vvorkes and through the vvorks vvas the fayth made perfect 23 And the Scripture vvas fulfilled vvhich sayth Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes and he vvas called the frend of God 24 Ye see then hovv that of vvorkes a man is iustified and not of faith onely The summe of this reason is this Such as the fayth of Abraham was ought also the fayth of other beleeuers to be For he is therefore called the father of the beleeuers bicause that they that beleeue ought to imitate and follow his fayth but the faith of Abraham had workes ioyned with it which is thereby proued bicause he did so much esteeme obedience toward God that he would rather kill his onely sonne then not obey God Therfore the fayth of other also ought to haue workes ioyned with it which if it haue not it is worthely to be accounted vaine and dead This is the summe of the argument Now let vs wey the wordes of the Apostle which are wrested of the Schoolemen against free iustification First the word iustified is to be discussed which is as much as if he had sayd was declared to be iust or was knowen to be iustified and that this is so I proue by three necessarie arguments The first is taken of the scope and end of this present disputatiō For Iames hath not purposed a disputation of the causes of iustification but onely doth shew by what effects iustification may be gathered and as it were set before the eyes of men Seing therefore it is an exceeding great errour of effects to make causes in respect of the same thing they are by no meanes to be borne which forgetting the scope ende of the disputation proposition that is to be proued presume very high go about to disproue the doctrine of Paul concerning free iustification when as the purpose of Paul was far otherwise thā of Iames. For Paul seketh the cause of iustification Iames the effects of the same Paul descendeth frō y e causes to y e effects Iames contrariwise ascendeth frō the effects to y e causes Paul seketh how we are iustified Iames how we are declared to be iustified Paule excludeth works as causes of iustification Iames includeth the same as the effectes of iustification Seing there is so great difference betwene the purpose of Paule and Iames who seeth not the vanitie of the Scholemen which say that the Apostles are contrary the one to the other The seconde necessarie argument is taken of the order of the causes and the effects Genes 15. Abraham is pronounced to be iustified Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse But this came to passe thirtie yeares at the least before he receyued a commaundement concerning the offering of his sonne Isaac Genes 22. Howe therefore can it be that he shoulde be sayde to be iustified by that worke which he did the thirtie yere after y t he was by the voyce of God said to be iustified It is necessarie therfore that to be iustified in Iames doe signifie to be declared iustified The thirde necessarie argument is taken of the wordes of the Angell Genes 22. After that Abraham had purposed to kil his sonne at the commaundement of God was called back from his purpose by the voice of the Angel he heareth of the Angell Now I know that thou fearest God seing for my sake thou hast not spared thine only son What other thing I pray you do these words meane than that y e voluntarie obedience of Abraham was a testimonie of the feare of God a certaine declaration of the iustification of Abraham And thus briefly it is declared what the word of iustification doth signifie in this disputation of Iames. Afterwarde when he sayth that the fayth vvrought vvith his vvorkes he expresseth the nature of a liuely fayth to wit that it is effectuall and full of good workes Seing that the fayth of hypocrites hath not this nature it is in no case to be iudged a true and liuely fayth This saying therefore of Iames doth teach nothing else but that good workes doe proceede of fayth That which Iames addeth through the vvorkes the fayth vvas made perfect is nothing els than y t the fayth of Abraham was declared by his workes not to haue bene counterfait or hypocriticall but true and sincere For if thou doest cal that perfect here which is in it degrees absolute no mortall man liuing at any time hath had a perfect fayth Moreouer when he sayth that the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is not to be referred vnto the cause but vnto the effect For by that deede Abraham declared that he was in very deede iustified before by fayth This fulfilling therefore ought to be referred to the experience of men and not to the iudgement of God 25 Likevvise also vvas not Rahab the harlot iustified through vvorks vvhen she had receyued the messengers and sent them out another vvay He proueth by another example y t a true a liuely faith is not without works Rahab by her dede or works declared hir selfe to be iustified by fayth when with the perill of her life she sent away y e messengers of the people of God least they shoulde come into the hands of them that sought them 26 For as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead euen so the fayth vvithout vvorkes is deade By a most apt similitude propounded he proueth that the fayth of hypocrites is vayne in as much as it is like a deade bodie or carkas wherein is no liuely spirite and therefore no mouing or sense of a liuing creature is founde in it And thus Iames by sixe firme reasons hath proued that a true fayth is frutefull in good workes and that the fayth of hypocrites which is voyd of workes is a vayne boasting rather than fayth A declaration of the doctrine of repentance WHen as Christ doth define the Gospel to be preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name he setteth forth two things vnto bs whereof one is the benefite which the Gospell offereth the other the meanes by which the benefite is applyed vnto men The benefite which is offered is forgiuenesse of sinnes The meanes is repentance For they onely which repent are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes wherewith is ioyned iustification saluation and eternall lyfe Hereof it easily appeareth that nothing is more necessarye for a man in this life than to vnderstande wherein true repentance consisteth without the which forgiuenesse of sinnes commeth vnto no man Of this wholsome and true repentance I will speake and will so declare the matter by the worde of God and manifest examples that euerye man may acknowledge the truth and playnnes thereof The foundation therfore of the preaching of repentance without all doubt is the mercie and grace of
A LEARNED AND fruitefull Commentarie vpon the Epistle of Iames the Apostle vvherein are diligently and profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of Religion as are touched in the same Epistle Written in Latine by the learned Clerke Nicholas Hemminge professour of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Hafnie and nevvly translated into English by VV. G. ¶ JMPRINTED AT London by Thomas Woodcocke and Gregorie Seton and are to be solde at the signe of the blacke Beare in Paules Churchyarde ANNO. 1577. To the godly and reuerend Father and faythfull Minister of Christ M. Alexander Novvell Deane of the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London W. Gace wisheth grace and peace from God the father through Christ Iesus our Lorde GOD FROM THE BEGINNING hath as in a most cleare and euident glasse sette forth himselfe to be beholden and knowne of vs euen in his creatures in the orderly course of the worlde For when we see and consider the vnmeasurable greatnes of the worlde and the partes thereof to be so framed as they could not possibly in beautie be fayrer nor for profit better we vnderstande thereby the omnipotent power of God in creating them his diuine wisedome in ordering and disposing them his infinite goodnes in continually preseruing them that they runne not to ruine and vtter decay but are by him vpholden euen to the necessarie vse and sustentation of mans lyfe Although this creation of the worlde and the maruaylous ordering and preseruing thereof were sufficient whereby men might knowe God and worship him being knovvne or else be without excuse yet it hath pleased God of his great mercie to giue vnto vs his worde wherein he hath more plainly and fully reuealed himselfe and his will to our most singular commoditie and comfort For we through the fall of our first parentes being become blinde in vnderstanding corrupt in desiring and wicked in working are by the worde of God fruitefully of vs receyued lightned in our myndes reformed in our affections and ordered aright in our doings in so much as the Princely Prophet Dauid sayth that the meanes whereby a yong man shall clense his waye is to rule himselfe after this worde which worde also he pronounceth to be his delight and his counseller yea he perceyued it to be of such vertue and excellencie that he preferreth it before all worldly treasures whatsoeuer I loue sayth he thy commaundements aboue golde and precious stone Agayne thy lawe is dearer vnto me then thousandes of golde and siluer But I mynde not to enter here into the worthye commendation of this worde or to rehearse the manifolde and most singular commodities which redounde to the godly thereby Onely that which I haue mentioned out of Dauid may suffice to declare that it is a treasure of all other most precious Forasmuch then as the worde of God is a treasure so excellent what shall we thinke or say of the true and syncere Preachers and expounders thereof VVe acknowledge great friendship in them by whose meanes we attayne to an earthly commoditie and howe shall we be affected towarde them which open to vs the way to an heauenly treasure VVe thinke our selues much beholden to those which minister vnto vs the foode of this fraile life but vvhat recompence shall we render vnto them by whose meanes we come to enioy the foode of euerlasting lyfe VVherefore right worshipfull if I should render a reason of my labour bestowed in translating this treatise into the english tongue I thinke it were sufficient if I should say no more but that the word of God is therein soundly and syncerely expounded Although I may descend vnto particular pointes and shew other weightie causes thereof For you are not ignoraunt howe the Papists both haue bine and also be grieuous enemies to the doctrine of iustification by faythe onely in Christ pretending for their chiefe defence the testimonie of S. Iames where he seemeth to attribute iustification to workes and not to fayth onely whose authoritie they haue wrongfully wrested and misinterpreted VVhereby they haue not onely erred themselues but also haue caused many other to erre VVhich false interpretation of theirs is in this treatise very learnedly and throughly improued and the meaning of the Apostle truly and playnely declared Againe your wisedome doth well know that the mysteries of God are wisely and discretely to be disposed and not onely the doctrine of fayth faithfully to be taught but also the doctrine of workes diligently to be vrged both to stoppe the sclaunderous mouthes of many prating Papists and also to remedie many abuses very rife among vs. For whereas the syncere preachers of Gods worde doe according to the Scriptures teach that the bloud of Christ is a sufficient salue for the sore of sinne and that we are iustified by fayth alone in him without mens merits workes or satisfactions many sclaundering Papists are not ashamed most falsly to affirme that they are louers of lusts preachers of present pleasure and giuers of libertie to all licentious liuing and making no store of good workes doe cast onely fayth vnder mens elbowes to leane vpon VVhen as the true preachers haue alway preached and all the writinges of the godly haue most diligently taught that that fayth which is not liuely and fruitefull of good works did neuer profite any but to the increase of their owne damnation and contrariwise that that fayth whereby alone according to the Scriptures they teach that we are iustified hath good workes necessarily accompanying it not as causes of our saluation but as necessarie fruites of a liuely fayth as is also in this treatise of S. Iames very learnedly and diligently declared VVhereby not onely the Papists are admonished that they doe not open their lying lips so wrongfully to rayle vpon the true preachers of Gods word but also many other are aduertised of their dutie who by profession are Christians but in life more then prophane who are not ashamed to say if faith iustifie without works then let vs worke nothing but let vs onely beleeue and doe what we list and so like carnall and carelesse liuers they turne the libertie of the Spirite into wantonnes and fleshly libertie But let these men vnderstand that such prophane profession and carelesse contempt dooth highly displease almightie God and is diligently detected and sharpely reproued of his faythfull ministers both in wordes and writings whose wholesome admonitions let them carefully regard and be aduertised and brought thereby to follow in workes that vvhich they profes in vvords least they deceiue them selues and at the last reape most bitter fruites of their fayned fayth Not onely these are in this present treatise admonished of their dutie but many other most profitable poyntes of Christian doctrine and godly instructions are learnedly handled and liuely set forth therin vvhereby the Christian readers may learne to direct their doinges and order their life according to the prescript rule of Gods vvorde As for them vvhich obstinately
which they doe moderate punishments The arguments of the Stoickes haue a fayre shewe but they are grounded on a false foundation agaynst which let those reasons be set which I haue rehearsed 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shall be iudged by the lavve of libertie 13 For there shal be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie and mercie reioyceth against iudgement He bringeth in a generall exhortation to liue godly and holily by an argument taken of the sentence of the last iudgement which is recited Matth. 25. For when as the Apostle sayth as they that shall bee iudged by the lavve of libertie he hath relation to the sentence of the Lorde who when he iudgeth the worlde shall saye vnto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the worlde For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. Contrariwise he shall say to them on the left hande Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. To this pertayneth that saying Iohn 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shal heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurrection of condemnation And 2. Cor. 5. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill That these sayings and such like are to be vnderstand of the qualitie of thē that shal be saued not of the causes of saluation the whole consent of y e scripture yea the precious bloud of Christ doth shew as shortly after I will more distinctly declare But why doth he call it y e law of libertie That by that name he may shew y t the fruites of libertie are by good right required of christians For as he which doth commit sinne is the seruant of sinne so he which is deliuered by Christ will be no more bonde but free therefore will not take vpon him the yoke of bondage He sheweth a cause or reason when he sayth for there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that shevveth not mercie but he that sheweth mercie is so farre of from being condemned y t he shal reioyce against cōdemnation triumphing ouer death sin and the deuill These things doe teach how necessary continuall repentance and a perpetuall studie of godlynesse and righteousnesse is among Christians least by their owne fault they lose the free benefit of saluation But bicause the aduersaries of free saluation doe abuse this place and such like and make the causes of saluation of the tokens and qualities of them which shall be saued I will briefly gather an aunswere whereby the godly reader may haue wherewith he maye be able throughly and truly to answere to this false cauill Seing therefore that the Scripture doth expressely say that the Lord shall giue to euery man according to his deedes Or as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians according to that euery man hath done whether it be good or euill First of all this is to be helde that this generall sentence which is the very voyce of God himselfe ought to be applied vnto two sortes of men according to the proportion of fayth that is to the wicked according to the lawe to the godly according to the Gospell after this maner when the Lord giueth vnto the wicked according to their dedes without all doubt he giueth vnto them hel and condemnation For those are the merits of the dedes of vngodlines But cōcerning y e godly or regenerate there are mo things to be considered For first it is euident out of the infallible worde of God that eternall life is not the wages of seruantes but the inheritance of children and the free gift of God Rom. 4.5.6.8 Iohn 1.3.5 Secondly the proportion betwene the heauēly father and an earthly father is to be considered for as an earthly father doth giue vnto his childrē according to their deedes that is inheritance to them that are obedient and disheriteth them that are disobedient so God the father promiseth inheritance to his children but those which of children are made obstinate and enemies he suffreth not to enioy the inheritance But nowe it is manifest that the childrē of an earthly father are neither children nor heires through desert of their works After the same sort the children of God are neyther made children nor heires bicause of their works but through the grace of adoption which is receyued by fayth alone notwithstanding eyther of them doth giue vnto his children according to their dedes But y t this may yet be more plainly vnderstand how God shall giue to euery mā according to his dedes foure circūstances are to be weighed of vs the first wherof is that the rigour of the law is takē away from y e godly according to y e saying Galat. 3. Christ hath redemed vs from the curse of the lawe The seconde is that the person nowe beleeuing doth by fayth please God and is heire of eternall life Iohn 1. The thirde that God doth not onely require obedience of the person that beleeueth but also doth promise him a rewarde and that not of debt for the worthinesse of the worke but of grace for his fatherly promise sake The fourth that workes so done by fayth are testimonies of fayth as proper effectes are most certaine tokens of their cause And therefore it is sayde that God shall giue vnto euery man according to his dedes both because dedes are the true tokens of the feare of God of fayth and also that the whole creature maye beare witnesse of the iustice of God in iudging This answere is taken from the conferring of the Scripture which we must of necessitie surely hold lest that with the Papistes we attribute saluation to the merits of works or with the Antinomians and Libertines we lay aside all care and studye to do well This solution is made manifest by an euident example Mat. 18. where y e Lord saith that y e kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a certayne king that is that there is the same reason of the spiritual state of the Church which is betweene an earthly king and his seruants in the affaires of this present life For euen as the king his seruant owing him ten thousand talents yet when he fell downe and besought him he forgaue him the whole dette freely and of his mere liberalitie so God the father doth freely forgiue them all debtes that is sinnes which flie vnto him for succour with trust and confidence in Christ Hereof it is manifest that remission of sinnes is free But euen as the king called agayne vnto punishment that seruant being vnthankefull
and cruell toward his fellowseruants and that which before he forgaue him when he humbly besought him nowe he requireth agayne of him being stubborne and cruel toward his fellowes So God after he hath receiued vs being sorie for our sinne into fauour will haue vs imitate his example in liberalitie and goodnes toward our neighbour This the Lord teacheth Luke 7. propounding an example of two detters the one whereof ought vnto the lender fiue hundred pence and the other fiftie who when they had nothing to pay he forgaue them both Here the Lord asked the Pharises whether of them will loue the lender most to whom when the Pharise had made aunswere he to whom he forgaue most the Lorde sayd thou hast truly iudged signifying that God doth require thankfulnesse of them whom he hath freely receiued into fauour Hereof are gathered two thinges to wit both that forgiuenesse is free and also that they which haue obtayned forgiuenesse doe owe thankfulnes vnto God 14 VVhat auayleth it my brethren though a man sayth he hath fayth vvhen he hath no vvorkes can that faith saue him Bicause there were among them to whom the Apostles did write hypocrites which when they were touched with no true repentance yet they did boast that they were saued by faith when as they had no true and liuely faith in dede he maketh a confutation of their erroneous opinion and teacheth that that faith is vayne which doth not bring forth it true fruites This proposition is diligently to be marked faith which hath not workes is vneffectuall and vayne or as Iames speaketh cannot saue This onely proposition is confirmed euen vnto the end of the chapter Wherefore they are fowly deceiued which compare Iames with Paule when as Iames disputeth onely of the vayne boasting of hypocrites Paule of a liuely fayth And therfore let vs diligently marke in this place what faith the Apostle calleth vayne to wit that which hath no obedience toward God accompanying it in asmuch as it neither worshippeth God nor dooth wel to it neighboure wherevpon it manifestly followeth that Iames doth not speake of a liuely and a right fayth from which the spirit of Christ cā not be separate For where the spirit of Christ is there are newe actions of the newe man although not perfect yet vnperfect by which the force and vertue of fayth is acknowledged and brought forth What therfore is that vaine faith is it altogither vneffectuall It bringeth forth no good fruites for it is voyde of life but it bringeth forth the bitter fruites of hell and death For it is a most fruitefull mother of vanitie superstition and hypocrisie it is a foolish boasting it is but an image of faith it is a stoppe or let from saluation it is a guider or leader vnto death briefly it hath it portion with hypocrites and deuels 15 For if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly foode 16 And one of you saye vnto them depart in peace vvarme your selues and fil your bellies notvvithstanding ye giue them not those thinges vvhich are needeful to the body vvhat helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no vvorkes is dead in it selfe He maketh manifest the proposition by a most apt similitude Euen as that speech is vayne wherein it is sayde to the needy warme your selues and fill your bellies when as helping handes are not also put to so that fayth is vayne and dead which is in the mouth without the fruite of works Note here the name of faith which he calleth vaine for when it is called deade it is compared to a carkas wherefore it deserueth no better to be called faith thē a carkas deserueth to be called a liuing creature This vsing of one word for another doth sufficiently shew y t Iames doth dispute of a vayne opiniō which of y e hypocrites was called faith according therfore to the opinion y t they had of fayth y e Apostle speaketh by a licence of rhetoricke 18 But some man might say thou hast the faith and I haue vvorkes shevv me thy faith out of thy vvorks and I vvill shevve thee my faith by my vvorkes An other reason that faith which is voyde of it fruites is vayne as if he sayde some godly man O thou hypocrite may represse thy vanitie by obiecting thus vnto thee thou hypocrite hast faith as thou sayest for it is a licence of scorning I haue workes thou if thou can shew me thy faith by thy works which truly thou canst not doe bicause thou hast none I will shewe thee my fayth by my works Wherefore it is manifest that thy faith is like vnto a dead carkas but that myne is liuely which appeareth by the fruites and liuely motion therof For euen as the spirite which is inwardly in a liuing creature quicke and lusty doth bewray it selfe by mouing and feeling and by the outward actions so a liuely fayth doth shewe it selfe by good workes The word faith is here vsed in diuers significations For in the first place it signifieth a boasting of fayth but in the latter place a liuely faith 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest vvell the deuils also beleeue it and tremble He teacheth both what the fayth of hyprocrites is also how vaine it is yea and that it doth not saue He affirmeth therefore that there fayth is only a knowledge of the hystory For they beleeue that there is a God That this is vaine he proueth by this reason the faith of the deuils doth not saue For the deuils are not saued The boasting of hypocrites is the fayth of the deuils for it hath nothing in it which the fayth of the deuils hath not Therefore the boasting of the hypocrites which they falsly cal fayth doth not saue and therefore is vayne Whereas the Apostle in this place doth acknowledge no other fayth in hypocrites then is in the deuils it is no meruaile because he taketh from it the power of iustifying But of what sort fayth is in the disputations of Paule it is taught Rom. 4. by a manifest example propounded to wit that it is not onely a knowledge of the mercy promised but also a trust and confidence whereby a man determineth with himselfe that the promes doth appertaine vnto him wherwith is ioyned as an vnseparable companion thankfulnesse of mind toward God prayer patience mortifying of the olde man stirring vp of the newe man and other fruites of the righteousnes of fayth which frutes although they doe not iustifie yet that is the nature of a iustifying fayth that it alwayes bringeth foorth those fruites sometime more sometime lesse euen as it hath receiued increase 20 But vvilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith vvhich is vvithout vvorkes is dead 21 VVas not Abraham our father iustified through vvorks vvhen he offred Isaac his son vpō the alter 22 Seest thou not that the faith vvrought vvith his
nature But they that are not occupyed in this following doe falsly attribute to themselues a christian name Furthermore they are not counted the lawfull sonnes of God but bastardes rather For God acknowledgeth none among his sonnes but whom he seeth at the least to endeauour to imitate his fathers vertues To this pertayneth that saying of the Lord in the Prophet If I be a father where is mine honour But the cheefest parte of honour which children can doe to their parents is to imitate their vertues Whosoeuer earnestly looketh for the glorye of christianitie let him set before himselfe this cause of shewing mercy to his neighbour and let him not suffer himselfe to be led away with euil examples from this necessary and due worship of God The second cause is the commaundement of God vnto which all creatures ought to obey Of this cause Iesus the sonne of Sirach maketh mention chap. 29 Helpe the poore for the commandements sake and turne him not away because of his pouertie And a little after Bestow thy treasure after the commaundement of the most high and it shal bring thee more profite then Gold Our treasure that doth neuer fayle we must lay vp and keepe in heauen but yet it is in this life bestowed vpon the poore vpon whom the benefites that be bestowed the Lord so accepteth as if we had bestowed them vpon himselfe All the testimonies of the Scripture which doe commend vnto vs the loue of our neighbour doe require especially liberalitie towarde the nedie For this is the chiefe part of true loue Hereunto belongeth that saying of the Lorde Deut. 15. I commaund thee saying thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother that is needy He that contemneth this precept of the Lord how can he loue God how can he feare him for thus sayth Iohn Whosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And Iob 6. He that taketh away mercie from his neighbour hath forsaken the feare of the Lord. Whosoeuer therefore determineth to loue God and to feare him from his heart let him thinke that he doth owe obedience to God commaunding Of which thing Micheas speaketh after this sort I will shew thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The thirde cause is the imitation of examples of Christ our Lord first and then of his members Christ was made poore for vs that he might enrich vs. What therefore do we agayne owe to the members of Christ especially seing he witnesseth that that is done to himselfe whatsoeuer we doe to the least of his members Matth. 25. The holy fathers desired nothing more than to relieue the poore Saints Abraham doth reuerence strangers and biddeth them to eate with him that he may shewe liberalitie vnto them Lot desired the Angels to come into his house whom he thought to be poore straungers Cornelius the courtier is written to haue giuen himselfe to continuall prayer and almes which the scripture witnesseth to haue come vp into remembrance before God The fourth cause is the dignitie and estimation of almes godly bestowed before God Prouerb 21. To do mercie and iudgement is more acceptable to the Lorde then sacrifice Christ sayth Matth. 9. I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Heb. 13. To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased So great dignitie so great estimation is there before God of the almes godly bestowed It is preferred before sacrifice God is sayd to be singularly moued and delighted therewith This dignitie ought worthily to admonishe them which abounde in this worldes good that they indeuour according to the counsell of Paule to be rich in good workes The fift cause is our neighbour himselfe But that euery man is neighbour one to another the Parable of the Samaritane doth teach although this neighbourhode is greater with some than with other some Euery man both godly and also vngodly is neighbour vnto me and that first by reason of our creation Secondly for likenes sake Thirdly in respect of our common life and humane societie And although this triple bonde wherewith men are bounde among themselues is a great cause wherefore men ought to doe good vnto men neuerthelesse there is yet a farre greater bonde wherewith Christians are knit togither with Christians For first one vocation is common to all Christians whereby we are called to the vnitie of spirit in the bonde of peace Agayne by the same spirit we are begotten agayne to be the sonnes of God whereby it commeth to passe that both we haue one father which is God and also we are brethren among our selues Moreouer we are members of the same mysticall bodye the heade whereof is Christ Finally we haue the same hope of the glorie to come for we are heyres of eternall lyfe in Christ Iesus our Lorde If we doe earnestly thinke vppon this fift cause of mercie towarde our neighbour there is none that doth not acknowledge howe necessarily liberalitie is to be shewed to them that be in neede I do not make mention of that bond by which al men in this world are debters one to another Who wil seme to be a contemner of the vnitie of the spirite whereunto the Gospell calleth vs Who can abide to heare that he is a denier of spirituall brotherhoode Who dare so despyse the members of Christ that he will suffer them to be tormented wyth colde hunger and nakednesse Who will not worthilye suffer him to be partaker with him of the things of this worlde which soone fade awaye whom he assuredly thinketh shall be heyre with him of the heauenly treasures If this cause of liberalitie and mercie were esteemed of many according to the worthinesse thereof they woulde not set their mindes so much vpon deceyte and vniust gayne they woulde not so much spoyle and rob the needie members of Christ and they would thinke more of cherishing and making much of their owne fleshe As often as we see any that is in miserie crauing our helpe and succour let vs I pray you remember the saying of Esay Hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh The sixt cause is the punishment yea and that manifold of them which are hard toward the poore The first is the wrath of God Ecclesiasticus 4. Turne not thine eyes aside from the poore because of anger The second is the curse In the same place it is sayd For if the curse thee in the bitternes of his soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him The third is the refusing of thy prayer which thou makest in thy necessitie Prouerb 21. He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crye and not be heard A horrible punishment truly then which none
mercifull and to shew mercy and compassion He is mercifull inasmuch as he is in deede moued with our miseries and doth as it were suffer with vs. He sheweth mercy and compassion because he reacheth his hand to vs being in miserie and deliuereth vs out of miserie I will briefly reherse what thinges ought to come into our mind as often as mention is made of the mercy of God toward vs. First y e obiect of mercy is to be thought vpon which is y e miserie of mākind wherby y e whole race of mankind is in it selfe most miserably lost subiect to the tyrāny of y e deuil in danger of al calamities spirituall corporall Secondly the cause of this miserie is to be considered which is sin the most horrible and most filthie thing of all things y e most iust punishment whereof is euerlasting torment of soules bodies Thirdly the infinite loue of God toward mākind is to be reuolued in the minde that God hath not vtterly cast away mankind for so great filthines and vncleannes Fourthly let the sacrifice of the sonne of God be thought vpon whereby he helpeth our miserie and maketh a full satisfaction for sinne By thinking vpon this sacrifice the holy fathers haue comforted themselues in their sacrifices To this sacrifice Dauid hath regard as often as in the Psalmes he earnestly desireth the mercye of God which psalme 51. doth sufficiently shew where he maketh his prayer in these wordes Haue mercy on me O Lorde according to thy louing kindenes according vnto the multitude of thy mercies wipe away my wickednes Whē he saith wipe away he hath respect vnto the bloud of the mediatour as he doth more plainly shewe in the seuenth verse where he maketh mention of the satisfaction for sinne for so he saith Purge thou me with hysop and I shall be cleane Fiftly repentance or conuersiion is here required without which we are not made partakers of this vnspeakable price of the sacrifiee of the sonne of God Hereunto pertayne many sayinges of the Prophets 2. Paral. 30. The Lord your God is gratious and mercifull and will not turne away his face from you if ye conuert vnto him Iere. 3. Turne againe ye children and so shall I heare your backturninges Againe chap. 18. Let euery man turne from his euil way and take vpon him the thing that is good and right and your iniquitie shal not turne to your destruction To this conuersion the Gospell calleth vs Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand And Christ him selfe saith I cam no to call the iust but sinners to repentance Sixtly a continuall thankfulnes in our whole life with extolling and setting forth the glorie of God is required and a certayne holy carefullnes is to be had in gouerning our maners that we may seeme in heart mouth tongue and in our whole conuersation to extoll the mercy of God Seuenthly because our weakenes is great which is increased by thinking sometime vpon our particularitie sometime vpon our vnworthines we must thinke that the mercy of God is not contayned within narrow bounds neither that the greatnes of our sinnes doe exceede it but that it is extended to all the endes of the world and doth by infinite meanes abound aboue sinne The blessed Virgin sayth The mercy of God is from generation to generation on them that feare him And Peter sayth The Lord is patient towarde vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance Of this most rich mercy of God S. Cyrill writeth in this maner The mount of Oliues doth signifie the heigth and aboundance of the diuine mercy plentifully shewed vnto vs by the comming of the sonne of God in the fleshe The mercy of God is often times in the Scriptures expressed by the name of oyle because the nature of oyle doth agree with the maner and condition thereof For oyle is caried aboue other licours and swimmeth aboue them so the mercy of God is aboue all his workes and doth more appeare vnto men then the rest For mercy exceedeth iudgement and his mercy is ouer all his workes Moreouer oyle doth mitigate the griefes of woundes and doth heale swellings and sores but the mercy of God doth heale the sores of our soules and driueth away all faintnes of sinne as the Prophet sayth Who forgiueth all thy wickednes and healeth all thine infirmities who satisfieth thy mouth with good things and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnes Finally they that should come into the place of wrastling or striuing did come forth into the middest being annoynted with oyle whereby their bodyes might be more pliable and fitte for that kinde of exercise so the Lord sheweth vnto them his mercy which are about to striue against the ayrie powers with it he preuenteth vs and giueth vs strength whereby we being fortified in so harde a fight with his helpe maye at the last goe awaye conquerers In thee saith the Prophet I shall be deliuered from tentation and with the helpe of my God I shall leape ouer the wall And agayne God is my light and saluation whom then shall I feare God is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afrayde Though an hoste of men were layde in campe agaynst me yet shall not myne heart be afrayde and though there rose vp warre agaynst me yet I will put my trust in him Lastly in another place My strength will I ascribe vnto thee for thou art the God of my refuge My mercifull God will preuent me Augustine in a certayne sermon sayth His mercye is most abundant and his beneuolence large which hath redeemed vs with the bloud of his sonne when because of our sinnes we were nothing For he did some great thing when he created man to his owne image and similitude But because we woulde be made nothing by sinning and tooke the issue of mortalitie of our parents were made a masse of sinne a masse of wrath neuertheles it pleased him by his mercie to redeeme vs with so great a price he gaue for vs the bloude of his only sonne innocently borne innocently liuing innocently dying who hath redemed vs with so great a price He wil not haue them perish whō he hath bought he hath not bought them whō he wil destroy but he hath bought thē whō he will quicken make aliue 12 But before al things my brethrē svveare not neyther by heauen nor by earth nor by any other oth but let you yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fall into condemnation As he condemneth a rashe custome of swearing setting down the punishment therof so he prescribeth a maner of affirming and denying when he sayth Let your yea be yea and your nay nay that is that which is to be affirmed simply and without an oth affirme and that which is simply to be denied denie Of an Othe BIcause