c. 980 10 Arise I also myselfe am a man c. 654. 890 10 That which God hath cleansed call not thou common or vncleane c. 226. 1055 10 Thy prayers and thine almes déedes are hadde in remembraunce c. 924 11 Agabus foretolde Saint Paule the famine which was to come c. 878 12 Herode put Peter in pryson Peter slept betwéene two souldiers c. 735 12 It is the voyce of God and not of man c. 890 13 The Churches by the commandemente of the Apostles ordeyned doctours c. 837 13 Be it knowne vnto you men brethren that through this Lorde c. 45. 408 13 The Iewes being filled with indignation spake against those thinges c. 903 13 The word of God ought first to be preached vnto you but bycause you reiect it and iudge your c. 1107 14 The apostles returned strengthened the disciples soules againe c. 1016 14 God left not him selfe without witnesse in that he shewed his benefites from heauen c. 638 15 Dissention kindled by Paule and Barnabas againste them that taught circumcision c. 1001 15 Paule preaching the worde of God among the Gentiles went into the Synagogues c. 1114 15 We beléeue that through the grace of our Lord Iesus c. 50 15 Fornication forbidden by the Apostles in that Synodal Epistle which they sent froÌ„ Ierusalem c. 234 15 Bloud and strangled forbidden by the apostles in that Synodal Epistle which they sent from Ierusalem c. 421 16 Beléeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy whole c. 903 17 By God we liue and moue and haue our being c. 638. 685 17 God is not farre from euerie one of vs For by him wee liue wee moue and haue our being c. 610 17 God that made the worlde and all that therein is c. 126. 1004 17 Feare not Paule thou must be brought before Caesar and lo God hath giuen thée all them that sayle with thée c. 740 18 The Apostle shooke his raymeÌ„t and sayd your bloud be vppon your c. 903 19 The sonns of Sceâ—a the priest were sayd to be exorcistes c. 884 972 19 The holy ghost came vpon theÌ„ and they spake with tongues and prophecied c. 1032 19 When they heard these things they were baptised in the name of the Lord Iesus c. 1060 19 Iohn baptised with the baptisme of repentance saying vnto the people that they should beléeue c. 1031 20 God hath purchased to him selfe a church with his owne bloud c. 695 20 Take héede vnto your selues to the whole flocke whereof c. 866. 878. 901 20 I knowe this that after my departing shall grieuous wolues enter in c. 829. 887 20 Paule preached brake breade at Troas c. 1069 21 Paule being oppressed of the Iewes in the Temple of Hierusalem is rescued c. 832 22 I receiued authoritie from the high Priestes to binde al those that call c. 812 22 Paule being borne frée in the citie of Tharsus traueled to HierusaleÌ„ vnto Gamaliels féete c. 1115 22 Arise and be baptised washe away thy sinnes by calling on the name c. 989. 1061 23 Atroupe of horsemen and a certein companie of footmen sent with the Apostle Paule c. 832 23 As thou hast borne witnesse of me at Hierusalem so must thou beare record of me at Rome c. 640 23 The Saduceis say that there is no resurrection neyther Angel nor spirite c. 731 24 I beléeue all that is written in the Lawe and the Prophets c. 89 26 Paul wisheth that king Agrippa were suche an one as him selfe except his bandes c. 872 26 I send thée vnto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they may be c. 871 27 Sâ—rs I exhort you to be of good cheare for there shall be no losse of any mans life c. 640 27 There sâ—oode by me this night the Angel of God whose I am c. 743 Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes 1 APpointed to preache the Gospel of God which he promised afore by his Prophetes c. 629 693 838 1 His inuisible thinges being vnderstanded by his workes through the creation c. 620 1 God verily promised the Gospel of God afore by his Prophets c. 429 1 What so euer may be knowne of God is manifest c. 102 1 God gaue them vp vnto a reprobate sense c. 492 1 The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against al vngodlines c. 520 2 There are two sorts of Circumcisions the one of the letter in the flesh c. 361 2 The circumcision of the heart is the circumcision which consisteth in the spirite c. 715 2 What doest thou despise the riches of Gods goodnes c. 125. 522 2 When the Gentiles which haue not the lawe do of nature c. 101 3 Doe we then destroye the lawe through fayth God forbid c. 553 3 The righteousnesse of GOD by fayth in Iesus Christe conuneth vnto all c. 546 3 Is he the God of the Iewes only Is he not also of the Gentiles c. 553 3 Where is the boasting it is excluded By what lawe Of works 552 3 All haue sinned and are destitute or haue néede of the Grace of God c. 501 3 If our vnrighteousnesse setteth foorth the righteousnesse of GOD what c. 482 3 Shall their vnbeliefe make the fayth of God without effect God forbid c. 1027 3 We doe therefore hold that a maÌ„ is iustified withoute the workes of the lawe c. 553 4 To him that worketh not but beléeuâ—th in him that iustifieth the vngodly c. 555 4 To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of duetie c. 554 4 What shal we say theÌ„ that Abraham our father as apperteyning to the flesh c. 51 4 If Abraham were iustified by workes c. Abraham beléeued God and it was counted for righteousnesse c. 51. 457 554 4 Where no lawe is there is no transgression c. 502 4 Therefore by fayth is the inheritaunce giuen that it might be by grace c. 52 5 Euen as by one man sinne entâ—red into the worlde and death by sinne c. 45. 482. 496. 502. 645. 1052. 5 Being iustified by the bloude of Christe we shall be saued c. 45. 54 5 We reioice also in tribulations knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. 294 5 The loue of God is poured oute into our hearts c. 92 5 Therefore being iustified by faith we are at peace with GOD c. 1002 5 Christe when as yet we were sinners dyed for vs muche more therefore nowe being iustified c. 662 5 Knowe ye not that all we which haue bin baptised into Iesus Christ haue bene baptised into his death c. 444. 709. 1025 7 Sinne withoute the lawe was once deade and I once
spéeche the fruites of the spirite and of faith both are notwithstanding and are also sayde to bee ours that is to saye the woorkes of faithfull men partely because God worketh them by vs and vseth our ministerie in the dooing of the same and partely because wee are by faith the sonnes of God and are therefore made the brethren and ioyntheires with Iesus Christ For by this right of inheritaunce all the workes of God which are in vs Gods giftes do beginne to be not anothers but our owne and proper woorkes Yea the verie Scripture doeth attribute them to vs as vnto sonnes and fréeborne children For the Lorde in the Gospell saith The seruaunt abideth not in the house for euer the sonne abideth for euer Therefore as all thinges in the fathers house do by right of inheritance and title of proprietie come to the sonne although the sonne hath not gotten them by his owne industrie nor gathered them by his owne labour but hath receiued them by the liberalitie of his parents euen so the workes of God which he doth woorke in vs and by vs which are Gods gifts bestowed vppon vs both are and are saide to be our owne because we are the sonnes of the houshold as it were by adoption and therefore are the lawful heires Wherefore it were the signe of a verie vnthankfull minde for an adopted sonne beeing forgetfull of his fathers beneficence liberalitie to make his bragges that all those goods which hee enioyeth by right of inheritaunce were gotten come by through his owne labour and trauaile Whereuppon Paule saide verie religiously What hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast then receiued it why doest thou yet boast as though thou receiuedst it not Verie well thought the holy martyre of Christe Sainct Cyprian who was wont to saye We should boast of no thing because wee haue nothinge of our owne And to this place belongeth that saying of the Prophet Esaie Shall the axe boast against him that heweth with it or shal the sawe brag against him that draweth it We verily are the instrumentes or tooles of God by which he woorketh For the Apostle saith We are ioyntworkers with God ye are Gods husbandrie ye are Gods building according to the grace which God hath giuen me Therefore according to the meaning of the Apostles writing Sainct Augustine lib. de Gratia et libero arb in the sixte Chapter doth saye When grace is giuen then doe our merites begin to be good and that through grace For if grace bee taken awaye then man doth fall not being set vp but cast downe headlong by free wil. Wherefore when man beginneth to haue good workes hee must not attribute them to him selfe but vnto God to whome it is saide in the Psalme Be thou my helper oh forsake mee not In saying forsake mee not he sheweth that if he bee forsaken he is able to do no good of him selfe So then in these woordes sainct Augustine doeth plainly enough declare that good workes are oures after that sorte that yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to be the workes of God yea that they ought neuerthelesse to bee ascribed to the grace of God that worketh in vs. Nowe by this which wee haue hitherto alledged out of the scriptures touchinge the true originall cause of good workes wee may easily vnderstande howe and after what manner the Scripture doeth attribute righteousnesse vnto oure merites For I haue in another place sufficiently declared and will againe saye somewhat when I come to the treatise of the Gospel that faith not woorkes doeth iustifie vs in the sight of God which is the especiall point and chiefe foundation of the Euangelical and Apostolicall doctrine All our workes generally are either the works of nature or the fleshe or else the workes of the lawe or else the workes of faith or grace Nowe the workes of nature or the fleshe do not iustifie but cōdemne vs Because that which is borne of fleshe is fleshe But the luste of the fleshe is death and enimitie against God. What the Apostle thought and saide touching the woorkes of the lawe I did declare to you in my former sermon By the woorkes of the lawe saith he shal no fleshe be iustified But if we beat out and examin the workes of grace and of faith wee shal finde that they both are and haue béene done by faithfull and iust men Whereupon it is manifest that iustification did alwayes goe beefore the workes of righteousnesse For the iust man doth worke righteousnesse so the righteousnesse is the fruite that the iust do bring forth Man verily is iustified freely by grace and not by woorkes which followe after iustification What may be saide to that where the Scripture saith that euen Abraham the father of all that beléeue was not iustified by the woorkes of grace and of faith He liued 430 yeres before the lawe he beléeued in God and by true faith did most excellent workes and yet by those his woorkes of faith hee was not iustified For Paule doth plainly argue thus If Abraham were iustified by workes than hath he wherein to boast but not before god For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse To him that worketh is the rewarde not reckoned of grace but of dutie But to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Nowe whereas wee conclude that we also shal bee iustified according to the example of Abraham by faith and not by workes wee ground that conclusion not vppon our owne mindes but vppon the Apostles doctrine who saith Neuerthelesse it was not written for him onely that faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse but it was written for vs also to whome it shal be reckoned if wee beleeue in Christ Touching this matter I haue alreadie disputed in the sixte sermon of the first Decade I verily am persuaded that this doctrine of the Apostles and Euangelistes ought to bee laide vp in the bottome of euery faithfull heart that wee are iustified by the grace of God not by merites through faith not through workes But while wee vrge and repeate this doctrine vnto the people we are saide of many to be the patrones of all naughtinesse and vtter enimies to al good workes and vertues But wee by this our preaching and doctrine of faith which doeth only iustifie do not contemne good woorkes nor thinke them to be superfluous Wee do not saye that they are not good but do cry out vppon the abuse of good woorkes and the corrupt doctrin of good works which is defiled with the leauen of the Phariseis For we teache to do good woorkes but wee will not haue them to be set to sale to be bought I cannot tell in what order of bargaining we wil not haue any man to put confidence in them wee will not haue any man to boast of the giftes of God wee
that this saluation is common both to the Iewes and Gentiles saying Is he the God of the Iewes onely Is hee not also of the Gentiles yes euen also of the Gentiles For it is one God that shal iustifie the circumcision by faith the vncircumcision through faith Hee fetcheth the confirmation of that which he saide from the nature of god There is but one God who is of his owne nature both life righteousenesse And he is the God bothe of the Iewes and the Gentiles therefore he is the life and righteousenesse of both the people which righteousenesse hee bestoweth on them by faith therefore faith doeth iustifie or make them both righteous This is declared by the example of Cornelius the Centurion For he is iustified or as I should rather saye being once iustified hee is declared to be acceptable to God by the sendinge downe of the holie Ghoste in a visible fourme vppon him when as hee neither was circumcised nor yet had kept the lawe but had onely heard y preaching of the Gospell and had beléeued in Iesus Christ Nowe GOD did not iustifie Cornelius so alone but wil also iustifie all other nations by faith euen as hee wil not by anye other meanes than by faith alone iustifie the Iewes It followeth in Paule Doe wee then destroy the lawe through faith God forbidde but we rather mainteine the lawe For the defenders or the disputers in the defence of works or rather of iustification by workes are wont to obiecte if faith alone in Christ doth iustifie then is the lawe or doctrine of the lawe altogether vnprofitable For to what ende are wee commaunded to doe good woorkes if good workes do not iustifie The Apostle aunswereth that the lawe is not abolished by faith but rather mainteined For since faith doeth directly tende to Christe in whome alone it doth séeke and finde all fullnesse and that the lawe it selfe is the scholemystresse vnto Christ and doth shut vpp all vnder sinne so that iustification is by faith giuen to the faithfull it is moste euident that the lawe is not destroyed or darkened but confirmed and made lighte by the doctrine of faith The Apostle goeth on in his confirmation and saith What shal wee saye then that Abraham oure father as pertaining to the fleshe did finde For if Abraham were iustified by woorkes then hath hee wherein to boast but not before god For what saith the Scripture AbrahaÌ„ beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousenesse There are verily many examples of the holy fathers but among all the rest the Apostle chose out this of Abraham to handle it at large For he in the Scriptures is called the father of them that do beléeue Wherevppon it is assuredly certeine that the children shal be iustified after the same sorte that theire father was as the Apostle hath in expresse woordes taught in the latter ende of the fourth Chapter Moreouer Abraham was famous for good workes aboue all the rest of the holie fathers therfore if any other could haue beene iustified by his good woorkes or merites much more might Abraham before all the rest But forbecause he was iustified by faith and not by workes it is manifest therefore that all the Sainctes also both haue béene and are iustified by faith and not by workes Furthermore Abraham liued 430 yeres before the lawe was reuealed by Moses wherevppon it followeth that his woorkes cannot be called the workes of the lawe by them that are the denyers of the iustificatioÌ„ by faith without the lawe Therefore the workes that hee did hee did them of faith and his woorkes were the works of faith and yet was he not iustified by them but by faith Therefore the â—lorie of the iustification of faith remaineth sounde vnspotted and vnmingled with any thing else What saith he shal we saye that oure father Abraham founde concerninge the fleshe to wite so farre forth as he is a man and we also men of him What I saye shal wee saye that hee deserued To this demaunde this answere must be added hee founde nothing and by his woorkes hee deserued nothing For the proofe followeth if by his workes he deserued any thing or was by his merits iustified then hath he wherein to boaste But he hath nothing wherin to boast therfore is he not iustified by his workes For God alone is righteous and kéepeth this his glorie vnto him selfe alone without any partener or ioyntpossessour with him freely iustifying them that are of the faith of Iesus Christe to the end that his grace may be alwayes praised But Paule him selfe by bringing in a place of Scripture doeth shewe that Abraham had nothinge wherein to make his boast For what saith he doth the Scripture say Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vn to him for righteousenesse Lo here the Scripture doth moste plainly say that Abraham was iustified by faith or rather that faith was imputed to him for righteousenesse and therefore that Abraham was for his faith counted righteous before the moste iuste and righteous God. But let vs heare Paule howe he applyeth this place of Scripture vnto his purpose It followeth then To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of duetie But to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousenesse Which woordes verily maye bee briefely reduced into this kinde of argument Who soeuer doeth with his woorkes deserue anye thing to him the rewarde is giuen as a thing of duetie due vnto him and not imputed freely as though it were no debte But faith is imputed to Abraham vnto righteousenesse therefore he receiued righteousenesse not as a rewarde of duetie ought vnto him but as a gifte not due but freely giuen him And againe To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is reckoned for righteousenesse But to Abraham faith was imputed vnto righteousenesse therefore he obteined righteousenesse by faith and not by workes Nowe there is an Emphasis in that he fayth But beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly For therby is signified that he which is to be iustified doth bring nothing with him but the onely acknowledginge of his owne miserie and vngodlynesse to séeke for mercie at the hande of the Lorde For he vnderstandeth that he is destitute of good workes and such as may abide the tryall of Gods iust iudgement He doth therefore flye to the mercie of God presuming for a certeintie that the righteousenesse of faith is the ayde or helpe of the sinner that must be freely saued by the grace of God. Here by the way ye must note that Christians righteousenesse both is is saide to be imputatiue righteousenesse Which thing alone is able to breake the necke of all our boastinge for imputation is the contrarie vnto debte God is not of duetie bound to vs either for our owne sakes or for our woorkes sakes but so farre forth as hee
but through one For he saith not And to the seedes as though he spake of many but as speaking of one he saith And to thy seede that is Christ Therefore it is a detestable thing to augment or diminishe any thing in this testament of God Christ alone is the only sauiour stil men can neither saue them selues nor other Againe in the same Epistle to the Galathians he saith We knowe that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by faith in Iesus Christ in so much as no flesh shal◠be iustified by the workes of the lawe This is nowe the thirde time that Paul saith that men are not iustified by the workes of the lawe In whiche clause he comprehendeth all maner of works of what sorte soeuer So then no kinde of workes do iustifie But what is it then that iustifieth Faith in Christe and that verily alone For what else can these wordes import We knowe that man is not iustified but by fayth in Christe For the force of these two speaches is all one Faith alone dothe iustifie And it is certaine that we are not iustified but by faythe in Iesus Christ He addeth the example of the Apostles And we haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by sayth in Iesus Christe and not by the workes of the law In like maner also Peter argueth by an example in the Acts of the Apostles and saith We beleeue that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe we shall be saued euen as they Acts. 15. Moreouer in the very same chapter to the Gala. he saith I despise not the grace of God for if righteousnesse come of the law then Christ is deade in vaine For if we in our selues had had any thing whereby we might be saued what néeded the sonne of God to take our flesh to suffer and to dy But for bycause the sonne of God being incarnate did suffer and die and died not in vaine therefore in our fleshe there was nothing that could obtaine saluation for mankinde Wherfore the only sonne of God is our Sauiour for euer and by true faith maketh vs partakers of his saluation Paule in the very beginning of his Epistle to the Rom. doth proue that al men are sinners that in men there remaineth no strength for them to be saued by and that the lawe of God it selfe doth dig vp the knowledge of offences that is doth apply them bring them to light and make them manifest but doth not take them away blot them out or vtterly extinguish them and that therefore God for his owne goodnes sake to the end that the work that he hath made shoulde not altogether perishe doth iustifie the faithfull fréely by faith in Iesus Christ I will rehearse a fewe of the Apostles owne wordes The righteousnesse of God saith he is declared without the law being witnessed notwithstanding by the law and the Prophets the righteousnesse of God I say commeth by faith in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpō all them that beleeue For there is no difference For all haue sinned haue neede of the glory of God but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemptiō that is in Christ Iesu whō God hath set forth to be a propitiatiō thrugh faith in his blud These words of the Apostle I suppose are most manifest to them that beleeue He plucketh iustification from our owne merites strength and attributeth it to grace wherby the sonne of God is giuē to the worlde vnto the punishment of the crosse that al they that beleue that they are redéemed by the bloud of the sonne of God may be iustified Againe the Apostle immediatly after addeth Therfore we hold that man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Vpon the necke of this againe he argueth thus Is he the God of the Iewes only Is he not also of the gentils Yes euen of the Gentiles also For it is one God that shall iustifie Circumcision by faith and vncircumcision through faith To be God is nothing else but to be life saluation But God is the God of the Gentiles also not of the Iewes alone therefore God is the life saluation of the Gentiles This life saluation he doth communicate to vs not by the law or through circūcision but by faith in Christ Therfore fayth alone doth iustifie This may be proued by the example of Cornelius the Centurion who as soone as S. Peter had preched vnto him and he once beleued was by and by iustified when as yet he had not receiued circumcisiō or the law when as yet he had not sacrificed nor merited righteousnesse by any work that he did For he was fréely iustified in faith thrugh Iesu Christ For Peter concluded his Sermon to him in these words To this Christ do all the Prophetes giue witnesse that thrugh his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shal receiue remissiō of sinnes After all this the Apostle Paul bringeth in that notable and singular example of our father Abraham teching by what meanes our father Abrahā was iustified For this being once truly declared it can not chose but be plaine manifest to euery one by what means Gods wil is to iustifie al men For the sonnes can not be iustified any other way then the father before them was iustified Abraham therefore was not iustified by circūcision or receiuing of the sacrament For it is saide that he was iustified before he was circumcised Afterward was added the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faithe that is the signe or sealing that al the séede of Abraham is iustified by faith The same our father Abrahā was not iustified by the lawe For the lawe was 430. yeres added to the promise not to take away sinne or to worke iustification but to make sin appeare to make vs altogether emptie when we are once made emptie to send as it were compell vs to flye to Christ Againe Abraham was not iustified by his works And yet in that most excellent Patriarch are found to be good works yea those too good workes of true faith which are both notable and many in number suche and so many as you shall scarcely finde in any other Neuerthelesse yet the Apostle saith What shall we say then that Abrahā our father as pertaining to the flesh who I say is oure father touching the flesh did merit or find for both those significations hath the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if Abraham were iustified by works thē hath he to boste but not before god For God is only iust and he that only iustifieth Al mē are corrupt yea euen Abraham is a sinner and euery man standeth in néed of the glory of god For which cause also the Prophet did plainely forbid to boast in any thing but in the mercy of god Wherefore Abraham boasted not againste God he acknowledged him selfe to be a
sinner and that he was to be iustified fréely and not for his owne merites sake The Apostle goeth foorth and sayth For what sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued in God and it was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse Two thinges are here affirmed Firste that Abraham beléeued in God Secondly that that was imputed to him for righteousnesse By this it followeth that Abraham was iustified by faythe and not by workes And that doth the Apostle proue after this manner To him that by works doth merite righteousnesse righteousnesse is not imputed But to Abraham is righteousnesse imputed therefore he merited not righteousnesse by workes Againe To him verily that woorketh not but beleeueth hys faithe is counted for righteousnesse But Abraham beleeued in God therfore his faith was reckoned for righteousnesse In the same chapter the same Apostle bringeth foorth other arguments altogether as strong as these to proue that faith iustifieth without workes If they saith he which are of the law be heires then is faith but vaine and the promise made of none effect They are of the lawe whiche séeke to be iustified by the workes of the lawe But fayth resteth vpon the mercy of god What place then shall grace and the mercy of god haue left vnto them if we by workes doe merite iustification What shall I néede to beléeue that by the bloude of Christe I shall be iustified if God by my workes be at one with me againe who for my sinnes was angrie with me Finally saluation and righteousnesse are promised of god But then the promise endeth when oure owne merites beginne to come in place For the Apostle to the Galathians saythe If the inheritaunce be of the lawe then is it not nowe of the promise But God gaue the inheritaunce to Abraham by promise therefore that the promise might remaine stable faythe iustifieth and not merites Againe in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes he sayth Therefore by fayth is the inheritaunce giuen that it might be by grace that the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that onely that is of the lawe but to that also that is of the faith of Abraham He rehearseth here two causes for whiche he attributeth iustification to fayth and not to workes The first is that iustification may be of frée gifte and that the grace of God may be praysed The latter is that the promise and saluation maye remain stedfast and that it may come vpon the Gentiles also But it should not be giuen to the Gentiles if it were due onely to the law and CircuÌ„cision bycause the gentiles lacke them both Finally the hope of our saluatioÌ„ ought to be stedfastly established But it should neuer be surely grounded or safely preserued if it were attributed to our owne works or merites For in them is alwayes something wanting But in God and in the merite of the sonne of God can nothing be lacking Therfore our saluation is surely confirmed not to be doubted of and assuredly certaine if that we séeke for it by faith in the sonne of God who is oure righteousnesse and saluation To all these I will yet adde an other testimonie out of Sainte Paule whiche is in déede both moste euident and easie to be perceiued In his Epistle to the Ephestans he sayth By grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes leaste any man shoulde boaste him selfe For we are the workemanship of God created in Christe Iesus into good workes whiche God hath before ordained that we shoulde walke in them More then this I will not say neyther will I at large expounde the wordes of Paule For these testimonies are more cleare then the noone daye and doe most euidently testifie that we are iustified by faythe and not by anye workes But reuerende brethren in the Lorde good workes here come into no ieopardie to be little set by bycause of this doctrine whiche teacheth that fayth alone doth iustifie Thus did the Apostles of Christe teach why then shoulde not we teache so too As for them that thinke this doctrine wherby we do constantly affirme that fayth alone without workes doth iustifie to be contrarie to religion let theÌ„ blame the Apostles of Christ not find fault with vs Moreouer whereas we say that the faithfull are iustified by fayth alone or else by fayth without workes we doe not say as many thinke we doe that fayth is poaste alone or vtterly destitute of good workes For where soeuer faith is there also it sheweth it selfe by good workes Bycause the righteous can not but worke righteousnesse But before he doth worke righteousnesse that is to say good workes he must of necessitie be righteous therefore the righteous doth not attain to righteousnesse that goeth before by workes that followe after Wherefore that righteousnesse is attributed to grace For the faythfull are fréely by grace iustified in fayth according to that saying The iust shall liue by his fayth and after that they are iustified they beginne to bring foorth the workes of righteousnesse Therefore in this discourse I meane not to ouerthrow good works which haue their due place and dignitie in the Church among the faythfull before the face of God but my mynde is by all the meanes I may to proue that the grace of God and increase of the sonne of God is ouerthrowne and trode vnder foote when we ioyne our merites and workes to the merite of Christe and to faith by which we take holde on Christe For what can be more manifest then this saying of the blessed Apostle If we be saued by grace then not now workes For then grace is no more grace But if we be saued by workes then is it nowe no grace for the work is no more work Româ—n Wherfore these two grace and merite or worke can not stand together Therefore least we should ouerthrowe the grace of God and wickedly denie the fruite of Christe his passion we doe attribute iustification vnto fayth onely bycause that fay the attributeth it to the méere grace of God in the deathe of the Sonne of God. And yet for all this we acknowledge that we are created accordinge to the doctrine of Paule vnto good workes to those good workes I say whiche God hath before ordained whiche he in his worde hath appointed and dothe require vs to walke in the same In which although we walke and are become riche in good works yet notwithstanding we do not attribute to them our iustification but according to the doctrine of the Gospel we humble our selues vnder the hande of him that sayth So ye also when ye haue done all things that are commaunded you yet say we are vnprofitable seruants We haue done no more then we ought to doe So then as often as the godly doth reade that our owne workes doe iustifie vs that our owne workes are called righteousnesse that vnto oure owne workes is giuen a rewarde and life
firste begotten or auncient of euery housholde did circumcise before the lawe which office was turned to the priestes when once the lawe was giuen It is a singular example and no more to be found like vnto it that Zippora the wife of Moses did circumcise her sonne Exod. 4. Chap. Nowe also the time of circumcision is set downe to wite the eighth day when the newe borne childe beganne to be of a little more strength And we gather out of the fifte Chapter of the booke of Iosue that they did circumcise them not with kniues of yron but of stone for in that Chapter the Lorde doth in expresse wordes commaund to circumcise the sonnes of Israel with kniues of stone But it is manifest by the rites of the sacraments that God doth alter nothinge in the ceremonies of the sacraments and therefore we coniecture and gather that Abraham vsed none other but kniues of stone especially since we read that Zippora Moses his wife did circumcise her sonne with a stone The rest of the Iewishe trifles which they sowe abrode touching the ceremonies of cicumcision I do of purpose here let passe For they are vtterly vnworthie to be heard and haue no mysteries conteined in them But the knife of stone is of force in the exposition of the mysterie of circūcision For circumcision had a mysterie and a moste certeine meaning hidden within it For firste circumcision did signifie that the whole nature of man is vncleane and corrupt and therfore that all men haue neede of cutting and regeneration And for that cause that cuttinge was made in the member wherewith man is begotten For we are all begotten and borne the sonnes of wrath in originall sinne Neither doth any man deliuer vs from that damnation but he alone that is without sinne to wite the blessed séede Iesus Christ our Lord who was conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne of the virgin Marie who with the shedding of his bloud which was prefigured in the bloud shed in circumcision doth cleanse vs from sinne and make vs heires of life euerlasting And now this circumcision maketh sorely against them that denye original sinne and putteth them to their shiftes that attribute iustification and saluation to our owne strength and vertue For if we were cleane if we by our owne power could get saluation what néeded our fathers to bee cutt in that sorte The things that are cutt off are either vnpure or else superfluous But God made nothing vnpure or superfluous Nowe hee made the flesh of the foreskinne If the fleshe of the foreskinne had béene euill God had not made man with the fleshe of the foreskinne The skinne therefore is not euill of it selfe nor yet superfluous but the cuttinge of the foreskinne doth rather serue to teache vs to vnderstande that by our birth and nature wée are corrupt and that wée cannot be cleansed of that corruption but by the knife of stone And for that cause verily was circumcision giuen in that member and in none other I will anon adde another cause out of Lactantius why it was giuen in the priuities and in none other parte of all the bodye Moreouer circumcision did signifie testifie that God almightie of his méere grace and goodnesse is ioyned with an indissoluble bond of couenant vnto vs men whome his will is first to sanctifie then to iustifie and lastly to inriche with all heauenly treasures through Christe our Lorde and reconciler For that was the meaninge of the stoanie knife Because Christ the blessed séede is the rocke of stone out of which doe flowe moste pure and cleansing waters and he by his spirite doth cutt from vs whatsoeuer thinges doe hinder the mutuall league and amitie betwixt God and vs he also doth giue and increase in vs both hope and charitie in faith so that wee may be knitt and ioyned to God in life euerlasting which is the blessed and happie life in déede Nowe here it is expedient to heare the testimonies of the lawe and the Apostles In the 30. of Deuteron Moses saith The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy harte and the harte of thy seede that thou maist loue the Lorde thy God. Now the outward visible cutting was a signe of this inwarde circumcision And Paule also speakinge of Abraham saith And he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he had being yet vncircūcised that he should be the father of all them that beleeue though they were not circūcised that righteousnesse might bee imputed to them also c. Lo here Abrahams circumcision was a signe y God by his grace had iustified Abraham which iustificatiō he receiued by faith before his circumcision which is an argument that they which beléeue though they be not circumcised are neuerthelesse iustified with faithfull Abraham and againe that the Iewes which are circumcised are iustified of God by faith And for that cause was circumcision giuen in the verie bodie of man that he might beare in his bodie the league of God and be thereby admonished that hee is iustified by grace through faith Whereby wee gather also that the grace of God and the iustification of the godly is not tyed to the signe For if it had then had not Abraham béene iustified before his circumcision but euen in his circumcision Furthermore if it had béene so then the Lord whose wil is to haue mankind saued would not haue giuen commaundement to haue them circumcised vpon the eighth day For many children died before the eighth daye and neuer came to circumcision and yet they were not damned To which wee may adde that Sara Rebecca Rahel Iochabeth and Marie Moses sister with innumerable mo matrones and holie virgines could not be circumcised and yet they were saued by the grace of God through faith in the Messiah that was to come The grace of God therefore was not tyed to the sacrament of circumcision but yet it was not despised and neglected of the holy sainctes of the olde church but vsed to the end for which it was ordeined that is to be a testimonie and a seale of frée iustification in Christ who circumciseth vs spiritually without handes by the working of the holie Ghoste Furthermore God by the outwarde and visible signe did gather into one church them which were circumcised in which number those which he had chosen before hee did ioyne to him selfe with the bonde of his spirite For sainct Paule for the verie same cause did call the people of one religiō the circumcision as is euident by the 15. Chapter to the Romanes and the third to the Philippians Therefore by circumcision God did separate his people from the vnbeléeuing nations Whereupon it came that to be called vncircumcised was as great reproache among them as to be called dogge is nowe adayes among vs For an vncircumcised person was reputed for an vncleane prophane man and for such an one as had no parte
Wherevppon wée doe fréely confesse that the lawe doeth properly make manifeste our infirmitie but that the Gospel giueth a medicine a remedie to that which was almost past hope And now here we must thinke that our holy ancestors had not the lawe alone to conuince them of sinne nor Moses to doe nothing else but kill and slay nor that Moses was giuen to wound them but to heale them that not by his owne power or vertue but by the guiding of them to him that chéerisheth the contrite in heart and healeth all their sorrowes that is Christ Iesus who also wrought by the ministerie of Moses For we must not thincke from the beginning of the world nor from Moses his time till the comming of Christe that the bare letter was preached onely and that the grace and spirite of God was idle wrought not in the mindes of the faithfull For in that the law doth shewe vs and inuincibly proue to vs that in vs I meane in our flesh y perfection is not which the most holy and perfecte God doth in his lawe require of vs it doeth therein reuoke and pull backe mankinde not by the vertue of it selfe but by the power of the quickening spirite of Christ from confidence of the fleshe as that wherin there is no health nor iote of perfection and so coÌ„sequently doeth giue vs occasion to turne our selues to Christ our mediatour who is alone our sanctification perfection And so for this occasion the law is a path and readie way and as it were a scholemaster giuen by God to vs men to drawe vs from all confidence in our owne strengths from all hope of our owne merites and from y trust in any kinde of creatures and to lead vs directly by faith to Christ who was made by God as I said eueÌ„ now our righteousnesse sanctification and redemptioÌ„ without whom there is no saluation vnder the sunne Therefore Moses did not onely vrge the lawe but did also preach Christ life in Christ For the Lord in the Gospel saith to the Iewes Thinke not that I will accuse you to my father There is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye trust For if ye had beleued Moses ye would vndoubtedly haue beleued mee For he wrote of mee And Paule to the Galathians saith If there had beene a law giuen which could haue giuen life then no doubt righteousnesse should haue beene by the lawe but the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should bee giuen vnto them that beleeue But before faith came wee were kept vnder the lawe and were shut vp into the faith which should afterward be reuealed Wherefore the lawe was our scholemaster vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith Loe what could bée said more plainly then that the lawe hath concluded all vnder sinne But to what end That the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should bée giuen vnto them that do beléeue And againe Before faith came that is before he came to whom our faith is directed and vppon whoÌ„ it is grounded we were kept vnder the lawe How forsooth being shut vp vnto the faith that was to bee reuealed Therefore our fathers were shut vpin the law that they should not breake out at any time séeke for life and saluation any where else but in Christ alone Wherefore the lawe did lead vs by faith directly vnto Christe And yet more plainly hée saith The lawe was oure scholemaister vnto Christ Loe here againe the law doth bring vs to Christ And againe he addeth That we should bee iustified by faith Therefore the lawe setteth forward the true doctrine of iustification teaching plainly that we are iustified by faith in Christ and not by the merits of our owne workes In whiche point it is opeÌ„ly like vnto the Gospel and taketh to it selfe the office of the Gospell and no meruaile since to many men through their owne fault the Gospell doth become and is made the letter Furthermore the same Apostle doth in an other place say that in sacrifices they called their sinnes to remeÌ„brance we knowe that in them was prefigured the purging of sinns Therfore eueÌ„ the ceremonial lawes also led them to Christ testifying teaching them that he alone doth clense vs from all our sinnes Whervpon I conclude that the office of Moses and of the lawe both was is to opeÌ„ to vs our sinne iudgment yet not to condemne vs only but also by occasion to lead vs to Christ By which we learne also that the law doth not only teach vs the first principles and rudimentes of righteousnesse but the very true absolute righteousnesse For Moses doth expresly say that he taught a most perfecte absolute kind of doctrine as that wher in both life and death doth wholie consist And the Apostle saith that the law leadeth vs by the hand to Christ that we should be iustified by faith Now the righteousnesse of faith is the most perfect righteousnesse Therfore wher as the precepts of the law are in some places called the rudimeÌ„ts of the world that is for two especiall causes The first wherof is because the lawe is as it were the first instructioÌ„s or elemeÌ„ts which when the doctrine of the Gospel commeth is finished and giueth place to it as to more absolute principles The latter cause is because ceremonies are taught vnder outward thinges or signes when as in those outward things they do prefigure and set forth to be séen y inward things euen Christ himselfe his holy mysteries And out of that which I haue hetherto said we may also learne that the ancient saints which liued vnder the old testament did not séeke for righteousnesse saluation in the workes of the lawe but in him which is the perfectnesse end of the law euen Christ Iesus therfore that they vsed the law the ceremonies as a guide and scholemistresse to lead them by the hande to Christe their sauiour For so often as they heard that the lawe required perfect righteousnesse at their hands they did by faith through grace vnderstand y in the lawe Christ was set forth to be the most absolute righteousnesse to whom all men ought to flie for â—he obtâ—ining of righteousnesse So often as they mette together in the holy congregation to behold the holy Ceremonies which God had ordeined they did not looke vppon the bare figures only nor thincke that they did please God and were purged from their sinnes by that externall kinde of worshipp but they did cast the eyes of their minds of faith vppon the Messiah to come who was prefigured in al the Ceremonies and ordinaunces of the lawe They therefore did abuse the lawe who thoughte that they were acceptable to God and that they serued him as they should because they were busie in those Ceremoniall workes For those thoughtes and persuasions the Prophets
the strict kéeping of Moses lawe This rule must alwayes be kept obserued Sainct Peter doth simply commaunde and saye Submitt your selues to all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishement of euil doers but for the laude of them do well And yet the same Apostle affirmeth that we ought rather to obey God than men so often as men do publish lawes against true religion iustice and equitie concerning which I spake in the exposition of the commoÌ„ place of the magistrate And so thus much I thought good to saye touching the abrogatioÌ„ of the Iudiciall lawes Now if euery one of you do throughly ponder with him selfe the things y I haue hithereto saide touching the lawe of God the partes of the lawe the vse or effect the fulfilling and abrogating of the same it will be a thing of no difficultie to determin what euery one ought to think concerning that point or title of this treatise wherof I promised in the beginning of this sermon that I woulde speake somewhat towarde the ende to witte that the testament of the olde and new church is all one and that there is but one way of true saluation to all that eyther are or haue bene saued in this worlde and also wherein the newe testament dothe differ from the olde For since I haue alredie shewed that all the pointes of the lawe haue a respect and a kinde of Relation vnto Christ and that hee was in the lawe preached to the fathers to be the onely Sauiour in whome alone they were to be saued who is it which cannot perceiue that they had none other but the verie same manner and way to be saued which we at this day doe enioy by Christ Iesus And yet that this may appeare more euident I wil not stick to bestowe some paines to make this matter more manifest vnto you with as plaine a demonstration as possible may be although a playner cannot likely be than that which I haue alredie shewed you Verily there is no difference of the people of the testament of the church or of the manner of saluation betwixt them among whom there is found to be one and the same doctrin the same faith the same spirite the same hope the same inheritance the same expectation the same inuocation and the same sacraments If therefore I shal be able to proue that all these thinges were indifferently common to them of the olde church as wel vnto vs then haue I obteined that which I shott at to wite that in respect of the substance there neither was nor is any more than one testament that the olde fathers are one and the same people that we are liuing in the same church and communion and saued not in any other but in Christe alone the sonne of God in whome also wee looke for saluation That they and wee haue all one and the same doctrine I proue thus Our doctrine is the doctrine of the gospel But that the fathers were not without the sanâ—e doctrine it is euident by Sainct Paule who testifieth saying God verily promised the Gospel of God afore by his prophets in the holie Scriptures of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleash and hath been declared to bee the sonne of God with power by the spirite c. What could be saide more plainly The Gospell which is at this day preathed was of olde promised by the prophets in the holie scriptures to wite that the sonne of God should come into the worlde to saue all faithfull beleuers This Gospell also teacheth that the faithful are not iustified by the works of the lawe but freely by grace through faith in Christe Sainct Paule saith By the deedes of the law there shal no fleash be iustified in his sight For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of god declared without the law being witnessed by the testimonie of the lawe and the prophets the righteousnesse of God coÌ„meth by the faith of Christ Iesus vnto all and vpoÌ„ all them that beleeue With Paule S. Peter also doth fully agrée where in the Synod helde at Hierusalem he saith Neither we nor our fathers were able to beare the yoke of the lawe but do beleeue euen as they to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Christ Iesus And so consequently in all other substanciall and material poynctes there is no difference in doctrine betwixt vs and them To procéede nowe they whose doctrine is al one must of necessitie haue all one faith For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of god What doeth that argue that Abraham the rest of the holie fathers are set before our eyes as examples of faith for vs to followe wee sée that it is so in the holie Gospel of the Lord the sacred writings of the Apostles But who would giue vs such forreine examples to imitate as doe not concerne the thing for which they are giuen Paule in many places but especially in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes sheweth that faith must bée imputed to vs for righteousnesse as we reade that it was imputed vnto Abraham nowe that faith of his was not another but the vâ—rie same faith with ours which restâ—th vppon the promise of God and the blessed séede For he calleth Abraham the father not of these onely which are borne of the circumcision but of those also which walke in the stâ—ppes of the faith which was in Abraham before hee was circumcised Besides that also the confirmation of the Christian rule I meane the Apostles Creede or articles of our beleefe is fetched out of the Scriptures of the fathers of the olde testament which is vndoubtedly a moste manifeste argument that their faith and ours is the verie same faith They did beléeue in the Messiah that was then to come and wee beléeue y he is alreadie come and do more fully perceiue neerely see all that which was spoken of before in the prophets as I will anon declare when I come to shewe the difference betwixte the two testaments That all one and the same spirite did gouerne our forefathers and the people of the newe couenaunt who can doubt considering that the spirit of God is one alone and that Sainct Peter doth in expresse wordes testifie that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophets And Sainct Paule also saith Since we haue the same spirite of faith according to that which is written I beleeued and therefore I spake and we beleeue and therefore do we speake Therefore although the same apostle doth in another place saye that the faithfull haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but the spirite of adoptioÌ„ whereby they crie Abba father Yet doth he not denie but that the faithful fathers had the same spirite that wée
will not haue the power to iustifie or to merite life euerlasting to bee simply attributed vnto them For by that meanes Christe shoulde waxe vile and contemptible whoe hath with his death alone merited for vs the heauenly kingdome of God Almightie Neither do we by this as manye thinke we do separate good woorkes from faith Our doctrine is that workes and faith are not seuered but cleaue together as closely as may bee so yet notwithstanding that iustification is properly ascribed to faith and not to workes For workes do consist in our worthinesse but faith doth leane to the promise of God which setteth before vs both righteousuesse and life in the onely begotten sonne of God Christ Iesus our Sauiour And Christe is sufficiently able of him self and by his owne power and vertue to iustifie them that beléeue in his name without any ayde or helpe of ours at all I will not winke at some mennes obiection but fréely confesse that the Scriptures here and there do after a sorte attribute both life and iustification vnto good works But the scripture is not contrary to it selfe therefore we must searche and examine in what sense and howe life and iustification are ascribed to our woorkes Sainct Augustine dooth so aunswere this obiection that hee referreth our workes vnto the Grace of God. For in his booke De gratia et libero arbitrio the eighth Chapter hee writeth If eternall life be of duetie giuen to good works as the scripture doth moste plainly testifie saying Beecause God will rewarde euery man according to his workes then howe is eternall life of Grace consideringe that grace is not giuen as due to workes but freely and without desertes as the apostle Paule doth say to him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of duetie And againe The remnant saith hee are saued by the election of grace And immediately after be addeth If it be of grace then is it not nowe of workes for then grace is no more grace Howe then is eternal life which is gotten by workes a gift Or else did not the Apostle say that euerlastinge life is a gifte Yes verily he saide it so plainly that we cannot denye it Neither are his words so obscure that they require a sharpe vnderstander but an attentiue hearer For when he had saide the rewarde of sinne is death he addeth streightwayes but the gift of God is life euerlasting in Iesu Christ our Lorde Mee thinketh therefore that this question can bee none otherwise resolued vnlesse wee vnderstand that euen our good workes to which eternall life is giuen must be referred to the grace and gift of God because the Lord Iesus saith without mee ye can do nothing And the Apostle when he had saide ye are saued by grace through faith doeth presently adde and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of workes lest any man shoulde boast Thus much hitherto out of Saincte Augustine Nowe although this aunswere of Sainct Augustine be godly and plain enough to him that simply searcheth for the trueth yet I am sure that some there are which neuer will bée aunswered with it They wil I knowe go about vppon Sainct Augustines wordes to inferre y works and not faith alone do iustifie vs men For thus they argue wee are iustified and doe obteine eternall life by grace good workes doe belong to the grace of God therefore good workes do iustifie vs. Nowe it is not amisse to cloase buckle hande to hande with these disputers that in this little ye may perceiue that they bée méere shiftes of sophistrie which they set to sale vnder the name and colour of verie sounde arguments And firste of all there is no man so foolishe if hee hath read the doctrine of Sainct Paule but knoweth verie well that those two propositions cannot hang together wee are iustified by grace and we are iustified by workes For that sentence of Saincte Paule is as cleare as the Sunne where he saith If of grace then nowe not of workes for then grace were no grace Wee do freely graunt both their propositions to wite that we are iustified by grace and that woorkes belong to the grace of God or be the gifte of god But wee denye their consequence and say that it is false to wite that workes do iustifie For if that be true then may we in like manner truely saye a man doth see an hande doeth belong vnto a man and therevppon inferre therefore a hande doth see But who would gather so vaine a consequent For all doe vnderstande that a man doeth consist of sundrie members and that euery member hath his effectes and offices Againe what is he which knoweth not that the grace of God whiche is otherwise vndiuided is diuided and distinguished according to the diuerse operations which it worketh For there is in God a certeine as it were generall Grace whereby he created all mortall menne and by which hee sendeth raine vppon the iust and vniust But this grace doth not iustifie For if it did then should the wicked and vniust be iustified Againe there is that singular grace whereby he doeth for his onely begotten Christe his sake adopt vs to bee his sonnes he doth not I meane adopt all but the beléeuers onely whose sinnes hee reckoneth not but doeth impute to them the righteousenesse of his onely begotten sonne our Sauiour This is that grace which doeth alone iustifie vs in verie déede Moreouer there is a grace which beeing powred into our mindes doth bringe foorth good woorkes in them that are iustified This grace doeth not iustifie but doeth ingender the fruites of righteousenesse in them that are iustified Therefore we confesse and graunt that good woorkes belong to grace but after a certeine manner order and facion Againe they obiect and saye but Grace or faith and woorkes iustification also and sanctification are so ioyned together that they cannot be seauered one from another therefore the thinge that agréeth to one is also applyable vnto the other I verilye neither dare nor doe in any case gainesaye that faith and woorkes do cleaue together but I do vtterly denye that they twaine are all one so that the thing which is attributed to the one may also bee applyed vnto the other For faith although it bée weake and vnperfect in vs doeth notwithstandinge leane and staye vppon Christe his perfection alone and so farre foorth it doth iustifie vs But our workes haue in them for I vse the myledest phrase of speache some sprinkling of vice and sparckle of errour beecause of the originall disease that is naturall in vs all but it followeth not therefore that the grace of God is polluted by any vice or fault of ours which should of necessitie followe consequently if by reason of the streight knott betwixte them the properties of the one were common to the other Although the light of the Sunne bée not separated from the heate therof yet is not the light
the remnant and those thinges that are remaining behinde And Sainct Peter saith that Christ suffered for vs leauing behinde him an example for vs that wee might followe his trace and footesteppes Therefore the Apostle affirmeth that he by suffering fulfilled the remnaunt which was behinde After this againe they alledge the wordes of the Apostle Paul where he saith If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines out of their place and yet haue not charitie I am nothing For vpon this they inferre Therefore not faith onely but also charitie yea rather charitie than faith doth iustifie But we say that Paul in this sentence doth neither denye that faith alone doth iustifie nor yet doeth attribute the iustification of the Sainctes to charitie For when we affirm that we are iustified by faith or when wée make faith the cause of iustification which thing must be by often repetition beaten into our memories wee do not vnderstand that faith as it is a vertue in vs doth worke and by the qualitie that sticketh to vs doeth merite righteousnesse in the sight of God but so often as wee make mention of faith wee vnderstande the grace of God exhibited in Christe whiche is through faith freely applyed to vs and receiued as the free gifte of God bestowed vppon vs And in that sense doeth Paule vse the name of faith when he affirmeth that faith doth iustifie But in this place of the thirteenth Chapter to the Corinthians hee doth not so take the name of faith but putteth it for the power of workinge miracles as is manifest by that which followeth where he saith So that I can remoue mountaines That faith doeth not comprehende Christe wholie but onely the power in shewing of miracles And therefore it may be sometime in an vniust man and an hypocrite as it was in Iudas Iscariot to whom the faithe of miracles profited nothing because hee was without the iustifying faith which faith is neuer without but of it selfe ingendreth charitie Againe whereas they obiect that saying out of the Gospell of Saincte Iohn Whosoeuer knoweth my commaundementes and keepeth them he it is that loueth mee and my father will loue him and we wil come to him and make our abidinge in him Therefore for the obseruation of the commaundements that is for our woorkes sake Gâ—d is ioyned to vs we againe alledge this saying of the same Euangeliste and Apostle Iohn By this wee knowe that weabide in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirite But that spirit of God is a free gifte Therfore wee are ioyned to God by meere and frée grace It followeth in Iohn And wee haue seene and do testifie that the father hath sent the sonne to bee the Sauiour of the worlde Thou hearest I hope by what it is that the worlde is saued and what Christ the Sauiour of the worlde is Nowe who knoweth not that hee was sent vnto vs of the father by the méere and onely grace of God It followeth nowe howe that Grace is receiued Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God God abideth in him and he in God. But in the sixte of Iohn in steede of confesseth is put beléeueth And no merueile since out of a true faith a true confession doth arise By faith therefore are we saued and by faith are wee ioyned vnto god But letting passe these wranglers who will neuer bee without store of such sophistical shifts we do againe returne to our purposed argument to shewe you howe and in what sense life and iustification are attributed to workes They that are well exercised in the reading of the holie Scriptures that they may reconcile the places of scripture that seeme at a blushe to bee at discorde do teache that faith works in verie déede are not separated one from another For the same holie spirite which giueth faith doth therwithall also regenerate the vnderstanding and will so that the faithfull doeth ardently desire and do his indeuour in all things to doe seruice to GOD his maker Therefore for the vnseparable knott betwixt faith and good workes which alwayes kéepe company and attende vpon faith we saye that iustification is somtimes somewhat vnproperly attributed to workes which is somewhat more properly to bee attributed to faith but moste properly of all to be ascribed to Christe apprehended by faith who is in verie deede the foundation subiect of our faith I will yet assaye to make this more manifest In true faith there are two thinges to be considered Reconciliation and Obedience Reconciliation because by faith wee vnderstande and verily beléeue that God is reconciled to vs for Christe his sake by whome wee are adopted into the number of the sonnes of god And Obedience because they that are reconciled doe wholie yelde them selues to him to whome they bee reconciled with carnest desire and zeale to doe his will and pleasure So then wee saye that faith is of two sortes the iustifying and the obeying faith Of the iustifying faith Sainct Paul maketh mention where he saith Beeing iustified by saith we haue peace toward God through the Lorde Iesus Christe by whome wee are reconciled Againe hee maketh mention of the obeying faith where hee saith Knowe yee not that to whome yee giue your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye are to whome ye do obey whether it bee of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousenesse that is to saye which obedience maketh you to doe the thinges that are righteous and to bee the seruauntes of righteousenesse which shall turne to you to eternall life and not the seruauntes of sinne which turneth vnto death Nowe therefore iustification is properly attributed to the reconciling righteousenesse through Christe Iesus and is improperly ascribed to the obeying righteousenesse or righteousenesse of obedience For the obeying righteousenesse is of the reconciling and without the reconciling righteousnesse obedience shoulde not bee called righteousenesse To which this also is to bee added that they which are iustified doe not put any confidence in this obedience as that which is alwayes spotted in this worlde by reason of our fleash To this also agreeth this other explication which I will here annexe The moste proper woorke of faith is purification and sanctification For Sainct Peter doeth expressely saye that by faith our heartes are purified But in sanctification the holie scriptures doe shewe to be two especiall thinges Firste that all the faithfull are fréely purified by the bloud of Christe Iesus For againe the same S. Peter saith Ye knowe that you are redeemed not with transitorie thinges as golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of Christe as of an vnspotted Lambe Sainct Paule saith Ye are sanctified by the will of God through the oblation of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made For with that one oblation he made them perfecte for euer whiche are sanctified Sainct Iohn also saith The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God doth cleanse vs
from al sinne Therefore the moste proper phrase of speech is to saye that we are sanctified through faith by the bloud of Christe who saide I sanctifie my selfe from them that they also may bee sanctified through the trueth The latter is that they which are sanctified by the bloud of Christe through faith doe day by day sanctifie them selues and giue their mindes to holynesse To y doing and studie whereof the Apostles doe moste earnestly exhorte the Sainctes For Peter saith As hee which called you is holie so be ye also holie in your conuersation because it is written Bee ye holie for I am holie Sainct Paule saith This is the will of God euen your holinesse c. 1. Thessal 4. Sainct Iohn saith Nowe are wee the sonnes of God yet it doth not appeare what we shal be but wee knowe that when he shal appeare we shal be like him for wee shal see him as he is And euery one that hath this hope in him purifieth him selfe euen as he also is pure Nowe this purging or purification which is made by our care and industrie is called by the name of sanctification not because it is made by vs as of our selues but because it is made of them that are sanctified by the bloud of Christe in respecte of Christe his bloud For vnlesse that sanctification which is the verie true and onely sanctification in déede do goe before our sanctification I meane that whiche we worke is none at all But if that go before then is this of oures imputed for sanctification although in the meane while the spottes of sinne remaining in vs doe defile it and that we do put no confidence in it Therefore so often as thou shalt reade in the holy scriptures that righteousnesse is attributed to our good woorkes thou shalt thinke streightwayes that it is done for none other causes than those which I haue hitherto alreadie declared vnto thee For the Apostolical spirite cannot be repugnant or contrarie to it selfe This wil yet be made a great deale more manifest if we call to remembraunce and doe consider that the Apostles had to deale with two kindes of men the one sorte whereof did affirme that they were sufficiently able of their owne strength to satisfie or fulfill the lawe and that they coulde by their desertes and good woorkes merite eternall life yea they affirmed that the merite of Christe was not sufficient enoughe to the gettting of saluation vnlesse the righteousnesse of men were added therevnto Against these Paule disputed verie constantly and pithiely in all his Epistles For they made Christe and the grace of God of none effect The other sorte of men were such as abusing the doctrine of grace and faith did wallowe like swine in all filthie sinnes beecause they thought that it was sufficient vnto saluation if they did saye that they beléeued But they neuer declared their faith or beléefe by any good woorkes although occasion therevnto were giuen them Against these did S. Peter very well and wisely dispute in the 1. Chap. of his 2. Epistle and S. Iames in the 2. Chap. of his Epistle For hée affirmeth that Abraham was not iustified by faith onely but by workes that is to say that he was not iustified by a vaine opinion but by faith which bare and was full of good woorks For Iames doeth vse the names of Faith and iustification in one sense Paule in another Paul putteth faith for an assured confidence in the merite of Christ and hée vseth Iustification for absolution and remission of sinnes for adoptioÌ„ into the number of the sonnes of God and lastly for the imputing of Christ his righteousnes vnto vs But in Iames faith doth signifie a vaine opinion and iustification doth import not the imputing of righteousnesse but the declaring of righteousnesse adoption For it is vndoubtedly true that the holy Apostles of Christ S. Peter and S. Iames would not by their writinges make voyde the grace and merite of Christ to aduaunce the merites of mortall men but rather to withstand the vnpurenesse of them which put the faith of Christ in perill of disgracing to the offence of all good men liuing in the meane while most wickedly in detestable sinnes without repentaunce Therefore the Apostles of Christ requiring good workes at the handes of the faithfull doe first of all require a true and liuelie faith and doe referre them both vnto the grace of God. Let vs therefore most firmely hold that the Apostles doe attribute iustification life and saluation to good workes improperly to true faith properly but most properly to Christ who is the subiecte foundation of true faith For although true faith is not without good woorkes yet doeth it iustifie without good works by it selfe alone For it is most certaine that life and saluatioÌ„ are bestowed on vs after the same maner that health and life was giuen to the children of Israel whiche in the wildernesse were poysoned of the Serpents They had their health restored them not by any workes but by the onely beholding and loking vppon the brasen Serpent therfore we also are made partakers of eternall life by faith alone which is the true be holding and looking vp to Christ As Moses saith our Sauiour did lift vpp the SerpeÌ„t in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that euerie one whiche beleeueth in him should not perishe but haue eternall life And the Apostle Paule saith Yee are saued by grace through faith not of yourselues it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast c. With this doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles doe the testimonies of certaine doctors of the Church agrée Some of whiche I will recite vnto you déerely beloued not because these testimonies of the Scripture are not sufficient but because we wil not séeme to be the beginners bringers in of newe doctrines although in very déed that cannot be newe which is deriued out of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall doctrine albeit that all the doctors of the Church should gainesay or denie it Now therefore giue eare how some euen of the best of them do not in words onely say and write but also by proofes shewe that faith alone doth iustifie ORIGEN a very ancient writer vppon the 3. Chap. of the Epistle of Sainct Paul to the Romanes doth say Paul saith that the iustificatioÌ„ of faith alone is sufficient for a man so that euery one that doeth beléeue onely is iustified although no workes are once wrought by him Now if we require an example where any was euer iustified by faith alone without good workes that théefe I suppose is example good enough who being crucified with Christ did crie from the Crosse â—ord Iesu remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome In the writinges of the Euangelistes there is mention made of no good worke whiche hee in his life time did and yet because of this his faith onely
Iesus said vnto him Verilie I say vnto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Therefore this théefe was thoroughe faith iustified without the workes of the lawe For after this request and prayer of his the Lord made no inquisition what his woorkes were all his life longe neither did hee looke what workes hée would doe after this faith and beleeuing but did immediatly vppon his confession both iustifie and take him as a companion to goe with him to Paradise Moreouer to the woman of whom mention is made in the Gospell after Sainct Luke not for any worke of the lawe but for faith onely hee said Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And againe Go in peace thy faith hath made thee safe Furthermore in many places of the Gospell wée finde that our Sauiour vsed the like kinde of speach making faith alwayes to bee the cause of mens saluation And a little while after the same Apostle saith God forbid that I should glorie in any thing but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whome the world is crucified to mee and I to the world Thou séest héere that the Apostle glorieth not of his owne righteousnesse or chastitie or wisedome or other workes or vertues of his owne but doth most plainly pronounce and say Let him that glorieth glorie in the Lord and so by that meanes all boasting is excluded And so forth with many other sayings tending to this purpose S. AMBROSE in his exposition of Paule his Epistle vnto the Romanes vppon the third and fourth Chapiters doeth saye They are fréelie iustified sayth Sainct Paule beecause when they woorke nothing nor doe any thing for GOD againe they are yet thorough faith onely iustified by the gift of God. According to the purpose of Gods grace sayeth Paule it was so ordeined of God that laying the law aside the grace of God should require faith onely vnto saluation This doeth by the example of the Prophete confirme the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without woorkes hée calleth them blessed with whome the Lord hath couenaunted that without labour and kéeping of the lawe they should bee iustified before their maker S. IOHN Chrysostome treating of faith of the lawe of nature and of the holie Ghost doth expressely saye I cannot proue that hee whiche woorketh the woorkes of righteousnesse without faith doeth enioye eternall life But I can by good proofe shewe that hée which beleeued without works did both liue and obteine the kingdome of heauen No man without faith hath obteined life But the théefe beléeued onely and for his faith was iustified by the most mercifull god And whereas here peraduenture thou wilt obiecte that hee wanted time to liue iustly and to doe good woorkes I aunsweare that I doe not greatly striue about that but this onelye I sticke to that faith alone did iustifie saue him For if he had liued any longer and had neglected faith and workes hée had vndoubtedly fallen from saluation But the onely end and argument whereat I now shoote is that faith of it selfe doth bring saluation and that workes of themselues did neuer saue any workers that wrought them As Chrysostome doth at large declare by the example of the Capitaine Cornelius These testimonies I suppose are sufficient to wittes that will bee aunsweared and doe not stand obstinateâ—â— in quarellinges and ianglings Otheâ—wise I could alledge a great 〈◊〉 But I will not bee ouer tedâ—ors vnto you deerely beloued nor same to bee endlesse in an euident matter But nowe because to this treatise of the righteousnesse of woorkes there is a questioÌ„ annexed touching the merits of good woorkes I will therefore summarilie say somewhat of merits or rather of the hire and reward of good woorkes To this ende especiallie least any man thincking irreligiouâ—ly of the merits of good workes do therby winne to himselfe not good but euill workes The name of Merits is an vnaâ—quainted terme not vsed in the Scriptures For in that signification wherin our Merite woorkers vse it to wit for meritorious woorkes for that I meane wherevnto both life and the grace of GOD is of duetie giuen as debt that is due in that signification I saye it doeth obscure the Grace of God and maketh man too proude and arrogant What I pray you can our woorkes deserue since none of the Sainctes durst bée so bold as to plead their merites before the Lord Iob cryeth If I wil iustifie mee selfe mine owne mouthe shall condemne mee If I will goe about to shewe mee selfe to bee an innocent hee shall proue mee a wicked doer If I washe mee selfe with snowe water and make my handes neuer so cleane at the wel yet shalt thou dippe me in the myre and mine owne garmentes shall defile mee Dauid crieth Enter not into iudgment with thy seruaunt for in thy sighte shall no man liuing bee iustified Christ oure Lord in the Gospell saith When ye haue done all thinges that are commaunded you then say wee are vnprofitable seruauntes wee haue done that wee oughte to doe But a little before oure Lord saide Doeth the maister thancke the seruaunt whiche doeth the thinges that are commaunded him to doe The holy Apostle Sainct Paule also cryeth I doe not despise the Grace of god For if righteousnesse bee of the Lawe then did Christe die in vaine Againe in the Gospell after Sainct Luke the Phariscie is greatly blamed which could not be content to put confidence in his owne righteousnesse but would néedes boaste of his merits also And Nabuchodonosor fealt no little plague for saying that the kingdome of Babylon did come vnto him by his owne arte industrie power and vertue By how muche a greater punishement therefore shall wée thincke them to be worthie off which are persuaded make their bragges that they by their merits haue deserued or earned the kingdome of heauen And yet all this doth not tend to y making void of the stipend of good woror to the denying of the reward that is prepared for vertues For he is true which promised and what hee promised he will performe Now he promised rewards to them that worke righteousnesse euen as also according to his iustice and trueth hée hath threatened terrible punishments to wicked impenitent sinners But the promises of God are of two sortes to witt they lay before oure eyes the giftes and rewards of this present life and of the life to come For the Lord in the Gospell after S. Marke doth say Verilie I saye vnto you there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or landes for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundreth fold now at this present with persecutioÌ„s and in the world to come life euerlasting And Paul saith Godlinesse is profitable to all thinges hauing promise of the life that is nowe of that which is to come This is a sure saying and by all meanes worthie to bee receiued For therefore wee
without all controuersie that it needeth no businesse to proue it at all Hée verilie doeth euery minute augment in vs his giftes while wée are intentiue to doe good workes For in the Gospell hee saith To euery one that hath shal be giuen and hee shall abounde And from him that hath not shal be taken euen that which he hath not and shal be giuen to him that hath To this also may be added that God is fauourable to them that worke righteousnesse and doth enrich them euen with many temporal gifts and at the last bring them to life euerlasting For the Apostle Paul doth expressely say God shall reward euerie man according to his deedes to them whiche by continuing in welldoing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life And againe Glorie and honour and peace to euerie one that worketh well Although the Godly in all their good workes do not as I told you before respecte so much the recompence and reward at Gods hand as the aduauncement of Gods glorie the fulfilling of his will and profite of their neighbour For Paule sayeth Doe all thinges to the glorie of God. And againe Let no man seeke his owne but euery one an others profite euen as I doe in all thinges please all men not seeking mine owne commoditie but the profite of many that they may be saued Therefore all the Godly doe so directe and temper their woorkes that they maye please delight or honour God and profite many men For in so doing they expresse or represent the nature of God whose sonnes they both are and are also called For hee doeth liberallie powre out his benefits vppon all creatures and therefore his sonnes are beneficiall and bent to doe good to all men Thus much had I hetherto to say touching the nature or propertie cause end and effecte that is the very true and right meaning of good workes by whiche I hope it is euident to bee perceiued howe in what sense the Lord in the Scriptures is sayd to attribute the name of righteousnesse and iustification vnto the good woorkes of the Sainctes his seruauntes and that that true principle of oure rereligiō remayneth firme vnreproueable wherein wée confesse and hold That wee are iustified by the Grace of God for Christ his sake thorough faith and not for workes Now therfore there is nothing more behind but this onely for vs to make our humble petition to God for true faith in Christ our Lord and that by his grace hée will so guide vs that we may 〈◊〉 in workes put that in practise 〈◊〉 hetherto wée haue béene taught in 〈◊〉 wordes of this treatise that is to saye that wée may in good workes in déede expresse the faith which wée in words professe that wée haue in Iesus Christ our lord Amen ¶ Of sinne and of the kindes thereof to witt of originall and actuall sinne and of sinne against the holy Ghost And lastly of the most sure and iust punishment of sinnes ¶ The tenth Sermon WEe Haue lastlye now to discourse of sinne which as I told you is to be referred to the treatise of the law Of whiche that I may lawfully religiously rightly and profitablie speake to the edifying of you all I shal desire you to make your humble prayers with mée to God the father in the name of Christ his sonne our gratious Lord and mediatour Sinne is of most men taken for errour for that I meane whereby we do not only erre from the thing which is true right iust and good but do also followe and decline to that whiche is naughte The Latines deriue their word peccatum sinne of pellicatus whorehunting whiche is a faulte of wedded people that are corrupted with the spirite of fornication as when mē preferre harlotts before their lawfull wiues And this definition verilie doth wōderfully agrée to this present treatise For all wée that do beléeue are by faith handfasted to oure God as to our spouse and husband if therefore wée prefer other Gods before him or choose rather to serue them If I say we let passe the true Gods in déede to follow the shadow of Gods vaine hopes and the pernicious pleasures of this world then do we sinne in déed and commit fornication against oure spouse husband But the learned sort doe for the most parte put a difference betwixte peccatum and delictum which both in effect doe signifie sinnes But they call that delictum when the thing is not done that should be done and that they call peccatum when that is done that should be left vndone S. Hierome séemeth to haue taken delictum for the first fall to sinne S. Augustine sayeth that peccatum is committed of him y sinneth wittingly delictum of him that sinneth of ignoraunce I sée that those woordes are in some places confounded and that the one is vsed for the other In some places the errour or delictum is vsed as the mylder terme peccatum in a more gréeuous sense an heynous crime a mischiefe a reuolting or wickednesse for the greatest of all For S. Augustine sayth Neither is euery peccatum crimen beecause euery crimen is peccatum Therefore wee saye that the life of a man liuing in this transitorie world maye be found to bee without that heynous offence crimen for which al the world doth crie out vpon and accuse him but if wée say we haue nullum peccatum no sinne as the Apostle sayth wee deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs Amonge the Hebrues sinne is called by sundrie names which do import signifie ouerthwartnesse peruersenesse a fault an errour a reuolting infirmitie vice ignoraunce and transgression For to transgresse doth signifie to depart from the truth from oure duetie or office not to kéepe the right path but to turne awrie from the prescript rule of the law of god Now that rule or lawe of God is of the Hebrues called Thora that is to say a direction or a leading by the hand For it doeth directe a man in the wayes that are acceptable to the lord And therefore the Gréekes call sinne by the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Againe in the Hebrue tongue sinne is as much to say as a turning awaye from good to euill also a reuolting as when thou drawest thy neck from out of the yoke of his power to whome thou art a seruant finally it signifieth the crime or guilte whereby wee indaunger oure selues to the rodd of punishment Verilie S. Augustine taketh much paines to finde out a proper definition of sinne In his second booke De cōsensu Euangelistarum he sayeth Sinne is the transgression of the Lawe Ad Simplicianum lib. 1. Sinne is an inordinatenesse or peruersenesse of man that is a turning from the more excellent Creatour and a turning to the inferiour creatures De fide contra Manichaeos Cap. 8. hée sayeth What is it else to sinne but to erre in the preceptes of truth or in the truth it selfe
not perish but haue eternall life Nowe Moses did hang vp the brasen Serpent for the health and recouerie of them that were poysoned by the bytings of the Serpents For they died presently that were stung with the Serpents vnlesse they did immediately looke vp to the brasen Serpent for at the verie sight thereof the poysoned sting did loose all force and the person enuenomed was out of hande restored and cured againe Neither was there in the host of the Israelites any other medicine but that alone which whosoeuer despised he died without remedie For the force of the poyson was not expelled the life of the infected was not preserued either by the power of prayers or the multitude of Sacrifices or medicinable hearbes or any kinde of Physicke or other meanes of mannes inuention If any woulde escape the peril of death it behoued him to beholde the brasen serpent aloft Nowe that brasen Serpent was a type or figure of Christe our Lorde who being lifte vp vppon the Crosse is ordeined of God to be the onely saluation But nowe to whome doeth that sauing health befall To them forsooth that do beholde him beeing so lift vp The Lorde him selfe telleth vs what to beholde doth signifie and in stéede thereof doth put to beleeue Therefore no woorkes none other meanes nor merites of ours do saue vs from eternall death and from the force of sinne that is the poyson wher with we are all infected by the olde Serpent our aduersarie Satan Faith alone whereby wée beléeue in Christ who was lift vp for the remission of our sinnes and in whome alone our life and sure saluation doeth assuredly consist is the onely thinge that quickeneth vs which are alreadie dying by the enuenomed sting of Satan which is sinne Heare moreouer what the Lorde doth adde instructing Nicodemus yet more fully in the true faith and making the onely cause of our saluation to be the meere onely grace of God which is receiued by faith in Christ For so saith he GOD loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that euery one which beeleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life For God sent not his sonne to condemne the world but that the worlde might bee saued by him He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but hee that beleeueth not in him is alreadie condemned be cause he beleeueth not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God. Loe what coulde bee spoken more plainely By faith we are made partakers of Christe By repeatinge faith so often his meaning was so to beate it into our heades that no man shoulde hereafter do once so muche as doubte of so manifest and euident a péece of doctrine But if here nowe thou doest little set by the authoritie of Christ then whose authoritie wilte thou estéeme But thou wilt not I knowe reiect his testimonie Yet albeit that his warrant is sufficient giue eare notwithstandinge to that disciple whome the Lorde loued who in his Epistle expounding as it were the wordes of the Lorde and by the way of exposition repeating and beating them into all mennes mindes doth strongly cry out If wee receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the witnesse of God which he testified of his sonn he that beleeueth in the sonne hath the testimonie in him selfe Hee that beleeueth not God doth make him a lyar because lie beleeued not the recorde that he gaue of his sonne And this is the recorde that God hath giuen vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and hee that hath not the sonne of God hath not life But what else is it to haue the sonne of god than to beléeue in him For this sense is gathered by that which went before beeing of it selfe so euident that for mée to add any thing vnto it is to do nothing else but as it were to goe about with a tallowe candell to help or adlight the Sunne at his rising Nowe are we come to the place of Sainct Paule which is to be séene in the third and fourth Chapters of his Epistle to the Romanes The rightousenesse of God saith hee without the lawe is made manifest being witnessed by the testimonie of the lawe and the Prophets Paul in this place doth preache the Gospell most euidētly For I knowe not any other place wherein he doeth it more plainly Hee teacheth herein howe we are iustified before God what is the true righteousenesse and saluation of mankinde and by what meanes it commeth vnto vs. He saith that the righteousnesse of God that is to saye the righteousenesse which God bestoweth or whiche doth preuaile before God is reuealed without the lawe that is to say doeth come vnto vs without the helpe of the lawe to wite without the ayde merites of the workes of the lawe For touching the testimonie of the lawē the Prophets they witnesse both together that they which beleeue are iustified by the righteousnesse of god Now what that righteousenesse is he doth immediately declare saying The righteousenesse of God commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all them that beleeue The righteousenesse saith he whereof wee speake is not humane or of mortall man but altogether diuine or of God him selfe For as God alone is onely iust so the righteousenesse of God is the true and onely righteousenesse of God that saueth vs Which righteousenesse God maketh vs to be partakers of by the faith of Iesus Christe to wite if wee beléeue in Christe and hope in him for to bee saued Neither is there here any man excluded from righteousnesse and saluation For Paule doeth plainely say Vnto all and vpon all that doe beleeue Wherefore God doeth repute and estéeme all them to be righteous which do beléeue in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde and Sauiour Now he doth presently annex the cause why he attributeth saluation vnto the righteousnesse of God and not of man or why the Gospell commendeth to vs the righteousenesse of God saying For there is no difference al haue sinned and haue neede of the glorie of God For because all men of their owne nature are destitute of the glorie of God that is since they are without the true image of God to the likenesse whereof they were created in the beginning therefore all men verily are vnrighteous and sinners wherevppon it followeth that in them there is no righteousnesse and that they haue nothing wherein to boast before the righteous God. For what else I beseech you doe sinners carrie from the iudgement seate of God but confusion and ignominie And for because all men are such and in that case therefore the Apostle doth verie wisely add but they are iustified freely by his grace thorough the redemption in Christe Iesus whome God hath sett foorth to bee a propitiation or reconciliation through faith in his bloud Whiche is all one as
hath bounde him selfe to vs of his free grace and goodnesse And in vs there are many thinges that hinder the perfection of righteousenesse in vs Wherevppon Dauid cryed Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Therefore GOD doeth freely impute to vs the righteousenesse of faith that is hee reputeth vs for righteous because we beléeue him through his sonne So wee read that in the Euangelicall parable the Lorde did saye But when the debters were not able to paye hee forgaue them bothe the debte For GOD also forgiueth vs our debtes or sinnes not reputinge them vnto vs but countinge vs for righteous for Christe his sake For the same Apostle moste euidently testifying the same thinge in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians saith God was in Christe reconciling the worlde vnto himselfe by not imputing sinnes to men And after that againe Him whiche knewe no sinne he made sinne for vs that wee might bee the righteousenesse of God in him What canst thou require more euident than that wee are counted righteous before GOD because by Christ his sacrifice oure sinnes are so purged that wee shoulde heereafter bee no longer helde with the guylte of the same Wee proceede nowe to reckon vpp the other argumentes of Saincte Paule as firme and manifeste as these that are alreadie rehearsed In the same Chapter therefore it followeth Euen as Dauid describeth the blessednes of the man to whom the LORDE imputeth righteousenesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousenesses are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is that man to whome the Lorde will not impute sinne In the beginninge hee doeth with cleare and euident woordes expresse the thing that hee intendeth to prooue or confirme to wite that GOD imputeth righteousenesse to the Saincts without woorkes What coulde bee saide more plainly And to proue it to bee so here he inferreth the testimonie of Dauid which doeth in a manner conteyne three sundry members or clauses Firste Blessed saith hee are they whose vnrighteousenesses are forgiuen Then Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered And lastly Blessed is that man to whome the Lord will impute no sinne Nowe the force of the argument or demonstration doeth consist in the wordes Forgiue Couer and not Impute The creditour forgiueth the debtour that whiche hee hath not payde him whether he bee able or not able to paye it him Wee in respecte of our sinnes whiche are our debtes are able to paye nothinge to GOD. Forgiuenesse therefore of those debtes or sinnes of oures is the gifte of Gods méere grace and liberalitie For the creditour cannot forgiue the thinge that is alreadie payde vnto him For when hee giueth backe the thinge that hee hath receiued in so dooing hee doeth not forgiue but giue and that deede in the Scriptures is called Donum a gifte not Remissio a forgiueing Wherevppon Sainct Paul saith GOD gaue to Abraham the inheritaunce therefore Abraham with his woorkes did not merite the same Secondarily some filthie thing that offendeth the eyes of men is vsually woont to bee couered and yet notwithstandinge the filthie thinge abydeth filthie still although it doeth not appeare outwardly vnto the eyes of men And our mercifull God hath couered our sinnes not that they shoulde not bee but that they shoulde not appeare or come to iudgement whiche thing is the gifte of grace and not of merites For the coueringe is nothing else than the bloud of the sonne of GOD for for his bloudes sake wee sinners are not damned Lastely GOD might by right and iustice impute sinne vnto vs but of his grace hee imputeth it not And all these layde together doe confirme and prooue that righteousenesse is freely by faith without workes imputed vnto vs. This verie same place of Saincte Paule taken out of Dauid doeth discusse and make plaine vnto vs other poyntes of doctrine also whereof there is some controuersie For wee learne that iustification is nothinge else but sanctification forgiuenesse of sinnes and adoption into the number of the children of god We learne that Saincte Paule speaketh not only of the Ceremoniall woorks of the Lawe but also of the Sainctes good woorkes of euery sorte Furthermore wee learne that both sinnes and iniquities that is all manner sinnes of the faithfull are freely pardoned and vtterlye forgiuen Moreouer wee learne that sinnes are fullye remitted not the fault onely but the punishement also whiche punishment some saye is reteined but God doeth not impute sinnes In an other place he saith that he wil not haue any remembrāce of our sinne at all Lastly we learne that the satisfactions for sinne of mans inuention is a moste vaine lye and flatlye opposite to the Apostles doctrine I haue hitherto alledged two most euident places the one out of the Gospell of Christe the other out of sainct Paule his Epistle written to the Romanes by which I meant to prooue that Christe beeing preached to vs by the Gospell is receiued not by workes but by faith and I hope I haue by diuine testimonies so declared this matter of importance that no man shall néede hereafter either to doubte or wauer in the same To all this nowe I adde this note still moste necessarie to be obserued that all good and holie men in the Church of Christ must with all their power do their indeuour that this doctrine of the Gospell maye abyde sincere and vtterly vncorrupted For they must in no case admitte that iustification is partely attributed to faith and the mercie of God and partely to the workes of faith and our owne merites For if that be admitted then doeth the Gospell loose all force and vertue I thinke therefore that all men must onely and incessantly vrge this that the faithful are iustified saued or sanctified by faith without woorkes by the grace and mercie I saye of GOD thorough Christe alone And I suppose verily that this doctrine of the Gospell must be kepte sincer◠and vncorrupte in the Churche for verie many causes but among all other for these especially which followe hereafter Firste of all it is manifest that the often repeated doctrine of the Grace of God which in his onely sonne doeth thorough faith alone woorke iustification is by so manye diuine testimonies euen from the beginning of the worlde by so manye demonstrations and so many determinations of vnreproueable counsels both so plainely declared and throughly inculcated that the verie cōsent of all ages in the trueth reuealed from heauen and the authoritie of the moste holye men in all the worlde do sufficiently inuite vs to retaine maintaine and keepe that doctrine vncorrupted Wée haue the iustification of oure blessed father Abraham a little aboue expounded by no obscure author but euen by Paule the teacher of the Gentiles and elected vessel of GOD him selfe Wee haue the doctrine of instification taught by the moste glorious kinge and Prophet Dauid a man euen after Gods heartes desire the greate grandsyre of Christ
of God the father Here true Christiās are separated from Iewes from Turkes yea and Papistes also For they despising the sonne of God call vpon the father only without the mediation of Christ Iesus But the voice of God by the Gospel and his Apostles pronounceth against them In the Gospel we read the Lord said The father hath committed all iudgement vnto the sonne beecause that all men shuld honour the sonne euen as they honor the father He that honoureth not the sonne the same honoreth not the father which hath sent him And againe I am the way the trueth the life No man cōmeth to the father but by me And Iohn the Apostle and Euāgelist saith Who soeuer denieth the sonne the same hath not the father But these men doe not acknowledge Christ to be the only intercessour but teach the saincts in his stéed or with him ought to bee called vppon as patrones before god But the same Iohn shewing an aduocate vnto Christiās did not appoint him selfe did not lay before vs sainctes in stéed of Christ or them with Christ But saieth he wee haue an aduocate with GOD the father Iesus Christ the righteous Neither doeth Paule shewe vs any other in 1. Tim. 2. cap. and Heb. 7. cap. To the Ephesi By Christ sayth he wee haue bouldnesse entraunce with confidēce by faith in him Christ is sufficient for them that beléeue as in whom alone the father hath stoared vpp all good things commaunding vs to aske those thinges in him and by him thorough prayer These thinges are sufficient for minds not desirous of contention They that wil let them serch further in the third Sermon of the fourth Decade I haue told you who is to be prayed vnto or called vppon of the godly worshipers of God and by whome to witt God alone by the onely sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs now sée what should stirre vp man to call vppon God surely the spirite of our God principally For prayer is rightly counted amonge the giftes of grace For neither could we earnestly nor hartily call vpon our God vnlesse we be stirred vpp and prouoked thervnto by the spirite of god For albeit the commaundement of God will vs to pray present necessitie and daunger driue vs and the example of other allure vs to pray yet all these thinges would doe nothing vnlesse the spirite inforce our minds vnto his will and guide and kéepe vs in prayer Therefore though there be many causes concurring whiche moue men to prayer yet the chiefe original of prayer is the holy Ghost to whose motion and gouernement in the entraunce of all prayers whosoeuer pray with any fruite do begge with an holy preface To this perteine these words of the holy Apostle The spirite also saith hée helpeth our infirmities For we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirite it selfe maketh requests for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed But he which searcheth the harts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh requests for the saincts according to the will of God. In déede the spirite of God is said to make intercession not that he in very déed prayeth groaneth but because he stirreth vp our mindes to pray and to sighe and bringeth to passe that according to the pleasure of GOD wée should make intercession or pray for the Sainctes that is to saye for oure selues But let vs consider with what abilities hée must be furnished which cōmeth of purpose to pray vnto god First it is necessarie that hée lay aside all opinion of his owne worthinesse and righteousnesse that hee acknowledge himselfe to bee a sinner and to stand in néed of all good thinges and so let him yéeld himselfe vnto the méere mercie of God desiring of the same to be filled with all things that are good For that great prophete of God Daniel saieth Wee doe not present our prayers before thee in our own righteousnes but in thy manifold mercies Also you read the like prayers offered vnto God Psal. 79. For the people of the Lord crie Helpe vs O Lord of our saluation for the glorie of thy name deliuer vs and be mercifull vnto our sinnes for thy names sake Remember not our sinnes of old make hast and let thy mercie deliuer vs. In the new Testament the Phariseie in Luke trusting in his owne righteousnesse is put by and cast off from the Lord but the Publican fréely confessing his sinnes and crauing mercie of God is heard and iustified For vnlesse we acknowledge our nakednes weakenes and pouertie who I pray you wil pray vnto God For not they that bestrong but they that bee sicke haue neede of the Physician And the Lorde in the Gospell sayth Aske and ye shal receiue knocke and it shal be opened vnto you seeke and ye shall finde Hee therfore that is commaunded to aske that he may receiue hath not as yet that he asketh he that knocketh by knocking signifieth that he standeth without doores and he whiche séeketh hathe lost that which yet he séeketh for We therefore being shut out from the ioyes of Paradise by prayer do séeke and aske for that whiche we haue lost and haue not Therefore where as Dauid and Ezechias and other saintes of God in prayer do alledge their owne righteousnes for which they séeme worthily to require to be heard truely they regarde not their owne worthinesse but rather the trueth of god He hath promised that he will heare them that worship him therfore the Godly say Beholde wee are thy worshippers therefore it is méete thou shouldest not neglect vs but deliuer vs In the meane while in other places they speake in suche sort of their righteousnesse that we cannot doubt that in their prayers they made mention of their righteousnesse with a certeine measure and limitation Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant sayth Dauid for in thy sight shal no man liuing be iustified c. Furthermore and that whiche is the chiefe of all it is needefull that they which pray must haue a true feruent faith Let the doctrine of faith therefore in the matter of prayer shewe vs lighte as the morning starr and with an assured hope to obtein of God the thing which is asked let him that prayeth make his petition Let him aske in faith sayth saint Iames nothing wauering for he that wauereth is like a waue of the Sea tost of the winde and carried with violence Neither let that man think that he shal receiue any thing of the Lord. And Paule also sayth Howe shall they call vppon him on whome they haue not beleeued I haue spoken of faith in the fourth sermon of the firste Decade But to the ende that faith may increase in iust measure flourish and continue stable we must labour in the promises and examples from euery place gathered together We will recite a fewe In the booke of Psalmes
Iesus Christe And whereas in euery place almost they adde Not by the lawe not by ceremonies or other rituall obseruationes do wee thinke that they will admitte Sacramentes to the partaking of suche power and vertue séeing they be cōprehended vnder rites and ceremonies and so accounted Christian faith doeth attribute the grace of GOD remission of sinnes sanctification and iustification fully and wholely to the frée mercie of God to the merite of Christs passion yea in suche sorte doth Christian faith attribute these spirituall benefites vnto it that beside it nothing at all is admitted to take parte with it Therefore whereas Lombard saieth That sacramentes haue receiued power to conferr or giue grace by the merite of the passion of Christe it is of his owne foarging For as Christ giueth not his glorie to any either saint or mortall man muche lesse to a creature without life euen so he that beléeueth to be fully iustified by the death and resurrection of the Lord séeketh no further grace and righteousnesse in any other thing than in Christe only vpon whom he stayeth whome also by faith he féeleth in his hart or minde alreadie to exercise his force by the holy Ghost For herevnto perteyne those sayinges in the Gospel Goe in peace thy faithe hath saued thee And also He whiche drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoeuer shall drinke of that water which I shal giue him shall neuer thirst c. To this perteineth the saying of Paule also Therefore being iustified by faith we are at peace with God thorough our Lorde Iesus Christ By whome also we had an entraunce by faith vnto this grace wherein wee stande and reioyce in hope of the glorie of God. I am not ignorant of the craftie sleightes of some who imagine there is a certeine generall also a speciall faithe The generall faithe they call that whereby we beléeue that we are truely iustified by the deathe and resurrection of Christe but that they call a speciall faith whereby we béeléeue that by the sacramentes and by our owne worke the gyfts of GOD are applied particularly to euery one of vs one by one But to what purpose was it béeing in a lande where they might bee fedde with Manna to looke backe to the potage pottes and vnsauourie léekes of Egypt What I pray you haue Christians to doe with the distinctiōs of subtile sophisters or how will they proue this distinction of theirs vnto vs Verily there is but one faith and the same is no other in the vse of the Sacraments than it is without the vse of them Without the vse of them we beléeue that wee are sanctified by the death and resurrection of Christ In baptisme and the Lordes supper we practise no other faithe than wherby we beléeue that we are purged from our sinnes by the grace and mercie of Christe and that by his body giuen for vs and his bloud shed for vs we are redéemed from deathe and become heirs of eternal life Not the Sacramentes but faithe through the holy Ghost applyeth these thinges vnto vs whiche thing all the writinges of the Apostles doe witnesse but suche feigned gloses do obscure and darken To be shorte there is one GOD and Sauiour of all one Saluation one Redemption and purging one faith whereby wee receiue Saluation offered vnto vs of GOD in Christe through the holie Ghoste The same is declared or preached vnto vs in the worde by the minister and is represented and sealed by the Sacramentes And now who knoweth not that Paule the Apostle in all his writinges onely laboureth to proue that those that beléeue are iustified by faith in the Lorde Iesus and not by any workes Againe who is ignoraunt that the receiuing and celebration of sacramentes are also counted among our workes Wherevnto I will add this that Sacramentes giue not that whiche they haue not themselues but they haue not grace and righteousnesse and heauenly gyftes therfore they doe not giue them But hence springeth vppe another disputation for vs to handle whether the grace of GOD and a certeine heauenly power be put in or included in the Sacramentes and as it were conteined in them so that from them it might be conueyed into the receyuers The whole rable of Priestes and monkes as well in worde as in déede haue bewrayed them selues that they thinke That in the bare signes there is heauenly grace included yea and that God himselfe is comprehended in them For from no other founteine sprang their carefull disputations concerning That the mouse eateth when it eateth the Sacrament of the bodie of Christe Pope Innocent Libro quarto De Sacramento altaris Capite vnde cimo sayth Miraculously doth the substaunce of bread returne againe not that bread which was turned into flesh But it cōmeth to passe that in sted of it other bread is miraculously created which bread is eaten c. Behold here is a certein wittie miraculous kinde of diuinitie I passe ouer of purpose many other whiche are of this kinde And herevnto that by crossinges and certeine secret words gestures and breathings they consecrate the water of baptisme all which things they beautifie with the name of blessinge And among other thinges they sing thus God by the secrete mixture of his light make fruitefull this water prepared to regenerate men with-all that beeing sanctified and borne againe of the immaculate wombe of the heauenly founteine it may come foorth a new creature Let this holy innocent creature be free from all the assaultes of the aduersarie Let him not intrap it in his snare Let it become a liuing founteine a regenerating water a purifying riuer that all that are dipped in this wholesome lauer the holy ghost working in thē may atteine to the excellencie of perfect purificatiō Wherfore ô thou creature of water I blesse or coniure thee by the liuing God by the true God by the holy god by the god which in the beginning feparated thee by his word from the drie lande c. Againe breathing thrice on the water he forthwith vttereth these wordes Thou O Lord blesse with thy worde these waters which make request vnto thee that beside their natural cleannes whiche in washing they may giue to our bodies they may also be effectual to purifie our soules Then the priest taketh a burning waxe candle and putteth it thrice in the water consecrated to baptisme saying Let the power of the holy Ghost come down into this plentifull founteine He addeth And let it make the whole substance of this water fruitefull with the fruite of regeneration And so foorthe All these thinges they vnderstande and expounde to be spoken simplie and without tropes or figures whiche euidently enough declareth what these men attribute to holy or consecrated water and howe they thinke that in the signes the holy thinges themselues are conteyned Aboute this matter Bonauentura hathe woonderfully busied himselfe who in his writing In 4. Magistri
that by a certeine heauenly couenant it is so appointed by GOD that sacramentes shoulde haue grace in themselues and should from themselues as by pypes conuey abroade the water of grace vnto those that are thirstie that is alledged without warrant of the Scripture and is repugnaunt vnto true religion As by those thinges whiche haue hitherto béene handeled and disputed of doeth as wee thinke sufficiently appeare wherevnto also we adde this The holy and elect people of God are not then firste of all partakers of the first grace of God and Heauenly gyftes when they receiue the Sacramentes For they enioy the thinges before they be partakers of the signes For it is plainely declared vnto vs that Abraham our father was iustified before he was circumcised And who gathereth thereby that iustification was not exhibited and giuen vnto him by the sacrament of circumcision but rather that that righteousnesse whiche he by faith before possessed was by the Sacrament sealed and confirmed vnto him And moreouer who wil not thereof gather that we whiche are the sonnes of Abraham are after no other manner iustified than it appeareth that our father was iustified and that our sacramentes worke no further in vs than they did in him especially since the nature of the sacramentes of the people of the olde Testamente and ours is all one Whereof I will speake a little afterwarde more at large when I expound the place of the Apostle in the fourth to the Romanes The Eunuche of whome I spake euen now out of the Actes as he iournyed and sawe water he said to Philip See here is water what letteth me to be baptised Philip sayde vnto him If thou beleeuest with all thy hart thou maist And he answered and saide I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God. Afterward immediately it followeth And they weÌ„t down both into the water he baptised him The Eunuche sayeth the Euangelist beléeued with al his hart that is to to say truly without dissimulation Nowe let vs sée what the Scripture saith concerning suche a faith S. Iohn the Apostle Euangelist saith Who so euer beleeueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God. He againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in him dwelleth God and he in GOD Also Paule that elect vessel and doctour of the Gentiles sayth If thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine hart that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt bee saued And againe Saint Iohn sayth in his Epistle He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in him self And this is the record how that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hathe the Sonne hathe life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Briefely of all these thinges this wee gather The Eunuche beléeued before he receiued baptisme therefore before he receiued baptisme he was borne of God in whome he dwelled and God in him hee was iust and acceptable in the sight of God and moreouer he had also life in himselfe and therefore the baptisme whiche followed did not giue that to the Eunuch which he had before but it became vnto him a testimonie of the trueth a seale of the righteousnesse whiche came by faith and there withal to assure vnto him the continuance and increase of God his gyftes After the same maner we reade of Cornelius the Centurion in the same Actes of the Apostles that he beléeuing the preaching of the Apostle Peter receiued the holie Ghost also in a visible shape as the Apostles did at Hierusalem in the day of Pentecoste And that Peter when he knewe that thing sayde Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptised whiche haue receiued the holy Ghost as wel as we For asmuche therefore as Cornelius with his housholde receiued the holy Ghoste before they were baptised it is manifest that he did not obteine the holie Ghoste as giuen firste by baptisme or with baptisme Againe we reade in the Actes of the Apostles They that gladly receiued the woorde of Peter were baptised Therefore before they were baptised of Peter they had obteined the grace of God through faith For why I pray you doe we baptise our Infantes Is it because they beléeue with their hart and confesse with their mouthe I thinke not Do we not therefore baptise them because God hathe commaunded them to bée brought vnto him because he hath promised that he will be our GOD and the GOD of our séede after vs To be short because we beléeue that GOD of his méere grace and mercie in the bloud of Iesus Christ hathe cleansed and adopted them and appointed them to bee heires of eternall life We therefore baptising Infantes for these causes doe aboundantly testifie that there is not first giuen vnto theÌ„ in baptisme but that there is sealed and confirmed whiche they had before Let vs also ioyne vnto these thinges a testimonie of the Supper of the Lord. The Apostle teaching how the Godly shoulde prepare them selues to come to the Lordes Table sayth Let a man proue him selfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe But to examine or proue signifieth to search as muche as lyeth in man the harte or minde and thoroughe diligent inquisition to sifte ones conscience And GOD is sayde â—o proue our nartes And the same Apostle willeth vs To proue what is the good acceptable wil of God. But this proofe cannot be without knowledge iudgement y knowledg iudgement of Christians is faith therfore whosoeuer proueth himselfe before hee come to the Supper hath faith If he haue faith then he wanteth not those thinges that are coupled with faithe and therefore in the Supper those heauenly benefites are not firste receiued but thankes are giuen for those that are receiued I haue hereby shewed and proued I suppose that Sacramentes doe not conferre grace They obiect I know well enoughe against these thinges who are persuaded that sacraments giue grace and conteine included within them the thinges signified that wee doe euacuate and make of none effect the Sacramentes and that wee teache that the faithfull receiue in them or by them nothing but bare water and bare bread and wine and that by that meanes GOD by vs is accused of falshode and lying Wee briefely answere If they set voyde or emptie thinges as I may so say againste full thinges so as they bee voide or emptie whiche haue not the thinges themselues included in them truely I had rather confesse them to be voide than full But if they call them voide or emptie and meane prophane or vnholy thinges that is to say whiche differ nothing from prophane signes if by bare they vnderstande thinges of no force we openly professe that we haue sacramentes whiche are holy and not prophane effectuall and not without force
the same manner hath hee heere lefte with vs a memorie of the mysteries stopping bridling hereby the mouths of heretiques For whē they say Whereby appeareth it that Christe was offered and many other mysteries Then we alleadging these things doe thereby stop their mouthes For if Iesus be not deade whose representation or signe is this sacrifice Thus farre he You perceiue I suppose how this writer doeth bring against heretiques the Sacrament of the super for the testimonie of truth that is to say of the lords true death Wherefore as the Gospel is called a witnesse and the Preachers of the Gospel witnesses euen so we call sacramentes witnesses of the same trueth whiche though they be dumb yet neuerthelesse are visible after which name S. August calleth them Visible words For the preaching of the Gospell consisting of wordes heard with the eares is a speaking witnesse but sacraments which consist of signes and are séene with the eyes are spéechlesse witnesses and as it were remnauntes and remembraunces of the preaching of the gospel Yea sacraments were instituted by God to that end that they might visiblie confirme vnto vs the ready good-will of GOD towarde vs and also the preaching of the Gospel and all the promises of life and saluation and that they should be as it were seales sett and fixed to the Gospell and promises made by God whiche might testifie and confirme that faith in Christ is true righteousnesse That whiche I haue saide I will confirme by the writinges of the Apostles But I taught a little before that there is allone ground of the sacraments of the olde Testament and of the new a few things onely excepted so that now by very good right by the comparing of both together wee may estimate and vtter what the force and vse of our Sacraments is Paule therefore to the Rom. 4. chap. saith We say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes howe was it then imputed When hee was circumcised or when he was vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when hee was vncircumcised after hee receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the father of all thē that beleeue not beeing circumcised that righteousnes might de imputed vnto them also and the father of circumcision not vnto them onelie whiche are of the circumcised but vnto them also that walke in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had when he was vncircumcised All these are Pauls words Amōg which first of all some words are méete to be expounded then we must séeke after the sense and meaning of the Apostles wordes and last of all we must apply them to our purpose touching the sacrament The Apostle héere vseth two wordes that is to say The Signe The seale Signum the word signe is more generall stretcheth very far but a seale is a word that properly belongeth vnto sacramēts which are seales and confirmatiōs For al signes seale not For some by fignificatiō onely do accōplish their duetie But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly is to seale for assurance and confirmation sake of faith or credite wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a seale whiche is set to to kéepe confirme our faith and promise and to be without all daunger of deceipte And héere as else where very often the Lord doth imitate the manner of men For we men are wonte by setting to our seales to confirme our writings couenauntes and faithfull promises which we before had made by word And that this hath alwayes béene the cause of the instituting vse of seales appeareth plainely by these testimonies of the Scriptures When the children of Israel vnder Ezra made a couenaunt with the Lord by and by they set downe their couenaunt in writinge and seale the writing to be a testimonie of the trueth as in Nehem. the 9. chap. and Hag. the 2. chapter thou mayst read I will take thee to my seruaunt Zorobabel thou sonne of Salathiel saieth the Lord and wil make thee as a signe or sealing ring for I haue chosē thee As if he had said All mē shal certeinlie learne that in the sonne of Salathiel y continuaunce of the posteritie of the Messias doeth consiste and remaine Thus writeth Ieremie chap. 22. As truely as I liue saith the Lorde if Chonenias the sonne of Iohoakim king of Iuda weare the signet or seale on my righte hande yet will I pluck thee thence whiche is as much as if he had saide Though thou were hee in whome I wil kéepe my promisses yet shalt thou bee ledd captiue into Babylon To this agréeth that of Matth written of the Iewes So they went and made the Sepulchre sure and sealed the stone without doubt against deceiptfull practises they appointed a watch It appeareth therefore by these testimonyes where to the vse of seales serueth These thinges béeing thus declared let vs nowe diligently searche out the counsell and meaning of the Apostles wordes Paule sheweth that iustification happeneth vnto men by the power and vertue of no woorkes of no ceremonies or sacramentes but by the onely merite of Christe through faith To proue this he bringeth the example of Abraham of whome the Scripture hath pronounced Abraham beleeued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Thence he gathereth that Abraham was iustified by faith yea that that was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Where bothe by the worde or force of imputation and by the whole sentence of Moses he doeth moste strongly reason shewing that through grace righteousnesse is imputed by faithe Where-vnto hee ioyneth also a testimonie out of Dauid touching righteousnesse by imputatiō I handled that place in the first Sermon of the fourth Decade Then hee returneth againe to the example of Abraham and applyeth to his purpose that place alleadged out of Genesis waying the circumstaunces of the manner and time of his iustification and sayeth How was it thē imputed Whē he was circūcised or when he was vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when hee was vncircumcised Whiche thinges verilie are playner than that they require any exposition But because the Iewe might obiect Why then the institution and vse of circumcision was of no force but voide vnprofitable and vaine For if Abraham were iustifyed before he was circumcised what could circumcision profit him further And if it brought nothing surely it was superfluous and vnprofitable Paule preuenting that obiection maketh aunswere And he receiued saith he the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith c. Circumcision saith hee was neither voide nor vnprofitable For albeit it iustifie not neither cleanse nor apply the giftes of GOD yet it followeth not therefore that there is no further vse of it For it hath an other end For he receiued the signe of circumcision for a certeine seale of the righteousnesse of
faith that is to say God instituted circumcision that it should be a seale to ratifie and confirme yea and also visibly to testifie that faith is righteousnesse and that men are iustified through faith I say in such sorte as faith is also imputed vnto them for righteousnesse as it was imputed vnto Abraham For it followeth That hee might be the Father of all that beleeue though they be not circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed vnto them also And so foorth And although these things be more cleare than the day-light yet I wil endeuour further to open the same by a parable For suppose that a Kinge of his fauour and méere liberalitie would entertaine some seruant into his courte yea and make him partaker of all his goodes and moreouer would extende this benefite vnto the Children and posteritie also of him whome hee had adopted and woulde immediatlie cōmaund that that couenaunte priueledge and fauoure graunted by liuely words should also be put in writing which he might confirme by setting to his seale to the end that might be to his posteritie a sure testimonie against all gainsayers that the same fauour and adoption doeth perteine to them also and that the Prince would continue his good and fauourable kindenes vnto the posteritie of him whome hee had adopted if they also continue faithfull vnto their Prince For euen after the same manner almightie God the king of Kings and most bountifull of all Princes fréely and not by any merite of ours going before chooseth Abraham vpon whome he bestoweth innumerable benefits and vnto whome he offereth a couenaunte and participation of all goodnesse and not vnto him onlie but to all his posteritie also saying I the almightie God wil be thy God and the GOD of thy seede after thee I will blesse thee and thy seede and in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed He sanctified also this priuiledge confirming it with an oath and by and by commaundeth to deliuer the same vnto their children as it were from hand to hand in stede of writing and afterward willeth his seruants the prophets to set it downe in writing and last of all he him selfe by instituting Circumcision now as it were setting to his seale to the letters patents or Charter woulde haue it confirmed ratified to them that should come after to the ende they might certainly know that that also perteined vnto them Where notwithstandinge it séemeth this must not be dissembled of vs that Sacraments haue a greater and more effectuall force than any sealed Charters can haue For priuiledges which princes giue are written in parchmente and their seales are set to parchement written but God imprinteth his seale into the very bodies of those that are his For he caused Circumcision to be on the priuie member of man wherebye issue is raised increased and continued that as a marke printed in the very bodyes it might more than seale and witnesse that the blessing and partaking of all good things perteyneth to the circumcised if they abide faithful to the Lord God entred into league with men And therfore very significantly is Circumcision called of Paule not The seale of righteousnes but The seale of righteousnes of faith that is a ratifying and assurance that faith is righteousnes that it is faith whereby wee are iustified that righteousnesse is due to them that beléeue that God assuredly will blesse the faithfull and impute faithe vnto them for righteousnesse as hee also imputed vnto Abraham Now since Sacraments haue the like reason we may apply these thinges to our Sacramentes Christe therefore the annoynted of the Lord after he had by his guiltlesse and vndeserued death redéemed the worlde from the power of Sathan and béeing now ready to ascend into heauen to the father hee called his Disciples aboute him and saide Goe into the whole worlde and preach the Gospel to all creatures hee that shall beleue and be baptised c. The preaching of the Gospel doeth lay open and abrode the greate the precious the healthful the liuely the bountiful the royall and diuine priuiledge that of the children of the diuel we are made the childrē of God the heyres I saye of GOD and ioynte-heires with Christe who by the sheding of his blond hath purchased for vs this inestimable saluation From this grace of God none is excluded but he which through disobedience by his owne corruption and fault doth exclude himselfe For touching the children and infants of the beléeuers the Lord in the gospel pronounceth saying Suffer the yonge children to come vnto mee and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God. And againe Verilie I say vnto you except yee turne and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen Who so shall receiue such a litle child in my name receiueth me Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in Heauen their angels doe alwayes beholde the face of my Father whiche is in Heauen c. Neither is it likely now Christ is come that God is more vnmercifull then he was before hee came into the worlde But then he said I will bee thy God and the GOD of thy seede after thee That therefore is nowe of more force since the Lorde is come to séeke and saue that whiche was lost and to be short to powre fóorthe moste liberallye his grace and good giftes vppon all fleshe Wherefore that royall ample and diuine priuiledge is first by the very preaching of our Lorde Christe and then by the doctrine of his Apostles reuealed vnto the worlde and afterwarde the Lorde so commaundinge the same priuiledge was setdowne of the Apostles and Euangelists in writing Now the Lorde him selfe added this sacrament as a signe and seale vnto his preaching and to the Scripture ordayning Baptisme in the place of Circumcision the whiche because it was a bloudie thing and to conclude a signe of the blessed séede which was to come which then was reuealed ought to be abrogated And Baptisme it selfe also succéeding circumcision is also a seale of the righteousnesse of faith an euidence and sealed charter that God doeth assuredlie cleanse vs and make vs heyres of eternall life and that the whole grace of Baptisme perteyneth to them that are baptised if they stand stedfast in true faith But thou wilte say the Infantes of Christians whiche are to be baptised beléeue not I graunte No more did the Infants of the Iewes beléeue whiche neuerthelesse were circumcised and were in league with God and made partakers of all good giftes so that true godlinesse biddeth vs attribute the same to our Infantes When the ofspringe of the Iewes waxed in age and did wickedlie transgresse they fell from the couenaunt of god So likewise the infantes of the Christians when they come to age and commit wickednesse doe fall from the grace of the Gospell yet are they
the Apostles frame their exhortations Where againe the Analogie beeinge considered it hath very much light and force in it Trées are pruned and all that which is drie barren and superfluous in them is cutt away And so by circumcision they that were circuÌ„cised were put in minde to cutt away with the knife of the spirite whatsoeuer grewe vpp in the flesh against the lawe of god Herevnto had Moses respecte when he said in Dent Circumcise therfore the foreskin of your heart and bee no more stiffenecked Whome Ieremie following in the 4. Cap. sayeth Be ye circumcised in the Lord and cut away the foreskinne of your hearts c. Those thinges which the Apostle hath taught touching the celebration of y Passeouer are more plaine than that they néede héere to be rehearsed And I haue alreadie intreated of them at large in the sixte Sermon of my third Decade The verie same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes saith Knowe ye not that all wee which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue beene baptised into his death Weare buried then with him by baptisme into his death that likewise as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father euen so wee should walke in newnesse of life c. So wee are put in minde by that mysterie of baptisme to renounce forsake Sathan and the world to mortifie and subdue the fleshe and to burie the old Adam that the new man may rise vp againe in vs thorough Christ Furthermore the supper of the Lord doth admonishe vs of brotherly loue charitie of the vnitie that wee haue with all the members of Christe it warneth vs also of puritie and sinceritie in faith that because wee haue openly professed that wée are vnited to Christe and to all his members wée should haue a special care and regard that we be not found faithles and vntrue to our lord Christ and his church that wee should not defile oure selues with forreigne and strange sacrifices Wée are also admonished of thanckefulnesse to magnifie the grace of God who hath redéemed vs according to that saying As often as ye shal cate of this bread and drinke of this cupp ye shal shewe forth the Lords death vntill he come Thus farre haue I intreated of the force the ende and the effecte of sacramentes vnto the which I haue as I thincke attributed no more nor no lesse than I ought that is as much as may be proued out of the scripture to be due vnto them They are the institutions of Christ therefore they care not for counterfeite and strange praises They haue praise sufficient if they haue those praises whiche hee that instituted them namely GOD and Christ Iesus the high priest of the Catholique Church vouchsafed to attribute vnto them Nowe because there is mention made verie ofte of faythe in this whole booke I will further shewe also that without faith sacraments profite nothing and againe that to those which receiue them by fayth they are not superfluous or vaine For this séemeth as yet to belong to the â—ull exposition and coÌ„sideration of Sacraments That Sacramentes without fayth profite not it is easily proued For it is sayde that SacrameÌ„ts are seales of the preaching of the Gospell and things apperteyning to the same For if the preaching of the Gospell be hearde without fayth it doth not onely profite nothing vnto life but it turneth rather vnto iudgement to him that heareth the lord him selfe bearing witnesse and saying If any man heare my wordes beleeue not I iudge him not for I came not to iudge the worlde but to saue the world the worde that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last day To that saying of the Lorde agréeth this of the Apostle For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as well as vnto the fathers but the worde which they hearde did not profit theÌ„ bicause it was not coupled with fayth to them that heard Who now is such a dorhead which can not gather that sacrameÌ„ts without faith are vnprofitable especially since the same Apostle sayth Whosoeuer shal eate this breade drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloude of the Lord But all our worthinesse before God doth consist in fayth the same Apostle yet againe witnessing out of the prophete The iust shall liue by fayth And By faith the elders or fathers obteined a good report Wherevnto also belongeth that whiche is read in the Gospell They which were biddeÌ„ were not worthy Whervpon it followeth that worthinesse consisteth in faithfull obedience Herevnto also may be referred I thinke thoâ—e examples whereof mention hath béene made more than once already before Al our fathers were baptised and did all eate of one spirituall meate but in many of them God had no delight And Paule againe saythe Without faith it is impossible to please God therefore without faith Sacraments profite nothing The examples of Simon Magus and Iudas the traytor are verie well knowne of which one was baptised the other admitted to the Supper and yet had no fruite of the Sacramentes bicause they wanted true faith To these pithy and diuine testimonies of God we will nowe adde some places of S. Augustine out of his ninetenth booke against Faustus and twelfth chap. Peter sayth Baptisme saueth vs and least they shuld thinke the visible Sacrament were sufficieÌ„t by which they had the forme of godlinesse and through their euill manners by liuing lewdly and desperately shuld denie the power therof by by he addeth Not the putting away of the silth of the flesh but in that a good coÌ„science maketh request to god Againe Lib. 2. contra literas Petiliani cap. 7. he saith They are not therfore to be thought to be in the bodie of Christ which is the Church or congreagation bicause they are corporally partakers of his Sacraments For they in such are also holy but to them that vse and receiue them vnworthily they shal be forceable to their greater iudgement For they are not in that societie of Christes Church whiche in the members of Christe by being knit together and touching one an other doe growe into the fulnesse of god For that Church is builded on a rocke as sayth the Lorde Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church but they builde on the sande as the Lord also sayth Hee that heareth my wordes and doth them not I will liken him to a foolish man. And again in his treatise vpon Iohn 13. The syllables of Christes name and his Sacraments profite nothing where the faith of Christe is resisted For fayth in Christe and his Sacraments is to beléeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly to beléeue in the mediatour without whose intercession we are not reconciled vnto god Thus farre Augustine An obiection is made If Sacramentes doe nothing profite without our fayth then they depend on oure
he was conceiued by the holy ghost and borne of the virgin he tooke vpon him flesh and soule and sense that is he tooke on him very man neither lost he what he was but began to be what he was not so yet that in respect of his owne properties he is perfect God and in respect of ours he is verie man For he which was God is borne man and he which is borne man doth woorke myracles as God and he that woorketh myracles as God doeth die as a man and hee that dieth as man doeth rise againe as god Who in the same flesh wherein he was borne and suffered and died and roase againe did ascende to the father and sitteth at his right hande in the glorie which he alwayes had and yet stil hath By whose death and bloud we beleeue that we are clensed and that at the latter day we shall be raised vp againe by him in this flesh wherein we now liue And we hope that we shall obteine a reward for our good deedes or else the paine of euerlastinge punishment for our sinnes Reade this beleeue this holde this submit thy soule to this faith and thou shalt obteine life and a rewarde at Christ his hande S. Peter Bishop of Alexandria taught and beleeued the verie same with the blessed Athanasius and Damasus as it may be gathered out of the 37. chapter of the 7. booke and the 14. chapter of the 8. booke of the Tripartite historie The Jmperiall decree for the Catholique faith taken out of the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 7. THE noble Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius to the people of the citie of Constantinople We will all people whom the royall authoritie of our clemencie doth rule to be of that religion which the religion brought in by Peter him selfe doeth at this time declare that S. Peter the Apostle did teach to the Romanes and which it is euident that byshop Damasus and Peter the byshop of Alexandria a man of Apostolicall holinesse do followe that is that according to the discipline of the Apostles and doctrine of the Euangelistes in the equalitie of the maiestie and in the holy Trinitie we beleeue that there is but one godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste Those which keepe this lawe we commaunde to haue the name of catholique Christians But for the other whom we iudge to be madde out of their wits we wil that they susteining the infamie of hereticall doctrine be punished firste by Gods vengeaunce and after that by punishment according to the motion of our mindes which we by the will of God shall thinke best of Giuen the thirde of the Calendes of March at Thessalonica Gratian the fifte Valentinian andTheodosius Aug. Coss FINIS THE FIRST TABLE CONTEYning the arguments and summe of euery Sermon as they follow one an other in euerie Decade throughout the body of the whole booke The first number is referred to the Sermon the second to the Page where it beginneth The first Tome and first the summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the first Decade 1 OF the worde of God the cause of it and howe and by whome it was reuealed to the world Page 1. 2 Of the worde of God to whome and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse 14 3 Of the sense and right exposition of the worde of God by what manner of meanes it may be expounded 23 4 Of true fayth from whēce it commeth that it is an assured beliefe of the mynde whose only stay is vpon GOD and his worde 30 5 That there is one onely true fayth and what the vertue thereof is 40 6 That the faythfull are iustified by fayth without the law and workes 44 7 Of the first articles of the Christian faith conscined in the Apostles Creede 55 8 Of the latter Articles of the Christian faith conteyned in the Apostles Creede 67 9 Of the latter Articles of the Christian fayth conteyned in the Apostles Creede 77 10 Of the loue of God and our neighbour 91 ¶ The summe or contents of the tenne Sermons of the second Decade 1 OF lawes and first of the lawes of Nature then of the lawes of men 100 2 Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first table 109 3 Of the third precept of the tenne commaundements and of Swearing 126 4 Of the fourthe precept of the first table that is of the order and keeping of the Sabboth day 136 5 Of the first precept of the second table which is in order the fift of the tenne commaundementes touching the honour due to parents 144 6 Of the seconde precept of the second table which is in order the sixte of the tenne Commaundements Thou shalt not kill And of the magistrate 163 7 Of the office of the Magistrate whether the care of religion apperteineth to him or no whether he may make lawes and ordinaunces in cases of religion 177 8 Of iudgement and the office of the Iudge That Christians are not forbidē to iudge Of reuengement and punishment Whether it be lawfull for a magistrate to kill the guiltie Wherefore when howe what the magistrate muste punishe Whether he may punish offenders in religion or no. 191 9 Of warre whether it bee lawful for a magistrate to make warre What the scripture teacheth touching warr Whether a Christian man may beare the office of a magistrate And of the dutie of subiectes 207 10 Of the thirde precept of the second table which is in order the seuenth of the ten Commaundements Thou shalt not commit adulterie Of wedlock Against al intemperancie Of Continencie 222 The second Tome and firste the summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the thirde Decade 1 OF the fourth precept of the second table whiche is in order the eighth of the ten commandements Thou shalt not steale Of the owing and possessing of proper goodes and of the right and lawfull getting of the same Against sundry kinds of theft 259 2 Of the lawfull vse of earthly goods that is how we may rightly possesse and lawfully spende the wealth that is rightly and iustly gotten Of restitution almes deeds 279 3 Of the patient bearing and abiding of sundrie calamities miseries and also of the hope and manifold consolation of the faithfull 270 4 Of the fift sixt preceptes of the second table which are in order the ninth and tenth of the tenne Commaundements that is Thou shalt not speake false witnesse against thy neighbour And Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house c. 318 5 Of the Ceremonial lawes of GOD but especially of the Priesthoode time and place appointed for the Ceremonies 327 6 Of the Sacraments of the Iewes of their sundry sorts of sacrifices and certeine other things perteyning to their Ceremoniall lawe 354 7 Of the Iudicial lawes of God. 387 8 Of
c. 949 1 Let euery man be swift to heare slowe to speake c. 238 1 Pure religion and vndefiled before God the father c. 475. 668. 2 Abraham was not iustified by faith onely c. 465 2 Séest thou how faith was made perfect by workes c. 461 2 Let him aske in faith nothing wauering c. 922 2 Abraham and we are iustified by workes c. 28 2 If a brother or sister be naked destitute of daily foode c. 97 3 Touching the properties of the tongue c. 238 3 For the tongue is a little meÌ„ber and boasteth great things c. 319 4 Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse c. 918 4 There is one law giuer which is able to saue and to destroy c. 905 5 Behold the hyre of labourers whiche haue reaped downe your fields c. 272 5 How the faithful should behaue themselues towards c. 1080 5 Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed c. 574. 580 5 Ye haue liued in pleasure vppon earth and beene wanton c. 299. 300. 509. 5 If any be sicke amonge you let him send for the elders c. 1139 ¶ Out of the first Epistle of S. Peter 1 YE are redéemed not with gold and siluer c. 60. 770 1 We are borne a newe not of corruptible seed c 21 827 1 The prophets did search at what moment or minute of time the spirite c. 363 1 Hope perfectly in the grace which is brought vnto you c. 305 2 Feare God honour the king 151. 2 Christ his owne selfe bare oure sinnes in his body vpon the c. 568 2 Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood c. 1106 2 ChristiaÌ„s are called priests 879 2 As frée and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse c. 448 2 The foundation of the church is Châ—isâ— c. 861 2 Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man c. 107 3 The eyes of the Lord are vppon the iust c. 521 3 Touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel c. 239 3 That the Lord went in the spirit and preached vnto the spirits c. 66 3 Baptisme saueth vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh c. 983. 989 4 Dearely beloued thincke it not straunge that ye are tryed with fire c. 294 4 Sée that none of you be punished as a murtherer c 296 4 As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister y same c. 905 4 The Gospâ—ll was preached also to the dead c. 765 4 Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes c 584 4 The time is that iudgment must begin at the house of God c. 298 5 Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the diuel c. 749. 751 5 The elders that are among you I beséech c. 867 ¶ Out of the second Epistle of S. Peter 1 THe prophecie came not in old time by the will c. 10. 26. 717. 1 No prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation 907 2 God spared not the angels whiche sinned c. 745 2 The Lord knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation c. 174 2 There were false Prophetes among the people euen as c. 587 2 These are wells without water c. 449 3 In the Epistles of Paule many things are hard to be vnderstood c. 23. 24 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Iude. THe Angels which kept not their first estate c. 745 Iude saith that the Angel fought with Sathan the diuel c. 747 ¶ Out of the fâ—â—st Epistle of S. Iohn 1 That which we haue séene and heard we declare vnto you 81 1 The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from euery sinne c. 82. 552 2 If we say we haue no sinne wée deceiue c. 401. 496. 917 2 They went out from vs but they were none of vs c. 604. 819. 820. 2 Annoynting annoynted c. 180 2 And the annoynting whiche ye haue receiued of him c. 707. 726 2 By this we know that he dwelleth in vs by the spirit that he gaue c. 825 2 My babes these thinges write I vnto you c. 664 2 If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him c. 482. 483 2 Who is a lyar but hee that denieth that Iesus is Christ c. 629 3 Now are we the sonnes of god and yet it doth not appeare c. 727 3 We knowe that when he appeareth we shal be like vnto him 608 3 If we receiue y witnesse of men c. 550 3 Who so hath this worlds good séeth his brother haue c. 289. 1124 3 He that committeth sinne is of the diuel c. 485 3 My babes let vs not loue in word nor in tongue but in déede 96. 4 Beléeue not euery spirite but try the spirites c. 715. 839 4 Whosoeuer coÌ„fesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God c. 463. 825 4 Euery one that loueth him that begat c. 55. 826 4 By this we know his loue because he gaue his life c. 150. 825 4 Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God c. 688 4 Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome in you c. 727 4 God is loue he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God c. 825 5 If any man sée his brother sinne a sinne which is vnto death c. 519 5 He that beléeueth not God maketh him a lyar c. 48 5 For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world c. 54. 709 5 This is the loue of God that we kéepe his commaundements 409 5 And this is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske c. 54 ¶ Out of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn 1 FEare not I am the first and the last c. 836 1 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end c. 608 1 Iesus Christ prince of the kings of the earth loued vs c. 708 1 Iohn was banished into the Isle of 〈◊〉 c. 873 2 Remember from whence thou art fallen c. 593 2 To him that ouercometh I will giue to eate c. 863 3 These things saith he that is holy and true c. 836 4 And I saw another angel flying through the middst of heauen c. 653 6 Howe long 〈◊〉 thou Lord which art holy true c. 757. 766 7 After this I â—awe and behold a great companie c. 813 14 And I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead c. 780 17 Great Babylon the mother of whoredomes c. 869 18 Go out of her my people c 859 19 And I fell downe before the féeâ—e of the angel to worship him c 653 21 The fearefull and vnbeléeuing
weales or CongregatioÌ„s yea and that more is the most flourishing Kingdomes in all the world vnder their authoritie All the wysemen in the whole worlde I meane â—hose whiche liued in his time did reuerence Solomon a King and so great a Prophet and came vnto him from the very vtmoste endes of the worlde Daniel also had the preeminence among the wisemen at Babilon being then the moste renoumed Monarchie in all the worlde He was moreouer in great estimation with Darius Medus the Sonne of Astyages or Assuerus and also with Cyrus that moste excellent king And here it lyketh me well to speake somewhat of that diuine foreknowledge in our Prophets and moste assured foreshewing of things which were to come after many yeares passed And now to say nothing of others did not Esaias most truly foretell those things which were afterward fulfilled by the Iewes in our Lord Christ Not in vaine did he séeme to them of olde time to be rather an Euangelist then a Prophete foretelling thinges to come He did openly tel the name of king Cyrus one hundred and thréescore yeares at the least before that Cyrus was borne Daniel also was called of them in the olde time by the name of one whiche knewe muche For he did foretell those things whiche are and haue béen done in al the kingdomes of the world almost and among the people of God from his owne time vntil the time of Christ and further vntill the last day of Iudgement so plainely that hee may séeme to haue compiled an hystorie of those thinges whiche then were already gone and past Al these things I say doe very euidently proue that the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes are the very word of God with whiche name and title they are set fooâ—the in sundrie places of the Scriptures Verily Peter the Apostle saithe The prophecie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghoste And although God did largely clearly plainely and simply reueale his woâ—d to the world by the Patriarchs by Mâ—ses by the Priestes and Prophetes yet did he in the laste times of all by his Sonne set it forth moste clearely simply and aboundantly to al the worlde For the very and onely begotten Sonne of God the father as the Prophetes had foretolde descending from Heauen doth fulfill al what soeuer they foretolde and by the space almoste of thrée yeares dothe teach all pointes of Godlinesse For saith Iohn No man at any time hath seene God the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hathe declared him The Lord himselfe moreouer saith to his Disciples Al things which I haue herd of my Father haue I made knowne to you And again he saith I am the light of the world whosoeuer doth followe me doth not walke in darkenes but shall haue the light of life Our Lord also did teache that to him whiche would enter into Heauen and be saued the heauenly regeneration was néedeful bicause in the first byrth man is borne to death in the second to life But that that regeneration is made perfect in vs by the spirit of God whiche instrueteth our hartes in faith I say in faith in Christ who died for our sinnes rose againe for our iustification He taught that by that faith they whiche beleeue are iustified that out of the same faith doe growe sundrie fruites of charitie and innocencie to the bringing foorthe wherof he did most earnestly exhorte them He taught furthermore that he was the fulfilling or fulnes of the law and the Prophets and did also approue and expound the doctrine of Moses and the Prophetes To doctrine he ioyned diuerse miracles and benefites wherby he declared that he him selfe was that light of the world and the mightie bountifull redéemer of the world And to the intent that his doctrine and benefites might be knowne to all the worlde he chose to himselfe witnesses whome he called Apostles bicause he purposed to sende them to Preache throughout the world Those witnesses were simple men innocentes iust tellers of trueth without deceipt or subtilties and in all pointes holy and good whose names it is very profitable often to repeate in the Congregation The names of the Apostles are these Peter and Andrewe Iames and Iohn Philippe and Bartholomevve Thomas Mathevv Iames the soÌ„ne of Alphe Iudas his brother vvhose surname vvas Thaddaeus Simon and Iudas Iscariot into whose roome because he had betraied the Lord came Saint Matthias These had he by the space almoste of thrée yeares hearers of his heauenly doctrine and beholders of his diuine workes These after his ascension in to the Heauens did he by the holy ghost send downe from Heauen instruct with all kinde of faculties For as they were in the Scriptures passing skilful so were they not vnskilfull or wanting eloquence in any tongue And being once after this manner instructed they depart out of the Citie of Ierusalem and passe through the compasse of the earthe preaching to all people and Nations that which they had receiued to preach of the sauiour of the world the Lord Iesus Christ And when for certaine yeares they had preached by woord of mouth then did they also set downe in writing that whiche they had preached For some verily writ an hystorie of the words and deeds of Christ and some of the wordes and déedes of the Apostles Other some sent sondrie Epistles to diuers Nations In all which to confirme the trueth they vse the Scripture of the lawe and the Prophetes euen as we reade that the Lorde oftentimes did Moreouer to the twelue Apostles are ioyned two greate lightes of the world Iohn Baptiste then whom there was neuer any more holy borne of women and the chosen vessel Paule the greate teacher of the Gentiles Neither is it to be merueiled at that the forerunner and Apostles of Christ had always very great dignity and authoritie in the Churche For euen as they were the embassadours of the eternall King of all ages and of the whole worlde so being indued with the spirit of God they did nothing according to the iudgement of theyr owne mindes And the Lord by theyr ministerie wrought great myracles thereby to garnishe the ministerie of them and to commend their doctrine vnto vs And what may be thought of that moreouer that by that woorde of God they did conuert the whole world gathering together laying the foundations of notable Churches through out the compasse of the world which verely by mans counsell and wordes they had neuer béene able to haue brought to passe To this is further added that they whiche once leaned to this doctrine as a doctrine giuing life did not refuse to die Besides that how many soeuer had their beliefe in the doctrine of the Gospell they were not afraide through water fire swordes to cutte of this life and
God is reuealed in what manner it is to be hearde and what the force thereof is or the effect Our God is the God of all men and nations who according to the saying of the Apostle woulde haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth and therfore hath he for the benefite life and saluation of all men reuealed his worde that so in déede there might be a rule and certaine waye to leade men by the pathe of iustice into life euerlasting God verily in the olde time did shewe him selfe to the Israelites his holy and peculiar people more familiarly then to other nations as the Prophete sayth To Iacob hath he declared his statutes and his iudgementes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation neyther hath he shewed them his iudgementes and yet he hath not altogether bene carelesse of the Gentiles For as to the Niniuites he sent Ionas so Esaias Ieremias Daniell and the other Prophetes bestowed muche labour in teaching and admonishing the Gentiles And those moste auncient Fathers Noe Abraham and the rest did not onely instruct the Iewish people which descended of them but taught their other sonnes also the iudgementes of god Our Lorde Iesus Christe verily laying open the whole world before his disciples sayd Teach all nations Preache the Gospell to all creatures And when as Sainte Peter did not yet fully vnderstande that the Gentiles also did appertaine to the fellowship of the Churche of Christe and that to the Gentiles also did belong the preaching of the glad tydings of saluation purchased by Christe for the faythfull the Lord doth instruct him by a heauenly vision by speaking to him out of heauen and by the message which came from Cornelius as you knowe dearely beloued by the hystorie of the Actes of the Apostles Let vs therfore thinke my brethren that the worde of God and the holy Scriptures are reuealed to all men to all ages kindes degrées and states throughout the worlde For the Apostle Paule also confirming the same sayth Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may haue hope Let none of vs therefore hereafter say what néede I to care what is written to the Iewes in the olde Testament or what the apostles haue written to the Romanes to the Corinthians and to other nations I am a Christian The Prophets to the men of their time and the Apostles to those that liued in the same age with them did both preach and write For if we thinke vprightly of the matter we shall sée that the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes ought therefore to be receiued of vs euen bicause we are Christians For Christ our Sauiour and maister did referre vs to the written bookes of Moses and the Prophets Saint Paule the very elect instrument of Christ doth apply to vs the Sacramentes and examples of the olde Fathers that is to say Circumcision in baptisme Coloss 2. and the Paschall lambe in the Supper or Sacrament 1. Cor. 5. In the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle he applyeth sundry examples of the Fathers to vs And in the fourth to the Romans where he reasoneth of fayth whiche iustifieth without the helpe of works and the lawe he bringeth in the example of Abraham And therewithall addeth Neuerthelesse it is not written for Abraham alone that fayth was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whome it shal be reckoned if we beleeue c. By that meanes say some we shal againe be wrapped in the lawe we shall be inforced to be circumcised to sacrifice fleshe and bloud of beastes to admit againe the priesthood of Aaron together with the temple and the other ceremonies There shall againe be allowed the byll of diuorcement or putting away of a mans wife together with sufferaunce to marrie many wiues To these I aunswere that in the olde Testament we muste consider that some thinges there are whiche are for euer to be obserued and some thinges whiche are ceremoniall and suffered onely till time of amendement That time of amendment is the time of Christe who fulfilled the lawe and tooke awaye the curse of the lawe The same Christe chaunged Circumcision into Baptisme He with his owne only sacrifice made an end of all sacrifices so that nowe in steade of all sacrifices there is lefte to vs that onely sacrifice of Christe wherein also we learne to offer our own very bodies and prayers together with good déedes as spirituall sacrifices vnto god Christ changed the Priesthood of Aaron for his owne and the Priesthoode of al Christians The Temple of God are we in whom god by his spirit doth dwell All ceremonies did Christ make voide who also in the nineteene of Mathewe did abrogate the bill of diuorcement together with the marriage of many wiues But althoughe these Ceremonies and some externall actions were abrogated and cleane taken away by Christ that we should not be bound vnto them yet notwithstanding the Scripture whiche was published touching them was not taken awaye or else made voide by Christ For there must for euer be in the Churche of Christ a certaine testimoniall wherby we may learne what manner of worshippings and figures of Christ they of the olde time had Those worshippiÌ„gs figures of Christ must we at this day interprete to the Churche spiritually and out of them we muste no lesse then out of the writinges of the newe Testament preach Christ forgiuenes of sinnes and repentance So then to all Christians are the writinges of the olde Testament giuen by God in like manner as the Apostles writ to all Churches those thinges which bore the name or title of some particular Congregations And to this end is the woord of God reuealed to men that it may teache them what and what maÌ„ner one God is towardes men that he would haue them to be saued aâ—d that by faithe in Christ what Christ is and by what meanes saluation commeth what becommeth the true worshipers of God what they ought to flie and what to ensue Neither is it sufficient to know the wil of God vnlesse we do the same and be saued And for that cause sayde Moses Heare Israell the statutes and iudgements whiche I teache you that ye may doe them and liue And the Lorde in the Gospell confirming the same cryeth Blessed are they whiche heare the worde of God and keepe it And here is to be praysed the excéeding great goodnesse of God whiche would haue nothing hid froÌ„ vs whiche maketh any whit to liue rightly well and holily The wise and learned of this world doe for the most part beare enuy or grudge that other shoulde attaine vnto the true wisedome But our Lorde doth gently and of his own accorde offer to vs the whole knowledge of heauenly things and is desirous that we goe forward therein yea and that more is he doth further our
loased If sayth the Lorde in Ieremie ye can vndoe the league that I haue taken with the day or the couenant that I haue made with the night so that it neyther be day nor night at the appointed time then may my couenant be of none effect which I haue made with Dauid But not the whole worlde laying all their strengthes together is able to make it day when it is once Night nor cause the Daye to breake one howre sooner then the course of Heauen doth commaunde Therefore not all this worlde with all the powre and pompe therof shall be able once to weaken or breake to chaunge or abolish so much as one tittle in the word of God and the trueth of Godds worde Faith therefore which resteth vpon a thing most firme or sure can not choose but be an vndoubted certification And since Gods worde is the foundacion of Fayth Fayth can not wander to and fro and leane to euery worde whatsoeuer For euery opinion conceiued without the worde of God or against Gods word cannot be called true faith And for that cause S. Paule the Apostle of Christ would not ground the true or Christian faith vpon any carnall proppes or opinions of men but vpon the truth and power of god With his wordes will I conclude this place Fayth sayth he commeth of hearing and hearing by the worde of God. By the worde of God he saith and not by the worde of man Againe to the Corinthians My preaching saith he was not in entising wordes of mans wisedome but in the shewing forth of the spirite and of powre that your faith should not be in the wisedome of man but in the power of God. Whereby also we learne that some there are which against all reason require fayth at our handes that is they would haue vs to beléeue that which they are not able to shewe out of Gods worde or that which is cleane contrary to the word of god To the better declaring of this that I haue saide auaileth that short abridgement of Gods word and of fayth which we in the definition of fayth haue closely knitte vp together There are there rehearsed two chiefe â—oints of fayth and of the worde And first of al that God in Christ doth fréely promise life and euery good thinge For God who is the obiect or marke and foundation of fayth beinge of his owne proper nature euerliuing euerlasting good doth of himself from before al beginning beget the son like to himself in al points who bicause he is of the same substance with the father is himselfe also by nature life and all goodnesse And to the ende he might communicate to vs his Sonnes and brethren both life and all goodnesse he became man and being conuersant very God and man among men he testified that God the Father through the Sonne doeth powre himselfe wholly with all good things into the faithfull whom he quickneth and filleth with all goodnesse and last of all doeth take them vppe to himselfe into the blessed place of euerlasting life And that he doth frankly and fréely bestow this benefite to the ende that the glory of his grace may in all thinges be praysed This doth true fayth beleeue and herevnto belonge no small part of the scriptures which testifie that God in Christ doth communicate to the faithful life and al goodnes Iohn the Apostle cryeth out and sayth In the beginning was the word and the word was with God God was the word And the word became flesh dwelt amonge vs And we saw the glorie of God as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and truth And of his fulnesse haue all we receiued c. For the Lorde him selfe in the Gospell after Saint Iohn sayde Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer things the Father doth the same also doth the Sonne For euen as the Father doth raise the deade to life and quickneth theÌ„ so also doth the sonne quicken whom he will for neyther iudgeth the father any man but hath coÌ„mitted all iudgement to the sonne that all men may honour the sonne euen as they honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne the same honoureth not the father which hath sent him Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sente me hath life euerlasting and shal not come into iudgemente but is escaped from death vnto life With these woordes of the Gospell agreeth that sayinge of S. Paule In Christe are layde vp all the treasures of wysedome and knowledge Because in him dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godheade bodily and yee in him are fullyfilled But that these great benefits of God are freelie bestowed vppon the faithful Paule that Vessell of election declareth in these woords Blessed be God who hath chosen vs in Christe before the foundations of the world were layd and hath predestinated vs into the adoption of children through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe accordinge to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glorie of his grace wherein he hath made vs accepted in the beloued throughe whom wee haue redemption in his bloud c. And againe All haue sinned and haue neede of Gods glorie but are iustifyed freely throughe his grace by the redemption which is in Christe And so forward True fayth therefore doth beleeue that life and euery good thinge doth freely come to it from God through Christe which is the chiefe Article of our fayth as in the Articles of the beliefe is more largly layde forth The second principal point of Gods word and fayth is that in the word of God there is set downe all truth necessary to be beleeued and that true fayth doth beleeue all that is declared in the Scriptures For it telleth vs that God is what maner one hee is what Gods works are what his iudgments his wil his commaundements his promises what his threatnings are finally what soeuer is profitable or necessary to be beleeued that doth Gods worde who lie set downe vnto vs and that doth true fayth receiue beleeuing all thinges that are written in the Lawe and the Prophets in the Gospell and wrytinges of the Apostles But whatsoeuer caÌ„not be fetched or proued out of those writinges or whatsoeuer is contrary vnto them that do the faithful not beleeue at all â–ª For the very nature of true fayth is not to beleue that which squareth froÌ„ the worde of god Whosoeuer therefore beleeueth not the fables and opinions of men he alone beleeueth as he should for he dependeth onely vppon the worde of God and so vppon God himselfe the onely fountayne of all truth The matter the argumente and the whole summe of fayth is brieflye set oute vnto vs in the Articles of the Christian fayth whereof I will speake at another time I haue this houre declared vnto you decrely beloued and reuerende brethren in the Lorde the definition of faith which to the ende that
God as I declared in my laste Sermon and though man obtaine it by harkning vnto the word of God yet neuerthelesse it is wholy impated to the grace of god For vnlesse this grace do worke inwardly in the heart of the hearer the preacher that laboreth out wardly doth bring no profit at al. We reade in the third chapter of S. Augustins booke De praedestinatione SanctoruÌ„ That once he was in an errour bicause he thought that that faythe wherewith we beleeue in God is not the gift of God but that it was in vs as of our selues and that by it we do obtain the gifts of God wherby we may in this world liue rightly and holily But this he confuteth in that booke at large and that substantially So then true faith whiche bendeth on God alone and is directed by the worde of God is formall enough or sufficiently in fashion Verily the forme of fayth is ingrauen in the heart of the faythfull by the holy Ghost And althoughe it be small and dothe not growe vp to the highest degrée yet notwithstanding it is true fayth hauing force in it as it were a graine of mustarde seede The theef that was crucified with our Lorde beléeued in the Lord Iesus and was saued although the force of fayth was strong in him but a very small season and brought not foorthe any great store of the fruit of good works finally that faith of the théefe was not any whit diuers or contrarie from the faith of Saint Peter and Saint Paul but was altogether the very same with theirs althoughe their faith brought forth somwhat more aboundantly the fruite of good works Peter and Paul were franckly and fréely iustified althoughe they had many good workes fréely was the théef iustified although his good works were very few or none at all Let vs hold therefore that true fayth is one alone which notwithstanding doth increase is augmented and again may decrease be extinguished There remaineth nowe for me to declare the vertue and effect of true fayth This hath the holye Apostle Paule done very excellently well yea that most absolutely too But although in the eleuenth chapter to the Hebrues he had sayd very muche he is compelled notwithstanding to confesse that he can not reckon vp all therfore at this time I meane to rehearse a few vertues of fayth leauing the rest dearely beloued to be sought out and considered of your selues True fayth before al things bringeth with it true knowledge and maketh vs wise in déed For by fayth we knowe God and iudge aright of the iudgementes and workes of God of vertues and vices The wisdome that it bringeth with it is without doubte the true wisdome Many men hope that they can attaine to true wisdome by the studie of Philosophie but they are deceiued as farre as Heauen is broade For Philosophie dothe falsly iudge and faultily teach many things touching God the workes of God the chiefe goodnesse the ende of good and euill and touching things to be desired and eschued But the very same things are rightly and truely taught in the word of God and vnderstoode and perceiued by fayth Fayth therefore is the true wisdome and maketh vs wise in déede For Ieremie also sayth Behold they haue cast away the worde of the Lorde what wisedome therefore can there be left in them The wisedome of Solomon is worshipfully thought of throughout the whole compasse of the world And yet we reade that the Lord in the Gospell after S. Math. vttred this sentence against the Iewes The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it bycause she came from the endes of the worlde to heare the wisdome of Solomon and behold there is one in this place greater then Solomon Christe is preferred before Solomon and the wisedome of Christ before the wisdome of Solomon But it is well known that the wisedome of Christ the sonne of God can not be attained to without fayth Fayth therefore bringeth with it the most excelleÌ„t wisdome But herein this wisdome of ours deserueth a singular prayse bycause they that desire it are not sent to forreine nations with great cost laboure to learne it as to the priests of Egypt the Gymnosophistes of India the Philosophers of Greece or to the Rabines of the Iewes God hath dispersed the worde of God throughout the whole world so that now the word of faith is in the hearts of all the faithful For Paul the Apostle sayth Thus saith the iustice that is of faith say not in thy heart who shall descende into heaueÌ„ that is to fetch Christ downe from aboue Or who shal descend into the deepe that is to bring Christe from the dead againe But what saith he The word is nighe vnto thee euen in thy heart this same is the worde of faith which we preach for if thou coÌ„fesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and doest beleeue with thy heart that God hath raised him from the deade thou shalt be saued Faith therefore doth not only make vs wise but happy also the Lord him self bearing witnes thervnto saying to his disciples Happy are the eyes that see the things that ye se For I say vnto you that many Prophets and Kings haue desired to se the things that ye se and to heare the things that ye heare and heard theÌ„ not We shal therfore finde in faith a most certaine determination of the most notable question stirred in since the beginning of the worlde of learned most excellent wits which is by what meanes a man may liue be happy attaine to the chief goodnesse be ioyned to the chief goodnesse so be iustified There haue ben yea yet are diuers opinioÌ„s touching this matter contrary the one to the other But we do briefly truely affirme that by true faith a man doth liue is happy attaineth to the chief goodnesse is conioyned to the chief goodnes also iustified so the god dwelleth in vs we in him that by faith we are both happy and blessed What I pray you could haue ben spoken more excelleÌ„tly worthily or diuinely touching true faith for se faith quickneth vs maketh vs happy ioyneth vs to the chiefe goodnes so that he in vs we in him may liue faith doth also fully iustifie vs But nowe it is best to heare the testimonies out of the scriptures Faith maketh vs happy For to S. Pet. coÌ„fessing the Lord Iesus by true faith it is saide Happy art thou Simon the son of Ionas Flesh and bloude hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heaueÌ„ S. Paule for the proofe of faith bringeth in that sentence of Dauid Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiuâ—n whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the maÌ„ to whoÌ„ the Lord shal impute no sin Faith quickneth or maketh aliue Eor the iust liueth by faith This doth Paule very often in his
writings alledge out of the prophets The same Paul also saith The life which now I liue in fleshe I liue by faith in the son of god who loued me and gaue him self for me Faith ioyneth vs to the eternal chief goodnesse so maketh vs to inioy the chief goodnes that god may dwell in vs we in god For the Lorde Iesus him self in the Gospel saith He which eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me I in him As the louing father sēt me so also I liue by the father he that eteth me shal liue by me But to eate drink the Lord is to be léeue in the Lord the he hath giuē him self to death for vs Whervpon Iohn the Apostle saith We haue seene do witnesse that the father hath sent the son the sauiour of the world Whosoeuer shal confesse that Iesus is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and he in God. Wherfore also Paul saide I liue now not I but Christ liueth in me Moreouer faythe dothe iustifie But for bycause the treatise thereof can not be fitlye and fullye made an ende of this houre I meane to deferre it till the next Sermon that shall be At this present dearely beloued ye must remember that there is but one true fayth that is the Christian fayth For although there be said to be many fayths that is religions yet notwithstanding there is onely but one true and vndoubted fayth And that dothe increase and againe decrease in some men As for those in whom it is rightly and godly obserued in them it sheweth foorthe sundry vertues For it bringeth with it true wisedome finally it quickneth and maketh vs blessed and happy in déede To God the father the authour of all goodnesse and of our felicitie be all prayse and glory throughe Iesus Christ our Lorde for euer and euer Amen That the faithfull are iustified by fayth with out the lawe and workes ¶ The sixte Sermon BEing readye here dearely beloued to speake vnto you of fayth whiche without workes dothe iustifie them that beléeue I call vpon the Father whiche is in heauen through his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde beséeching him to open my mouth and lippes to the setting foorthe of his prayse and to illuminate your hearts that ye acknowledging the great benefite of God may become thankfull for it and holy in déede And first of all I will speake certaine things chiefly necessarie to this argument or treatise touching this terme of iustification The terme of iustifying very vsuall and common among the Hebrues and of a large signification is not at this day so wel vnderstoode of all men as it ought to be To iustifie is as muche to say as to quite from iudgement and from the denounced and vttered sentence of condemnation It signifieth to remit offences to cleanse to sanctifie ▪ and to giue vtterance of life euerlasting For it is a lawe terme belonging to courts where iudgement is exercised Imagine therefore that man is set before the iudgement seate of God and that there he is pleaded guiltie to wit that he is accused and conuinced of hainous offences and therefore sued to punishment or to the sentence of condēnation Imagine also that the sonne of God maketh intercession and commeth in as a meane desiring that vpon him may be layde the whole fault and punishment due vnto vs men that he by his death may cleanse them and take them away setting vs frée from death and giuing vs life euerlasting Imagine too that God the most highe and iust iudge receiueth the offer and trāslatet◠〈◊〉 punishment together with the fault from vs vnto the necke of his sonne making therwithall a statute that whosoeuer beléeueth that the son of God suffered for the sinnes of the world brake the power of death and deliuered vs from damnation shoulde be cleansed from his sinnes and made heire of life euerlasting Who therefore can be so dull of vnderstanding but maye perceiu◠that mankinde is iustified by fayth But that there may be no cause of doubt or darkenesse left in the mynde of any man that which I haue already spokē generally by the parable and similitude fetched from oure common lawe I will here particularly bring into certaine partes confirming and manifestly prouing euery one of them seuerally out of the holy Scriptures so that euen to the stoutest wittes the power of fayth and worke of iustification may be most euident And first I will shew vnto you that this terme of iustification is taken in this present treatise for the absolution and remission of sinnes for sanctification and adoption into the number of the sonnes of god In the .xiij. of the Actes the Apostle Paule sayth Be it knowne vnto you men and brethren that through this Lord Iesus Christ is preached vnto you the forgiunesse of sinnes and by him all that beleeue are iustified frō al things from which they could not be iustified by the law of Moses Sée in Christe is preached vnto vs the forgiuenesse of sinnes and he that beleueth that Christ preched forgiueth sinnes is also iustified It followeth therefore that iustification is the remission of sinnes In the fifth Chapter to the Romanes saythe the same Apostle Being iustified by the bloud of Christ we shall be saued from wrath through him But the bloud of Christ washeth away sinnes Iustification therefore is the washing away or forgiunesse of sinnes And againe in the same Chapter saythe he more plainly Iudgement entred by one offence vnto condemnation but the gifte of many sinnes vnto iustification He maketh iustification the contrarie to condemnation therfore iustification is the absolution and deliuerie from condemnation What say ye to this moreouer that he dothe plainely call iustification a gifte that is the forgiuenes of sinnes Herevnto also belong those words of his Euen as by the sinne of one condemnation came on all men so by the righteousnesse of one good came vpon all men to the iustification of life Here again is the iustification of life made the contrarie of condemnation vnto death set as a peine vpon our heads bycause of the transgression iustification of life therefore is an absolution from sinnes a deliuerie from death a quickning or translating from death to life For in the fourth to the Romanes the same Apostle expoundeth iustification by sanctification and sanctification by the remission of sinnes For intreating of fayth whereby we are iustified or whiche God imputeth to vs for righteousnesse without workes he sayth Euen as Dauid also dothe expounde the blessednesse of that man to whome the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuē and whose sinnes are couered What coulde be more plainely spoken then this For he doth euidently expounde iustification by sanctification and sanctification by the remission of sinnes Furthermore what else is sanctification but the adoption whereby we are receiued into the grace and number of the
of punishments are layd vpon mens neckes and that they are diuersly afflicted and vexed bycause of their offences But those afflictions how so euer they be patiently suffered of the faythfull do not yet wash sinnes away nor make satisfaction for misdéedes S. Peter sayth Marueile not that ye are tryed by fire which thing is done for your tryall as if any newe thing shoulde happen vnto you yea rather reioyce heerein that ye are partakers of the afflictions of Christ that in the reuelation also of his glory ye may reioyce and be glad This I say is the ende and vse of afflictions And by this means the glory of Christ indureth pure and vncorrupted It remayneth now for me to proue out of the holy Scriptures that God the father hath ordained that he whosoeuer doth beléeue in the onely begotten sonne of God shall be made partaker of Christe his righteousnesse that is shal be instified by him be absolued from his sinnes and be made heire of life euerlasting Esaias therfore saith In the acknowleging of him or in his knowledge shall my righteous seruaunt iustifie the multitude whose sinnes he him selfe shall beare But what else is the acknowledging or knowledge of Christ but true fayth Moreouer the Lorde Iesus him selfe in the gospel after Saint Iohn sayth And as Moses lifte vp the Serpente in the wildernesse euen so muste the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting There was none other remedy in the desart against the enuenomed bytings of the Serpentes but the contemplation or beholding of the Serpent lift vp and hanged aloft No plaster did cure them that were poisoned no oblation made to God not prayer it selfe offered to God not any worke nor any way else the onely beholding of the Serpent made the poyson harmelesse that then had crept into all their limmes In like manner nothing at all dothe saue vs from death but only faith in Christ For by fayth we behold and sée Christ lifted vp vpon the stake of the Crosse as it is to be seene in the sixte Chapter of Iohn It followeth in the words of our sauiour God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue life euerlasting For god sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the worlde but that the worlde through him might be saued He that beleeueth on him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already bycause he beleeueth not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God. By these words nowe the thirde time is fayth beaten into our heads by which we are made partakers of the Sonne of God of his life saluation redemption and all good things beside In the sixte Chapter of the Gospell after Iohn our Lorde againe sayth This is the will of the father whiche sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the laste daye Nothing can be alleged to make more for oure present argument then these wordes of his For he sayth plainely that the will of God the father is that we should beleeue in the sonne and by this beliefe haue our saluation Whervpon Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle in his Canonicall Epistle dareth burst foorth into these words He that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyar bycause he beleeued not the record that God gaue of his sonne And this is the recorde that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life Dearly beloued note this The eternal and vnchangeable wil of god is that he wil giue eternall life vnto the world But he will giue the life through Christe who is naturally life it selfe and can giue life The very same God also wil that we obtaine and haue life in vs and that we haue it no other wayes then by fayth For the Apostle Paule taught that Christ dothe dwell in our hearts by fayth Moreouer the Lord himself also witnesseth saith He that eateth me shall liue by me But ye knowe dearely beloued that to eate Christ is to beléeue in him And therfore we knit vp this place with these wordes of Sainte Peter To this Christe doe all the Prophetes beare witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shal receiue forgiunesse of sinnes through his name We haue in these a most ample testimonie of the whole sacred Scriptures By these I haue euidently inoughe delared that God hath appointed that whosoeuer dothe beléeue in Christ being clensed frō his sins shal be made heire of life euerlasting This will I make more euident yet by declaring how that fayth alone that is that fayth for it selfe and not for any workes of oures dothe iustifie the faythfull For it selfe I say not in respect that it is in vs a qualitie of the mynde or our owne worke in our selues but in respecte that faythe is the gifte of Gods grace hauing in it a promise of righteousnesse and life and in respect that naturally of it selfe it is a certaine and vndoubted persuasion resting vpon God and beléeuing that God being pacified by Christe hath throughe Christe bestowed lyfe and all good things on vs Therefore fayth for Christe and by the grace and promise of God dothe iustifie and so fayth that is that whiche we beléeue and wherein our confidence is setled God I say him self by the grace of god doth iustifie vs through our redemption in Christe so that now our owne workes or merites haue no place lefte to them at all I meane in iustificatiō For otherwise good workes haue their place in the faithfull as we in place conuenient doe meane to shewe For Paul the teacher of the gentiles doth in the waye of opposition compare Christe with Adam and sheweth that of Adam and so of oure owne nature and strength we haue nothing but sinne the wrath of God and death And this dothe he shewe vnder the name of Adam to the intent that no man shuld séeke for righteousnesse and life in the fleshe And againe on the other side he declareth that we by Christe haue righteousnesse the grace of God life and the forgiunesse of all our sinnes In this opposition he doth earnestly vrge and often repeate this worde Of one to no other end verily but that we shoulde vnderstande that faith alone doth iustifie To the Galathians he dothe very euidently vse this kinde of argument To the laste will and testament of a man if it once be proued no body doth adde or take any thing away Reason therefore doth rightly require that no man put to or take away any thing from the testament of god But this is the testament which god confirmed that his will is to bestowe the blessing vpon Abrahams séede not in many or by many
euerlasting he doth not by and by swell with pryde nor yet forget the merite of Christe but setting a godly and apte interpretation vpon suche like places he dothe consider that all thinges are of the grace of God and that so great things are attributed to the workes of men bycause they are receiued into grace and are nowe become the sonnes of God for Christ his sake so that at the last all things may be turned vpon Christe him selfe for whose sakes the godly knowe that they and all theirs are in fauour and accepted of God the Father In this that I haue sayde whiche is a little in déede in respecte of the largenesse of the matter but sufficiently long inoughe in respecte of one houres space appointed me to speake in I haue declared vnto you dearely beloued the great effect of fayth that is to say that it iustifieth the faithfull where by the way I haue rather briefly touched then at large discoursed vpon the whole worke of iustification both profitable and necessarie for all men to knowe Nowe therefore I passe ouer this and come to the rest True faythe is the welspring and roote of all vertues and good workes and firste of all it satisâ—ieth the minde and desire of man and maketh it quiet and ioyfull For the Lorde in the Gospel saith I am the breade of lyfe he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall not thirste at any time For what can he desire more whiche dothe already féele that by true fayth he possesseth the verie sonne of God in whome are all the heauenly treasures and in whome is all fulnesse and grace Our consciences are made cleare and quiet so soone as we perceiue that by true fayth Christe the Sonne of God is altogether oures that he hath appeased the father in our behalfe that he dothe nowe stande in the presence of the father and maketh intercession to him for vs And for that cause sayth Paul. Beeing iustified by sayth we haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christe Throughe the same Christe also by faythe we haue a frée passage vnto the Father Wherefore we praye to the Father in his Sonnes name and at his hande we oâ—taine al things that are auayleable to oure behoofe Very well therefore sayde the Apostle Iohn And this is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we knowe that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we knowe also that we haue the petitions that we requested at his handes They that want fayth doe neither praye to God nor yet receiue of him the thinges that are for their welfare Moreouer fayth maketh vs acceptable to God and doth commaund vs to haue an eye to the well vsing of Gods good giftes Fayth causeth vs not to faynte in tribulations yea also by faythe we ouercome the worlde the fleshe the Deuill and all aduersities As the Apostle Iohn sayth For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde And this is the victorie that vanquisheth the worlde euen your sayth Who is hee that ouercommeth the worlde but he that beleeueth that Iesus is the Sonne of God Paule sayth Some were racked not caring by faythe to be set at libertie that they might obtaine a better Resurrection Other some were tryed with mockes and stripes with fetters and imprisonmentes were stoned were hewed in peeces were slaine with the edge of the sworde they wandred in sheepes skinnes and goates skinnes comfortlesse oppressed afflicted of whome the worlde was not worthy wandring in desertes and mountaines and in the dennes and caues of the earth For the Lord him selfe in the Gospell sayde This spake I vnto you that ye might haue peace in me In the worlde ye haue affliction but be of good confidence I haue ouercome the worlde Fayth therefore both shall be and is the force and strength of patience Patience is the proppe vplifting and preseruation of hope Of fayth springeth charitie Charitie is the fulfilling of the lawe whiche containeth in it the summe of all good workes But vnlesse we haue a true fayth in God there is no charitie in vs Euery one that loueth him that begatte saythe Iohn the apostle loueth him also that is borne of him The houre is paste a good while since and no man is able in many houres so substancially as it requireth to declare the whole effecte of fayth Ye haue hearde dearely beloued that true fayth is the iustification of the Church or faythfull of God that it is I say the forgiunesse of all sinnes a receiuing into the grace of God a taking by adoption into the number of the Sonnes of God an assured and blessed sanctification and finally the welspring of all good workes Let vs therefore in true fayth praye to God the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that he will vouchsafe to fill our hartes with this true faith that in this present world being ioyned to him in fayth we may serue him as we ought and after our departure out of this life we maye for euer liue with him in whome we beléeue To him be prayse and glory for euer Amen Of the firste Articles of the Christian fayth contained in the Apostles Creede ¶ The seuenth Sermon IN my two last sermons I intreated of true fayth the effectes therof and among the reste in one place I sayde that the Articles of the Christian faith are as it were a briefe Summarie of true fayth nowe therefore I thinke it to be not beside the purpose and parte of my duetie to lay before you those twelue Articles of our belief For they are the substaÌ„ce and matter of true faithe wherein fayth is exercised whiche bycause it is the grounde of thinges hoped for here is plainely and briefly declared in these Articles what thinges those are that are to be hoped for But let no man at this present looke for at my hande the busie and full discourse of the Articles of our fayth I will but briefly goe through them touching only the moste necessarie pointes They are in another place handled more at large by seuerall partes Pray ye with me to the Lord that he will vouchsafe to shewe to vs his waies to guide and preserue vs in them to the glorie of his owne name and the euerlasting saluation of our soules First I haue to say somewhat touching the common name wherby the articles of our faith are vsually called the Symbole or Créede of the Apostles A Symbele is as much to say as a coÌ„ferring together or els a badge The articles are called a conferring together bicause by the laying together of the Apostles doctrine they were made and written to be a rule and an abridgement of the saith preached by the Apostles and receiued of the Catholique or vniuersal Churche But what he was that first did thus dispose and write these articles it is not
the right hande of the father is that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And in the Crade verilie it is expressly saide I belieue the forgiuenesse of sinnes and not of sinne For when wée saye of sinnes wée acknowledge that God forgiueth all sinnes For to let passe the proofes hereof out of the 3. and 5. of Paul to the Romanes those out of S. Iohn the Apostle Euangelist shal be suffcient who in his Epistle testifieth and saith The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from euery sinne Loe hee saith from euery sinne Hée I say that saith from euery one excepteth none vnlesse it be that which the Lorde himselfe excepted I meane the sinne against the holie Ghoste for which the verie same S. Iohn forbiddeth vs to pray Againe also hée saith If we acknowledge our sinns God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs froÌ„ al our vnrighteousnes The Apostle thought it not enough to say barelie To forgiue vs our sinnes but that hee might declare the thing as it is in deede so plainly that it might easily be vnderstoode hée addeth moreouer this saying And to cleÌ„se vs from al our vnrighteousnes Loe here hée saith againe from all vnrighteousnes And for because some cauiller mighte peraduenture make this obiectioÌ„ and say This kinde of doctrine maketh men sluggish slowe to amendment For men vnder the pretence of Gods grace will not ceasse to sinne therfore Iohn in his 2. Chap. answereth their obiection and saith Babes these things write I to you that yee sinne not and if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous And hee is the attonement for our sinnes not for our sinnes onelie but also for the sinnes of all the world Wherfore it is assuredly true that by the death of Christe all sinnes are forgiuen them that belieue Moreouer the Lorde alone forgiueth sinns For it is the glorie of God alone to forgiue sinnes and of vnrighteous to make men righteous Therefore wheras meÌ„ are said to forgiue sinnes that is to be vnderstood of their ministerie and not of their power The minister pronounceth to the people that for Christ his sake their sinns are forgiuen and in so saying hee deceyueth them not For God in deede forgiueth the sinns of them that belieue according to that saying Whose sinnes yee forgiue they are forgiuen them And this is done so often as the worde of the Gospel is preached so that there be no néede to faine that auricular coÌ„fession and priuate absolution at the priestes hand is necessarie for the remission of sinnes For as auricular confession was not in vse among the Saints before the comming of Christ so wée read not that the Apostles heard priuate confession or vsed priuate absolution in the Church of Christe It is enough for vs to confesse our sinnes to God who because he seeth our hartes ought therefore most rightlie to heare our confessions It is enough if wée as S. Iames teacheth vs do one to another betwixt our selues confesse our faultes and offences and so after pardon asked retourne into mutuall fauour againe It is enough for vs to heare the Gospel promising the forgiuenesse of our sinnes through Christe if wée belieue Let vs therefore belieue the forgiuenes of sinnes and pray to the Lord that hee will vouchsafe to giue and increase in vs this same beliefe These thinges were of olde and in the Primitiue Church effectuall enough to obtayne pardon and full remission of sinnes and as they were so are they vndoubtedly at this day sufficient too Furthermore the Lord doth so pardon our sinnes not that they should not be any more in vs nor leaue their reliques behind them as a sting in our flesh but that they should not be imputed to vs to our damnation Concupiscence sticketh faste and sheweth it selfe in our flesh striuing still with the good spirite of God euen in the holie ones so loÌ„g as life lastethon this earth Here therefore wée haue néede of long watching and much fasting to drawe from the flesh the nourishmeÌ„t of euil and often prayers to call to God for ayde that wée be not ouercome of the euill And if any man shal hap to fayle for féeblenesse and be subdued of temptation let him not yeld himselfe by lying stil to be caught in the deuils net let him rise vp againe by repentaunce and runne to Christ belieuing that by the death of Christ this fal of his shal be forgiuen him And so often shal hee haue recourse to him as hee shal be vanquished by concupisceÌ„ce and sinne For to this ende shoote all the exhortations of the Prophets and Apostles calling on still to returne to the Lord. Finally the Lord doth so forgiue our sinnes that hee wil neuer once remember them againe For so hee foretold vs by Iere. in his 31. Ca. Hâ—e therfore doth not punish vs For he hath not onely forgiuen the fault but also the punishment due for the sinne Now then whereas the Lord sometime doth whip vs with his scourges and whippeth vs for our sinnes in deede as the holie Scripture doth plainly declare hee doth it not to the intent that with our affliction wee should make satisfaction for the sinnes wée haue committed For then should the death of Christe be of none effecte but that Lord with whipping doth chastise vs by whipping vs doth let vs vnderstand that hée liketh not of the sinnes which wee haue committed and he doth fréelie forgiue By whipping vs also hée maketh vs exaÌ„ples to other least they sinne too and cutteth from vs all occasion of sinning and by the Crosse doth kéepe our patience in vre This thus farre touching the forgieuenesse of sinnes Of which I haue said somewhat in my sermon of fayth that iustifieth and else where The eleuenth article is this The resurrection of the flesh These two articles this and the twelfth shutte vp as brieflie as may bee the most excellent fruit of faith and summe of all perfection they wrap vp I say the end of fayth in confessing life euerlasting the ful perfeâ—t saluatioÌ„ of the whole meÌ„ For the whole man shal be saued as wel in Soule as bodie For as man by sinne did perish both in bodie soule so ought he to be restoared againe both bodilie and ghostlie and as hee oughte so was hee by Christe restored againe The Soule of man verilie is a spirite and dieth not at al the body is earthly and therefore dieth and rotteth For which cause many holde opinion that the bodies die neuer to be made partakers of ioye or paine in the world to come But wée in this article professe the contrarie acknowledging that those our bodies and so that fleshe of ours shall rise againe and enter into life euerlasting Of this word Resurrection or rising againe I haue spoken in the exposition of that Article The third day hée
in their SermoÌ„s did sharply accuse and euermore crie out vpon And in that sense and for that cause the people of Israel is many times called a carnall people not that all the Patriarchs and fathers before the comming of Christ were carnal or fleshly but for because they did as yet liue theÌ„ vnder those externall shadowes and outward figures and for because there were peraduenture amonge the people some that did not perceiue the spirituall thinges shadowed vnder those external figures and did thincke perhaps that they were acceptable to God for the woorking and doing of that externall woorke The second vse and an other office of the lawe is to teache them that are iustified in faith by Christ what to followe and what to eschue and how the godly and faithful sort should worship god For the lawe of God doth comprehend a most absolute doctrine both of faith in GOD and also of all good woorks For in the first vse of the lawe I declared how the Morall and Ceremoniall lawe doth teache vs faith in God and Christ his sonne and howe it bringeth man to the knowledge of himselfe that he may vnderstand how that in himselfe that is in the nature of man there is no good thing nor any life but that all the gifts of life of vertues and saluation are of God the father the onely wellspring of all goodnesse through Christ his sonne our sauiour In this second argument of the ende the vse or office of the lawe of GOD we must acknowledge all the formes of vertues and the treasure of all goodnesse to be set foorth vnto vs in the lawe of the Lord and that the Apostle applieth the precepts of the law to exhortation and consolation The first of the two tables of the Morall lawe doth teache vs what wee owe to God and how hee will be worshipped of vs The second table frameth the offices of life and teacheth vs howe to behaue our selues toward our neighbour The Ceremonies also doe beelonge to religion And the Iudicialls teach the gouernement of an house or a common weale so that by them wee may liue honestly amonge our selues and holilie to Godwards Therefore the lawe doth teach all iustice temperance fortitude and wisedome and in structeth a Godly man in euery good woorke wherin it is necessarie that an holy woorshipper of God should be instructed Wherfore so often as the holy Prophets of God would set vpp againe and restore the worship of God and true religion that was decayed so often as they would crie out vppon and rebuke the faultes and errours of men and lastly wheÌ„ they would teach them to doe those good woorkes which are good woorks in déed they led them alwayes vnto the lawe and cited all their testimonies out of the lawe Whereof we haue euident examples in the 15. Psalme of Dauid and in the first and 33. Chapiter of Esaies Prophecie and in the 18. of Ezechiel also Paule in the 13. to the Romans referreth all the offices of our life to y lawe of charitie For the Lord himselfe before Paule had done the same in the Gospell Moreouer the Prophete Dauid in the 94. Psalme crieth Blessed is the man O Lord whome thou instructest in thy lawe And in the 78. Psalme Hee made a couenaunt to Iacob and gaue a lawe in Israel that the posteritie might knowe it and put their trust in the Lord not forgett the woorkes of God but keepe his commaundements Againe in the 19. Psalme he saith The law of the Lord is an vndefiled lawe conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple the statues of the Lord are right and reioyce the heart the commaundement of the Lord is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lord is holy and endureth for euer the iudgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to bee desired are they than gold and pretious stone sweeter than honie and the honie combe And to this end tendeth the sense of all the Alphabetical Psalme which is in order of number the 119. The third vse or office of the lawe is to represse the vnrulie and those whome no reason can moue to orderlinesse the lawe commaundeth to constraine with punishment that honestie peace and publique tranquillitie may be mainteyned in ChristiaÌ„ common weales For some there are and that no small number of people which doe refraine from doing euill and liue somewhat tollerablie not so much for the loue of vertue as for the feare of punishment that will ensue their inordinate liuing Therfore it pleased the goodnesse of God by giuing the lawe to put in a caueat and to make a prouiso for the tranquillitie of mankind And to this it séemeth that the Apostle had an eye when he said Wee knowe that the lawe was not giuen to the iust but to the vniust to the lawelesse and disobedient to the vngodly and to sinners to vnholie vncleane to murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers to manslears to whoremongers to them that defile themselues with mankind to mansâ—ealers to lyers to periured and if there bee any other thing that is coÌ„trarie to hoalsome doctrine c. After the declaration of the vse the end and the office of the lawe I haue next to teache you howe and by what meanes the lawe of God is fulfilled It is vnpossible for any man of his owne strength to fulfill the lawe and fully to satisfie the will of God in all pointes For it is manifest that in the lawe there is not required the outward woorke onely but also the purenesse of the inward affections and as it were as I said euen nowe a certaine heauenly and absolute perfectnesse For the Lord himselfe in one place crieth Be ye perfect eueÌ„ as your father whiche is in heauen is perfecte But so absolute a perfectnesse is not found in vs so longe as wée liue in this fleshe For the fleshe euen to the very last ende of our life doth kéepe still her corrupt disposition and although it doth many times receiue an ouerthrow by the spirite that striueth against it yet doeth it still renue the fight so that in vs there is not found nor in our strength there doth remaine that heauenly and most absolute perfectnesse But let vs heare the testimonie of the holy Apostle Paul touching this matter who saith Wee knowe that the lawe is spiritual but I am carnall solde vnder sinne For that which I doe I allowe not For what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. And againe I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to wil is present with me but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good Againe I delight in the lawe of God after the inward man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the lawe of my mind and subduing me vnto the law of
sinne whiche is in my members And at the last he concludeth and saith So then with the minde I me selfe serue the lawe of God but with the flesh the law of sin Nowe some there are which thincke y Paule spake these wordes not of himselfe but of the person of others which were carnal men and not as yet regenerate But the very words of the Apostle doe enforce the reader whether he wil or no to confesse that the words recited may be applied eueÌ„ to the man that is most spiritual Augustine 1. lib. Retractat cap. 23. saith that he himselfe was sometime of opinion that those woords of the Apostle ought to be expounded of the man which was vnder the lawe and not vnder grace but hée confesseth that he was compelled by the authoritie of others writings treatises to thincke that the Apostle spake them of such men as were most spirituall of his owne person as he doth at large declare in his books against the Pelagians Euen S. Hierome also who is said to haue thundered out a most horrible curse against them that taught that the law did commaund things vnpossible doth expressly write to Rusticus that Paul in this place speaketh of his owne person But if the flesh and the corrupte disposition thereof remaine wherby it doth vncessaÌ„tly striue with the spirite then verily that heauenly perfectnâ—s is neuer perfecte in vs so longe as we liue so consequently so longe as we liue none of vs fulfilleth the law Here also is to be inserted that disputation of Paul where he proueth that no mortall maÌ„ is iustified by the workes of the lawe his meaning is not that no man is iustified by the very works of the law but that no man is iustified by the workes of our corrupt nature which doth not performe that whiche the lawe of God requireth For as the same Apostle saith it is not able to performe it And very well truly saith he We knowe that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ and we haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the lawe because by the deeds of the law no flesh shal be iustified Neither must we by the déedes of the lawe vnderstand the Ceremonies onely For euen as the Ceremonies do not so likewise do not the morals iustifie vs men The Apostle speaketh of the morals when he speaketh of the déeds of the law For in the 3. Chap. to the Romans the same Apostle saith By the deedes of the lawe there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight And immediately after he addeth the reason why saying For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But in the 7. cap. he sheweth by what lawe to wit the morall lawe For the moral law saith Thou shalt not lust But the Apostle saith I knew not sinne but by the law For I had not known coÌ„cupiscence if the lawe had not said thou shalt not lust In his Epistle to the Ephesians he speaketh to the Gentiles and saith simplie that workes do not iustifie But speaking to the Gentiles he could not meane it of the ceremoniall lawes but of the very morall vertues that is all kinds of workes y séemed to be good To the Galathians he saith As many as are of the deedes of the law are vnder the curse And to proue that he addeth For it is writteÌ„ Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to do theÌ„ Now vnlesse we do by the déeds of the lawe vnderstand the morals as wel as the ceremonials I doe not sée howe his proofe can hange to that which went before For he saith expressely In all things which are writteÌ„ in the booke of the lawe to do them Nowe who knoweth not that the ceremonials were not written alone but that the morals were written also And S. Augustine in his booke De spiritu litera Cap. 8. doth by many argumentes proue that Paule by the déeds of the lawe did vnderstand the morals also Nowe that wée may conclude this place I will héere recite the words of the Apostle in the 8. to the Romanes saying What the lawe could not doe in as much as it was weake thorough the flesh that God performed by sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinnefull flesh and by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the lawe might bee fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite The Apostle in these words teacheth vs two things First that the law neither can now nor neuer could iustifie vs men The fault of this weakenesse or lacke of abilitie he casteth not vpon the law which is of it selfe good and effectual is the doctrine of most absolute righteousnesse but he layeth the fault therof vpon our corrupt flesh Our flesh neither could nor can performe that whiche is required of vs by the law of god Whereupon S. Peter in the counsell held at HierusaleÌ„ is read to haue said Now therfore why tempt ye God to put on the disciples neckes the yoke which neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare The latter is inferred vpon the first to wit when the lawe could not giue vs life nor wée were able to do y which the law required at our hands theÌ„ God who is rich in mercie and goodnesse sent his sonne into the world that he being incarnate should die for vs and so take away the sinne of our imperfection bestow on vs his perfectnesse in faith being himselfe the perfectnes and fulnesse of the law By this therfore it is manifest y Christ hath fulfilled the lawe that he is the perfectnes of al the faithful in the world But here this place requireth a more ful exposition how Christ hath fulfilled the law how he is made our perfectnesse First of all whatsoeuer things are promised and prefigured in the lawe the Prophets all those hath Christ our lord fulfilled For those promises The seede of the woman shall crush the Serpents head In thee shall all the kindreds of the earth bee blessed other more innumerable like to these did our Lord fulfil wheÌ„ he being borne into this world made an attonement for vs brought backe life to vs againe In like maner he fulfilled all the ceremonials while he himselfe being both priest and sacrifice did offer vpp himselfe is now euer an effectuall and euerlasting sacrifice an eternall highe priest making intercession alwayes at the right hand of the father for all faithful beléeuers He also doth spiritually circuÌ„cise the faithful and hath giuen them in stéed of circumcision the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme He is our Passouer who in stéed of the Paschal lamb hath ordeined the Eucharist or supper of the lord Finally hee is the fulfilling and perfectnes of
the law and the Prophets Moreouer oure Lord fulfilled the lawe in that he did most absolutely in all poinctes satisfie the will of God being himselfe the holiest of all in whome there is no spot no euill concupiscence nor any sinne in him is the loue of God most perfecte righteousnesse altogether absolute which righteousnesse he doth fréely coÌ„municate to vs that are most vnperfect if wee beléeue and haue oure hope fast settled in him For hée forgiueth vs our sinnes being made a cleansing Sacrifice for vs and maketh vs partakers of his owne righteousnesse which is for that cause called Imputed righteousnesse Whereunto the testimonies of the Apostle do apperteine God saith Paul was in Christ recoÌ„ciling the world vnto himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them For him which knew not sinne he made sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God by him Againe Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse without workes So also if wee beleeue in God throughe Christ our faith shal be imputed to vs for righteousnesse For by faith we lay hold on Christ whom we beleue to haue made most absolute satisfaction to God for vs and so consequently that God for Christ his sake is pleased with vs and that the righteousnesse is imputed to vs as our owne and is in déed by gift our owne because wee are nowe the sonnes of God. These things being diligently weyyed it shal be easie for vs to aunswere them whiche make this question and doe demaunde since no mortall man doth of himself exactly satisfie the law Howe then is righteousnesse life and saluatioÌ„ promised to them that do obserue the lawe Our aunswere is forsoothe that that promise hath a respect to the perfect righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed vnto vs Otherwise it is assuredly certaine that the holy Scripture doth not so much as in one iote disagrée or square in any pointe from it selfe The Apostle doth plainly say If there had a lawe beene giuen which could haue giuen life then had righteousnesse beene of the lawe but now the Scripture hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that the promise might be giuen by faith to them that do beleeue Wherefore he kéepeth or doeth fulfil the lawe euen of the tenne commaundements who doth the thing for which the lawe was chiefly ordeyned But the lawe was chiefly ordeyned as I did declare a little before to the ende that it might conuince vs all of sinne and damnation and so by that meanes send vs from our selues and lead vs by the hand to Christe who is the fulfilling of the lawe vnto iustification to euery one that doeth beléeue And therefore hée doth fulfil and kéepe the lawe who hath no confidence in himselfe and his owne woorkes but committing himselfe to the very grace of God doth séeke all righteousnesse in the faith of Christ Whereuppon now it is euident that these two sentences of Christ oure Lord are of one sense meaning Whosoeuer beleeueth in mee he hath life euerlasting And If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements For Paule also in the 13. Chapiter of the Actes saith Be it knowen vnto you brethren that thorough Christe is preached to you the forgiuenesse of sinnes by him all that beleeue are iustified from all the thinges from which he could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses And to this place nowe belongeth all the woorke of iustification of whiche I haue at large disputed in an other place Now that faith wherewith we beleeue that Christ hath satisfied the law and that he is oure righteousnesse and our perfection is neither of our owne nature nor of our owne merits but is by the grace of God powred into vs through the holy spirit which is giuen into our hearts This spirite abiding in our heartes doth inflame our breastes with the loue and desire of Gods lawe to doe oure endeuoure to the expressing and shewing of the lawe in al our workes and conuersation Which desire and endeuour although they be neuer fully accomplished by reason of the sâ—eashes frailetie or weakenesse of mans nature which remayneth in vs euen till the last gaspe and end of our life is notwithstanding acceptable to God by grace for Christe his sake alone neither doeth anye Godly man put any confidence in this other but in the first fulfilling of the lawe as that which is onely absolute and perfecte For Paule in his Epistle to the Romans crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And yet immediatly after he answereth I thanke God. to wit because he hath redéemed me from death through Iesus Christ our lord So then I me selfe with the minde serue the law of God but with the fleshe the lawe of sinne There is then no damnation to them whiche are graffed in Christ Iesu which walk not after the fleshe but after the spirite c. Wherfore since we are in Christ we are in grace and therefore is God pleased with oure woorkes which being giuen to vs by faith and by the liberal spirite do procéede from an hart that loueth God the giuer of them all For Iohn saide This is the loue of God that we keepe his commaundementes And his commaundementes are not greeuous Hée addeth also the reason thereof and saith For al that is borne of God ouercoÌ„meth the world nowe euerie one is borne of God that doth beléeue as is declared in the first of Iohn By whiche it is easie to reconcile these 2. places which séeme at a blushe to iarre one with an other The lawes of God are heauie which neither we nor oure fathers were able to beare And The lawes of God are not greeuous or heauie to be borne For they are not heauie to the faithfull whiche are in Christ and to those which haue the gift of Gods spirite that is to those that are reconciled to God by Christe their Lord and Sauiour Without Christ faith in Christe they are most gréeuous and heauie to be borne of euery vnbeléeuer So the faithfull béeing stirred vpp by the spirite of God doth voluntarilie and of his owne accord do good to all men so farre as his abilitie doeth suffer him will not in any case do hurt to any man not forbecause hee feareth the punishment that in the law is appointed for the disobedient vniuste and wrongfull dealers but forbecause he loueth god And so also he fulfilleth the Iudicial lawe Here I know full well the thou wilt make this obiection and say if the law be fulfilled that the fulfilling thereof hath a place in the Sainctes faithful ones what néeded then I pray you the abrogating of the lawe What néeded Paule and all the best diuines to dispute so largely of the abrogation of the same I wil therefore say somewhat of the abrogation of the law first generallie then by partes peculiarly But first of all
worke and toyle There are also workemen to whome the Lorde in the Gospell commaundeth to paye the hire that is their due A woorke also is the thing which is made or expressed by the artificer or workeman For the Prophet Ieremie speaking of a potter saith He made a worke vpon a whéele Moreouer a woorke doth signifie an office or duetie For Paul saith do the worke meaning the office of an Euangelist And the holy Ghoste speaking in the church at Antioche saith Separate me Paule and Barnabas for the woorke whereunto I haue chosen them Furthermore the workes of the Lorde are the mightie déedes of God whereby he doeth declare his power and goodnesse vnto men and in that significatiō heauen earth and man him selfe are saide to be the workes of Gods hands Workes also are the benefites of God bestowed vppon vs men For in the Gospel he saith I haue shewed you manye good workes as if he should haue said I haue done you many good turnes There are also euil workes I meane workes of iniquitie Wherevppon some men are called woorkers of iniquitie whose déedes are the woorkes of the fleshe and of darknesse Againe there are good workes I meane sundrie vertues the fruites of faith of which sorte are iustice temperaunce charitie patience hope c. For the Lorde in the Gospell saide Let your light so shine beefore men that they may see your good workes and glorifie the father which is in heauen The Apostle saith that wee are made for good workes to walke in them Those same are called the fruites of repentance and woorkes worthie of repentance They are called the works of light and the fruites of the spirite The same are the workes of humanitie beneuolence and charitie suche are commended in Tabitha which is read to haue beene full of good works Paule saith Let vs woorke good while we haue time to all but especially to them of the houshold of faith Such a like worke of humanitie and charitie did Marie bestowe vppon Christe our Sauiour who saide She hath wrought a good worke on mee This beeing thus declared wee will nowe describe good woorkes in their colours and qualities Good workes are déedes or actions wrought of those which are regenerate by the spirite of God through faith and according to the worde of God to the glorie of God the honestie of life the profite of their neighbour This briefe description I will prosecute by partes and expounde so well as the Lorde shall giue mee grace First of all I will by proofe shewe that there is none other welspringe from whence good workes do flowe than God him selfe which is the author of all good thinges For the Prophet saith All men are lyars God alone doth speake the trueth And the Lorde in the Gospell saith None is good but God alone Good woorkes therefore must haue their beginning not of man who is a lyar and corrupt but of God him selfe the welspring of all goodnesse And God doeth by his spirite and by faith in Christe Iesus renue al men so that they being once regenerate doe no longer their owne that is the workes of the fleshe but the workes of the spirite of grace and of God him selfe For the woorkes of them that are regenerate doe growe vpp by the good spirite of God that is within them which spirite euen as the sappe giueth strength to trees to bring foorth fruite doth in like manner cause sundrie vertues to budde braunch out of vs men as the Lorde him selfe doth in the Gospell testifie saye I am the vine ye are the braunches As the braunche cannot beare fruite of it selfe vnlesse it abide in the vine so cannot ye also vnlesse ye abide in mee Whosoeuer abideth in mee and I in him hee bringeth foorth much fruite for without mee ye can do nothing To the same cause is that to be referred whereas wee say that a good worke is done by faith For faith is the gift of God whereby wée laye holde on Christe throughe which wée are both iustified and quickened as the Scipture saith The iust shal liue by his faith And in another place saith Paule By faith Christe dwelleth in our heartes And againe I liue yet now not I but Christe liueth in mee And the life which now I liue in the fleshe I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who loued mee and gaue him selfe for mee Nowe he that liueth doeth the workes of life through him no doubt by whome he is quickened and he that is iustified doeth the woorkes of righteousnesse through him that iustified him that is the righteous do through Christe woorke righteousnesse and righteousenesse conteineth the whole companie of vertues So then God alone remaineth stil the onely welspring and author of good woorkes But let vs nowe see the testimonies of Scripture by which wee may euidently learne that the workes of them that be regenerate are attributed to God him selfe who by his spirite and by faith doeth woorke in the heartes of the regenerate Moses testifieth saying The Lord shall blesse thee and the Lorde thy God shal circumcise thy hearte and the heart of thy seed that thou maist loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hearte and with all thy soule that thou maist liue Lo here the cause the godly men doe rightly loue the Lorde doth procéede of the circumcision of the heart Now who I praye you doth circumcise the hearte beside the Lorde The Prophet Esaie doeth more plainly saye Thou Lorde shalt ordeine peace for euen thou haste wrought all our workes in vs. In the Gospell after Sainct Iohn our Sauiour saith He that worketh veritie commeth to the light that his workes may be seene because they are wrought by God. And againe Whosoeuer abideth in mee and I in him he bringeth foorth much fruite For without mee ye can do nothing Paule also to the Philippians saith To you it is giuen for Christe not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for him And yet againe more plainly It is God that woorketh in you both to will and to doe accordinge to the good purpose of the minde Likewise also Sainct Iames saith Euerie good giuing and euerie perfecte gifte is from aboue and commeth from the father of lightes Moreouer Sainct Peter ascribing all the partes of good woorkes so God deeth saye The God of all grace who hath called you to his eternall glorie through Christe Iesus restore vpholde strengthen and stablishe you For wée are not able as Paule in an other place saith Of our selues to thinke any thinge as of our selues but all our abilitie is of God. Therefore God alone remayneth still the onely welspring of all good workes from whome as from a spring head good works do flowe into the Sainctes as into sundry streames and chanels Yet here by the waye this muste be added that good woorkes although they doe in deede procéede from God and are in verie true and proper phrase of
the same that the heate is Neither is it a good consequence to saye the Sunne giueth light to the worlde therefore the heate of the Sunne giueth light to the worlde Because in the Sunne the heate and light cannot be separated Yea rather the Sunne in respecte of his light doth lighten the worlde not in respect of the heate that it hath And yet the Sunne doeth both warme and lighten the earth at once In like manner wee are freely iustified by the mercifull grace of God for Christe his sake our Lordâ— and Sauioure not in respect and consideration of the works of Gracâ—â— that are found in vs although 〈◊〉 woorkes are ingendred and brought forth by that frée grace And so we must attribute all glorie wholy to the grace of God and not parte stakes with him and take to our owne share any parte of his glorie These wranglers haue yet another shifte and saye although we saye that eternall life is giuen by God to all faithfull beléeuers not for faith onely in Christ Iesus but also for the workes of faith all the glorie neuerthelesse shall redounde to God namely since we acknowledge and confesse that those workes are wrought in vs by the power and grace of god To this our answere is that glorie must so be giuen to God as he doth please to haue it giuen him If the will purpose and counsell of God were to receiue vs into his friendship for the workes sake which his spirite and grace doeth bring foorth in vs then should he vnaduisedly without discretion haue sent his onely begotteÌ„ sonne into the worlde and rashly haue appointed him to the terrible pangues of bitter death But God in all that he hath created either in heauen or earth much lesse in this case which is the greatest that belongeth to man the chiefe and most excellent creature that he hath made did neuer at any time doe any thing rashely without greate aduisement Wherefore it is assuredly certeine that it was neuer the counsell and purpose of God for our own good woorkes and vertues to redéeme vs from the tyrannie of Satan and to accept vs for his sonnes but for the only sacrifice and satisfaction of his onely begotten sonne Christe Iesus oure Lorde and Sauiour For the iudgement of Paule in this matter remaineth firme and inuincible where hee saith If righteousnesse come of the workes of the lawe then did Christe die in vaine And that diuine saying of Sainct Peter remaineth for euer vncomptroleable There is saluatioÌ„ in none other Againe they doe laye certeine places of Scripture together and therevpon do argue thus Although Paule in one place doth saye Ye are saued by grace through faith yet in another place the same Paule doth saye we are saued by hope Now who knoweth not that hope is as it were vpheld and strengthened by patience Christ him selfe in the Gospell agréeing therevnto and saying In your patience ye shal possesse your soules Therefore not faith onely but hope and patience doe bring vs to saluation To this we aunswere thus that the holie Apostle doeth sufficiently expound him selfe if a man will take the paines to read him through out and weigh with him selfe the end and cause for which he spake euery seuerall sentence Ye are saith he saued by grace through faith and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of woorkes least any man should boast c. Hath he not in these fewe wordes most euidently declared what his beléefe is touching grace or faith and workes who would desire a plainer spéeche There is none so verie a dorrhead as that hee vnderstandeth not that the benefite of saluation is wholie and merely ascribed to grace For hee doeth not diuide saluation or iustificatioÌ„ partly to faith or grace and partely to woorkes neither doeth hee attribute the firste place to faith and the seconde place to woorkes Hee doeth vtterly exclude all boasting Ye are saith he saued by grace through faith And immediately after hee addeth and that not of youre selues Hee annexeth the cause It is the gifte of God. And againe not of workes He sheweth why Least any man should boast Hee that vnderstandeth not this doth vndoubtedly vnderstand nothing at all He that wresteth or otherwise cauilleth at this doth speake againste the Sunne and saith that the light is darknesse Nowe whereas the same Apostle doeth in another place saye We are saued by hope it is by the marking of the whole place to be gathered that his meaning is as if hee had saide I told you that they which beléeue in Christ are the sonnes and heires of God and haue thereby their saluation and felicitie but I woulde haue euery one to vnderstande it in hope and expectation not in enioying the very thinge it selfe and present fruition Nowe who can herevppon inferre therefore hope doth iustifie But we do rather make this argument patience is no patience at all vnlesse the patient man be firste iustified by true faith therefore the commendation of patience doth wholy depende vppon faith and not the praise of faith vpon patience although faith be declared and shewed forth by patience For it t s a sentence vtterly vnworthie to come out of a Christian mannes mouth to saye that faith is made perfect by good workes that is to say where faith doth want a piece that there good workes do patch it vp For when wee name faith wee doe not name simplie the qualitie of beléeuing which is in our minâ—es but wee haue an eye to Christe him selfe our Lorde and Sauiour together with his righteousnesse and heauenly giftes vppon whome alone as vppon a base and sure foundation our faith doeth rest and firmely stande But to go about to supply the want of any thinge in Christe Iesus is nothing else but with diuelish blasphemie to disgrace the sonne of god The faith of Sainctes I confesse doth declare shewe it selfe by woorkes but it followeth not there vppon that workes do therefore make perfect that which séemeth to be wanting in Christ his perfectioÌ„ For there is nothinge lacking in our deliuerance redemption and iustification wrought by Christ The Apostle Iames did saye in déede Seest thou howe faith was made perfect by workes but his meaning was none other but to say seest thou howe faith by the workes which followed it did declare it selfe to be a true and righteous faith and not an hypocriticall faith For before these woordes he saide Seest thou howe his faith was effectuall through workes Againe the Apostle Paule saide I fulfill that which is lacking to the afflictions of Christe in my fleshe for his bodies sake which is the church But you may better translate the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be that rather which is behinde than that which is lacking to the afflictions of Christ For the Gréekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only those thinges that are wanting but also the remnant which word Sainct Ambrose also vsed I meane
merits while he crowneth he crowneth his owne giftes In all this therefore the Ecclesiasticall Apostolique doctrine remayneth still immutable and vnreproueable That we are iustified and saued by the grace of God through faith and not throughe our owne good woorkes or merits Wee doe nowe againe returne to good workes and are come to expound the description or definition of good woorks which we did set downe in the beginning of this treatise Now therfore vnlesse oure workes doe spring in vs from God throughe faith they cannot haue the name of Good Workes But contrarilie if they doe procéede from God through faith then are they also framed according to the rule of the word of god And for that cause did I in the definition of good workes significantly saye That they are done of them which are regenerate by the good spirite of God through faith according to the word of god For God is not pleased with the workes which we of our selues doe of our owne braines authoritie without warrantize of his word imagine deuise For the thing that he doeth most of all like and looke for in vs is faith and obedience which is most euident to be séene in the verie example of our graundfather Adam and coÌ„trarilie he doth mislike and vtterly reiecte the woorkes of our owne choice our good intents which spring in and rise vpon our owne minds and iudgementes as I will by these testimonies of scripture declare vnto you In the 12. of Deuteronomie we read Euerie man shall not doe that which is righteous in his owne eyes Whatsoeuer I commaund you that shall ye obserue to doe it neither shalt thou ad any thing to it nor take any thing from it Moreouer in the historie of Samuel there is a notable example of this matter to be séene For Saule the king of Israel receiued a commaundement to kill all the Amalechites with all their beasts and cattell but he contrarie to the precept throughe a good intent as he thought of his owne and for a religious zeales sake of his owne chosing reserued the fattest Oxen for to be sacrificed for that cause the Prophete came and said vnto him Is a sacrifice so pleasant acceptable to the Lord as obedieÌ„ce is Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fatt of ramms For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornnesse is as the vanitie of Idolatrie Lo here in these few words thou hast the goodly praise and commendation of the religion of our owne inuenting and of our owne good workes which doe arise of oure owne good intents and purposes They whiche doe neglecte the preceptes of the Lord to follow their owne good intents and forecastings are flatly called witches Apostataes wicked idolaters They seeme in their owne eyes verilie to be â—ellie fellowes and true worshippers of God and zealous followers of the traditions of the holy fathers bishops kinges and princes but God whiche cannot lye doeth flatly pronounce that their woorkes doe differ nothing from witchcraft Apostacie blasphemous idolatrie than which there can bée nothing more heynous by any meanes deuised Therefore the Lord in the Gospell citing that place out of Esaies Prophecie doth plainly condemne reiecte and treade vnder foote all those workes which we choose to our selues hauing their beginning of oure owne good inteates and purposes where hee sayeth In vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching doctrines the precepts of men Euerie planting which my father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde And therevppon it is that S. Paule did so boldly affirme that the precepts of men are contrarie to the truth and are meere lyes The same Paule in one place sayeth Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And in another place Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Wherevppon we may gather that the woorkes whiche are not framed by the expresse word of God or by a sure consequence deriued from it are so farre from béeing good workes that they are plainly called sinnes Inforce thou I pray thée neuer so great a good turne vpon a man against his will sée what fauour thou shalt winne at his hand and howe thou shalt please him with that inforced benefite Therefore good woorkes do first of all require the precise expresse obseruing of Gods wil to which alone they ought to tend In his Epistle to the Colossians the same Apostle doeth openly condemne the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the voluntarie religion which they of their owne choyce and minde brought in to bee obserued And what néede haue wée I pray you to inuent to our selues other newe kindes of good woorkes considering that we haue not yet done those woorkes whiche God himselfe prescribeth and doth in expresse words require at our handes By this now oure aduersaries maye perceiue that wée doe not altogether simplie condemne good woorkes but those alone whiche wée by reiecting the woord of GOD doe first set abroache by oure owne imaginations and phantasticall inuentions of which sort are many vpstart woorkes of our holy Monkes and sacrificing shauelinges But to conclude the workes that are repugnaunt to the word of God are by no meanes worthie of any place or honour And that wée maye more rightly perceiue the sense or meaning of good woorkes wée must in mine opinion diligently obserue these wordes of the Apostle We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good woorkes which God hath before ordeined that we should walke in them Hee maketh here two notes concerning those that are good woorkes in deede The first is Wee are sayeth hée created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes It doth therefore necessarilie followe that good workes are wrought of him whiche is by true faith graffed in Christ Iesu For vnlesse the braunche abide in the vine it cannot bring forth fruite All the workes therefore of the faithfull howsoeuer they shine with the title of righteousnesse are notwithstaÌ„ding not good woorkes in verie déede The latter is Whiche God hath before ordeyned that wee should walke in them We must not therfore make accompt that all the workes which men maye doe are to be counted good woorkes in déed but those onely which God hath ordeyned of old that wée should walke in them Now what workes those be the Lord in his lawe whiche is the eternall will of God hath verie plainely expressed And therevppon it is that the Lord in the Gospel being demanded questions concerning eternal life and the very true vertues sendeth the demaunder vnto the lawe and sayth What is written in the lawe And againe If thou wilt enter into life kepe the commaundements Therefore the tenne commaundementes are a most sure and absolute platforme of good woorkes Which that ye may the better vnderstand I will briefly recapitulate and as it were in a picture laye it before your eyes To
blasphemers of the Gospell of Christ do sinne more grieuously than the Sodomites did and that God which is a sure reuenger will surely plague them for it either in this life or in the worlde to come or else in both with vnspeakeable miseries and endlesse torments Let vs therefore beléeue the Gospell of the sonne of God firste preached to the worlde by God the father then by the Patriarches after that of the Prophets and lastely of the onely begotten sonne of God Christ Iesus his Apostles whose heauenly voyce doth euen at this daye sounde to vs in the mouthes of the mynisters sincerely preaching the Gospel vnto vs. Secondarily wee haue to consider what it is that the heauenly preaching of the Gospell doeth shewe vnto the worlde to wite the Grace of God our heauenly father For the Apostle Paule in the twentieth Chapter of the Actes saith that hee receiued the ministerie of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the Grace of God. Nowe therefore I will at this present saye so much of the grace of GOD as is sufficient for this place The woorde grace is diuersly vsed in the holie Scriptures euen as it is in prophane writinges also For in the Bible it signifieth Thankesgiuinge and also a Benefite and almes as 2. Cor. 8. Moreouer it signifieth prayse and recompence as in that place where the Apostle saith If when ye do well ye are afflicted yet do beare it that is praisworthie before God. It doeth also signifie facultie or licence as when wee saye that one hath gotten grace to teache and execute an office For the Apostle saith that he receiued grace and immediately to expounde his owne meaning hee addeth to execute the office of an Apostle Moreouer the gifts of God are called grace because they are giuen gratis and fréely bestowed without looking for of any recompēce And yet Paule in the fifte to the Romanes distinguisheth a gifte from grace For Grace doth signifie the fauour and good will of God towarde vs But a gifte is the thinge whiche God doth giue vs of that good wil such as are faith constancie and integritie They are saide to haue founde Grace with God whome God doeth dearely loue and fauour more than other In that sense Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde Ioseph founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde of the prison And the holie virgin is read to haue founde grace with the Lorde because shee was beloued of God and verie deare vnto the Lord as shée whome he had singularly chosen from among all other women But in this place and present argument Grace is the fauour goodnesse of the eternall godhead wherwith he according to his incomprehensible goodnesse doeth gratis fréely for Christe his sake imbrace call iustifie and saue vs mortall men Nowe here mée thinketh before wee go anye further it is not amisse to examine and search out the cause of this Gods loue to vs exhibited For we sée that there is a certein relatiō betwixt the fauour of God vs men to whom his fauour is so bent It is a matter neither hard nor tedious to be found out For in vs there is nothing wherewith God can be in loue or wherewithall hee may be moued or stirred vp to imbrace vs yea in so much as wee are all vnpure sinners and that God is holye iuste and a reuenger of iniquities he hath matter ynoughe to finde in vs for which he may be angrie at and with iust reuengement plague vs So then the cause of Gods loue to vs wardes must of necessitie be not in vs nor in any other thing beside God considering that nothinge is more excellent than man but euen in God him self Moreouer the moste true Scripture doth teach vs that God is of his owne inclination naturally good gentle as Paul calleth him Philanthropon a louer of vs men who hath sent his owne sonne of his owne nature into the worlde for our redemption whervppon it doeth consequently followe that God doth fréely of him selfe and for his sonnes sake loue man and not for any other cause Whereby immediately all the preparamentes incitaments and merites of men beeing dissolued by the fire of Gods greate loue doe vade and passe awaye like smoke For the grace of God is altogether free and vnlesse it be so I cannot sée howe it can bee called Grace But it behoueth vs in a thing so weightie to cite some euident testimonies of the holie Scripture to confirme our mindes withall against all sophistical trifles and temptations of the diuell Our Lorde in the Gospell said So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne for the world that euery one which beleue in him shuld not perish but haue life euerlasting Loe here this goodwill of God which is the fauour and loue wherwith God embraceth vs is the cause of oure saluation For Christ hauing suffered for vs is our saluation Now God of verie loue hath giuen Christ both to vs for vs Neither may we thincke that God was first moued by oure loue to him ward to shewe like mutuall loue to vs againe and to giue his sonne for vs For he had determined before the beginning of the world to woorke our redemption through Christ his sonne And Iohn the Euangeliste in his Canonical Epistle sayth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs and sent his sonne to be an attonement for our sinnes To these testimonies although sufficiently plaine and stronge enough I will yet add some proofes out of the Apostle Paul y so this argument may be more euident that the great agréement may appeare which is betwixt Euangelists and Apostles in this doctrine of grace Paule therfore sayeth All haue sinned stand in neede of the glorie of God but are iustified freely by his grace thorough the redemption that is in Christ Iesu Againe to the Ephesians he sayeth Ye are saued thorough grace by faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least any man should boast Againe to Titus The grace and loue of God our Sauiour towards all men hath appeared not of the woorkes of our owne righteousnesse which he did but according to his mercie hath he saued vs. Likewise in the 2. Epistle to Timothie the first Chapiter he sayeth God hath saued vs and hath called vs with an holie calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus I thinke verilie that if a man had béene sett of purpose to haue feigned any thing for the defence of this matter hee could not haue framed any sentence so fitt and euident as these woordes are So nowe it is manifest that the grace of God is altogether frée as that which excludeth all our woorks and merits And this frée loue of God is the only cause and true beginning of the Gospell For
if he had saide men are iustified for Christ his sake by the méere grace or mercie of God without anye helpe or merite of their owne If so be they do but beléeue that God hath giuen his sonne to the worlde to shedd his bloud and to reconcile the purified sinners vnto his father in heauen In which wordes there are moste fully and plainly declared the whole manner and order of sanctifying purifying and iustifying of sinners But it is good here to repeate the Apostles woordes and more nerely to examine and deepely to consider them They are saith hee freely iustified But wherefore freely because forsooth they are iustified by the meere grace of God without the helpe of their owne workes or merites For all men are sinners and therefore they haue nothinge of them selues to alledge for their iustification wherevppon it followeth that since some are iustified they are iustified freely by the grace of god For the same Apostle in the eleuenth to the Romanes saith If wee bee saued by grace then nowe not of woorkes for then grace is no more grace but if by workes then is it nowe no grace But there followeth in Paule immediately that which doth yet make that argument more manifest which is notwithstanding verie manifest alreadie through the redemption saith he that is in Christe Our righteousenesse and saluation is the worke of méere grace because we are redéemed For in respecte of our selues our workes and merites wee were the seruaunts of death and the diuell in so muche as wee were sinners and subiecte to sinne But God by sending his sonne redeemed vs when as yet beeinge his enimies wee were bounde to the diuell his open aduersarie Therefore hee did fréely redéeme vs as Esaye the Prophet did in his 52. Chapter plainly foretell that it should come to passe But true saluation is not in any other whatsoeuer he bee saue in Christ alone oure true Lorde and Sauiour For the heauenly father did by his eternall counsell set forth his sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe to bee our propitiation to wite that hee might bee our reconciliation for whose sake onely the father being pacified adopteâ—h vs into the number of the sonnes of GOD which is accomplished by none other way but through faith in his bloud that is if wee beléeue that the sonne being sent of the father did shedde his bloud thereby to set vs cleansed iustified and sanctified before his heauenly father Wherin we sée againe that our saluation doth freely consiste in faith in Iesus Christ These poyntes beeing thus vnfolded the Apostle procéedinge to shewe howe farre the benefite of redemption and iustification doth stretche doth immediately adde To declare his righteousnes by the forgiuenesse of the sinnes that are past which GOD did suffer to shewe at this time his righteousenesse God saith he hath set forth Christ to be the onely propitiation that hee might shewe that there is but one and the same righteousenesse of all ages Christ I saye him selfe who is the righteousenesse of all that beleeue Nowe heere hee maketh mention of two seuerall times that auncieÌ„t age of the fathers and this present tyme wherein wee nowe liue The auncient age is that which went before the comming of Christ This latter age of ours is that which beginneth at Christe is nowe at this present and shal bee extended to the ende of the worlde And God verily did of his long sufferaunce beare with and suffer the sinnes of that olde age for Christe his sake by whome and for whome hee hath forgiuen them Neither doeth he set beefore vs at this daye any other righteousenesse saue Christe alone to be receiued and embraced by faith For the Apostle doeth not obscurely afterwarde adde That he might be iust and the iustifier of them that beleeue on Iesus As if he should haue saide nowe the meaninge of all this is that we should vnderstand that all men are vnrighteous and altogether sinners but that God alone is righteous without whome there is no righteousenesse at all and that hee doeth communicate his righteousenesse to all them that do beléeue in Cstriste to wite which do beléeue that for Christ his sake the father is pleased and recoÌ„ciled vnto vs and that for him we are reputed both iust and holie By these woordes of the Apostle there are two verie wicked and blasphemous errours of certeine fellowes notably refuted The one of the twaine is the errour of them whiche saye that oure fathers were iustified not by faith in Christ but by the law and their owne merites affirminge that Christ suffred not for the fathers but for them alone that liued when he was vppon the earth and for them that followed after his death The other errour is theirs which saye that Christ offered vp his bodie for the fathers for originall sinne onely not for vs and all our sinnes and therefore that wee must make satisfaction for our owne sinnes But the Apostle Paule doeth in this place condemne both these opinions And the holie Euangelist Iohn agréeing with Paule doth saye The bloud of the sonne of GOD doeth cleanse vs from all sinne for he is the propitiation for our sinnes not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of all the worlde Therefore the merite of Christ his redemption doth extende it selfe to all the faithfull of both the testaments The Apostle Paul procéedeth vpon that which he had saide hee inferreth Where is the boasting it is excluded By what lawe Of woorkes Naye but by the lawe of faith He gathereth by the Euangelicall doctrine hetherto taught that all the boasting of euery mannes owne righteousenesse and all the bragginge of euerye ones merites is vtterly taken away altogether exempted and vanished Not by the lawe of woorkes that is not by the doctrine concerning works which is wont for the moste parte to puffe men vpp and make them swel but by the lawe of faith that is by the doctrine concerning faith which doth emptie and leaue in vs nothinge but an humble confession and acknowledging of our owne lacke of merites attributing all oure helpe to grace in Christ Iesus And at the last gathering the cheefe proposition hee sayth We do therefore holde that a man is iustified without the woorkes of the lawe This is the summe and breuiarie of the whole Gospell that wee are iustified that is to saye absolued from sinnes from the definitiue sentence of death and damnation and sanctified and adopted into the number of the sonnes of God by faith that is by an assured confidence in the name of Christe which is giuen by the father to be our onely Sauiour And here are workes by name excluded to the ende there should be giuen to vs no occasion to entangle faith with workes or to attribute to workes the glorie title due to faith alone or rather to Christe vppon whome our faith is grounded and vphelde This proposition beeing once put foorth he doth presently after coÌ„firme with argumentes shewing withall
our Lord declared and expounded by the same Apostle Paule Nowe Abraham and Dauid were alwayes men of chiefe accompt in the Church of god With whiche twaine the whole companye of the Prophets doe wholie agree For the Apostle Peter saith All the Prophets bare wittnesse to Christe that by his name euery one whiche doeth beleeue in him shoulde receiue remission of his sinnes And euen nowe by the mouth of Paule wee hearde saye that by the testimonies of the lawe and the Prophetes it is proued That the righteousenesse of God is freely bestowed by faith with out the Lawe We haue also the verie sonne of God Iesus Christe our Lorde whose authoritie excelling farre all y worldes beside may confirme vs well enough in this péece of doctrine For he as it were in certeine assembled counsels did determine and decree that which we in this place do counsell al men to reteine For hauing gathered togeather his disciples at Caesarea Philippi he demaunded of them what men did thinke of him Nowe when they answered diuersly according to the diuersitie of opinions that the common people had of him hee inquired of theÌ„ what they them selues thought of him Then Peter in the name of all the rest saide Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. To whome the Lorde replyed Happie art thou Simon Bar Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heauen In these woordes hee concludeth two seuerall thinges First that true faith doeth make vs happie Neither is it to be doubted but that to make happie is vsed here in that signification which ye hearde out of Paule euen nowe that Dauid vsed it in Lastly that that sanctifying faith is not the woorke of oure owne nature but the heauenly gifte of god And then also he taketh occasion vppon that notable confession of true faith to giue a newe name to Simon Peter for the eternall memorie of the thinge and for the imprintinge of the signification of that mysterie in all mennes mindes Peter confessed that Christ was a stone or rocke Therefore Christe syrnameth Peter a Petra that is a stone as if one shoulde call him a liuinge stone layde vppon a liuing stone or of Christe a Christian Yea and leaste peraduenture any man shoulde tye the thinge vniuersally beelonginge to the whole churche vnto Peter alone the Lorde him selfe doth apply it vnto all the Churche and saith And vpon this stone will I buylde my churche and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it As if he should haue sayd that which nowe is done in thee Peter shall hereafter bee done in all the faithfull Thou by faith art layde vpon me which am the stone and arte made a member of the Church I therefore do ordeine that whosoeuer confesseth mee to be the stone shal be a member of the Churche sanctified iustified and deliuered from the diuell and the power of death Thy confession that is I Christe the sonne of God whome thou confessest shal be the foundation of the Churche vppon whiche foundation whosoeuer are layde they shal be iustified and fréely saued For Paule also saide An other foundation cannot be layd than that that is alreadie layde which is Christ Iesus And the Apostle Iohn saith This is the victorie that hath ouercome the worlde euen your faith Nowe least Peter and his other fellowe disciples shoulde not knowe the waye howe other men shoulde be admitted into the fellowship of the Churche and receiued into the communion of Christe he addeth immediately And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shal bee loosed in heauen c. He gaue the keyes when hee sent the Apostles to preache the Gospell Therefore by the preaching of the Gospell which is the keye of the kingdome of heauen is heauen opened and the waye poynted out howe we being graffed in Christe the church may bee made the heires of eternall life to wite through faith in Christe which wee are taught by the Gospell of Christe Thus much touching the counsell wherof Christ himself was PresideÌ„t helde at Caesarea Philippi There is extant in Iohn an other counsell held at Capernaum both famous and ful of people For in a greate multitude of his Disciples and other men hee doeth determine that eternall life is gotten by faith in Christe and that there is none other waye for vs to come to life than this To eate his fleshe and to drinke his bloud that is to beléeue in him And when amongâ— the audience there was a Schisme by reason that many reuolted from Christe hee demaunded of them that were his neerest disciples whether they also woulde forsake him then Pâ—ter in the name of all the rest did aunswere since in thee O Christe there is life and saluation if wee departe from thee wee cannot bee partakers of lifâ— and therefore by faith wee will â—â—rmely sticke and cleaue close to thee for euer Moreouer here are to be reckoned two counsels also that were helde by the Apostles The one of whiche no man can denye to bee verie generall or vniuersall For in it there were dâ—uout men of euery nation vnder heauen In that counsell did Peter the Apostle in expresse wordes teache that Christe is the Sauiour of the worlde whome whosoeuer beléeueth hee shall haue life euerlasting The place is knowen in the Actes of the Apostles the second Chapter Before the chiefe of the Iewes the same Apostle declareth that there is saluation in none other than in Christ alone The place is extante in the Actes of the Apostles the thirde Chapter The like hee doeth to the firste fruites of the Gentiles Cornelius and his housholde in the tenth Chapter The seconde counsell which was famous also and passingly adorned with all good giftes is described in the fiftéenth Chapter of the Actes in whichâ— Counsell this proposition was allowed That faith without woorkes doth iustifie freely Touching which matter I haue spoken at large in an other place Nowe by all this I woulde haue it proued that the doctrine of Faith that iustifieth without woorkes ought to bée reteined vnmingled and vncorrupte in the Churche because as I maye so saye it is moste Catholique and altogether vnreproueable to the breache whereof this cuâ—sse or Anathematisme of the Apostle is added sayinge If wee or an Angel from Heauen shall preache to you anye other Gospell than that whiche we haue preached let him bee accursed The seconde cause why it is expedient that this doctrine bee kepte sincere in the Churche is because if it bee once put out of ioynte the glorie of Christe shall bee in daunger of wracke and in ieopardie For the glorie of Christe is darkened and corrupted in the myndes of men althoughe of it selfe it remaineth alwayes sounde and cleare if wee beginne to diuide the righteousenesse whereby wee stande and appeare before GOD attributing it to oure owne merites and good woorkes of
our owne For this is the glorie of the sonne of God that vnder Heauen there is none other name giuen vnto men in whiche they must bee saued Herevppon it is that Paule saide Christe is made of none effecte to you who soeuer are iustified by the Lawe ye are fallen from Grace And againe I doe not despise the grace of god For if righteousenesse bee of the Lawe then did Christe dye in vaine If hee dyed in vaine then is the glorie of Christe his Crosse perished The thirde cause is the certeine and assured reason of oure saluation Our saluation should bee vtterly vncerteine if it did depende vppon our woorkes and merites who because of oure naturall corruption vnlesse wee bee beside our selues doe saye or ought to saye with Iob If I haue any righteousenesse I will not aunswere but humbly beeseeche my Iudge Therefore did Paule verie rightly saye If the inheritaunce bee of the Lawe then is faith voide and the promise made of none effecte Therefore is it of faith as according to Grace that the promise may bee firme to all the seede The fourth cause is because by this doctrine especially there is repayred in vs the image of GOD to the likenesse whereof wee were at the firste created For by faithe Christe dwelleth and liueth in vs who is also delighted in our humilitie But then is the image of the diuell stirred vpp in vs when wee beginne once to bee proude in our selues and to vsurpe the glorie of God whiche is done vndoubtedly so often as wee doe attribute our righteousenesse and saluation vnto oure selues as though by oure owne woorkes or merites wee had deserued the kingdome of god The diuell swelleth with pride and doth his indeuour to robbe God of his glorie The Saintes do knowe and acknowledge that they are saued by the true grace and mercie of God and doe therefore attribute to him all honour and glorie and to them selues confusion and ignominie Wherevnto vndoubtedly belongeth the parable in the gospell of the Phariseie boastinge in his good workes and of the Publicane praying and saying God be mercifull to me a sinner of whiche twayne the Publicane is read to haue gone heauie to his house rather iustified than the other The fifte cause is the value or estimation of the sinne For that semeth to be no greate faulte which may by mennes workes be blotted out before god But the holy scripture teacheth that sinns could be by none other meanes cleansed but by the death and innocent bloude of the sonne of god Nowe by that euery man that hath anye vnderstandinge may easily gather that sinne in the sight of GOD is a moste abhominable and detestable thinge Wherevpon there doeth arise in the faithfull Sainctes a carefull and diligent watchinge against sinne and a continuall bewaylinge of oure miserable condition with a passinge humilitie and exquisite modestie I coulde yet add to these some causes more why al men ought to stâ—iue endeuour to kéepe this doctrine that the Catholique church iâ— iustified by the grace of God in his only beâ—otteÌ„ sonne through faith not through workes sincere and vncorrupt in the church of Christe but these I hope are sufficient for them that are not of purpose set to quarell against vs And yet notwithstanding there is no perill why by this doctrine good woorkes should be neglected of which I haue spoken in place conuenient But if there be any that ceasse not of purpose to cauil against the manifest truth of the Gospell I obiect against them that saying of Paule that neither wee nor the churches of God do stand to wrangle in so manifest a light To conclude the summe of all that which hitherto I haue saide touching the Gospell is this that al men that be in the world are of their owne nature the seruauntes of sinne the diuell and eternall death and cannot be loosed or set at libertie by anye other meanes but by the frée grace of God and the redemption which is in the onely begotten sonne of God our Lorde Christe Iesus Of which redemption they onely are made partakers that doe beléeue and trust in him For whosoeuer doe by true faith receiue Christ Iesus through the preaching of the Gospell they are therewithal iustified that is acquited from their sinnes sanctified and made heires of eternall life But they that by their vnbeléefe and hardnesse of harte do not receiue Christe are giuen ouer to the eternall paines and bondes of hell For the wrath of God abydeth vppon them Let vs therefore giue hartie thankes to God our redéemer and humbly beséech him to kéepe and increase vs in the true faith and lastely to bring vs to life euerlasting Amen ¶ Of Repentaunce and the causes thereof of Confession and remission of sinnes of satisfaction and indulgences of the olde and newe man of the power or strength of men and the other thinges perteining to Repentaunce The Seconde Sermon I Promised in my last Sermon that I made of the Gospell of IESUS Christe to adde a discourse of RepeÌ„taunce which by the helpe of GOD and your good prayers I purpose in this Sermon for to perfourme They amonge the Latines are sayde to repent which are agreeued at or ashamed of the thing that they haue done Thou hast done a good turne and thinckest him vnworthie of it for whome thou hast done it and for that cause arte sorie to thy selfe that sorrowe of thine is repentaunce Wee Germans call it Denriiwen The Gréekes doe name it Metanoeam Nowe they which are skilful of y toung saye that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to bethinke afterwarde so that Metanoea is there properly vsed where a man hauing once slipped by dooynge some thing foolishelye doth notwithstanding at length come to himselfe againe and verily purpose to correcte his owne errour It is theÌ„rfore referred not to the thought of the minde onely but also to the deed done For he that perceiueth that he hath offended doth deuise with himselfe how to amend it So now the thing beginneth to displease thée which before did please thée so nowe thou eschuest the thing that before thou ensuedst Moreouer the Hebrues call Repentaunce Theschuah that is a conuersion or returning to the right way or minde againe The Metaphore séemeth to bée taken of them whiche once did straye from the right path but doe againe at lengthe returne into the way Which word is translated to the minde to the maners and déedes of men But nowe this word is diuersly vsed For Repentaunce signifieth the chaunging of the purpose once conceiued or of any other thing For by Ieremie the Lord sayeth If they turne from euill I will also repente mee of the euill whiche I ment to lay vppon them Therefore God doth then repent when he chaungeth his purpose he repenteth not when he doth not alter it Paule sayeth The giftes and calling of God are without repentaunce And Dauid said The Lord hath sworne and will not
the first Decade and in the thirde Decade where I entreate of the Sainctes affliction in the tenthe Sermon of the same Decade and also in the fourth Decade where I spake of the Gospell The priests and Monkes do teache that repentaunce of the sinne committed and faith in Christ are not sufficient for the purgeing of sinnes without the satisfaction of our owne woorkes and merites whiche they make to be wearing of sackcloth fastings teares prayers almes déedes offeringes sundrie afflictions of the bodie pilgrimages and many other odde knackes like vnto these For they affirme that by these meanes the penaltie due to sinnes the guilt whereof they saye is only pardoned is washed awaye as with a showre of water powred downe vpon it But wee alreadie haue taught out of the Canonicall Scriptures that God doth not onely forgiue freely the guilte but also the penaltie of oure sinnes Wee haue alreadie taught that men are not iustified by theire owne workes and merites but by the meere grace of God through the faith of Christe Iesus For otherwise hee should in vaine haue taken our fleshe vpon him and in vaine should Christ haue qiuen him selfe vnto the moste bitter and reprochefull death of the Crosse Nowe we add if we are not iustified by workes then doe wee not with our woorkes make satisfaction for our sinnes For in effect although I acknowledge that there is a difference and do not confound them iustification and satisfaction come bothe to one ende By the iustification of Christ we are absolued By the satisfaction of Christ or rather for his satisfactions sake wee are also absolued Christ is our righteousenesse therefore also our satisfaction The price of our redemption is in Christe not in our selues If wee make satisfaction for our selues then is the price of our redemption in our selues And therefore are we both Christes Sauiours vnto our selues whiche thing doth flatly make Christ of none effect and therefore is it extreme blasphemie Moses in his lawe doth with little businesse or none dissolue all the arguments for satisfactiō wrought by our works For where he describeth the maner of cleansing sinnes he placeth no iott thereof in the workes of men but sheweth that it all consisteth in the Ceremoniall sacrifices Now we doe all agree and ioyntly confesse that in those sacrifices the onely sacrifice of Christe was plainly prefigured And to that is added that that only preaching and promise of the newe testament is this I wil be appeased vpon their vnrighteousenesse and sinnes will no more remember their iniquities Nowe where suche a remission is there is no oblation or satisfaction for sinne And wee in the Creede verily doe beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes But if the debitor make satisfaction to the creditor then what I pray you doth the creditor forgiue him Therefore this article of our faith the principall promise and preachinge of the newe testament is vtterly subuerted if we admit the doctrine of the satisfaction of our woorkes for sinnes We do acknowledge that teares fastings wearing of sackcloth almes déedes and the other woorkes of pietie humiliation and charitie haue a place in repentaunce Of whiche I will speake in place conuenient but wee denye that with them wee make satisfaction for our sinnes leaste wee should make the price of Christ his redemption of none effect We acknowledge that at some times the Lorde hath whipped them whose sinnes hee hath forgiuen as he did to our parents Adam and Euah and to king Dauid after his adulterie and murther of Vrias But I haue alreadie shewed you that those afflictions were not satisfactions for the sinnes which God had pardoned but exercises of Gods discipline and humiliation whiche doth by those meanes keepe his sernaunts in their duetifull obedience doth declare to all men howe hartilye he hateth sinnes although he doth fréely forgiue and pardon them Therefore least we because of that frée forgiuenesse should be the more inclined and proue to sinne he promiseth them whome he maketh to be examples for vs to take heede by Neither doe wee read that the Sainctes did simply attribute the benefite of iustification or satisfaction vnto their afflictions I cōfesse that Daniel the Prophet gaue counsell to the moste mightie kinge Nabuchodonosor and sayed Let thy sinnes be redeemed in righteousnesse and thine iniquities in shewing pitie to the poore But in these woordes the kinge was taught howe to leade the reste of his life that was yet behynd howe to rule the state of his kingdome The king had till then oppressed many nations and sinned in mercilesse crueltie wherevppon he persuadeth him to chaunge his olde kinde of life to imbrace iustice and deale well with all men Therefore hee speaketh not of the satisfaction of his sinnes before God but before men For there is saluation in none other than in Christe alone But if any man do stubbornly sticke vppon the letter wee saye that the righteousenesse of Christians is faith by whiche their sinnes are properly cleansed and that faith is not without good woorkes and charitie to which iustification is vnproperly ascribed Of which matter I spake in the treatise that I made of good woorkes Therefore when Saincte Peter doth cite that place of Solomon Charitie couereth the multitude of sinns the woorde Couereth is not there vsed for Purging For by the onelye bloud of Christe all sinnes are purged and wiped awaye but it is taken for Turning awaye For as selfe-loue in a manner is the roote of all sinnes so charitie is thought to bee the driuer away of all mischiefes For loue doth none ill to his neighbour Nowe whereas they obiecte that sentence of the Gospell where the Lord saith Many sinnes bee forgiuen her because shee loued muche they do misse here in because they vnderstande not that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly englished because or for that is here a note of inferring somewhat and that no other sense is gathered than this Manye sinnes bee forgiuen her therefore shee loued muche Or whereby it commeth that shee loueth muche Neither do wee here wrest the wordes of the Gospell to mainteine a wronge opinion For in the historie there goeth before First When they were not able to paye hee forgaue them both If hee forgaue them and if they were not able to paye he did not then forgiue thē for their loue For if they had béene able to paye he would not haue forgiuen them Secondarily there goeth before Whether of these will loue him more Simon saith He to whome hee forgaue the more Therefore the Lordes answer could in effecte bee nothing else but this I haue forgiuen her verie much therefore hath shee loued much So then I saye loue is of forgiuenesse not forgiuenesse of loue And then it followeth immediatelye And he saide to the woman thy faith hath saued the go in peace Wee doe therefore conclude that there is but one onely satisfaction for the sinnes of
or out of whiche if any departe hee is excluded from the hope of saluation and life euerlasting For oure Sauiour firste sayde that out of the sheepefolde life is not found Wherefore I can not maruell enough at the corrupt and Scismaticall manners of certeine men who separate them selues for euerie light cause from the moste wholesome and pleasaunt companie or societie of the Church For you shall finde in these dayes captious and phantasticall men not a fewe whiche of many yeares haue had fellowshippe with no Churche nor as yet haue fellowship with any For in euerie man that is they finde some kynde of faulte in them selues onely they finde nothing worthy reprehension Therefore they conceiue with them selues a wonderfull fashion of the Churche whiche except they sée somewhere established after that fashion whiche they them selues haue deuised they contende with shame enough that there is as yet no true Churche of Christ in the world They are worthy surely to be maister builders in Vtopia or Cyribiria where they might set vppe a building fit for them selues But it séemeth vnto them they haue iust cause of Scisme For they will not communicate with our Churche for that it séemeth the doctrine of the ministers in the Churche is not yet sufficiently cleansed and polished neyther yet loftie as they them selues terme it Hoch gnug gericht subtile and spirituall enough Elsewhere they complaine that in our Churches are diuers customes vsed Furthermore they desire the rigour and seueritie of discipline and finally an exact purenesse of life For they feare they shal be defiled with the vncleane companie of certeine men Many for the faultes and vices of certeine ministers eyther forsake or flée the congregation of the Churche of whiche sorte at this day are the Anabaptistes But there is as yet no sufficient cause alledged by these men for whiche of right they ought not eyther to be ioyned vnto vs or for the whiche they maye bée separated from vs. Wée acknowledge that there bée iust causes for the whiche the godly bothe maye and ought to separate them selues from wicked congregations in whiche not onely the lawfull vse of the Sacraments is altogether corrupted and turned into Idolatrie but also the sounde doctrine is altogether adulterated the preachers or pastours are not nowe Prophets but false Prophetes whiche persecute Gods trueth and finally to them that sitte to receiue the foode of lyfe they minister poyson But none of these things GOD be thanked can they obiect againste vs. For as concerning doctrine it consisteth partely in sure opinions and those as it were numbered firme and immutable of whiche kynde are the Articles of faythe and those withoute addition and corruption lawfully and sincerely vnderstoode and of that sorte are also those principles That al men are sinners conceiued and borne in sinne That none but those that are regenerate can enter into the kingdome of god That men not by their owne desartes but through the grace of GOD by the onely merites of Christe are iustified by fayth That Christe once sacrificed for sinne is no more sacrificed that he is the onely and perpetuall Prieste That good workes are done of those that are iustified and those are in déede good workes whiche the Lorde hath prepared for vs to walke in That the Sacramentes of the Lorde and of the Churche are to bée receyued and not to be despised That wée must pray cōtinually that in that maner which the Lord hath appointed vs And if there bée any moe of the same sorte But it sufficeth if these and other like groundes bée vniformely purely and simply taught in the Churche according to the Scriptures thoughe there bée added no Rhetoricall figures nor no paynted eloquence bée hearde For aptly the blessed Martyr Irenaeus after the rule of fayth sette out in his firste booke againste heresies Since there is but one onely faythe sayth hée neyther hee whiche can say muche of it sayth more than hee ought nor hee whiche sayth little thereby diminisheth it Therefore when the doctrine of ministers expoundeth those thinges in the Churche whiche are agréeable to the true and sincere fayth whiche it also corrupteth not what haue these captious smatterers of Rhetorique and selfe-learned to require though eloquence and plentifull learning be wanting in the teachers Was not the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes moste simple and moste frée from all subtiltie that rightly it might be said how much more simple it séemed to be so muche the safer it was But in the meane season I despise not true eloquence as that which is a singular gift of God as I haue elsewhere often witnessed And partly doctrine consisteth in the daily expounding of the Scriptures and in the applying of them to oure time place and affaires In that kinde was euer great varietie and diuersitie for whiche notwithstanding no wise man euer yet separated him selfe from the fellowshippe of the Church For it commeth to passe verie often that two or thrée or else moe may expounde one place not after one manner but after most diuers sorts There may be one that expoundeth verie darkely and an other expoundeth more plainlie this man hitteth the marke he comes not neare it And this man applyeth the place whiche he handleth very fitly some other vseth not like simplicitie of application in the meane season notwithstanding he saithe nothing contrarie to the soundnesse of faithe and the loue of GOD and our neighbour and vseth all thinges to edification I say that of this diuersitie no man taketh iust occasion to depart from the Church For al godly men proue all thinges and kéepe that which is good and in al sermons and holie exercises referr their whole studie only vnto edifying And moreouer the preachers agrée wel among themselues and herevnto direct all things that both them selues and their hearers may become better not that they may séeme better learned or to haue vttered that which no man sawe heretofore And the best learned loathe not their Sermons which are not so learned For albeit they may séeme not altogether to haue hit the marke yet for as muche as they haue taughte wholesome thinges they are praysed and not condemned albeit in fit time and place they be somewhiles admonished Againe they that are vnskilfull doe not enuie the giftes of the learned nor refuse to labour for more perfection neyther loath they or condemne they learned Sermons of those that be better learned but they prayse GOD and being warned striue to more perfection For wisely sayd S. Aurelius Augustine in his firste booke of Christian doctrine the sixe and twentie Chapter Who so euer sayth he seemeth to him selfe to haue vnderstoode the holy Scriptures or any part of thē so as of that vnderstanding he gather not the two folde charitie of God and his neighbour he yet vnderstandeth nothing But who so euer gathereth suche a sense thereof as may be profitable to him for the increase of charitie
whereas the sacramentes were common to all yet grace was not common to all which is the pithe of the sacramentes As euen now at this daye faith is reuealed which then was hid the founteine of regeneration is common to all whiche are baptised in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste but the inward grace whereof they are sacramentes wherby the members of Christe with their head are borne a new is not common to all Thus farr Augustine who teacheth that their signes or sacraments are not vnequall or bulike whiche haue the same faith and religion but that all the difference that is resteth in the diuersitie of the time otherwise they differ not Nowe that I haue made an ende of the similitude and difference of the Sacramentes of the old and newe testament and that by occasion of a receiued opinion that the sacraments of the newe lawe doe conferre or giue grace of themselues let vs also consider what manner of thinge the same is And first touching the word Grace I will giue you these fewe thinges to note Grace is the fauour and good will of GOD wherewith God the father imbraceth vs for Christes sake purifyeth iustifieth and endueth vs with his good giftes and saueth vs. For the writinges of the Apostles doe plainely call that Grace whereby wée are saued and iustified or made righteous by faith in Iesus Christ Of this Grace it is written I make not the Grace of God of no effecte For if righteousnes come by the Lawe then Christ died in vaine Of this Grace it is written Christ vnto vs is beecome vnprofitable as many as are iustified by the lawe are fallen from Grace Of this Grace it is written If it come of grace then is it not of woorkes for else grace now is no more grace What is not the sonne of GOD himselfe called The Grace and gift of GOD Iohn 4. Titus 2. Cap. Nowe to conferre Grace what is it else than to giue or franckely and fréelye to bestowe some thinge on a man which he had not before Therefore if the Sacramentes doe giue Grace to the receyuers of them then truely they giue those thinges whiche they signifie to them whiche had them not I meane Christe with all his giftes that is to saye they make them pleasaunt and acceptable vnto GOD they iustifie and saue yea and that of them-selues insomuche as they are said to haue receiued vertue to sanctifie from the passion of Christe and not to signifie onely or to helpe to commende or to further Yea and they also attribute the receyuing of Grace to our worke wherby we receiue the Sacrament But howe contrarie this doctrine is to the trueth of the holye Prophetes and Apostles I will now declare It was an old errour amonge the Iewes that Sacramentes did iustifie Hereof commeth it that the holy Prophetes of GOD reasoning and rebuking the people of God committed to their charge yet sauouring of false opinions cryed That their labour whiche they bestowed vppon their Ceremonies and sacrifices was in vaine And that GOD is delighted with faithfull obedience with fayth I say charitie innocencie and also with true godlines Amonge whome Ieremie sayeth Thus sayeth the Lord of hoastes the GOD of Israel Heape vpp your burnte offeringes with your sacrifices and eate the fleshe For when I brought your fathers out of Aegypt I spake no word vnto them of burnt offeringes and sacrifices but this I commaunded them saying Hearken and obeye my voyce and I will bee your GOD and yee shall bee my people so that yee walke in all the wayes whiche I haue cōmaunded you that ye may prosper The like place is in Esaie the first Chapiter The Lord hath not despised neither haue his holy Prophets contemned all sacrifices in generall since hée him selfe instituted them by Moses but they sought to suppresse beate downe that false opinion and vaine confidence whiche they had in sacrifices It is a vaine confidence and a false opinion to beléeue and thincke that sacrifices of themselues and for our workes sake doe make vs acceptable vnto god For faith maketh vs acceptable vnto God by the Messias And the Lord did not institute sacramentes or sacrifices that beeing offered they might giue grace or iustifie vs but to be witnesses of the grace of God that by them his people might be kept drawne in due order from idols and heathenish worshippings and ledd to Christ the highe priest and onely sacrifice or oblation for the whole world For they were certeine scholinges or exercises as Paule proueth saying The law was our scholemaister vnto Christe that wee should bee iustified throughe faith but after that faith is come wee are no longer vnder a scholemaister Therefore the sacrifices of the old lawe did not giue grace to them that sacrificed neither wrought they their iustification but were tokens and testimonies that God doth sanctifie and iustifie by and through the sacrifice appointed before all worldes the Messias I mean◠to faith in whome they did as it were a certeine scholemaister by guiding vs bring vs. And truly when the Apostles preached the pure and sound doctrine of the Gospell that By the onely grace of God in Christ the faithfull are saued this auncient errour of their elders had taken such déep roote in the minds of the Iewes that euen they whiche had receiued Christe stoode neuerthelesse in cōtention y Christ was not able fully to sanctifie iustifie without the helpe of the Iewishe sacrifices Against whome the Apostles disputing with great grauitie and inumcible power of y spirite did plainely proue that a Christian without any obseruations of the ceremoniall lawe or helpe of any woorkes euen by the only méere and frée grace and mercie of God in Christ is sanctified purified iustified and saued Whiche vndoubtedly is the healme as commonly is said and stearne of the Euangelists and Apostles doctrine whiche who so denieth he hath no part doubtlesse in the inheritance of Christ and his Gospell Neither is it obscure or doubtful whiche euen nowe I haue set forth in these fewe wordes For who is ignorant of that memorable dissention betwéene the chiefe Apostles of Christe Paul and Barnabas kindled against those which taught Except the Christians were circumcised after the maner of Moses they could in no wise be saued Against whome Peter maketh this conclusion That our hearts are purified by faith that wee whiche beleeue shal be saued by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ True it is that the aduersaries would bring backe againe that which the Apostles abrogated and toke away but in the meane while this is also vndoubtedly true that the Apostles with no other forceable engine more strongly battered as it were and beate downe flat to ground their aduersaries bulworke in defence of sacraments y purifie thā with this That we which beleeue shal be saued by the grace of our Lorde
receiued againe by faithfull repentaunce into the same grace from whence they fel. But to our purpose Baptisme the seale of the righteousnesse of faithe is not sett to parchmente or to the writing of the Gospell but it is applyed to the very bodyes of the Children of God and is as it were marked and imprinted in them For wée are whoâ—â—e dipped with our bodies or wholie sprinckled with the water of Baptisme which truely is a visible sealing confirming that the true God is our God which sanctifieth and purifieth and that purification and euery good gifte of God is due vnto vs as the heyres of god And to the setting foorth of this matter pertayneth that euidente place of Paule which in the Epistle to the Galathians is thus read For yee are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus For all ye that are baptised haue put on Christe And so foorth The supper of the Lorde hath the like reason whiche also is a seale of the righteousnesse of faith For the sonne of God dyed hee by his death redéemed the beléeuers also his body and bloud is our meat and drinck vnto eternall life And truely this singular and excellent priuiledge giuen vnto the faithfull is declared and sett downe in writing by the Apostles â–ª but it is consecrated and sealed of the Lorde him selfe by the Sacramente of his bodye and bloude whereby he sealeth vs an assuraunce that we are iustified by faith in the death of Christ and that all the good giftes of Christe are communicated vnto vs and that wee are fedd and strengthened by Christe Moreouer that the sealing might be the more liuely he setteth not the seale to written parchmente but it is brought and also giuen to be eaten of our bodyes that we might haue a witnesse within our selues that Christe with all his giftes is wholy ours if wee perseuere in faith For the Lorde him selfe in the Gospell saith He that eateth me shall liue by the meanes of mee But hee eateth whiche beléeueth For in the same place the Lord saithe I am the bread of life He that commeth to mee shall not hunger and hee that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Héereby we gather the summe of the whole matter that the Sacramentes doe seale vpp the promises of God and the gospel and that therefore so often mention is made in the Churche of euidences or letters patents or charters and seales of the preaching of the gospell and the promises of God that the whole mysterie of our saluation is renued and continued as oft as those actions instituted of God I meane Sacramentes are celebrated in the Church Hetherto I think doeth that belong whiche the faithfull minister of Christe Zuinglius vppon the SacrameÌ„ts hath deliuered in these wordes Sacramentes beare witnesse of a thing that hath bene done For al lawes customes and ordinaunces doe shew their authours and beginnings Therefore Baptisme since it setteth foorth in signification the death and resurrection of Christe it must needs bee that those thinges were done indeede These wordes are to be found In Expositione sidei ad regem ChristianuÌ„ The same Zuinglius Ad principes Germaniae contra Eggium saith When that noble man taking his iourney in to a farre countrie distributing bread and wine did farre more liuelie and peculiarly giue him selfe vnto vs when he saide This is my body than if he had said This is a token or signe of my bodide although hee tooke away his naturall bodie and carried it into Heauen Yet neuerthelesse by these wordes in that apperteyneth to faith and grace hee giueth him selfe wholy as if hee had saide Now I goe to dye for you and after a while will wholie departe from hence But I wil not haue you doubt of my loue and care to you warde How much soeuer I am I am altogether yours In witnesse whereof I commend vnto you a signe of this my betraying and testament to the intente you might maintaine the memorie of me and of my benefites that when ye see this bread and this cupp ministred vnto you in the supper of my remembraunce ye may be no otherwise mindfull of me that is that I deliuered vp my self for you than if you should see mee with your eyes face to face as ye now se me bothe to eate with you and by and by shall see me to be led from you to dye for you Hetherto I haue recited Zuinglius his words and anon I wil rehearse other wordes of his againe not that I stay my selfe vppon them or vppon any testimonyes of man but that it may be made manifest that this man did not as some haue falsely thought contemne the sacramentes In the meane while we acknowledge these testimonies of the holie Scripture And God it is which stablisheth vs with you in christ hath annointed vs whiche hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirite in our harts 2. Cor. 1. And also After ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holie spirite of promise whiche is the earnest of our inheritaunce vnto the redemption of the purchased possession vnto the praise of his glorie Ephesi 1. verse 13. And againe Greeue not the holie spirit of GOD by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Ephe. 4. Wee acknowledge the trueth of God to be sufficiently sound true and certeine of it selfe neither can wee from else-where haue a better confirmation than out of it For if our minde be not confirmed one euerye side it wauereth God therefore frameth him self according to our weaknesse and by his Sacraments as muche as may bee doeth as it were vpholde vs yet so that we referre all the benefite of our confirmation to the spirite it selfe and to his operation rather than to the element Wherfore as we attribute Confirmation to doctrine and to teachers euen so doe wee Sealing to the Sacramentes We read in the Actes of the Apostles Chapter 14 and 18. The Apostles returned and strengthened the Disciples soules againe and exhorted them to continue in the faithe Againe in the firste to the Thesâ—a 3. Wee haue sent saith Paule Timotheus our Brother and minister of GOD to confirme or stablish you and to comforte you concerninge your faithe Neuerthelesse vnlesse the inwarde force of the spirite doe drawe and quicken the hartes of the hearers the outwarde persuasion of the teacher though it bee neuer so forceable veheÌ„ment shall nothing auayle but if the holie spirit do shew foorth his might and worke with the worde of the Preacher the soules of the hearers are moste mightilie strengthened And so it standeth with the mysterie of the Sacramente For if the inwarde anuoynting and fealing of the holy Ghost be wanting the outwarde action will be counted but a toy to the vnbeléeuers neither worketh the sealing of the Sacramentes any thing at all but when faith the gifte of the holie Ghost goeth before the sealing of the Sacramentes is very strong
Iohn Baptist and requireth to be baptised of him in Iordan And when he refused and said I haue need to bee baptised of thee and comest thou to me he heareth Suffer it to be so nowe For thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse Certeinely righteousnesse giueth to euerie man that which is his own Faith therefore which is the righteousnesse of Christians giueth glory to God and beléeueth that he being wonderfull wise doth wil well vnto men and therefore that he hath instituted nothing vnprofitably but all things for the saluation of his faithfull ones a faythfull man therefore vseth all the institutions of God without any reasoning or gainesaying Neither is there any here I think that will say that this dode of Christ parteyneth nothing to him whereby vndoubtedly he layd before vs an example to followe Yea that which he him selfe did he willed other also to doe when he sent his disciples forth and sayde Goe into the whole world and preach the Gospell to all creatures baptising them in the name of the father c. He which shall beléeue and be baptised shall be saued where truly he ioyneth together both fayth and baptisme whiche to abide vpon he would not haue done if Sacramentes were superfluous there where fayth is Whereby it manifestly appeareth that they are wrong as farre as heauen is wyde whiche thinke that Sacramentes are indifferent that is to say a thing put to our owne will and choyce eyther to vse or not to vse For as we haue heard already a flat commandement concerning baptisme so the Lord instituting and celebrating the supper sayth Doe this in the remembrance of me He therfore that despiseth these commaundements of God I sée not howe he can haue fayth whereby he should be inuisibly sanctified Hitherto belongeth nowe that whiche the faithfull prince of Acthiopia confesseth that he beleeued with all his hart in the Lorde Iesus yet neuerthelesse as soone as he sawe water he sayde Beholde heere is water what letteth me to be baptised He doth not saye I beléeue with all my hart I féele that I am instified and cleansed why then shoulde I be washed with water hauing no filth remayning Therefore wheresoeuer true fayth is there Sacramentes are not contenined or refused but more desired For Cornelius the Centurion also after he had receyued the holie Ghoste doth not gainesay Peter who sayde Can any man forbid water that these shuld not be baptised which haue receiued the holy Ghost as well as we Peter was a faithfull preacher of the Gospell a skilfull teacher of the trueth therefore he dereiueth no man and he teacheth vs by his owne déede that fayth doth then specially prouoke vs to be partakers of the Sacraments when it is true in the faithfull To whome Paule his fellowe-minister agréeth saying Let euerie one proue himselfe and then let him eate of this breade and drinke of this cup but that prouing is made by faith therefore not faith but vnthankfulnesse doth contemptuously reiect the Sacraments Truely I am not ignoraunt that verie many withoute the vse of visible Sacraments haue beene sanctified and at this day also are sanctified but none of those despised or contemned them They were not partakers of the Sacraments being therevnto driuen by necessitie as there be at this day some that are helde captiues vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist and the Turk and for the time beléeue with their whole heart in the Lord Iesus Therefore the examples of these or suche like are no defence for them which may receiue the Sacraments if they regarded the ordinaunces of God and set so muche by them as of duetie they should doe I will note here for the singular benefite of the readers S. Augustines dispufation bycause it maketh notably for our purpose He Quaest lib. in Leuit. 3. cap. 84. sayth It is demaunded not without cause whether inuisible sanctitication do profite nothing without visible Sacraments wherewith a man is visibly sanctified whiche withoute doubt is absurde For more tollerably it may be sayde that this sanctification â—s not without them than that it dothe not profite if it be without them since in sanctification all their profite conuÌ„teeth But we must also weigh this how it is rightly saide that without y Sacramentes sanctification can not be For visible baptisme did nothing profite Simon Magâ—s to whome inuisible sanctification was wanting but by cause this inuisible sanctification profited them that had it in like manner they whiche were baptised receyued also the visible sacraments And yet neither is it shewed where Moses himself was sanctified with visible sacrifices or oyle who notwithstanding did visibly sanctifie the priestes but who dare denie that he was inuisibly sanctified whose grace was so great surpassing and excellent This also may be sayd of Iohn Baptiste For he was first a baptiser before he was séen to be baptised whervpon we can deny by no means that he was sanctified yet we do not find that that was visibly wrought in him before he came to the ministerie of baptising This also may be verified of the théefe crucified with Christe to whome the Lorde sayde as he hong with him on the crosse To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise For he coulde not haue béene partaker of so great felicitie vnlesse he had béene inuisibly sanctified Whereby wegather that inuisible sanctification hath bene present with some and profited them without the visible sacraments and that visible sanctification whiche is wrought by visible Sacramentes may be present without this inuisible sanctification but yet maye not profite vs Yet neuerthelesse the visible Sacrament is not therefore to be contemned For the contemner therof â—an by no means be inuisibly sanctified Hereof it is that Cornelius and they that were with him whon they did now appeare to be inuisibly sanctified by the holy Ghoste poured into them yet notwithstanding they are baptised neyther is visible sanctification which had inuisible sanctification going before it counted superfluous Thus farre he With this disputation an other question also hath some affinitie or likenesse which is Whether Sacraments depend vpon the worthinesse of the ministers and whether they be hindred in their force by the vnworthinesse of the ministers Cyprian more than in one place doth contend That they can not baptise which want the holy Ghoste which errour springeth herevppon for that he attributeth too muche to the ministerie of baptisme He doth thinke that men are purified or cleansed by baptisme so that therby he dothe gather that an vncleane person can not purifie or cleanse and therefore not baptise and that the baptisme of an vncleane person is not baptisme from whence he deriueth Anabaptisme or rebaptising But if that holie man had rightly and religiously distinguished betwéen power and ministerie betwéene the signe and the thing signified betwéene the outwarde and inwarde sanctification he had vndoubtedly vnderstoode that we are inuisibly sanctified by the méere grace of God
whole world and all the counsels in the world all the kinges and princes yea if all the Angels and Saintes should commaund vs to beléeue that Christ is here or there corporally yet the commaundement of our only redéemer Iesus Christe the sonne of God the father of wisedome by whome all thinges were made who forbiddeth vs to beleue the same ought to be of that authoritie among all the godly that they may knowe that they muste not beléeue as creatures commauÌ„d them but as the creatour hath commaunded them Yea moreouer the Lorde vouchsafeth in this verie same place of the Gospell to giue vs a reson of his doctrine For why must we not beléeue that Christe is conuersant or bodily present vpon the earth but inuisibly Bycause like as the lightening goeth foorth of the East and appeareth in the West so shall the comming of the Sonne of man be Which is as much as if he had sayde The Sonne of God came once humbly into the earthe to redéeme vs throughe his humilitie and death on the crosse which thing being finished he forsooke the earth and ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of the father from thence he shall not returne into these our regions but to iudgement But then shal he appeare glorious noble to be séene of all men as it were the moste cleare sunne yea rather like a lightning right terrible to all the wicked And therefore there is no cause why from the time of his ascension vntill his comming to iudgement we shuld looke for him to come inuisibly and to remayne with vs corporally present S. Hierome expounding the same place sayth This also must be sayd that the second comming of oure sauiour shall not be shewed in humilitie as before but in glory It were a foolishe part therefore to seeke him in a little corner or in some secrete place who is the light of the whole world Thus farre he But least I may séeme to stay my self vpon some humane authoritie I will rehearse that whiche S. Paule teacheth vs in his Epistle to the Hebrues saying Christ appeared once before the end of the worlde to put away sinne by offering vp of him selfe And for as much as it is appointed to men once to dye and after this commeth the iudgement euen so Christe being once offered vp to take away the sinnes of many shal the second time be seene of them withoute sinne who looke for him to their saluation Bicause therefore our Lorde came once into the worlde hee was once offered vp but he shall come againe or the second time at the ende of the world truely he commeth not againe euerie day into the worlde And bycause he hath forbidden vs to beléeue if any man should shewe him present here or there vnto vs in this worlde it must néedes followe that he may be shewed present here or there 〈◊〉 â–ª in all places where the Sacrament of thankesgiuing is celebrated if wee will vnderstand the wordes of the Supper according to the letter therfore it followeth without all contradiction by conference of places that the wordes of the Lordes Supper ought not to be expounded according to the letter I thinke herewith I haue satisfied such as be not of a contentious disposition For vndoubtedly their meaning is that we shoulde speake of the sacramentes sacramentally and that sacramentall speaches ought to bée expounded sacramentally Besides that wee ought to beéeue nothing that is repugnaunt to the rule of beliefe But the myracles and the omnipotencie of God brought foorth and alledged in this place for the setting oute and persuading of an euill matter they do no good at all after so many and manifest arguments of truth Myracles are ioyned vnto the worde as it were seales whiche thing the Lorde God him selfe testifieth in S. Marke If then they be repugnaunt to the worde and affirme that whiche the worde altogether denyeth who will not perceiue them to be of that kynde of myracles whereof the Apostle speaketh in the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and wherof we haue heard now that the lord gaue vs warning in the Gospell that we should in no case beleue them The lord can do al things but therefore he doth not all things The Prophete sayth What so euer the Lord would do that he did both in heauen and in earth Moreouer he will not do such things as are contrarie to his worde and his fayth therefore he can not do that he will not do Theodoretus in his thirde Dialogue intituled Polymorphus sayth The Lorde God will doe nothing that is not in him of his owne nature but he can doe what euer he will but he will doe suche things as are fit and agréeing to his nature Therfore sith God of his owne nature is true he can not doe that whiche is contrarie to his worde Other sounde writers doe adde Not that hee can not doe all thinges but that he will not doe that which is contrarie to his nature and bycause it doth not become to doe against him selfe In the meane season I do expresly professe that I condemne not or flatly am against all manner of Christes presence in the Church and in the action also of the supper For I am flatagainst that bodily presence of Christ in the breade which the Papistes defende and enforce vppon the Churche of god But I confesse and acknowledge with open mouth and sincere heart that spiritual diuine and quickening presence of oure Lorde Christe both in the Supper and also out of the supper wherby he continueth to powre him selfe into vs not by sings lackiÌ„g life but by his holy spirit to make vs partakers of all his good graces to iustifie quicken nourishe susteine and satisfie vs whiche presence we doe also féele in our selues through fayth by the whiche we are both susteyned nourished and satisfied For Christe is the heade of his Churche and we haue fellowshippe with him But howe should a liuing bodie be without his heade Howe should we be partakers of Christe if we should not féele him present yea liuing and working in vs But of these matters wee haue also intreated more at large in place coÌ„uenient Some there are I knowe well enoughe who otherwise are not iniurious to the trueth which gainesay these things crying out that by this reason the manner of Christes presence in the Supper is not fully enough expressed especially since hée him selfe also hath sayde elsewhere Beholde I am with you continually vnto the worldes ende I saythe he wholy not my power or diuinitie not my spirit nor my strength Moreouer it is a hazaâ—dâ— least we should séeme to teare Christe in péeces séeing that he cannot be wholy with vs vnlesse he be present with vs as well in body as in diuinitie But we woÌ„der what is in their heades Do they not vnderstand that the Lord in that diuine talke spoken both in the verie Supper and also immediately
exâ—â—sition of the scripture 〈◊〉 not be câ—â—trary to the artiâ—â—â— of our beliefe The expositioÌ„ must not be repugnant to the loue of God and our neighbour 〈◊〉 expounâ—â—â—g the â—â—â—â—ptures â—e must â—â—rk that â—â—at goeth â—â—fore and â—â—lloweth â—â—â—er and 〈◊〉 the circumstaÌ„â—es The exposition of gâ—ds word â—â—st be maâ—â— by 〈◊〉 layinâ—â—â—geâ—her of â—iuers places 2. Pet. 1. The scriâ—tures mâ—â— be expoâ—â—ded wiâ—â— zealous â— hertafâ—â— earnest prayer The deâ—nitions 〈◊〉 faith The description of true fayth The begiâ—ning and cause of faith Faith is planted by the worde of God. We muste â—raye for â—rue fayth That faith is an vndoubted persuasion of the minde Faith beleueth not euerithing what soeuer Examples â—f vndoubâ—ed saith â—herunto â—aith leaâ—eth and what the â—biect or â—oundation of faith 〈◊〉 Two chief â—â—inâ—s of â—aith True faiâ—â— seeketh aâ—â— good thiâ—ges in 〈◊〉 through Christ â—rue faith â—eleeueth 〈◊〉 holy â—â—riptures Fayth is â—ue alone 〈…〉 religions but no more theâ— one true fayth Faith doâ—â— encrease and decrease Generall and particular faith Faith inspâ—red and Faith gotten 〈…〉 mall 〈…〉 The power and efâ—ecte of faith Faith is the true knowledge that maketh men wise How man may attaine to â—he chiefe goodnesse Faith maketh happy Faith quickneth Faith ioyneth to god Faith iâ—stifieth Iustification What it is â—o iustifie â—hriâ—t hath 〈◊〉 on â—im self 〈…〉 sinnes The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of since â—re takeâ— away by Chriâ—â— The death â—f Christ a â—â—ll satisâ—â—ction for â—ur sinnes Howe punishment is laide on vs. God hath â—ppointed â—â—at he â—hat beleeâ—eth shuld â—aue eternall life and be iustified Men are â—ustified â—y faith â—lone Christ coÌ„pared with Adam Gods Testament We are not iustified by the workes oâ— the Lawâ— but by Faith Christ died not in vaine All men are sinnerâ— God iuâ—â—â—fieth as 〈◊〉 the Gentiles as 〈◊〉 Iewes by faith By what meanes â—ur father â—braham was iustiâ—â—ed Neither is â—aith nor the promis of none effect â—ustification of free gift Faith sheweth foorth and expresseth it selfe by good workes Faith onely iustifieth Of good workes Faith the â—oore of al good â—oâ—kes Faith the victorie 〈◊〉 al Christians The Apoâ—tles 〈◊〉 The partition of the Apostles Creede God is one in suâ—stance anâ— three in persons I beleeue in God God is called a father God is called Almighty â—od is the mâ—ker of heauen â—nd earth The secoÌ„d article of our belief To belieue in the Sonnâ— of God. Who the Sonne of God is Consubstantial â—oesseÌ„tiall The onely Sonne Iesus Christe Christe is our Lord. The 3. Article of our bâ—lieâ— The causes of the Lord his incarnatioÌ„ Immanuel A mediatour Tâ—e manner of 〈◊〉 his â—â—nceptioÌ„ The causes why Christ hiâ— conceptioÌ„ is pure Of the birth of Christ The fourth Article of our belief â—â—â—ist did 〈◊〉 Christ sufered vnâ—er Pâ—ntiâ—s Pilate Our Lord was buried He descended into Hell. The fift article of ouâ— belief The glorious resurrection of Christe What a resurrection â—s Out of from the dead He was â—rucified dead tokeÌ„ downe and laid â—â— his granâ— vpon 〈◊〉 Friday where his body â—ay â–ª Saturday that is Eâ—â—er eueâ— and one Sunday which is Easter day in the morning he rose againe froÌ„ death to life The sixte article of our belief The glorious ascension of Christ The forâ— of Christ his ascension into heauen He ascenâ—ed into â—eauen He sitteth at the right hand of God the father Almighty The definition of gods right hand take here for the places name To sit is to be at rest and enioy felicitie Gods right hand the name of his power and in this signification to sit is to reign Saint Hierom of the â—ight haÌ„d of the faâ—her Saint Augustine of the right hand of 〈◊〉 father â—â—int Fulgentius His humanitie iâ— lâ—cal that is â—â—â—teined iâ— space of â—lace but â—â—s Godhead incoÌ„preheÌ„sible as that that is euery where 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 in any place Saint vigilius The seuenth Article Christ a Iudge To Iudgâ— what it 〈◊〉 The picâ—ure of â—he laste â—â—dgemeÌ„t The quick and dead are iudged The reward and punishment is moste certaine the eighth article of our faith The father in Christ hath fully giuen vs all heauenly treasures The ninth â—rticle of â—ur belief â—ee must â—ot in our â—onfession â—y I beâ—â—eue in â—he church Cyprian Augustine Paschasius â—â—int Greâ—orie â—homas â—quine Pope Leo. The Catholike Church The true Churche Wee beleeue the Church to be holy How the Church 〈◊〉 holy The coâ—munion of 〈◊〉 The tenth â—rticle of our belief The acknowledging and confessing of our sinnes Oâ—r sins arâ— forgiâ—eÌ„ of god 〈◊〉 for â—ur owne merits but for Christ his sake All sinnes are forgeuen God alone and not man forgeueth sinns Howe sins are forgeuen We make not satisfaction for punishmeÌ„t The eleâ—enth artiâ—le of our â—aith The resurrection of the flesh Whether the same bodies that do â—utâ—ifie rise again Testimoniâ—s of the true resurrection In what sort our bodies shal rise again Of what facion our bodies shal be in the resurrection A glorious body What a glorious â—â—dy is Glorious bodies rest free from vilenesse The natural and spiâ—â—tuall body Fleshe and â—â—oud â—hal not be 〈◊〉 heauen Sâ—â—su aniâ—â—li Animalis The bodies of thâ— wicked shall also rise agaâ—n The tâ—elfth article of our belief Lyfe eueâ—lasting The face of God. Loue and câ—antie Loue froÌ„ whence it is Double charitie The leâ— of God â–ª By the loue of God all euilles are ouercome The loue â—f God faâ—oneth vs 〈◊〉 the will 〈◊〉 pleaâ—â—re of â—od The manner how to loue God. Gâ—d alone to be loued Who is our neighbour The 〈…〉 â—ny one â—hat is a â—â—an as wel 〈◊〉 we An order â—nd meaâ—â—re in 〈◊〉 Howe our neighbour must be loued The loue of our neighbour must bee sincere We must loue our neighbour as our self We must loue ouâ— neighboâ—â— as Chrisâ—â— hath loue vs. Howe we ought to stand our nâ—ighbour in steede The pith of Charity Loue the fulfilling of the laâ— Workes of mercie An exhortation to Loue What law is The diuision of â—awes The laâ— of natuâ—â— ConscieÌ„câ— Nature Two especial points of the law of nature The Genâ—â—lâ—s knew God. Friendship societâ—â— of men tâ— be preseâ—ued The Lawe of nature answerable to the written Lawe 1 Of God. The Ethnickes sentâ—nces are in some plâ—ces maâ—â—â—ed 2 The Gentiles against idoles 3 The name â—f God â—ighly esâ—eemed 4 The Genâ—â—les keeâ—ers of reâ—â—gion 5 The honoâ—ring of parentes 6 Murder adulterie 8 Theft 9 Lies False witnesses A hill in Rome Cataâ—a a Towne in Sicilie 10 Concupiscence Nature without grace of none effect â—awes of â—en â—awes of â—licie Ecclesiasâ—â—cal Laâ—â— Superstitious lawâ—â— Mens â—â—â—ditions What the Lawe of God is The moâ—all lawe The Ceremoniall Lawe The Iudiciall Lawe The Law was euen before Moses time The Patriarches before Moses had the Ceremoniall and iudiciall Lawes The Moâ—al Lawe endureâ— still The maâ—estie and â—ignitie of â—he moral â—awe 〈…〉 the â—â—st holy 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 Two Tables