fable Forsoothe not without prouident consideration because if that bee taken a waye farewell all the fruites of penance which is one of the most profitable engines that their church hath and principall bailife vnder shirife their high Stuard for the marie and pith of theyr penaunce standeth in theyr satisfaction which is the last and golden part thereof and hath prouided for the building of many an Abbey Wherefore aboue all thinges theyr woorkes of supererogation was to be deuised for els coulde theyr satisfaction haue bene woorthe nothing vnto them which by this politicke prouiso hath made kinges fellowes of such as wythout the same coulde neuer haue bene able to haue maintained two beggers in an hospitall for before any man be able to make satisfaction of the olde debt to hys creditor it is of necessitie that first he be able to satisfie the dutie of the tyme present with an ouerplus out of the which excesse must be raised a sufficient superplussage to discharge the former daunger The wicked horror of all which theyr deuise of workes shal besides that which hath bene sayd already be also iustlye ouerthrowen hereafter where it shall appeare that no workes no not the workes of the iustified be able to satisfie the commaundement any other way then vnder the shield of mercy by not hauyng their insufficientie imputed vnto them but contrarywyse hidden by Christes innocentie from the sight of Gods iustice Let thys both touching the description of good workes and also the counterfeit workes of the Papists suffice Hauyng thus euidently shewed what these wordes grace righteousnes or iustification fayth and workes doe meane in thys matter I will now returne to speake of the nature of thys new couenaunt which as was sayd before iustifieth man fréely by grace through faith in Christ the explication or plain meaning whereof is by these definitions cuident to be this The new couenant doth assure man that hys sinne◠are fréely forgeuen and that righteousnes is imputed vnto hym by the frée beneuolence of the will of God through the ful assurance of the truth of Gods promises in Christ which vnto hym is geuen of God by the inspiration of the holy Gost wherby hys hart is purified and ciensed vnto good workes which righteousnes is imputed vnto hym without all respecte of hys worthynes or workes onely for the prayse and glory of the grace or fauour of god Wherby it is playne that vnto the attainement therof on the behalse of man thys onely thyng is required that he constantly beleue both seuerally touching him selfe and generally touchyng all the elect that euen as God hath fréely promised to accept the satisfaction of hys sonne Jesus Christ in full recompence for all theyr sinnes so assuredly he will performe the same Who soeuer I say hath thys vndoubted fayth he hath the true apprehension of Christ in the promise so that by fayth onely as is proued before iustification is attayned in the promise which fayth is the onely meane which by beleuing God may assure man of the frée fauour of God in Christ without suspition of incroching vpon any part of the glory of the same Which God hath reserued to hym selfe as the onely end for which he hath bestowed vppon man so riche a benefite wherunto as to the appointed marke or end all the Scriptures are directed whereof these authorities for the further confirmation of thys truth may séeme not vnseasonably rehearsed Beginning first with the wordes of our Sauiour Christ hym selfe he sayth thus And as Moyses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernes euē so must the sonne of man be lifted vppe that none that beleue in him perishe but haue euerlasting life for god so loued the world that he hath geuē his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in him should perishe but haue euerlasting life Againe in the same place He that beleueth in him shall not be condemned And agayne He that beleueth the sonne hath euerlasting life And in an other place The Capernaites said vnto him what shal we doe that we might worke the workes of God Iesus answered and sayd vnto them this is the worke of God that ye beleue on him whom he hath sent And againe in the same chapter This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him haue euerlasting life and I will raise hym vp at the last day Agayne in the same chapter Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleueth on me hath euerlasting life And in an other place I am the resurrection and the life he that beleueth on me yea though he were dead yet shal he liue and who soeuer liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer dye And in an other place I am come a light into the world that who soeuer beleueth on me should not bide in darkenes Agayne Peter in the Actes of the Apostles To hym also geue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleue in him shall receaue remission of sinnes Agayne the Gayler sayd to Paule and Barnabas Syrs what must I do to be saued and they sayd beleue on the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy housholde Againe Paule to the Romanes Therefore by the dedes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight for by the law cōmeth the knowledge of sinne but nowe is the righteousnes of God declared without the law hauing witnes of the law the Prophets to wit the righteousnes of God by fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all vpō al that beleue for there is no difference for all haue sinned are destitute of the glory of God and are iustified freely by hys grace throughe the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whō God hath set forth to be a pacification through fayth in his bloud to declare hys righteousnes in that hee forgeueth the sinnes that be passed which God dyd suffer to shew at his tyme his righteousnes that he might bee counted iust and a iustifier of hym that beleueth one Iesus Where is then the boastyng it is excluded by what lawe of workes nay but by the law of faith Therfore we gather that man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law and a litle after For it is one GOD which shall iustifie Circūcision which is of fayth and vncircūcisiō through fayth Agayne in the next Chapter for if Abraham were iustified by dedes then hath he wherein to boast but not with GOD for what sayeth the scriptures Abraham beleued God that was coūted to him for righteousnes to him that worketh the reward is not reckened of fauor but of duty but to him that worketh not but beleueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faythe is counted for righteousnes Euen as Dauid describeth the blissefulnes of the mā vnto whom God ascribeth righteousnes without
fecimus nos sed secundum suam misericordiam saluos nos fecit Neither was it hidden from the commaunder that the weight of the commaundemente did exceede the habilitie of men but hee iudgeth it for this cause profitable that it shoulde warne them of his sufficiencie and that they mighte also knowe vnto what ende of righteousnes they ought to applie their force VVherfore in commaunding impossible thinges he made not men transgressors but humble that euery mouth might be stopped and that all the world might be in daunger vnto God because by workes no fleshe shall be iustified in his sight For when we receaue the commaundement feele our lacke wee shall crye vnto heauen and God will haue mercy vpon vs and we shall know in that daye that he hath saued vs according to his owne mercy and not for the righteousnes of workes which we haue wrought Againe Augustine Impossibile est legem impleri per caâ—nem It is vnpossible that the lawe shoulde be fulfilled by fleshe Now touching mans impossibilitie towardes the satisfaction of the law let this suffice And as touching the fathers opinions concernyng the offyce of the lawe thus wryteth Augustine Qâ—ui propterea iubet vt nos deficientes ad illum confugiamus VVho doth therefore commaund that we beyng insufficyent myght flye together vnto him And agayne he sayeth Haec est igitur vtilitas legis quia ostendit hominem sibi ipsi vt sciat infirm tatem suam videat quemadmodum per prohibitionem augeatur potiùs carnalis concupiscentia quám sanetur Appetuntur enim vehementius quae vetantur dum id quod spiritualiter iubetur carnalis obseruare compellitur This is therefore the vtilitie of the lawe that it doth shew man vnto hym selfe and that hee may see how by the restraint carnall concupiscence is rather increased then healed For those thynges that be forbydden are more vehemently desired when a carnall man is compelled to obserue that whyche is spirytuallye commaunded And agayne the same Augustine Per legem cognitio peccati non enim ablatio peccati est quia per solam gratiam aufe tur peccatum By the lawe is the knowledge of synne but not the taking away of synne because by the grace of God onely synne is taken awaye And agayne Iustam sciliceâ— legem iniustis hominibus dando ad demonstranda eorum peccata non auferenda In geeuyng the iust law vnto vniust men to shew theyr synnes not to take them awaye And agayne Omnes itaque homines sub lege constitutos reos facit lex et ad hoc illis super caput est vt ostendat peccata non tollat For the lawe maketh all men gyltye that bee placed vnder the law and therefore it is ouer their heads that it maye shewe synne but not to take awaye synne It appeareth by all these authorities that the lawe as now mans nature is corrupted doth serue hym to thys ende namelye to paynt vnto hym his miserable nature cursse and iuste condemnation and to dryue him thereby to séeke hys reliefe in Chryst the promised séede to come Thus hauyng shewed why the law was geuen to man though hée had no iot of habilitie to performe any part thereof It followeth to be enquired Cap. 6. ¶ How man regarded the lawe and howe in Chryste the promysed seede the couenaunt concernyng mans restitutyon was consummate FOrasmuche as mans miserable corruptyon had so farre caryed hym from the feelyng of the spiryte and lyfe of all diuyne causes that now wholly hée wandered as it were in the barke and in the contemplatyon of the outwarde vewe neglecting vtterly the marye and pythe In consideratyon hereof the incommensurable greatnesse of Gods mercye in the delyueraunce of the lawe the spirytuall ende and purpose whereof was by the iuste terrour of the same to scourge and whyp man from trust in hymselfe to the promised seede God I saye in the delyuerance of the same vsed suche externall cause of terrour to trayne the gresse senses vnto which man wholly obeyed that if their dusked and daseled eyes had not bene more then palpably blynde they coulde not but haue clerely séene that in the law was offered vnto them nothyng but fearfulnes horror cursse and condemination For the cloudes dyd as it were teare and rent in sunder ouer their heades with roaring of the thunders The Element wyth continuall flashyng of lighteninges séemed vtterly resolued into flame The Mountayne by vaporing out fearfull fume and smothering smoke myght séeme rather vnto them the mouth of hell and fornace of consuming reuenge theÌ„ any other spectacle The terrible hideous sharme of the trumpe might well offer vnto theÌ„ the terror of the host of heaueÌ„ as it were ranging towardes their iust deserued coÌ„fusioÌ„ So that all the course and processe of the whole action séemed to present to them nothing but horror and feare Yea and the comfort which Moyses him selfe seemed to geue to the reliefe of their confounded mindes wyth the viewe of this fearfull pagent was such as if they had well considered the same the ende thereof vanished also into terror and feare Be not afrayed sayth he God is come to prooue you that hys feare may be in your eyes that you synne not As though he had sayde vnto them stand not in doubt nor feare that this shoulde be the daye of your destruction for God doth thys to none other ende but as it were to paynt vnto your outward senses the horror of hys fearefull iustice pronounced towards you in the law whiche now is to be receiued to awake your dull hearts by these external horrours to flye from the vengeaunce of the same that the dreadfull regard therof by these outward fearefull spectacles may so syncke into your myndes that the burning terror of the same continually blasing before the eyes of your hartes may chase you from your owne righteousnesse which is nothing but sin vnto the true ryghteousnesse freely offered in the promised séede Thus if they had well considered they myght easely haue séene that all the whole comfort geuen theÌ„ by Moyses vanished also into horror and feare of the lawe that the vengeaunce thereof alwayes present in sight myght ënforce their flight for succour to the promise If the face of Moyses the bringer of the Law was of such brightnes that their fleshlye eyes were vtterly vnable to sustaine the pure and persing beames thereof Oh how muche might their dull hartes haue iudged the blered eyes of their corrupt nature vtterly vnable to sustayne the sharpe and terrible beames of the gloryous and irreuocable sentence of the Law agaynst sinne and wickednes God hauyng thus deliuered vnto them the law as a scholemaister to lead them to the promyse he sent them dyuers tymes Prophetes amongst them by whom hée renued the same more and more opening vnto theÌ„ the meanyng of his purpose concernyng the promised seede namely Christ insomuch that he
agréeing with that which is sayd already namelye that no good woorke can bée wrought but by him in whom Iesus Christ doth raigne that is by that iustified for hereby it is playne that no good worke can be in man onles it be by Iesus Chryste but Iesus Chryst worketh onely in the iustified for his spirit doth certifie their spirites in whom hee dwelleth that they are the children of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Chryst Iesu And in this place doth Paule also go forward in prosecutyng the woorde of Esay for where Esaye calleth them trées of ryghteousnesse that is to say the bringers forth of the fruites of ryghteousnes he addeth a plantyng of the Lordes to shew that their ryghteousnesse is the Lordes worke and that doth Paule open here where hée sayeth that good workes or fruites of righteousnesse are in vs by Iesus Chryst as though he had sayd Iesus Chryste hath made you to bée trees of ryghteousnesse that you myght bring forth the fruites thereof namelye good workes and so declare your selues to be a plantyng of the Lordes Thys beyng taught Paule goeth forward in declaryng the finall cause of good workes in saying Vnto the glorye and prayse of God whereby it is playne out of these words of Paules that Chryst is the efficiēt cause of good workes and that none can bée wrought but by hym in whom the spirite of Chryste dwelleth that is none can be wrought but by the ryghteous or iustified in that he saith whyche fruites are in you by IESVS Chryst Whereby it is playne that wythout Iesus Chryste they can not bée in them Where also is declared the materiall cause of good woorkes Namely a fruite of ryghteousnesse so that vnlesse it bée brought forth by a ryghteous tree it can bée no good worke hee also declareth that the iustification or ryghteousnesse of the doer of them is the formall cause of them in that hée calleth them the fruite of ryghteousnesse for that declareth the doers of them to bée trées of ryghteousnesse as Esay termeth them wherby also appeareth that no good worke can bé done but by a man already iustyfied hee also telleth the finall cause of them in that hée sayeth Vnto the glory and prayse of God concludyng euen as Esay in the fore named place doth For after hée had sayde that they myght bée called trées of righteousnesse a planting of the Lordes hée addeth for hym to haue glorye in so that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers but to glorifie God for vnles the doers had bene iustified before the woorkes were wrought they coulde haue bene no frute of righteousnesse So that thys place of Paule is an openyng of the forenamed place of Esay for where Esaye sayeth that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse Paule expoundeth that to bée that they shoulde bryng foorth the fruites of righteousnesse and where Esaye calleth them a plantyng of the Lordes that doth Paule open when he telleth that the fruite of ryghteousnesse must be in them by Iesu Chryst And where Esay sayeth for hym to glorye in Paule sayeth to the glory and praise of God. Thus by comparyng together these woordes of Paule and Esay it is more then euident that good workes bée so farre from iustyfiyng the doers that before iustificatyon no good worke can bée wrought And Chryst himselfe affirmeth no lesse when he sayeth that the tree must bee good before it bryng foorthe good fruite Euerye good tree sayeth he bryngeth forth good fruite So that first hée acknowledgeth the trée to bée good before it bryngeth forth good fruite And if the tree be euill he affirmeth in the same place It bryngeth foorth euill fruite concludyng playnely that no euyll tree can bryng forth good fruite Whereby it is euident that the man muste by fayth bée made good that is to saye righteous and iustyfied before he can bring forth any good woorkes So then the woorke is acknowledged for good through mercy which couereth the blemishes thereof in respect that it is the worke of a man by fayth already iustified and clothed in the righteousnesse of Chryste and not in respecte of it selfe which compared with the iustice of God is wickednesse as in the 9. Chapter was proued for wee bee all by nature the chyldren of wrath as Paule beareth witnesse And thus writeth Augustine Sequuntur bona opera iust fi atum non praecedunt iustificandum Good woorkes folowe hym that is iustified they goe not before hym that is to bee iustyfied Agayne the same Augustine Quid enim est boni operis ante fidem cum dicat Apostolus quicquidsine fide fit peccatum est for what good woorke is there before sayth seyng the Apostle sayeth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is synne And Christ hymselfe sayeth wythout mee you can do nothyng whereby it is euydent that vntyll they haue the spiryte of Chryst they can woorke no good worke but none haue the spirite of Chryst but suche as bée the children of God for the Scrypture sayth these bee the children of GOD that bee led by the spyrite of GOD and none are the children of GOD tyll they bée iustyfied for to bée the chyldren of God and to bée iustyfied is all one thyng therefore none can woorke good woorkes but suche as be already iustyfied Agayne to the workyng of euery good woorke there be two thynges specially required namely vnderstandyng and affection So that the worke that must please God muste both bée ioyned wyth the knowledge of the wyll of God and also bée done wyth affection pleasure and delight in the same Touchyng that it shoulde bee done wyth knowledge thus sayth God by the prophet God desireth in man more the knowledge of God then burnt offrynges And before in hys fourth chapter where he geueth a reason of the destructyon of hys people he alleageth onely lacke of knowledge my people sayeth he are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Chryst himself sayth do yee not therefore erre because you vnderstand not the scryptures And Iob affirmeth that to depart from euill is vnderstandyng Whereby it is playne that wythout vnderstanding or knowledge of the wyll of God no man can depart from euill and do that which is good And therefore doth Dauid crye Geeue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy lawe O geeue mee vnderstandyng that I maye learne thy commaundementes And that good woorkes are wrought through knowledge or vnderstanding it is by the scriptures euident Paul to the Phillippians writeth thus And thys I praye that your loue maye abound yet more and more in knowledge and vnderstanding that ye maye discerne things that differ one from an other that ye may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ Here doth Saint Paule not only pray that theyr loue might abound in knowledge but he also telleth the cause of hys prayer namely that they might be able to