Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	abraham_n	righteousness_n	work_n	2,446	5	6.8664	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01711	Certaine sermons, vpon diuers textes of Holie Scripture Whereof some haue been seuerally before published, and other some for the greater benefit of the godly reader are here now added. By M. George Giffard, preacher of the worde of God at Mauldon Essex.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon on the parable of the sower. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. Two sermons upon I. Peter 5. vers. 8 and 9. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. Foure sermons uppon the seven chiefe vertues of faith. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A godlie, zealous, and profitable sermon upon the second chapter of saint James. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the thirtie day of May. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon on the third chapter of Saint Iames. aut	1597 (1597)	STC 11848.5; ESTC S120470	152,707	288

naked and destitute of daily foode 16 And one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue them not those things which are needfull to the bodie what helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no workes is dead in it selfe 18 But some man might say Thou hast the faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue it tremble 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead 21 Was not Abraham our Father iustified through workes when hee offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar 22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes and through the workes was the faith made perfect 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayth Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God 24 Ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith only 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes when she had receiued the messengers and sent them out another way 26 For as the bodie without the spirit is dead euen so the faith without workes is dead I Haue chosen this portion of scripture to interpret because there is very great vse and commoditie in the true and right vnderstanding thereof and the doctrine therein contained is most necessarie for all Christians to know First because it doth directly and fully ouerthrow beat downe all carnall profession of the Gospell shewing that the common and dead faith cannot saue a man Secondly because it is the principall piller which the Papists doe leane vnto and the chiefe place of Scripture which they doe peruert and abuse to prooue and establish Iustification by workes and the merits of men and to ouerthrow the free Iustification wee haue in our Lord Iesus Christ through faith The hold which they take in this point is vpon the speeches and phrases which the Apostle doth vse as when he saith Abraham our father was iustified through workes Also Rahab the Harlot was iustified through workes Likewise ye see that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely Herein the two Apostles of Christ Saint Paul and Saint Iames do seeme to be flat contrarie the one to the other for whereas Saint Paul saith Abraham was iustified by faith alone and not by workes Saint Iames saith he was iustified by workes Saint Paul saith and prooueth by sundrie and inuincible reasons that a man is iustified by faith alone without the workes of the law Saint Iames saith ye see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith only This contrarietie is but in appearance for they both wrote by one spirite which is alwaies like himselfe and alwaies agreeth with himselfe The whole blame thereof is to light vpon vs that wee are so dimme sighted as not to see how these two seruants of GOD doe iumpe and agree together without any iarre at all I thinke it needefull for this cause before I come to handle the words of the Text as they lye in order first to take away this shewe of discorde If any man will demaund what cause there was which made them to appeare in outward shew so contrarie the one to the other I answere that although there be no contrarietie in the matter it selfe which they teach yet the diuersitie of the schollers which they lighted vpon the contrary affection of those whom they instructed caused them to vse a diuers and contrarie order of teaching Saint Paul hauing to deale with such as would seeke to be iustified partly by faith in Christ and partly by their owne deedes or the deedes of the Law vseth this order first shewing that we were lost and condemned in our selues then next iustified and saued through the merites of Christ afterward that we are sanctified in him and must shew foorth the fruites of our faith in a pure and holie life Saint Iames lighting vpon another sort of men which confessed the free iustification through faith in Christ yet in this they were deceiued that they did not consider how all those that are iustified are sanctified how all those that are in christ Iesus are new creatures that they are new borne and walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that the true liuely and iustifying faith doth bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse in a holie conuersation Now because this cannot be remooued or separated from the right and liuely faith Saint Iames goeth as it were backward and prooueth that where this latter that is to say the fruites of faith are wanting there faith is wanting and so his drift is to shew that all vngodly and carnall professours of Christ haue but a dead faith which in no respect is able for to helpe or saue them A second cause why they seeme so much to differ is herein that men doe not marke well how they handle not the selfe same matter nor haue not the same drift For Saint Paul laboureth to prooue that the true faith doth ioyne vs to Christ and thereby saue vs. Saint Iames here beateth vpon this poynt that the dead faith which is but a bare image of the right faith cannot profite a man this shall appeare in the wordes of the Text and also a third cause is that they doe not take this word iustified in the same sense but diuersly as it shall bee prooued afterward Now will I come vnto the Text. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith hee hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him This is his proposition and the matter which he will dispute vpon in the whole text following thus much it is in effect that it doth not auaile a man to say he hath faith nor it doth not profit him to boast and bragge and to make profession thereof when he hath no good workes the reason is this because it cannot saue him marke and obserue this well for here at the first enterance the blindnesse of the Papists and their follie doth manifestlie bewray it selfe when as they doe not see nor vnderstand that it is not the purpose of the Apostle in this place to dispute vpon this point whether the true faith doth saue iustifie or not but to shewe that such as haue not good workes haue not the true faith in them and therefore whatsoeuer they professe they cannot bee saued For hee doth not propound his matter thus what auaileth it though a man haue faith and haue not workes but What auaileth it though a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes Whereby it is very manifest that when Saint Iames doth attibute the name of faith vnto this dead image hee doth it not in proper but in abusine speech and after

principles and therefore like fooles are also enimies vnto knowledge For thus they speake It were no matter if there were lesse preaching I thinke the people bee the woorse for it there is knowledge euen enough what should laie men bee troubled to learne or to seeke for the knowledge of the Scriptures let them tend their worke and look to their occupations and learne to be quiet and to deale honestlie Against these poore blinde beastes for I may vse no gentle speech we are to reason out of this place first that all men know they neuer so much are heere commaunded to increase in knowledge to the ende they may increase in faith and godlinesse Secondlie let them consider to what manner of men Saint Peter wrote namely to poore and rich men women and children to all sortes and to be short to as manie as woulde haue faith and vertue and so come to life and glorie and therefore as well the poore ploughman as the great Clearke is commaunded to increase his knowledge out of Gods booke Thirdlie they much ouershoote themselues when they would beare them in hand that knowledge which is the guider of vertue should be the cause of vice Nay if we wipe our eies and looke better to the matter we shall see that there is a flood of ignorance which hath almost ouerwhelmed all and in manie which seeme to know very much if they were sounded to the bottom there should be found in them grosse ignorance and palpable darkenesse and so indeede the true cause of all foule sinnes which abound at this day among vs and flowe euen as a swelling sea is the want of true knowledge This ignorance hath taken suchroote that all they which haue made proof will confesse with mee that our time is like the time of the prophet Esay chap. 28. who hauing laboured himselfe as it were out of breath and teaching and seeing so small profiting being commaunded of the Lord still to goe to his businesse bursteth foorth in these speeches Whom shall I teach knowledge whom shall I make for to vnderstand them that are wained from the milke and drawne from the breastes for precept must bee vpon precept precept vpon precept line vnto line line vnto line a little heere and a little there And in another place hee saith The word of the Lord was like a sealed booke if hee come to one saying Reade this I pray you he maketh answer I cannot read to another that can reade he answereth I cannot for it is sealed Furthermore let those sillie creatures learne of this place to be ashamed of that wherein they seeme after a sorte to glorie when they vse to say as they thinke in defence of themselues wee bee without skill wee haue no knowledge wee bee poore honest men wee haue no learning it is as much as to saye wee haue no faith wee haue no vertue wee haue no godlinesse for wee bee plainely taught here that faith vertue and knowledge must increase and growe vp together Let vs all print this lesson deepely in our mindes that it may driue vs to make haste to come out of our ignorance and to seeke apace after knowledge Let vs take heede of flattering our selues as some other doe which hauing gotten some skill or at least thinke that they haue set very light by the publike teaching of the word they doe excuse themselues after this sorte I thanke God I am not of the ignorant sort nor of the meanest iudgement I knowe somewhat let them hunt after preaching that neede it is very good for them as for mee I am sufficiently acquainted with the matter already this kinde of men are harde too deale withall because they bee wise in their owne conceite and not in the Lorde for if they had once but euen a little tasted of true knowledge of the sweetenesse and power thereof they would neuer haue enough of the first sponefull if they had an healthfull stomacke they could neuer bee brought so soone to loath and as it were to vomit vp againe so wholesome sustenance But let vs learne here that when our knowledge is growne to bee neuer so great because we know but in part and we know nothing as we ought to know as Saint Paule saieth euen then we are to giue all diligence to ioyne to our vertue knowledge vnlesse when we haue begun and proceeded so farre we minde to fall backe againe This place doeth plainely set forth the wofull and miserable state of those which be without teaching or haue it in so scanty a measure that they come almost to no vnderstanding they are merie and thinke all is well and thinke themselues best when they are least dealt withall but iudge righteous iudgement which the Lord by his Apostle teacheth vs to iudge and we shal see that their mirth is nothing els but a mad laughter euen in the middest of fearefull and horrible destruction Vnto knowledge ioyne temperance c. Or continence for so the word which Saint Peter vseth may be translated But what doth he meane hauing bidden vs to ioyne vertue to faith Againe as though he had forgotten himselfe to expresse certaine seuerall kinds of vertues which hee will haue vs to ioyne to the former when as indeede the worde Vertue containeth them all Wee may not thinke but that hee is verie wel aduised and that he knoweth with whome he hath to doe what babes and Children we are which must not haue meate set before vs in grosse to be our owne caruers but it must bee minced to our handes we must also be fedde as it were by spoonfuls For this cause he did not contenthimselfe to exhort in generall vnto vertue but also to name and point vs out certaine chiefe branches which we must especiallie labour about for vnlesse God should deale with vs in this wise so vaine are we that wee should wander and roue as it were in a wide field and neuer come nigh the marke or at least in looking after some one vertue or other forget and let goe the chiefe and principall For wee see many that can rowle in their mouth the name of vertue and godlinesse and nothing almost but vertue vertue as though they would perswade men that their garden did growe full of such hearbes but when wee come to this particular examination to looke for this vertue and that in steede of these sweet hearbes we shall find nothing but stincking weeds Here is a great parte of our diligence and wisdome therefore that when wee studie forvertue and godlinesse and when we call vpon the Lord for giftes we search out euery part and branch least we be ouerseene in some speciall point and least while wee seeke to increase one vertue another decay in vs for that shall come to passe if we cast not our eies diligently on euerie side and so often times we rather loose then gaine rather go backward than forward Out of the negligence in this point of doctrine or for

yet finde a hole to creepe out at although they bee neuer so wicked for thus they will say It is true Gods worde saith that faith is shewed foorth by good workes well I thanke GOD though I haue many vices in mee and am full of infirmities yet I am not altogether without good workes I am not so gracelesse but at some times I remember GOD by prayer I doe according to my abilitie giue to the poore I am readie to pleasure my friend doe not these things sufficiently shewe that I haue faith Dearely beloued take heede for here you may soone bee deceiued it is not the meaning of the Apostle when hee saith shew me thy faith by thy workes that a fewe scattered scrappes of good deedes among great heapes of sinfull workes and as it were a fewe grains of corne in a great heap of chaffe shuld be a true witnesse of the same For it must be shewed both in forsaking and renouncing all euill waies and also in following after all goodnesse for it is without all controuersie that those which seeme to bee good workes before men are not so before GOD in the man which is giuen ouer to commit sinne can that which is good come out of the same heart in which vngodlinesse raigneth Either make the tree good saith Christ and the fruite good or els make the tree euill and the fruit euill A good tree cannot bring foorth euill fruite Matt. 12.13 Luk. 6.43 neither can an euill tree bring foorth good fruite Can the same tree bring forth both good fruit euill fruite Doth a fountaine at the same place saith S. Iames send foorth both sweete and bitter water Iames 3.11 1. Iohn 3.7 Be not deceiued saith Saint Iohn he that worketh righteousnesse is righteous he that committeth sinne is of the diuell Some man will say doth not the most godly man that liueth commit sinne and doeth not the good and the bad come together from him The godly are loden with the corruptions of the flesh but yet they doe not commit sinne that is to say they are not giuen ouer as vngodly men are to the obedience of sinne they are spotted with imperfections but they doe not take pleasure therein as the wicked doe although they feele a lumpishnesse in them vnto good workes yet their whole race is applied vnto good workes they would very faine obey their God on both sides that is to say in forsaking all that is euill and doing all that which he commandeth them Contrariwise the fleshly Infidell doeth with all his heart giue vp himselfe in the whole race of his life to that which is filthie if hee doe any thing which is good it is but in shew being not done sincerely nor comming from a good roote but of selfe-loue vaine glorie or such like hee doth not any thing for the Lords sake but for his owne For loue him and ye shall finde him readie to doe you good cease that and his goodnesse doth dye Praise him hee will praise you againe discommend him although hee deserue it neuer so much ye shall not come in his bookes be ye neuer so good Forget not this then I pray yee good brethren when God hath set down so plain a rule to trie our selues by whether we be faithfull or Infidels If wee finde our selues full of good workes and our heart doth beare vs witnesse that we doe them euen for loue towards God well are we this doth declare our faith But if our euil deeds abound and our heart bee vncleane it is time to looke about vs wee are in a most miserable case I wish of GOD that wee might often thinke vpon this and be careful to shew our faith to the world by our good and pure life Be not afraid to applie this to our selues and also to deale against the vngodly with it For in this dissolute age wherein iniquitie hath almost gotten the vpper hand it is most necessarie that we vse this instrument which God hath put in our hands Thou saist thou beleeuest shew thy faith by thy workes Now followeth another reason Thou beleeuest there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue and tremble Way this argument well ye shall plainly perceiue that it doth nothing at all helpe a man to say he hath faith when he hath no good deedes if this kinde of faith could saue him then should the diuels be saued also because they haue the same beleefe but because it is most certaine that the diuels shall not thereby bee saued therefore it is also as manifest that those men who haue no other beleefe but that which they haue cannot bee saued Let vs see then how farre the faith of Diuels doth goe Thou beleeuest saith he that there is one God or that God is one and so thou thinkest this a great matter not to beleeue as the vaine Gentiles which did thinke there were diuers gods and indeede for so farre thou doest well but yet marke what a great matter thou hast attained the Diuels doe beleeue the same and yet haue thereby no benefite or reconciliation with GOD for they tremble when they remember the terrible iudgement seate and the euerlasting fire which is prepared for them This faith of the diuels is not to be restrained to some one poynt but stretcheth vnto the whole doctrine of Faith They doe stedfastly beleeue and know that Iesus Christ dyed for the sinnes of the world this is a sure reason that they know the doctrine of GOD when they seeke to deface and ouerthrow it by contrary errors When a man therefore is of a sound iudgement in the Scriptures for matters of faith and is able to confirme euerie poynt and to ouerthrow the contrarie errours though many will say hee is a sound man and hee taketh himselfe to bee as great a Gospeller as any other yet if hee haue no workes if his faith bee not a liuely regenerating saith hee may esteeme of himselfe what he will but the Lord telleth vs that hee is no more forwarde then the diuels they are as founde in the knowledge of trueth as he And if this common and generall faith would serue they should bee saued as well as hee But it may bee here obiected that there is great difference betweene the faith of Diuels and the faith of those men which beleeue and yet haue no fruites of godlinesse in them The Diuels indeede doe beleeue all matters of faith to bee true but they doe not nor can not beleeue that they pertaine any thing at all to them they haue no hope of mercie but men although they bee very sinfull yet they are in hope that they shall bee saued Heere is a great difference therfore the faith of such men goeth far beyond the faith of Diuels The Lord giue vs eyes to see and hearts to vnderstand for I will shew that the difference is That the faith of the Diuels is more perfect For what is the

declare a wonderfull faith and loue towards God as we may easily see considering all the whole circumstances of the storie God hath called him out of his natiue country and from his fathers house into a strange land hee had promised him a sonne by his wife Sara of whome the blessed seed should come he performed this promise in his old age euen when Sara was by nature past childbearing Gen. 21.12 he had no other child by her the promise was made in none but in him In Isaac shall thy seede be blessed Ech man shall now be driuen to confesse that here was a great triall when God doeth bid him take his onely sonne euen Isaac and goe three daies iourney to the place which he would shew him and to offer him vpon the altar a slaine sacrifice How great a griefe is it for a louing father to loose a sonne which hee loueth dearely especially when hee hath no more sonnes then how much griefe might this be not onely to see his sonne slaine but also to slay him with his owne handes and most of all that childe in whome the couenant of eternall life was made because Christ should come of him who beeing dead all hope of saluation did die with him All this did not withhold but the faith of Abraham carried so great a loue in him and feare towardes God that hee neuer grudged at the matter nor neuer made delay but went indeed to haue slain his sonne hauing bound him vpon the wood and hauing taken in his hand the sacrificing knife to kill him Then the Angell of the Lord from heauen did forbid him Before the Lorde it was as if it had been done because Abraham did fully purpose to doe it then wee see plainly by this what the true faith is But if any man should obiect and say this example is not fit euerie man can not be like Abraham nor haue such a faith as hee had hee was a rare man few or none to be compared with him Saint Iames doth answer If ye thinke this example to be too high and that yee are not to be measured by it I will shewe you another as low what say yee to Rahab the harlot was not shee iustified by workes did not her faith declare it selfe by good workes Can ye take any exception against this example Will yee not be ashamed that your faith should not be like hers As the faith of Abrahā did vtter it selfe to the world so did hers whereby she shewed her selfe to be a right daughter of Abraham although shee were not of his posteritie according to the flesh but came of one of those cursed nations which God had commaunded the children of Israel to roote out and destroy yet I say shee was his daughter according as Saint Paul setteth it forth in the Epistle to the Romanes that hee should be the father not onely of them which are of the Circumcision but also of those that walke in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham like as all his children both of the Iewes and Gentiles must doe which will be blessed with their faithfull father Abraham Then wee haue here the example of the father of all the faithfull with the example of one of his daughters which had been a poore harlot what excuse remaineth or what can wee pretend shall wee not blush and be ashamed to say that we beleeue well and take our selues to be the children of Abraham and the children of God when we are no more like him then as the common saying is an apple is like an oister Christ our Sauiour doeth vse this reason against the Pharisies in the Gospell of Saint Iohn If yee were Abrahams children saith he ye would doe the workes of Abraham but now you go about to kill mee a man that hath tolde you the trueth which I haue heard of God this did not Abraham And a little after Ye are of your father the deuill and the lustes of your father yee will doe What would ye haue more plaine than this Euen the verie seed and posteritie of Abraham which tooke themselues to be the children of Abraham and the children of God yet Christ Iesus telleth them plainely they are the children of the deuill and why Because their workes were not like the workes of Abraham their beliefe was not like his but it was dead Shall wee not then as boldly say at this day nay rather doth not Christ speake as plainly as he did and telleth vngodly men to their face howsoeuer yee bragge of your faith it is but dead and howsoeuer yee boast and take your selues to be the children of God yet in verie deede vnlesse yee returne from your vngodly waies and shew forth the fruites of a true liuely faith yee are the children of the deuill trust not vnto your vaine hope and deade faith for it will but deceiue you Dearely beloued let vs not be so mad when God telleth vs this with his own mouth as to beleeue the contrarie and to perswade our selues wee shall doe well enough although we continue in our sinnes This is a most pestilent craft of Sathan and commeth from the roote of Infidelitie as yee may see in our great grandmother Eue God had told her and Adam that what day soeuer they should eate of the tree they should die the death the deuill told her yee shall not die she beleeued him but beleeued not God shee thought euen as the deuill tolde her shee should doe well enough or els shee would neuer haue eate thereof we haue sucked this poison from her breastes when God telleth vs if your faith bring not foorth good workes it is deade it can not helpe yee if yee continue in these wicked deedes yee are the children of the deuill yee must speedily repent for yee can not when yee would No no saith the deuill on the other side that is not true your faith is good enough goe on yee shall doe well God hath mercie in store yee may repent afterward Now the most doeth beleeue the deuill in this and giue no credit at all vnto God and neuer seeke to trie themselues whether they be in good case or not When the Apostle saith here that Abraham was iustified by workes and that Rahab was iustified by workes c. Wee must note that this word Iustified is taken diuers waies in the scriptures which is one cause as I noted before why Saint Paul and Saint Iames seeme to be contrary Saint Paul proouing that we are iustified by faith taketh it as contrarie to this worde condemned for being by our sinnes guiltie and to receiue the sentence of condemnation we are in Christ into whose mysticall body wee are incorporate thorough faith acquit and discharged which is called iustification this cannot be by the workes of the lawe because there is no perfection in the deedes of any but euen the most pure are vncleane and spotted Therefore as Saint Paul saith they are all

vnder the curse which holde of the workes of the law for it is written Cursed is euerie one which continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them The reason of this is to bee considered in the most holy and pure nature of God vnto whome no vncleane thing can be coupled no vnpure thing although it be but in part can abide his presence or haue fellowship with him The word Iustifie is also taken in this sense as when a man doth declare and shewe forth before men that hee is a righteous person also before God and that is the meaning of the word in this place that looke how by faith wee are iustified before God so by the fruits of our faith wee are iustified that is declared to bee iust before men For proofe that the Scripture doeth vse the word Iustified in this fense looke vpon the saying of Dauid That thou maiest be iustified in thy saying and pure when thou iudgest there it can signifie no more but that God might shewe and declare himselfe to be iust In the Gospell of Saint Luke chap. 16. vers 15. You are they saith Christ to the Pharisies which iustifie your selues before men but God doth know your hearts In this saying it is most apparant that there is a iustifying before men which the Pharisies in coloured hypocrisie did seeke for but Christ telleth them they were neuer the better because they were not of vpright heart before God The word is also taken in another sense which I omit If any mā will now demand how it can be prooued that Saint Iames doth vse it in this latter sense rather then in the former I answer that the verie place it selfe and goe no further doeth declare this thing for when the Apostle saith thus Some man will say shew me thy faith by thy workes is it not apparant that hee speaketh of that which is before men or declared vnto men and not of that which is before God In like manner when he saith Abraham was iustified by workes when hee offered his sonne Isaac vpon the altar Doth not the scripture shewe that before God Abraham was iustified long before by faith If it be obiected againe that it may also be said how hee was before that time iustified before men or that hee had shewed by his deeds vnto men that hee did feare and loue God and then what should hinder but that it may bee taken for a more full and perfect iustification or an increase thereof as wel before God as before men I answere that before God a man beeing iustified to speake properly there is no increase thereof for hee is fully and wholly discharged and acquite or els it is no iustification But because wee haue receiued the grace of iustification but in part and not in full measure therefore our iustifying before men is more and more declared by degrees as good workes doe more and more abound in vs and so Abraham was by this one worke more iustified before men then by all the rest of his deedes and therefore it may well be set downe in stead of all the rest We see here then that because by the scriptures this must needs be taken for an increase of iustification in our father Abraham that it must necessarily be vnderstood of that iustification which is before men ye see now the meaning of this text and the drift and scope of the Apostle is laid open vnto ye but my chiefe purpose is yet behinde and that wherein wee are to be wrought vpon yet remaineth which is a more particular application and handling of this doctrine For we must not passe away thus with the matter vnlesse we mind to take small fruit thereby Yee will confesse these things which I haue handled to be true as of necessitie we are forced thereunto wee can not but graunt that the holy Ghost hath giuen a perfect touchstone then am I to exhort you in the name of God as ye tender and loue the saluation of your soules to giue attentiue heede a little and not to let this thing slip away from yee Doe ye graunt that the faith which is without workes is dead and that it is no better then the faith of deuils And yet will yee still suppose that idolators swearers railers adulterers couetous worldlings and griping vsurers and such like are in good case or continuing such can hope for mercie Doe yee confesse that there is but one true faith which was the faith of Abraham and Rahab Doe yee also acknowledge that the same faith in them did shew it selfe by good deedes And will yee still accept it for a sufficient proofe of a good and sound testimonie of a true beleefe when any man can say I doe hurt no man I liue vprightly and pay euery man his owne I haue alwaies beene reputed and taken for an honest man what would ye require more of me I liue as my neighbours doe I trust God will hold me excused although hee haue no regard of any obedience to the worde of God to consider wherein his glorie doth consist nor yet any care of men to profite either their soules or their bodies but contenteth himselfe with this if hee doe them no good to do them no harme I will shewe you dearely beloued how these sorts of people are declued by two foule errors which this text doth most strongly ouerthrowe the first is this that they looke but vnto men and restraine their dutie vnto them whereas they shoulde chiefely looke vnto that which they owe vnto God and then to that which belongeth to their breethren the second is that they suppose themselues bound no further but to abstaine from hurting without regard of doing the duties of loue wherein one man is to profit and further another As concerning the first of these both the example of Abraham and also of Rahab doe manifestly conuince them because the fruites of their faith or the workes whereby they were iustified did not so much respect man as God for in Abraham there appeareth only a loue towards God for whose sake he was contented to forget the affection of a father to shew that although he loued Isaac dearly yet he loued God more so that if we feel our loue to the Lord our god to be so small that it can not preuaile with vs to kill mortifie the lustes of sinne and vaine pleasures of the flesh how shall we perswade our selues that wee are like Abraham which had denyed the loue of himselfe so farre that he did neuer grudge but would willingly haue killed his sonne Rahab after shee had made confession what she did beleeue concerning the God of Israel for the same Gods sake for the true religion for the Church and people of God tooke the messengers did hide them to the hazard of her life and all that shee had affirming to the king when hee sent to seeke them that they were

departed Doeth not this improoue the faith of those which for the religion of GOD are so farre off from hazarding their liues and goods that they dare not be seene when neuer so little danger doth arise wherein are those like vnto Rahab which will turne with euery winde and a man can not tell what religion they be of they will be sure to row with the tide and neuer to striue against the streame doe such now iustifie them selues like Rahab haue they such a faith as shee had No dearely beloued they are as yet verie infidels and loue them selues and the worlde more then they loue GOD and his truth this thing then is most euident that the true beleefe doth make all those that haue it ready and willing to lose their liues and their goods for the Gospell this must not seeme to be a strange doctrine when as our Sauiour telleth vs in sundry places that hee that doth not forsake all and take vp his crosse and follow him can not be his disciple Well wee must therefore be so hote and zealous in the profession of true religion that it cause vs to forget our owne state and commoditie we must haue so burning a loue to Gods trueth that nothing may be able to quench the same Wee must not stagger and varie because wee shall endure trouble Let vs conclude this point wherein it is proued that they erre and are deceiued which do not make account of keeping religion pure of louing it before all other things and so of giuing to God his due honour Remember that from hence ye are to fetch the first part of the true description of a godly man and the triall of the iustifying faith which is but one and therefore worketh alike in all which are partakers of it though not in the like measure and withall marke how farre the holy ghost doth differ in setting forth a righteous man from the common manner of worldlings whereas he taketh it to be the chiefe worke which respecteth God himselfe his truth they passe ouer that and count it no matter though a man be an idolater or superstitious or a swearer which doeth not reuerence the name of God so that hee be a friendly man to his friend and such like how great an enemie he be to the worde of God it skilleth not these are bruit beasts without vnderstanding verie Atheistes which will say plainly they can see no difference betweene the papists and the professours of the gospell both because they are not able to iudge of doctrine and also that they look but vnto men Now let vs come to the second thing wherein they erre and which this text doth confute sharply they suppose as I told ye that men are to haue no further regard but to this not to hurt passing by all those duties wherein they are to doe good vnto their brethren not duly considering how the lawe of God doth not only bind vs to abstaine from hurting our neighbour but also doth most straigtly tie vs to doe all good deeds vnto them so that he is guilty before God not only which committeth that which the lawe forbiddeth but also which leaueth the thing vndone which the law inioyneth Now then because the true faith bringeth vs to haue care to obey God wholly Saint lames requireth that a man should shewe his faith not onely by leauing that which is euill but also by the perfourmance of that which is good for thus he saith Shew me thy faith by thy deeds and that faith which is without workes is dead Here by the way obserue by comparison how farre off are those from grace which swarme full of vncleane vices and their whole race is nothing but a continuall sinning whereas this is euidently here prooued that such men as carrie a great shewe of vprightnes in refraining from sundrie vices are still without testimonie of true beleefe because their holy deeds doe not appeare for when as the holy scriptures doe testifie that the heart is purified by faith that those are borne againe in the new and spirituall birth that they are new creatures and haue a new heart and a right spirit created and renued in them it must needs be that they are prepared vnto euery good worke they haue not only put off the olde man with his corrupt lustes but haue also put on the new man which is created in righteousnes true holines as they haue walked in darkenes so now they walke in the light There is one step yet further in this matter I trust that as yee will confesse this That if those doe not beleeue well which haue no good workes to shewe although they bee in some things vpright and much more the foule filthy liuers which dishonour God and his truth so ye will also be brought to see that those miserable men are yet further off which barke against this holy doctrine and can not abide that a man should say to the wicked and vngodly thou art in the way to hell thou shalt die the death if thou returne not from these euils They may thunder and raile against men and say they vtter damnation but let them looke if they can quench the light which the holy ghost hath giuen in this text Let vs returne to the former matter againe Wee must not only abstaine frō euil but also do good there be many likewise deceiued in their doing good restraining it to the baser and lesser part they looke but vnto the bodies of their brethren and suppose they are to haue no further regard but of them to relieue and ease the miseries of the flesh let the soule be neuer so blind neuer so sick in neuer so great danger of eternall destruction they haue no pitie of that which doeth bewray that they see no further then this life they haue no true loue nor pitie in them for then would they loue the soules of men which are so precious they would pitie the wofull miserie that they be in For how absurd a thing is this that one should be carefull to case the calamitie which lasteth but for a day and not respect that which is eternall I must therfore here againe admonish ye that such as will haue proofe of their faith by good workes must exercise the same as well to the soules as to the bodies of men and because therin doth stand the greatest loue of all other they are therein to shew themselues most earnest There is no more excellent note of faith and of the true feare and loue of God then when a man is grieued and mourneth to see men out of the way to life running headlong in their sinnes vnto destruction and when as he doth in loue and pitie admonish them and seeke by instruction to draw them out of the snares of the deuill On the contrary side hee can neuer say he hath any droppe of grace which delighteth and sporteth himselfe at the lewde and wanton behauiour