3. And so muche the iuster the more iustice he doth By the same rule Leo speaking of almose saieth Leo. ser 3. de ieiun mensis 7. Leo ser 8. de ieiu men 10. Iacob 2. Gen. 22. Hoc pio impendatur operi c. Let that be bestowed vpon godlie woorke that can iustifie the harte and wasshe the conscience And in an other place Goddes will is saieth he to iustifie the poore by patiente suffring of labour and trauaile and the riche by the woorke of charitie Abraham was iustified by woorkes offering vp his sonne by woorkes I say of obedience bicause he obeyed the voice and commaundement of God. The Scripture saith of Moyses In fide lenitate ipsius sanctum fecit illum God made him holy by faith and mildenes S. Bernarde saith as much of humilitie Bernard ser 1. in die natal Sectamini illam quae sola potest saluare animas vestras folow her which alone is able to saue your soules Finally Leo ser 6 de Quadrages al good workes done in faith bring with them a Iustification Quia hac quaeper se sunt vilia fides efficit pretiosa quae ab infidelibus ministrantur etsi fuerint sumptu magna omni tamen iustificatione sunt vacua faith maketh those thinges pretiouse which of them selues be litle worth And such as are done by infideles though in coste they be great yet be they voide of al Iustification If the workes of infideles be voide of Iustification bicause they be done without faith then Christian mennes woorkes done in faith may iustifie By these places of the Scripture and auncieÌ„t Fathers it is proued that good works done in faith iustifie the doers And bicause no man can doo such workes vnlesse he be him selfe a good man Sequuntur enim iustificatum Aug de fide ope ca. 14. noÌ„ pracedunt iustificandum for they follow him that is made iust they go not before him that is to be iustified we must coÌ„fesse that beside the Iustification of the wicked whereby a synner of vngodly is made righteouse â—om 4. there is an other degree of iustice which both the Scripture and Fathers as I haue shewed call Iustification that is an increase of iustice whereby a iuste man is made iuster Whiche to make the thing more playne The secoÌ„d Iustification I cal the seconde kynde or degree of Iustification bicause it commeth after the Iustification of a sinner whiche is the firste degree of iustice And this kinde of Iustification whiche is an increase of iustice Lib. 2. coÌ„tra â—ulta supra ca. Oecom in c. 2. Iaco. is obteyned and gotten by godly life by fighting with vice saieth S. Augustine by workes of faith without the whiche after baptisme faith auayleth not but maketh vs also gyltie of greater sinne receyuing the talente and bringing no gayne of it By this meane it is truely said that a wicked man is iustified that is reconciled to God by grace through faith hope charitie penaunce and the Sacramente of Baptisme without anye woorkes of merite goyng before And truely is it saied also that suche as be already iuste may be yet iustified that is increased in iustice by good workes So is it true that faith without workes iustifieth and true also that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely the one being meant of man not yet baptised the other of suche as are baptised or christened And further woorkes of faith doo not onely increase a good mannes iustice in this life but also procure vnto the dooers life euerlasting Rom. 6. Whiche S. Paule calleth our ende And S. Augustine the perfiting of iustice Ser. 61. de ver De. et ep 106. saying Complebitur spes nostra our hope shal be fully accomplished in the laste resurrection of the deade and when our hope shal be fulfilled then shal our Iustification be fully accomplisshed And bicause our iustice be it neuer so well begonne and continued here yet before that time is neuer perfect and without that ende auaileth not I call that with S. Augustine the perfiting of our Iustification or the thirde degree and ende of our iustice To the which the Scriptures plainely declare that we must comme by workes of faith Rom. 2. Psal 61. Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera eius God shall render vnto euery man according to his workes What thinges a man soweth Gala. 6. the same shall he reape for he that soweth in flesh of flesh shall reape corruption But he that soweth in spirite of spirite shall reape euerlasting life Our sowing is our workes of which if they be ill we shall reape damnation if they be good we shall receiue life eternall And bicause it is said in sundrie places of the Scripture 2. Tim. 4. Epist 105. lib de gra libe arbi ca. 8. 9. that God will render life euerlasting to good workes and that as a iuste iudge we gather with S. Augustine that life euerlasting is the rewarde of good workes whereof I shall haue occasion to say more when I come to speake of that matter Lib. 2 cap. 13. In the meane time we see that as a man is called to the state of iustice by faith without workes which is Iustification so can he neither be increaced nor perfited in iustice but by faith and good workes which is also called Where is then faith alone Iustification So can he neither comme to the beginning but by faith hope and charitie as hath ben shewed neither to the middle nor th' ende but by faith and good workes ioined together And this difference marked and rightely applied doth not only geue light to sundrie Scriptures seeming otherwise darcke but also taketh away the difference imagined In the 10. chap. of the 2. booke to be betwene S. Paule and S. Iames S. Peter and S. Iohn concerning the doctrine of Iustification whereof I shall speake more largely in an other place VVhat good workes be and howe they be called ours THE XIII CHAPTER Three kindes of vvorkes in Scripture THE greate commendation and price which the Scripture geueth to good workes moueth me briefly to declare what workes they are that we call good where with God is so highly pleased We finde in the Scriptures three kindes of workes named Gala. 5. whereof some are called workes of the flesh other the workes of the lawe Ioan. 6. Gala. 5. The third kinde the workes of God and the fruites of the holy Ghost The workes of the flesh are fornication vncleanes vnchast life and other like the doers whereof shall not enioie the kingdome of God. Gala. 5. The workes of the lawe be such as a man doth by him selfe presuming of his owne power and strength without the helpe of God Aug. ser 15. de ver Apost Philip. 3. by commandement of the lawe for feare of punishement and not for loue of iustice Of which S. Paule
saith I take them all as hinderance and losse and accompte them as durte so that I may gaine Christ. Leauing then aside these twoo kindes of workes whereof th' one is damnable and the other vnprofitable there remaine the workes which the Iewes called the workes of God Ioan. 6. saying to Christ Quid faciemus vt operemur opera Dei what shal we doo to worke the workes of God These workes be such as be done by the motion and inspiration of God. Christ saith Ioan. 3. Qui facit veritatem He that doth vprightely and trewly commeth to the light that his workes may be shewed bicause they are done in God that is by the inspiration and helpe of God. These workes S. Paul calleth the fruites of the holy Ghost bicause the holy Ghost bringeth them forth Gala. 5. Such are charitie ioy patience gentlenes sufferaÌ„ce mâ—â—â—nes faith modestie continence chastitie These workes as al Christian men are willed to doo so no man doth them without the grace of God preuenting him and mouing his wil to mind them and folowing and working with him to doo them Neither doth the Scripture and the Church of God teach vs that faith is Gods gifte Aug. epist 105. and charitie with good workes our owne as of our selues Al are the giftes of God of al and singuler it is said Sine me nihil potestis facere Ioan. 15. 1. Cor. 4. Rom. 8. Aug. epist 105. 2. Cor. 8. without me ye can doo nothing What haste thou that thou receiuedst not We knowe not what to pray as we ought to doo but the holy Ghost doth aske for vs that is to say doth teach vs and make vs to aske S. Paule calleth almose the grace of God. And briefly of all good workes he saith we be made and framed in Chriiste Iesu to doo good workes Quae praeparauit Deus vt in illis ambulemus Ephes 2. which God hath prepared for vs to walke in Whereuppon S. Augustine saith fingimur ergo c. we be made and fashioned that is De grat lib. arbit cap. 8. we are fourmed and shaped in good workes which we haue not bene the preparers of but God hath prepared them for vs to worke in By this rule S. Augustine saith our good life is nothing els but the gifte of God. Quisquis tibi enumerat vera merita sua Aug. confess lib. 9. cap. 13. quid tibi enumerat nisi munera tua Whosoeuer reckeneth vppe vnto thee o Lorde his trewe merites what doth he recken vp Hovve good vvorkes are called outes Aug. in Ioan. tractat 72. 1. Cor. 3. Bernar. de grat lib. arbit but thy giftes Here it may be said what parte haue we then in our good workes and why be they called ours if they be the giftes of God I answere God worketh all that is good in vs but as S. Augustine saith not without vs. And therfore as they be the workes of God who inspireth them so be they the workes of man that doth them Dei adiutores sumus we be the helpers and workers with God. Dei sunt proculdubio munera tam nostra opera quà m eius praemia ad quae tamen condenda merita dignatur sibi adhibere creaturarum ministeria without doubt they are Gods giftes as wel our workes as his rewardes and yet to make them merites he vouchesafeth to vse the seruice of his creatures And bicause he vseth mannes seruice in the doing of good workes he calleth them in the Scripture our workes Retract li. 1. ca. 23 So doth S. Augustine say of faith and good life vtrunque ipsius est Eche of bothe is his bicause he prepareth our will and either of bothe is ours bicause it is not done but by our will. Although much might be said in this place yet I shall take one place of S. Augustine in stede of many Psal 55. who expounding the wordes of Dauid saith in this manner In Deo laudabo sermones meos In God will I praise my wordes Aug. in Psa 55. ib. Si in Deo quomodo meos c. If in God how mine Both in God and yet mine in God bicause they come from him mine bicause I haue receiued them He that gaue them would haue them mine bicause I loue him whose they are bicause they comme to me from him they are made mine Matt. 6. for whence coÌ„meth this Geue vs this day our daily bread How call we it ours and how say we geue If thou cal it not thine thou hast not receiued it againe if thou call it thine after that sorte as though it came of thy selfe when thou callest it thine owne thou losest that thou haddest receiued bicause thou arte vnkinde to him at whose hande thou haddest receiued it There needeth no more to be said Good workes if we doo them be ours bicause we haue receiued them They be Gods bicause he giueth them They be not ours as of our selues they be not ours to be prowd of for then we lose them bicause we be vnkinde to the giuer But they be ours when meekely we doo them and acknowlege the geuer of them They be ours to shine before men Matth. 5. that they maie see them and glorifie our Father that is in heauen Finally they be ours bicause God so calleth them S. Paule knewe that faith charitie praier Colos 1. 1. Thes 1. 2. Thes 1. Rom. 15. 2. Tim. 1. and good workes were the giftes of God and yet writing to the Colossians and Thessalonians he commendeth their faith and their charitie desired the Romaines to remember him in their praiers and praied for Timothee in his owne He saith to the Hebrues 1. Cor. 15. God is not vniuste to forgette your worke He was not ignorant that it was the grace of God that wrought with him and yet he saith I haue wrasteled well for the game I haue finished my race 2. Tim. 4. I haue kepte my faith As he that hath an hundred pounde landes giuen him by the Prince hath landes and yet hath none of him selfe but of the Princes gifte and were well worthy to lose them if he would bragge of his possession againste the giuer and saie he gaue him none euen so the godly and faithfull haue good woorkes not of them selues but of Goddes geuing not to be prowde and vante them selues but humbly to serue him that gaue them to doo good to them selues and others by them Aug. in Psal 85. Arguens superbiam Apostolus The Apostle rebuking pride doth not saie thou haste not but he saith what haste thou that thou receiuedst not These be the workes that we commende and sette forth in Christian men not the workes of the lawe not suche as men doo of them selues or through vaine glorie to please men but the workes of God the fruites of the holy Ghost done onely for Gods sake suche as God by his inspiration and helpe worketh in men wherein
by faith a man is iustified so saieth he els where by grace yee are saued As he saith in this place non ex operibus legis Ephes 2. not by woorkes of the lawe So he saieth there Non ex vobis Dei donum est Not by your selues it is the gift of God. Rom. 4. So doth he saie Abraham was not iustified by his workes he deserued not Gods grace and his Iustification by his owne doinges he was not able to crake against God nor to presume of him selfe He had it not secundùm carnem by flesh and of him selfe but by promise and by faith from God. And thus it appeareth plainly that S. Paule by Iustification of faith without woorkes of the Lawe dothe not exclude charitie hope penance nor any vertue or gifte of God geuen by faith but onely barreth mannes owne presumption and pride mannes owne doinges without God with rites and ceremonies taught by Moyses Otherwise if it had ben his intent to exclude the giftes of God vertues and workes of faith we might saie with S. Augustine August in praefatio Psalm 31. Quomodo dicit Apostolus iustificari hominem c. How doth the Apostle saie that a man is iustified by faith without woorkes seeing that he saith in an other place that is the faith which woorketh through charitie we nede not then set the Apostle Iames against Paule but Paule himselfe against Paule And this much may suffice concerning the right vnderstanding of S. Paules wordes who as S. Augustine saith If he should meane that faith alone iustifieth he should not onely speake against S. Iames but against him selfe also For euen as God when he saith Deut. 32. A very apte similitude Videte quòd ego sim solus c. See that I am alone and there is none other God beside me spake not the same in the person of the Father onely meaning therby to exclude the Sonne and the holy Ghost as the Arrians vnderstoode it but did exclude onely creatures and all that is not God in like manner when it is saied by faith we are iustified there is no vertue or gifte of God barred nothing is excluded that is ioined and geuen with faith but that onely is shut owt whiche is repugnante contrary or strange vnto Faith. That whiche I haue saied of S. Paule serueth also for the trewe vnderstanding of the auncient Fathers who when they saie Faith alone iustifieth exclude some one thing whiche is repugnante or in the sense that they meant not necessarie to Iustification Basil concio de humilita S. Basill writing in the commendation of humilitie saithe Haec est perfecta integra gloriatio in Deo. c. This is the perfecte and sound boasting in God when a man doth not vante him selfe of his owne iustice but knoweth him selfe to be needy of trewe iustice and iustified by onely Faith in Christ He barreth as S. Paule doth the presumption of our owne iustice boasting and vanting of our selues not hope nor charitie which be Gods giftes which plainely to declare a litle after he saith these wordes Quid extollis te dic mihi c. Tell me why doste thou extoll thy selfe as it were for thine owne good doinges whereas thou shouldest render thankes to the geuer for his giftes Faith then iustifieth vs without our owne workes as of our selues Ephes 2. In cap. 9. Epistola ad Rom. but not without charity and the workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in S. Ambrose saith Sublatis omnibus neomenijs c. Al the festiual daies of the new mone the sabboth day and Circumcision the lawe of meates and offering of beastes taken away faith alone is placed for our saluation He excludeth the rites and ceremonies of Moises as S. Paule dothe saying that faith alone without them saueth The same answere serueth to the wordes of Chrysostom who expounding the place of S. Paule where he forbiddeth men to auoid Iewish fables Hom. 3. in Epist ad Tit. The Word Sola Alone is not in the Greeke saith Si fidei credis c. If thou credite faith why bringest thou in other thinges beside as though faith alone were not inough to iustifie why doest thou subiect thy selfe to voluntary bondage and put thy necke vnder the yoke of the lawe He saieth not why doest thou match with faith hope or charitie but why doest thou put thy necke vnder the yoke of the lawe And in an other place he saith Hom. 27. in cap. 8. Matth. vt iam neminem fugere possit c. So that no man can now be ignorant but that it is declared by these wordes that saluation euerlasting is geuen to men through faith not by the workes of the lawe he saith by faith and yet not alone excluding onely the workes of the lawe Arnobius writing vppon the Psalmes and reprouing the Nouatians heresy who saied that such as were once christened In Psal 106. Baptisme is called redemption bicause ther by vve be partakers of Christ his redemption if they did fall afterwarde coulde not be holpen nor restored againe by penance hath these wordes Thou saiste that such as be not yet redemed and Christened they through penance may attaine to pardon we saie they obteine pardon by Faith alone But suche as be redemed and christened come to enioye the mercy of their redemer not by Faith alone bicause they haue already beleued but by penance Of such as came to the Faith and desired baptisme the Church required not seuere nor straite penance such as was vsually inioined to sinners that after Baptisme fell againe and therfore he saith such were pardoned by faith alone that is to say without that kind of sharpe penance But how there was in them Faith alone the Reader may knowe by that I haue saied in the eighth Chapter where it is declared by Iustinus Martyr Tertullian and S. Augustine that the custome of the Churche as well before as after Arnobius his time was to receiue none to Baptisme but such as asked pardon of their former sinnes Ibidem Iusti Mar. Tertullia August Epito Diuino Decreto de poeniten promised a newe life and for certaine daies before theire Baptisme vsed fasting and praier The like wordes and in the like argumente vseth Theodoritus saying woundes that are made after Baptisme are curable Mary curable not by forgeuenes through Faithe onely as once it was but by many teares weping and wayling by fasting praier and labour measured according to the quantitie of the sinne committed To these I will ioine S. Ambrose bicause he agreeth with them in wordes and matter Gratia Dei in Baptismate In ca. 11. ad Rom. c. The grace of God in Baptisme requireth not sighing or morning or any worke but onely a profession with harte And in that sense he saith Iustificati sunt gratis In cap. 3. ad Rom. They are freely iustified bicause working nothing nor making no recompence
they are iustified by Faithe alone thorough the gifte of God. Quemadmodum autem c. In cap. 4. ad Rom. But howe can it stretch or apperteine to the person of suche as doo penance when he saith Blessed they are whose sinnes be couered sithe it is a matter well knowen that penitente persones gette remission of their sinnes by labor and sighing Arnobius Theodoritus and S. Ambrose saie that some men are iustified by onely Faithe that is to saie without penance they saie it not of all men but of suche as come newely to the Faith and be baptized Furder their mening is not that they are iustified without al penance for then should they gainesaie Christes preaching which was Mar. 1. In the 6. Chap. of this booke Ambros supra De fide oper c. 26. Poenitemini credite Euangelio Repente and beleue the Gospell and I haue shewed before that trewe Faith can not be without penance but they saie in Baptisme such are iustified without sighing or morning that is to say without sharpe and laboriouse penance as in the Churche they did who properly were called penitentes as S. Augustine saith Therefore as for our selues to whom all this question muste be referred being baptized in our infancie when they saie Note Faith alone that suche as falle after Baptisme can not be iustified by Faith alone but by penance They plainely saie towching vs already baptised that no man is nor can be iustified by Faith alone and so by them is this question ended concerning vs. But some man will say howe may it be plainely vnderstanded that by Iustification of faith onely which the auncient Fathers seeme in wordes to affirme their meaning was not to exclude and barre hope charitie and workes of faith Sum. Moral 80. cap. 22. To that they shal answere for them selues seuerally eche by their owne wordes S. Basil asketh Quid est proprium Christiani What is the peculiar propertie of a Christian man fides per dilectionem operans faith that worketh through charitie And toward the ende of the same chapter Matth. 5. What is the propertie of a Christian man that his iustice abunde in all pointes aboue the Scribes and Pharisees according to the doctrine in our Lordes Gospel what is the property of a Christian man to loue one another as Christ hath loued vs. By S. Basil then faith alone is not inough to make either a iuste or a good Christian man. S. Ambrose declareth his meaning in sundrie places but of many to take one he expresseth it in these wordes Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo c. In ca. 4. epist ad Hebre. Without faith it is impossible to please God but faith alone sufficeth not it is necessary for faith to worke through charitie and to vse conuersation worthy to be allowed of God. Chrysostom saith Ne fideles sola fide c. Hom. 70. in Matt. cap. 22. Bicause the faithful should not truste they might be saued by faith alone Christe speaketh of the ill mennes paines so doth he moue the infideles to faith and the faithful to good life And in an other place he saith Ad agenda opera festinemus Hom. in Gen. 47. neque enim aliter saluari nos possibile c. Let vs make haste to doo good workes for otherwise it is not possible for vs to be saued Theodoritus in like manner saith Epito Diuino Decre de seruato incarna In Ioan. li. 10. ca. 17. Et post Seruatoris aduentum Euen after the comming of our Sauiour all atteine not to saluation but such as beleue and frame theire life according to his diuine Lawes Christ plainely teacheth saith Cyrillus that such as go away from him whether it be that they fall in faith or in keeping of his commandements shal not onely bring forth no fruit but shall also suffer euerlasting fier And further he saith if onely faith were inough Cyril in Ioan. lib. 10. cap. 18. the multitude of Diuelles should not perish Assure thy selfe good Reader a whole booke much bigger then this treatie is could not suffice to holde the sayinges of the auncient Fathers like vnto these But seing that in the mouth of two Matt. 18. or three witnesses standeth euery worde I may say either these witnesses suffise or I know not what may suffise The opinion is such as ought to be remoued out of all Christian hartes De grati lib. arbit ca. 7. which as S. Augustine saith hath none other grounde but the misconstruing of S. Paules wordes of which he him selfe saith there God forbid that the Apostle should be of that minde It is such as no man can hold for true vnlesse he wil make many and euident Scriptures false For graunting it to be true that onely faith suffiseth falsa erunt illa quae obscuritatem ambiguitatemque non habent Aug. de fid et ope cap. 15. 1. Cor. 13. c. Those sayinges of Scripture shal be false which are neither darke nor doubtefull If I haue all faith in so much as I be able to remoue mountaines out of theire place and haue no charitie I am nothing what shall it auaile my bretherne Iaco. 2. if a man say he hath faith and haue no good workes can faith saue him And alitle after if thou wilt come to life Matt. 19. keepe the commandementes These saith S. Augustine with other there alleged shal be false Whiche inconuenience bicause no man can beare I will applie vnto faith touching our Iustification the wordes that Chrysostome vttered of praier Chrysost To. 5. li. 1. de orand Deum Neque sola temperantia c. It is neither temperance alone that can saue a man if other vertues lacke neither carefull prouision for the poore nor any other thing that is vertuousely done but all muste concurre and come together into our soules Marie praier is laied vnder all the reste as the roote and foundation to beare them vppe Euen so it may be truely said faith is the roote of all good workes and the foundation that is laid vnder godly life And yet can neither faith nor hope nor charitie alone iustifie All must concurre and comme together into our sowles and then is that excellent and diuine worke of our Iustification accomplished and not otherwise Howe Abraham was iustified VVhat his faith was and who be the true children of Abraham THE IX CHAPTER THE readiest and plainest waie to open matters doubtefull and to cleare that whiche is darke is to teach by examples Seing therefore the Scripture commendeth often vnto vs Abraham for an example and paterne of Iustification and saith Esai 51. Attendite ad Abraham patrem vestrum Looke to Abraham your father there is no better way for vs rightly to vnderstand that matter then to consider how Abraham was iustified and howe he atteined to that singuler prerogatiue to be commended by the holy Ghost Rom.
4. and called the father of all faithful and beleuing and inheriter of the worlde The Scripture saith of him Credidit Abraham Deo. Gen. 15. Galat. 3. Abraham beleeued God and it was accompted vnto him for Iustice but as Abraham was iustified by faith whiche all menne confesse so is it to be considered what faith that was whereby he was iustified and so singulerly pleased God. Primasius saith Abraham quia credidit Deo c. In cap. 11. epist ad Hebrae Iaco. 2. Bicause Abraham beleeued God it was accompted vnto him for iustice and he was called Goddes frende But this faith is so to be taken that it be beleeued in heart confessed in mouth and garnished in workes And here it is well to be noted that the Scripture commending Abrahams faith saith not Abraham beleeued there was a God but Credidit Abraham Deo Hom. 31. in Gen. Abraham beleued God that is as Chrysostome saith Credidit dictis Dei He gaue credit vnto Goddes wordes and sayinges Many euill men Iaco. 2. Mar. 1. yea the Diuel him selfe beleueth that there is one God but neither euill men neither the Diuelles geue credite to God nor his wordes to obey them And this is the difference betwene the good and ill man yea betwene a good man and the Diuel the one beleueth the Scripture and obeieth it not Psal 102. the other is mindefull of Goddes commaundementes to doo them So doth the Scripture teach vs to beleue Eccl. 32. In omni opere tuo crede ex fide animae tuae hoc est enim conseruatio mandatorum Qui credit Deo attendit mandatis In euery worke of thine beleue and vse the faith of thy sowle for that is the keeping of the commaundementes He that crediteth God geueth hede to the commaundementes Eccl. 33. The wiseman doth credite the Lawe of God and the Lawe is true vnto him Then to credite God and the Lawe is to beleue Goddes wordes to be true and to obey the commandementes of God and the Lawe For to him is the Law true who doth not shewe by his life that he thinketh it false So did Abraham beleue and credite God in euery worke of his Gen. 12. God said vnto him Egredere de terra tua c. Go out of thy coūtry from thy kinred from thy fathers house and come into the lande that I shall shewe thee He was in yeares Hebr. 11. he wente as S. Paule saith he knew not whither he might haue vsed many excuses as a man lothe to leaue his natiue country his kinred and frendes which naturally all men loue Chrysost hom 31. in Gene. But as Chrysostome saith Nihil horum vel in mentem c. He thought it not his parte so much as to take any of these thoughtes into his minde but as a willing seruante obeied at the onely bidding and asked no curiouse question And what was it that made him so to doo Omnia leuia facilia c. Chrysost ibidem His loue that he bare towarde God made all thinges appeare light and easy to him This was Abrahams faith To beleue God that is to credite his wordes and through a singuler loue to obey his commandement God promised him a childe Gen. 15. when both his wife and he by course of nature were paste hope of issue he beleued the promise hoping againe hope Rom. 4. Many yeares passed before it was fulfilled his faith decaied not he still perseuered constantely beleuing it Gen. 22. God bid him offer in sacrifice his onely sonne whome so dearely he loued Hom. 47. in Gen. without all douting or question asking he obeied the commaundement O religiosam animam c. O religiouse sowle saith Chrysostome O stronge hart and minde O greate desier O reason passing the nature of man. He shewed not his faith onely in beleuing Goddes promise but also in keeping his commandementes Credidit suscepturus filium Credidit occisurus c. Aug. ser 72. de tempo Chrys ho. 24. ad Hebre. Hom. 42. in Gen. Hom. 36. in Gen. Rom. 4. Gala. 3. Chrysost hom 36. in Gen. Gen. 15. Gen. 12. He beleued when he shoulde haue a sonne he beleued when he should kill his sonne In all pointes faithfull in nothing cruell He had not onely faith and good beleefe but as Chrysostome saith Possedit iustus ille omnes virtutes That iuste man had all vertues He noteth in him fortitude magnanimitie excellente faith good and godly conuersation singuler modestie meruelouse dispisinge of riches Worthely is he called the father of many nations Sufficit enim vnus ille iustus vt omnes nos erudiat For that one iuste man is inough to teach vs all What faith was in him that beleued Gods promise concerning his issue against the course of nature what obedience who being but once spoken vnto forsoke his countrie his inheritance his frendes and kinred Yea was content to forgo his owne and onely sonne Gen. 22. How constante hope that neuer mistrusted Gods promise were it neuer so long delaied Rom. 4. Gen. 1◠Rom. 4. Gen. 23. What charitie almose and hospitalitie who vsed to sitte at his dore to wait for straungers and Pilgrimes What humilitie who being inheritor of the worlde bowed and kneled to the heathen people of the land Ibidem what iustice that would not take a graue to bury his wife in before he had paied for the grounde This is our paterne by comparing our selues with him we knowe whether we be the children of Abraham Galat. 3. Ioan. 8. and to be blessed with the faithfull Abraham or no. Christ said to the Iewes Si filij Abrahae estis opera Abrahae facite Cyril Hieroso Cate che 5. If yee be the children of Abraham doo Abrahams workes Quem idmodum ille iustificatus est tu iustificeris As he was iustified so be thou iustified And here it is to be noted that God emong al his faithfull and holy hath chosen him to be our example and paterne who at his cōmandement forsoke his natiue countrie kinred and inheritance to teach vs thereby that such be the true children of Abraham Note S. that deale with the world when Gods honour or commandement so requireth as he did with his country and inheritance Gen. 12. Esai 52. 2. Cor. 6. God said vnto him Go out of thy countrie and kinred He saith vnto vs Exite de medio eorum separamini Goo out of the middle of them and departe from them Abraham with a sincere faith and minde Chrysost hom 37. in Gen. obeied the commandement hunc nos imitemur Lette vs folowe him and in readie minde and heart Let vs get out of the busines of this presente life especially when it draweth vs from God and go into heauen Hebrae 11. Rom. 8. Abraham knewe not the place whether he should go We hope for that we see not and by patience
Abraham Cypriae de Elemos S. Cyprian telleth Nam si Abraham credidit Deo. For if Abraham credited God and it was accompted to him for iustice doubtlesse he that according to Gods cōmandement geueth almes doth credit God and he that hath the trewe faith keepeth the feare of God. Thus haue I shewed that the Faith which was reputed vnto Abraham for iustice was that faith whereby he did credite vndoubtedly and obediently follow the wordes of God were they promises or were they commandementes as faithefull in the one as faithefull in the other By this Faith Abraham was made the Father of the beleuing by this faith Zacheus was made the childe of Abraham Gala. 3. by the same rule Qui ex fide sunt benedicentur cum fideli Abraham As many as be faithefull by this Faithe shal be blessed with the faithfull Abraham If all other Scriptures towching this matter were doubtefull and darke yet might the example of these two men so plainely set forth in both Testamentes suffice the meeke and godly Christian man trewely to vnderstande what apperteineth to Iustification That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paule and S. Iames concerning the doctrine of Iustification and howe they are to be vnderstanded THE X. CHAP. BIcause S. Paule saieth Rom. 4. Iacob 2. Abraham was iustified by faith and not by workes And S. Iames writeth that Abraham was iustified by woorkes and not by Faithe onely some haue thought ther was a contradiction imploied in the wordes of the two Apostles but the holy Ghost who ruled bothe their pennes and is neuer contrary to him selfe meante one thing in them both and by them both vttered one trewth well agreing with it selfe For the plaine declaration whereof it is to be vnderstanded 1 Cor. 4. Aug. in Praefa Psal 31. that our Iustification is compared vnto a perfecte building or vnto a fruitefull tree For as in building there muste be a foundation to beare vp the house and the tree muste haue a roote owte of the whiche the leaues and fruite maie spring and yet it is to no purpose to laie a foundation if a man builde nothing vppon it neither is it inough in a fruitefull tree to haue the roote withowt branches leaues and fruite See the first Chap. of this treatie euen so is there in our Iustification as it were a foundation and roote and a perfecte building and fruit The foundation and roote is Faith whereby we haue accesse to God and be made of wicked rightuouse Rom. 5. Ephes 2. Gala. 5. when I say Faith I meane not Faithe alone but accumpanied with charitie as S. Paule doth The building vppe or fruite of our Iustification is the continuance increase and perfection of iustice whereby such as are once iustified be made more iuste and in the ende perfited in iustice that is to say saued Of al which I haue saied sufficientely before Of the roote and foundation which is the entrie and first degree of Christian iustice S. Paule speaketh Of thincrease and perfection S. Iames. Rom 4. Iaco. 2. Rom. 5. Ephes 2. S. Paule saith we are iustified by Faith declaring what he meaneth by Iustification Habemus accessum per fidem in gratiam istam We haue accesse and comming to this grace throughe Faith. And when he saithe through faithe he meaneth especially through grace and throughe mercie Ephes 2. whereby Faith is geuen Tit. 3. It was not for the workes of iustice that we did but through his mercy he saued vs. All men are borne sinners called when they be sinners by grace called by grace iustified and made of sinners rightuouse Before our Iustification In Praesa Psal 31. S. Augustine his wordes maie be saied to euery one of vs Attenduntur opera tua inuentuntur omnia mala Thy workes are loked on and they be founde all euill Rom 6. If God shoulde rendre vnto these workes that is due he should condemne thee For the wages of sinne is death So was neither Abraham nor any man iustified by workes Workes done vvithout Faithe Neither Abraham nor any other could deserue Iustification by his workes For workes done without Faith and before God geue his grace in some degree deserue not at Gods hand either grace or reward of life euerlasting And thus do wee see in what sense S. Paule saied Abrahā was iustified by faith and not by workes He was first called by mercie and by grace without anie deserte of his woorkes going before The like he saith generally of al men that by grace they are called Rom. 5. Ephes 2. and by faith haue accesse to God and be planted in Christe and so iustified by faith and not by woorkes But here let the Reader take hede that he deceiue not him selfe For as before the grace of God Of vvorks don vvith faith and after God hath geuē his grace 2. Timo. 3. Luc. 1. no man is able to doe any woorke good and profitable towarde the life euerlasting so as many as are called receiued to Gods fauour and iustified be made able and meete to doe all good woorkes And as God calleth al men without iustice and holines So doth he call them to serue him in iustice and holinesse And as he found al men of them selues without good workes so did he suffer Tit. 2. Galat. 5. Ioan. 3. 1. Cor. 3. to cleanse vnto him selfe a people that should folowe good woorkes And suche good woorkes being the fruites of the holie Ghoste woorkes of faith done in God God working in man and man working togeather with God through the bountiful and liberal promise of God are rewarded with increase of grace and iustice here and in the life to come with perfection of iustice that is life euerlasting Apoca. 22 Eccles 18. See the 12 Chapt. of the firste booke Iacob 2. And bicause the Scripture calleth increase of iustice Iustification S. Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes that is to saie made more iust then he was strengthened and increased in iustice by woorkes In this sense he saith you see that a man is iustified by woorkes and not by faith onely And thus saith S. Paule truely a manne is called to iustice hath accesse to God and is made of wicked righteouse by faith deseruing it not by woorkes And S. Iames as truely saieth A man is iustified by woorkes that is a manne alreadie iuste is by woorkes made more iuste strengthened and increased in iustice Oecom in ca. Iaco. 2 There is faith saith Oecumenius that requireth no workes that goeth before Baptisme And there is faith that must be coupled with good woorkes and that is faith after Baptisme after whiche sense certaine of the Greeke Fathers saieth he vnderstoode S. Paule to speake of faith before Baptisme which bringeth a sinner to Chsist and iustifieth him without respect of any woorkes going before and S. Iames to speake of faith which is in a Christian man after Baptisme
Aug. ad Simpli li. 1. quaest 2. August ad Simpli ib. de fide oper c. 14 August ser 61. de ver Dom. Ephes 4. which must be ioyned with good workes as Abrahams faith was or els iustifieth no man Grace goeth before saith S. Augustine but good woorkes folowe Euerie man that wil be saued must be made a member of Christ whiche is done through faith hope and charitie and of this incorporation speaketh S. Paule but it is not inough for vs to be made members of Christ vnles being knitte in the bodie we increase in all thinges in Christ who is our heade Of this increase and growing speaketh S. Iames It is not inough for vs to be called and iustified we must also be glorified Rom. 8. and that shall not be vnlesse we be conformed and made like vnto the Image of Christ by godly lyfe which S. Iames speaketh of Al this is comprised in our perfit Iustification As it is necessarie for our saluation that we be made members of Christ which S. Paule calleth our Iustification so is it necessarie for the same end that we do good workes which S. Iames calleth our Iustification In praefat Psalm 31. If Abraham had offred his sonne without faith saith S. Augustine the worke had nothing auailed him what so euer it were If he had kepte his faith and not offred his sonne when God bad him his faith without woorkes had ben dead and shoulde haue remained like a roote barren and drie without fruite When S. Paule had taught that we are iustified by faith meaning thereby as hath ben declared Suche as vnderstode him not thought he had said faith had ben sufficient for a man though he liued yl and did no good workes And bicause this opinion was then sprong vppe Aug. de fid et oper cap. 14. the other Apostles as S. Iames S. Peter S. Iohn and Iude in their Epistles directed their intent specially againste the same earnestly affirminge that faith without woorkes auaileth nothing So did S. Peter exhorte menne to pietie 2. Pet. 3. and good conuersation against the comming of Christe warninge them that there were many thinges in S. Paules Epistles darke and harde to vnderstande which the vnskilfull and vnstable did peruerte to their owne damnation sayinge further that who so lacketh good conuersation 2. Pet. 1. is blinde and gropinge with his hande Therevppon did S. Iames call him a vaine manne that thoughte faith without woorkes mighte saue him Iacob 2. and called faith without woorkes a deade faith and the Diuelles faith Therevppon didde S. Iohn speake as muche in the commendation of Charitie as S. Paule had donne of Faith saying He that loueth not remaineth in deathe 1. Ioan. 3. not that these Apostles did teache contrary to S. Paule but bicause that S. Paule was misconstrued Their preaching was one For as S. Paule dothe saie Rom 3. Ephes 2. Iacob 1. by faith a manne is iustified and by grace are ye saued not of your selues So saieth S. Iames Euery good thinge that is geauen and euery perfite gifte commeth from aboue And seeing that Faith Hope Charitie and good woorkes be the giftes of God and the fruites of grace Ephes 2. S. Iames saying that we are iustified by woorkes disagreeth not with S. Paule that saith we are saued by grace Ephes 2. 1. Ioan. 3. And when S. Iohn saieth charitie commeth of God and we knowe we are translated from death to life bicause we loue our brothers he saieth no more then S. Paul doth Galat. 5. that in Christ Iesu neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth aught but faith which worketh through charitie So did S. Paule S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn being mooued to speake by one spirit agree in one minde concerning our Iustification S. Paule commendeth the foundation roote and beginning of it S. Iames th' increase the fruite and perfection of the same without the which the foundation should be voide and the roote barren and drie Iacob 2. Galat. 3. God graunte vs to beginne with Abrahams faith and to increase with Abrahams woorkes that faith may ioyne with our woorkes and by woorkes our faith may be perfited that we may be blessed with the faithfull Abraham That Faith alone without good woorkes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by grace THE XI CHAPTER BY this it is euidently declared that as faith in the beginning of our Iustification and comming to Christe excludeth not hope charitie penance nor baptisme so in our continuance and growing in Christe and saluation it excludeth not good woorkes but must haue them ioyned with it as time and oportunitie may serue the beleuer to do them or els the hope of his saluation is presumptuouse and vaine For if Abrahams faith excepte he had offered his sonne when he was byd August in praefation Psal 31. should haue ben deade lyke vnto a baren and withered roote as S. Augustine saith he being the example and paterne of our Iustification what can we looke for if we haue faith and care not to doo good woorkes which God commaundeth He that heareth my wordes Math. 7. and doth them not saith our Sauiour shal be lykened to a foole that hath buylded his house vpon the sande They are the dooers not the knowers whom he calleth happye If you knowe these thinges you shal be happie Ioan 13. when ye doo them They are not the hearers of the lawe Rom. 2. that are iuste before God but the dooers shal be iustified If faith woulde serue without good workes they should not be reiected who shal say at the daye of iudgement Math. 7. Lorde in thy name we haue preached in thy name we haue caste out diuelles and in thy name we haue done many greate wounders whiche can not be done without faith Math. 25. Neither shoulde the fiue foolishe virgins be shutte out at the mariage and therefore saieth Cyril Cyril Cateche 15. Trust not vppon that thou haste a lampe onely but keepe it burning truste not vpon this alone that thou haste faith but keepe thy faith burning that thy lighte may shyne before men through good workes leste for thy sake Christe be blasphemed And a litle before Howe shall we gette saieth he into the kingdome of heauen I was hungry saieth Christe and thou gaueste me meate to eate Learne the way for here needeth no allegory If thou doo these thinges thou shalt reigne if thou do not thou shalt be condemned beginne therefore nowe to doe these woorkes and continue in faith Leo. Ser. 3. de Epiphan Cypria ad Quiri lib. 3. cap. 96. Aug. Ser. 31. de ver Apost by right faith and good workes we attaine to the kingdom of God saith Leo. Factis non verbis operandum c. We must worke by deedes not by woordes saith S. Cyprian for the kingdome of God standeth not in talke but in vertue
Faith to witte the faith of God towarde man in keeping his promise and the faith of man towarde God in beleeuing his worde and seing also that of Gods faith there is no question nor doubt it foloweth that when so euer mention is made in the Scripture of mans faith alone and in his owne kinde that faith is vnderstanded whereby man is faithful vnto God Chrysost hom 31. in Gen. that is as S. Chrysostome saith Wherby man geueth credite vnto his saiyngs and wordes For expounding these wordes Credidit Abraham Deo Abraham beleued God he saith Credidit dictis Dei He gaue credite to Gods wordes and sayinges In this sense S. Augustine saith August de verb. Apostol sâ—m 16. De spiri lite cap. 31. Ad fidem quid pertinet Credere What appertaineth to faith To beleue And bicause a man might aske also what it is to beleeue to put that out of doubt he saith in an other place Quid est enim credere nisi consentire verum esse quod dicitur What is it els to beleeue but to consent that the thing which is saide is true By this rule as many in al ages as haue beleued the Gospel after the right and true vnderstanding of the Catholique Churche keeping themselues within the same Churche Vincent Lyrinen aduers haeres haue ben called faithful and Catholiques Ille est verus Germanus Catholicus qui veritatem Dei qui Ecclesiam qui Christi corpus diligit c. He is a true and right Catholike saith Vincentius Lyrinensis that loueth the truth of God that loueth the Church that loueth the body of Christ Who is a true Catholique that estemeth nothing more then Gods religion and the Catholike faith no not the authoritie and loue of any man father husband or whatsoeuer not wit eloquence nor philosophie not welthe riches or honour but despising al these things and remayning fast and stable in faith what soeuer he shall knowe that the Catholique Church hath holden from auncient time vniuersally doth determine to holde and beleeue only that Such then are faithful and Catholikes that beleeue the Catholike and auncient faith vniuersally receyued as Vincentius saieth that beleue God and geue credite to his words as S. Augustine and S. Chrysostome say And if they be also of life good and vertuouse then be they called boni Catholici August in Praefatio Psal 31. Ser. 31. de verb. Apost good Catholikes if they be of yl conuersation they be called fideles iniqui vniuste faithful mali Catholici yll Catholiques faithful and Catholikes bicause they haue faith yll bicause their life is vngodly if they forsake the faith as Iulianus did they be called Apostates But as long as they keepe the Catholike faith of Christes Churche Note thoughe their lyfe be wicked and they damnable yet be they not called infideles but faithful and beleeuers And sith no man can be called faithfull but he that hath faith and it is faith to beleeue and to beleeue is but to assente vnto trewth by this it is proued that the propertie of faith in his owne kinde is to beleue the Gospel and to assente vnto the trewth of God. S. Augustine saith Euchiri cap. 6. 7. 9.117 Faith in his ovvne nature August in Praefatio Psal 32. A man doth learne by the Crede what is to be beleeued by the Pater noster what is to be hoped and by the commaundementes what is to be loued And albeit faith and charitie must be both in a good man yet as he saieth Quod credit fidei est quod operatur charitatis est it is the property of faith that a man beleueth and of charitie that he worketh Faith in his owne kinde may be alone and parted from charitie and hope Iacob 2. Enchirid. cap. 8. Ser. 4. de Collect. For not onely euil men but euen Diuels doo beleue and tremble but as S. Augustine saith They neither hope nor loue And Leo saith Multis quibus auferre non potuit fidem sustulit charitatem From many hath the Diuell taken awaye Charitie from whome he could not take awaye Faith. In this sorte doth the Scripture many tymes speake of faith as it is in it selfe and in his owne nature Heb. 11. saying Fides est substantiarerum sperandarum Prima in cap. 11. ad Heb. Faith is the substance of thinges that are to be hoped for It is called the substance of them saieth Primasius bicause vnto such thinges as be taught by the worde of God though they be not sene yet faith geueth a being in our soule assenting vnto them and beleeuing them as well to be true as though they were seene with our bodily eyes In the same place it is saied By faith we vnderstande that the worlde was sette in order by the woorde of God. And this is faith in his owne kinde that is to say a beleeuing and assenting vnto truth Somtime the Scripture speaketh of faith as it is accompanied and ioyned with other vertues and geeueth vnto faith the properties of such vertues as are ioyned with it So is it said Heb. 11. that by faith Abel offered Sacrifice Noe feared God Abraham obeyed Moyses suffred affliction not that these are the properties of faith in his owne nature Faith ioyned vvith other but bicause the Fathers beside faith had these vertues also Abell the vertue of religion Noe the feare of God Abraham obedience Moyses patience So it is likewise said of charitie Omnia suffert oiÌ„a credit oiÌ„a sperat She suffreth al things beleueth al things hopeth al things And yet saith S. Austine truly In Prafa Psal 31. Quod credit fidei est It cometh of faith that a man beleueth And likewise of patience that he suffereth and of charitie that he loueth and worketh wel Trewe it is that none of these vertues alone and by it selfe maketh a good man. For it is a rule in Philosophie that vertues be linked together And yet as trewe it is that euery vertue hath her owne natural property wherby she worketh somwhat in a good man So faith beleueth hope trusteth charitie loueth prudence chooseth fortitude beareth temperance refraineth whose properties ioined together with other like make vppe an absolute and perfecte goodnes But bicause both faith and also the Scriptures were giuen to men Ioan. 5. to thintente they should haue life euerlasting by them knowing and doing the wil of God S. Paule commendeth specially the faith that doth not only reste in opinion and beleuing of truthe but that is actiue and working through charitie toward that ende saiyng In Christe Iesu neither circumcision Gala. 5. nor to be without circumcision auaileth ought but faith that worketh through charitie declaring thereby Leo ser 7. de Epipha A notable Rule De fide oper c. 14 De spiri lit ca. 32. Epistola 105. Enchir. cap. 8. De Gra. et lib. arbi cap. 7. that faith of it selfe
is not able to worke the effecte of saluacion for which purpose it serueth vnlesse it be accumpanied with charitie the Mother of al vertues of which wordes S. Augustine gathereth a rule that when we find in the Scriptures faith commended for Iustificacion or saluacion we should euer vnderstād it meant of faith which worketh through charitie saying Hanc fidem definiuit Apostolus c. This faith hath the Apostle defined and determined to be it And in that sense both S. Augustine and other aunciente fathers cal that many times the trewe faith the Christian mannes faith and the faith in deede The trewe faith in respecte of the ende whiche is saluacion not bicause the faith whereby we onely beleue the Scriptures is not a trewe Faith. For we saie in the Creede of Athanasius that the Catholique Faith is a full perfecte and inuiolable Faith. A beleeuing faith and a sauing faith But it is perfecte in beleuing not perfecte in sauing And therefore it is not saide in the ende who so beleueth it shal be saued but vnlesse a man beleue and keepe it inuiolable he shal without doubte be damned For though he beleue the Scriptures in profession and keepe them not in deede that is if he beleue them in worde and mouth and trangresse them in acte and deede he shall not be saued Faith alone and of it selfe maie be perfecte for beleuing but the faith that is trewe and perfecte for sauing is euer accompanied neuer alone It is one thing then to haue trewe faith in assente and opinion which is faith in his owne nature and an other thing to haue faith in obedience of harte and affection which is faith accompanied with charitie and other vertues of whiche difference I onely putte the Reader in remembrance bicause I will more largely speake thereof in the. 7. Chapter of the second booke to the whiche I referre him Thus haue I thought good to open vnto the Reader what is properly meante by the name of faith alone August de Trinitate Lib. 15. cap. 18. in Euchirid cap. 8. and what it taketh of other vertues Sine quibus esse potest sed prodesse non potest Without the whiche it may be but it can not auaile nor attaine to the life euerlasting Faith properly is to beleue and to beleue is to assente to trewth This faith the age of S. Augustine S. Chrysostome and Vincentius Lirinensis did knowe and teache willing men for their saluation to ioyne vnto it charitie with other vertues If any man deuise an other faithe beside this he bringeth vs not the consent of Antiquitie but an inuention of noueltie As concerning the faith whereby miracles and wunderous actes are wroughte it is none other but the Catholique faith whereof I haue spoken Ioan. 20 which to aduance and commende God doth miracles in some that professe it through his name Whiche faith as both a good and ill man may haue so may both a good and ill man doo miracles as appeareth plainely by the wordes of Christe in S. Mathew and by S. Paule to the Corinthianes Math. 7. 1. Cor. 13. th one saying that many hauing done miracles shal be shutte owt of the kingdome of heauen The other affirming that a man maie be able to remoue mountaines and yet lacke charitie without the whiche he is nothing VVherein the controuersie of Iustificacion resteth and what is the rediest way to know how the same is wrought in vs. THE III. CHAP. THERE is emong parties at this time no greate controuersie touching the original cause of our Iustificacion For the Scriptures plainely shew and al men agree that it is God that iustifieth Rom 8. But the controuersy resteth specially in two pointes the first point first what our Iustification is and wherein it standeth whether it be onely a forgeuenes of sinnes paste or whether there be also required in it a change of the man and a newnes of life the secōd point The other pointe is how our Iustification is wrought in vs to witte albeit God iustifie vs yet how he worketh it in vs and by what meanes we comme to it by faith alone or by faith ioined with other vertues and Sacramentes which doubtes I thinke shal be much cleared if we consider our owne corrupte and sinfull estate and the cause thereof whiche is our carnall Birthe and descente from Adam By whom sinne entred into the worlde Rom 5. and by sinne death and so wente through all in whom all haue sinned Seing then that his fall was our fall and the cause of our vniustice if we vnderstande in what case he was created and what was in him loste wounded and weakened by sinne cōtraries being knowen by one rule and teaching we know also what our Iustification is Aristotle For the repairing of that which was in him loste is our restoring and the saluing of that which was in him wounded is our health the changing of the olde estate wherein through him we were borne is our renewing And our restoring healing and renewing is our Iustification Esai 53. Luc. 19. For Christ that came to iustifie sinners came to seeke and saue that which was loste and to make whole that which was wounded VVhat was loste in Adam by sinne and what is restored by Christe in our Iustification the comparing of Christ with Adam And in what thinges our Iustification standeth THE IIII. CHAPTER IT is a matter of vndoubted trewthe and confessed of all right beleuers that God created Adam in most excellent and perfecte estate For the Scripture saith in the person of God Gen. 1. Faciamus hominem ad imaginem similitudinem nostram Lette vs make manne after our image and lykenes Wherefore as God him selfe is wisedome trueth rightuousenes temperance loue strength vertue and in goodnes moste free so made he manne wise trewe rightuous and iuste temperate strong indued with perfecte loue vertuous and to all goodnes willinge and free Psal 48. But man vnderstanding not when he was in honor abusing his libertie to ill and transgressing Goddes commandement did not onely lose that perfect estate and beautie of vertues but broughte him selfe also into a base mortall and miserable condition fell into vices contrarie to the former vertues and became displeasant and hatefull vnto God his bodie condemned to death and his sowle vnlesse mercie had deliuered him to endlesse damnation And albeit it might suffise to say that he loste all the vertues wherewith he was by God indued yet to expresse some parte thereof particularly Prosper Aquitanus sayth Perdidit primitus fidem c. Contra Collatorē cap. 10. He loste first and chifely faith He loste continence he loste charitie he was berefte of wisedome and vnderstanding He was lefte without counsell and strength he dranke the poison of all vices and with the dronkennesse of his intemperance wetted through and soked the whole nature of man he loste profitable and
and luste through a loue settled where it should not be pulled from God and delyte heauenly and settled on him selfe and thinges transitorie And as that peruerse loue which is called luste made him of good and righteouse August in Praefat. Psal 31. August in Titul Psal 64. euill and sinnefull so in all that descende of his race yll loue and luste maketh an yll man and good loue which is called Charitie maketh a good man. Interoget se quisque quid amet inueniet vnde sit Ciuis Lette euery man aske of him selfe what he loueth and he shall finde whereof he is a Citizen That is to saie whether he be of the Citie of God or of the Diuell Charitie yt ys that altereth and chaungeth the hearte and the hearte is it that chaungeth the woorkes Muta cor mutabitur opus August Serm. 12. de verb. Dom. Change the heart saith S. Augustine and the woorke will be changed And howe the hearte is changed it foloweth Extirpa cupiditatem planta charitatem Roote out luste and ill desire plante charitie for as luste is the roote of all yll so is charitie the roote of all good No man is iustified but he that is made a good man and charitie it is that maketh a man good Aug. Enchi c. 117 For when the question is asked whether any one be a good man it is not demaunded what he beleueth or what he hopeth but what he loueth For who so loueth rightly without doubt he beleueth rightly Al men wil confesse that no man can be iustified vnlesse he know God be new borne of God translated from death of the sowle to lyfe fourmed of newe and graffed in Christe and finally made a new creature For who so euer remaineth without knowledge of God and continueth in the olde estate of Adam is the childe of anger in the state of iuste damnation and farre from iustice If then it plainely appeare that all these fiue pointes be wroughte in vs especially by charitie wee must needes confesse that charitie doth not onely worke but singularly worke in the acte of our Iustification To proue the firste and seconde pointe S. Iohn saith Euerie man that loueth 1. Ioan. 4. is borne of God and knoweth God. He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is charitie The thirde pointe he proueth by these wordes 1. Ioan. 3. Nos scimus We knowe that we are translated from death to lyfe bicause we loue our brethren he that loueth not remaineth in death August in expo epist ad Galat. Of the fourth point S. Augustine saith formatur Christus in eo qui formam accepit Christi Christ is formed in him that hath receiued the fourme and shape of Christ but he it is that receiueth the shape of Christ who cleaueth faste to Christe by a gostely and spirituall loue The fifte pointe is proued by S. Paule who taketh it for al one to be made a newe creature and to haue faith that worketh throughe charitie For as he saieth Galat. 5. In Christe Iesu neither circumcision Galat. 6. nor to be without circumcision auaileth ought but faith that worketh through charitie So he saith Neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth ought but the newe creature This being proued that man knoweth God is borne of God translated from death to life newe fourmed in Christe and finally made a newe creature by Charitie it is also proued consequentely that man is iustified especially through Charitie I go not abowte here to abase the excellente gifte of faith nor to saie charitie onely iustifieth excluding faith which is the foundation of all rightuousenes my intente is onely to shewe howe shamefull a diuorce they make that parte these so wel agreeing vertues in the acte of our Iustification whiche God hath ioined together Matth. 19 Leo serm 7. de quadrag For trewely it is saied Charitas robur est fidei fides fortitudo est charitatis Charitie is the force of faith faith is the strength of Charitie and then is the name trewe and trew fruite of bothe when eche remayneth sure and faste knitte to other Seing then that Iustification is the greatest fruite that can come of faith it foloweth that the same can not be had without thaid of charity Faith may be in a man without charitie but it maketh no man rightuouse and iuste but by charitie S. Augustine saith A man may beleue that Christ is Christ by faith without hope and charitie but he can not beleue in Christe whiche is as muche to saie as to be vnited and made a member of Christe without hope and charitie Aug. Ser. 61. De ver De. Qui credit in Christum c. who so beleueth in Christe by his beleuing Christe commeth vnto him and by some meanes he is made one with Christ and a member of his body which can not be done vnlesse hope and charitie be ioined also In which place three thinges are to be noted first he saith that faith alone is sufficiente for vs to beleue that Christe is Christe Next he saith that faith alone is not inough to make a man the member of Christ Thirdely he saith that faith hope and charity ioined together make a man the member of Christ Wherefore seing that to be iustified is nothing els but to be made a member of Christ it is a plaine matter with S. Augustine that faith only can not iustifie bicause it can not make a man the member of Christe And for as muche as that effecte is wroughte by the three vertues ioined together it foloweth also that hope and charitie worke in the acte of our Iustification as well as Faith. Faith can not onely iustifie no man without charitie but as S. Bernarde saieth dieth if charitie be pulled from it Bernar. Ser. 24. super Canti Mors fidei est separatio charitatis It is the death of Faith to be parted from charitie And he that diuideth them saith he is fideicida a murtherer of Faith. A deade faith can not geue life to the sowle Mortuam Apostolus definit eamesse Iaco. 2. And the Apostle S. Iames determineth that faith to be deade that worketh not by loue Quasi non habens animam ipsam dilectionem Bernar. Epist 42. Bicause she hath not loue whiche is her very sowle If faith when she is without charitie wanteth her sowle and life without the which she can doo no acte howe should she without charitie worke that greate acte of our Iustification To make the matter plaine we shall neede but one argument grounded vppon the wordes of S. Paule Gala. 5. In Christ Iesu neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth any thing but faith that worketh through charitie If that be the Faithe that auaileth whiche worketh through charitie then faithe alone destitute of charitie auaileth nothing If it auaile nothing muche lesse dothe it worke our Iustification For that is not onely somewhat but
est By the which onely he is trewly iuste who so euer is iust But to declare that his minde was not to make any such separation Ib. cap. 70. he saith it is the charitie that commeth from a pure harte a good conscience and vnsained faith He might allege for him th' authoritie of S. Ihon th'Euangelist who being required by his scholers a litle before his death to teach them some perfecte lesson Hier. li. 3. com in epist ad Galat. cap. 6. whereby they might liue well and haue cause to remembre him said my children loue one an other And when they looked for more he repeted the same againe and said It is our Lords commaundement and if there be no more done but that it is inough He should haue Prosper to say for him De vit contēpla li. 3. ca. 13 Charitie is a summarie and abbridgement of all good doings of the which euery good worke taketh his life without the which neuer man pleased God. S. Bede would say Homi. aestiua in lita maio Ser. 7. de Epipha Chrysost tom 1. fol. 176. Charitie is the principall vertue in so muche that without that vertue other principall vertues can not be Leo would call her the mother of all vertues and Chrysostome the mother of all goodnes And thus haue I proued not only that faith without charitie iustifieth no man but also that charitie hath a souereine working in the acte of our Iustification without the which faith auaileth nothing and so doth not faith alone iustifie nor exclude charitie An answere to obiections that be made to proue that faith alone iustifieth without charitie THE IIII. CHAPTER BVT leste the mainteiners of Iustification by onely faith should seeme to be without all ground and to exclude charitie without colour of reason they frame one especiall argument which for the readers better satisfaction I will put forth and answere here The argument is this We be iustified by faith without all workes of the Lawe Charitie is a worke of the Lawe Ergo we be iustified by faith without charitie To the which I answere with S. Augustine that their second proposition deceiueth them for that charitie is not onely a worke of the lawe but also the gifte of the holy Ghost in the newe testament Rom 5. S. Paule saith the charitie of God is powred abrode in our hartes through the holy Ghost that is geuen vs. 1. Ioha 4. And S. Iohn saith Moste dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue commeth of God. Vppon which wordes S. Augustines answere is De grat li. arb cap. 18. Cùm dicitur diligamus inuicem lex est Cùm dicitur quia dilectio ex Deo est gratia est When it is said Lette vs loue one an other it is the lawe when it is said for loue commeth of God it is grace He maketh this the greatest differēce betwene th' old and new testament that where as in the old God lead his people by terror and feare in the newe he geueth them plenty of his charitie and loue Contr. Adiman cap. 17. De spirit lit cap. 17. Item cap. 21. ca. 16. Haec est breuissima c. This is the shortest and plainest difference of both testaments feare and loue Ibi in tabulis lapideis There the holy Ghost wrought in tables of stone here in mens hartes And what be the lawes of God writen by God him self in mennes hartes but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the singer of God by whose presence charitie is powred abrode in our hartes which is the fulfilling of the law Thus doo we see that charitie is not onely a worke of the law but also the fruite of the holy Ghost the speciall token of the new testament wrought in our hartes by the holy Ghost And so hath S. Augustine answered this argument xi hundred yeares before they were borne that lately haue made it And whereas it is saied that faith onely iustifieth What it is truely to apprehēd Christe bicause faith onely apprehendeth Christe I aske what is meant by the terme of Apprehension If it be to beleue onely that Christ died for sinners that alone iustifieth no man for the Diuelles beleue it and tremble Iacob 2. bicause they hope not to be partakers of that benefite nor loue him that purchased it If to apprehend Christe be vnderstanded to dwell in Christe and to haue him dwell in vs it is not true that Christe is apprehended in that sorte by onely faith without charitie For it is saied 1 Ioan 4. God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him And Christ him selfe saith Si quis diligit me Ioan. 14. sermonem meum seruabit Pater meus diliget eum ad eum veniemus mansionem apud eum faciemus If a man loue me he will kepe my saying and my Father wil loue him and to him will we come and make our abode with him By these woordes let the Reader learne what it is truely and profitably to apprehend Christe He apprehendeth Christ truly Aug. ser 61. de ver Dom. tract in Ioan. 29. that is vnited and made a member of Christe whiche as I haue proued in the last Chapter can not be done without hope and charitie He apprehendeth Christ truely that cleaueth vnto Christ and the glue whereby the sowle is fastned vnto Christe saith S. Augustine is charitie Ipsum gluten est charitas In Psal 62 If it be said that faith apprehendeth the promise Christ hath promised lyfe euerlasting to suche as become his friendes Ioan. 15. Heb. 5. And they be his friendes that keepe his commaundements He is made a cause of life euerlasting but to such as obey him The promise is made to the children of Abraham that is to suche as haue the faith and obedience of Abraham whereof I shall speake at large hereafter Chapt. 23. And so is it true that faith alone neither apprehendeth Christe nor his promise profitablie vnlesse hope and Charitie be ioyned vnto it That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification THE V. CHAPTER Of Hope AS God requireth of such as come to his seruice that they stedfastly beleeue in him and with all their heartes loue him So doth he also require of them to repose al hope and affiance in him onely saying by his Prophete Iere. 17. Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man. And by the same Prophete Iere. 9. 1. Cor. 1. Psal 107. Psal 33. Let not the wise bragge in his wisedome neither lette the strong boast in his strength Nor lette the riche glorie in his riches But lette him that boasteth boast in our Lorde Wherefore as mans power to saue is vaine and he vnhappie that trusteth in it so happie is the man that trusteth in God. Of so great force is a
fides quae per dilectionem operatur That is the praise worthie faith that is the true faith of grace whiche worketh through charitie That faith it is that Christe requireth of vs whiche if we haue not we shal die in our sinne They be his owne woordes If you beleeue not that I am Ioan. 8. ye shall die in your sinne And let vs not thinke saith Cyrillus Cyril in Ioan. li. 5. ca. 23. that God made this threat onely vnto the Iewes Eadem enim nos quoque manet damnatio si non in Christum fide per per dilectionem operante crediderimus For the like damnation remaineth for vs also if we beleue not in Christ by faith that woorketh through charitie To teache vs this difference of faith and beleeuing Christe saith in an other place Ioan. 7. Qui credit in me sicut dicit scriptura flumina de ventre eius fluent aquae viua He that beleeueth in me in such sorte as the Scripture saith fluddes of liuely water shall flowe out of his belie By fluddes of liuely water as there S. Iohn saith is meant the holie Ghoste which they should receiue that beleeued in him Christe said not who so beleeueth in me but he that beleueth in me as the Scripture saith for that is the true pointing of the sentence Note as Theophilactus noteth there And who doubteth but that the Scripture beside faith teacheth vs also to loue Christe to hope in him to doe penance to receiue his Sacramentes and to liue godly If no man then be iustified without the holie Ghoste who powreth charitie into our heartes seeing the holie Ghoste is geuen to suche onely who beleue in Christe as the Scripture saieth the Scripture bidding vs not onely to beleeue in Christe but also to loue him it foloweth that they onely be iustified who haue faith working through charitie Theophil ibi in cap. 7. Ioan. Multi enim se putant credere sed non vt dicit Scriptura c. For many thinke they beleue but they beleue not as the Scripture saieth And so haue they folowed their owne sectes such as all heretikes be but he saieth the riuers shall flowe out of his belie that is the true faithful beleuer Although this place alone might suffice to teache the indifferent Reader what faith it is that pleaseth God yet do other Scriptures in sundry places put vs in minde that a bare and solitarie faith sufficeth not As Christe saied to Marie Magdalene Luc. 7. Fides tua te saluam fecit Thy faith hath saued thee so said he there of her also synnes be forgeuen her bicause she hath loued much And what is that to saye but that shee was saued by faith through charitie Beside that she shewed by her teares a greate penance and by comming to Christ being so notable a synner shee declared a greate hope Math. 9. The woman that was healed of the blooddy flyxe had not onely a faith but also so earneste hope that shee trusted shee shoulde be whole might she but once touch the skyrte or hemme of Christes garment Math. 15. Christe commended in an other woman faith but a great faith Hom. 34. in Gene. saying O woman great is thy faith bicause saieth Chrysostome he sawe in her such a constancie and perseuerance that coulde not be wearied And as S. Augustine saith De fide oper c. 16. He that looketh into the hart sawe that shee was chaunged and become a new woman and therefore whereas he had before called her dogge he saied not then O dogge but ô woman In Ioan. li. 10. c. 16. greate is thy faith Cyrill saieth that they be the faithfull who by sincere faith are graffed in Christe as branches in the vine And to declare what he meaneth by sincere faieth he saieth It is not inough for our sanctification vnlesse we cleane styll faste vnto Christe by charitie Oecomenius requireth in our Iustification a faith in deede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true faith In cap. 2. Iacob suche as can not be in an vncleane man a faith not only in assente whiche resteth in beleeuing trueth but a faith in affection that standeth in loue S. Hierome saieth Math. 9. that both in the woman that was healed and in the petie captayne or Centener Deuota Deo suo anima approbata est A deuoute soule to their God was allowed Aduer Luciferianos suche a faith as is hardely founde in them that beleeue well Be it vnto thee saith God according to thy faith that saying would not I heare for if it be done to me according to my faith I shal perishe And yet surely I beleeue in God the Father I beleeue in God the Sonne I beleeue in God the holy Ghoste By whiche woordes we vnderstande that S. Hierome thinketh it not inough to beleeue but requireth also with faith a greate and earneste deuotion whiche can not be without a greate and earnest loue S. Paule aduancing faith with singular commendation Heb. 11. and saying that al the Fathers were allowed and pleased God thereby commendeth that faith wherewith not onelye charitie but all other vertues were ioyned By faith Abel offered sacrifice Enoch liued godly Noe feared God. Ambulauit cum Deo. Abraham obeyed God forsooke his countrie and offered vp his sonne Moyses was content to suffer affliction Raab receyued the messengers sente to spie By faith the holy did woorke iustice suffred scorning and whipping yea chaynes and prison were stoned cutte in peeces and dyed by the sworde Suche a faith doth S. Paule commende a faith ioyned with religion and dutie towarde God with feare of God with obedience of Gods commandement with pacience with iustice with suffring of al griefe and paine yea death it selfe for Gods sake According to the same rule our Crede requireth a sound and Catholique faith S. Augustine the faith of Christe the faith of christian grace a faith of Christian men not such as may be in Diuelles Cyril a sincere faith S. Hierome a faith full of deuotion Oecumenius a true faith not onely in opinion but in hearte and affection All whiche thinges are comprised by S. Augustine in these fewe woordes It is the faith that hath her woorking through charitie that maketh a iuste and a good manne Abac. 2. Rom. 1. August de spirit et li. c. 32 Haec est fides ex qua iustus viuit This is the faith whereby the iuste man liueth this is the faith wherby men beleeue in him that iustifieth the wicked This is the faith whereby vaunting and boasting is shut out This is the faith whereby abundance and largesse of the holy Ghoste is obteined This is the faith whereby they are saued to whome it is saied Ephe. 2. Galat. 5. Abach 2. Rom. 1. The true meaning of those vvoordes The iust mā liueth by faith Leo ser 5. de collect Bed. in die natal Do. ad Sum. Miss by grace ye
looke for it Hebrae 11. By faith Abraham dwelled like a stranger in the land of promise we are required like strangers and Pilgrimes 1. Pet. 2. Gen. 22. to absteine from carnal desiers that warre against the soule God said to Abraham offer in sacrifice thy only sonne whom thou louest Christe saith vnto vs If a man come vnto me and do not hate that is to say Luc. 14. caÌ„not be coÌ„tent to leaue and to lacke for my sake his father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters yea and his own life also he caÌ„not be my scholer Hom. 36. in Gen. Discamus et nos obsecro a Patriarcha Dei credere dictis Let vs I pray you saith Chrysostom learne of the patriarch to credite Gods wordes The Prophet Esaie saith of Christ Dominus iudex noster Dominus legifer noster Esai 33. Dominus Rex noster ipse saluabit nos The Lord is our iudge the Lord is our law maker the lord is our king he shal saue vs. He is then not only a promiser and sauiour but he is also a iudge a law maker and a king As a sauiour he redemeth and promiseth As a law maker he appointeth orders As a king he geueth coÌ„mandementes As a iudge he threateneth malefactors Who so beleueth him as a sauiour and beleueth him not as a law maker as a kinge and as a iudge he beleueth one parte of Christ but not the whole Abraham beleued his promise that in his seede all nations should be blessed Gen. 15. Gala. 3. Gen. 17. wherein he tooke him for a redemer He beleued him as a lawemaker taking circuncision by his appointement He beleued him as a king leauing at his commandement his country kinred and inheritance he tooke him for a iudge saying Gen. 12. Qui iudicas omnem terraÌ„ nequaquam facies iudicium hoc Gen. 18. Thou that iudgest al the earth wil not doo this iudgement Let vs learne to truste his promise He saith 2. Cor. 6. I will dwell emong them I will walke emong them I will be their God Rom. 8. Ioan. 6. and they shal be my people if God be for vs who shall be against vs He that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting Let vs beleue him as a Lawe maker receiuing the Sacramentes and rites of the newe testament as Abraham receiued circumcision Gen. 17. Matt. 19. Ioan. 15. Let vs beleue his commandementes also he hath said If thou wilte come to life keepe the commandementes you be my frendes if you doo such thinges as I commaund you Let vs beleue his menasses and threateninges Matth. 3. He hath said Euery tree that beareth not good fruit shal be cutte downe and caste into the fier Ser. 16. de ver Do. Non times ne te iudicet Deus vbi est fides Arte thou not afraied saith S. Augustine that God wil iudge thee where is faith If we beleue his promises and not his orders not his commandementes nor threateninges that is beleue him in some thinges and discredit him in other we be not the right children of Abraham who was euerywhere and in all thinges faithful but rather bastarde sonnes such as the Scripture speaketh of Deut. 32. infideles filij vnfaithful children S. Cyprian wil say vnto vs How can he say that he beleueth in Christ De simpli Praelato who doth not that Christ hath commanded him to doe or how shall he come to the rewarde of faith that wil not keepe the faith of the commandement Basil in consti exercit ca. 1. S. Basill will say Nos fidem non habemus ipsi We beleue him not as one not able to reliue we shunne to take vppon vs that good and light yoke of his we shunne to entre into the kingdome of God by the narowe gate He beleueth not nor crediteth Christe saith S. Basill that fleeth his yoke and will not entre by the strait gate And yet he may beleue that Christ is God and man the Sauiour and redemer of the world but he beleueth him not as Abraham did louingly and willingly to obey him Imitare fidem Abrahae Basil ibid. A nevve Faith. Folow Abrahams Faith saith S. Basill If a man imagine and frame vnto him selfe a new deuised faith persuading him selfe assuredly and vndoubtedly that all his sinnes be forgeuen in Christe and for his sake Esai 53. for that he hath taken our sinnes vppon him further assuring him selfe that for this faithes sake he is the Sonne and heire of God Rom. 8. and heire partener with Christe although he neither suffer with him to be glorified together with him nor die with him to liue together with him it may trewely be saied of such a one Credit Christum noÌ„ credit Christo he beleueth that Christ is but he crediteth not Christ he hath a faith of his owne but he hath not Abrahams faithe for if he had he would as well be contente to crucifie the lustes and vices of his body as desire to liue with Christ as well suffer Gala. 6. as reigne with him Fidelis sermo It is a trewe saying 1. Tim. 1. and by all meanes worthy to be imbrased that Christe Iesus came into this worlde to saue sinners Fidelis sermo It is also a trewe saying If we haue died with him we shall liue with him 2 Tim. 2. Marke this vvel if we suffer with him we shall reigne with him if we denie him he will denie vs if we beleue not he remaineth trewe he can not denie him selfe Who so beleueth one of these Scriptures and careth not for the other he hath not Abrahams Faith nor is his childe For Abraham beleued God that is as Chrysostome saith Credidit dictus Dei. Gaue credite to Goddes woordes obeying and folowing them not one but all Wilte thou knowe good Reader what Abrahams Faith was and how thou maiste be made his childe Learne by example of him whom trewth it selfe declared to be the trewe Sonne of Abraham Zacheus standing before Christ at what time he came into his house Luca 15. saied Lo I geue the one halfe of my goodes to the poore and if I haue deceiued any man in ought I restore him fowre times as muche bicause he beleued the wordes of Christe Date elemosinam c. Geue almes and all is cleane to you â—sal 5. He said I geue the one halfe of my goods to the poore And bicause he beleued that God hateth all vniust dealers he saied if I haue deceiued any man in ought I rendre fower for one And beleuing these thinges whiche to a carnall man seeme harde and doing them so readily for Christe his sake we doubte not but he beleued likewise all other pointes of Faith as readily Whereuppon Iesus saied vnto him Luca. 19. This date health and saluation is come to this house bicause he also is the Sonne of Abraham And how he was the Sonne of
vitae quae nunc est futurae Godlinesse is profitable to al purposes hauing promise of the life that nowe is and the lyfe to come In this life godlinesse hath promise to directe faith and leade her to the vnderstanding of the Ghospell Ioan. 7. If a manne will doe his will that sente me saieth Christe he shal knowe of my doctrine whether it be of God or I speake of my selfe Iacob 2. Eccles 7. Good woorkes make faith perfite Thou seest saieth S. Iames of Abraham that faith was ioyned with his woorkes and by his woorkes faith was perfited They confirme and strengthen charitie Be not lothe to visite the sicke for by suche doinges shalte thou be made strong in loue Eccles 7. Good woorkes breede in vs a stronge hope and affiance in God. Almes shall be a greate affiaunce before God the highest Tobi. 4. vnto all that doe it He saieth not it shall be onely a declaration of faith before menne but a greate affiance before God. 1. Tim. 3. Deacons that serue well gette them a good degree and muche affiance in faith whiche is in Christe Iesus Whereby we vnderstande that good workes do not onely nurrishe hope but also strengthen faith And as S. Augustine saith Ser. 16. de ver Apos Quae spes nisi de aliquae conscientiae bonitate What hope can there be but vppon some goodnesse of conscience So a conscience vsed and confirmed in well doing is full of affiance and hope S. Paule saieth to the Hebrewes who had ben charitable to suche as were imprisoned and also loste their owne goodes for Christes sake Hebr. 10. Lose not your confidence and affiance which hath great rewarde He saith that their good woorkes had not onely bredde a stronge hope and affiance to them but also that the same should haue a great rewarde And here let the Reader learne how strong hope and affiance in God is to be gotten Prayer is but one of the woorkes commended by Christe of which Chrysostome saith vitam piam oratio conciliat conciliat am auget Prayer bringeth a godly life Chrysost Tom. 5. de â—râ—Ì„d DeuÌ„ and increaseth it when it is gotten fasting watching and prayer make vs stande and perseuer in goodnesse and defende vs from yll Haec sunt nobis arma coelestia Cyprian lib. 1. ep 1. c. These be vnto vs heauenly armour that make vs stande and perseuer strongly these be spirituall municions and weapons geauen of God whiche defende vs. Almes an other of the workes which Christe commendeth is a bulwarke and defense bothe of faith and hope Solatium grande credentium c. Holesome woorking is a great comforte of the beleeuing a forte of our safetie Cyprian de elemo the buckler of hope the defence of faith the medicine of sinne Fasting almes and prayer ioyned togeather be meanes to heale our sores to get the fauour of God to put away the penaltie due to sinne to auoide the Diuell Curandis laesionibus quas saepe c. Leo ser 4 de ieiu 10. men To cure the hurtes which often they fal into that with the inuisible enemie haue conflict the medicine of three remedies is specially to be laide In earnest prayer in chastisment of fasting in liberal almes When these be exercised togeather God is made fauourable gilte and fault is put out and the tempter is beaten downe These auncient Fathers said not thus much of their owne heades but as they had learned of the Scripture so they spake Daniel said to Nabuchodonosor Peccata tua eleemosynis redime Dan. 4. iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperum Ransome thy sinnes with almes and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore By mercie and faith sinnes are purged Prouer. 15. 16. Tobi. 4. Luc. 11. by mercie and troth iniquitie is ransomed Almes deliuereth from all sinne and from death and suffereth not the sowle to goe into darkenesse Geue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you Neither doth God hereby take away his owne prerogatiue which is to remitte sinne but prouideth for mans weakenesse many remedies Note and by sundrie waies inuiteth him to enioye remission of sinne of all whiche remedies God him selfe is the Author and geuer And so haue we not many Sauiours but one Sauiour which geueth many helpes and waies of saluation To suche as doe workes and vse the grace of God increase of grace is promised Matth. 25 Theophilact ibid. Omni habenti dabitur To euery man that hath that is to saie that vseth his giftes there shal be geuen There is no difference noted betwene the good and yll seruaunt but that the good increased in that he had receiued The slouthful and yll had no more at the time of the accompte then he receiued the firste daie By good workes our election and calling is made sure as in this life it may be assured 2. Pet. 1. Satagite vt per bona opera c. Earnestly endeuour by good woorkes to make sure your calling and election By good workes we grow and increase in Christe Ephes 4. veritatem facientes c. By doing truth in charitie let vs growe in all thinges in him who is Christe our heade 1. Pet. 2. Deponentes omnem malitiam c. Laying aside al malice and all guile false semblance enuie and detraction as children newly borne couet after reasonable and spiritual milke that therby ye may grow to saluation S. Paule and S. Peter saie that by true and charitable doing by leauing vice and folowing a new and innocent life we increase in Christe and grow in saluation These be the benefites and commodities that Christian men may take by good woorkes in this life 1. Direction of faith 2. Perfiting of the same 3. Increase of charitie 4. Strength of hope and affiaunce in God. 5 The getting of a good life and increase thereof 6 Strength and defence againste sinne and the Diuell 7 Pardone of penaltie due vnto sinne 8. Turning away of Gods iust and deserued plague 9 Growing in Christ 10 Increase of grace to saluation The promises that good woorkes haue concerning the life to come be no lesse then life it selfe euerlastinge Euerie man faith our Sauiour that shall leaue house Matt. 1â— or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my names sake shall haue againe an hundred times as muche and shall inherite life euerlasting Esai 56. God promiseth by his Prophete that who so euer keepeth his leage he will bring him to his holy hill And in the Euangeliste Christ saith of his commaundementes Hoc fac viues Luc. 10. Doo this and thou shalte liue He biddeth vs geue almose saying make you selues frendes of the mucke of iniquitie Luc. 16. that when you shall faile they may receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles Bid the riche men of this worlde doo wel saith S. Paule to be
fruit of Iustification is to leade a godly and vertuouse life here and the ende to enioye life euerlasting To woorke this effecte Christe gaue him selfe for vs to ransome vs from all iniquitie Tit. 2. and cleanse to him selfe a speciall people that should followe good workes To this ende was his grace shewed vnto al men teaching vs to renounce wickednesse and worldely desyres Ibid. and to liue soberly iustely and godly in this worlde looking for the blessed hope and comming of our Sauiour Math. 4. Math. 19. This effecte was wrought not onely in Christes Apostles who at his calling through grace forsooke all that before they looued in the worlde but also in sundrie others mentioned in the Scripture of whome it maye truely be sayd that being once brought to Christe Gal. 5. and made his they crucified theire fleshe Gal. 2. with the vices and concupiscences liued to Christ and Christ in them Marie Magdalene of an vnchaste wooman was made so vertuouse and constant in God that when Christ his Apostles forsoke him she went not awaye And after his ascension as probable histories testifie as wel she as Lazarus Ioseph of Arimathia and others forsaking Iudea sayled into other countries where they did continually leade a solitary Tit. 2. seuere and strayte life looking as S. Paule saieth for that blessed hope and comming of our Sauiour The multitude of the beleuing which were as we know thousandes agreed all in one harte and one minde Act. 4. Were so full of charitie and true loue that suche as were possessioners solde theire landes and houses to helpe them that had neede The fruit of Iustification was so great and wrought so great a chaunge generally in Christian menne 1. Pet. 4. as S. Peter saith that such as remained stil heathen maruayled at them that they would not do as they did in banketting dronkenes and confusion of ryot Euse li. 3. Eccles histor c. 32. Plinius in epist Plinius secundus being a heathen man and Lieutenant in a prouince where he sawe many Christian men martyred was by the good example of their life moued to write to the Emperour and to signifie that there was none offence founde in them other then that they songe Hymnes early before daye to Christ their God but as for whoredome and other like crimes he said they tooke them for vnlawfull and vtterly eschewed them Tertullian writing in the defence of Christian men in his tyme against the heathen saith in sundry places of that boke that the magistrates being heathen neither did nor could charge the Christians with murder inceste adultery sorcery conspiracie againste Princes or other notoriouse crimes but onely laide to their charge that they were Christians Bonus vir Caius Seius sed malus tantùm Tertulli in Apolog. quia Christianus Such a one is an honeste man but he is nought onely bicause he is a Christian And a litle after Quae mulier quà m lasciua quà m festiua Qui iuuenis Tertul. ibi Qui Lucius quà m amasius facti sunt Christiani ita nomen emendationi imputatus What a woman howe wanton howe pleasante what a yong man What a Lucius howe amorouse are become Christians So the very name is accompted for amendement S. Augustine saith it was seene in his tyme that common harlottes and stage players sodenly conuerted prooued suche Ad Simplician li. 1. Quaest 2. that they passed the colde Christians not onely in patience and temperance but also in faith hope and charitie By al which examples we see that the grace of Iustification where it is truely and vnfaynedly receiued is that Leauen whereof Christe spake Math. 13. which being put into three measures of meale leueneth the whole that is to say geueth it a newe tallage and taste other then it had before Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 4. Qui enim mortuus est iustificatus est à peccato for he that is deade is iustified from sinne and he that is iustified is deade from sinne By these examples we see it true that S. Paule saieth The Gospell is the power and might of God Rom. 1. for that the Gospel wherein Iustification is preached being truely and effectually receyued maketh them that so receyue it strong and so strong that as S. Augustine maketh the comparison August de correp grat c. 11. 12. many Martyrs haue shewed them selues to haue more perfite faith hope charitie better and more stronge freedome of will then Adam had for he had receyued the power not to sinne vnlesse he would neyther to forsake God vnlesse he would but he had not the perseuerance nor will to continewe in any of both and therefore he forsooke the good and became sinnefull These receyued by grace not onely the power to resiste synne but also the perseuerance and will so to continue Aug. ibid. cap. 12. Denique ille Adam terrente nullo c. Finally Adam when no man put him in feare yea and againste the commandemente of God that did put him in feare vsing his free will stoode not faste in so greate felicitie in so greate facilitie and ease of not sinning These Martyres when the worlde did I will not saye put them in feare but cruelly rage that they should not stande stoode faste in faith Whereas Adam sawe present before him the goods that he should leaue these did not see the goods that they were to receyue This is the strength in well doing whiche the grace of Iustification truely receyued and faithfully putte in vre geueth vnto Christian men by the whiche Christe is stronge in vs. Seing therefore that Christe Iesus is all one yesterday Heb. 13. and this daye and for euer howe is it that we finde not in our selues the strengeth in well doing whiche we commende in them Neyther the fruite of Iustification whiche S. Paule commendeth in the Romaines that is holinesse and vertuouse life suche as Plinie being a heathen man and Tertullian euen by the confession of the heathen saieth was commonlye founde in Christian menne What shall we saye but that God offereth it 2. Cor. 6. See the 7. chapt of this .2 Booke Cypria de simplicit Praelator and we will not receyue it We receyue the grace of God in vaine we geue not the credite to Gods woordes that they did we haue not the faithe of Abraham faithfully to beleeue and obediently to doo all that God biddeth vs to doo We beleeue his promises and care not for his commaundementes and therefore be faynte in faith and without hope and charitie To redresse this let vs firste beginne with the foundation and beleeue concerning our Iustification as they did Tertullian saieth that onely Christian menne were the innocente and godly lyuers and sheweth the cause Nos ergo soli innocentes quid mirum si necesse est Tertull. in Apologe Enimuerò necesse est innocentiam à Deo edocti perfectè eam nouimus vt Ã
euil Accursed be he THE EIGHTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that the commaundementes of God are impossible to be kept euen of a man that is iustified and in the state of grace Accursed be he THE NINETENTH CANON IF anie man saie that there is nothing commaunded in the Ghospel besides faith that al other thinges are indifferent neither commaunded nor yet forbidden but free or that the ten commaundementes do nothing apperteine to Christian men Accursed be he THE TWENTETH CANON IF any man saie that a man being iustified and neuer so perfecte is not bound to the keeping of the commaundementes of God and of the Churche but onely to beleeue as though the Gospell were a bare and absolute promise of life euerlasting without anie condicion of keeping the commaundementes Accursed be he THE XXI CANON IF anie man saie that Christe Iesus was geauen by God vnto men onely as a redeemer whome they should trust and not also as a lawe maker whome they should obeie Accursed be he THE XXII CANON IF anie man saie that a man being iustified either maie without the speciall helpe of God perseuere in the Iustice receiued or that with the saied helpe he can not perseuere Accursed be he THE XXIII CANON IF any man saie that a man being once iustified can sinne no more nor leese grace and therfore saie that he which falleth and sinneth was neuer truely iustified or contrariwise that he maie in all this life auoide al sinnes euen venial sinnes vnlesse it be by special priuilege of God as the Churche holdeth of the blessed Virgin Marie Accursed be he THE XXIIII CANON IF any man saie that iustice receiued is not conserued and also that it is not augmented before God by good woorkes but that the Woorkes them selues are the frutes onely and signes of Iustification already gotten and not a cause of the same to be augmented Accursed be he THE XXV CANON IF any man saie that the iust sinneth in euerie good woorke at the least venially or which is more intolerable mortally and therefore deserueth euerlasting damnation and that he is not damned for that onely bicause God doth not impute those woorkes to damnation Accursed be he THE XXVI CANON IF any man saie that the iust ought not for the good woorkes whiche haue ben done in God to looke and hope for the euerlasting reward from God through his mercie and the merite of Iesus Christ if they shal continue euen vntill the ende in well doing and in keeping the commaundementes of God Accursed be he THE XXVII CANON IF any man saie that there is no sinne mortall vnlesse it be the sinne of infidelitie or that grace once receiued is lost for none other sinne be it neuer so grieuous and enormeouse excepte it be by the sinne of infidelitie Accursed be he THE XXVIII CANON IF anie man saie that when grace is lost by sinne faith is alwaies lost withal or that faith which remaineth is not true faith although it be not liuelie faith or els that he which hath faith without charitie is not a Christian Accursed be he THE XXIX CANON IF anie man saie that he whiche hath fallen after Baptisme can not rise againe by the grace of God or that he maie rise againe but so that he recouer the iustice loste by onely faith without the Sacrament of penauncee as the holie Romaine and vniuersall Churche taught by Christ our Lord and his Apostles hath til this daie professed kept and taught Accursed be he THE XXX CANON IF anie man saie that after the grace of Iustification receiued the fault is so forgeauen to euerie penitent sinner and the gilt of the euerlasting paine taken away in such sorte that there remaineth no gilt of temporall paine to be paied either in this worlde or els in the worlde to come in purgatorie before the way may be set open to the kingdome of heauen Accursed be he THE XXXI CANON IF anie man saie that a man being iustified sinneth whiles he woorketh well in respecte of euerlasting rewarde Accursed be he THE XXXII CANON IF anie man saie that the good woorkes of a man instified are so the giftes of God that they are not also the good merites of him that is iustified or that he which is iustified doth not by good woorkes whiche are done by him by the grace of God and by the merite of Iesus Christe of whome he is a liuely member verely deserue increase of grace life euerlasting and the atteining of the same life euerlasting so that he departe out of this life in grace yea and the increase of glorie also Accursed be he THE XXXIII CANON IF anie man saie that this Catholike doctrine touching Iustification expressed by the holy Councel in this present Decree doth in any wise derogate from the glorie of God or from the merites of Iesus Christe our Lord and doth not rather sett foorth the truth of our faith and finally the glorie of God and of Christe Iesus Accursed be he AMEN A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE TREATIE OF IVSTIFICAtion Wherein the Argumentes and the principal matters of the whole Treatie are conteined In the First Booke Chap. 1 VVhat is meant by the worde of Iustification And what degrees perfect Iustification and saluation hath in it Fol. 1. a. Chap. 2 VVhat is meant by the name of Faith and howe many kindes of Faith there be Fol. 3. a. Chap. 3 VVherin the controuersy of Iustification resteth and what is the readiest waie to know how the same is wrought in vs. Fol. 6. a. Chap. 4 VVhat was lost in Adam by sinne and what is restored by Christe in our Iustification And in what thinges our Iustification standeth Fol. 6. b. Chap. 5 Of the Causes of our Iustification Fol. 10. b. Chap. 6 That the Sacramente of Baptisme is the instrumente and meane whereby God iustifieth vs. Fol. 11. b. Chap. 7 Of Iustification of Infantes by the Sacrament of Baptisme Fol. 12. a. Chap. 8 Of the Iustification of suche as were christened being of perfect age and what was required of them Fol. 13. b. Chap. 9 That our Iustification and the vertues wherby we receiue it be the giftes of God and come of Grace Fol. 15. b. Cha. 10 That man hath free will whiche being holpen by grace Chap. 10 worketh in our Iustification and what it worketh Fol. 18. a. Cha. 11 That such as fal into sinne after Baptisme be iustified by penance Chap. 11 againe and what penance is required of them fol. 22. a. Cha. 12 Of the increase and perfiting of our Iustification wherein Chap. 12 it is truely said that we be iustified by good workes and not by faith onely Fol. 26. b. Cha. 13 VVhat good workes be and how they be called ours 29. b Chap. 13 Cha. 14 A brief rehearsal of so muche as hath ben hitherto saied in Chap. 14 the Treatie of Iustification Fol. 31. b. In the Second Booke Chap. 1 How dangerouse it is for a man to presume onely vppon
Gods mercy and to doe no good workes Fol. 33. b. Chap. 2 VVhence the opinion came that onely Faith iustifieth And of diuers kindes of mainteining the same Fol. 34. b. Chap. 3 That Faith excludeth not Charity in our Iustification 36. a Chap. 4 An Aunswere to Obiections that be made to proue that Faith alone iustifieth without Charitie Fol. 40. a. Chap. 5 That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification Fol. 41. b. Chap. 6 That Faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification Fol. 43. b. Chap. 7 VVhat is the true meaning of these woordes in the Scripture VVe are iustified by Faith or saued by Faith. Fol. 47. a. Chap. 8 That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding Charitie And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth Fol. 51. a. Chap. 9 How Abraham was iustified VVhat his Faith was and who be the true children of Abraham Fol. 56. a. Cha. 10 That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paul and S. Iames concerning the Doctrine of Iustification Fol. 60. a. Cha. 11 That Faith alone without good workes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by Grace Fol. 62. b. Cha. 12 VVhat they were who in sundrie ages haue taught that men should be saued without good vvorkes Fol. 65. b. Cha. 13 The cause why good works are don and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and why thei be so rewarded 67. a Cha. 14 An Answere to certaine Obiections made against the reward of good workes Fol. 72. a. Cha. 15 VVhat assurance of his Iustification and saluation a Christian man may haue in this life Fol. 75. b. Cha. 16 Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truely receiued and effectually put in vre and the waie to come to it Fol. 80. a. FINIS CERTAINE TREATIES OF THE AVNCIENT HOLY FATHERS TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF good woorkes Namely A Treatie of S. Augustine whiche he Intituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same matter Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian of Almes dedes Al newly translated into English by Thomas Coppley esquier Tobia 12. Bona est Oratio cum Ieiunio Eleemosyna magis quà m Thesauros auri recondere Quoniam Eleemosyna à morte liberat ipsa est quae purgat peccata facit inuenire vitam aeternam Prayer is good with Fasting and Almes better then to hide vppe treasures of golde For Almes deliuereth from death and shee it is which purgeth sinnes and maketh to finde life euerlasting LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO The Translatour to the Reader THE loue that naturally men beare to peace and quiet is so great that there can fall no controuersie emong such as be of the better sorte but they seeke meanes euer to compounde and pacifie it Either they referre the decision of it to the Iudge ordinarie of the lawe or if they mistruste th' execution thereof either bicause the iudge doth not fullie vnderstande the matter or els for that they thinke him partiall of either side they seeke the arbitrement and sentence of some good man whome they thinke bothe to vnderstande perfitely right and iustice and take him to be affectionate of neither parte In which doing they flee not from the lawe but seeke the true and right vnderstanding thereof without affection at his handes I considering this order Christian Reader and moued with the Charitie that should binde vs all 2. Cor. 5. waying with my selfe the great controuersie that hath benne in this age about sundrie pointes of Religion namely in the article of our Iustification seing also that the matter tendeth not to the losse of patrimonie or landes but to the plaine disherison of life euerlasting and that emong vs who all professe to be the children of peace I haue bene desirouse to propounde some meane of Pacification And bicause I see the trauaile that sundrie men haue taken as it were pleading in this cause hath not ended the controuersie either bicause the doers were thoughte to be parties of the one side and thereby affectionat either bicause being borne in this age and liuing in the time of the controuersie they had not the autoritie and credite of Iudges I haue thought good to moue all such as finde in them selues either controuersie or doubt concerning that matter to putte their owne opinion in arbitrement and compromisse Not calling them hereby from the holy Scriptures which as a Soueraine lawe the diuine wisedome hath lefte vnto vs but leading them to the true vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures vttered by such as God hath placed in his Churche Ephe. 4. Danie 12. to be Pastor us and teachers to instructe manie to rightuousnes I offer for Arbitrators not men of this age such as may be thought any waie partiall or suspected but such as in all mens iudgementes and for all respectes be or should be without exception For the principall pointe of Iustification I offer S. Augustine a reuerend and most lerned Bishop in the Catholike Churche not onely in high estimation in all Christian Regions emong all estates and degrees during his life but also for his excellent vertue worthely after his death taken for a Saincte and for his singuler learning and knowledge in holy Scriptures taken for one of the foure Doctours and that the principallest of the Latin Churche as one meete whome all learned menne should followe as a lanterne and light in decision of matters of greatest weight Who also in expounding of the holy Scriptures may be the more safely trusted for that he had in all his writinges a speciall care not to seeke his priuate and singular opinion in the vnderstanding of them Lib. Confess 12. cap. 25. as appereth by his owne woordes saying that God hath terribly geuen vs warning that wee should not drawe his truthe to our owne priuate construction leste wee were depriued of it Luther in Sermone Germa ad mulieres partus Infelicita afflictas Phi. Melanc in decla de S. Augustino Caluinus Institut cap. 18. And therefore hauing his opinion thou arte sure to haue the opinion of that moste learned age that he liued in Againe bicause that time framed vnto it selfe no newe doctrine thou knowest also by him what was the opinion of the Church before his time euen from the Apostles vnto his age And bicause he hath not ben contraried in that matter of any godly and learned before this oure age yea and in this our age is highly commended of suche as haue bene of greatest credite euen of the contrary side thou knowest by him what hath bene the opinion of the Churche in all times
in heauen and come follow me He saieth also in an other place that he whiche seeketh to purchasse the grace of heauen and to bye euerlasting saluation must with the quantity of his patrimony marchaunt and bie the pretious iewell that is eternall life precious by the bloude of Christ The kingdome of heauen saieth he is like vnto a marchaunt man seeking for good perles and precious stones Matt. 13. but when he had found a preciouse stone he went and solde all that he had and bought it He also calleth them the children of Abraham whome he seeth to be workemen in the helping and nurrishing of the poore For when zachee had said Beholde Luk. 19. the halfe of my substance I geeue vnto the needie and if I haue defrauded any man of ought I render vnto him foure dubble Ihesus aunswered and saied This day is saluation made vnto this house for this man is also a sonne of Abraham For if Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed vnto hym for iustice verely he that according to God his commaundement dooth Almose beleeueth God and he whiche hath the truthe of faith keepeth the feare of God. But he whiche keepeth the feare of God thinketh of God in shewing mercie to the poore What it is to beleeue God and to thinke the scriptures true For therefore dooth he woorke bicause he beleeueth and knoweth those thinges to be true whiche are foreshewed by the woordes of God and that the holy Scripture can not lye whiche teacheth That vnfrutefull trees that is Barren and frutelesse menne shal be cutte away and throwne into the fier but the mercifull shal be called vnto the kingdoome And therefore in an other place also he calleth the woorkers and the frutefull by the name of faithfull personnes But as for the vnfrutefull and barren he saieth they haue no faith by these woordes If in the wicked Mammon Lucae 16. yee haue not been faithfull whoo will putte you in truste with that whiche is true and sound And if in the thing that is not yours yee baue been vnfaithfull whoo will geeue you that which is yours Pouetry is not to be feared for geuing of almes If thow mystruste and feare leaste if thow begynne to woorke bountifully thy patrimonie beeing consumed by liberall woorking thou maist perhaps be driuen to poouertie be in that behalfe without feare stand thou assured and out of care For that can not be wasted out of the which there is disbursed to Christe his vse and by the which a heauenly woorke is donne And thus doo I not warrant thee vppon myne owne credite but vppon the faith and warrant of the holy Scriptures Vppon the authoritie of God his promise do I assure it Proue 28. The holy Ghost speaking by Salomon saith He that geeueth to the poore shal neuer want but he that turneth his eies from them shal be in great penury shewing thereby that the mercifull and such as worke can neuer want but rather that the Niggardes and fruitlesse doo come in the ende to pouertie And the holy Apostle Paule also being full of grace of the heauenly inspiration saieth He that sendeth seede to the sower euen he also shall geeue bread to be eaten 2. Cor. 9. and shall multiplie your sowing and shall increase the yeeld of your fruitfull Iustice that you may be made riche in all thing And againe The administration of this dutie and woorke shall not only supplie in faith the want and neede of the saints but shall also be plentifull in geeuing with much thankefulnes towarde God. For when thankes for our almose and praiers are by the Oraisons of the poore directed vnto God the substance of the woorker is by the rewarde of God heaped and encreased And our Lord in the Ghospell euen then considering the hartes of such menne and by his foretelling worde denouncing this vnto the false harted and vnto suche as would not beleeue dooth protest and say Matt. 6. Doo yee not take thought saying what shall wee eate or what shall wee drinke or wherewith shall wee be appareled For these thinges the Gentiles seeke after but your Father knoweth that you haue neede of all these thinges Seeke yee first the kingdome of heauen Ibidem and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you He saieth all thinges are cast vnto them and geuen vnto them which seeke the kingdome and iustice of God. For our Lorde saieth that those menne shall when the daie of Iudgement commeth be admitted to receiue the kingdome whiche haue ben woorkers in his Churche But thou fearest lest thy patrimonie perhaps will faile thee if thou beginne of the same to yeeld bountifull woorkes And knowest thou not wretched man that while thou fearest the decaie of thy houshold thy life and saluation bothe doo faile And while thou arte carefull that nothing be diminished of thy goods doest thou not see that thy selfe arte diminished being a loouer rather of Mammon then of thyne owne soule Thus while thow fearest lest thy patrimonie should perishe to saue thy selfe thy selfe doest perishe to saue thy patrimonie And therefore dooth the Apostle well crie out and saie Nothing brought wee into this world 1. Tim. 6. neyther truely maye wee carrie ought hence but hauing nourriture and coouering let vs be therewith content For they that will becoome riche falle into temptation into snares and into many and hurtefull desyres which whelme a man into perdition and destruction Couetousnes the roote of al euils For the roote of all euills is couetousnes which some seeking after haue made a wracke of their faith and haue plunged them selues into many sorowes But doest thou feare still least thy patrimonie may happe to faile if thou beginne to bestowe plentifully thereof Proue 10. Why When was it seen that the iust man could wante reliefe sithe it is written Our Lorde will not kill with hunger the iust soule 3. Reg. 17 Helias was fed in the wildernesse by the ministery and seruise of crowes And to Daniell being by the kinges commaundement shutte vp in the denne for a praie to the Lions his dinner was from God prouided Danie 14. And yet fearest thou leste working and deseruing at Gods handes thou shouldest wante nourriture Remembrest thou not that he him selfe in the Ghospell to the reproche of them which be of doubtfull mindes and of litle faith dooth protest saying Beholde the foules of the ayer Matt. 6. for they sowe not they reape not they gather not into the barnes and yet your heauenly father nurrissheth them Are not yee of more value then these God feedeth the foule and euen to the sparrowes dailie foode is geeuen and those thinges which haue no manner sense of thing appertaining to God lacke neither meate nor drincke And doest thou thinke that a Christian man the seruaunt of God geeuen to doo good woorkes and deere vnto his Lord and master shall want any thing