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A10578 A necessary instruction of christian faith and hope for Christians to holde fast, and to be bolde vp on the promise of God, & not to doubt of their saluation in Christ. Translated out of D. Vrbanus Regius, into English and newly recognized by Iohn F.; Instruccyon of christen fayth Rhegius, Urbanus, 1489-1541.; Foxe, John, 1516-1587. 1579 (1579) STC 20848; ESTC S106076 25,574 62

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death be neuer so horrible yet ●●e must still sticke to the promise of God surely must trust and doubt nothing that our sinnes be forguiē vs for Christes sake according to the promise of God withoute any dese●uings of ours and that God is our father and we shall hue with him for euer and euer The works and passion of Christ which be of great and infinite and omnipotent power oughte more to stirre vs vppe to trust well on God that hee will bee euer more to vs a merciful Lord then our sins ought to fray vs For the grace of God in Christ is much stronger more able to deliuer and helpe then our sinnes bee to condemne vs And this grace of GOD dooth not hang of our workes for than it shoulde be vncertaine but it standeth firme by grace and by fayth in Christe with out any regard or respect of our working And this is done by the singular pro●idence of the great fatherly loue of God towarde vs because our iustification should stande firme and certaine by faith so that no man nede doubt of the fauor and mercye of God towarde him If this grace and promise stand in y hand of God then is it sure so that wee cannot doubt of the remissiō of our sins But if ●hey should stand in our own hand and sho●ld hang of our selues then wee should a●wayes be vncertain because we were ne●er able to descrue sufficiently being not sifficient of strength to fulfil the law But after that we return● repose our selues in Christ alone and in the promise of God through Christ then be we safe and sure ynough because God hath so promised of his voluntary grace frely and hath founded his promise vppon the fayth in Christ to the intent it shal stand firme and certaine And therfore I sayd and say agai●e the kingdome of Christe to be a kingdome of securitie and peace as the Prophets doe desc●ybe it In thys kingdome we haue peace and most sure succour so that there is nowe neither sinne death nor hel can feare vs So doth Es●ias also call Christ the prince of peace whose princedome is large and great and whose peace shall neuer haue ende In Ieremy also God doth promise vnto Israell that is vnto all beleeuers in Christ a springing bud of iustice a king which shall rule wisely and shall execute indgement and iustice in earth and vnder whom Israell shall dwell boldly with confidence these things be in the spirituall kingdome of Christ in which there is true and spiritual securitie where as euery christian mans hart hath pea●e with god through faith in Christ in the which kingdome neither sin can damneos neither death can kil vs nor hel can swalow vs for god is with vs and feedeth vs and defēdeth vs as his sheepe Therefore who shall stande against vs And Esai When the holy ghost saith he shal be powred from aboue that was when Christe began his kingdome then the worke and fruite of iustice shall bee peace the keeping of Iustice shall be silence security for euer euer And the people of god shall dwell in com●ines of peace in houses of trust All these things do nothing els but signifie y Christes people in his kingdōe shall be all good quiet at rest and merry which shall haue a quiet a glad con●cience being euermore sure certain that God is fauourable vnto them for Christ which doth deliuer vs from all euills without any doubt I besech you what can our aduersaries bring against this or how can they maintain their errors in the face of the world Here I haue proued taught out of the foundatiō of the word of God y no faithfull beleuer in Christe can or oughte to doubt of the fauour of God of remissiō of his sins that his consciēce may thorowly be certified y god is fauorable vnto him which will pardon all his fautes for Christes sake in whom we beleeue which will iustifie vs and giue vs euerlasting life without any doubt Here our aduersaries can haue nothing to lay against this doctrine or to subuert this foūdation but one refuge they haue that when wee bring scriptures agaynst them what say they the Lutherians bryng Scriptures for them but they muste expounde Scriptures as our fathers dyd I aunswere againe We doe not denye so to doc for we may doe it well ynough And I may saye with Saint Cirillus we keepe the faith of our fathers and of the church so farre as we ought and vse their interpretations so much as they require But the chiefest of the auncient fathers of the church do agre in the same matter no otherwise then we expound it therefore why doe these holye workers bring for them the church S. Augustine one of the moste catholike godlye doctor of thē al in his boke which hee writeth of Predestination in the xi chapter saith in thys wise Truely wher as the apostle in his epistle to the Ro. writeth these words Therfor is our inhetaunce giuen vs by fayth through grace because the promise mighte stande firme and stedfast I maruel saith he that mē had rather looke on their o●ne infirm●●y then vnto the firmity and stedfastnesse of Gods promise But here thou wilt saye I can not tell nor doe not knowe the will of God of me Well then dost thou knowe thine owne will of thy selfe if thou doest beware for he y thinketh he standeth let him take hede y he fal not Therfore in so much as thou knowest nether his wil nor thine owne wil then why should not a mā rather put his trust and hope in y which is more certaine than in that which is lesse certaine But say they againe where it is spoken if thou beleeuest thou shalt be saued there one of these is required of vs the other is offered and that which is required of vs is in our owne power the other in god And why I pray you is not both in Gods power both that which is required and that which is offered for do not we as well desire God to forgiue vs that which he requireth as wel as that he offereth doe not the beleeuers also desire him to encrease their fayth Do they not desire also for the vnbeleuers that they may haue faith so that God onely muste be the beginner and increaser of faith In like manner is thys to be taken If thou beleue●st thou shalt be saued And this if you mortifie y works of the fleshe by the spirit ye shall liue for in like case here one is required the other is offered If thou mortifie sayth he y works of fleshe by the spirit ye shal liue Then to mortifie the works of the flesh by spirit that is required the other is offered vs that wee should liue What then therfore shall we not say that this is the gift of god to mortifye the
doth call euerlasting lyfe the g●ft of god And likewyse to the Galathians dooth put a cleare difference betwixt them and sheweth playnlye hys minde of the law and of the promise how they concurre to our iustification Let vs weigh well his words for all y weight foundation of our iustification dooth lye vpon thē His wordes be these If our inheritance stand of the lawe then it standeth not of promise But God did geeue it to Abraham If the lawe had bene geuen vnto vs which mighte haue iustified vs then our iustification might be of the lawe But the scripture hath wrapped al thinges vnder sinne that the promise might come by the fayth of Iesus Christ to all that beleeue And agayne in the second to the Gal. If our iustification sayth he coulde come by the lawe then Christ dyed in vayne Therefore I saye where as men thus by the lawe were brought to the knowledge of their sinnes and so stroken with great sorowe and heauinesse of conscience for their sinfull and vicious nature thā was the gospell put and set before them that is to saye grace promised in Christ. And than did they beginne to beleeue ernestly and to reioyse in their hearts truly for this grace promised in Christe that God had geeuen them for Christes sake forgiuenes of their sinnes Thus s. Paule in the place afore recited dooth comfort with true consolation wretched and desperate sinners for he leadeth thē only to the promise of GOD and beateth that into them for thereby only our consciences be cleane and quieted And doth teach the law Gods cōmandements also exhorting vs diligentlye to the study of good workes and is not only content with that but also doth shewe where and how to come by the corage iust to doe these good works Thus first they taught the lawe for repentance but streighte after they ioyned with all the promise of God to bring mē to the knowledge of the moste rich grace of God giuen and promised vs in Christ teaching withall where wee shoulde get the strength to fulfill the commandemēts where our sinfull nature was not able to fulfil it In consideration whereof the Apostles euerye where declared and settefoorth the exceeding and passing riches and treasures of Gods mightye grace which he hath giuen and promised vs in Christ if we beleeue vpon him and so ●orth did leade wretched sinners from y lawe to christ This great grace of god so offered they receiue then and imbraced greatlye and thus beleeuing were pacified in their consciences The law doth threaten and affraye but than shee is not able to heale or comforte them being greeued or to deliuer them from their agonye wherefore wee must needes flee to the promise And ther shall we find righteousnes peace life health ynough Here vpon S. Paule to the Galathians saith The lawe was as it were our schoolemayster vnto Christ that wee should be iustified by Christ for the lawe doth force vs doth straine vs doth call vpon vs doth manace vs and lyeth vpon our necks requiring of vs all manner of good workes perfecte iustice perfect innocencie of heart perfecte feare and loue of God and also of our neighbour But we of our owne strengthe bee not able to accomplish that which it requireth and thus it driueth vs to Christe and is our schoolemaister vnto christ He than receiueth vs comming to him helping vs and giuing vs all suche thinges that the lawe requireth of vs so that the law shal not be able to damme vs. For this cause S. Paule dooth call Christ the ende of the lawe Or as Saint Augustine doth expound it the fulfilling of the lawe He that hath Christ is iuste he that beleueth in Christ hath al things which the lawe requireth Christe hath reconciled for vs God his Father hee is our mediatour and euerlasting priest hee hath obteyned for vs grace the holye ghost wyth all his giftes remission of sinnes and all manner of goodnesse with life euerlasting he as Ieremye writeth doth giue vs a newe hearte and a softe heart and the holy ghoste to moue vs to doe well And where as yet we be partly fleshly nor can not be al mortified in this body nor thorowly fulfill the commaundements of God there is hee made oure wysedome our iustice and redemption so that his innocencie and all that euer hee hath is made ours by fayth for after that we put on Christ vppon vs and after we beleeue in him there is no ieoperdye can hurt vs thoughe we be neuer so weake and frayle so that we do not walk purposely after our appetite of the fleshe and runne still headlong in sinne without repentance for oftymes it happeneth that good and most godly men doe fall as well as other but yet they lye not still but get vp againe and be stil delited with the lawe of God inwardly in theyr heartes euer calling for remission of sinnes by Christe and obteyne also the same which we desire All these things we may see very well expressed in Abraham for Abraham saith Paule is the father of all the faithful beleuers in Christe therefore wee haue in Abraham a clear figure and an example howe that a sinner may be iustified and what is the nature of a christian fayth what is the power the propertye and working of the same and also howe that our consciences may be quieted whither by faith or by workes Therefore he that is the true child of Abraham that is a good man in deeede or that woulde bee a true member of Christ let him loke vpon Abraham his father and there he shal se how God doth with vs how he tendereth vs and how we oughte to doe againe for him as Paul also teacheth vs Firste of all Abraham hearde the greate and ri●he promise of God saying vnto hym Doe not feare Abraham I am thy de●ēder and great is thy rewarde with mee And afterward In thy seede all nationes shall be blessed that is shall be deliuered from sinne death and malediction and shall haue euerlasting life This was gladde tydinges to Abraham And stil did Abraham bel●eue this promise notwithstanding yet much greued with troubles and sorrowes And so therefore was iustified by this faith and truste that hee had to the promise of god Nowe thys was iiii ● and thirtye yeeres before the lawe was giuen and therefore was hee saued not by the workes of the lawe but by his faith in God in the blessed seede which was promised him And no otherwise also must we all bee saued for there is no other waye nor meanes to come to health but only the promise of God must iustifie vs if we beleeue and not the law nether works Secondarilye the faithe of Abraham y he hadde vpon Christ made him a newe man and cleane did alter his olde affections and put in him newe cogitations otherwise then this nature of ours hat● for
god requireth onely of vs that wee should neuer doubt nor question of his free grace but to be bold and trust vpon it that hee is a louing father vnto vs and that we be his children But wee could neuer be so bolde of thys grace of God if any such condition of ful filling the lawe were giuen with al as if thou kepe my commandements wel then shalt thou haue thy sinnes forgiuen Therefore it is necessary that y promise of thys blessing stand without al conditions and without all respect of workes or merites but onely in the free grace of God or els we could neuer be sure of it nor certain but alwayes in doubt mistrust For if remission of our sins should stand in the fulfilling of the lawe then our fleshe being so weake and fraile and not able to fulfil the lawe howe shoulde wee be sure that god is good to vs or that wee were in the fauour of God but rather shoulde thinke that he were angry with vs because wee neuer fulfil his commandementes as we should doe And thus the free promise of God shold stand voyd in no effect For why no man were able to obtaine it But thanks and prayse be to the faithful Lorde the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ ours the father of mercye the god of all comforth who hauing mercye vppon vs and tendering our weakenes hath not bilded our health and saluation vpon any such brickle weak foundatiō as vpon our works and our fulfilling of the law for so we cold neuer be saued But the foundation that we be grounded vpon preuaile against the gates of hell is the great grace and mercy of God in his son christ For in him God hath promised vs all remission of our sinnes and euerlasting life This promise is onely and alone all our comforte which boldlye wee doe and may trust vpon So thus you see howe God promiseth vs remission of our sinnes and life euerlasting not vnder any condition of working and fulfilling the lawe but he giueth it frely of his fre grace I say only alon thorow Christ and not for any workes of ours And therefore he geeueth it freelye without any condition of our workes because the promise might stand firme and stable that is that we may be sure of the fauour of God and of remission of oure sinnes doubting nothing therin notwithstanding wee ●ee neuer so much sinfull in our nature vnworthy wretches that euery beleeuing Christian man may saye with Paule This I knowe and is vndoubted that neither death nor life neyther angels neither princes nor potestates neither things present nor things to come neither height nor depenes nor no other creature is able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Here may we playnly see that Paul had a bolde and a confident trust of the forgiuenes of sinnes and of his health to come plentuouslye perswaded of the grace of God towarde him or els how could he so feruently reioyse and tryumphe in spirite against all creatures bothe in heauen and in the worlde so mightelye defying them all being right sure and certaine that nothing neyther aboue nor beneath coulde anoy him And why because he beleued in Christe and was sure of the mercye of God towarde him thorowe fayth and therefore was his conscience so quiet and triumphant And euen so may euery Christian man likewise take the same courage the same mind in himselfe Howbeit no man can doe this vnlesse he put away all respecte of his own merites and workes and onely trust vnto the free mercy and grace of God which grace is giuen vs only thorowe Christ and not through our selues Notwithstāding yet that good works of ours consequently do folowe and springe out of this faith and promise of god So that where as the same doe not folowe and may folow ther is no true nor liuely fayth but a deede and barraine opinion of fayth but where this true and liuely faithe is there is workes and miracles and thynges farre passing the possibility of naturall working For as saynt Paule sayth wee receiue the holy ghost not by our working but by hearing of the Gospell thys holye Ghoste wyll not suffer vs to doubte after the papists fashion or as they woulde haue vs not to feare as their seruyle spirite dooth but wyth a bolde truste cryeth in our hearts to GOD Abb A Father and witnesseth wyth our spirite that wee bee the chyldren and the heyres of GOD and felowe heyres wyth C●riste that wee may be glorified togeather wyth hym And as Paule to the Ephesians sayth they that beleeue in Christe bee sealed vp with the holy spirit of promise the with spirite we have as a pledge or an ernest penye of our inheritaunce and possession which we haue got and be redemed vnto Therfore with al faith trust we must euer looke vpon the promise of God and vppon Iesus Christ onely And so in thys promise of God our conscience may finde comforte and peace plentye but in our workes we shall finde none And therefore marke well this text of Paule and keepe it well in your remembraunce where hee sayth Abraham had thys promyse geauen to hym and to hys sede that he should be the heyre of the world not for hys working after the lawe but for his beleeuing in fayth for if they that belonge to the lawe bee the heyres then is fayth voyde and the promyse of none effecte for why the law worketh anger by reason that if there were no law ther were no traunsgression therefore the inheritāce is giuen by faythe as by grace freely because the promise muste stande firme and stable to all y seede of Abraham Dayly experience and practise in troubles and distresses declareth that no mā bee hee neuer so holy can quiet hys cōscience by his workes Our sinnes and death be more greeuous ennemies vnto vs then that wee bee able to ouer come by our owne deedes and deseruings we must haue an other manner of meanes to that which is our faythe receiuing and hol●eing the promyse of GOD in christ And so that shall be able to conquer the mighty feircenes of sin death This faith retaineth and apprehendeth those infalible and eternall things that is to say it receiueth not the feeble workes of ours but the greate grace of GOD Christ himselfe his works and his deseruings and the promises in Christ which things be much greater higher more stable and magnificall then our capacities be able to comprehend Therefore when anye tentacion assaulteth wee muste not looke to the lawe and our works but setting all them aside wee muste runne and creepe to the crosse of Christe wee muste seeke for helpe and grace by Christ and humbly must knowledge our faults And though our sins be neuer so gret or g●eeuous though the feare and tentation of