the 5. chapter Romanes the 8. chapter 13. And S. Pet. in his first epistle the 2. chapter O miserable blinde ignorāt mā why doest thou neglect the good worke of god to inuēt a good worke of thy owne making thinking there through to please god saying thou doest it of a good zeale and intention which is asmuch to say as that thy minde and intentione are good in the selfe And because thou thinketh the same good God after thy iudgement should approue the same as good Thou art deceaued because thou vnderstandest not the Scriptures or will not vnderstande the same It is written that the whole thoght of man and all the cogitations of his hart is ready giuen and bent vpon euill at all time And also the witte vnderstanding and conceat of man and the thought of his harte are prone ready and inclined to euill from his youth head and yoūg age And Dauid sayeth The Lord knoweth the cogitations of mans hart that they are vaine Nowe my hartes where will yee finde your good zeale and good intention either is it euill of thee self or els God is false the whiche can not bee yee may call it good but God who hath better knowledge thereof then ye haue by his word testifieth all that is in you to bee but euill as he hath declareth by the mouth of Moyses cōmanding that we do not that thing which wee thinke good but that thing which hee hath commanded vs to do that should we do and neither adde to his word nor take therefrō but walk in the way the which the lord hath cōmanded This showeth thee that thou should not followe thy good zeale and intention thinking therethrough to please god or fulfill his will the which thou can not fulfill but by his worde For all man of them selues are but Lyers and full of vainitie Great is the differēce betwixt the will of god and the will of man The thought of god and the thoughtes of man The wayes of god and the wayes of man as saith the Prophete in the persō of god my thoghts cogitatiōs ar not yours nor your ways mine but as the heauēs ar exalted aboue the earth euen so ar my wayes cogitations frō yours This is no other thing but to teach vs to follow the will and commande of God and not ours who hath declared in his scripturs plainly what we should doe leaue vndone that we neede to seeke no further So doing we shal procure the blessing of God if wee take his erudition and teaching as Dauid sayeth Blessed is the man whom thou O Lord instructeth and of thy Law teacheth him And if we will followe our own teaching doing workes of our owne intention the which wee think good we shal procure the plagues and punishmēts threatned by the Proph Ieremie the 19 chap. because we doe the thing which he hath not commanded nor spoken to vs nor yet hath ascended in his hart Trust well the people thoght they did a great excellent worke to God and sacrifice to please him when they spared not their owne children to kill offer sacrifice vnto god of their innocēt bloud This was their good zeale and good intention But they had no command of god for them and verily yee haue lesse for you to make such sacrifice as yee doe dayly to deceaue the poore people and to purchase to your selues great riches goods possessions Therefore I exhort you by the mercy of God to cast away that good zeale intētion follow the word of god as he hath cōmāded you in the scripurs for they beare witnes of him show to mā what is his wil seeke no further nor confound not the works of God with thy vain thoghts Through the vaine cōceate of mā vsed in these words good zeale intētiō haue al the abuses now ruling in the church of god risen That the sayings of the Proph. spokē to the people of Israell are cōplete this day in the Church of Christ and may be said to vs as they were said to the Iewes Euē as the theef is ashamed whē he is taken euen so is the house of Israel ashamed they their kinges their princes preists Prophets saying vnto the tree or stocke thou art my father and to the stone thou hast be gotten me They haue turned their backe to mee sayeth the Lord God and not their face And in the time of their trouble and affliction they shall say Rise and deliuer vs then shall the Lord say vnto them where are thy gods which thou hast made thee let them arise and deliuer the in the time of thy trouble Thy gods were verily in nomber according to the nomber of thy cities o Iuda what wilt thou contend with me in Iudgement yee haue all left me sayeth the Lord. Now I pray you conferre these words of god here plainly spoken with the doings of these dayes now ruling in the church and then yee shall perceaue the abuse of gods word We praye cōmonly the Pater noster that is our father to the Image of this or that saint made of tree or stone And specially to this or that altar wee kneele which is by our selues or our predicessours foūded vpon such a Saintes name whose picture is well graued in a stocke or stone And with costly colours painted and the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ after their maner offered dayly to this or that Saint and called his messe for doing of the which there is not a syllabe in gods word for you but the contrarie expresly commanded both that yee should haue no grauen Images nor worshippe them nor yet inuent any maner of worshpping of god But as god hath cōmanded by his word And for your defēce ye haue onely these wordes good zeale intention the which is expresly cōtrarie the first commandement of god for euen as we are forbidden and inhibite to haue strange gods So are wee inhibite to haue strange worshippings of god Blessed be god the matter is so patent and plainely set forth in these dayes concerning the said vaine workes inuented by man to the confusion thereof by the godly men which laboure day and night in his Scriptures to the edification of Christs chosen litle flocke that it is not needful to abide long vpō the discussing of these matters but onely to remit you to the Scriptures and the saide godly declarations made therevpon against the superstitious worshipping of Saintes going in pilgrimage purgeing in purgatorie hallowing of water or other elemēts foundatioun of masses to publike or priuate idolatrie offering or sacrifices making not commāded in the word of god choise of meats forbidding of mariage in the church of god and abominable abuses of the whole Christian religion by the shauen oincted or smeared preists bishops monkes and friers hauing onely there vocation of man and
life and to reconcile vs to the Father Therefore if we will haue our thirst and drouth quenched refreshed seeke vnto Christ who is the fōtain ofliuely water of the which who soeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst but it shalbe to him a fontaine of running water to euerlasting life THE III. CHAP. 1 The fruit of tribulatiō vnto the faithfull 2 God is a peculiar father vnto the faithfull what care he takes of them and wherfore 3 Tribulation the signe of Gods loue 4 The iudgement of the wicked concerning tribulation what they do and why they despaire therein THis vehement drouth and thirst had Dauid the holy Proph. when he said O god thou art my God of most might and power therefore I seeke thee early in the morning with most ardēt desire mysoule thristeth after thee and my flesh desirs thee great feruēt was this desire of the holy man as ye may read the .62 ps which teacheth vs howe profitable holesom cōmodious the trobles afflictiōs and incōmodities of the world are to the faithfull and godly men In so much that the flesh which euer of the own nature is aduersarie enemy to the spirit drawing entising the same frō the true worshipping of god with frequēt troubles calamities is so brokin and debilitat that it takes peace with the spirit and altogether most feruētly seeks god saying better is thy goodnes mercy benignitie the which thou showest to thy faithfull flock thē this corporall life therfore my lippes shall neuer cease to praise thee O happy is that trouble and afflictiō which teacheth vs thys way to know our good god moues this thirst in our soule that we may learn to cry vnto our god as the fathers did O thou my god as Dauid s. Paul say in diuers places I giue thanks sayth Paule to my god for you my bretheren Howbeit hee be god to all creatures by creation yet to the faithfull he is one speciall and peculiar god whose troubles and afflictions he seeth and shal deliuer them thereof Euen as he did his people of Israell forth of the handes of Pharao without all our deseruinges or merites Therfore let vs not looke vpon our merites worthines or vnworthines but only to his mercy and goodnes putting all our trust hope and beliefe into him into no other thing either in heauen or earth and say with the Prophete Dauid O Lord my strength I shall loue thee The Lord is my surenes my refuge and my deliuerance and after be vnto me a God Defender and a house of refuge that thou mayst saue me for thou art my strength for thy names sake thou shalt lead me and nourish me that is I put no cōfidence in my owne strength wit nor manly power but only into thy mercy goodnes by the which I am defended preserued frō al euils lead and keeped in all goodnes for thou takest care vpon me and art my only refuge and strength vnwinneable in all my troubles and aduersities Therefore my welbeloued bretheren let vs reioice greatly of this our litle trouble and afflictions and consider them to be good not euil the signs and tokens of the goodwill of God toward vs not of Ire nor wrath and receaue them forth of his hands nether of chaunce accident nor fortune but of his permissiō and certaine purpose to our weale as the tryall and exercysion of our faith And that hee punisheth vs not that wee bee lost thereby but to drawe and prouoke vs to repentance according to that saying I will not the death of a sinner c In the which he requireth of vs obediēce faith and calling vpō his name as the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs saying Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble I shal deliuer thee and thou shalt honor me that is beleeue me euer present with them which vnfainedly call vpon me and I shall not abstract my fauor helpe and supply from them but shall so deliuer them that they may therfore giue me great thankes and praise For I desire no other thing of mā This maner of trouble bringes Patience and Patience Proufe and Proufe hope which frustrates not but greatly conforts the faithfull The world hath another iudgemēt of this trouble and the wicked man when the same happeneth to him hee grudges murmurs contrarie God saying Why hath God punisht me what haue I done to be punisht of this maner Thē gathers he in his hart had I don this thing or that thing soght this remeady or that remedy these thinges had not happened to me And so thinkes that they are come to him either by chaunce or fortune or neglecting of manly wisdome thus he fled from god and turneth to the help of mā which is vaine In the which finding no remeadie finally in his wickednesse despaires for hee can do no other thing because al things wherin he put his trust beliefe hath left him and so rests no consolation THE IIII. CHAP. 1 What do the faithfull in time of tribulation 2 What we haue of our owne nature and what of Iesus Christ. 3 What Adam did after his trangression 4 The goodnes of god showen vnto Adam 5 What Adā wrought in his iustification 6 To Abraham being an Idolater was made the promis that he should be the Father of many Nations and the conclusion therevpon BVt the godly say O my good God thankes and prayse be to thee who hast visited thy froward child vnprofitable seruant hast not suffered me to runne on in my wickednes but hast called me to repentance I know my offenses iustly haue I deserued thys punishmēt yea ten thousand times more for my sins the which sore repenteth me Our wicked nature teacheth vs to fly from thee to diffide or doubt of thy mercy and goodnes And to excuse in our selfes our sinne and vice and obiect the same in another as our forfather Adam did hauing no respect to person or loue of any creature more then he had for cōtrarie his owne fellow which was of his owne flesh he obiected the crime to excuse himselfe Yea and also against God thinking that the good work of god making the woman and geuing her to hym in fellowship was the cause of his sin and fal as the scriptures saye Ge. 3. Chap. But faith in the bloud of thy onely begotten sonne christ Iesu leadeth vs to thy mercy stoole and hope conforteth vs that wee are not ouercome in this battell knowing perfectly that the fleshe is subiect to these bodyly afflictions that the dregges of sin may be mortified in vs the which we haue of our forefather Adam Thys corruptiō of nature teacheth vs what we haue of our first Parentes and what we are of our selfes which being cōsidered shal lead vs to the knowledge of god in whome we shall find goodnes mercy
this corrupted nature so can not be pronounced iust by the lawe because of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbe made iust before god From Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham and from Abraham to Moyses induring the which space and time we cā finde none of the holy fathers which liued vnder the law of nature pronoūced iust by the deeds of the law but all were sinners and Transgressours of the lawe as Adam was as testifieth the whole history of Gen. Therfore the iustice of a christian man shall we not finde in the law becaus of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbee found iust before god Moyses who was mediatour betwene god and his people of Israell in giuing of the law of the two tables which is but a declaration of the lawe of nature right vnderstand fulfilled not the lawe as yee may reade in the booke of Num. the 20. chap. where Moys and Aaron ar both reprehēded of god for their diffidence and incredulitie the which is the breaking of the first commandement of god And a great and weightie sin howbeit the reason of man cannot consider it yea veriely greater and weightier before God then either slaughter or adulterie In the sight of man the crime appeeres but small for God gaue commandement to speake to the stone or rock in presence of the people And charged the same to giue water but they spak to the people with a doubt saying may not god giue you water out of this rocke then stroke vpō the stone twise which gaue water aboūdantly but god would not pretermit the punishmēt of their vnfaithfulnes saying they shold neuer enter in the land promissed to the people of Israell And Moys also testified no mā to be innocent before god but by fauour and imputation of grace through faith And howbeit Moys repēted sore the said offence prayed feruently that he might enter into the lād of promis he was not hard for god would not alter his sentence as yee may collect of the saying of Moyses Deut. 3. Chap. where god saith to him speak no more to me of that matter thou shalt not passe ouer the water of Iordane Here ye may see that man can finde no iustice in the lawe which is of value before God Iob who was cōmended by the mouth of god the most iust in earth could finde no iustice in the law for howbeit he was innocent in the sight of man hee might not enter in iudgement with god becaus the iustice of man is nothing before god as ye may reade in his booke alledges the starres of Heauen not to bee pure in the sight of god muchlesse are men to stande in iudgement with his law to bee pronounced iust Therefore the holy mā Iob concluded his booke with confession and repentance graunting him to be a foolish sinner And so by faith in the promised seed was receaued in the fauour of God accepted as righteous the which is the iustice that is of value before god Dauid the figure of Christ of whome god speaketh saying I haue found a mā according to my hartes desire sayth enter not in iudgement with thy Seruant O Lorde for in thy sight no man liuing shalbee made iust or righteous that is asmuch to say after the mind of the prophete If ye wilbe iustified by the law ye must enter in iudgement with God who is he that liueth so godly and holy in the earth which may or cā defend his cause being called to the iustice seate of God to giue accompt and reakoninge of all thinges which hee aught to God and by his lawe iustly hee may require there is not one as the Prophete saith Therefore O lord if thou shalt call vs to iudgement and aske question of oure life and maners according to the rigour of thy lawe there shalbee to vs no hope of saluation S. August expounding the said verse saith There is no man liuing vpon earth excepted in this cause no not the Apost and concluded with these words let the Apostles say and praye O father of heauen forgiue vs our debtes as wee forgiue our debtours and if any would say vnto them why saye yee so what is your debt They would aunsweare saying because no liuing creature shalbee founde iust in thy sight And in another place expounding the said wordes Enter not in iudgement with thy Seruant O Lorde that is stande not in iudgement with mee asking from mee all thinges which thou hast commanded and giuen me charge to doo and leaue vndone for thou shalt finde me giltie if thou enter in iudgement with me Therefore saith hee I haue neede of thy mercy rather then to enter with thee in iudgement And S. Bernard in the sermō which he maketh writs in the day of all Saintes speaketh after this maner but what may all our iustice be before god shal it not be reputed or esteemed like vnto the menstrous cloth of a womā according to the saying of the prophete and if it be sharply accused all our iustice shalbe foūd vnrighteousnes what then shalbe our sins when our iustice may not answere for the selfe Therefore let vs cry with the prophete enter not in iudgement with thy seruant O lord and with all humility run to the mercy of God which onely may saue our soules Here ye may clearely vnderstand by the holy fathers saying that they vnderstoode the scriptures and article of iustification as we do finding no righteousnes in the law but only through faith in the mercy of god The saide Prophete saith if thou O lord shall keepe our iniquities and laye vp our sins in store O Lord who shall sustaine or abide S. Aug. expounding these words saith the prophete said not I shall not susteine But who may susteine or abyde thy iudgement if thou wilt accuse He saw the whole life of man circumuolued with sinnes all consciences to be accused with their owne thoughts And no cleane pure chast hart to be foūd presuming in his own righteousnes Therefore if a cleane or chaste hart cannot bee foūd presuming in his owne iustice let all mē with the hart in faith vnfainedly presume in the mercy of god say vnto him If thou O Lord shall keepe or laye vp in store our iniquities O Lord who shall or may abyde it where then is the hope of our saluation with thee O Lord for the helpe and satisfaction or sacrifice for our sinnes is with thee as it followeth in the next verse of the same Psal. What is this sacrifice but the innocent bloud of christ shedd which hath deleted and put away our sinnes the onely price giuen to redeeme all Prisoners and captiues forth of the Enemies handes Herefore help satisfaction is with thee O lorde for if it were not with thee but that thou woldst bee a iust iudge and not merciefull and wouldest obserue and keepe all
by man Therefore we let the specialities of them passe and referre the same to thy iudgement good reader Thankes be to god these abuses and groundes are not vnknowen we will passe forward to the knowledge of the workes commanded vs to doe and work by the scriptures of god as the fruites of faith THE XXIIII CHAP. 1 What workes Pastors should teache vnto their flocke 2 Wherefore the yoke of Christ is sweete and his burden light to Christians 3 Vocation mediate and immediate 4 Vocation in generall by the which all true Christians are equall made Kinges and Preists in Christ bloude IF any will aske or inquyre what workes should the faithfull doe I can finde no perfiter answear to make thereto then the Euangell teacheth vs. As S. Luke sayeth the 3. chapter Iohn the baptist preaching repentance in remission of sinnes the people inquired at him what they should doe to whom he answeared saying He that hath two coates giue to him that hath not one And he that hath meate let him doe in like maner This is no other thing but to exercise the deedes of mercy and charitie toward thy neighbour as the Prophet Esay sayeth breake thy breade to the hungry needie and the poore who ar cast out bring into thy house when thou seest the naked clothe him contemne or despise not thy owne flesh This is the forth-showing of thy faith which S. Iames desireth of thee in his epistle Thou art taught the same with the other works of charity to thy neighbour Ezech. the 15. The Publicanes and open sinners inquired in like maner what they should doe to whom he answeared saying yee shall doe no further then that which is commaunded you to doe as he would say decline and cease to doe euill and learne to doe good as yee ar teached by the Propete Esay the 1. Chapter And Dauid teacheth you the perfecton of religione saying Come to me my sonnes and heare mee and I shall teach you the feare of of the Lord. Who is he who liueth and loueth to see good dayes let him refraine his toung from euill and his lippes that they speake no fraude decline from euill doe good seeke peace and followe the same Therefore passe your waye and sinne no more for I will not send you to the lawe to get remeady of your sinnes But looke in the law and behold what is ordeined you to do The which will declare you to be sinners transgressours And then ye shall seeke Christ for remeady whose forerunner I am It is he in whome ye shall finde remeady Therefore I say vnto you beholde the lambe of god which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And being inquired of the souldiers what they should doe He answered saying yee shall strike nor hurt no man nor yet do wrong or iniurie to any personne but bee content of your wages which is asmuch to say as oppresse none take no persons geare violently yee are publicke officers depute by princes magistrats for keeping of good rule and order amongst the people for rest and quietnes of the commō weale for the which cause ye haue your wages Your office is honest and the good worke of god Therefore looke on your own vocation and do that iustly which is commanded you and exceede not your bounds Here is a good order taught you which are ministers of the worde to learne the auditour in generall or speciall to doe good works That is to show them the works cōmanded by god the right fruits of repentance and faith to the which ye should send them and not to vaine workes inuented by man which is no other thing but to heape sinne vpon sinne And Christ being asked by the Iewes What shall we doe say they that we might work the workes of god answered saying This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whome hee hath sent Here hee sent them not to the law howbeit the law be the worke of god but to faith which is not the work of mā but the work of god which hee worketh in man Therefore Christ saith to vs Beleeue and yee shalbee safe And so let vs say with S. Peter Lord to whome shall we passe thou hast the words of life wee will seeke no other but beleeue in thee Yee shal consider that Christ after hee had refreshed the people with their corporall foode Then he taught them the perfection of a Christian man And fed them with the spirituall foode And they which receaue the same did follow him the rest left him which had no faith but tooke his doctrine carnally of externall and outwarde workes as did the young man to whome Christ made the answere as is before rehearsed Math. the 19. Chap. By the which scriptures we are taught to follow christ becaus there is no perfection but in the following of him Therefore as wee haue receaued our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs walke in him being rooted and builded in him and cōfirmed in the faith as we haue learned aboūding in the same with giuing thanks as the Apost saith Coloss. the 2. Chap. for hee is the fountaine of all goodnes and the head of our felicitie and let vs haue respect to no other thing nor laye no other foundation For as the Apost saith No man may lay another foundation nor that which is already layde the which is Iesus Christ. Let vs build vpon this foundatiō gold siluer and pretious stones which are the workes of God commanded in the holy scripture to bee wrought into faith euery one according to his vocatiō in the which we should walke worthely as wee are called with all humilitie and meeknesse and patience supporting one another in loue and charitie carefull to keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the band of peace as we are taught by the Apost Ephes. the 4. Chapter And Christ saith Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in harte and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules For my yoke is easie and my burden light The which wordes Christ would neuer haue spoken if hee had laden vs with the law For that burdē is so weightie that neither we nor our fathers might beare it as S. Pet. saith in the Actes of the Apost the 15. Chapter But verily the yoke of Christe is easie and his burden is light to the faithfull chosen for they lay all vpon Christs back and follow him through faith confiding nothing in their owne workes nor merites but euer working all good according to their vocation giuing all glorie and honor vnto God not exceeding the boundes of their vocation which is the best rule that the faithfull can haue to doe good workes to the knowledge thereof we will make some short declaration and then make an ende Yee shall vnderstande that there is two kindes of godly vocatiōs The one is immediate by
of him being gouerned by his word Beginne at him and set forth the true and perfite worshipping of god in thy Kingdome Restore the true pure and syncere Christian religion abolish destroye and put downe all false worshippinges and superstitions contrarie to the worde of god and not commanded therein according to the example of the noble Kinges of Iuda Ezechias and Iosias as thou mayest reade the fourth booke of the kinges the 18. and 23. Chapter This is thy vocation in the which thou shouldest walke and orderly proceed in guiding of thy people as thou art taught by the worde of god and decline not therefrom neither to the right hand nor to the left but the kingly way teached thee in the holie scriptures To you which are princes Iudges and superiour powers vpon earth perteine wisedome knowledge vnderstāding learning that ye may iustly truely exercise the office and charge cōmitted to your care by God Therefore Dauid exhorteth you saying vnderstand know o ye kings and be learned O yee which iudge the earth And serue the lord in feare and reuerēce and reioyce in him with trimbling This is your wisedome and vnderstanding taught you in the law of god For the godly man needeth not to seeke wisedome but in the scriptures of God where hee shall finde how he shall behaue him both to god man in prosperitie aduersitie in peace and warre Therefore to seeke wisdome any other waye it is nothing but foolishnes before god Sithens yee are the ministers of God vnto good created and ordeined by him as the Apost saith Rom. the 13. Chap. It becommeth you of your office to guide and rule your subiectes in all goodnesse and sweetnes not seeking from them their landes or goodes but seeke righteous iudgement help the oppressed iudge righteously the people and widowes cause Iustifie the needfull hūble poore as teacheth you the scriptures of god Defend them from the iniuries and oppressions of the wicked And being vniustly pursued in iudgement absolue them Take from them your duety and no more haue no respect of persons nor take no bribes or rewardes the which blinde the eyes of the wise and peruerte the wordes of the iust These two thinges that is to say respect of persons rewards peruerte all righteous iudgements The first comprehendeth in it the feare reuerence of great mighty rich mē loue of frends fauour of kinne or affinitie contempt of the poore humble sober persons mercy of the wicked gilty perill of thy own life tinsell or losse of fame and losse of goodes or worldly honours The second that is rewards comprehendeth in it lucre profite hope and all that infinite and insatiable goulfe of auarice Therefore Iethro coūselled Moyses to prouide for administration of Iustice and good order in the Ciuill policie wise men which feared god were true hated detested auarice the which is the roote and beginning of all euill And so learne yea aboue all thinges to detest auarice vaine glorie and particular affection of persons if yee will walke right in the Christiā religion according to your vocation Your estate and office is great not to bee contemned but of all men to bee praised and commended of your subiectes feared reuerenced and also loued because yee are as it were gods and so called in the scripture by reasō of participation of the power of god committed vnto you whose iudgements ye exercise and called the sonnes of God as Dauid saith I haue saide yee are gods and sonnes of the most highest that is for the excellent dignity of your office I haue called you my sonns Neuertheles know your selues to be but men and for to suffer death as other men doth and in like maner as princes of earthly kingdomes or tyrants which haue the ruling of commō weales as ye haue Therefore be iust righteous exercising your selfe in all godlynes according to your vocation being sure yee shall shortly die and giue accompt and reakoning of your administration For ye are but flesh and all flesh is but grasse and all the glory of the same as it were the floure of the field the grasse is withered and the floure falleth but the word of god remaineth for euer Therefore know Christ to be your king ruler guider gouernour who shall rule you with an Iron rod and breake you asunder as it were a clay pot or vessell of fragill earth If ye wil not vnderstand the will and cōmandement of god his Ire wrath shall rule aboue your heade at all times These sharpe threatninges are showen you in the scriptures Esaye the first Ieremie the fifth Chap Dauid in the 2. and 81. Psal. And Zacharie the 7. chap. where yee are taught the chiefe pointes of your office and workes which yee are bound to do for neglecting of the which vndoone yee shalbee accused before god But neuer for neglecting of pilgrimages offering to Images praying to Saintes founding of masses and abbayes of monkes and friers making of Images belles Copes and other such vaine superstitions because the same are not cōmanded you to do but rather the contrarie This dare I affirme becaus gods word affirmeth the same Yee should be pure and cleane of life without crime because ye are depute by god and ordeined to the punishment of crimes Howe can yee iudge iustly being corrupted A theef shall neuer punish theft An oppressour māslayer adulterer a false Lyer a dishonourer of father and mother a disobeyer of his superiour a couetous or auaritious man a blasphemer of the name of God shall neuer punish these crimes in others Therfore the scriptures of God teache you to absteine from all such vices and crimes For in you which ar great mē haue the care of others your crimes and sinnes are not so much to be lamented in you as the euill example your subiects take thereof And therethrough follow you in the same and other crimes heaping sin vpō sinne euer till god of his righteous iudgement take vengeance yea and cause another as wicked as yee are punish you as yee may reade of the punishment of the people of Israell by the opē ennemies of god and manifest Idolaters because they neglected the lawe of God as testifie the whole histories of the kings Iudges of Israell and Iuda And the greatest punishmēt is sent by god for doing of the most excellēt work after the iudgement of mā becaus it was not commanded by god for no thing frō the beginning of the worlde hath euer bene so displeasant in the sight of god as to inuent any maner of worshipping of him which he hath not commanded For this cause king Saull was eiected and all his posteritie lost and fell from the kingdome In the which example yee shall consider that the workes wrought by King Saull were right excellent in the
works by the which they should seeke iustificatiō neglecting true faith Whiche pestilent workes so hath abolished the effect of perfite faith that they which are called bishops vnderstand nothing thereof but pursue all them which truely preache or defende the same by the which they showe them selues the Church malignant For the chosen neuer pursue but euer is pursued The sommarie of the twelfth Chapter IVstice in generall is an outward obedience or honestie which a man may performe of his owne power And is deuided in the iustice of man that is which cōmeth of the law which mā maketh And in the iustice of the law of god The iustice of man is deuided in politick and Ceremoniall Politicke iustice is an obedience which the inferiour estate giueth to their superiour which should be keept because it is the command of God that princes be obeyed Ceremoniall iustice is the obseruing of statutes and traditions commanded by the Bishope of Rome counsels or Shoolemaisters which ar to be keept so that they repung not to the law of god nor yet that by thē men seeke remission of sinns The iustice of the Law of God is to fulfill the same as it requireth that is to loue feare serue and honour god with all thy harte and strenght thereof Which because no creature in earth doeth there is no man iustified by the workes of the Law for in all man Iesus Christ excepted is found sinne as proue the examples of Abraham Moyses Noe and vthers most holie fathers in whom all sinne was found For by the transgression of Adam all his posteritie became rebels to the Lawe And are compelled to pray with Dauid Enter not in iudgement with thy seruaunt O Lord for in thy sight no liuing creature shalbe found iust The sommary of the xiij chap. SEing thē our forefathers were not iust by the law nor workes thereof of necessitie must we seeke the iustice of another that is of Iesus Christ which the law may not accuse In whom if we beleeue we ar receaued in the fauour of god accepted as iust without our merits or deseruinges But here obiecte the wicked as their vse is when any thing transcendeth their capacitie in vnderstanding these questiones First wherefore gaue God the Law if man may not fulfill the same Secōdly wherefore shuld we work good works seing by them we are not made iust thirdly whereby were the fathers made iust The sommary of the 14. Chap. FOr vnderstanding of the first question man should learne to know god as hee is declared in the Scripture That is to know him creator and maker of all which also made all his creatures in their first creation good and perfite who not onely gaue a law to man but also to the rest of his creatures as to beasts Sunne Moone sea and elements That thereby he might be glorified knowē Lord. And so to man hee gaue a Lawe to the effect he should know his maker and obey him Which Law when Adam transgressed he lost his perfection and righteousnesse And so the cause why mā may not fulfil the law is that the law remaineth in the owne perfection in the which it was first created by god but mā by his disobedience and foolishnesse fell from his perfectiō And therefore should he accuse him selfe and not god that he may not fulfill the law which is perfite The sommary of the 15. Chap. IN Adam after his transgression remained a litle of that knowledge and power with the which he was indewed by god from him it descēded in his posteritie whereby man may worke the outward workes of the Lawe But the whole obedience thereto giueth no mā For these wordes proue all man Iesus Christ excepted to be sinners by the law Of the deedes of the law shall no fleshe be iustified before god Which wordes Sophistes would abolish saying Paull speaketh of the Ceremoniall law and not of the morall or law of nature but the plaine wordes of Paull proue them to be lyers He sayeth The law speaketh to all which are vnder the Law And all men is vnder the law morall And therefore Paull speaketh of the lawe morall which condemneth al man Iesus Christ excepted The sommarie of the 16 Chap. THe iustice which is acceptable before god hath diuerse names first it is called the iustice of god becaus it proceedeth onely of the mercy of god secōdly it is called the iustice of faith because faith is the instrumēt whereby we apprehēd the mercy of god And last it is called iustice becaus by faith in christ it is giuē vs freely without our deseruings but euē as the dry earth receaueth the raine but all deseruinges of the self So receaue we the iustice which is of value before god without all our workes but yet we must suffer god to worke in vs. And this iustice is plainly reuealed in the euāgel frō faith to faith That is wee should continue in this faith all our life For the iust liue by faith euer trusting to obteine that which is promissed whiche is eternall life promissed to vs by Iesus Christ. The sommarie of the 17. Chap. THe faith of the fathers before Christs comming in the flesh and ours in the new testament was and is one thing For they beleeued them to stande in the fauour of god by reason of that promissed seede which was to come whome wee beleeue is come already and hath fulfilled all which was spoken of him in the law and prophets By this faith were the fathers made safe without all their works as testifieth Peter And where our aduersaries aske them what auailed workes We answere that works are an outward testimony to faith by which only man is first made iust therafter his works pleas God because the persone is acceptable And so no godly man forbiddeth good workes but of necessitie must they bee excluded from the iustification of man For Paull saith if iustice bee of the lawe Christs death is in vaine For albeit iustice sometime be ascribeth to man that is not because it proceedeth of man but because it is giuen to man freely by god like as our faith is called the faith of Iesus Christ because by him we are repute iust for he is made to vs from god wisedome iustice holynes and redemption And so all the scripture testifieth vs to bee made iust freely by the mercy of God that all glory may be giuē to him And therefore who maked workes a part of their owne iustification spoile god of his glorie The sommarie of the 18. Chap. GOD loueth vs because wee are his own handywork created vnto good works in christ Iesus In whom we remaine as branches in the wine roote bringing forth good fruites not of our owne strenght but of the power of the spirite of Iesus christ remaining in vs by true faith which works the law may not cōdemne becaus they are the works of Iesus christ and not ours And so the glorie of works is