpon him in geuing him his owne so welbeloued sonne with all his perfectnesse is not inflamed with an exéeding earnest desire to become like vnto him in good works specially séeing that the father hath giuen him vnto vs for an example wheron we must continually loke framing our life after such a sort as it may be a true counterpaine of the life of Iesus Christ forasmuch as Christe as saith S. Peter hath suffered for vs leaning vs an ensample to the ende that wée should follow his footesteppes Out of this consideration issueth another kinde of clothing of a mans selfe with Christe which we may terme an example clothing for so much as the christiā must frame his whole life after y ◠example of Christe fashioning himselfe like vntoo him in all his déedes words thoughts leuing his former wicked life decking himselfe with the new life that is to wit with the life of Christe By reason whereof S. Paul saith Let vs cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light not in feasting nor in drunkennesse nor in chambering wantonnesse nor in striefe but put vpon you the Lorde Iesus Christe and make no preparation for the flesh nor for the lustes thereof Héereupon the true Christian being in loue with Iesus Christ saith in him selfe Sith that Iesus Christe not hauing any néede of mée hath redéemed mee with his owne blood and is become poore to inriche mée I will likewise geue my goodes yea and my very life for the loue and welfare of my neighbor And like as I am clothed with Iesus Christ for y ◠loue he hath borne to me so wil I haue my neighbor in Christ to cloath himself with me and with my goodes likewise for ◠loue that I beare him for Christes sake He that doth not so is no true Christian for he cannot say that he loueth Iesus Christe if he loue not the members brothers of him if we loue not our neighbour for whose sake Christ hath shed his blood wée cannot truely say that wée loue Iesus Christe who being equal with God was obedient to his father euen to the death of the crosse hath loued and redéemed vs geuing himselfe vnto vs with al that euer he hath After the same maner we being rich hauing abundance of good things at Christes hande must also be obedient vnto God to offer giue our workes al that me haue yea euen our selues to our neighbours and brethren in Iesus Christe seraing them and helping them at theyr néede and being to them as another Christe And like as Iesus Christ was lowly and gentle and far from all debate and strife so must wee set our whole mind vpon lowlinesse and méekenesse eschewing al strife and impacience as well which consist in wordes and reasoning as in déedes And as Iesus Christ hath indured all the persecutiōs spites of the world for y ◠glory of God so must we with al patientnes chéerefully beare the persecutiōs and reproches that are done by false Christians to all suche as will liue faithfully in Iesus Christ who gaue his life for his enemies and praied for them vpon the crosse and so must wée also pray alwayes for our enemies willingly spēd our life for their welfare And this is to folow Christs steps according as S. Peter saith For whē wée know Iesus Christ with al his riches to be our own good which thing is to be clothed with Christ too become pure cleane w tout spot ther remaineth nothing more for vs to doe but to glorifie God by following the life of Iesus Christe and to doe to our brethren as Christe hath doone to vs and specially forasmuch as wee bee warranted by his word that whatsoeuer we do to his brethren ours he accepteth it as a benefit doone to himselfe And doubtles séeing that the true Christiās are members of Christ we cannot do either good or euil to the true Christians but wee doe it likewise vntoo Christ
he dwelleth Then let them begin to become god Christians and put away their Iewish mindes and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospel in good earnest then shal they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost also acknowledg ethēselues to haue him But some one may say to me that the Christiā cannot by any meanes know that he is in Gods fauour without some speciall reuelation and so consequently that he cannot know whether he be predestinated or no. And he may specially alledge these wordes of Solomon A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these wordes of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians I féel not my selfe guilty of any thing and yet féele I not my selfe iustified for all that It séemeth to be sufficiently declared by the textes of holy scripture that the sayde opinion is false and now remayneth onely to bee shewed briefly that these two textes wherevpon the same opinion is chiefly grounded ought not too bee taken in that sense As touching Solomons sentence although it be scarce wel faithfully translated in the commontranslation yet is there not any man so dull who in reading Solomōs whole discourse may not plainely perceiue that by saying so he ment that if any man will take vpon him to iudge by the casualties that happen in this life who is loued or hated of God Hée laboureth in vain◠considering that the selfesame chaunces which light vppon the righteous light also vpon the vnrighteous vpon him that sacrifizeth aswell as vpon him that sacrifizeth not and as soone vppon the good man as vppon the sinner Whereof it may be gathered that GOD doeth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whome hée indueth with outwarde prosperities and contrariwise that hée sheweth not his displeasure towards those whome hée punisheth Then my ryght deare brethren in Christe Iesus our Lorde doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot bee sure of Gods fauour because the same surenesse cannot bée perceiued by the sundry chaunces that happen euery day in these transitory and temporall thinges A little afore Solomon saith that a man cannot discerne any difference betwéene the soule of man and the life of a Beast for it is séene that both man and Beast dye after one manner Shall wée then conclude by this outwarde accident that the perswasiō which we haue conceaued of the immortality of y ◠soule is grounded but only vpon coniecture so surely and it were a great folly to stande vppon a thing so notably knowne And as for S. Paules wordes I say that forasmuche as he was speaking of the administration of the Gospell hee ment that his hearte misgiues him not of any misdealing therein and yet for all that that hée is not sure hee hath doone his whole dutie to the full and therein obteined the prayse of righteousnes to Godward as if he had done all that perteyned and was conuenient to be done by a faithful Steward and therefore in speaking of his office like a iust and discrete person he durst not iustifie himselfe nor auow that he had discharged his dutie to the uttermost and satisfied his Lords wil but referred all thinges to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily whosoeuer readeth these wordes of the Apostle S. Paul and considereth the wordes going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the wordes that folow wil not doubt but this is the true sense of them I know well that some men in expounding these woordes of the Apostle S. Paul say that although hée knew himselfe to be without sinne yet hée knew not whether hee were righteous to Godward or no according as Dauid affirmeth that no man can perfectly know his owne sinnes But these men perceiued not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnes vppon woorkes but vppon faith and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnes to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath geuen vs through our Lord Iesus Christ. Also they cōsider not y ◠he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous in mainteining the soundnesse purenes of the Christian faith and that hee knewe well how the crowne of that righteousnes was laide vp for him in heauen and also that he was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hel was able to separate him from the loue of God and that he longed to die because he knew for a trueth that after his death he should bée with Iesus Christ. All which things should be false if he had not béen well assured that he was righteous I meane by faith and not by works therefore my dearely beloued brethren let vs ceasse to speake y ◠thing of the Apostle S. Paul w t he neuer once thought of himself but fircely fought against it continually in answering suche as measured righteousnesse by workes and not by faith in our Lorde Iesus Christe But beside◠these two authorities of Solomon and S. Paul a man myght alledge some other places of Holy Scripture which wheras they warne and encourage men to feare GOD séeme too bée contrary too the assurance of this our Predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I shoulde be ouerlong But I say generally that the feare of punishment was proper to the old Testament and childly loue too the newe Testamente according as Saint Paul witnesseth when hée saith to the Romans yée haue not receiued the spirite of bondage too feare but yée haue receiued the spirite of adoption whereby wée crie father father And likewise vnto Timothie he saith that GOD hath not geuen vs the spirite of fearefullnes but rather of power and loue which spirite Iesus Christe hath geuen vs according too the promise made by the mouth of the Holy Prophetes and brought to passe that wèe being deliuered out of our enimies handes may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holynesse righteousnesse all the dayes of our life By these and many other places of the holy Scripture a man may playnly gather that the paineful and slauish fearefulnesse agréeth not with a Christian and this is already confirmed by this that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contrary to the spirituall chéerefulnesse and ioy which is peculiar to the Christian as the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth openly to the Romanes saying that the kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost that is to say that euery man which entereth into the kingdome of the grace of the Gospell is become righteous through faith and afterwarde addeth peace of conscience which consequently bréedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnes in respect wherof the same Saint Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Christians to liue meryly And Saint Peter sayth that all they which beléeue in Iesus Christe doe continually reioyce with an unspeakeable and glorious ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted