Godlie and fruitfull Treatise of Faith and workes Wherein is confuted a certaine opinion of merit by workes which an aduersary to the Gospell of Christ Iesu held in the conference had in the Tower of London Math. 7. ver 21. Not euerie one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth my Fathers will which is in heauen Iohn 6. verse 40 And this is the will of him that sent me that uery one that seeth the Sonne and beleeueth on him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him at the last day LONDON Printed for Gregory Seton and are to be sold at his shop vnder Aldersgate 1583. To the Right honorable and his very good Lord Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Baron Lisley maister of her Maiesties ordenance knight of the most honorable or der of the Garter and one of her highnes priuy Councell H. D. wisheth all prosperitie in this life with increase of honour and in the life to come eternall felicitie in the heauenly hierarchie by Iesus Christ. AT what time Right honorable I had finished these my slender labours containing such holesome doctrine I trust as may semeneces sary for the time Certein of good iudgement hauing per used the same made some perswasion to suffer the impression thereof which at the firste considering my own weakenes the slender handling of so weightie a matter the pretence in the beginning for my priuate exercise I disassented to their desire But being somewhat pressed to do some good to the Church how litle soeuer and to cast forth some publike stone to the repairing of the building leauing the successe to almightye God I was in the ende contented to yeeld and imboldened to commit this litle treatise to the printe The first and onely occasion of the writing wherof was an argument which an aduersary of the truth held in the cōferēce had in the Tower of London the force whereof seemed to me so weake as that I thought my simple skill might easely confute the same wherefore committing that argument to memory I applied my endeuour to the confutation therof And although arte the eloquent order forme of the learned herin be wanting yet I doubt not but done according to the truth Yet iudge I this my labour litle worth and smally or nothing able to preuaile against the cauils and slaunders of the aduersary vnlesse your honorable L. were patrone thereof to whom I do dedicate both my good hart and worke also not as to teach your L. ought contained in this treatise whose honor aboundes both in Zeale and knowledge of this doctrine but by your authoritie to get it the more fauourable intertainement with others when they shall behold this simple discourse shrowded vnder the protection of your honorable good L. Thus being bold in all humilitie to prostrate this litle booke before your honour obseruing the examples of others in like oblations for the better defence thereof I pray to the Lord Iesus long to preserue you in much honour and felicitie Amen Your honors most humble to commaund H. D. To the vnlearned Papists VNto you I write yee vnlearned Papists whom the Pope and his Prelates haue so blinded and dulled your sences that you haue eares and heare not eyes and see not a hart and yet cannot vnderstand the trueth nor finde the waie of your saluation For blind ignorance who among you is called the mother of deuotion though most vntruely hath so lulled you a sleepe in popish dreames that you can neither heare see nor vnderstand the word of life but hath shut vp the same from you so as you cannot learne Christ truly nor obey your Prince faithfullie but doth nussell you vp in old wiues fables and legions of lies as they thinke most meetest for your study fearing that if they shuld suffer you to read the word of truth the blinde way which they haue ledde you in all this while would bee by you so espied as their great hypocrisie and false doctrine could no longer lie hid but would be knowne to their great shame and vtter condemnation The Lord hath opened the eies of a number of his people which haue bene led in the waie of your blindnesse and the Lord in mercie may also open your eies and wil if you will not too obstinatlie withstande his offered grace The Lord calleth you if you wil hear him He bids you search the scriptures for therin you shal find life and wisedome which is Christ. But your Antichrist forbiddeth you to reade them because he would haue you still blind and know no other Christ as a leader to heauen but him Forsake not him that is life to followe him that leadeth to death whose doctrine draweth to dispaire taking awaie al confidence by the merites of Christ and leaueth you in perpetuall blindnesse and confidence of your workes And therfore awake out of these Popish dreames flie from that whore of Rome who hath made you drunken with the cuppe of hir fornication Imbrace Christ Iesus the onlie Sauiour and onelie rest vpon him for your saluation Doe as much good as you can and fulfill the lawe to the vttermost of your power that God maie be glorified therby but repose no trust of saluation nor merite therein Leaue that onelie to Christ vnto whom it doth apperteine for he onlie hath obteined it by shedding his moste precious bloud without the helpe of our woorkes For if those woorkes might saue vs thē Christ died in vaine for what need is there of his death when our works maie saue vs. But forasmuch as this is most vntrue and that there was nothing in the world whatsoeuer that was able to redeeme the soule of man the commandement of God being once broken by Adam but Christ. Therefore the most precious bodie of Christ was made the alone and onelie sacrifice for to redeeme vs. Wherefore staie no longer forsake all vaine helpes from the Pope and flie to Christ onelie and there rest yee And so farewell H. D. 〈◊〉 the Christian Reader a preface premonitorie I Nede not good Christian Reader to stand vpon either the commendation of the Author of this booke or the worke it selfe for Vino vendibili hadera suspensa nihil est opus both the one and the other such is the exellencie of them both may fusticiently commend themselues Onely this I am to request at thy hands good Reader that what faultes or escapes soeuer thou shalt meete withall in this booke as there be some I beseech thee impute them not to the negligence of the Author who is greatly agreeued at them but to the ouersight of the printer through whom they were cōmitted Wherefore gentle Reader I beseech thee read this booke being I assure thee a learned worke cum iuditio not praeiuditio with the spirite of modesty not of contumacie knowing that as the Apostle saith charitie couereth the multitude of faultes enuieth no man speaketh ill of no man but
VVas not Abraham our father iustified through vvoorkes vvhen he had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the altar Seest thou not hovve that Faith vvrought vvith his vvorkes and through the vvorks was the Faith made perfect And the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse And he was called the friend of God see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of Faith onely Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through works when she had receiued the messengers and had sent them out an other way What plainer matter can bee vttered to mainteine that the workes of the lawe doeth iustifie And so it is euident by Saint Iames that our works doth iustifie vs. For you see that both Abraham and Rahab were iustified by their workes and so all other in like sort that shall worke as they did And he concludeth that Faith without workes is dead and this is plaine And all this matter which is alledged out of Saint Paule maketh nothing for you against iustification by workes For the lawe which hee doth exclude is the ceremoniall lawe as circumsition ceremonies and clensinges which cosisteth in outward obseruatiōs with sacrifices and such like but hee excludeth not the morall lawe as by a number of places of scripture besides S. Iames may be well proued that workes beeing wrought by grace after renouation doe merit saluation I doubt not but as heretofote you haue bene by diuers and sundrie godly learned men suffitiently aunswered vpon this place of S. Iames and all other places by your side alledged and so answered that as yet none of you were euer able in trueth to confute or ouerthrow that which hath beene written against you So doubt I not but by the helpe of God you shall receiue from the pen of a simple vnlearned person such matter as with trueth you shall neuer be able to gainsay First let vs consider what mooued Saint Iams to write as he doth in setting out of workes S. Iames writing to the Iewes which were conuerted to Christ scattered abroad seeing in them some imperfection how apt they were to boasting as when they were vnder the law how they would then boast themselues and what outward showes they woulde make like hypocrits c. As in the Gospel of S. Mathew in the 3. 6. Chapter appeareth and other places besides that they should not be like bosters vnder the Gospell as they were vnder the law only to brag of Faith of the Gospell not to bring forth the fruits of the same He wrote his Epistle where in the 1. Chapter he beginneth with exhortations first to moue them to patience in afflictions to make their praiers in Faith pronouncing blessing a crowne of life to them that endure afflictions telling them that euerie good perfect gift commeth frō the father of light persuading thē not to be hearers onely but doers also And in the end of that Chapter to cut thē off frō vaine bosting saith If any man amongst you seeme to be deuout or religious and refraine not his tongue but deceiueth his own hart this mans deuotion or religiō is vain Pure deuotiō vndefiled before God is this To visite the fatherles and widows in their aduersitie to keep him selfe vnspotted of the worlde Here you may see wherabout S. Iames goeth First laying abroad a forme of Christianitie then hee goeth about to condemne the vaine deuotion which the Iewes were in deceiuing their owne hearts by vaine persuasions and but seeming to be religious not refraining from speaking and boasting so vainely of their stocke generation and fulfilling the lawe morall and ceremoniall and also seeming rather to be but hearers of the word then doers And some hauing but an outward shewe of religion onely boasting in the professing of the Gospell and not liuing accordingly whereby they made their Faith to be no Faith but a dead Faith for a iustifying Faith is neuer idle but alwaies working and doing good Visiting the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersities And this is pure deuotion saith hee adding That they should keepe themselues vnspotted of the worlde But hee meaneth not that this they can doe of themselues for that is the worke of the Lord. For he saith in the 17. verse before That euerie good giuing euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth dovvne from the father of light vvith vvhome there is no variablenes neither shadovv of turning Beholde here is all from the Lorde nothing ours all goodnes in vs is the Lords And here you see that S. Iams suspecting or knowing some in whome the fruits of the Gospell did not appeare and that they were a slaunder to the Gospel being founde rather fruitlesse then fruitfull he goeth forward and in his 2. Chapter as aforesaid from the 21 verse to the end of the 25. verse there intreateth of workes Wherein is to be considered what S. Iames ment in mainteining iustification by workes whither hee ment iustification before God or onely before men Surely it must needes be taken that he ment only before men els should hee directly write against Saint Paule if hee should meane that workes do iustifie before God For Saint Paule saith as before That by the woorkes of the law there should no flesh bee iustified in Gods sight But you say that S. Paule ment onely of the ceremoniall not of the moral law as S. Iames meaneth And S. Paule agreeth with S. Iames. They differ not you will saie for Saint Paule saith That God will rewarde euerie man according to his works And in the same Chapter he faith For the hearers of the lawe are not righteous before God but the doers of the law shall be iustified Doeth not Saint Paule say That God will rewarde euerie man according to his workes and that euerie man that are doers of the lawe shall be iustified What plainer matter can there be to mainteine that we are iustified by the workes of the lawe And heere you see S. Paule Saint Iames do agree verie well in mainteining the morall lawe which here they intreat of to iustifie But in other places where Paule speaketh against the workes of the lawe that they iustifie not in Gods sight hee meaneth only the ceremoniall law as afore is said Haue you said maister Papist but what if it be proued that S. Paule meaneth the whole lawe as well morall as ceremoniall wil ye then yeeld Chuse whither you will yeelde or not but surely you must needes abide the ouerthrow For S. Paule himselfe will ouerthrow you tel you plainly that you abuse him lewdly alledge himselfe against himselfe contrarie to his owne meaning what colour of agreement soeuer you would seeme to set downe But first to proue that when S. Paule speaketh against the workes of the law that they iustifie not before God he meaneth the
fute in his booke of Predestination of Saints where in his 18. chapter he allead geth saint Paul in the first to the Ephesians to confute them saying He chose vs that we should be holy Not for that wee would be holy But S. Paul in this place is very plain against you scā the words wel he tels you that before the childrē of God had done either good or euil that the pur pose of God might remain according to election Gods wil purpose then is the first chiefest cause of electio reproba tiō the wil purpose of god as touching saluation being once past stands firm for euer There is no shadovv of turning in God And election reprobation resteth not only vpon Iacob Esau but it stretcheth ouer the whol world man womā and childe S. Paul saith as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the vvorld c. and vvho hath predestinated vs c. Here he includes al the elect not Iacob alone And as the good wil purpose of God is the first cause so the free mercie of Cod in Christ Iesus being also a first cause in the second person is the meane an inferior cause of our saluation bicause the wil purpose of god was first in God before election and to cut you off from your opinion that the works of grace to come and past which you say doe merit was and is the cause of election and saluation Saint Paules sword is redy at hād for he saith that the purpose of God might remaine in prede stinating he meaneth according to electi on not by works but by him that calleth And may it be doubted that the workes done by Iacob the elect vessell of God which Saint Paul speaketh of here were not wrought by grace Was elected Iacob without grace when hee did those good workes He was not for the Lord had chosen him and therefore hee could not be without grace And Iacob was elected but not by works saith he I praie you marke it well for hee saith not by workes Is the election not by workes Paule By whome then By him that calleth And who is he that calleth Euen God the Father through his mercie in Christ Iesus his sonne Then election wherein saluation is included resteth not in our workes and wil but in God who for Christ his sonnes sake by suffering passion and death for vs hath in his free mercie chosen called and appointed his elect to saluation And then resteth it not in our wil workes wrought by grace For Saint Paule in the same Chapter saith So then is it not in him that vvilleth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie You shall further see how Saint Paule in this Chapter if you please to reade it proceedeth still to mainteine election and reprobation of which he maketh a further discourse frō the sixteenth verse to the one and thirtie and then he saith But Israel which followeth the lawe of righteousnesse coulde not atteine vnto the lawe of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the workes of the law c. You may see now that our workes can neither atteine righteousnesse nor iustification But Christ onely doeth iustifie vs by Faith without workes For it is written Beholde I put in Syon a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence and whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not bee confounded Againe VVee which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustified by the woorkes of the law but by Faith in Iesus Christ. Euen vvee I saie haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that wee might bee iustified by the Faith of Christ and not by the woorkes of the lawe Because that by the workes of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified I doe not abrogate the grace of God For if righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died in vaine But Christ died not in vaine for our sins were the cause of his death therefore righteousnesse is not by the lawe Saint Paule himselfe hath so largelie and so plainlie laide abroad this matter of iustification by Faith without the works of grace that there needeth not any more to be saide of anie other for better vnderstanding of the matter then himselfe in plaine termes hath set downe But this is the malice of Satan in his impes to impungne the truth and by the deuils sophistrie to peruert whatsoeuer hath been set downe by the Saints of God to the glory of Christ Iesus But make what blind distinctions soeuer you wil vpon S. Paules wordes his wordes are plaine inough to ouerthrow your iustification by workes wrought by grace And Saint Paul speaketh plainlie to the whole world Iewe and Gentile of the whole lawe of Moses as well morall as ceremoniall that it iustifieth not before God And it doeth appeare that Bildad in the 25. Chapter of Iobe was of Saint Paules minde That a man cannot be iustified before God his wordes be these And how may a man be iustified vvith God Or hovv can he be cleane that is borne of a vvoman The meening of these wordes may thus be taken that if a man or the best life of man be compared with God it is so base so vile and so vncleane in the sight of God that it is impossible that he should be iustified before God And yet you Papistes will be so pure that by good workes you wil be iustified But will you heare what Saint Paule saith to the Iewes and so cōsequently to you Papists that will be iustified by the lawe hee saith whosoeuer are iustified by the lavv ye are fallen frō grace for vve through the spirit vvait for the hope of righteousnesse through Faith Though the circumcised were the cause that Saint Paule wrote these wordes and telleth them that they are bound to keepe the whole lawe that they were abolished from Christ. Then as in the former wordes plainely appeareth he telleth all iusticiaries That whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe or that will be iustified by the lawe they are fallen frō grace And in what state you stād that are fallen from grace I doubt not but you know euen frō saluatiō And I trust that in this place you will not saie but that Saint Paule speaketh as well of the morall lawe as of the ceremoniall lawe if you will not be too blinde or twoo wilfull And because you shall the better vnderstand that he speaketh here of the morall lawe he saith in the 14. verse of the same Chapter thus For all the lawe is fulfilled in one worde which is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And so going on still vpon the morall lawe telling them that if they bite or deuoure one another they shall be consumed one of another signifying vnto them that if they walke in the spirite they shall not fulfill the lustes of the
plaine woordes of Christ how he ouerthroweth all the workes of man as meritorious to deserue anye thankes from God He sayth playnelye to all the world aswell as to his Apostles When you haue done all those things which are commaunded you yet say you are vnprofitable seruants and deserue nothing for that which we do is but our bounden duetie being bound to do the commaundement of God vpon paine of damnation As if a maister commaund his seruant to do a thinge and the seruant doeth not that which he is commanded to doe doeth not the mayster lay him on with stripes Then must the doing of his maisters commandement be not onely for obedience due according to the duety of a seruant towards his master but also to saue him from many stripes which hee should deserue according to the saying of our Sauiour Christ He that knoweth his masters will and doeth it not shal be beaten with many stripes Now not that the seruant in doing his masters commaÌ„dement should therfore deserue to haue his masters inheritance as the Papists do maintein that by their good works they merite the kingdome of heauen And so standeth it with vs towardes God yea much more for no earthly master coulde euer doe for his seruants that our master Christ hath done for vs and therefore though we doe all that euer we are able to doe to the vttermost of our power yet are we still vnprofitable seruants and deserue nothing at the handes of God And behold the wisdome of the lord what person he hath chosen by whome to make this similitude touching this matter A ploughman a seruant plowing or seruing his cattle which kinde of people of all men in the world best deserue their hire and yet vnprofitable seruants deserue nothing For the Lord saith Doth he thank that seruant because he did that which was commanded vnto him I trowe not Here is a question demaunded by the Lord whether thanks be to be geuen to a seruant that doth his masters commandement the Lord making the answere himself said I trowe not Then is it thus much to say if a temporal master is not to geue thaÌ„ks vnto his seruant for doing his commandement much lesse our Lord and God vnto whome no temporal master is to be compared is to geeue thankes to any person that is bound to do his commandement But if there be no thankes to be geuen by god to man for doing his com maundement which man in duetie is bound to doe then is it cleere that man doeth not merite heauen by his good workes nor deserueth thankes for the same And thus hath the Lord him selfe ouerthrown the popish error of meriting heauen by workes done after grace And now for finall conclusion if to much obstinate wilfulnes do not remaine within the brestes of the aduersaries that if the Lord haue not vtterly cast them of as reprobates it is not possible but that these wordes so plainely set down and written with the pen of the holy Ghost by the hand of the holy Apostles and saintes of God and here incerted must needes perce their flinty hartes and mollifie the same which if grace be allotted vnto theÌ„ wherby they may haue fleshie hartes and yeelding spirites to Gods truth It can not be possible for them to hold out against this truth but will yeeld them selues vnto Christ acknowledging him to be the only sufficient sauiour of all the elect without any helpe of man And so reposing their whole trust and confidence onely in Christ and casting off their good works as not meritorious and thinke that if they could fulfill the lawe in greater perfection then the best that liueth is able to doe that yet they should do no more but that which in dutie they ought and are bound to do No doubt but as the Lord is altogither mercifull so will he in mercy receiue them and bring them into his fold euen vpon his shoulders as he did the strayed sheepe and imbrace them as hee did the forlorne sonne if they can departe from their errors and imbrace this truth which leadeth to eternall life And for that the Lord God hath made prayer a meanes to obtaine any thing that shall be asked of him by faith and according to his will And also for that prayer may be made for such as we know not but may yet stande in the state of grace whereby the Lord maye drawe them to him selfe And for that also manye numbers of papistes haue willinglye departed from their popish religion and turned to the gospell of Christ Iesus And hoping that a great number of them by prayer and by reading the word of God and such good bookes as be agreeable to the word of god may be brought to the acknowledg ing of their errors to fall froÌ„ the same I pray and desire al Christians to pray to the eternall almighty God for their good conuersion and reformation and that they may haue the spirite of GOD to guide them into the way of trueth that they may cast off their heresies and vaine popish opinions either of merit by works or whatsoeuer els not agreeable to the word of God and so to cleaue to Christ Iesus our only Aduocate Mediator Intercessor Sauiour and Light of eternall life Vnto whome with God the father and the holy ghost be all honor praise and thanks for euer and euer Amen Rom. 5 12. 18. 1 Cor. 15 22. Rom 5 19 Ro. 6 23 2. Cor. 5 21. 1. Pet. 2 24. Esai 53. Mat. 8 17 Rom. 8. 29. Mat. 25. vers 12. Galat. 4 4. Esai 53 9â—… 1. Pet. 2 23. 1. Pet. 2 24. Esai 53. 5. Ioan 17 4. 17 30. Luk. 24 26 27. Ioh. 17 4. Esa. 25 8. Cor. 15 54. Osee. 13 14 Ephe. 1 4. R. 9. 11. Ro. 11 29. Sam. 15 29 Ioh. 17 12. Nom. 23 19. Cor. 1 7 10 13 Thes. 5 24. Ephe. 4. 1. Ephe. 1 4. Ioh. 3 16. Luk. 17 10. Heb. 11 6. Esai 64 6. Luk. 23 42. Luk. 10 28 3 â—… Pet. 2 â—… 1. â—…oh 13 15 Ephe. 5 1. 4 Gen. 1 26. 27. Mat. 4 9 August contra AdamantuÌ„ Cap. 12 5 Mat. 3 17. Mat. 5 16. Phil. 2 1â—… Cor. 3 2. epist. 2 5. Phil. 2 12. Deu. 7 13. 14 Aug. conf li. ca. 13. Greg. cap. 9 of Iob. Barnar in festo om sanct ser. 1. Mat. 9 20. Mar. 5 25. Mat. 9 22. Phil. 2. 13. Ioh. 1. 29. 36 Esa. 53. 7. Act. 8. 32. Esa. 53. 9 1. Pe. 2 22 Esay 53 6. 2. Cor. 5 21 Luk. 12 32. Esay 53 7â—… Rom. 3 2â—… Psal. 14. 〈◊〉 53. ver 2 〈◊〉 Rom. 3 10 â—…1 12. Gal. 3. 10. 11 12. Deut. 27 2â—… Abac. 2 4. Rom. 1 17 Heb. 10 3â—… Le. 18 5. Eze. 20. 11 Rom. 10. 5â—… Rom. 3 12. Rom. 3 20â—… Rom. 3 10 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. Rom. 3 19. Iâ—… v. 2 10. Rom. 3 27. Rom. 3. 31. 1. Pet. 2 22. Rom. 2 13. Luk. 10 18. Iam. 2 10. Deut. 27 26. Iam. 2 21. 22. Answere to the obiectioÌ„ Ia. 1 26. 27 Iam. 1 27. Iam. 1 17. Rom. 3 20. Rom. 2 6. Rom. 2 13. Iam. 1 22. 23. Answere Ro. 2 17. Rom. 3 10 12. 13. 14. Rom. 4. 2. 3. 4. 5 Gen. 15. 6 Gal. 3. 6 Iam. 2. 23 Obiection Rom. 6. 2. Answere 2. Tim. 4. 14 Rom. 2. 7 Rom. 3. 2â—… Rom. 8. 21. 22 Act. 13. 38. â—…9 Rom. 8. 3â—… Rom. 9. 11 Aug. can 1 â—…m 1. 17 â—…ph 1. 4. 5 Rom. 9 16. Rom. 9 31. 32. 33. Esai 28 8. 14. 16. 1. Pet. 2 6. Gal. 2 15. 16. 21. Iob. 25 4. Gal. 5 4. 5. Tit. 3 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Tim. 2 1. 9. Ephe. 2 9. 10 Phil. 3 8 9. Phil. 3 7. Phil. 3 8. Rom. 7. 24 Gal. 3 19. 〈◊〉 22. 23. â—…4 Luke 17. ver 7. 8. 9. 10. Luk. 12 47
Papistes and Iesuites mainteine that the works of the lawe doe iustifie vs before God and merite saluation when there is no good workes wrought by the children of men frō Adam to the last person created that were of force to iustify before God if he wey our works wrought by grace in the ballance of his righteous iudgement what saith Dauid The Lord looked down from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand seeke God all are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Here you see the sentence vpon all flesh there is none that doth good c. Saint Paul hath the like saying which he repeteth out of the same 14. and 53. Psalme There is none righteous saith he no not one there is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeke after God they are all gone out of the vvaye They are all become vnprofitable there is not one that doeth good no not one The Prophet and the Apostle you see are of one minde and speaking by one spirite affirmeth no goodnesse to be in the children of men not one good and none that doth good And yet these Papistes wil maintaine that the children of men bee iustified by the workes of the Lawe and grace which is cleane contrary to the word of God and to them that are the mouth of God speaking by the holy Ghost The holy Prophet and the blessed Apostle say that none doeth good the Papistes and the Iesuites geue them the lie and teach cleane contrarie For say they our priests friers monkes Iesuits such like do not only work so much good as wil serue their own turne to bring thēto heauē but haue also works of supererrogation to help others out of purgatory to heauen But by your leaue sir it must cost your purse first for no peny no pater noster with thē But O you foolish papists who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the trueth Before we proceed further let it be vnderstode that in the popish church be ii sorts of works The first sort is such as both we they do allow to be good works being wrought by faith els they are not good neither please God For vvithout Faith it is impossible to please God and they be those our sauiour Christ speketh of in the gospel when he saith For I was hungry and ye gaue me meat c. That is to say when you saw your poore brother hungry you gaue him meat thirsty you gaue him drink a stranger you toke him in naked you clothed him sick you visited him in prison you came to him these indeed be good works which true Christians doe delight in and they please God But the second sort of works the papistes tearme them also good workes but in deede they be the deuils works as erecting of idols and images offering to idols and images going on pilgrimage maintaining of lightes before Images geuing ornamēts iuels to deck images crouching and kneeling to the cros and to images geuing money to pray for the soules departed mainteining of idle mas priests friers monkes nuns Iesuites and such like geuing money for pardons and to be released out of purgatorie to geeue money for popish ornaments to sing and say masse with to geue yerely pentiōs to such as sing say masse for soules departed saying Aue Marias on our beades by number trusting in holy bread and holie water cristning of bels and other infinite matters beside too long to stande vpon But of these no more because they are not worthie to beare the name of good worke but the deuils workes But for the first sort of good works before rehersed which are conteined in the second table of the law of Moises which yet standeth in force and is called the moral law which consisteth in manners teaching vs to loue our neighbors as our selues to doe good to them Let it bee examined what is to be gathered out of the worde of God touching the same the works therof such as think to be iustified by those workes of the lawe wrought by grace Saint Paul saith As many as are of the works of the law are vnder the curse for it is writtē cursed is euery mā that cō tinueth not in al things which are writtē in the booke of the law to do thē that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of god it is euidēt For the iust shall liue by faith the law is not of faith but the mā that shall do those things shall liue in thē Here you see Saint Paules sentence against all you papists that will hang vpon the good works or the deedes of the lawe wrought by grace You see by his wordes that you are vnder the curse as many as be of the workes of the Law if you doe them not in their perfection but that you or any els of the children of men be not able to doe that which the law commandeth it is euident For saint Paul saith it is euident that no man is iustified by the law in Gods sight therfore none of the children of men do fulfill the law which if they did then they should liue by the law then not doing the law they must die by the lawe if they will stand to the law But the iust shall liue by faith to wit the iust by imputatiō for no man is iust in the sight of God al are wic ked and al are gone out of the way al are become vnprofitable there is none that doeth good no not one Here we see what we are and in what state wee stande before the Lorde not able of our selues to doe the workes of the Lawe and yet will those aduersaries to Gods trueth say that they doe merite their saluation by fulfilling of the Lawe which is cleane contrarye to that which is said by the Apostle who againe saith in the third to the Romans That by the workes of the lawe there shall no flesh be iustified in Gods sight The holie Ghost foreseeing that this generation of vipers should start vp to deface the glorie of Christ in the saluation of mankind by mainteining this grosse error of iustification by the workes of the lawe hath plentifully set down in Gods booke most excellent matter words of great force to ouerthrowe this deuilish opinion In the same third Chapter after that the Apostle had laide abroad the wicked state of man complaining That there is none righteous no not one and that the righteousnes of God commeth by Faith in Christ Iesus without the lawe vnto all and vpon all that beleeue And so lapping vs vp altogither in one bundle saith There is no difference For all haue sinned and haue need of the glorie of God but are iustified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set foorth to
flesh and that if they be led by the spirite they are not vnder the lawe and so sheweth them what be the works of the flesh as adultery fornication vncleanesse wantonnesse idolatrie witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuie murthers dronkennes gluttonie and such like And so from these forbidden vices he goeth to the fruites of the spirite which are loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenesse temperancie against such saieth Paule there is no law Now maister Papist yee hearing al this from Saint Paule dare yee yet say that hee meaneth not the morall lawe when hee saieth By the workes of the lawe no flesh shalbe saued nor iustified in Gods sight but of the ceremoniall lawe And he saith in the third Chapter to Titus yet more plainely thus For we our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnes and enuie hatefull and hating one another But when the fulnesse and loue of God our Sauiour towarde man appeared not by the woorkes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie hee saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holie Ghost which he shewed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour That wee being iustified by his grace should bee made heires according to the hope of eternal life Now you iustified men behold here your downefall your breaknecke such a chokemorsel for you as if S. Paul had written no more but euen this peece of scripture alone it had bene sufficient to haue ouerthrowne your whole castle of comedowne of iustifying by the works of the law grace I beseech you sirs marke these words of Saint Paule how hee termeth them the workes of righteousnesse No doubt but these workes of righteousnesse which Saint Paule writes of here which were done by him others of the godly sort were wrought by grace receiued from God the Father And yet for all that wee are not iustified nor saued by them saith he but according to the free mercie of God he saued vs in Christ Iesus our Sauiour And you cannot denie but these be workes of the morall lawe And let it be that these good works done by S. Paule were the workes of Christ as the aduersarie before hath saide such workes be yet you see he saith Not by these workes of righteousnesse were they saued So that take it howe you will S. Paule cutteth good workes off from iustifying before God and that saluation commeth not thereby but by grace saith S. Paule for by grace saith hee you are saued through Faith that not of your selues It is the gift of God least any man shoulde boast himselfe for wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordeined that wee should walke in them Heere you see the cause of our saluation which is grace through Faith in Christ and not workes Saluation is the free gift of GOD to them that beleeue in Christ Iesus it is not of vs not of our morall works And he stops you from boasting of your selues and doth beate you cleane from the pride of your hearts that you should not once thinke that there coulde be 〈◊〉 good woorkes wrought by you that could merit saluation or iustifie you before God And with all he telleth you that they whiche are electe are Gods workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes of his free mercy and grace and not by nature are wee so created Wee are created vnto good workes which God hath ordeined that we should walke in them as the elect vessels of God not thereby to merit saluation but to signifie vnto the worlde that we be the elect of God who being possest with Faith shew forth the fruits of faith which are our good works to the example of others that they may folow in wel doing And will you here what S. Paule saith of himselfe whose words are these Doubtlesse I think all thinges but losse for the excellēt knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord. For whō I haue coūted al things losse do iudge them to be dung that I might win Christ and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes the righteousnesse of the lawe but that righteousnes which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnes which is of God through Faith Here he saith that hee might win Christ and bee founde in him that is to saie as one ingrafted in Christ by Faith laying aside his owne righteousnes which is of the law which is all his good workes whereof hee was full in the most perfect sort No Papist in the worlde like him no not the Pope himselfe as pure as they make him Of this righteousnesse woulde not S. Paule presume but laide it aside esteeming it no better then losse yea and all thinges to bee but dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesu his Lord and onely depended vpon the righteousnesse which is through the Faith of Christ. But to cut the Papists off from cauelling vpon this place that S. Paul should meane his righteousnes before grace and not his righteousnes after grace it is most euident plaine that he meaneth as wel his righteousnesse after grace as that before grace And although these wordes in the 7. vers vz. But the things that were vantage vnto me the same I counted losse for Christes sake May be taken to be spoken of his righteousnesse before grace as the Papists would haue it yet that which foloweth after maketh it manifest plain that he meaneth aswel his righteousnesse after grace as that afore grace For proofe wherof S. Paul saith in the 8. ver folowing Yea doubtles I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus my lord Note here that he saith euē in his apostleship whē he was a iust man and a righteous person that he thinketh all thinges but lost c. Hee meaneth not onely that righteousnes before grace but that after grace Note this worde all things for it is worthie the noting and is of great importance for when hee saieth all things it is a generall worde whereby hee excepteth nothing neither his workes done after grace neither his righteousnesse before grace neither anie thing els whatsoeuer he accounts all but losse and of no value for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus his lord We see here that S. Paule maketh no account of any thing but only of the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus which knowledge of Christ consisteth onely in beleeuing that by his death passiō we are redeemed from euerlasting death to eternal saluation And that there was no hope in S. Paule which hee could finde in himselfe whereby to receiue comfort of himselfe Behold how he complaineth of himselfe accuseth himselfe for that by himselfe he is led captiue vnto the law of sin and so with