3. And so muche the iuster the more iustice he doth By the same rule Leo speaking of almose saieth Leo. ser 3. de ieiun mensis 7. Leo ser 8. de ieiu men 10. Iacob 2. Gen. 22. Hoc pio impendatur operi c. Let that be bestowed vpon godlie woorke that can iustifie the harte and wasshe the conscience And in an other place Goddes will is saieth he to iustifie the poore by patiente suffring of labour and trauaile and the riche by the woorke of charitie Abraham was iustified by woorkes offering vp his sonne by woorkes I say of obedience bicause he obeyed the voice and commaundement of God. The Scripture saith of Moyses In fide lenitate ipsius sanctum fecit illum God made him holy by faith and mildenes S. Bernarde saith as much of humilitie Bernard ser 1. in die natal Sectamini illam quae sola potest saluare animas vestras folow her which alone is able to saue your soules Finally Leo ser 6 de Quadrages al good workes done in faith bring with them a Iustification Quia hac quaeper se sunt vilia fides efficit pretiosa quae ab infidelibus ministrantur etsi fuerint sumptu magna omni tamen iustificatione sunt vacua faith maketh those thinges pretiouse which of them selues be litle worth And such as are done by infideles though in coste they be great yet be they voide of al Iustification If the workes of infideles be voide of Iustification bicause they be done without faith then Christian mennes woorkes done in faith may iustifie By these places of the Scripture and auncieÌ„t Fathers it is proued that good works done in faith iustifie the doers And bicause no man can doo such workes vnlesse he be him selfe a good man Sequuntur enim iustificatum Aug de fide ope ca. 14. noÌ„ pracedunt iustificandum for they follow him that is made iust they go not before him that is to be iustified we must coÌ„fesse that beside the Iustification of the wicked whereby a synner of vngodly is made righteouse â—om 4. there is an other degree of iustice which both the Scripture and Fathers as I haue shewed call Iustification that is an increase of iustice whereby a iuste man is made iuster Whiche to make the thing more playne The secoÌ„d Iustification I cal the seconde kynde or degree of Iustification bicause it commeth after the Iustification of a sinner whiche is the firste degree of iustice And this kinde of Iustification whiche is an increase of iustice Lib. 2. coÌ„tra â—ulta supra ca. Oecom in c. 2. Iaco. is obteyned and gotten by godly life by fighting with vice saieth S. Augustine by workes of faith without the whiche after baptisme faith auayleth not but maketh vs also gyltie of greater sinne receyuing the talente and bringing no gayne of it By this meane it is truely said that a wicked man is iustified that is reconciled to God by grace through faith hope charitie penaunce and the Sacramente of Baptisme without anye woorkes of merite goyng before And truely is it saied also that suche as be already iuste may be yet iustified that is increased in iustice by good workes So is it true that faith without workes iustifieth and true also that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely the one being meant of man not yet baptised the other of suche as are baptised or christened And further woorkes of faith doo not onely increase a good mannes iustice in this life but also procure vnto the dooers life euerlasting Rom. 6. Whiche S. Paule calleth our ende And S. Augustine the perfiting of iustice Ser. 61. de ver De. et ep 106. saying Complebitur spes nostra our hope shal be fully accomplished in the laste resurrection of the deade and when our hope shal be fulfilled then shal our Iustification be fully accomplisshed And bicause our iustice be it neuer so well begonne and continued here yet before that time is neuer perfect and without that ende auaileth not I call that with S. Augustine the perfiting of our Iustification or the thirde degree and ende of our iustice To the which the Scriptures plainely declare that we must comme by workes of faith Rom. 2. Psal 61. Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera eius God shall render vnto euery man according to his workes What thinges a man soweth Gala. 6. the same shall he reape for he that soweth in flesh of flesh shall reape corruption But he that soweth in spirite of spirite shall reape euerlasting life Our sowing is our workes of which if they be ill we shall reape damnation if they be good we shall receiue life eternall And bicause it is said in sundrie places of the Scripture 2. Tim. 4. Epist 105. lib de gra libe arbi ca. 8. 9. that God will render life euerlasting to good workes and that as a iuste iudge we gather with S. Augustine that life euerlasting is the rewarde of good workes whereof I shall haue occasion to say more when I come to speake of that matter Lib. 2 cap. 13. In the meane time we see that as a man is called to the state of iustice by faith without workes which is Iustification so can he neither be increaced nor perfited in iustice but by faith and good workes which is also called Where is then faith alone Iustification So can he neither comme to the beginning but by faith hope and charitie as hath ben shewed neither to the middle nor th' ende but by faith and good workes ioined together And this difference marked and rightely applied doth not only geue light to sundrie Scriptures seeming otherwise darcke but also taketh away the difference imagined In the 10. chap. of the 2. booke to be betwene S. Paule and S. Iames S. Peter and S. Iohn concerning the doctrine of Iustification whereof I shall speake more largely in an other place VVhat good workes be and howe they be called ours THE XIII CHAPTER Three kindes of vvorkes in Scripture THE greate commendation and price which the Scripture geueth to good workes moueth me briefly to declare what workes they are that we call good where with God is so highly pleased We finde in the Scriptures three kindes of workes named Gala. 5. whereof some are called workes of the flesh other the workes of the lawe Ioan. 6. Gala. 5. The third kinde the workes of God and the fruites of the holy Ghost The workes of the flesh are fornication vncleanes vnchast life and other like the doers whereof shall not enioie the kingdome of God. Gala. 5. The workes of the lawe be such as a man doth by him selfe presuming of his owne power and strength without the helpe of God Aug. ser 15. de ver Apost Philip. 3. by commandement of the lawe for feare of punishement and not for loue of iustice Of which S. Paule
thee without thy knowledge he iustifieth thee by thy wil. And in an other place he saith further That Christes worke in our Iustification is our woorke That Christe woorketh it not without vs that we woorke togeather with Christ our owne Iustification and saluation Credenti in eum qui iustificat impium Tract 72. in Ioan. To the beleuer in him that iustifieth the wicked faith is accompted for iustice In this woorke we doe the woorke of Christe For the very beleefe in Christe is Christ his worke This he worketh in vs Philip. 2. but assuredly not without vs. And alleaging the place of S. Paule that willeth vs with feare and tremblinge to worke our owne saluation he saith Operante in se Christo By Christes working in man togeather with Christe man worketh his owne saluation euerlasting and Iustification Eusebius Emisse ho. 9. de Pasc And this God worketh in vs not onely to commend his mercie but also to shewe his iustice Iusto ordine qui per calliditatem Iust order requireth saith Eusebius that man who by the subtil crafte of the malitiouse serpent was not forced but seduced to his destruction should be againe by the wisedome of a louing redemer not compelled but lead to saluation and he that semed to haue fallen by his owne wil should be repaired againe by his owne will that there might be place for vertue and rewarde Therefore he pulleth him not awaie by force but rather by iust good will inuiteth and instructeth him to lyfe for the louing gentlenes of the prouoker longeth for the merite of the agreer and the fauour of the most curteouse Physition requireth the consent of his sicke patient What can be more plainely saied then this Man is iustified by his owne free will. He geueth his assente and agreement vnto it He getteth merite and rewarde by his assente This is the righte teaching of Christes Churche neither to derogate from Goddes grace nor to pull away mans seruice in our saluation The holy Ghost saith Philip. 2. it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doo The holie Ghost faith also in the same place with feare and trembling worke your owne saluation Non est volentis Rom. 9. neque currentis c. It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that taketh mercy And yet saith S. Augustine Enchiri cap. 32. Proculdubio si homo c. Without doubt if a man be of suche age that he is once able to vse reason he can not beleue hope nor loue vnlesse he will neither can he come to winne the price of the high callinge of God vnlesse he runne with his will. How is it then neither in the willer neither in the runner but in God that taketh mercy but after this sorte bicause the very wil it selfe as the Scripture saith is prepared by God By this order is our saluation wrought Neither God worketh it alone without man neither man without God can atteine to any degree thereof God firste prepareth the will and maketh it meete to serue him and the will directed and holpen by grace is able to doo all good And by this rule faith and workes saith S. Augustine are both the giftes of God and faith and workes are both the doinges of men Retract Li. 1. ca. 23 Vtrumque nostrum est propter arbitrium voluntatis vtrumque tamen datum per spiritum fidei charitatis vtrumque ipsius est quia ipse praeparat voluntatem vtrumque nostrum quia non fit nisi volentibus nobis Either of bothe is ours for free willes sake and yet either of bothe is geuen by the spirite of faith and charitie Either of bothe is his bicause he prepareth the wil and either of both is ours bicause it is not done but by our will. Psal 134. Though God by him selfe doo all that liketh him in heauen and in earth yet hath it pleased him to aduance man to that dignitie as to make him a worker together with him in his owne saluation 1. Cor. 3. Aug. in Psal 77. Non solùm operatur remissionem peccatorum The grace of God doth not onely worke remission of sinnes but also maketh the spirite of man a worker with him selfe in the doing of good workes Quando enim cum spiritu Dei operante c. For when with the working of Gods spirite the spirite of man worketh together then is that fufillled which God hath commaunded And by this doo we see what free will worketh in Iustification First it is saued deliuered and prepared by grace Then doth it ioine and worke together with God. It worketh the same thing that God worketh It beleueth It hopeth It loueth It runneth and getteth the price of the heauenly calling It fulfilleth the lawe God standeth at the dore knocking and it openeth God openeth the eare Aug. de spiri Lit. ca. 30. Apoca. 3. Esai 50. Ephes 2. 2. Cor. 5. and it doth not gainesaie him nor goeth backewarde God inspired good thoughtes and willingly it executeth them God prepareth good workes and it walketh in them It liueth not nowe vnto it selfe but Christe liueth in it and it liueth vnto him that died to saue it And thus farre haue I spoken of Iustification which is the reconciliation of a sinner whereby as S. Paule saith we haue accesse to God and of wicked are made rightuouse especially by grace through the Sacrament of Baptisme and other giftes of God before rehearsed without any workes of iustice going before to deserue the same That suche as fall into sinne after Baptisme be iustified by penance againe and what penance is required of them THE XI CHAP. IF such as haue receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme Of Penance and thereby remission of all sinne coulde keepe them selues in that happie estate of innocency and vprightnes there were no neede to say any more in this argument For al men that liue this day in Christian Regions were christened in their infancie and by their Baptisme made heires in hope of euerlasting life Tit. 3. But if there had ben none other prouision made for man but once to saie vnto him Ecce sanus factus es Lo thou arte made whole Ioan. 5. Cypria de elcemo Gen. 8. nowe sinne not leste some worse happe fall vnto the. We had ben driuen to a narowe straite neither coulde mannes frailety tel what to doo who being prone to ill euen from his youth was in daunger by sinne to lose Gods grace and then to stande without hope of remedie For this cause God hath prouided penance Chrysost Ho. 27. in Gen. Quam humano generi nostro ob ineffabilem misericordiam suam concessit Whiche throughe his vnspeakeable mercy saith Chrysostome he hath graunted vnto mankinde which benefite he accompteth so greate that in an other place he reckeneth it emong the most excellent giftes that euer God bestowed vppon man saying Chrysost Ho. 34.
men are workers together and helpers with God. To these we geeue commendation and that none otherwise then the holy Scriptures and auncient Fathers doo The Catholike doctrine slaūdered And hereby the Reader maie see how vntrewly it is saide that the Catholike Doctrine teacheth men to presume of their owne workes or to thinke they be able to doo well without the grace of God yea howe farre they are that so saie from knowing what good and godly workes are A briefe rehersall of so much as hath ben hitherto saide in this Treatie of Iustification THE XIIII CHAPTER IN the Preface of this treatie after that I had shewed howe profitable and necessary the trewe knowledge and doctrine of Iustification was I did by the wordes of S. Augustine put the Reader in minde of two great daungers In Psal 31. which that most learned and godly Father calleth hedlong falles sayinge that who so speaketh of this matter vnlesse he keepe the streight high waie going neither to farre on the righte hande nor on the lefte may easily fall him selfe or bringe his hearer into one of them The one perill is the presumption of mans owne iustice to thinke that he maie be iustified and liue godly without the helpe of grace which danger he saith is as it were on the right hande The other perill is the presumption vppon Gods mercy to thinke that a man though he liue ill dooing no good workes yet shal be saued by faith that peril he saith is as it were on the lefte hande To shewe the good Christian Reader who desireth to go the streight way howe he may auoide bothe daungers the falling into either whereof is the losse of life euerlasting I haue taken this trauaile in hande wherein I trust I haue nowe saide inough to keepe him from the daungerouse fall on the righte hande hauing declared at large howe litle cause man hath to presume of his owne iustice who descending of the corrupte race of Adam borne in sinne and in daunger of the diuell hath no hope to aspire to the state of iustice whiche Adam loste to him selfe 1. Timo. 2. and for all vs but onely by mercie of the mediatour of God and menne the man Iesus Christe who gaue him selfe a raunsome for all by whose grace we are freely iustified Rom. 3. Ephes 2. without respecte of any good woorkes going before or deseruing that mercy at his handes I haue shewed that the chiefe and original cause of our Iustification was the exceding loue of God Ephes 2. who when we were deade in sinne gaue vs life againe in Christe The cause that procured vnto vs the benefite of our Iustificatiō to be the merit of Christs death Rom. 6. who died for vs when we were sinners Colos 1. pacifiyng by the bloud of his Crosse all that is in heauen or in earth I haue declared that our Iustification is wrought in vs by grace and atteined by faith through the feare of God hope charitie penance and the Sacrament of Baptisme And this much haue I said of the first degree of our Iustification Ro. 5. whereby we haue accesse to comme to this grace making with the Scripture and aunciente Fathers for plainer vnderstanding three degrees of our Iustification and saluation The seconde and thirde degrees of our Iustification whiche are increase of iustice in this life and perfiting thereof in the life to comme I haue proued to be gotten and obteined by faith and good workes I haue also declared that not only faith the feare of God hope charity and penance but also our good workes and all thinges any waie helping to our Iustification be the giftes of God and made ours by the assent and working of our free will which is first healed and made strong by grace and the speciall helpe of God. And bicause no man liueth without sinne and fewe without greate and mortall crimes whereby the grace of Iustification is loste I haue shewed that the waie to recouer it againe is by the Sacrament of penance which is also the gifte of God for that he moueth a sinner to change and amende his life Math. 3. and to doo the worthy fruites of penance without the whiche motion no man euer did profitable penance And thus haue I proued that all Iustification in euery māner commeth from God and is receiued and wrought in man through grace 1. Cor. 3. by his owne will and consent whom it hath pleased God to haue a worker together with him not empeyring thereby but muche auancing his owne glorie for that he is meruelouse Psal 67. not onely in him selfe but also in his holie Rom. 3. And so haue I truely and faithfully excluded al boasting of man in him selfe geuing glory to God. For I haue so set forth the free wil of man and commended good workes that the indifferent Reader may truly say Omnia ex Deo. 2. Cor. 5. All is of God to th ende that who so vanteth and boasteth 1. Cor. 1. may vante and boaste in God. THE SECOND BOOKE DECLARING THE SECOND DANGER Howe daungerouse it is for a man to presume only vpon Gods mercy and to doo no good workes THE I. CHAPTER August in prafatio Psalm 31. HAVING thus shewed the waye to auoyde the one daunger whiche is on the righte hande and playnely declared that no man is iustified by him selfe nor hath to presume of him selfe bicause it auayleth a man nothing to eschewe one peril and to perishe by an other contrarie to it that is as the Poete saieth to escape Charibdys and be drowned in Sylla Augu. de fid et operib c. 14. Iam illud videamus c. Let vs nowe consider that other pointe whiche muste be shaken owt of good and religiouse hartes leaste putting cocke in the hoope by an yll securitie and carelesnes they lose their saluation if they thinke faithe onely fufficiente to obteyne it and take no care to holde them selues in Gods waye by doing good woorkes By whiche woordes S. Augustine moneth vs to auoide the other daunger on the lefte hande of presuming in Gods mercy alone Willing no man to thinke he may be saued by faith and beleeuing onely if hauing tyme thereunto he neyther lyue godly nor doo good woorkes And this perill is so muche the more to be wayed and carefully to be eschewed bicause as he saieth in the same woorke that is the moste daungerouse opinion of all August de fid opeca 27. whereby menne are made beleeue that lyue they neuer so lewdely and shamefully yea and continue in that kinde of lyfe yet if they doo no more but beleeue in Christe and receyue his Sacramentes they shall come to euerlasting life I cal this with S. Augustine the moste daungerouse opinion of al bicause it is the greateste enemy of godly life and good woorkes without the whiche no man shal be saued For he that putteth affiance in good life and
est By the which onely he is trewly iuste who so euer is iust But to declare that his minde was not to make any such separation Ib. cap. 70. he saith it is the charitie that commeth from a pure harte a good conscience and vnsained faith He might allege for him th' authoritie of S. Ihon th'Euangelist who being required by his scholers a litle before his death to teach them some perfecte lesson Hier. li. 3. com in epist ad Galat. cap. 6. whereby they might liue well and haue cause to remembre him said my children loue one an other And when they looked for more he repeted the same againe and said It is our Lords commaundement and if there be no more done but that it is inough He should haue Prosper to say for him De vit contēpla li. 3. ca. 13 Charitie is a summarie and abbridgement of all good doings of the which euery good worke taketh his life without the which neuer man pleased God. S. Bede would say Homi. aestiua in lita maio Ser. 7. de Epipha Chrysost tom 1. fol. 176. Charitie is the principall vertue in so muche that without that vertue other principall vertues can not be Leo would call her the mother of all vertues and Chrysostome the mother of all goodnes And thus haue I proued not only that faith without charitie iustifieth no man but also that charitie hath a souereine working in the acte of our Iustification without the which faith auaileth nothing and so doth not faith alone iustifie nor exclude charitie An answere to obiections that be made to proue that faith alone iustifieth without charitie THE IIII. CHAPTER BVT leste the mainteiners of Iustification by onely faith should seeme to be without all ground and to exclude charitie without colour of reason they frame one especiall argument which for the readers better satisfaction I will put forth and answere here The argument is this We be iustified by faith without all workes of the Lawe Charitie is a worke of the Lawe Ergo we be iustified by faith without charitie To the which I answere with S. Augustine that their second proposition deceiueth them for that charitie is not onely a worke of the lawe but also the gifte of the holy Ghost in the newe testament Rom 5. S. Paule saith the charitie of God is powred abrode in our hartes through the holy Ghost that is geuen vs. 1. Ioha 4. And S. Iohn saith Moste dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue commeth of God. Vppon which wordes S. Augustines answere is De grat li. arb cap. 18. Cùm dicitur diligamus inuicem lex est Cùm dicitur quia dilectio ex Deo est gratia est When it is said Lette vs loue one an other it is the lawe when it is said for loue commeth of God it is grace He maketh this the greatest differēce betwene th' old and new testament that where as in the old God lead his people by terror and feare in the newe he geueth them plenty of his charitie and loue Contr. Adiman cap. 17. De spirit lit cap. 17. Item cap. 21. ca. 16. Haec est breuissima c. This is the shortest and plainest difference of both testaments feare and loue Ibi in tabulis lapideis There the holy Ghost wrought in tables of stone here in mens hartes And what be the lawes of God writen by God him self in mennes hartes but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the singer of God by whose presence charitie is powred abrode in our hartes which is the fulfilling of the law Thus doo we see that charitie is not onely a worke of the law but also the fruite of the holy Ghost the speciall token of the new testament wrought in our hartes by the holy Ghost And so hath S. Augustine answered this argument xi hundred yeares before they were borne that lately haue made it And whereas it is saied that faith onely iustifieth What it is truely to apprehēd Christe bicause faith onely apprehendeth Christe I aske what is meant by the terme of Apprehension If it be to beleue onely that Christ died for sinners that alone iustifieth no man for the Diuelles beleue it and tremble Iacob 2. bicause they hope not to be partakers of that benefite nor loue him that purchased it If to apprehend Christe be vnderstanded to dwell in Christe and to haue him dwell in vs it is not true that Christe is apprehended in that sorte by onely faith without charitie For it is saied 1 Ioan 4. God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him And Christ him selfe saith Si quis diligit me Ioan. 14. sermonem meum seruabit Pater meus diliget eum ad eum veniemus mansionem apud eum faciemus If a man loue me he will kepe my saying and my Father wil loue him and to him will we come and make our abode with him By these woordes let the Reader learne what it is truely and profitably to apprehend Christe He apprehendeth Christ truly Aug. ser 61. de ver Dom. tract in Ioan. 29. that is vnited and made a member of Christe whiche as I haue proued in the last Chapter can not be done without hope and charitie He apprehendeth Christ truely that cleaueth vnto Christ and the glue whereby the sowle is fastned vnto Christe saith S. Augustine is charitie Ipsum gluten est charitas In Psal 62 If it be said that faith apprehendeth the promise Christ hath promised lyfe euerlasting to suche as become his friendes Ioan. 15. Heb. 5. And they be his friendes that keepe his commaundements He is made a cause of life euerlasting but to such as obey him The promise is made to the children of Abraham that is to suche as haue the faith and obedience of Abraham whereof I shall speake at large hereafter Chapt. 23. And so is it true that faith alone neither apprehendeth Christe nor his promise profitablie vnlesse hope and Charitie be ioyned vnto it That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification THE V. CHAPTER Of Hope AS God requireth of such as come to his seruice that they stedfastly beleeue in him and with all their heartes loue him So doth he also require of them to repose al hope and affiance in him onely saying by his Prophete Iere. 17. Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man. And by the same Prophete Iere. 9. 1. Cor. 1. Psal 107. Psal 33. Let not the wise bragge in his wisedome neither lette the strong boast in his strength Nor lette the riche glorie in his riches But lette him that boasteth boast in our Lorde Wherefore as mans power to saue is vaine and he vnhappie that trusteth in it so happie is the man that trusteth in God. Of so great force is a
right and constant hope in God that nothing perteining to saluatiō can be auaileable to him that wanteth it Aug. Enchi cap. 8. No true charitie can be without it No faith can iustifie but by the helpe and direction of it A good mans faith is the substance of things that are to be hoped Hebr. 11. Take awaie hope then from faith and faith must nedes fainte and quaile The thing that kepte the Fathers of whome S. Paule speaketh so faithfull to God was that they had a strong hope and trust to enioye his promises And that which was said of Moyses may be truely said of them al Hebr. 11. Aspiciciebat ad remunerationem They looked to the rewarde which can not be without hope The Diuelles beleue and tremble Aug. Enchi cap. 8. but as S. Augustine saith they neither hope nor loue In like manner euil Christians may beleue and yet remaine stil vngodly and voide of iustice bicause they want hope and loue I haue proued before that faith without charitie iustifieth no man Propter quod Apostolus Paulus Aug. ibid. For which cause the Apostle Paule commendeth the faith which hath her woorking through charitie Quae vtique sine spe esse non potest Which can in no wise be without hope For sith a man may beleeue that whiche he hopeth not for what auaileth him to beleeue 1. Timo. 2. that Christe is the Sauiour of all men vnlesse he hope also to be partaker of that saluation Or howe shoulde he be moued to loue him for the benefite of our redemption if he trust not to enioy it And therefore saith S. Augustine Nec amor sine spe Euch. c. 8 nec sine amore spes nec vtrumque sine fide Neither is there loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without faith And so doth faith woorke our Iustification through hope and loue So is it true that fides spes August epist 121. charitas ad Deum ducunt faith hope and charitie leade vs to God to whom we are assured not to come if either of the three want in vs. And therefore as it is saied Ephes 2. Rom. 8. by grace are ye saued through faith So is it also said Spe salui facti sumus By hope are we saued Hope ioyning with faith and charity ingēdreth an affiance in God and maketh a strong hoping faith vnto whiche affiance euerlasting life is promised Qui habet fiduciam mei haeredit abit terram Esai 57. possidebit montem sanctum meum He that hath affiance in me shall inherite the earth and possesse my holie Hill. So dothe S. Paule call hope the safe and sure anker of the sowle Heb. 6. Whervnto as many as flee for refuge haue a most strong comforte For as the ancor staieth the shippe so doth hope the sowle faith would be weake and charitie colde if hope mainteined and staied them not S. Paule saieth to the Colossians Coloss 1. Gratias agimus Deo Patri We geue thankes to God and the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe euer praying for you For that we heare of your faith in Christe Iesu and of the loue you beare towarde all the holie Propter spem quae reposita est vobis in coelis For the hopes sake that is laid vppe for you in heauen He maketh the ende of our hope the marke wherevnto both faith and charitie haue their respecte And if the Philosophers sayinges be true that the ende is it whiche is last done Hope by some reason is the principall vvorker in our Iustification and first in our intente a man may reason vppon this place that in the acte of our Iustification Hope dothe not onely worke but hath the chiefe place and principal woorking Bicause his obiecte is the ende wherevnto faith and charitie referre all their dooinges and consequently the cause that moueth faith to beleeue and charitie to loue without the direction of hope faith and loue may be fruitlesse A man may haue faith and doe good woorkes August in Praefat. Psal 31. and yet lacking a right hope he shall not be a good man For saith S. Augustine Quid si de ijs omnibus bonis operibus c. What if by all these good woorkes either thou hope for that is to be hoped but not at his hande of whom it shoulde be hoped or hope after that is not to be hoped though it be at his hande of whome euerlasting life is to be hoped To put an Example For thy good workes thou hopest to get thy selfe a worldly felicitie Thou arte a wicked man. And therfore he saith in the same place Corrige fidem dirige fidem Correcte thy faith directe thy faith And what is the direction of faith but to referre and applye it to life euerlasting which we ought to hope and trust for in al our doinges If faith then can not iustifie vnlesse it be rightly directed and direction of faith is hope howe shoulde faithe iustifie without hope Ser. 16. de ver apost Adde ergo fidei spem Therefore put hope to faith saieth S. Augustine And what hope is there without some good conscience put charitie then also to hope These three ioyntly together beginne to woorke our iustice These three increase our iustice These three bring vs to the rewarde and perfection of iustice faith hope and charitie leade vs to God fide spe charitate colendus est Deus By faith hope and charitie God muste be serued Et nos fide spe Aug. epistol 121. charitate cum capite nostro sumus in coelo By faith hope and charitie we be in heauen with Christe our heade Ench. ca. 2 6. August in Psalm 26 enarr 2. let vs make no diuorce betwene these vertues whome God hath so ioyned to worke our iustice and saluation But as we be assured that without hope the acte of our Iustification is not wroughte so it behoueth vs to vnderstande howe hope muste be nurisshed and mainteyned The lesson is shorte but of greate proffite vttered by him that had good experience thereof August in praefation Psalm 31. Cupiditas refrenetur charitas excitetur Lette luste be brydeled lette charitie be stirred vp The very charitie of a man that worketh well geueth him the hope of a good conscience For good conscience is it that beareth hope As an yll conscience is all in dispayre so the good conscience is all in hope We see then that it is charitie and godly life which fostereth and mainteyneth hope And as without hope faithe suffiseth not for whiche cause it is saied by S. Augustyne Putte hope vnto faith Augu. ser 16. de ver Apost so hope without charitie wil not be had For what hope is there without some good conscience Put charitie then to hope also Thus is faith directed and stayed by hope hope mainteyned by charitie and a man made acceptable to God by all three
For if these be in vs Ser. 16. de ver apost then doo we belonge to the predestinate to the called and to the iustified Whiche is also expressed by the woordes of S. Paule where he saith Finis praecepti est charitas 1. Tim. 1. c. The perfyting and ending of the commaundement is charitie that commeth from a cleane harte De doctr Christian lib. 1. c. 40 from a good conscience and an vnfayned faith In which place S. Augustine saith The Apostle putteth in good conscience in steade of hope Wherefore if the commandement be geuen to make man perfect in such perfection as he may haue in this life and the ende and perfecting of the cōmandement lyeth in these three vertues the greatest perfection that man may reache vnto in this life is gotten by faith hope and charitie And our greatest perfection in this life is our Iustification for our glorifying apperteyneth to the life to come That faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification THE VI. CHAPTER Of the Sacramentes AS faith doth not barre hope and charitie from working our Iustification so doth it not exclude the SaSramentes of the Church instituted by Christ in the newe Testamente Whiche Sacramentes be not only requisite to the iustifying of a sinner but doo worke also in him remissiō of sinne bring and restore him to rightuousnes and geue life euerlasting Baptisme saieth S. Peter 1. Pet. 3. saueth vs. Concerning the Sacramentes of the Altar Christe saieth He that eateth my fleshe Ioan. 6. and drinketh my bloode shall lyue for euer He saieth also of the Sacramente of Penaunce whose sinnes you forgeue Ioan. 20. they be forgeuen them The like may be said of the rest of which S. Augustine maketh this general rule putting a differēce betwene the Sacramentes of the olde and newe Testament Sacrament a noui Testamenti dant salutem August in Psal 73. Sacramēta veteris Testamenti promiserunt Saluatorem The Sacramentes of the newe Testamente geue saluation the Sacramentes of the old Testamente promised a Sauiour S. Bede whom I allege for honours sake both bicause he was a singular lighte of our Country and also bicause he was in all his writinges an exquisite and moste diligent folower of S. Augustine saieth Bed. Hom. in feri 3. Pascha The Apostles were sente Qui cunctis per orbem nationibus c. Who shoulde both preache the woorde of life to all nationes through the worlde and minister the Sacramente of faith by whiche men mighte be saued and atteyne to the ioyes of the heauenly country The reason why so high and excellente a vertue should be in the Sacramentes August in Psal 56. et idem in Psal 103. is bicause they take their force of Christ his Death and Passion Percussum est latus pendētis de lancea profluxerunt Ecclesiae Sacramenta The side of Christ hanging on the Crosse was stryken with a speare and the Sacramentes of the Church came flowing out And as they issued and flowed out of his side so doo they applye and geue vnto vs the benefyte of his bloode and passion Augu. exposit epist ad Roma inchoat Such as vvere christened Were signed vvith the Crosse Illud Sacrificium c. That Sacrifice to witte the whole Sacrifice of our Lorde whiche after a manner is then offred for euerie one at what tyme he is christened and signed if he sinne againe can not be offered S. Augustine saith that the Sacrifice which Christe made for all vppon the Crosse is offred after a sorte for euery one particularly when he is baptized For as he died for al and paide the price and ransome of his bloode sufficiente for all so is his passion auayleable and applyed vnto such as receyue the healthful Sacramentes of his passion Augu. ad arti falsò sibi imposit artic 1 Cuius mors non sic impensa est humano generi His death was not so bestowed vpon man kinde that euen they that neuer shoulde be regenerate or christened should also be partakers of his redemption but in such sorte was it geuen that it whiche was by one onely example and paterne done for al in general should by a special Sacramente be celebrated and done in euery one by him selfe Let no man therefore assure him selfe of his Iustification by faith or other meanes The Sacramēt of penance without the helpe and benefite of the Sacramentes whiche God hath prouided first to applie his death and passiō vnto vs as we haue seene proued and nexte he hath also prouided them to be bandes to bynde and rowle vp our woundes in this life to staye and ease the ruptures and breaches of our soule August in Psal 146. Alligamenta medicinalia c. The Sacramentes vsed here for the tyme by which we haue confort be medicinal bandes of our contrition and rupture Perfecta sanitate detrahentur When our healthe shal be perfect which shal be in heauen they shal be pulled of but we should not atteyne and comme to that were we not rouled and bound vp S. Augustine saith that the Sacramentes for the tyme of this life be our medicines and salues to keepe vs in health and for the life to comme so necessarie that no man should atteine thereunto without them Here some man will say Obiection how should the Sacramentes be so necessarie for our saluation Is it not writen that by faith God purifieth and maketh cleane the hartes of men Act. 15. Ephe. 2. Ioan. 6. Is it not in S. Paule by grace are ye saued through faith Did not Christ him selfe say he that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting With many like sayinges wherein faith is commended without any mention made either of hope charitie or Sacramentes Yeas verely Answere they be all the wordes of God and al trewe but these are not onely the wordes of God nor onely trewe The holy Ghost hath vttered the trewth of God in the Scriptures where and by what wordes it liked that diuine wisedome Al are inspired from God and all to be beleeued alike but not all together nor all in one place And therefore as we beleeue it is vndoubtedly trewe he that beleueth in me Ioan. 6. hath euerlasting life so doo wee likewise beleue it to be trewe If I haue all faith and haue no charitie I am nothing 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 8. Ioan. 3. as trewe doo we thinke that also by hope are we saued and no lesse true Vnlesse a man be borne againe by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen As true doo we take that to be Luc. 13. vnlesse ye doo penance ye shall all perish after a like sorte After this manner doth the Scripture somtime speake of faith and attribute Iustification vnto it Note wel making no mention of hope charitie or penance Sometime it seemeth to geue the like preeminence to charitie mentioning
neither faith nor any of the rest sometime to hope sometime to Baptisme or penance without the rest somtime it promiseth rewarde of life euerlasting to faith without mention of good workes sometime to good workes saying nothing of faith and yet is there no one of them meant to be excluded or left out And therefore the godly reader wisely meeke and meekely wise when he seeth life euerlasting promised to euery one of these particularly A rule for the right vnderstāding of the Scriptures remembring that euery woorde of God is like true ioyneth them al together and truely beleueth that to the perfiting of our Iustification and Saluation there is required grace faith the feare of God hope charitie together with the Sacramentes of Baptisme and penance and also good workes as hath ben shewed before It is not the manner of the holy Ghost nor of the Catholike Church by affirming of one treweth to deny or take away an other but to ioine all trewth together S. Paule the true and earnest commender of faith preached in Asia publickly and priuately Act. 20. Testificans Iudaeis atque gentibus in Deum poenitentiam fidem in Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Protesting to the Iewes and Gentiles penance towarde God and faith in our Lorde Iesus Christ and there ioined he faith and penance together S. Augustine often times teacheth that we are saued by Baptisme intending not to exclude faith in such as be of perfecte age and therefore saith Baptismus qui semel adhibetur Ser. 30. de ver Do. per fidem mundat Baptisme that is geuen but once Note cleanseth by faith If this rule were marked and put in vre we were at a point not onely in this matter but in many other The Euchites waying the greate commendation that Christ in the Gospell geueth vnto praier Matt. 7. Luc. 11. saying Petite dabitur vobis Aske and it shal be geuen you And what so euer thinges ye aske in praier Mar. 11. beleue ye shall haue them and they shall come to passe vnto you were of opinion Theodor. li. 4. here fabul et hist. eccle li. 4. ca. 11. that praier alone was sufficient for a Christian man. They did sette light by Baptisme and said the holy Sacrament of the altare did neither good nor harme Whereby they tooke no fruit of theire praier and loste the benefit of the Sacramentes and theire owne saluation Lette them be taught by this example who seeming to extolle faith make light not onely of hope charitie and good workes but also of the very Sacramentes ordeined by Christ for our saluation Lette them take heed leste beside losing the benefite of Christes Sacramentes they be not founde voide of true faith also For what faith can we say that they haue or howe doo they beleue Christe Matt. 20. 2. Cor. 12. Act. 8. who being taught by his owne wordes to be Baptized if they be Hethen and by the wordes of S. Paule and S. Peter after Baptisme to doo penance when they haue sinned be carelesse to doo the one or the other It hath ben declared before In the 6. chapter that sinnes be forgeuen and we iustified by the Sacraments of Baptisme and penance It hath ben shewed also In the 11. chapt that faith is one of the partes of true penance and therefore penance can not exclude faith neither faith if it iustifie exclude penance For faith is either vnfained liuely and profitable De fid et oper ca. 16 such as S. Augustine termeth fidem Christianorum Christian mennes faith or els it is naked and deade such as bicause the Diuel may haue he calleth fidem Daemoniorū Iaco. 2. the Diuels faith The naked and bare faith iustifieth no man for if it could the Diuel might be iustified The liuely and Christian mans faith beleuing al scripture to be true and seing penance not only cōmended but also cōmanded can not passe it ouer but by praier obteineth it and so iustifieth Penance is the reuiuing of a sowle that is dead by sinne Aug. de trinit lib. 4. cap. 3. Anima Deo deserente moritur the soule dieth when God forsaketh it Resuscitatur per poenitentiam It is raised vp againe by penance Ho 20. in Gen. And bicause penance is the meane to receiue Goddes grace Chrysostome saith that vppon contrition of harte remorse and confession God doth not only geue the healing of woundes but maketh him a iuste man that was before loded with innumerable burdens of sinnes Constitu Apost lib. 2. ca. 23. Seing therefore the holy Ghost hath so prouided for vs that as S. Clement saith the Church of God is our peace and a quiet and calme hauen vnto the which sinners may be restored Ioan. 20. by absolution Seing also that Christ hath made that fauorable promise saying whose sinnes you forgeue they be forgeuen them De adulter cōiug li. 2. ca. 9. whereby as S. Augustine saith Per claues regni coelorum non dubitatur fieri remissio peccatorum There is no doubte but through the keies of the kingdome of heauen sinnes be forgeuen Lette no man presume through Iustification by faith to misprise or contemne the Sacrament of penance Lette no man leaue the sure for the doubtefull and vncerteine For as in case of necessitie men may enioy the inuisible grace of God Aug. super Leuiti Quaest 84. without the visible Sacramentes so is not the visible Sacrament to be dispised when it may be had Nam contemptor eius sanctificari nullo modo potest For the dispiser of it can by no meanes be sanctified inuisibly Faith can not onely iustifie no man where the contempte of Christes Sacramentes is but furder that very contempt maketh a man prophane and wicked as S. Augustine saith Sacramentorum vis inenarrabiliter valet plurimum Contr. Faust. lib. 19. cap. 11. ideo contempta facit sacrilegos impiè quippe contemnitur sine qua nō potest perfici pietas The vertue of Sacraments is of greate and vnspeakeable force and therefore if it be dispised it maketh men profane and wicked For wickedly is it dispised without the whiche godlines and pietie can not be perfited Seing then that the Sacramentes by the death of Christ haue that singular vertue whereby sinnes be forgeuen the passion of Christe applied vnto vs our woundes and ruptures tied vppe and rowlled by them as by medicinall bandes without the whiche we coulde not atteine to perfecte health how can it be said that faith alone can iustifie or exclude the vertue of them in our Iustification VVhat is the trewe meaning of these wordes in the Scripture vve are iustified by faith or saued by faith with other like THE VII CHAPTER BVT seing that all wordes of the Scripture be the wordes of God Of faith Iustifiing Rom. 3. Galat. 3. Ioan. 6. Lucae 7. writen by inspiration of the holie Ghost and therefore vndoubtedly trew if Faith
looke for it Hebrae 11. By faith Abraham dwelled like a stranger in the land of promise we are required like strangers and Pilgrimes 1. Pet. 2. Gen. 22. to absteine from carnal desiers that warre against the soule God said to Abraham offer in sacrifice thy only sonne whom thou louest Christe saith vnto vs If a man come vnto me and do not hate that is to say Luc. 14. caÌ„not be coÌ„tent to leaue and to lacke for my sake his father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters yea and his own life also he caÌ„not be my scholer Hom. 36. in Gen. Discamus et nos obsecro a Patriarcha Dei credere dictis Let vs I pray you saith Chrysostom learne of the patriarch to credite Gods wordes The Prophet Esaie saith of Christ Dominus iudex noster Dominus legifer noster Esai 33. Dominus Rex noster ipse saluabit nos The Lord is our iudge the Lord is our law maker the lord is our king he shal saue vs. He is then not only a promiser and sauiour but he is also a iudge a law maker and a king As a sauiour he redemeth and promiseth As a law maker he appointeth orders As a king he geueth coÌ„mandementes As a iudge he threateneth malefactors Who so beleueth him as a sauiour and beleueth him not as a law maker as a kinge and as a iudge he beleueth one parte of Christ but not the whole Abraham beleued his promise that in his seede all nations should be blessed Gen. 15. Gala. 3. Gen. 17. wherein he tooke him for a redemer He beleued him as a lawemaker taking circuncision by his appointement He beleued him as a king leauing at his commandement his country kinred and inheritance he tooke him for a iudge saying Gen. 12. Qui iudicas omnem terraÌ„ nequaquam facies iudicium hoc Gen. 18. Thou that iudgest al the earth wil not doo this iudgement Let vs learne to truste his promise He saith 2. Cor. 6. I will dwell emong them I will walke emong them I will be their God Rom. 8. Ioan. 6. and they shal be my people if God be for vs who shall be against vs He that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting Let vs beleue him as a Lawe maker receiuing the Sacramentes and rites of the newe testament as Abraham receiued circumcision Gen. 17. Matt. 19. Ioan. 15. Let vs beleue his commandementes also he hath said If thou wilte come to life keepe the commandementes you be my frendes if you doo such thinges as I commaund you Let vs beleue his menasses and threateninges Matth. 3. He hath said Euery tree that beareth not good fruit shal be cutte downe and caste into the fier Ser. 16. de ver Do. Non times ne te iudicet Deus vbi est fides Arte thou not afraied saith S. Augustine that God wil iudge thee where is faith If we beleue his promises and not his orders not his commandementes nor threateninges that is beleue him in some thinges and discredit him in other we be not the right children of Abraham who was euerywhere and in all thinges faithful but rather bastarde sonnes such as the Scripture speaketh of Deut. 32. infideles filij vnfaithful children S. Cyprian wil say vnto vs How can he say that he beleueth in Christ De simpli Praelato who doth not that Christ hath commanded him to doe or how shall he come to the rewarde of faith that wil not keepe the faith of the commandement Basil in consti exercit ca. 1. S. Basill will say Nos fidem non habemus ipsi We beleue him not as one not able to reliue we shunne to take vppon vs that good and light yoke of his we shunne to entre into the kingdome of God by the narowe gate He beleueth not nor crediteth Christe saith S. Basill that fleeth his yoke and will not entre by the strait gate And yet he may beleue that Christ is God and man the Sauiour and redemer of the world but he beleueth him not as Abraham did louingly and willingly to obey him Imitare fidem Abrahae Basil ibid. A nevve Faith. Folow Abrahams Faith saith S. Basill If a man imagine and frame vnto him selfe a new deuised faith persuading him selfe assuredly and vndoubtedly that all his sinnes be forgeuen in Christe and for his sake Esai 53. for that he hath taken our sinnes vppon him further assuring him selfe that for this faithes sake he is the Sonne and heire of God Rom. 8. and heire partener with Christe although he neither suffer with him to be glorified together with him nor die with him to liue together with him it may trewely be saied of such a one Credit Christum noÌ„ credit Christo he beleueth that Christ is but he crediteth not Christ he hath a faith of his owne but he hath not Abrahams faithe for if he had he would as well be contente to crucifie the lustes and vices of his body as desire to liue with Christ as well suffer Gala. 6. as reigne with him Fidelis sermo It is a trewe saying 1. Tim. 1. and by all meanes worthy to be imbrased that Christe Iesus came into this worlde to saue sinners Fidelis sermo It is also a trewe saying If we haue died with him we shall liue with him 2 Tim. 2. Marke this vvel if we suffer with him we shall reigne with him if we denie him he will denie vs if we beleue not he remaineth trewe he can not denie him selfe Who so beleueth one of these Scriptures and careth not for the other he hath not Abrahams Faith nor is his childe For Abraham beleued God that is as Chrysostome saith Credidit dictus Dei. Gaue credite to Goddes woordes obeying and folowing them not one but all Wilte thou knowe good Reader what Abrahams Faith was and how thou maiste be made his childe Learne by example of him whom trewth it selfe declared to be the trewe Sonne of Abraham Zacheus standing before Christ at what time he came into his house Luca 15. saied Lo I geue the one halfe of my goodes to the poore and if I haue deceiued any man in ought I restore him fowre times as muche bicause he beleued the wordes of Christe Date elemosinam c. Geue almes and all is cleane to you â—sal 5. He said I geue the one halfe of my goods to the poore And bicause he beleued that God hateth all vniust dealers he saied if I haue deceiued any man in ought I rendre fower for one And beleuing these thinges whiche to a carnall man seeme harde and doing them so readily for Christe his sake we doubte not but he beleued likewise all other pointes of Faith as readily Whereuppon Iesus saied vnto him Luca. 19. This date health and saluation is come to this house bicause he also is the Sonne of Abraham And how he was the Sonne of
Omnes mali Catholici c. Al euil Catholikes confesse Christ in wordes and deny him in deedes therfore be not ye as men carelesse bicause ye haue faith ioyne good life to right faith And to vnderstand the more plainly what iustice it is to haue faith without good workes let vs take the aduertisement of S. Augustine August de fid et ope cap. 26. Christ said Nisi abundauerit iustitia vestra c. Vnlesse your iustice be more abundant then is the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall not entre into the kingdom of God Iustitia eorum est dicere non facere c. Their iustice is to say and not to do and hereby he would haue our iustice surmount and be more abundant then theirs is both to say and to do If that be not there shal be no entrye into the kingdom of heauen The Phariseis iustice S. Augustine maketh this difference betwene the Pharisee and the good Christian man The Pharisee saith wel and doth it not he beleueth and worketh not the good Christian man doth both If it be true that the Scripture saith faith without workes is deade Iacob 2. August de fid et ope cap. 14. Rom 3. Rom. 11. In the 10. Chaptre Ambro. in cap. 3. ad Rom. Quousque fallūtur qui fide mortua sibi vitam perpetuam pollicentur How longe wil they be deceyued that promise them selues euerlasting life by a faith that is deade But here it may be said we are iustified freely and by grace And if it be by grace then is it not by workes otherwise grace is not grace I answere We are called to faith reconciled planted in Christe and so iustified by grace without respecte of anye woorkes going before as hath bene saied So saith S. Ambrose Iustificati sunt gratis c. Men are iustified freely bicause woorking nothing nor making no recompence they are iustified by faith alone through the gifte of God. He calleth the gifte of God our calling ad comming to faith and our Baptisme which as he saith in an other place Ambro. in cap. 11. ad Rom. August de spirit lit ca. 10. requireth not sighing or moorning or any woorke but onely a profession with the harte In the same sense saieth S. Augustine Per ipsam gratiam iustificatur gratis id est nullis suorum operum precedentibus meritis By grace is a synner iustified freely that is to saye no merites of his owne woorkes going before And note that he termeth his owne workes and workes going before What is to be iustified freely By his owne woorkes he vnderstandeth suche as a man dothe hym selfe without Goddes helpe He calleth suche woorkes going before as a heathen or synnefull man dothe before he hath receyued the grace of God withoute these woorkes Note S. Paule saieth a man is iustified freely and by grace that is to saye called to faith planted in Christe and made of wicked rightuouse But how is the iust man made more iuste and iustified yet for so must he be or els he loseth his iustice How is he saued Verely by grace and yet not without good workes for of them that haue receyued the faith and be iustified it is saied Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera sua Rom. 2. God shal render vnto euery man according to his workes Howe then doth S. Paule saye Gratia Dei vita aeterna Rom. 6. Obiection Ansvvere August de gratia lib. arbit cap. ◠Euerlasting life is the grace of God. Howe may these twoo stande together a man to be saued by grace and yet by good woorkes I answere with S. Augustine They stand well together Lyfe euerlasting is the grace of God and lyfe euerlasting is geuen as a rewarde to good woorkes bicause our good woorkes perteyne to the grace of God that is to say be the grace of God and so being saued by good woorkes we are saued by the grace of God the woordes of S. Augustine be these Aug. epist 105. Ipsa vita aeterna quae vtique in fine sine fine habebitur ideo meritis praecedentibus redditur tamen quia eadem merita quibus redditur non à nobis parata sunt per nostram sufficientiam sed in nobis facta per gratiam etiam ipsa gratia nuncupatur non ob aliud nisi quia gratis datur nec ideo meritis non datur sed quia data sunt ipsa merita quibus datur The very life euerlasting whiche in the ende shal be had without ende and therefore is rendered vnto merites Merites that go before yet bicause the same merites whereunto it is requited were not prepared of vs by our owne habilitie but made in vs by grace euen it selfe is called grace for none other respecte but bicause it is freely geuen And yet it is geuen to merites bicause the very merites them selues Ca. 1. 9 whereunto it is geuen were also geuen The like resolution he hath at large in his booke intituled of grace and free wil. So is it true concerning the entrye and beginning of our Iustification Rom. 3. that we are iustified freely by grace without any woorkes going before for our workes before grace coulde not be good Note Wel And in the continuance and perfyting of iustice whiche is life euerlasting we are also iustified and saued freely by grace and yet not without woorkes bicause our workes be not onely made good by grace but be also them selues the very grace of God. And here let the Reader learne of S. Ambrose and S. Augustine what it is truly to be iustified freely and by grace to the commendation of mercye whiche God geueth not to the derogation of good workes which God also geueth Wherefore if faithe withoute good woorkes can saue no man that hath tyme to doo them The iustification of faith alone as hath benne proued it is no where true as they meane it that faithe alone iustifieth It is not true in the entry of our Iustification and firste comming to Christe that faith alone without hope and charitie iustifieth If it were Iacob 2. Aug. Enchi cap. 8. 1. Cor. 13. then might the Diuel be iustified who beleeueth but neyther hopeth nor loueth then shoulde this Scripture be false If I haue all faithe and haue no charitie I am nothing It is not true in the continuance and increase of our iustice that faith may serue without good workes Math. 7. Ioan. 13. Rom. 2. Math. 25. Rom. 2. for if it mighte then were all the Scriptures false whiche a lytle before I alleaged It shall not be in the perfyting of our iustice and saluation that faith alone may saue for then shoulde it be false that God shall render vnto euerie man according to his woorkes then were the sentence that God shall geeue false wherein he shall saye Matt. 25. Come vnto me you blessed of my Father receyue the kingdome prepared for
vitae quae nunc est futurae Godlinesse is profitable to al purposes hauing promise of the life that nowe is and the lyfe to come In this life godlinesse hath promise to directe faith and leade her to the vnderstanding of the Ghospell Ioan. 7. If a manne will doe his will that sente me saieth Christe he shal knowe of my doctrine whether it be of God or I speake of my selfe Iacob 2. Eccles 7. Good woorkes make faith perfite Thou seest saieth S. Iames of Abraham that faith was ioyned with his woorkes and by his woorkes faith was perfited They confirme and strengthen charitie Be not lothe to visite the sicke for by suche doinges shalte thou be made strong in loue Eccles 7. Good woorkes breede in vs a stronge hope and affiance in God. Almes shall be a greate affiaunce before God the highest Tobi. 4. vnto all that doe it He saieth not it shall be onely a declaration of faith before menne but a greate affiance before God. 1. Tim. 3. Deacons that serue well gette them a good degree and muche affiance in faith whiche is in Christe Iesus Whereby we vnderstande that good workes do not onely nurrishe hope but also strengthen faith And as S. Augustine saith Ser. 16. de ver Apos Quae spes nisi de aliquae conscientiae bonitate What hope can there be but vppon some goodnesse of conscience So a conscience vsed and confirmed in well doing is full of affiance and hope S. Paule saieth to the Hebrewes who had ben charitable to suche as were imprisoned and also loste their owne goodes for Christes sake Hebr. 10. Lose not your confidence and affiance which hath great rewarde He saith that their good woorkes had not onely bredde a stronge hope and affiance to them but also that the same should haue a great rewarde And here let the Reader learne how strong hope and affiance in God is to be gotten Prayer is but one of the woorkes commended by Christe of which Chrysostome saith vitam piam oratio conciliat conciliat am auget Prayer bringeth a godly life Chrysost Tom. 5. de â—râ—Ì„d DeuÌ„ and increaseth it when it is gotten fasting watching and prayer make vs stande and perseuer in goodnesse and defende vs from yll Haec sunt nobis arma coelestia Cyprian lib. 1. ep 1. c. These be vnto vs heauenly armour that make vs stande and perseuer strongly these be spirituall municions and weapons geauen of God whiche defende vs. Almes an other of the workes which Christe commendeth is a bulwarke and defense bothe of faith and hope Solatium grande credentium c. Holesome woorking is a great comforte of the beleeuing a forte of our safetie Cyprian de elemo the buckler of hope the defence of faith the medicine of sinne Fasting almes and prayer ioyned togeather be meanes to heale our sores to get the fauour of God to put away the penaltie due to sinne to auoide the Diuell Curandis laesionibus quas saepe c. Leo ser 4 de ieiu 10. men To cure the hurtes which often they fal into that with the inuisible enemie haue conflict the medicine of three remedies is specially to be laide In earnest prayer in chastisment of fasting in liberal almes When these be exercised togeather God is made fauourable gilte and fault is put out and the tempter is beaten downe These auncient Fathers said not thus much of their owne heades but as they had learned of the Scripture so they spake Daniel said to Nabuchodonosor Peccata tua eleemosynis redime Dan. 4. iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperum Ransome thy sinnes with almes and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore By mercie and faith sinnes are purged Prouer. 15. 16. Tobi. 4. Luc. 11. by mercie and troth iniquitie is ransomed Almes deliuereth from all sinne and from death and suffereth not the sowle to goe into darkenesse Geue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you Neither doth God hereby take away his owne prerogatiue which is to remitte sinne but prouideth for mans weakenesse many remedies Note and by sundrie waies inuiteth him to enioye remission of sinne of all whiche remedies God him selfe is the Author and geuer And so haue we not many Sauiours but one Sauiour which geueth many helpes and waies of saluation To suche as doe workes and vse the grace of God increase of grace is promised Matth. 25 Theophilact ibid. Omni habenti dabitur To euery man that hath that is to saie that vseth his giftes there shal be geuen There is no difference noted betwene the good and yll seruaunt but that the good increased in that he had receiued The slouthful and yll had no more at the time of the accompte then he receiued the firste daie By good workes our election and calling is made sure as in this life it may be assured 2. Pet. 1. Satagite vt per bona opera c. Earnestly endeuour by good woorkes to make sure your calling and election By good workes we grow and increase in Christe Ephes 4. veritatem facientes c. By doing truth in charitie let vs growe in all thinges in him who is Christe our heade 1. Pet. 2. Deponentes omnem malitiam c. Laying aside al malice and all guile false semblance enuie and detraction as children newly borne couet after reasonable and spiritual milke that therby ye may grow to saluation S. Paule and S. Peter saie that by true and charitable doing by leauing vice and folowing a new and innocent life we increase in Christe and grow in saluation These be the benefites and commodities that Christian men may take by good woorkes in this life 1. Direction of faith 2. Perfiting of the same 3. Increase of charitie 4. Strength of hope and affiaunce in God. 5 The getting of a good life and increase thereof 6 Strength and defence againste sinne and the Diuell 7 Pardone of penaltie due vnto sinne 8. Turning away of Gods iust and deserued plague 9 Growing in Christ 10 Increase of grace to saluation The promises that good woorkes haue concerning the life to come be no lesse then life it selfe euerlastinge Euerie man faith our Sauiour that shall leaue house Matt. 1â— or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my names sake shall haue againe an hundred times as muche and shall inherite life euerlasting Esai 56. God promiseth by his Prophete that who so euer keepeth his leage he will bring him to his holy hill And in the Euangeliste Christ saith of his commaundementes Hoc fac viues Luc. 10. Doo this and thou shalte liue He biddeth vs geue almose saying make you selues frendes of the mucke of iniquitie Luc. 16. that when you shall faile they may receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles Bid the riche men of this worlde doo wel saith S. Paule to be
riche in good workes easely to bestowe 1. Tim. 6. to geue parte to laie vp a good foundation against the time to come to the intente they maie gette the trewe life In all whiche places and many like God promiseth to suche as leaue their frendes or landes to suche as keepe his commandementes or geue almose for his sake life euerlasting And to declare more plainely Aug epist 105. De grat lib. arbit cap. 8. that he geueth it in respecte of wel doing and to recompence good workes life euerlasting saith S. Augustine in many places of holie Scripture is called a reward Christe saieth to his Apostles be glad and reioice bicause your reward is plentuouse in heauen And who so euer geueth one of the leaste of these a cup of colde water to drinke onely in the name of a Disciple Matt. 5. verely I saie vnto you he shall not lose his rewarde Matt. 10. Mar. 9. When thou makest a feaste call the poore the feeble the lame and blinde and happy shalte thou be that they be not able to requite thee Luc. 14. For it shal be requited thee in the resurrection of the iuste By the worde of requitall he promiseth rewarde and by the resurrection of the iuste the Kingdome of heauen The sentence that Christe shal geue in the latter day suffreth vs not to doubte but that the kingdome of heauen shall be geuen as a rewarde for good workes for he shall saie to them that stande on his righte hande Matth. 25 Come you blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome that was prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde Quibus meritis Aug. Ser. 49. de ver Dom. Chryso Hom. 41. in Gen. saithe S. Augustine For what desertes And Chrysostome Cuius gratia propter quid Why and wherefore For I was hungry and you gaue me meate to eate c. If Christe make good workes a cause of our saluation and geeueth the kingdome of heauen in respecte of them who shal be heard speaking to the contrary Hebre. 11. He that commeth to God must beleue that he is and that to suche as seeke him he is a rewarder The waie to seeke him Chryso hom 22. ad Hebr. Moral Aug. in Psal 76. Note vvel saie Chrysostome and S. Augustine is by deuont praier and good workes If we muste then as well beleue that God is a rewarder as that he is God sith he rewardeth nothing but vertue and well doing he that denieth him to be a rewarder of good workes beleueth not in effecte that he is God. For if he be God he is trewe of his promes and then wil he rewarde good workes as he hath promised Why good vvorkes be revvarded Lucae 12. And this being so no man needeth to aske how the workes of a Christian man shoulde come to that estimation with God to be rewarded with life euerlasting For as Christe saied to his Apostles Complacuit patri vestro dare vobis regnum It hath pleased your Father to geue you a kingdome Marke vvel God promiseth to revvarde good vvorckes euen so hath it pleased him to promes rewarde of that kingdome for good workes And he hath promised it that can not lie Vppon this ground standeth al that is saied and taught in the Catholike Church in commendation and rewarde of good workes Not that we of our selues can claime of him or chalenge him for our debter bicause we haue first giuen him but bicause he hath promised vs Debitor factus est c. God is become our debter Aug. Ser. 16. de ver Apost in Psal 32. conci 1 saith S. Augustine not by taking any thing of vs but by promising that whiche it pleased him for it is one thing when we saie to a man thou oweste me suche thinges as I haue geuen thee and an other thing when we saie thou oweste me bicause thou haste promised me Non possumus ergo ei dicere c. Ser. 31. de ver Dom. Rom. 11. We can not then saie vnto God rendre that thou haste receiued for who gaue him firste to be requited againe We can not saie Render that thou haste receiued but plainely we saie Render that thou haste promised Vppon this promise S. Paule saied I haue wrasteled well for the game 2. Tim. 4. I haue finished my race I haue kepte my faith For the reste the crowne of iustice is laide vp for me whiche our Lorde shall render vnto me in that day as a iuste iudge Although it came of mercie that God called S. Paule Galat. 1. 1. Tim. 1. and gaue him grace to doo good workes and to keepe his Faithe yet when S. Paule hath so done he saied that God of his iustice woulde render him the crowne Vppon this promes Ezechias and Nehemias praied God 4. Reg. 20 2. Esdr 5. to haue respecte to their life and to remember their well doing not as prowde men presuming of them selues but meekely acknowleging Psal 144. Psal 83. that God is faithefull and trewe in all his wordes and where he geueth grace he will also geue glorie and rewarde Matth. 2â— As he saieth vnto the laboroures Go into my vineyarde So he saieth also that whiche is iuste I will geue you No man goeth vnlesse he be called and yet who so euer laboureth faithfully and trewly when he is sente is assured of wages bicause it was promised Leo serm 4. de Collect vppon this promise Leo saied Cibus egeni regni coelestis est pretium largitor temporalium hares efficitur aeternorum The meate giuen to the needy is the price of the kingdome of heauen and the geuer of thinges temporal Matth. 13. Cypria de Elemo is made heire of the eternal S. Cyprian saith that Christe by the parable of the merchante who solde all his goodes to bie a preciouse pearle teacheth vs that with the quantitie of our patrimony we should purchase and bye euerlasting life August in Psal 147. And S. Augustine saith Viduae suffecerunt duo minuti nummi c. Two litle peeces of coine were inough for the wydowe to doo mercie two peeces of coine were inough to purchase the kingdome of God. A smalle price a man mighte saie for so greate a Iewell were not the bountie and liberalitie of God the owner who being Lorde of all hath sette suche a price vppon it and by his gratiouse and free promise hath bounde him selfe to performe it This is the trewe commendation which the Scripture and auncient Fathers geeue vnto good workes and these be the causes why Christian men should doo them They that say good workes serue to geue testimony and make declaration of our Faith and be commendable but haue no rewarde of grace here nor value of euerlasting life albeit they exhorte men to liue godly they maie commende and set forth good workes in wordes but they hinder the doing of them in
deede Note Nouatus his heresy was that suche as fell into deadely sinne after their Baptisme coulde not be absolued by the prieste Cyprianus lib. 4. Epistola 2. neither restored to the Church againe but muste be lefte vnto Gods iudgemente and yet did he exhorte men to doo penance and satisfaction to waile and weepe night and day for theire sinnes S. Cyprian saith of him that he was Misericordiae hostis Cypria li. 1. epist 1. interfector poenitentiae The enimie of mercie the killer of penaunce bicause though he exhorted men to satisfaction and penance yet saith he Cypria li. 4. epist 2. He tooke away the medicine and remedie that came of satisfaction Operari tu putas rusticum posse c. Thinkest thou the husbandman can worke if thou say to him Trimme thy ground with all skill of husbandry plie thy tillage diligently but thou shalte reape no corne at haruest thou shalt haue no vintage thou shalt take no profite nor fruite of thy oileyearde thou shalt gather no apples of the trees As suche an exhortation to husbandrie were inough to discourage the good husband from his trauaile And as they killed penance saith S. Cyprian that tooke away the fruit of it Note euen so doo they hinder nowe a daies the dooing of good workes that commend them in wordes and take away the rewarde of them in deed Nemo enim sine fructu imperat laborem Pacia epistol 1. ad Sympronia for no man saith Pacianus enioineth labor without profite Neither is there any profite or rewarde that a true Christian man passeth vppon if it perteine not to life euerlasting for this life and all that belongeth vnto it he is taught to sette litle by Therefore the Church exhorteth al men to doo good workes but it keepeth not backe the liberall promise of life eternal which Christ hath annexed to them S. Paule saith be ye stedfaste and vnmoueable euer plentifull in euery worke of our Lord. And why 1. Cor. 15. Scientes quòd labor vester non est inanis in Domino Knowing that your labour is not idle in our Lorde And when he saith in our Lord he meaneth no temporall nor worldely rewarde It is not onely a comfortable saying Chrysost ho. 8. in Gen. but a trueth taught by the Scripture that a Christian man should directe all his doinges to serue God in hope of life euerlasting Lette vs not fainte and be wearie of well doing Gala. 6. saith S. Paule for we shall reape it in his time without fainting Heb. 11. This cogitation maketh men quietly and contentedly to beare aduersitie Moyses did chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to haue a pleasure of sinne for the time But what made him content so to doo Aspiciebat enim in remunerationem He loked to the rewarde Prima ib. in cap. 11. ad Hebr. Ita quando quisque aduersi aliquid patitur Euen so euery man when he suffereth any aduersitie should call to remembrance what rewarde he shall receiue thereby at Goddes hande The lacke of this cogitation maketh vs many times to fainte in well doing Chrysost hom 22. ad Hebr. Omnia nobis difficilia videntur All thinges seeme heard to vs saith Chrysostome bicause we haue not the remembrance of God. This cogitation maketh men contente to take vppon them a painefull kinde of life whiche otherwise they would flee De adulter cōiug lib. 2. cap. 20. Note S. Augustine saith that diuers being sodeinly taken and required to be Preestes whereby they muste liue chaste all theire liues were contente to doo it Sperantes se illustrius in Christi haereditate fulgere Trusting to shine the brighter in Christes inheritance This cogitation caused Martyrs willingly to susteine all paine and tormente Confessours to leade a vertuouse and straite life Virginnes to dispise worldelie pleasures of all whiche it may truelie be saied Aspiciebant in remunerationem They looked to the rewarde This hope maketh seruauntes doo good and true seruice to theire maisters in which sense S. Paule saith Quodcunque facitis ex animo operamini c. Coloss 3. What so euer ye doo doo it hartelly as it were vnto our Lord and not to men knowing that of our Lorde you shall receiue the rewarde of inheritance And when I speake this muche of good workes and of the rewarde due vnto them what workes I commende thou knowest good Reader by that which I haue saied in the 13. Chapter of the first Booke An answere to certeine obiections made against the rewarde of good workes THE XIIII CHAPTER BVT all this notwithstanding yet some lette not to say that the workes of faith which Christian men doo can not deserue rewarde of life euerlasting neither stande in Goddes iudgemente as well bicause they be vnperfite as also bicause no man liueth here withoute sinne and fewe without greate sinne and breache of some of the commaundementes Iaco. 2. and then is it written Who so offendeth in one is made giltie of all and thereby say they all our workes be infected and consequentely excluded from that greate rewarde To the firste pointe I answere Note vvel these tvvo kindes of perfection in iustice There be two kindes of perfection in iustice the one such as is in God the Angelles and that happie company of men who being presente with God enioy the sighte of the Deitie An other such as may be founde in men being yet Pilgrimes from God and liuing in this worlde In comparison of the first kinde of perfection no man is iuste neither any iustice of man be it neuer so exquisite and perfite can stande in the iudgement of God. In that respecte it is true Iob. 15. Ecce inter Sanctos eius nemo immutabilis coeli nō sunt mundi in conspectu eius Lo emong his Saints and holy none is immutable and the heauens in his sight be not cleane Mar. 10. So is it vnderstanded saith S. Augustine Nemo bonus nisi vnus Deus quia omnia quae creata sunt c. No man is good August de perfect iustitiae but onely God bicause all thinges that be created though God haue made them very good yet if they be compared with the Creator and maker they be not good with whom if they be compared they be not In the same sense is it said Non intres in iudicium c. Entre not into iudgement with thy seruaunt bicause no man liuing shal be iustified in thy sight This is meant by it saith S. Augustine Aug. vt suprà entre not into iudgement with thy seruant Noli me iudicare secundùm te qui es sine peccato Iudge me not after thy selfe who arte without sinne And where he saith no man shal be iustified he referred it to that perfection of iustice which is not in this life In the same manner doth S. Hierome expounde the place Li. 1.
sort that when God toucheth the harte of man by geuing vnto it the light of the Holie Ghost neither may the man him selfe do nothing at all when he receuieth that inspiration for he hath power also to caste it away and refuse it neither yet can he without the grace of God of his owne free will moue him selfe to iustice before God. Whereupon in the holie Scriptures when it is said Be you turned vnto me Zacha. 1. and I will be turned vnto you We are put in minde of our libertie When we answere Turne vs O Lord vnto thee Thren 5. and we shal be turned we do confesse that we are preuented by the grace of God. The manner of our preparation THE VI. CHAPTER VNTO this same iustice are men disposed whiles being stirred vp and holpen by the grace of God they conceiue faith by hearing and are freely moued towardes God beleeuing such thinges to be true as are by God reueled and promised and that especially that the wicked is iustified by God through his grace through the redemption which is in Christe Iesus And when they vnderstand them selues to be sinners turning them selues from the feare of Gods iustice wherewith they are profitably shaken to cōsider the mercie of God they are raised vppe into hope trusting that God wil be mercifull vnto them for Christes sake and so beginne they to loue him as the fountaine of al iustice and therfore are moued against sinnes through a certeine hatred and detestation that is through suche penaunce as is behouefull to be done before Baptisme finally when they purpose to receiue Baptisme they are moued to beginne a new life and to keepe the commaundementes of God. Of this disposition it is writen Hebr. 11. he that commeth vnto God must beleeue that he is and that he is a rewarder to those that seeke him Matth. 9. Againe Be of good comfort sonne thy sinnes are forgeuē thee Eccle. 1. Againe The feare of God driueth out sinne Againe Actor 2. Do you penance and let euerie one of you be Baptized in the name of Iesus Christe to the remission of your sinnes and you shall receiue the gifte of the holie Ghost Againe Luc. 24. Go ye therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost teaching them to keepe what so euer thinges I haue commaunded you 1. Reg. 7. Finally Prepare your hartes vnto God. VVhat the Iustification of the wicked is and what the causes of it are THE VII CHAPTER AFter this disposition or preparation the Iustification it selfe foloweth which is not onelie the remission of sinnes but also a sanctifying and renewing of the inward man through the voluntarie receiuing of grace and giftes whereby man is made of vniust iust of an enemie Ephes 1. a friend that he maie be the heire of life euerlasting according to hope The causes of Iustification Of this Iustification the causes are these The cause final is the glorie of God and of Christe and life euerlasting The cause efficient is our mercifull God who doth freely clense and sanctifie sealing and annointing vs with the holie spirite of promise Ephes 2. which is the pleadge of our inheritance The cause meritorious is his most deere the onlie begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who when we were ennimies for the exceding great charitie wherewith he loued vs hath deserued Iustificatiō for vs through his most holie passion on the tree of the Crosse and hath made satisfaction vnto God the father for vs. The cause instrumental is the Sacrament of Baptisme which is the Sacrament of faith without the which no man euer atteined Iustification Last of al the only cause formal is the iustice of God Not that iustice by the which God him selfe is iust but that by the which he maketh vs iust by the which when it is geauen vs frō God we are renewed in the spirite of our mind and we are not onely reputed iust but we are named iust and are iust in deede receiuing iustice in our selues eche man his according to the measure which the holie Ghost geaueth to ech particular man as his will is and according to the proper disposition and working of euerie man together with the holie Ghost For although no man can be iust but he to whom the merites of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ are communicated yeat in this Iustification of a wicked man it is done whiles by the merite of the said most holie passion Rom. 5. through the holie Ghost the charitie of God is powred abroade in the hartes of those that are iustified and cleaueth fast in them Wherupō in Iustificatiō man receiueth with the remission of sinnes all these thinges faith hope and charitie powred in him together by Christe in whom he is ingraffed For faith vnlesse hope come vnto it and charitie neither doth it perfectely vnite a man vnto Christe neither doth it make him a liuely member of his bodie By reason whereof it is most truly saied that Faith without woorkes is dead and idle Iacob 2. Gal. 5. Againe In Christ Iesus neither to be circumcised nor to be without circumcision auaileth any thing but Faith that worketh by charity This Faith do the Catecumens require of the Churche according to the tradition of the Apostles before they receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme when they require that Faith that geaueth life euerlasting the whiche life faith can not geaue without hope and charitie Wherevppon they heare this saying of Christe foorthwith pronounced vnto them If thou wilt enter vnto life keepe the commaundmentes Matth. 19 And thus do they receiue a true and Christian iustice the whiche being geauen vnto them by Christ Iesus as the first stole in place of that which Adam lost both to him selfe and to vs through his disobedience such as are regenerated in Baptisme are by and by commaunded to keepe white and vnspotted that they maie bring it before the iudgement seate of our Lord Iesus Christ and so receiue life euerlasting How it maie be vnderstanded that the wicked is iustified by Faith and freely THE VIII CHAP. Rom. 5. Gratis NOVV whereas the Apostle saieth that man is iustified by faith and freely those wordes are to be taken in that sense which the continual agreement of the Catholike Churche hath alwaies holden and expressed which is that we be said to be therfore iustified by faith bicause faith is the beginning of mannes saluation the foundation and roote of all Iustification Hebr. 11. without which it is impossible to please God and to come vnto the felowship of his children And that we be said to be therefore iustified freely bicause none of those thinges whiche go before Iustification whether it be faith or woorkes deserueth the grace of Iustification Rom. 11. For if is be grace then is it not by woorkes otherwise as the same Apostle
hath chosen vnto him selfe Of the gifte of perseuerance THE XIII CHAPTER THE like maie be saied of the gifte of perserance wherof it is writen Matth. â—0 24. who so perseuereth vntil the ende he shall be saued the whiche thing can not be had from anie other then from him which is able to stay him that standeth that he maie continually stand and to set him vp againe that falleth No man maie promise him selfe any thing of certaintie with an absolute certaintie although all men ought to settle and repose a most sure hope in the helpe of God. For God excepte they do not their parte according to his grace as he hath begon a good woorke Philip. 1. so will he ende it woorking in them to will 1. Cor. 8. 1. Cor. 10. Philip. 2. and to make perfecte How be it let them that thinke them selues to stande take heede that they fall not And let them with feare and trembling woorke their saluation in labours in watchinges in almesdeedes in praiers and offeringes in fastinges and chastitie For knowing that they are regenerated in hope of glorie and not as yet in glorie they haue cause to misdoubt of the battaile whiche remaineth with the flesh with the worlde and with the diuel in the whiche battaile they can not be conquerers vnlesse with the grace of God they obey the Apostle Rom. 8. saying We be debters not to the flesh to liue according to the flesh for if you liue according to the flesh you shall die but if you shall mortifie the deedes of the fleshe by the spirite you shall liue Of them that are fallen and of their recouer THE XIIII CHAPTER NOW such as are through sinne fallen from the grace of Iustification whiche they had receiued maie be iustified againe if when God stirreth them to rise they will procure through the merite of Christe to recouer the grace loste by the Sacrament of Penance For this manner of Iustification is the recouering of him that is fallen whiche the holie Fathers aptly termed the second boord after shipwracke of grace lost For in deede for them that fal into sinnes after Baptisme Ioan. 20. Christ Iesus hath instituted the Sacrament of Penance when he saied Take ye the holie Ghoste whose sinnes ye forgeaue they are forgeauen them and whose ye reteine they are reteined Wherfore it is to be declared that the penance of a Christian man after his fall differreth verie much from that whiche is done before Baptisme and that in this penance is conteined not only a ceasing from sinnes and a detestation of them or a contrite and humbled hart but also a Sacramentall confession of the saied sinnes at the leste in purpose and to be made at time conuenient and the absolution of a Priest There is also conteined in this penance a satisfaction by fastinges almesdeedes praiers and other godlie exercises of spiritual life not for the paine euerlasting which is forgeauen either by the Sacrament or els by purposing of the Sacrament together with the offence but for the temporall paine the whiche as the holie Scriptures teache vs is not alwaies forgeauen wholly as it is in Baptisme to suche as being vnthankefull for the grace of God Ephes 4. whiche they haue receiued haue sorrowed the holie Ghost and haue not ben afraied to violate the temple of God. Of this penance it is writen be mindefull from whence thou art fallen Apocal. 2. 2. Cor. 7. Matth 3. Luca 3. do penance and do the former woorkes And againe That sorrowe whiche is according to God woorketh penance towardes a stable saluation And againe Do ye penance and do ye the woorthie frutes of penance That by euerie mortal sinne grace is lost but not Faithe THE XV. CHAP. AGainst the craftie wittes of certaine men whiche through swete talke and faire wordes do seduce the hartes of innocentes Rom. 16. it is to be holden that the grace of Iustification once receiued is lost not only by infidelitie by the whiche Faith it selfe is lost but also by any other mortal sinne although faith be not lost Herein do we defend the doctrine of Gods lawe which excludeth from the kingdome of God not onely Infidels but also the faithfull 1. Cor. 6. being fornicatours adulterrers wantonnes buggerers theeues couetouse drunkerdes euillspeakers extorcioners and al others which do commit mortal sinnes from the which they maie with the assistance of Gods grace absteine and for which they are seperated from the grace of Christ Of the fruicte of Iustification that is to saie of the merite of good woorkes and of the consideration of merite THE XVI CHAP. WHEN men therfore are by these meanes iustified whether they do continually keepe the grace once receiued or whether they do leese it and recouer it againe the wordes of the Apostle are to be set before them Abound ye in euerie good woorke Hebr. 10. knowing that your labour is not void in our Lord. For God is not vniust that he will forget your woorke and loue whiche ye haue shewed in his name And 1. Cor. 15. Leese not your affiance which hath a great reward And therefore to such as woorke well to the ende and hope in God we ought to set foorth life euerlasting both as a grace mercifully promised vnto the Sonnes of God through Christ Iesus and as a wages faithfully to be paied according to the promise of God him selfe to their good woorkes and merites For this is that crowne of Iustice whiche the Apostle saied 2. Tim. 4. was laied vp for him after his conflicte and running whiche he saied should be rendered vnto him by the iuste iudge And not onely to him but also to all them that loue the comming of Christe For seing that the selfe same Christe Iesus doth continually sende downe by influence into them that are iustified as the head into the members and as a vine into his branches a vertue the whiche vertue goeth before accompanieth and foloweth their good woorkes without the whiche their woorkes could not possibly be acceptable to God and meritorious we ought to beleeue that there lacketh nothing els in such as are iustified wherfore they maie not be thought by their good woorkes whiche are done in God to haue satisfied the lawe of God so muche as the state of this life requireth and truly to haue deserued life euerlasting which they shal enioy when the time cometh if so be that they depart out of this life in grace for so much as Christe our Sauiour saieth Ioan. 4. If any man shall drinke of this water which I shall geaue him he shall not thirst for euer but it shall be made in him a fountaine of water springing to life euerlasting And thus neither is our owne proper iustice so taken to be our owne as though it proceded from our owne selues neither is the Iustice of God either vnknowen or resused For that Iustice which is called ours bicause
euil Accursed be he THE EIGHTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that the commaundementes of God are impossible to be kept euen of a man that is iustified and in the state of grace Accursed be he THE NINETENTH CANON IF anie man saie that there is nothing commaunded in the Ghospel besides faith that al other thinges are indifferent neither commaunded nor yet forbidden but free or that the ten commaundementes do nothing apperteine to Christian men Accursed be he THE TWENTETH CANON IF any man saie that a man being iustified and neuer so perfecte is not bound to the keeping of the commaundementes of God and of the Churche but onely to beleeue as though the Gospell were a bare and absolute promise of life euerlasting without anie condicion of keeping the commaundementes Accursed be he THE XXI CANON IF anie man saie that Christe Iesus was geauen by God vnto men onely as a redeemer whome they should trust and not also as a lawe maker whome they should obeie Accursed be he THE XXII CANON IF anie man saie that a man being iustified either maie without the speciall helpe of God perseuere in the Iustice receiued or that with the saied helpe he can not perseuere Accursed be he THE XXIII CANON IF any man saie that a man being once iustified can sinne no more nor leese grace and therfore saie that he which falleth and sinneth was neuer truely iustified or contrariwise that he maie in all this life auoide al sinnes euen venial sinnes vnlesse it be by special priuilege of God as the Churche holdeth of the blessed Virgin Marie Accursed be he THE XXIIII CANON IF any man saie that iustice receiued is not conserued and also that it is not augmented before God by good woorkes but that the Woorkes them selues are the frutes onely and signes of Iustification already gotten and not a cause of the same to be augmented Accursed be he THE XXV CANON IF any man saie that the iust sinneth in euerie good woorke at the least venially or which is more intolerable mortally and therefore deserueth euerlasting damnation and that he is not damned for that onely bicause God doth not impute those woorkes to damnation Accursed be he THE XXVI CANON IF any man saie that the iust ought not for the good woorkes whiche haue ben done in God to looke and hope for the euerlasting reward from God through his mercie and the merite of Iesus Christ if they shal continue euen vntill the ende in well doing and in keeping the commaundementes of God Accursed be he THE XXVII CANON IF any man saie that there is no sinne mortall vnlesse it be the sinne of infidelitie or that grace once receiued is lost for none other sinne be it neuer so grieuous and enormeouse excepte it be by the sinne of infidelitie Accursed be he THE XXVIII CANON IF anie man saie that when grace is lost by sinne faith is alwaies lost withal or that faith which remaineth is not true faith although it be not liuelie faith or els that he which hath faith without charitie is not a Christian Accursed be he THE XXIX CANON IF anie man saie that he whiche hath fallen after Baptisme can not rise againe by the grace of God or that he maie rise againe but so that he recouer the iustice loste by onely faith without the Sacrament of penauncee as the holie Romaine and vniuersall Churche taught by Christ our Lord and his Apostles hath til this daie professed kept and taught Accursed be he THE XXX CANON IF anie man saie that after the grace of Iustification receiued the fault is so forgeauen to euerie penitent sinner and the gilt of the euerlasting paine taken away in such sorte that there remaineth no gilt of temporall paine to be paied either in this worlde or els in the worlde to come in purgatorie before the way may be set open to the kingdome of heauen Accursed be he THE XXXI CANON IF anie man saie that a man being iustified sinneth whiles he woorketh well in respecte of euerlasting rewarde Accursed be he THE XXXII CANON IF anie man saie that the good woorkes of a man instified are so the giftes of God that they are not also the good merites of him that is iustified or that he which is iustified doth not by good woorkes whiche are done by him by the grace of God and by the merite of Iesus Christe of whome he is a liuely member verely deserue increase of grace life euerlasting and the atteining of the same life euerlasting so that he departe out of this life in grace yea and the increase of glorie also Accursed be he THE XXXIII CANON IF anie man saie that this Catholike doctrine touching Iustification expressed by the holy Councel in this present Decree doth in any wise derogate from the glorie of God or from the merites of Iesus Christe our Lord and doth not rather sett foorth the truth of our faith and finally the glorie of God and of Christe Iesus Accursed be he AMEN A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE TREATIE OF IVSTIFICAtion Wherein the Argumentes and the principal matters of the whole Treatie are conteined In the First Booke Chap. 1 VVhat is meant by the worde of Iustification And what degrees perfect Iustification and saluation hath in it Fol. 1. a. Chap. 2 VVhat is meant by the name of Faith and howe many kindes of Faith there be Fol. 3. a. Chap. 3 VVherin the controuersy of Iustification resteth and what is the readiest waie to know how the same is wrought in vs. Fol. 6. a. Chap. 4 VVhat was lost in Adam by sinne and what is restored by Christe in our Iustification And in what thinges our Iustification standeth Fol. 6. b. Chap. 5 Of the Causes of our Iustification Fol. 10. b. Chap. 6 That the Sacramente of Baptisme is the instrumente and meane whereby God iustifieth vs. Fol. 11. b. Chap. 7 Of Iustification of Infantes by the Sacrament of Baptisme Fol. 12. a. Chap. 8 Of the Iustification of suche as were christened being of perfect age and what was required of them Fol. 13. b. Chap. 9 That our Iustification and the vertues wherby we receiue it be the giftes of God and come of Grace Fol. 15. b. Cha. 10 That man hath free will whiche being holpen by grace Chap. 10 worketh in our Iustification and what it worketh Fol. 18. a. Cha. 11 That such as fal into sinne after Baptisme be iustified by penance Chap. 11 againe and what penance is required of them fol. 22. a. Cha. 12 Of the increase and perfiting of our Iustification wherein Chap. 12 it is truely said that we be iustified by good workes and not by faith onely Fol. 26. b. Cha. 13 VVhat good workes be and how they be called ours 29. b Chap. 13 Cha. 14 A brief rehearsal of so muche as hath ben hitherto saied in Chap. 14 the Treatie of Iustification Fol. 31. b. In the Second Booke Chap. 1 How dangerouse it is for a man to presume onely vppon
Gods mercy and to doe no good workes Fol. 33. b. Chap. 2 VVhence the opinion came that onely Faith iustifieth And of diuers kindes of mainteining the same Fol. 34. b. Chap. 3 That Faith excludeth not Charity in our Iustification 36. a Chap. 4 An Aunswere to Obiections that be made to proue that Faith alone iustifieth without Charitie Fol. 40. a. Chap. 5 That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification Fol. 41. b. Chap. 6 That Faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification Fol. 43. b. Chap. 7 VVhat is the true meaning of these woordes in the Scripture VVe are iustified by Faith or saued by Faith. Fol. 47. a. Chap. 8 That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding Charitie And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth Fol. 51. a. Chap. 9 How Abraham was iustified VVhat his Faith was and who be the true children of Abraham Fol. 56. a. Cha. 10 That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paul and S. Iames concerning the Doctrine of Iustification Fol. 60. a. Cha. 11 That Faith alone without good workes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by Grace Fol. 62. b. Cha. 12 VVhat they were who in sundrie ages haue taught that men should be saued without good vvorkes Fol. 65. b. Cha. 13 The cause why good works are don and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and why thei be so rewarded 67. a Cha. 14 An Answere to certaine Obiections made against the reward of good workes Fol. 72. a. Cha. 15 VVhat assurance of his Iustification and saluation a Christian man may haue in this life Fol. 75. b. Cha. 16 Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truely receiued and effectually put in vre and the waie to come to it Fol. 80. a. FINIS CERTAINE TREATIES OF THE AVNCIENT HOLY FATHERS TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF good woorkes Namely A Treatie of S. Augustine whiche he Intituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same matter Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian of Almes dedes Al newly translated into English by Thomas Coppley esquier Tobia 12. Bona est Oratio cum Ieiunio Eleemosyna magis quà m Thesauros auri recondere Quoniam Eleemosyna à morte liberat ipsa est quae purgat peccata facit inuenire vitam aeternam Prayer is good with Fasting and Almes better then to hide vppe treasures of golde For Almes deliuereth from death and shee it is which purgeth sinnes and maketh to finde life euerlasting LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO The Translatour to the Reader THE loue that naturally men beare to peace and quiet is so great that there can fall no controuersie emong such as be of the better sorte but they seeke meanes euer to compounde and pacifie it Either they referre the decision of it to the Iudge ordinarie of the lawe or if they mistruste th' execution thereof either bicause the iudge doth not fullie vnderstande the matter or els for that they thinke him partiall of either side they seeke the arbitrement and sentence of some good man whome they thinke bothe to vnderstande perfitely right and iustice and take him to be affectionate of neither parte In which doing they flee not from the lawe but seeke the true and right vnderstanding thereof without affection at his handes I considering this order Christian Reader and moued with the Charitie that should binde vs all 2. Cor. 5. waying with my selfe the great controuersie that hath benne in this age about sundrie pointes of Religion namely in the article of our Iustification seing also that the matter tendeth not to the losse of patrimonie or landes but to the plaine disherison of life euerlasting and that emong vs who all professe to be the children of peace I haue bene desirouse to propounde some meane of Pacification And bicause I see the trauaile that sundrie men haue taken as it were pleading in this cause hath not ended the controuersie either bicause the doers were thoughte to be parties of the one side and thereby affectionat either bicause being borne in this age and liuing in the time of the controuersie they had not the autoritie and credite of Iudges I haue thought good to moue all such as finde in them selues either controuersie or doubt concerning that matter to putte their owne opinion in arbitrement and compromisse Not calling them hereby from the holy Scriptures which as a Soueraine lawe the diuine wisedome hath lefte vnto vs but leading them to the true vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures vttered by such as God hath placed in his Churche Ephe. 4. Danie 12. to be Pastor us and teachers to instructe manie to rightuousnes I offer for Arbitrators not men of this age such as may be thought any waie partiall or suspected but such as in all mens iudgementes and for all respectes be or should be without exception For the principall pointe of Iustification I offer S. Augustine a reuerend and most lerned Bishop in the Catholike Churche not onely in high estimation in all Christian Regions emong all estates and degrees during his life but also for his excellent vertue worthely after his death taken for a Saincte and for his singuler learning and knowledge in holy Scriptures taken for one of the foure Doctours and that the principallest of the Latin Churche as one meete whome all learned menne should followe as a lanterne and light in decision of matters of greatest weight Who also in expounding of the holy Scriptures may be the more safely trusted for that he had in all his writinges a speciall care not to seeke his priuate and singular opinion in the vnderstanding of them Lib. Confess 12. cap. 25. as appereth by his owne woordes saying that God hath terribly geuen vs warning that wee should not drawe his truthe to our owne priuate construction leste wee were depriued of it Luther in Sermone Germa ad mulieres partus Infelicita afflictas Phi. Melanc in decla de S. Augustino Caluinus Institut cap. 18. And therefore hauing his opinion thou arte sure to haue the opinion of that moste learned age that he liued in Againe bicause that time framed vnto it selfe no newe doctrine thou knowest also by him what was the opinion of the Church before his time euen from the Apostles vnto his age And bicause he hath not ben contraried in that matter of any godly and learned before this oure age yea and in this our age is highly commended of suche as haue bene of greatest credite euen of the contrary side thou knowest by him what hath bene the opinion of the Churche in all times
steale no more and so foorth where more at large he prosecuteth the same matter teaching what it is to put of the olde manne and to put on the newe Ephes 4. And yet if they woulde haue marked but these very woordes of S. Peter whiche they alleage they might haue had good cause better to consider of the matter For when he had said Doe ye penance Actor 2. and be ye baptised euery one of you in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christe into remission of your sinnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy Ghoste For to vs is this promise made and to our children and to all as many as it shall please our Lorde God to call be they neuer so farre of He that wrote the booke immediately added these woordes And he testified this in many other woordes saying Withdrawe your selues from this wicked worlde And they moste greedily receiuinge and embracing his woordes beleeued and were baptised and three thowsande sowles gained and wonne in that one daie Nowe who seeth not here that in those many other woordes whiche the writer of the Actes S. Luke for length omitteth S. Peter earnestly laboured that they should withdraw them selues from this wicked worlde For euen the sentence it selfe is briefly shewed for the inforcing and perswading whereof S. Peter vsed those many other woordes For the summe and effecte of his whole perswasion is plainely sette downe when it is sayed Withdrawe your selues from this wicked worlde But howe this thinge shoulde be donne Peter gaue proofe in many other woordes In whiche woordes no doubt was comprised the condemnation of deadde woorkes which the louers of this worlde wickedly doe committe and the commendation of good lyfe whiche they should obserue and followe that withdrawe them selues from this wicked worlde Nowe therefore if they thinke good lette them perswade vs that he withdraweth him selfe from this wicked worlde whoe beleeueth onely in Christe yea though he purpose to perseuer in suche vices as he liketh euen to the very open profession of adulterie Whiche if it be abhominable to saie then lette them whiche are to be baptised not onely heare what they oughte to beleeue but also howe they may withdrawe them selues from the woorkes of this wicked worlde For at that time and place muste they learne howe they oughte to liue after they dooe beleeue VVhat it is to preache Christe And of the Baptisme of the Eunuche THE IX CHAPTER THE Eunuche saie they whome Philip baptised An Obiection Act. 8. Ansvvere saied nothing els but I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the Sonne of God. And in this profession he was presently baptised What Will you therefore that menne shoulde onely make that aunswere and so be baptised foorthwith Is there nothing to be asked by the instructor or to be professed by the beleeuer touching the holy Ghoste Nothing touching the holy Churche The holy Churche professed in the Creede by the Catecumenes Nothing touchinge the remission of sinnes Nothing touching the resurrection of the dead Lastly nothing touchinge Ihesus Christe him selfe but that he is the Sonne of God Is there nothing to be learned or professed touching his incarnation of the Virgin His Passion his death on the Crosse his buriall Resurrection the thirde daie or of his Ascension and sitting on the righte hande of his Father For if when the Eunuche had answered I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the Sonne of God it seemed he had done that whiche was sufficiente to be presently baptised and so to goe his waie then why doe we not followe that onely and let passe those other thinges whiche we must needes expresse euen when the streightnesse of time dothe vrge present Baptisme by asking questions wherevnto he that is to be baptised must in al pointes aunswere yea though he haue not ben able to knowe them without the booke But if the Scripture forbare the reporting and left to our supposing and vnderstanding those other thinges which Philip did with the Eunuche then to be baptised and in that it saith Philip baptised the Eunuche would vs to vnderstand that all other thinges requisite therevnto were firste complete and finished whiche although for shortnesse sake they be not in the Scripture spoken of yet by the course of the tradition Traditiō vvher Scripture faileth we know they were to be fulfilled then in like sorte also where it is written that Philip preached the Gospell and our Lorde vnto the Eunuche We can not doubt but in that instruction al was said vnto him that perteine vnto the life and maners of him that beleueth in our Lord Iesu For to preache Christ is not onely to tell what is to be beleeued concerning Christ but also what things are to be obserued of him who commeth to the vnitie of his mystical body yea and throughly to open al things which are to be beleued of Christ not onely whose Sonne he is of whome he was begotten as touching his Diuinitie and of whom as touching his humanitie what he suffered and wherefore what is the vertue of his resurrection what gift of the holy Ghost he promised and gaue vnto the faithfull but also what manner of members he seeketh to be head vnto to teach to loue to deliuer and bring to euerlasting lyfe and glorie When these thinges are opened at some tyme briefely and in fewe woordes at an other tyme largely and amplely then Christ is preached And yet not only that which perteineth to faith but also that which concerneth the manners and woorkes of the beleeuers is declared VVhat it is to knowe Christe crucified and who loueth God and his neighbour THE X. CHAPTER IN this sense also is that to be taken An other Obiectiō which they alleage out of S. Paule saying I saied among you 1. Cor. 2. I knowe nothing but Iesu Christ and him crucified Which wordes they thinke to haue ben so spoken as though nothing els had ben taught them but that they should firste beleeue and afterward being baptised should learne al such things as appertayne to lyfe and manners This say they did at the ful suffise the Apostle who sayed vnto them that although they had many schoolemasters in Christe 1. Cor. 4. yet had they not many Fathers for he had by the Ghospell begotten them in Iesu Christe If then he which begat them thorough the Ghospell Ansvver allthough he thanked God that he had baptised none of them but Crispus Gaius and the familie of Stephana taught them no more but Christe crucified what if some man should also say they had neuer heard of Christe his Resurrection when they were begotte thorough the Ghospell 1. Cor. 1. Which if these men wil not sticke to graunte to then let them remembre what he saied in an other place to the very same his scholers Thus he saieth I haue firste opened vnto you that Iesus died according to the Scriptures was buried and rose againe the thirde daye according to
ye ware lest being seduced into the errours of suche as be false ye fall from your strength But increase in grace and the vnderstanding of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesu Christ to him be glory both nowe and for euer Iames. 2. But Iames is vehemently offended against them which conceiue faith to be of value vnto saluation without woorkes in so much that he compareth them euen with diuelles saying Thou beleuest that there is one God Thou doest well and the diuelles also beleue so and tremble thereat Marc. 1. Matt. 16. What could be saied more truely more briefly and more vehemently Verely we reade in the Ghospel that the diuelles said no lesse confessing Christ to be the sonne of God whiche saying yet in them was rebuked though in Peter praised and commended Iac. 2. Note What shall it profitte you my brethern saith Iames if a man say he haue faith but haue not workes can faith saue him He saith also in the same place that faith without workes is dead Howe farre then are they deceiued that by a dead faith promise vnto them selues euerlasting life Faith and good workes together are required for the attaining of saluation THE XV. CHAPTER WHERFORE we must diligently consider how that sentence of the Apostle Paul which in dede is hard to be vnderstande ought truely to be taken where he saieth 1. Cor. 3. for other foundation can no man lay but that which is laid which is Christ Iesu But if a man build vppon the foundation gold siluer precious stones blockes hay and stubble euery mans woorke shal be shewed for the day of our Lord shal declare it bicause it shal be reuealed in fier and the fier shall trie what euery mans woorke is Yf the woorke that any man hath builded thereon do tarry it shall receiue rewarde but if any man his woorkes doo burne it shall receiue hurt but him selfe shal be saued so yet as by fier Which wordes of the Apostle some do so expounde that they be said to build vppon this foundation golde siluer and precious stones who doo adde good workes vnto the saith which is in Iesu Christ and they to builde hay blockes and stubble who hauing the same faith doo euill woorkes Whereupon they thinke that through certaine paines of fier these later kinde of menne may be purged and made meete to receiue saluation through the merite of the foundation whereupon they build If this opinion be true then we graunt that these men vpon a charitable cōsideration do labour that al persons should without difference be admitted to baptisme not only men and wemen that be adulterers pretending false mariages against Gods ordinance but also common harlottes persisting in their most filthy profession whom surely no Church how meanely so euer it were gouerned hath vsed to admitte onlesse they first forsoke that shamelesse prostitution of them selues But by this their opinion why they should not absolutely be admitted I see not For who had not rather that suche as laying first the foundation though they heape thereon blockes hay and stubble should not though with somewhat the longer fire be purged then to perish euerlastingly But then should those textes be false which are cleere and haue in them selues no darcknes or ambiguitie at all If I haue all faith so as I may remoue mountaines 1. Cor. 13. and yet haue no charitie Iac. 2. I am nothing And what shall it auaile my brethern if a man say he haue faith and yet haue no workes can his faith saue him That also shal be false where it is said Be not deceiued 1. Cor. 6. for neither fornicators Idolaters Adulterers effeminate persons offenders against kind nor theues couetous persons Dronckards sclaunderers or extorcioners shal inherite the kingdome of heauen Gala. 5. Then also is that false Manifest are the workes of the fleshe which are fornications vncleanes lechery idolatry witchcraft enmite contentions emulations stomaking dissension heresie enuie dronckennes glottonie and suche like which I foretell you euen as I haue done heretofore that they which doo suche thinges shall not possesse the kingdome of heauen These places I saie by their opinion shal be all false For if they onely beleeue and be baptised though they perseuer in suche euils they shal be yet saued thorough fier say they And so they that are baptised in Christ yea though they doo such thinges shal possesse the kingdome of heauen which S. 1. Cor. 6. Paul denieth Againe in vaine is it said such haue you bene but you are now whasshed if they that be wasshed and baptized remaine yet such In vaine also may that seeme to be spoken by Peter 1. Pet. 3. Euen so in like manner doth baptisme saue you not the laying down of the filth of the flesh but the testimony of a good conscience For by them Baptisme saueth euen those which haue the worst consciences and ful of al wickednes and iniquitie yea though they be not chaunged by any penaunce from those euils For thorough the foundation which in the same Baptisme is laied they shall be saued saie they though it be by fier Neither doo I see to what purpose Christe saied If thou wilt come to life keepe the commaundementes Matth. 19 Nota. or why he taught those thinges that pertaine to good woorkes if without keeping them a man may come to life Iacob 2. by onely Faith which without woorkes is dead And how shal that be true that to them which he wil put on his left hand he shal saie Goe ye into euerlasting fier which is prepared for the diuel and his aungels where he blameth them Matth. 25 not bicause they did not beleue but bicause they did not good woorkes For truly lest any man should promise vnto him selfe eternal life by faith which without woorkes is dead therfore did he saie he would cal out and seperate all nations Nota. which being mingled together did feed as it were in one and the same pastour that it maie plainely appeare those they are that shall saie vnto him Lord when did wee see thee suffer suche and suche thinges and did not minister vnto the who beleeuing in him did not care to woorke good workes as though by their dead faith they shoulde come to euerlasting life But what Shall they trowe wee goe into euerlasting fier whiche leaue the woorkes of mercie vndone and shal not they go which haue taken awaie other mens goodes and haue ben vnmercifull againe them selues in corrupting within them selues the temple of God as though the workes of mercy did profitte any thing without Charitie considering that the Apostel saieth 1. Cor. 13. If I geue all my good vnto the poore and haue not Charitie it auaileth mee nothing Or may a man loue his neighbour as him selfe whiche doth not loue him selfe Psal 10. For he that loueth iniquitie hateth his owne soule Neither can that be saied here which some do saie and
so deceaue them selues that it is termed euerlasting fier but not euerlasting burning For they thinke that they to whome for their dead faith they promise saluation by fier should passe through a fier that shall be of it selfe euerlasting but that their burning that is the operation of the fier vppon them should not be euerlasting For this also our Lord forseeing Matt. 25. concluded thus So shall they goo into euerlasting burning but the Iust into euerlasting life Their burning therefore shall be euerlasting euen as the fier is and the truth it selfe saieth that they shall go into this fire in whom he hath shewed not faith but good woorkes to haue failed If therefore all these places and others innumerable whiche maie be founde spoken without any ambiguitie throughout al the Scriptures shal be false then maie that vnderstanding be trewe of blocks hey and stubble that they shal be saued through fier which holding onely faith in Christe haue neglected good workes But if these sayinges be true and clere then without doubt an other vnderstanding must be searched out in that sentence of the Apostle which maie iustly be placed emong those whiche Peter saied to be in his writinges harde to be perceiued which menne must not peruert to their owne distruction by assuring the wicked of saluation against these most manifest testimonies of the Scriptures namely where they doo most obstinately continue in their wickednes and be not tourned by amendement or penaunce VVhat faith it is that saueth a man and what it is to beleeue in Christe also the exposition of the place of S. Paule THE XVI CHAPTER HERE perhappes it maie be demaunded of me what I my selfe thinke of this saying of S. Paule the Apostle and how I thinke it to be vnderstanded I confesse I had rather heare in this pointe menne of more learning and vnderstanding that might so expounde and laie foorth the same that all those places of holy Scripture which I haue before alleaged might remaine true certaine and vndoubted and euen so of other textes also not by me rehersed whereby the Scripture dooth most euidently witnesse that no faith profiteth but only that whiche the Apostle defineth to wit that whiche woorketh through looue and Charitie Galat. 5. and that the same faith without woorkes can saue no man either without fier or by fier For if it maie saue by fier then yet it saueth but it is absolutely Iacob 2. and plainely saied what auaileth it a man to saie hee hath faith and yet wanteth woorkes can his faith saue him Yet will I saye as breefely as I canne what I my selfe thinke of this sentence of the Apostle whiche is hard in dede to be vnderstanded My former protestatiō alwaies reserued where I said I had rather heare and geue place to my betters 1. Cor. 3. Christ is the foundation in the woorke of the wise and circumspect builder This needeth no exposition For it is plainly saied Other foundation can no man laie besides that is laide which is Christ Iesu But if Christ be the foundation then without doubt the faith of Christ is the foundation Ephes 3. For Christ dwelleth in our hartes by faith as the same Apostle saith Now the faith of Christ is none other then that which the Apostle defineth to witte that whiche woorketh through looue and Charitie For the faith of the diuels wherwith they beleeue also yea and tremble and confesse Iesu Christ to be the Sonne of God can not be taken for the foundation Why so Bicause that is not a faith which woorketh through looue but is a faith wrested out by feare The faith therefore of Christe the faith of Christian grace that is to saie the faith which woorketh through charitie being laide in the foundation suffreth no man to perishe But now what it is to build vppon this foundation gold siluer precious stones and blockes hey and stubble if I shall labour exactly to expounde I feare least the verie exposition it selfe will become somewhat harde also to be vnderstanded Yet will I endeuour so farre as our Lord shall geeue me grace bothe breefely and as plainely as I can to open that I thinke Beholde he that sought to learne of the good Master and teacher what good he might doo to come to euerlasting life had this aunswer Matth. 19. if he would come vnto life he should keepe the commaundementes And when he asked further what commaundementes It was saied vnto him Exod. 20. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not committe adulterie thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not geeue false witnesse Honour thy Father and Mother Looue thy neighbour as thy selfe To the ende that doing these thinges he might holde the faith of Christe that faith no doubt whiche worketh through loue For he could not loue his neighbour as him selfe excepte he had receyued the loue of God without the whiche he could not loue him selfe But if he would further doo that whiche our Lorde there added saying If thow wilt be perfit goe and sell all that thou haste and geaue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen come and followe mee then should he haue builded vppon that foundation golde 1. Cor. 7. siluer and pretiouse stones For he woulde not then haue thought but of those onely thinges that pertaine to God howe he mighte please God and these thoughtes to please God are as I thinke golde siluer and pretiouse stones But now if he had yet a certaine carnal affection and loue towarde his richesse though he gaue great almes thereof and neither woulde for the increase thereof attempt any fraude or extortion or for feare of diminishing or loosing them Take hede Reader least thou leese the foundation by louing to muche vvorldly thinges fall into any lewde or wicked doing for by so doing he shoulde quite leese the foundation it selfe but if for the carnall affection which as I saied before he bare to those goodes he could not without griefe and sorrow lacke them then shoulde this man builde vpon that foundation heie blockes and stubble Especially if he had also a wyfe and vsed her in suche sorte that he would for her sake thinke the more earnestly of those thinges which appertaine to the worlde and howe he might please her Seing then that these goodes loued with a carnal affection are not loste without sorrowe for that cause they whiche so haue and possesse them as long as they keepe in the foundation that faith whiche worketh thorough Charitie and doo not by any meanes or couetousnes preferre those worldly pleasures before the looue of God doo by susteyning hinderaunce in the losse of them attayne yet by a certayne fyer of sorrowe vnto saluation From whiche sorrowe and losse a man is so muche the more safe and sure by howe muche the lesse he hath looued those thinges and enioyed them in suche sorte as though he had not had them But he that eyther for the
keeping or for the getting of wordely riches committeth murther adulterie fornication Idololatrie and suche lyke shall not bycause of the foundation be saued through fyer but loosing quyte the foundation shal be tormented with euerlasting fyer Wherefore that also whiche they alleage out of the Apostle thinking to proue thereby that only faith profitteth where he saieth 1. Cor. 7. If the infidell partye departe let him or her departe for a broother or a sister is not in suche thinges subiect vnto bondage The duty to God is to be preferred before the bonde of vvedlocke that is to say that for the fayth of Christe euen the very wife coupled in lawfull Matrimonie should without fault be forsaken yf she will not tarry with a Christian man onely for this cause bicause he is a Christian they marke not withal that by the same saying of the Apostle shee may very wel and lawfully be dismissed and put away yf shee say vnto her husband I will not be thy wyfe onlesse thou heape riches vnto me by theft or except thou nowe thou art a Christian man vse thy accustomed robberies wherewith thou diddest furnish our house or any other kinde of lewdnesse or wickednesse that her husband before had vsed wherewith shee being delighted did either satisfie her lust or get her liuing easely or goe the more gaily apparelled For then he to whom his wyfe shal thus saye if he haue truely done penaunce from deade workes at his comming vnto Baptisme and haue in his foundation faithe whiche woorketh through looue without doubt he shal haue more regard to the looue of the grace of God then to the voluptuousnes of the fleshe Gal. 5. and will strongly cut awaye the member that doth offende him and what soeuer sorrowe of his harte he doo by carnall affection to his wyfe indure by suche separation that lo is all the hurt that he shall suffer that sorrowe is the fyer by the whiche his heie being burned he shall be saued But yf he so enioyed his wife as that he kepte her not for concupiscence but for charitie and pitie to see yf perhaps in time he might winne her to the faith yelding rather then requyring the duty of wedlocke truly he shal not be carnally sorry when he is separated from such mariage For why he did not though married purpose any other thing then godly 1. Cor. 7. and howe he might please God. Math. 5. And by this meanes looke howe muche the more he buylded by such godly purposes gold siluer and pretious stones so much the lesse losse should he susteyne and so muche the lesse coulde his buylding whiche was not nowe of heie but of substantiall golde and siluer be burned with any fyer And thus whether men do suffer such thinges in this lyfe only or that after this lyfe some such Iudgementes do followe the saying of S. Paule thus expounded doth not I trowe vary from reason or truth How be it if there be any other good exposition thereof that my happe is not to chose or to light on yet so long as we holde this we are not forced absurdely to saie vnto vniust personnes 1. Tim. 1. rebelles traitours the lewde and defiled killers of their fathers or mothers murtherers fornicatours offenders againste kinde theeues bribers lyers periured personnes or suche like whiche are contrary to the sownde doctrine whiche is according to the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God if ye do no more but beleue in Christ and take the Sacrament of his Baptisme though ye doe not forsake your moste wicked lyfe yet shall ye be saued Neither can herein the woman of Chananee prescribe against vs because our Lorde gaue her at the firste that shee asked Mat. 15. when he had saied before It is not good to take the breade of children and geaue it vnto dogges For he being the searcher of the heart sawe her chaunged within whome he praised by worde of mouthe And therefore he saide not O dogge great is thy faith but O woman Mat. 15. great is thy faith He chaunged his terme bycause he sawe the affection chaunged in her and knewe that of suche his rebuking of her was growen good fruite But it were in deede to be maruailed at if he had praised in her Iac. 2. faith without good workes that is to saie a dead faith and not suche a faith as might woorke through loue which S. Iames was not afraied to call a faith not of Christians but of Diuelles Finally if they will not vnderstande this woman of Chananee to haue chaunged in her heart her wicked woorkes and manners when Christe by contempt and reproche rebuked her then whome so euer they shall finde onely to beleeue and yet not onely not to hide their wicked life but freely to professe it and neuer meane to chaunge it let them on Gods name heale their children if they can as the daughter of that woman of Chananee was healed but let them not make them members of Christ which wil not forbeare to be the members of an harlotte In dede they doe not amisse vnderstande that he doth sinne against the holy Ghost and is without pardon giltie of eternall sinne whiche till the very ende of his life wil not beleue in Christe But this were true if they rightly vnderstoode what it were to beleeue in Christe For it is not to haue the faith of Diuelles which is rightly called a dead faith but to haue that faith which worketh through loue and charitie Suche as obstinately continue in lewde and vngodly life should be put backe from Baptisme and what it is to hide our Lord his money THE XVII CHAPTER WHICH thinges being so when we dooe not admitte suche vnto Baptisme we goe not about to pul vppe the cockle before the time but we are lothe to goe farther and sowe cockle as the Diuell dothe Neither doe we lette or kepe of him that is willing to come vnto Christe but by their owne profession we conuince them that they haue no will to come vnto Christ Neither doe we forbid them to beleue in Christ but we plainely shewe that they will not beleue Christe who doe either saie that it is not adulterie which he saith is adulterie or els doe beleeue that adulterers may be his members who as he teacheth vs by his Apostle shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen but are enemies to the sownde doctrine Gallat 5. 1. Tim. 1. which is according to the Gospell of the glory of the holy God. And therefore these men are not to be accompted emong them Luc. 4. which came vnto the marriage feast but emong them that woulde not come For when they dare moste openly gainesaie the very Doctrine of Christe and contrary the holy Gospel they are not repelled when they come but them selues refuse to come But as for them who renounce the worlde at the the least in woordes though not in deedes they come and
in Christe but also in that they killed Christ of which two crimes the one grew of infidelitie the other of crueltie As that therefore is contrary to right faith so this is repugnant to good life But he is voide of both these faults Iacob 2. Galat. 5. Luca. 17. which hath faith in Christ not a dead faith without woorkes which is also found in the diuels but the faith of Grace whiche woorketh through loue This is the faith whereof it is said The kingdome of heauen is within you For this do they breake into which doe violence by beleuing and obtaining by praier the Spirit of Charite Rom. 13. in the which the fulnes of the law consisteth and without the which the law in the letter made them gilty euen of the transgressiō and breach thereof It is not therfore to be thought Math. 11. that for this cause it was saied the kingdome of the heauens suffreth violence and they which do the violence breake in to it for that euen lewde parsons onely by beleeuing and yet lyuing wickedly do come into the kingdome of heauen but bycause that the same gilte of transgression whiche the onely lawe that is the letter without the spirit made by commanding is by beleeuing loosed and by force of faith the holy Ghost is obtained Rom. 5. by whome Charity being powred into our hartes the law is fulfilled not for feare of paine but for loue of Iustice VVhat it is to know God and that it is not sufficient for saluation to haue faith onely without good workes THE XXII CHAPTER LET not therefore a rechelesse mind be deceiued in thinking it selfe to knowe God if he with a dead faith that is without good woorkes doo after the manner of diuels confesse God. Let no man thinke him selfe vpon only faith in Christ assured to come vnto euerlasting life bicause our lord saieth this is life euerlasting Iohn 21. that they may know the one true God and Iesu Christ whom thou hast sent For he must also call to remembrance that it is writen In this we knowe him 1. Iohn 2. if wee keepe his commaundementes who saith that he knoweth him and keepeth not his cōmaundementes he is a lier and truth is not in him And least any man should thinke that Gods commaundementes appertained to onely faith allthough yet no man hath presumed so to saie cheefly bicause him selfe named commaundementes in the plural number and lest by that number men should imagine and thinke of many mo he comprehended them all in two saying Math. 22. In those two dependeth the whole lawe and the Prophetes and although it might in soome sense rightly be saied the commaundementes of God are included in only faith Galat. 5. if not a dead faith be vnderstanded but a quicke whiche woorketh thorough looue 1. Iohn 3. yet S. Iohn him selfe afterwarde opened his whole meaning when he saieth This is his commaundement that we beleue in the name of his Sonne Iesu Christ and looue one an other This therfore profiteth to beleeue in God with a right faith to honour God to know God to th entent that both wee maie haue helpe from him to liue wel and if wee sinne wee maie deserue of him indulgence and pardon Psal 40. not continuing recklesse in euill woorkes which he hateth but departing from them and saying vnto him I haue saied Lord haue mercy on me heale my sowle bicause I haue sinned against thee which they can not saie vnto him that doo not beleeue him and in vaine doo suche saie it who being so farre from him are vtterly straungers to the grace of the mediatour Sapien. 15. Hereof also be those woordes in the booke of wisedoome whiche I knowe not how these mens pernicious securitie doth interpret And if we sinne yet be we thine For how is this true Forsothe bicause wee haue a good and a great God whiche will and can heale the sinnes of the penitent but not suche a one as feareth to destroie them that remaine in their wickednes Therefore the same Writer when he had saied wee be thine he added knowing thy power verely suche a power as the sinner can neither withdraw nor hide him selfe from And therfore following he addeth further but wee haue not sinned knowing that wee be deputed to be thine For who worthely thinking of the habitation that is with God wherin by predestination all be deputed whiche are called according to his purpose will not labour so to liue as maie be aunswerable and sitting to suche an habitation That therefore which S. Iohn saith These thinges haue I written vnto you to the end ye sinne not and if any haue sinned we haue an aduocate with the father Ihesu Christe the righteous and he is the intercession for our sinnes He saith not to the end wee should sinne with securitie and carelesnesse but that deparing from suche sinne as we haue committed we should not dispaire of pardon hauing that aduocate which the Infidels haue not That by this word Iudgement in the holy scripture is meant eternall damnation not any easier paine or punnishment THE XXIII CHAPTER THERE is not therefore any such fauorable condition promised by these places alleaged that men beleeuing in God may remaine therefore in their euill workes And much lesse of those wordes where the Apostle saith they which haue sinned without lawe Rom. 2. shall perish without lawe but they which sinned in the law shall be iudged by the lawe as though in this place there were some difference betwene perishing and being Iudged For here by diuerse wordes one and the selfe same thing is signified For the scriptures vse to putte Iudgement euen for eternall damnation Iob. 5. as in the Ghospell our Lorde saith The houre shall come wherein all they which are in their graues shall heare his voice and they which haue donne well shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they which haue donne euill to the resurrection of Iudgment And marke that it is not saied there this for them which haue beleeued and that for them which haue not beleued but this shal they haue which haue donne wel and that Gal. 5. they which haue donne euill For good life can not be parted from faith which worketh thorough loue Nay rather that faith is good life it selfe We see therefore that oure Lorde vsed this woorde resurrection of Iudgement for resurrection of eternal damnation For of all them that were to rise againe in which number no doubt were also those which beleeue not at all for they also were in their graues he made but two partes wherof the one he declared should arise into resurrection of life and the other into resurrection of Iudgement Now if they will say that those are not meant there which beleeue not at al but those which shal be saued by fier bicause they beleeued although they liued ill thinking thereby that by the name of Iudgement
in heauen and come follow me He saieth also in an other place that he whiche seeketh to purchasse the grace of heauen and to bye euerlasting saluation must with the quantity of his patrimony marchaunt and bie the pretious iewell that is eternall life precious by the bloude of Christ The kingdome of heauen saieth he is like vnto a marchaunt man seeking for good perles and precious stones Matt. 13. but when he had found a preciouse stone he went and solde all that he had and bought it He also calleth them the children of Abraham whome he seeth to be workemen in the helping and nurrishing of the poore For when zachee had said Beholde Luk. 19. the halfe of my substance I geeue vnto the needie and if I haue defrauded any man of ought I render vnto him foure dubble Ihesus aunswered and saied This day is saluation made vnto this house for this man is also a sonne of Abraham For if Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed vnto hym for iustice verely he that according to God his commaundement dooth Almose beleeueth God and he whiche hath the truthe of faith keepeth the feare of God. But he whiche keepeth the feare of God thinketh of God in shewing mercie to the poore What it is to beleeue God and to thinke the scriptures true For therefore dooth he woorke bicause he beleeueth and knoweth those thinges to be true whiche are foreshewed by the woordes of God and that the holy Scripture can not lye whiche teacheth That vnfrutefull trees that is Barren and frutelesse menne shal be cutte away and throwne into the fier but the mercifull shal be called vnto the kingdoome And therefore in an other place also he calleth the woorkers and the frutefull by the name of faithfull personnes But as for the vnfrutefull and barren he saieth they haue no faith by these woordes If in the wicked Mammon Lucae 16. yee haue not been faithfull whoo will putte you in truste with that whiche is true and sound And if in the thing that is not yours yee baue been vnfaithfull whoo will geeue you that which is yours Pouetry is not to be feared for geuing of almes If thow mystruste and feare leaste if thow begynne to woorke bountifully thy patrimonie beeing consumed by liberall woorking thou maist perhaps be driuen to poouertie be in that behalfe without feare stand thou assured and out of care For that can not be wasted out of the which there is disbursed to Christe his vse and by the which a heauenly woorke is donne And thus doo I not warrant thee vppon myne owne credite but vppon the faith and warrant of the holy Scriptures Vppon the authoritie of God his promise do I assure it Proue 28. The holy Ghost speaking by Salomon saith He that geeueth to the poore shal neuer want but he that turneth his eies from them shal be in great penury shewing thereby that the mercifull and such as worke can neuer want but rather that the Niggardes and fruitlesse doo come in the ende to pouertie And the holy Apostle Paule also being full of grace of the heauenly inspiration saieth He that sendeth seede to the sower euen he also shall geeue bread to be eaten 2. Cor. 9. and shall multiplie your sowing and shall increase the yeeld of your fruitfull Iustice that you may be made riche in all thing And againe The administration of this dutie and woorke shall not only supplie in faith the want and neede of the saints but shall also be plentifull in geeuing with much thankefulnes towarde God. For when thankes for our almose and praiers are by the Oraisons of the poore directed vnto God the substance of the woorker is by the rewarde of God heaped and encreased And our Lord in the Ghospell euen then considering the hartes of such menne and by his foretelling worde denouncing this vnto the false harted and vnto suche as would not beleeue dooth protest and say Matt. 6. Doo yee not take thought saying what shall wee eate or what shall wee drinke or wherewith shall wee be appareled For these thinges the Gentiles seeke after but your Father knoweth that you haue neede of all these thinges Seeke yee first the kingdome of heauen Ibidem and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you He saieth all thinges are cast vnto them and geuen vnto them which seeke the kingdome and iustice of God. For our Lorde saieth that those menne shall when the daie of Iudgement commeth be admitted to receiue the kingdome whiche haue ben woorkers in his Churche But thou fearest lest thy patrimonie perhaps will faile thee if thou beginne of the same to yeeld bountifull woorkes And knowest thou not wretched man that while thou fearest the decaie of thy houshold thy life and saluation bothe doo faile And while thou arte carefull that nothing be diminished of thy goods doest thou not see that thy selfe arte diminished being a loouer rather of Mammon then of thyne owne soule Thus while thow fearest lest thy patrimonie should perishe to saue thy selfe thy selfe doest perishe to saue thy patrimonie And therefore dooth the Apostle well crie out and saie Nothing brought wee into this world 1. Tim. 6. neyther truely maye wee carrie ought hence but hauing nourriture and coouering let vs be therewith content For they that will becoome riche falle into temptation into snares and into many and hurtefull desyres which whelme a man into perdition and destruction Couetousnes the roote of al euils For the roote of all euills is couetousnes which some seeking after haue made a wracke of their faith and haue plunged them selues into many sorowes But doest thou feare still least thy patrimonie may happe to faile if thou beginne to bestowe plentifully thereof Proue 10. Why When was it seen that the iust man could wante reliefe sithe it is written Our Lorde will not kill with hunger the iust soule 3. Reg. 17 Helias was fed in the wildernesse by the ministery and seruise of crowes And to Daniell being by the kinges commaundement shutte vp in the denne for a praie to the Lions his dinner was from God prouided Danie 14. And yet fearest thou leste working and deseruing at Gods handes thou shouldest wante nourriture Remembrest thou not that he him selfe in the Ghospell to the reproche of them which be of doubtfull mindes and of litle faith dooth protest saying Beholde the foules of the ayer Matt. 6. for they sowe not they reape not they gather not into the barnes and yet your heauenly father nurrissheth them Are not yee of more value then these God feedeth the foule and euen to the sparrowes dailie foode is geeuen and those thinges which haue no manner sense of thing appertaining to God lacke neither meate nor drincke And doest thou thinke that a Christian man the seruaunt of God geeuen to doo good woorkes and deere vnto his Lord and master shall want any thing
him saying Lord whē haue we sene the hungry and did feed thee Thirsty and did geue the drinke When haue we sene the harbourles and did leade the in Naked and did cloth the But when haue we sene the sicke and in prison and haue come vnto thee Then the King answering shal say vnto them Verely I say vnto you so long as you haue don it to one of these my least brethren you haue don it vnto me Then wil he say vnto them which shal be on his left hād Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fier which my Father hath prepared for the diuel and his angels for I haue ben hūgry and you gaue me not to eat I haue thirsted and you gaue me not to drinke I haue ben harbourles and you toke me not in naked and you clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not Then shal they answere and say Lorde when haue we sene thee hungry or thirsty or harborles or naked or sick or in prison and haue not ministred vnto the and he shal say vnto thē verely I say vnto you so lōg as ye haue not don it to one of these litle ones ye haue not don it to me And the vniust shal goe into euerlasting burning but the iust into euerlasting life What could Christ say more vnto vs How could he more prouoke vs to the woorke of iustice and mercy then in telling vs that to be don to him selfe what so euer is don to the nedy and poore And in shewing him self to be offended if we do not geue helpe to the poore and nedy to th' end that he which is not moued with the respect of his brother a felow mēber of the Church should yet be moued with the contemplation of Christ and he which cōsidereth not his felow seruant being in nede and pouerty might yet be moued to consider our Lord and Master present in him whom he despiseth And therefore most derely beloued let vs that feare God let vs that despising and treading the worlde vnder our feet haue our mindes lift vp to diuine and heauenly things let vs I say with ful faith deuout mindes and continual good working bestow our seruice to winne our Lord and Masters fauour Let vs geue to Christ earthly garmentes that we may receiue of him heauenly clothing Let vs geue our worldly meat and drinke that with Abraham Isaac and Iacob we may be receiued to the heauenly feast Let vs sow much We muste prouide for our saluation Galat. 6. least we reap litle Let vs while we haue time prouide for our safty and eternal saluation For so Paul th' Apostle admonisheth vs saying Therfore while we haue time let vs do good to al and namely vnto such as are of the houshold of faith But let vs not faint in doing good for at due time we shal reape the fruit Let vs consider deerely beloued brethren how the faithful people did in th' Apostles time when in the beginning the mind florished with greater vertues when the faith of the beleuers was yet feruent with the new heate of faith Then did they sell their howses and landes and willingly and largely offered vnto the Apostles their gooddes to be distributed vnto the poore transferring their possession after their earthly patrimonie so solde and distributed vnto that place where they shoulde receiue the fruite of eternall inheritance prouiding for them selues mansions there where the◠should beginne to dwell for euer Suche was their plentifulnesse in good woorkes as was their vnifourme consente in loue and charitie as we reade in the Actes of the Apostles in these woordes Act. 4. But the multitude of them whiche beleeued wrought with one minde and with one harte neither was there emong them any diuersitie Al things vvere by charitie and mutual loue as it vvere common emōg the Apostles neither did they iudge owght as their owne of the goodes whiche they had but all thinges were to them common This is by spiritual byrth truely to be made the Sonnes of God. This is by the heauenly lawe to imitate the goodnesse of God the Father For what so euer is Gods is common for our vse Neyther is any man repelled from the vse of the benefittes and giftes of God but that all mankinde may equally enioye the goodnesse and bountifulnesse thereof So doth the daie geue light the sonne brightnesse the raine moysture and the winde blowe to all alike So is sleepe alike and common to all them that take reast the shining of the starres and Moone is alike and common to them all By whiche example of equalitie he that being a possessioner in earth diuideth his rentes and reuenewes with his brethren in Christe Thinges are not common but by voluntary liberalitie while by voluntary liberty he being iust maketh his goodes common is a follower of God the Father What a glory shall there be moste deerely belooued brethren to them that woorke Howe great and exceding shal be the ioye when our Lorde shall beginne to take vewe of his people and shall render for our merites and good woorkes the promised rewardes for earthly thinges heauenly for temporall euerlasting When for small he shall geeue great when he offereth vs vp vnto his Father to whome by his sanctification he hath restored vs When he shall geue vnto vs the eternitie and immortalitie whereunto he hath reuiued vs by the quickning of his blood When he shall leade vs againe into Paradyse and by the faith and surety of his promise open vnto vs the kingdoome of heauen Let these thinges bretherne cleaue and sticke firmely in our vnderstanding An exhortation Let them be conceiued with a full faith Let them be looued with our whole harte Lette them be bought with the couragious perseuerance of incessant well doing A beutifull and heauenly thing deerly beloued bretherne is well doing The frutes of good vvorkes a great comfort to suche as beleeue a strong sauegarde of a quiet conscience a fortification of hope a defence and shilde of faith and a remedy against sinne It is a thing sette in the power of him that dooth it It is a great thing and yet easie A Crowne of peace without perill of persecution It is the true gifte yea the greatest gifte of God necessarie to the weake and glorious to the strong With this a Christian being furnished he sheweth foorth spirituall grace he deserueth well of Christe the Iudge and he maketh God his debter To this price of healthfull woorkes lette vs willingly and cheerfully contende Lette vs all runne in the course and race of iustice God and Christe looking on And lette vs that haue now begonne to get aboue the worlde and these transitory thinges not staie now our course by any couetousnes or lyking of them or of the worlde If the daie either of our departing or of persecution shall finde vs light and free without burthen running in this race of good woorkes our Lorde will neuer faile to rewarde our merites He will geeue to suche as ouercome for their woorkes in peace a white and pure Crowne and to suche as gette the victory in persecution he wil geeue a dubble Crowne of purple colour for their pacience and suffering Amen Thus endeth the Sermon of that blessed Martyr and Bishop S. Cyprian Of Almes dedes Opus istud de Iustificatione cum alijs in linguam Anglicam versis lectum et approbatum est ab insignibus viris sacrae Theologiae Anglici idiomatis peritissimis quibus ideo tutò credendum esse existimo Cunerus Petri Pastor S. Petri Louani indignus 15. Ianuarij An. 1569. Faultes escaped in the printing of the Translations Leafe Side Line Faulte Correction 43. 2. 14. depraued depriued 45. 2. 1. And And as 66. 2. 1. oorep poore 67. 1. 4. death death 67. 2. 11. hearde horde 76. 2. 28. liberty liberalitie
saied to his Apostles vnus vestrum me tradet One of you will betraie me they were all sadde Leo ser 7 passio De. Contristati sunt non de conscientiae reatu sed de humanae mutabilitatis incerto timentes ne minus verum esset quod in se quisque nouerat quam quòd ipsa veritas praeuidebat They were sadde saieth S. Leo not for any gilte of conscience but for the vncertaine state of mannes mutabilitie fearing that mighte rather be false which euery man knew in him selfe then that which trueth it selfe did forsee Out of what schoole commeth this assurance which neither other Apostles neither S. Iohn that was in Christes bosome had learned Vppon this vncertaintie and bottomelesse depth of mannes hearte S. Paule saied Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc iustificatus sum qui autem me iudicat 1. Cor. 8. Dominus est I knowe not my selfe giltie of any thinge but I am not thereby iustified it is God that iustifieth me If then S. Peter knew not his owne estate but promised more of him selfe then was true if God knowe more of man then he doth of him selfe if the Apostles finding them selues not giltie of the minde to betraie Christe were yet sadde fearing least it might be if no man commonly knowe him selfe but by tryall whiche may euer alter and change while he liueth if S. Paule would not be his owne iudge touchinge his conscience what manne shoulde presume to assure him selfe of his iustice and saluation vnlesse as S. Augustine saith he be certified thereof by some reuelation When S. Paul biddeth vs with feare and trembling to woorke our owne saluation he sheweth a cause of that saying which is well to be considered for saith he it is God that woorketh in you both to will and to woorke Leo ser 8. De Epiph. Et haec sanctis causa est tremendi atque metuendi ne ipsis pietatis operibus elati deserantur ope gratiae remaneant in infirmitate naturae And this saith S. Leo is cause for the holy to tremble and feare leaste while they be proude of the very woorkes of pietie the helpe of grace forsake them and they remaine in the weakenesse of nature A man may assure him selfe of that whiche is in his owne power so farre as he is not inforced nor lette but of that whiche dependeth of God as well willinge well woorking iustice and saluation doth no man without his reuelation doth assure him selfe but he that is disposed to deceyue him selfe The Angelles who were created most perfite had not the assurance to continue in that happie estate of good Angelles For as we knowe a greate number of them fell from it De ciuita Dei lib. 22 cap. 1. In summo bono permanentibus caeteris vt de sua sine fine permansione certi essent tanquam ipsius praemium permansionis dedit God gaue vnto the reste who remained in the higheste good euen as a rewarde of their remayninge that they shoulde be certayne of theyr continuance without ende S. Augustine saith that God hath geuen it as a special rewarde vnto Angells to be assured of their estate and that vnto suche as remained with him when the reste fell Luc. 20. Math. 22. And albeit suche as shal be compted worthy of that worlde and the resurrection shal be equall vnto Angelles and then consequently in assurance without feare yet bicause earthe is not heauen while we lyue here S. Augustine saieth Aug. Ser. 12. de ver Apost Adhuc in via sumus We be yet in the waye and therefore it is saied to vs Seruite Domino in timore Serue God in feare He saieth in an other place there be two wayes to bring vs in danger to muche hope and to litle Ex vtraque parte periclitamur sperando desperando Ser. 47. de ver D◠et Ser. 59. Of both sides we fall in danger by hoping and by despairing To kepe vs therefore from presuming in hope it is saied Serue the Lorde in feare And with feare and trembling worke your owne saluation Psal 2. Philip. 3. Bernar. in Septuage To keepe vs from despaire S. Bernarde saieth An afficiance of hope doth comforte vs to the ende we should not be vtterly perplexed and doubtefull And S Paule saieth Tribulatio patientiam operatur c. Trouble worketh patience and patience trial Rom. 5. trial woorketh hope and hope confoundeth not By which wordes we learne Hovve true hope is gotten not onely that hope keepeth vs from despayre and confusion but also how true hope is gotten that is to say by trial and patience ioyned with charitie as is there expressed And therefore the more euery man is tried by patience and the greater his charitie is the greater also and surer his hope is and such as be perfite though they haue no certayne assurance yet haue they a greate and strong hope of Gods grace and their saluation Wherefore leauing the perfection of Angelles which is all in assurance to the worlde to comme let vs speake of our selues 2. Cor. 5. as of men that be yet Pylgrimes from God trauayling in the waye besette on euery side with tentation euer praysing God that emong so many dangers we may say with the Prophete Psal 93. Factus est mihi Dominus in refugium Deus meus in adiutorium spei mea The Lorde is made my refuge and my God the healpe of my hope Aug. ibid. in Psal 93 Quamdiu enim hîc sumus in spe sumus nondum in re For as longe as we be here we be in hope not in thing it selfe Ephes 4. Colos 3. Let euery man be renewed from daye to day put of the olde man and put on the newe forsake Adam and flee to Christe But as S. Augustine saieth no man ought to assure him selfe De ciuita Dei lib 21 cap. 15. that he is passed from the one to the other but when he shal be there where no tentation shal be Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truly receyued and effectually put in vre and the way to come to it THE XVI CHAPTER AS all thinges naturally are done to some ende and purpose so is not our Iustification wrought of God vayne but to the intente we shoulde enioye the fruite and ende thereof What that is S. Paule expresseth in these fewe woordes written to the Romaines who as long as they were heathen lyued vngodly but after that they were turned to Christe and iustified he saieth vnto them Nunc verò liberati à peccato Rom. 6. serui autem facti Deo habetis fructum vestrum in sanctificationem finem verò vitam aeternam Nowe that ye are delyuered from sinne and made seruantes to God ye haue for your fruit holinesse and for your ende life euerlasting Whereby we vnderstande that the true
fruit of Iustification is to leade a godly and vertuouse life here and the ende to enioye life euerlasting To woorke this effecte Christe gaue him selfe for vs to ransome vs from all iniquitie Tit. 2. and cleanse to him selfe a speciall people that should followe good workes To this ende was his grace shewed vnto al men teaching vs to renounce wickednesse and worldely desyres Ibid. and to liue soberly iustely and godly in this worlde looking for the blessed hope and comming of our Sauiour Math. 4. Math. 19. This effecte was wrought not onely in Christes Apostles who at his calling through grace forsooke all that before they looued in the worlde but also in sundrie others mentioned in the Scripture of whome it maye truely be sayd that being once brought to Christe Gal. 5. and made his they crucified theire fleshe Gal. 2. with the vices and concupiscences liued to Christ and Christ in them Marie Magdalene of an vnchaste wooman was made so vertuouse and constant in God that when Christ his Apostles forsoke him she went not awaye And after his ascension as probable histories testifie as wel she as Lazarus Ioseph of Arimathia and others forsaking Iudea sayled into other countries where they did continually leade a solitary Tit. 2. seuere and strayte life looking as S. Paule saieth for that blessed hope and comming of our Sauiour The multitude of the beleuing which were as we know thousandes agreed all in one harte and one minde Act. 4. Were so full of charitie and true loue that suche as were possessioners solde theire landes and houses to helpe them that had neede The fruit of Iustification was so great and wrought so great a chaunge generally in Christian menne 1. Pet. 4. as S. Peter saith that such as remained stil heathen maruayled at them that they would not do as they did in banketting dronkenes and confusion of ryot Euse li. 3. Eccles histor c. 32. Plinius in epist Plinius secundus being a heathen man and Lieutenant in a prouince where he sawe many Christian men martyred was by the good example of their life moued to write to the Emperour and to signifie that there was none offence founde in them other then that they songe Hymnes early before daye to Christ their God but as for whoredome and other like crimes he said they tooke them for vnlawfull and vtterly eschewed them Tertullian writing in the defence of Christian men in his tyme against the heathen saith in sundry places of that boke that the magistrates being heathen neither did nor could charge the Christians with murder inceste adultery sorcery conspiracie againste Princes or other notoriouse crimes but onely laide to their charge that they were Christians Bonus vir Caius Seius sed malus tantùm Tertulli in Apolog. quia Christianus Such a one is an honeste man but he is nought onely bicause he is a Christian And a litle after Quae mulier quà m lasciua quà m festiua Qui iuuenis Tertul. ibi Qui Lucius quà m amasius facti sunt Christiani ita nomen emendationi imputatus What a woman howe wanton howe pleasante what a yong man What a Lucius howe amorouse are become Christians So the very name is accompted for amendement S. Augustine saith it was seene in his tyme that common harlottes and stage players sodenly conuerted prooued suche Ad Simplician li. 1. Quaest 2. that they passed the colde Christians not onely in patience and temperance but also in faith hope and charitie By al which examples we see that the grace of Iustification where it is truely and vnfaynedly receiued is that Leauen whereof Christe spake Math. 13. which being put into three measures of meale leueneth the whole that is to say geueth it a newe tallage and taste other then it had before Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 4. Qui enim mortuus est iustificatus est à peccato for he that is deade is iustified from sinne and he that is iustified is deade from sinne By these examples we see it true that S. Paule saieth The Gospell is the power and might of God Rom. 1. for that the Gospel wherein Iustification is preached being truely and effectually receyued maketh them that so receyue it strong and so strong that as S. Augustine maketh the comparison August de correp grat c. 11. 12. many Martyrs haue shewed them selues to haue more perfite faith hope charitie better and more stronge freedome of will then Adam had for he had receyued the power not to sinne vnlesse he would neyther to forsake God vnlesse he would but he had not the perseuerance nor will to continewe in any of both and therefore he forsooke the good and became sinnefull These receyued by grace not onely the power to resiste synne but also the perseuerance and will so to continue Aug. ibid. cap. 12. Denique ille Adam terrente nullo c. Finally Adam when no man put him in feare yea and againste the commandemente of God that did put him in feare vsing his free will stoode not faste in so greate felicitie in so greate facilitie and ease of not sinning These Martyres when the worlde did I will not saye put them in feare but cruelly rage that they should not stande stoode faste in faith Whereas Adam sawe present before him the goods that he should leaue these did not see the goods that they were to receyue This is the strength in well doing whiche the grace of Iustification truely receyued and faithfully putte in vre geueth vnto Christian men by the whiche Christe is stronge in vs. Seing therefore that Christe Iesus is all one yesterday Heb. 13. and this daye and for euer howe is it that we finde not in our selues the strengeth in well doing whiche we commende in them Neyther the fruite of Iustification whiche S. Paule commendeth in the Romaines that is holinesse and vertuouse life suche as Plinie being a heathen man and Tertullian euen by the confession of the heathen saieth was commonlye founde in Christian menne What shall we saye but that God offereth it 2. Cor. 6. See the 7. chapt of this .2 Booke Cypria de simplicit Praelator and we will not receyue it We receyue the grace of God in vaine we geue not the credite to Gods woordes that they did we haue not the faithe of Abraham faithfully to beleeue and obediently to doo all that God biddeth vs to doo We beleeue his promises and care not for his commaundementes and therefore be faynte in faith and without hope and charitie To redresse this let vs firste beginne with the foundation and beleeue concerning our Iustification as they did Tertullian saieth that onely Christian menne were the innocente and godly lyuers and sheweth the cause Nos ergo soli innocentes quid mirum si necesse est Tertull. in Apologe Enimuerò necesse est innocentiam à Deo edocti perfectè eam nouimus vt Ã
them which are all ready baptised and so let them no more saie that to them whiche are to receiue Baptisme the faith onely which is to be had in God is to be preached and after the receiuing of that Sacrament they are to be instructed of good life as of a second precepte teaching that whiche belongeth to the looue of their neighbour For the lawe whiche the people receiued after the passage of the read sea as it were after Baptisme conteineth bothe Neither was the distribution of the commaundementes so made that before the passing of the readde sea the people was taught to beware of Idolatrie and after they were passed were taught that their Father and Moother were to be honored that they should not committe adulterie not kill and suche leeke orders of a good and innocent conuersation emong men That suche as will not change and amende their wicked life are not to be receiued to Baptisme THE XII CHAPTER IF therefore any man so come to the requiring of holy Baptisme that he professe he will not departe from the sacrifices of Idols except it be perchaunce after when he list him selfe and yet doth presently requier Baptisme and earnestly praie that he maie be made the temple of the liuing God being not onely an Idolater but also a continuer in most wicked sacrilege I aske of those menne whither they woulde thinke him so muche as to be allowed for a Cathecumene No doubt they will crie he ought not For we can not iudge otherwise of their meaning Let them therefore render a reason by the testimonie of the Scriptures whiche they thinke so to be vnderstanded howe they dare repell any from receiuing Baptisme whiche will protest and saie thus I haue learned and I woorshippe Christe Crucified I beleeue Iesu Christe to be the Sonne of God Differre me no longer Acto 8. Requier no more of me The Apostle woulde not them whome he did begette through the Ghospell to knowe any thing els for that time but Christe Crucified And Philippe after that the Eunuche had pronounced that he beleeued Iesus Christe to be the Sonne of God did not delaie the baptising of him Why then doo you forbidde me the woorshipping of Idols And why refuse you to admitte me to the Sacrament of Christe except I doo first departe from Idols I haue learned to worshippe Idols from my childhood I am rooted in it by a longe custome I will leaue then when I am able and when it shall be conuenient but though I doo not let me not yet ende my life without the Sacrament of Christe lest perhappes God aske my soule at their handes What thinke we woulde they answere to suche a man. Would they haue him admitted God forbidde I doo not beleeue them to be so farre gonne What then will they answer to him that shall so saie Yea and that shal adde farther that nothing ought to be saied vnto him at the least before baptisme of forsaking Idolatry no more then that former people heard thereof before their passage through the redde sea bicause the lawe whiche they receiued after their deliuery out of Egypte taught them that Truly they would saie to that man Thou shalt become the temple of God when thou hast receiued Baptisme But the Apostle saieth 2. Cor. 6. what hath the temple of God to doo with Idolles But why then doo they not see that it is leekewise to be saied Thou shalt become the member of Christe when thou hast receiued Baptisme The members of Christ can not be the members of an harlot For thus saieth the Apostle also in an other place 1. Cor. 6. Erre not for neither fornicators nor seruers of Idolls nor diuers others which he there reckeneth vp shall inherite the kingdome of heauen How then is it that wee exclude from baptisme Idolaters and thinke meete to admit fornicators When both to these and to other euil liuers the Apostle saieth And truely suche haue you bene but now you are wasshed sanctified and iustified in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ and in the spirite of our God What is then the cause that when it appeareth wee haue power to repell both sortes yet I permit the fornicatour cōming to baptisme to remaine in his lewdnes and doo not permitte the Idolater Especially when I heare it spoken both to the one and to the other this haue you been but nowe are you wasshed But the grounde of these mens errour is that they thinke all such which beleue in Christe The errour vvhich S. augustin in this vvorke cōfuteth and haue receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme are sure to be saued but yet through fire though they be so negligent in correcting their manners that they liue extreme wickedly Whereof I shall by and by see by Gods helpe what is to be thought and iudged according to the Scriptures VVoorkes of faith should go before Baptisme THE XIII CHAPTER BVT as yet I will stande a while vpon this question wherein they holde that such as are baptized should be instructed in good life and suche as come to be baptized onely to be instructed in the faith Which if it were so besides so many thinges which we haue saied already Iohn Baptist woulde not haue saied to them that came to his baptisme Generation of Vipers Matt. 3. who shewed you to flie from the wrathe to come Doo ye therefore woorthy frute of penaunce c. In whiche words he warneth them not of faith but of good workes In like manner to the souldiars saying what shall we doo He said not beleeue first and be baptised and afterward ye shal know what you must doo Luca. 3. but he foretolde them and forewarned them that in dede like a forerunner he might prepare and cleanse their life against our Lordes comming into their harte saying Vexe no man sclaunder no man content your selues with your wages Likewise to the Publicans asking what they should doo exact saith he no more then that which is appointed to you Th'euangelist thus briefly reporting these thinges for he needed not at large to put in the whole Catechismes gaue sufficiently to vnderstande The holy Scripture reporteth not all thinges that it apperteineth to his dutie who instructeth the person to be baptised to teache him and instruct him in good life Now in case these men had aunswered Iohn flatly wee wil not doo worthy frutes of penance wee will slaunder we will vexe we will exact those thinges which are not dewe vnto vs and yet notwithstanding after this their protestation Iohn had baptised them yet could it not therfore be said in this matter whereof now our question is that when a man cometh to be baptised he should not be instructed to leade a good life But to passe ouer other thinges let them remember and marke what our Lord him selfe answered when the riche man asked of him what good he might doo to attaine the life euerlasting Matt. 19. if thou wilt
saith he comme vnto life keepe the commaundementes When he had asked what commaundementes our Lord rehearsed to him the preceptes of the Lawe Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not cōmitte aduoultrie and so foorth Whereunto when he had aunswered that all these thinges he had done from his youth then did our Lord adde farther the precept also of perfection that selling all that he had and bestowing in almes on the poore he should haue treasure in heauen and follow the same Lord. Let them behold therfore and marke that it was not said vnto him he should beleeue and be baptised by which only helpe these men thinke a man may come to life but the preceptes of manners and workes were geuen vnto him which yet can not be kept or obserued without faith Neither bicause our Lord seemeth here to haue omitted the insinuacion of faith do we therfore prescribe and content our selues that only preceptes of manners should be opened to them that desire to come to life For both be mutually knit together as I said before bicause neither the loue of God can be in a man that loueth not his neighbour neither the loue of his neighbour in him which loueth not God. Therfore do we find that the Scripture doth somtime mention the one without the other now faith now workes eche for a ful and perfite doctrine to the end we may thereby vnderstand that one of them can not be without the other For why He that beleeueth God ought to doo that which God commaundeth and he that therefore doth bicause God commaundeth must of necessitie beleue God. That onely faith doth not suffice to saluation without good workes THE XIIII CHAPTER LET vs now therfore looke vnto that point The principall point of this Treatie and vvel to be marked which is to be beaten forth of all religious hartes least by a lewde securite they lose their saluatiō if they thinke onely faith to suffise to the obteining hereof and be negligent to liue wel and to kepe on in the way of God by good workes For euen in th'Apostles time some not vnderstanding certaine darke sentences of the Apostle Paul thought him to saie Let vs doo euil that good may come because he had saied the lawe entred Rom. 5. that offence might abound but where offence abounded there was grace the more abundant Which saying of S. Paule is true in this sense that menne receauing the lawe and most proudly presuming of theire owne strengthe and abilitie to kepe it not by right faith calling vpon the grace of God to ouercome their euil concupiscenses and lustes against the lawe were iustely burdened beside the transgressing of the lawe with moe yea and more greuous offences And so extreme gilt compelling them they fled to faith Psal 120. Rom. 5. Whereby they might deserue the mercie of pardone and helpe of our Lorde which made heauen and earth that charitie being thorough the holy Ghost powred in their hartes they might doo with loue those thinges which were commanded against the concupiscenses and lustes of this worlde Psal 15. Rom. 7. Hovv s Paule is to be vnderstanded according to that which was foresaid in the psalme their infirmities were multiplied and then they made hast Therefore where the Apostle saith He thinketh man to be iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe he meaneth not that after faith receiued and professed the workes of iustice should be contemned but that euery man may knowe that he may be iustified by faith This is meant of the first Iustification See the Treatie before though the workes of the Lawe haue not gonne before For they doo followe him that is iustified they go not before him that is to be iustified Of which matter I neede not farther to dispute in this present woorke Namely since I haue vppon this question alreadie sette forth a large booke which is intituled Of the letter and the spirit Note hovv olde the heresy is of only Faithe Bicause therefore this opinion was then euen in the Apostles time spronge vp the other Apostolical Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iuda doo chiefly direct their intention and purpose against the same opinion so farre that they plainely * Therfore Luther thought good vtterly to reiect the Epistle of S Iames in his vvritinges against kinge henry the viij Galat. 5. 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 13. affirme faith without workes to profite nothing as Paule him selfe also defineth not euerie faith whereby a man may beleeue in God but that to be the healthfull and Euangelicall faith whose workes procede of Charitie that faith saith he which worketh thorough loue or Charitie For which cause also he sheweth the same faith which some men thinke to suffise vnto saluation to be so farre from profiting any whit that he saith If I haue all faith so as I may remoue mountaines and yet haue not Charitie I am nothing But where this faithfull Charitie woorketh there without doubt is good life For the fulnes of the Lawe is Charitie Wheruppon to make the matter plaine Peter in his second epistle where he exorteth vnto holinesse of life and woorkes and foreshewed that this world should passe away but new heauens and new earth was to be loked for which shall be geuen to be inhabited of the iust that they might hereby take good hede how they liued to become mete and worthy of that habitation knowing that out of certaine darke sentences of S. Paull some lewde personnes had taken occasiō to be carelesse of wel liuing Note as being sure of their saluation which is in faith said that certeine thinges there were in S. Paules Epistle most hard to be vnderstanded which men did peruert euē as they did other scriptures to their owne destruction whereas yet the same Apostle Paul thought no doubt of the euerlasting saluatiō which is not geauen but to good liuers euen in suche sorte as the other Apostles did Peter I say knowing this 2. Pet. 3. saieth as foloweth All these thinges then perishing of what sorte ought ye to be in holy conuersations and woorkes of pietie expecting and hastening to the presence of the day of our Lorde by the which the heauens burning shal be losed and the elementes by the heate of fier dissolued But we looke for according to his promisses newe heauens and a newe earth wherein iustice inhabiteth VVherefore most deerly beloued sins you looke for these thinges labour that ye may be found before him sounde and without spot in peace and thinke the patient expecting of our Lorde to be healthful vnto you euen as our deerest beloued brother Paul wrote vnto you according to that wisedome which was geuen vnto him speaking of these thinges in manner in all his Epistles wherein are some thinges harde to be vnderstanded which vnlearned and wauering persons doo peruert euen as the rest of the Scriptures to their owne destruction You therefore deerly beloued now foreknowing these thinges be