And when I had opened the fift Seale I saw vnder the Alter the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the testimonie which they maintained And they cried with a loud voyce saying How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and long white robes were giuen to euery one and it was said vnto them that they should rest for a little season vntill their fellow-seruants and their brethren that should be killed euen as they were were fulfilled Loe say they here is a third place euen a place where the soules of the faithful doe rest vntill the latter day To which we answer The Alter vnder which the soules are said to rest The Altar is Christ is Christ as who so will reade the 56. Chapter of Esay and seuenth verse And 60. Chapter 7. verse of the same Prophet and 8. Chapter 3. verse of the Reuelation shall see or that will listen to these testimonies of these three ancient Fathers shall heare to wit Saint Ireneus Saint Augustine and Epyphanius Ireneus saith g Jreneus in his 4. Booke and 34. Chap. Our Alter is not in earth but in heauen Saint Augustine saith h Augustine in his 20. Booke 10. Chap. of the City of God Our Alter is in heauen thither our prayers and oblations are directed Epyphanius saith i Epiphanius in his 2. Booke of Melchisadech Christ is our Sacrifice our Priest and our Alter So that we see euidently that by the Alter is meant Christ and therefore the place in which the soules of the faithfull doe rest till the day of iudgement is vnder the foote-stoole of Christ in Heauen Wherefore those words of Saint Iohn doth not proue a third place Also this is made more manifest by the 15. verse of the 7. Chapter where he speaking of the same soules Reuel 7.15 saith They are in the presence of the Throne of God And therefore whereas the Papists would haue this place of rest Elisius Campus Abrahams bosome or Paradise to be their Elisius Campus a place of pleasure in hell which they say is Paradise or Abrahams Bosome here they are compelled either to say that the Throne of God is in hell or else to grant that the resting place of those soules is in Heauen and then where is their third place yet proued 6 But forasmuch as those words in the 6. Chapter together with the other words in the 7. Chapter doe shew the resting place of the soules of the faithful to be in heauen and a place where they do crie for the time of the perfecting their full ioy and glory it is cleare that vnder the foote-stoole of Christ is the Celestiall Paradise which in the 16. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell is called Abrahams Bosome where Lazarus the goâ—d thiefe Paradise is in heauen not in hâ—ll and all the faithfull doe rest with Abraham the Father of the faithfull till they receiue together the full fruition of their faith So that hereby wee see Paradise to be in Heauen and not in hell as they fable And this is yet made more plaine by Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. where he saith I know a man in Christ about foureteene yeeres agone 2 Cor. 12.2.4 which was taken vp into the third Heauen How that he was taken vp into Paradise By which it is most manifest that Paradise is in the highest Heauen and that therefore their hellish Paradise in which they faine their purified soules of Purgatory doe rest till the last day is fabulous and doth not proue a third place 7 But now I doe expect they will answer thus Be it as you say that Paradise is in Heauen and that therein is the resting place of the soules of the faithfull yet is there at least a third place in which they did rest for a time to wit till they were purified and made fit for Heauen For to the very same effect are these words of Cardinall Allen k Allen in Fulks page 139. By long amending by fire at last they come to that reward Againe speaking of Purgatory fire he saith l Page 130. Through which the good must passe before they come to eternall ioy By which they would haue vs to vnderstand that no soule can come into the presence of God in Heauen Soules are in heauen because they haue washed themselues white in the bloud of the Lambe noâ— in the fire of Purgatory but onely such as are purified by the fire of Purgatory and that those that are in Heauen are there because first they were so purified Which how vntrue it is these words in the 14. and 15. verses of the 7. Chapter of the Reuelation will make it most euident which saith They haue washed their long Robes white in the bloud of the Lambe therefore are they in the presence of the Throne of God and serue him in his Temple day and night Now in that the holy Ghost saith Therefore it is as cleare as the Sunne at noone day that all those that are admitted into the presence of God in Heauen are so dignified because by the hands of their faith they haue washed themselues white in the bloud of Christ not in the fire of Purgatory Wherefore as those words before cited did vtterly ouerthrow their hellish Paradise so doth these words vtterly ouerthrow their hellish Purgatorie 8 Thirdly to proue yet that the soules are made perfect by the fire of Purgatorie they cite the words of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 3.13 3. where he speaking of ignorant Teachers and their doctrine saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire Which words they would make the World to beleeue are meant of the fire of Purgatory that shall as they say purge curious and vaine doctrine and those that haue built it on the foundation Christ whereas the very words themselues doe make it plaine to the contrary for in that it saith the day shall declare it 2 Pet. 1 Chap. 19 verse 2 Thes 2. ch 8. he meant the truth the light whereof Saint Peter calleth The day-starre 2. Epistle 1. Chapter And the power thereof Saint Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. Chapter 8 calleth the Spirit of Gods mouth wherewith he sheweth that Antichrist and all Antichristian Teachers and their doctrine shall be consumed euen as fire consumeth the drosse and fineth the gold and siluer And therefore in that Chapter where hee speaketh of purging by fire that no man should vnderstand him to meane a corporall or materiall fire hee concludeth of that matter thus 1 Cor. 3.8 As it were by the fire That is as it were by fire the vaine doctrine shall be burned and consumed by the fire of Gods truth and the Teacher thereof being tryed thereby to hold the foundation sound the Church shall not condemne him as an heretique
forbid and which we ought all to pray God to auert For now we see is the time come for the fulfilling of this Prophesie Lord giue a blessing to my labour and open the eyes of the blinde But now what good effect can wee looke to haue that the fruit of this our labour should any thing at all preuaile to conuert any Papists seeing we finde in the 16. Chapter 10. Verse and 9. Chapter 20.21 Verses of the Reuelation that neither the Word of God nor the iudgements of God shall conuert them surely none were it not that the Lord in the 4. Verse of the 18 Chapter had reuealed that euen to the finall destruction of Babylon he hath yet reserued some to himselfe of which sort therefore we hope it will take effect in some but for the rest we haue had sufficient experience that the more plainer and clearer the truth is made vnto them the more they will labour with their cunning shifts and sophisticall arguments to obscure it yea and if it be possible they will make it seem vntruth Howbeit euen hereby they most euidently declare themselues to be of the fellowship of those Antichristians whom S. Paul 2 Thessalonians 2 chap. sheweth the great Antichrist shall so strongly delude that they shall delight rather to beleeue his lies then Gods truth And that it may appeare to the Reader they are indeed the same what can make it more apparent then their apposing themselues against the Doctrine of Christ himselfe For whereas the Prophet Malachi chap. 4. fore-told of Elias that was to come and that our Sauiour Christ Matth. 11. expoundeth that to be meant of Saint Iohn Baptist in saying of him This is that Elias that was to come Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare They sticke not to appose themselues against his plaine exposition and constantly affirme that the same Elias is yet to come Also notwithstanding the Euangelist Saint Luke in his first chapter 17. Verse sheweth Iohn Baptist to be the same of whom Malachi fore-told who as hee saith Came in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare the way for Christ They say that the end of his comming is to appose himselfe against Antichrist And this is done to make vs beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come But in the meane time their affirming Elias to be yet to come which should come but once and that onely to manifest the Messias to bee verily come What is this but by a consequent to affirme that the Messias is yet to come and so our faith in him that is come is made voyd and of none effect Againe whereas our Sauiour Christ as appeareth Matthew 24. saith And this Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached through out the whole World for a witnesse to all Nations and then shall the end come They peruert both words sense say And then shall Antichrist come And this also is done only to make men beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come that no man should once suspect the Pope to be he albeit the truth forceth all men to beleeue the contrary But it may well appeare they meane nothing lesse then that the truth should come to light for then N. D. the Authour of the Ward-word in alledging the 8. Verse of the 11. chapter of the Reuelation to proue the seat of Antichrist to be in Ierusalem would not haue taken out of the Text the word Spiritually which all men may see the holy Ghost put in purposely to preserue the sense that he might adde a contrary to wit such a sense of his owne as should shadow Rome for appearing to be the seate and the Pope from being Antichrist I say if hee had beene willing the Reader should haue beene resolued by truth he would neuer haue done it But what hath he gotten by this his adding and deminishing too and from the words and sense of that Prophesie let him looke into the 18. and 19. Verses of the 22. chap. of the same Booke and he shall finde it to be no lesse then eternall damnation both of body and soule because it is wittingly done Againe if he had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth he might more easily haue found out the seate of Antichrist to be in Rome then in Ierusalem because the 17. chapter of the Reuelation sheweth it to be in the Citie with seauen hills and which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth but Ierusalem was neuer described by seauen hills nor euer raigned ouer the Kings of the earth nor any other Citie in all the world but Rome therefore not Ierusalem but Rome is the seate of Antichrist Againe if he had been willing that the truth should haue resolued the Reader who hee is that is in deed and truth the great Antichrist hee would neuer haue wrested and falsified so many places of Scripture as appeareth in his Ward-word Page 91.92 he hath done wittingly to proue him a Iewe and to dominiere onely ouer that one Nation of the Iewes I say if hee had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth he would neuer haue done it If he shall charge vs with doing him wrong for saying hee hath wrested and falsified the places he hath cited I say againe not any one of his places doth proue the point if it did then hee hath done himselfe the wrong for that after so many places cited hee bringeth in the 5. Verse of the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which being vnderstood as he would haue it of Antichrist the three next Verses following proueth him a Gentile and a Roman vnto whom as the Text saith Power was giuen ouer euery kindred tongue and Nation and whom the World worshipped So that here he hath vtterly shamed himselfe for that this Text as he vnderstandeth it proueth all his former obiections but Antichristian illusions and fond fables Againe if he had beene willing that the Reader should haue beene resolued by the truth hee would not haue laboured to haue enduced him to beleeue that Antichrist should seduce the Iewes that they should receiue him for their Messias and Sauiour seeing he cannot proue by any one place of Scripture from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of the Reuelation that there shall be any other translation or alteration of the Iewes state to come but onely that in the 11. to the Romans which Saint Paul sheweth shall be their conuertion to Christ and the same to continue to the comming of Christ to iudgement Againe if he had beene willing men should haue beene resolued by the truth hee would neuer haue expounded the Image of the Heathenish Roman gouernement to be a painted picture or a carued Image the likenesse of some kind of cattell or beast onely to blind the World that men should not see the Popish gouernement to be the Image Howbeit let them looke into the 8. verse of the 14. chap. and they shall see and
wisedome And a little after And let him gather together the vpright and true kinde of Christians that hee together with them may repaire the spirâ—tuall breaches of my Church the which verily hath departed too farre from me 19 If the Church of Rome were not cleane departed from Christ and the true Christian Church then would not their Platina haue sayd thus of the vniuersall heads thereof a Platina in Ioan. 10. The Popes are cleane departed from Peters steps Neither would their owne prophesie haue fore-told b In Clunies Librarie That they would follow the footesteppes not of Simon Peter but of Simon Magus Neither would their Petracha haue said thus of the mother of their Church c Petracha in his 20. Epistle Rome the whoore of Babylon is the mother of all Idolatry and fornication the Sanctuary of heresie and schoole of errour Neither would their Mantuanus haue giuen this councell to all true Christians saying d Baptista Mantuanus All that will liue godly be packing from Rome for there all things else are lawfull but to liue godlily it is not lawfull Neither would their Bishop Cataldus haue sayd thus of Rome e Cataldus in his Prediction Thou vnhappy Babylon the damned pit of priests Neither would their Abbot Ioacham haue said thus of the whole Romish Church f Ioacham vpon the first and second chapter of Jeremy This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his seate Neither would their Saint Katherine in her Prayer haue said thus of the Church of Rome g Katherine ibidem O Tabernacle but of the diuell And also thus in the person of Christ to the whole Clergie of Rome I haue chosen you to be like vnto Angels on earth but yee are rather incarnate Diuels Neither would their Saint Bridget haue said h Bridget in her fourth booke 135. chapter They are accursed and worse then the Diuell and therefore except they amend they shall be drowned deeper then all the diuells in Hell Neither would she haue sayd to the Pope thus of his whole Sea Thy Sea like vnto an heauy stone shall go downe into the deepest deepe I say if the Church of Rome had not cleane departed from the true and most auncient Apostolike Church then would not these most holiest of their Church haue thus written But forasmuch as the case is cleare that she is departed from the most auntient Christian Church our Church must needes be that most antient Christian Church because there are none other Christian Churches in all the world but what are comprehended vnder these two Titles Christian and Antichristian which wee now commonly call Protestants and Papists But yet for the better clearing of this point namely that our Church is the most auntient by 606. yeares next after Christ his incarnation our fift chapter shal plainly demonstrate And thus much for the prouing Christian Rome in her latter dayes to be that Babylon which the Angell in the seauenteenth chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angell in the eighteenth chapter saith Is fallen and become the habitation of dinells the hold of all foule spirits and eage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird And as wee in this our age haue seene the spirituall fall of Babylon the Church of Rome so by the iudgement of some of the Learned our young children shall see the corporall and finall desolation of the citie of Rome After which time as they write she shall be the corporall habitation of foule diuells and diuellish spirits as I haue shewed shee is now of incarnate diuells filthy and hatefull birds CHAP. IIII. Tending to resolue all men that as Saint Iohn in his 17. chapter of the Reuelation declareth the Church of Antichrist to be a Church professing Christ and yet an Idolatrous Church so the Popish Church must needes bee that idolatrous Church because there is no more Churches in the World professing Christ but theirs which vse Images and ours which vse none which are now distinguished therefore by the titles of Papists and Protestants 1 THE Papists beare the World in hand they are no Idolaters and that for these three causes First for that notwithstanding they vse the Image of God in the worship and seruice of God yet they take it not for God Yea they say they no more take it for God then Dogges doe take a painted Foxe for a Foxe or a painted Hare for a Hare Secondly because as they say they worship not the Image but God by it Thirdly because as they also say they receiued the same manner of worshipping See Bilson 580. page by tradition from the Apostles who were no Idolaters therefore they are no Idolaters to which three illusions wee answere 2 It is euident by this first illusion that God in his iust iudgement hath giuen them the spirit of slumbering eyes that they should not see for notwithstanding their great learning they suppose that there are no Idolaters but such onely as outwardly worship the image for God therefore touching this first point we answere first by the 17. cap. of Iudges Iudges 17.5 1 Kings 15.13 2 Chro. 25.14.15 2 Chron. 33.1.2.3.10 2 Kings 7.33.34 which condemneth Micha for an Idolater Secondly by the 15. cap. of the first booke of Kings which condemned Maachah for an idolater Thirdly by the 25. cap. of the second booke of Chronicles which condemned Amaziah for an Idolater Fourthly by the 33. cap. of the same booke which condemned Manasseh for an Idolater and yet not any one of these worshipped their image for God but all of them acknowledged the true God Lastly we answere them by the 17. cap. of the second booke of Kings which condemned certaine Samaritans for Idolaters of whom the Text saith They feared the Lord and serued their images also So that if our counterfait Catholikes did no more worship the image for God then the Iewes did but feared God and serued their images as those Samaritans did or that it were true that they no more take their image for God then dogges doe take painted Foxes and Hares for Foxes and Hares yet we see that euen by their affecting images and vsing them in the spirituall worship and seruice of God they are plainely proued Idolaters 3 And now whereas they say they no more take the image for God then dogges doe take painted Foxes and Hares for those liuing creatures that will we further trie with them euen by these two effects For whereas dogges vse neither to runne nor to open their mouths vpon those sencelesse pictures they haue accustomably vsed to gad vnto them from Towne to Towne and from Countrey to Countrey As to the Lady of Walsingham to the Lady of the Towre of Couentrie to S. Mudwne of Burtone to the sweet Rood of Chester and diuers others vsing before them such holy humble and reuerend gestures as to God himselfe prostrating themselues at their feete kneeling
whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne So that hereby we see it most manifest that iustification before God consisteth in faith alone without workes euen as he also proueth as apparantly where he absolutely and vtterly excludeth all kinde of workes for being wholly or any part of the cause of iustification in that he saith Rom. 11. If it be of grace it is no more of workes If it be of workes it is no more of grace That is to say it is of the one but not of both And therefore in the third Chapter of the same Booke he closeth vp the doctrine of iustification thus Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law And thus much by proofe of Scripture touching this point also Now let vs heare the iudgement of the Fathers 10 Saint Augustine saith k August in â—â—s 83. qâ—â—stioâ—s Quest 76. Glossa ordinaria Abrahrns was iustified by faith without works Saint Hilary saith l Hila. 9. Can. Ma. 8. It moued the Scribes that sinnes was forgiuen by man for they onely beheld man in Christ Iesu and that to be forgiuen of him which the Law could not release fides enim sola iustificat for faith onely iustifieth Saint Hierome saith m Hier. 10. cap. Rom. They not knowing that God iustifieth sola fide by faith onely supposed themselues to be iust by the workes of the Law which they neuer obserued Theophilact saith n Theop. 3 cap. Gal. Because no man is iustified by the Law c. Now he doth plainly shew that fidem ipsam vel solâ—m faith it selfe yea euen alone hath power to iustifie Saint Chrisostome saith o Christost 4. Hom vpon the 1. to Tim. chap. 1. Who could hardly beleeue that enemies that sinners that such as were not iustified in the Law nor by workes that they by and by haue ex sola fide by faith onely obtayned the chiefe merite It seemed to the Iewes said heâ— an incredible thing that a man that had spent all his former life vainely and disorderly hauing passed the same in wicked workes that afterwards hee should be said to be saued sola fide by faith onely Againe he saith thus of them p In his Hom. vpon th 3. chap. to the Gala. They said who so stayeth himselfe sola fide by faith onely is accursed Contrariwise Saint Paul proueth who so stayeth sota fide by faith onely is blessed Moreouer he saith q Vpon the 4. chap. to the Rom. the 8. Ser. That a man destitute of workes should be iustified by faith that peraduenture may seeme to be well but that a man beautified with vertue and good workes should neuerthelesse by them not be iustified sed sola fide but by faith onely truely this is wonderfull And hereof it is that their Doctor Maister Harding is compelled thus to confesse r D. Har. in his booke A detection of sundry foule errours liâ—s c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth To conclude Saint Origen saith Å¿ Origen 3. Bâ—â—â—ke 3. chap. Rom. Rom. 4 5. If we require an example who was iustified sola fide by faith onely without workes I suppose that the same theefe doth suffice And indeed this iâ— that remedyâ— whereby God doth saue his elect which hee calleth at the last houre whether on their death bedde or on the gallows-tree And this it is which Saint Paul saith Rom. Rom. 4.5 4. By faith God doth iustifie the vngodly And as hee sheweth that faith is the onely meanes whereby God doth saue the vngodly Gal. 3.11 Hab. 2.4 whom he vouchsafeth to call so Galla. 3. aluding to these words of the Prophet Habakkuk chapter 2. The iust shall liue by his faith hee proueth that the most righteous shall be saued by their faith onely or else they shall neuer be saued And thus much for the answering the other sort of Papists also which will haue men to be saued by faith and workes together 11 But now Christian Reader what shall wee say shal we conclude that we are iustified by such a faith as the Papists charge vs with which is generall with all the wicked which not onely is without the fruits of a true and liuely faith but hath the contrary God forbid But wee say that we are iustified by faith that is by such a faith as Saint Paul saith 2. Thess 3.2 1 Cor. 13. chap. All men haue not 2 Thess 3. Yea by that faith which hee saith worketh by loue and which Saint Iames saith James 3.17 Is full of mercie and good fruits chapter 3. Euen by the same faith which is manifested vnto men and approued of God to be a true faith which at the day of iudgement shall be tried by the fruits thereof and all iudged thereby at which time euery one that is found to haue had it shall as the Apostle Saint Peter saith 1. Ep. 1. chap. Receiue the end of his faith euen the saluation of his soule The rest that had not this fruitfull faith shall be damned as appeareth in the 25. Chapter of Saint Matthew 12 True it is that the generall sort because they beleeue Christ to be the Sauiour of the world and haue their names deriued from him to be called Christians thinke verily they shall all be saued Yea though many of them liue worse then the very Infidells But what reason haue they so to delude themselues seeing that not a few but many which preach Christ and the Christian faith shall be damned because howsoeuer they preach well and teach the truth their liues are not correspondent Our Sauiour Christ speaking of Christians and the time of triall who be true Christians indeed Matth. 7. saith Matth. 7.22.23 Not euery one that saith vnto mee Lord. Lord shall outer into the Kingdome of heauen but he that doth my fathers will which is in heauen Many will say vnto mee in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out Deuills and by thy name done many great workes and then saith Christ I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you Depart from mee yee that worke iniquitie And here wee see those miracle-mongers the Papists specially included who as we proued in our second Chapter worke their miracles in the name of Christ to draw men to Antichrist And as touching their conuersation of life their Saint Bridgit bringeth Christ thus reproaching them for the vilenesse thereof saying t Bridgit in her sixt Booke of Reuelation 15. chap. Their conuersation and life stinketh like a Where in my sight So that as she saith in another place v In her first Booke chap. 50. The simple sort by their bad example they hurle downe headlongs 13 But now haply they will obiect and say are wee singular
Corint 1. 1. Cor. 1.30 saith also thus of Christ God hath made him vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written Hee that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. But it seemeth that Cardinall Allen liketh not of this kinde of reioycing for as we heard before hee cheareth vp his Chickens to reioyce in their owne righteousnesse assuring them that that is it which before hand in this life maketh sure worke for the purging of sinne and after this life for the deliuering the soule from death and for lifting it vp into euerlasting life And therefore if their doctrine be true they haue as great cause to reioyce in their owne strength of saluation as in all whatsoeuer Christ hath done for the strength of mans saluation and in themselues as in the Lord. Neuerthelesse besides this which wee haue already alleadged our Sauiour himselfe hath stricken downe their proude peacockes tayle in saying Luke 17. Luke 17.10 Matth. 25.30 When yee haue done all those things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants And Mathew 25. Cast therefore that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Shewing plainely what is our due by our owne deseruings And thus much by proofe of Scripture concerning this poynt also Now let vs heare the auntient Fathers 22 Saint Bernard saith a Bernard in his booke of Free-will Who is he that is ignorant of the righteousnesse of God He that iustifieth himselfe Who is hee that iustifieth himselfe He that presumeth of merites any other where than of the grace of God Saint Augustine saith b Augustine in his Booke of Predestination of Saints the 1. chapter I do confesse that I am grieued that there is no place giuen to so many and manifest authorities of Gods word whereby the grace of God is commended which is vtterly no grace if it be giuen for our merites Saint Bernard againe saith c Bernard 67. sermon vpon the Canticles There is no meane for grace to enter where merites keepeth and occupieth place Therefore saith Saint Augustine d Augustine 31. psalme If thou wilt be a stranger from the grace of God boast thou of thine owne merites Againe he saith e Vpon the 70 psalme Thou art nothing of thy selfe call vpon God thy sinnes are thine owne merites are of God punishment is due vnto thee Whereby wee see all our iustifiers condemned First of ignorance Secondly of presumption Thirdly of blasphemy in making grace no grace by affirming it to be giuen vnto vs for our merites Fourthly of most palpable peruersenesse by thrusting in their corrupt merites whereby the grace of God is vtterly excluded out of the worke of iustification Fiftly by boasting and bringing in their merites into the worke of iustification they haue thrust themselues out of the fauor of God Lastly for that they dare stand out with God to claime remission of sins and eternall life by their merites and to seeme vnto themselues to be that which they are not such as vnto whom by desert the kingdome of heauen is due they shall receiue their due which as Saint Augustine saith is punishment to wit destruction both of soule and body And therefore how true it is that they will either be saued by that meanes whereby they shall be condemned or else they will not be saued let the Reader iudge 23 Saint Augustine reprouing such Heretiques as would looke to be rewarded with euerlasting life for their merites said thus vnto them f Augustine 70 psalme When the reward shall come he will crowne his owne gifts not thy merites That is after wee haue gotten possession of heauen by the onely meanes of faith then according to the measure of grace which God did giue to euery man in this life to worke his will and to set forth his glory hee will crowne them with degrees of glory Luke 19. And this is it which Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 5 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things that hee hath done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euill At which time Saint Augustine saith g August in his Booke of the Spirit and the Letter Cha. 33. God will crowne with fauour and mercy that shall be done at the last iudgement whereas when the iust King shall sit in his Throne to render to euery man according to his workes who shall boast that hee is cleane from sinne or who shall boast that his heart is chaste Therefore saith he it was needfull to make mention of the mercy of our Lord. Indeed he may well say God will then crowne with fauour and mercy and not according to our deserts For whereas that iust man Iob Chapter 9. saith thus of man If God should dispute with him he could not answere him one thing for a thousand yet at the day of iudgement as plainely appeareth in Saint Matthew 25. the Lord will repeate the things which the faithfull had well done not once mentioning any one thing they had ill done were the actions neuer so vile And there also in that Chapter is plainely demonstrated vnto vs what sort of Christians shall be saued and what sort damned Those that shall be saued doe vtterly disclaime their owne righteousnesse and those that shall be damned doe iustifie themselues by challenging to themselues the performing of all those Christian duties which Christ required to be done to his members Now therefore Christian Reader be thou iudge of which of these two sorts the Papists are Also in that Chapter is plainely declared that men are not saued by the bare name of faith but by the true faith that hath the true fruites 24 They will not in any case be saued by that way whereby we seeke to be saued namely by endeauouring to the vtter most of our powers to obserue and doe all whatsoeuer we are commanded and then when wee haue done our best ro confesse the truth against our selues that we are vnprofitable seruants as our Sauiour himselfe commanded and to relie wholly vpon the mercy of God in Christ but they will be saued by fulfilling the Commandements or else they will not be saued Neither will they doe their good workes to the end whereunto God ordained and appointed them to be done as we doe First to shew our loue to God in walking as it becommeth his children Iohn 14.15 Secondly by them to glorifie God Matthew 5.16 Iohn 15 8. Thirdly to make our election certaine to our selues 2 Peter 1.10 Fourthly to winne others to Christ by our godly conuersation 1 Peter 3.1 Lastly to assure our selues for certaine that by hauing the true fruits of the true faith wee haue that faith whereby we shall be saued Iames 2.14 But they will doe their good workes first to purge their owne sinne Secondly by the ouerplus of good workes to purge