the saying Lord Lord a bare externall profession of our faith and outward Communion with the Church is not sufficient vnto saluation except wee lead an vncorrupt life correspondent to the same doing that which is right and good and speaking truth from our heart It is not sufficient to rely vpon the Churches outside as the Papists doe vpon the succession of Roman Bishops vpon the multitude of Roman Catholicks vpon the power and pompe of the Roman Synagogue crying with the Iewes of old templum Domini the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. It is not enough with the carnall and carelesse Gospeller to place all Religion in the formall obseruation of all outward seruice and ceremonies for a verball Christian only is a reall Atheist according to that of S. Paul In word they professe to know God but in their workes they denie him we must take heed that wee bee not Christians in lip and not in life making as holy Martyr Bradsord sayd a maske of Religion or rather a very vizard with eyes and mouth and nose fairely painted and proportioned to all pretences and purposes but if we be indeed the children of God we must in true sincerity of heart be Doing of good The Kings daughter is all glorious within and also without within as hauing a cleere conscience and truth in the inward affections a cleane heart and a new spirit without as hauing on for a garment a vesture of gold wrought about with diuers colours shee is cloathed with righteousnes as with a garment and hath it wrought most gloriously with the deeds of mercy which as a checker worke of diuers colours embroidered with the pure silken twist of a helpfull and vpright conuersation garnish her holy profession The Doing of good is the certificate of a Christian the character of a mans faith making his calling and election sure And Although it may be obiected that a hypocrite may seem iust in Doing good and yet bee abominable before God not doing that which is good for righteousnesse sake facto pius sceleratus coâ—em as the Poet pithily spake Wee behold the man not the minde the worke not the will the fact not the faith the action not the end yet the iudgement of charity belongs properly to men but the iudgement of certainty to God From whence wee must labour in our wel doing not so much to approue our selues to men as to God who seeth our hearts And that we may not be negligent nor flouthfull heerin and thinke that because our workes iustifie vs not and God seeth wee loue him well although wee doe little good on earth to encourage vs to well doing on the one side and to preuent such conceits on the other the holy Ghost in Psa 24.3 4. in Esay 33 15. in Psa 15. and many places describes a sound member of the Church rather by workes then faith and of all the fruits of fayth almost innumerable make choice of those that concerne our neighbour in all which saith is yet presupposed according to the Apostolicall axiome whatsoeuer is not of saith is sinne fides est operum fomes as Paulinus spake and as our Church the nest of good workes for bee our birds neuer so fayre and our leaues neuer so fresh and greene all are but lost if they be not brought forth in a true beleefe for admit a man were as iust as Aristides in his gouernment as true of his word as Pomponius as louing and kinde to his countrey as Curtius at Rome Mecaenas at Thebes Codrus at Athens who exposed themselues to voluntary death for their neighbours and countries sake yet if these workes proceed not from a heart purged by faith no happinesse can follow this Doing of good no true peace to the conscience nor eternall rest to the soule for without faith it is impossible to please God Yet when these are conceiued and brought forth in faith the Lord as it is sayd of Abel and his offring hath respect to both the worke it selfe Gen. 4.4 and him that wrought it and as it is said of Noahs sacrifice the Lord smelleth a sweet sauor of rest and is well pleased with them Gen. 8.2 Heb. 13.16 A man may deceiue himselfe and others with a fained profession of faith an inward and hidden grace therefore the holy spirit will haue euery mans fayth to be tried and known by his fruits By their fruites yee shall know them Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles And howsoeuer eternall life be promised to sayth and eternall damnation be threatned to infidelity yet the sentence of saluation and of damnation shall be pronounced according to workes as the clearest euidence of both Matt. 25.34 but with the Apostle I will shew you yet a more excellent way This precept then of Doing good is of large extent in that it concerneth all duties and all degrees of men not only in common as we are men and so bound vnto that ius gentium to render euery man his due but in particular in our seuerall vocations and callings to expresse our fayth by Doing of good as wee are Magistrates or Ministers Masters or Seruants in what estate degree or condition of life it hath pleased God to place vs. For know ye all that not onely those generall duties of Christianity as the hearing of the word c. are required wherein if we fayle all the world can witnesse against vs and euery one quasi digito will point at vs and crie open shame of vs not onely these I say are carefully to be performed but moreouer the particular offices whereunto we are called for the propagation of Religion and piety or the preseruation of order iustice and equity in the Church or Common wealth and our priuate familie are seriously to be attended and executed Hoc agire in the sacrifice of the heathen gods was a precept much vsed and obserued how much more in the seruices of the God of heauen should the said precept Doe yee this that is intend and apply all the faculties of your minde to the doing of it be kept inviolable What other thing doth the Apostle insinuate when he saith He endeauored to haue alwaies a cleere conscience toward God and men but this point in hand That there ought to be a concurrence of our holy carriage towards God and vpright demeanor towards men Requisite it is saith Chry. ut rovereÌ„ter se quis habeat ad divina landabiliter coÌ„uersetur cum hominib that euery good Christian should serue God reuerently with hearty deuotion and man righteously with a ready minde and a liberall disposition Men are to be regarded in the way of right and equity propter famam God is to be reuerenced in the way of Religion and piety propter conscientiam Holinesse and righteousnesse are the meane parts of Gods image in man Ephes 4. Neither can wee be assurd that we are regenerated vnlesse we finde in our selues a marriage
wee euer finde mercy in time of need which the same God grant for his Sonnes sake to whom with the holy Ghost be ascribed all power and glory for euer Amen Text. And be doing good c. FRom piety to pity is a iust consequence the gradation of the Prophet is excellent from sure confidence to ready obedience in which hee requireth that the inward and outward man may be both exercised The former words strooke at the heart Trust in the Lord but these at the hand at the outward conuersation and hee doing good The streames cannot chuse but be wholesome if the fountayne be sweet For euen as the Sunne cannot bee without lire the fire without heat the body without a shadow no more can sayth and good workes be separated hence it is that S. Iames challengeth an outward obedience answerable to an inward confidence Shew mee thy fayth by thy works thou sayst thou beleeuest shew it by thy doing good This beneficence which we ow to men by doing good is not onely in this place glanced at or barely repeated by the Prophet but called for in many more places of the holy Scripture as Heb. 13. To doe good forget not and in many more places and is expressed in the variety of no lesse then foure epithites 1. Doing good 2. being rich in good workes 3. ready to distribute 4. willing to commun cate diuers words all to one sence all is but beneficence doing of good This ingeminating lest any Atheist might quarrell at this waste is not any way superfluous The Scriptures redouble the same wordes without fault of Tautologie a redoubling of the same sence in diuers words without idlenesse Aug. Verbatoties incul ata viua sunt vera sunt sana sunt plana sunt as an ancient well sayth There is feruour in these repetitions not loosenesse God would haue our duty so plainely set downe that hee that runneth may read it As it was wont for this cause to be obserued both in counsels and acclamations to Princes how oft the same word was reiterated that by the frequence they might iudge of the vehemency of affection It were easie to instance in many of this kinde as especially Exod. 25.35 Psa 89.30 Ioh. 1.20 and in many more places This heape of words therefore shewes the vehement intention of his desire of good workes whence I obserue That it is not left arbitrary to vs Doctr. that wee may doe good if we will but there is an important necessity of the performance of good Illustr That it is layd vpon vs as our charge and duty it is euident from hence in that it is positiuely by way of precept set downe hoc fact be doing good The very maner of the expression heereof in Timothy enforceth no lesse where it is sayde Charge the rich that they doe good and be rich in doing good in which place as in this text confidence in God and beneficence to men goe hand in hand together neyther as I spake is it left as arbitrary to vs to doe or leaue vndone but if wee sayle in this latter we are guilty of the former For this is our charge and our duty we must be doing good and woe be to vs if wee doe not This is nor a counsell but a precept although I might say of God as we speake of Princes Sic volo sic iubeo stat pro ratiom voluntas his will is his command And forasmuch as you see them linked together and coupled in the text I may iustly conclude the same necessity that there is of trusting in God the same is in doing good to men Hence it is that the Apostle S. Iames so often calleth for deeds Quid verba audiam cumfacta videam What auayleth Iacobs voyce when we haue none other then Esaus hands Not the hearers but the doers of the law are iustified And againe See that yee bee doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues wherein the Apostle sheweth that God is better delighted with obedience then sacrifice with doings rather then sayings a lesson fit for our time wherein too many make perfunctory hearing of Sermons both duty and fruit of their Religion neuer doing any other good then hearing how to doe good hauing a contemplatiue but cold Christianity in them as if they did ow nothing but their cares vnto the Lord whereas he who speaketh by eare to the heart speaketh to the eare but for the heart that we may heare with reuerence and beleeue to obedience and make them both perfect by our doing good And not onely S. Iames is for doing good but all the belles of Aaron and Christ ring the same peale For Deut. 4.1 Hearken O Israel vnto the Lawes which I teach you to doe Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers but the doers are righteous before God Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Ioh. 14.21 Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth me To which purpose S. Aug. speaketh notablie Tract 75. in Ioan. Qui habet in memoria seruat in vita qui habet in sermonibus seruat in moribus qui habet audiendo seruat faciendo aut qui habet faciendo perseuerando ipse est qui diligit me He that hath my word in memory and sheweth it in his life which hath it in mouth and sheweth it in his maners that hath it in hearing and sheweth it in doing that hath it in doing and sheweth it in perseuering this is he that loueth me For as the same Father saith Lex Dei tenetur non audiendo sed obediendo Eyist 107. non lectione sed dilectione So S. Hierome Scripturarum cupimus verba in opera vertere non dicere sancta sed facere So the rest of that sacred society haue well obserued that Christian Religion consisteth in practise more then in theorie being an occupation rather then a meere profession of doing good De virtute loqui minimum virtutibus vti Hâ—c â—â—bor hoc opus est as Persius spake hoc Sampsonis opus est as Tertullian And not the worke of Sampson but also of Solomon not onely of a strong man but in very deed of a wise man euen as our Sauiour in the Gospell sheweth saying Whoso heareth my words and doeth them I will liken him to a wise man which had built his house on a rocke Matth. 7.24 Moreouer the Prophet Dauid sheweth what priuiledge belongeth to him that escheweth euill and doth good in his Ep phonema or conclusion of the 15. Psalme Whoso doth these things shall neuer fall In which words as iudicious Caluin notes the Prophet doth not say he that hears these things or he that knowes these things or he who can discourse of these things but he that doth these things for as we iudge of the corporall health of the heart not by the words of the mouth or colour of the countenance but by
to beleeue onely saith Nazianzene Faith alone is sufficient saith Hierom. By beleeuing men are iustified saith Augustine and with these consort the rest Epiphanius Chrysostome Primasius and the whole sacred quire of Antiquity although yet wee are not ignorant that the Expurgatory Index of Spaine hath purposelywip't out of Chrysostome Hierom and Cyril most cleare testimonies for iustification by fayth But as Ambrose to the Arrians they haue blot out the letters but the fayth cannot be abolisht those blots condemne them more then the writing Next the Reformed Churches speake the same thing so the Church of England art 12. the Church of Saxony tit de mona obedientia the Confession exhibited to Charles the Fifth and explaned at Wormes anno 1540. Luther com ad Galat. cap. 5. vers 6. Melancthon loc com and Catechis Ieweâ— in Apolog. Caluin in Instit Chenonitius in Examinat Trident. Conc. Zanchius and all others in their Commentaries Lastly that their owne Rabbies haue so taught is easie to shew Cassander consultat de iustificat sayth That which is affirmed that men cannot be iustified before God by their strength merit or workes but that they are freely iustified by fayth was alwayes allowed and receiued in the Church of God and is at this day approued by all Ecclesiasticall writers The great Doctor of the Schooles The. Aquinas in Gallat Iacob 2 attributes iustification to works not as iustification is taken for an infusion of grace but as it is taken for an exercise manifestation and consummation of iustice So Caietan in Comment in Rom. 6. Behold the merit behold the righteousnesse whose wages is eternall life but to vs in respect of Iesus Christ it is a free gift What could either Luther or Calvin or any Protestant speake more plainly Lastly Arias Montanus a learned author how euer according to his time faulty in opinion in many things It followes saith he that faith is imputed for righteousnesse to him that works not in the law and that according to the purpose of the grace of God It is therefore a true conclusion that faith alone iustifieth as hath beene proued And secondly a loud lie a lewd slander Bellarmine himselfe being witnesse that our Gospell is carnall and the high way to Epicurisme So that we say with August nemo legem ita intelligis sed qui non intelligit no man so vnderstandeth the doctrine of our Church but he that wants vnderstanding We say that good works must make faith fat and without holinesse no man shall see God Luther but as for meritorious butchering of Kings vncleane chastity drunken fasts vncharitable charity selling of heauen to the rich and sending the poore to purgatory for want of money we are content if they will that they appropriate these to themselues We desire to be iustified by faith without any consideration had in the very matter to good works yet in all duties of religion and honesty dare iustifie our selues in comparison of them vnto the whole world though hereby we doe not iustifie our selues before God and will euermore labour to expresse our true faith of trusting in God by the deeds of mercy in doing of good Vse 2 A second vse hereof teacheth all men those whom God hath ioyned together no man may put asunder except withall he seuer himselfe from God a liuely faith must euer be accompanied with good works these two like our armes must embrace each other or like the two Cherubims must ioyntly looke to one mercy seat which is Christ We read in Nehemiah that the children of Israel being hindred from the reedifiing of Hierusalem by Sanballet the Horonite and by Tobiah the Ammonite laboured in the worke holding a sword in the one hand and a Trowell in the other So must all Gods Israell doe for that they haue many Horonites and Ammonites bodily and ghostly opposers of them they must hold the sword of faith fast in the one hand wherewith if need require they may bee able to resist all gainsayers and quit themselues like men and a Trowell in the other wherewith they may build laying vpon the foundation of faith the faire and comely buildings of good works that their light may bee seene by the good works of their hands and God which is in heauen may be glorified Thy Commandement O Lord saith Dauid is exceeding broad so is this Commandement of Doing good for as all learned Interpreters obserue this precept of Doing good comprehendeth and containeth in it all duties of the first table concerning piety toward God and all the rest of the duties of the second table touching charity toward our neighbours Neither is it any way a needlesse obseruation or vnprofitable that the works of the second table doe not only concerne our neighbors for although outwardly they be done to men and immediately as the proper obiect of them yet indeed they are done also to God and he is said more to delight in them then in all burnt sacrifice for if wee feed our brethren cloath the naked visit the sicke or any way be Doing good God taketh these things as done to himselse Hence it is that when any prescription is made in Scripture to men what they must doe vsually the workes of the second table are appointed not that they are better or to bee preferred before the works of the first table but for that they are the true bewrayers of them for euery hypocrite will say hee loueth God feareth God trusteth in God and the like because these are secret duties in the heart and of man cannot be iudged but looke how he liueth toward men and it may be soone seene that failing in the duties of the second table towards men the duties of the first table which he boasteth of in truth are not in him for if they were they would bring forth the other as it written Hee that saith he loueth God whom he neuer saw and hateth his brother whom he hath seene is a lyer 1 Iohn 4. This also as some obserue occasioned that question of the Prophet Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest vpon thy holy hill to which question the Lord maketh this answere hee that leadeth an vncorrupt life plainely to be seene in his eschewing euill and Doing good as it followeth at large in that place All are not Israel that are of Israel all that liue within the pale of the visible Church are not of the Church According to that of Saint Hierome vpon that place multâ— sunt corporae quinon sunt side And of Turrecrematus multâ— sunt nomine qui non sunt numine many are shuffled among corne lewes outwardly but not inwardly deceiuing others often and most of all and worst of all themselues with a bare profession of Religion and an opinion without the practise of piety But we beloued are to know that the dwelling in the Tabernacle of the Church professing of the word frequenting the place of worship