The firme weake shall find strēght and confort The rude and simple true knowledge and erudition The learned and godly humble reioycing by the omnipotēt spirite of Iesus Christ to whome bee glorie before his congregation Amen This worke following cōteineth three principall parts The first parte how mā being in trouble should seek refuge at God alone And that naturally all men is subiect to trouble and howe profitable the same is to the godly Last of the cruell persecution of Sathan and his members against the chosen of God The secōd part cōteineth how mā is released of his trouble by faith and hope in the promisses of god therefore declareth the article of Iustification prouing that faith onely iustifieth before God without all deseruing or merite of our workes either preceeding or following faith with a solutiō to certaine cōtrarie argumēts made by the aduersaries of faith this article With the true vnderstāding of such scriptures as they alledge for thē The third and last part conteineth the fruites of faith whiche are good workes which euery man should worke according to their owne vocation in euery estate All this plainely may be perceaued in the life of our first parent ADAM which by transgression of Gods commandement fell in great trouble and affliction From which hee should neuer haue beene released without the goodnesse of God had first called him And secondly made vnto him the promisse of his saluation The which ADAM beleeuing before euer hee wrought good workes was reputed iust After during all his life hee continued in good workes striuing contrarie Sathan the worlde and his owne flesh ¶ THE AVTHOR VNTO THE FAITHFVLL Readers THE loue fauour mercy grace and peace of God the Father God the Sonne with the illumination of God the holy Ghost bee with you all my welbeloued brethrē which thirste after the knowledge of the word of God And most feruently desire the same to the augmentation increasing of the church of Christ dayly to flourish in godly wisedome and vnderstanding through faith vnfained euer working by loue Amen THE I. CHAPTER 1 What should be the study of man And vvhat man should do in time of tribulation AS desirous as the wild hart is in the most burning heat and vehement drouth to seeke the could fontaine or riuer of water to refresh his thirst So desirous should we be O lord God to seeke vnto thee our Creator Maker in all our troubles and afflictions and say with the Proph. Dauid Wherefore art thou sad or sorowfull O thou my soule or sprit why troubles thou me beleeue and hope surely in God that is Confide in his mercy call to remembrance the tyme by past how mercyfull helply propiciāt he hath bene to the fathers and deliuered them of their troubles Euen so shall hee do to thee if thou beleeuest vnfainedly in him seek hym in his worde not inquiring his name what they call him nor what similitude forme or shape he is of for that is forbidden thee in his lawe hee is that he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God of the Fathers to whome he made the promis of our redemptiō He would show his name no other waye to Moys Exo. 3. chap. but cōmanded him to passe to the people of Israel and say vnto them he which is hath send me to you that is my name frō the beginning that is my memorial frō one generatiō to another THE II. CHAP. 1 How mā comes to the knowledge of god 2 Where shold man seeke God and how he should receaue him 3 And by whome we should offer our petitions BY faith are wee taught to knowe god the father maker and creator of al Heauen Earth and all creatures whom we should beleeue to be almightie of infinite power mercy iustice and goodnes that he created in the beginning all thing of nought as the scripture teacheth vs Gen. 1. Chap. And that by the word which is the sone of god he made all thing which is made who is equall to the father in deuine nature and substance without beginning in the bosome of the father which was with god in the beginning and was also god And at the prefined and preordinate time by god the father was send into the world and made man taking our manly nature and cloathing him with the same and dwelled among vs. And after long time conuersing amongst vs teaching and preaching the realm of heauē being exercised in al trobles and calamities in the which this our mortall body is subiect except sin only finaly for our sakes suffered the most vile death for our redemption And rose from the same the 3. day for our iustification And after 40. daies ascended to the heauens and sites at the right hand of the father our aduocat as testifies the holy scriptures of him And thereafter send the holie spirit to instruct his Disciples of all veritie as hee had promised of before who proceeding from the Father and the Sonne the third person of the Trinitie descended vpon the Disciples in a visible signe of fyrie tounges by whome all Creatures is viuificat and hath life is gouerned ruled sustained and cōforted without the which all creatures would turne to nought Of this maner knowe thy God three Persons distinct in one substance of godhead Confound not the personnes nor deuide not the godhead But beleeue fearmly indoubtedly as thou art teached in the Symbole of the Apostles and of the holy man Athanasius confessed in the holy church of Christ. Ascend no higher in the speculatiō of the Trinitie thā thou art teached in the scriptures of God If thou wilt haue knowledge of the father seek him at the Sone If thou wilt know the Son seek him at the Father For none knoweth the Sone but the father none may com to the knowledge of the father but by the Sonne And also Christ being desired of Phillip one of his Apostles to show them the Father answeared this long time I am with you and ye haue not knowen me Phillip he who hath seene me hath sene the Father beleeuest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me Therefore whath euer thou desirest which good is seeke the same at the son for the Father hath giuen all thing in his power for that cause christ cōmāded vs all to come vnto him seeing he hath al things giuē to him and also cōmandeth vs all to come to him great fooles we are which seeke any other way of the which we are incertaine either in Heauen or in Earth as concerning our saluation wee are sure he loueth vs will heare vs according to his promise Greater loue thā this cā no man showe but that he put his life for his frendes Yea verily we being his Enemies he willingly gaue him selfe to the death to get vs
That is in forme of holynes He hath entred in the church in wonderfull subteltie for hee hath cled him with the most honest and shining works inuented this day by mens wit or reason Yea with the same works commanded also by God and by them maintaineth defended him selfe wholy yea verylie he had cled him with the blessed sacramēt of the body and bloud of christ for hee can well disguise him in workes with pride vaine glorie hipocrisie diffidēce dispaire Idle faith as to beleeue the historie onely presumption of the owne merites c. But in perfite faith which is the groundstone of this article of iustification he can neuer enter Therefore vnder colour of holines he hath caused and dayly causeth the prelates of the Church as they call them who should of their vocation haue to the shedding of their bloud defended this Article pursue the same most cruelly with all tormentes inuented by mans wit vnder the false pretence of good workes hauing no respect to faith And so shall Abell dye and Cain liue Ye shall vnderstand that the oft repeating of the death of Abell and the life of Cain is no vaine storie nor purpose but the true similitude of the Church of christ which first watered with the bloud of Abel remaineth example to this houre and shal to the seconde cōming of Christ to the latter iudgemēt In the which two persons is set forth to vs the perfite knowledge of the Church which consistes in the godly and vngodly And euer the perfite and iust Churche is pursued with the wicked neuer pursueth by which the disciples and seruauntes of Christ are knowen as testifie the holy scriptures I exhort you which are aduersaries to this article of iustification consider with your selfe if euer ye red the history in canonical scriptures or prophane histories that euer the true and perfite church frō the beginning of the world to this houre persecuted any but euer was persecuted and the godly glad thereof Herefore the forme order of this tyrannicall persecutiō vsed this day by them hauing the ecclesiasticall power in their handes against the faithfull professours of this article I iudge to be of the deuill and may say truely to them as Christ saide to the Scribes Pharisies all the bloud which is shed from the bloud of Zacha. whome they slew betwene the altare the temple shall come vpon these cruell tirantes which impunge this Article and slaye the faithfull professours thereof Against these sayings the aduersaries of faith and veritie crye The canon Lawe the aucthoritie of the Church the long consuetude the examples of the Fathers the Bishop of Romes aucthoritie the generall Counsels Heresie Heresie So there is no remeady but let Abel dye and Cain liue that is our lawe My hartes yee which haue entered in the Church of Christ by the bishoppe of Romes law and aucthoritie with his faire bulles your shauen crounes smaring you with oyle or chreame and cloathing you with all Ceremonies commanded in your law If yee thinke you therethrough the successours of the Apostles and Fathers of the church ye are greatly deceaued for that is but a politike successiō or ceremonial The successiō of the Church is farre otherwyse the which requireth you to haue knowledge in the scriptures of God to preache and teache the same with the other qualities cōditions cōteined in the scriptures as hereafter shalbe showē in the speciall vocations of the which if ye be expert and your vocation lawefull according to the worde of god doubtles ye are the successors of the apostles haue the same auctority they had committed to them by Christ. And if ye want the saide conditions and qualities Yee are but reauing wolfes clede with shepe skinnes what authoritie that euer the bishop of Rome giue you For it is no more in his power to make a Bishop of him which can not preache nor hath the knowledge to rule the flocke committed to his care according to the word of god then it is in his power to make an asse to speake or bee man or yet cause a blinde man to see Therefore I pray you learne the scriptures that ye may walke in your vocation right for of your succession yee haue no more matter to glorie then the Iewes had to glorie against Christ calling them the sonnes of Abraham whom he called the Sonnes of the deuill They gloried in the carnall succession and ye glory in the politike or Ceremoniall succession And all is one thing God sende you knowledge and vnderstāding of his worde that yee may cease from your tyrannie and the true faithfull may liue in rest and quietnes THE XII CHAP. 1 The diuision of iustice in generall with the definition of euery part thereof 2 The cause that no man is iust by the law 3 Scriptures and examples prouing all me except Iesus Christ to be sinners LEt vs passe forewarde in the discussing of this Article of iustification for knowledge of the which necessarie it is to showe what iustice is of man what of the lawe either of God or man which being shortly discussed wee shall the more easily come to the knowledge of our christiā iustificatio which is a thing farre aboue all law either of god or man for it is the iustice by the which a wicked man is made iust through faith in the bloud of Iesus Christ without the works of the lawe because of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbe made iust before god as the apostle saith This is asmuch to say as because no man fulfilleth the law nor doth the deedes and workes of the same in the pure and cleane estate as the lawe required them to bee done according to the puritie of the same Therfore the law can pronunce none iust before god This worde iustice or rightuousnesse generally by the philosophers is takē cōmonly for the obedience and outwarde honesty according to all vertues of morall maners the which a man may doo and performe of his owne power and strēgth This is called an vniuersall or general Iustice after the philosophicall definition the same S. Pau. called the righttuousnesse of the law or workes because the Transgressours of this iustice are punished as wicked and vnrighteous For whome the Lawe is made and ordinate as Saint Paule sayeth 1. Timoth. the first Chap. for the iust needeth no law These morall maners and discipline is the most excellent rayment or habite wherewith man may bee cled Neuerthelesse they can not make a man iust before God nor is not the Iustice which we speak of here in this treatise The Politike or Ciuill Iustice is the obediēce which euery Subiect and Inferiour estate of mā giueth to their prince and Superiour in all the worlde The which proceedeth of the lawe of nature and is a good worke without the which obedience to the punishmēt of the wicked and defence of the
this corrupted nature so can not be pronounced iust by the lawe because of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbe made iust before god From Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham and from Abraham to Moyses induring the which space and time we cā finde none of the holy fathers which liued vnder the law of nature pronoūced iust by the deeds of the law but all were sinners and Transgressours of the lawe as Adam was as testifieth the whole history of Gen. Therfore the iustice of a christian man shall we not finde in the law becaus of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbee found iust before god Moyses who was mediatour betwene god and his people of Israell in giuing of the law of the two tables which is but a declaration of the lawe of nature right vnderstand fulfilled not the lawe as yee may reade in the booke of Num. the 20. chap. where Moys and Aaron ar both reprehēded of god for their diffidence and incredulitie the which is the breaking of the first commandement of god And a great and weightie sin howbeit the reason of man cannot consider it yea veriely greater and weightier before God then either slaughter or adulterie In the sight of man the crime appeeres but small for God gaue commandement to speake to the stone or rock in presence of the people And charged the same to giue water but they spak to the people with a doubt saying may not god giue you water out of this rocke then stroke vpō the stone twise which gaue water aboūdantly but god would not pretermit the punishmēt of their vnfaithfulnes saying they shold neuer enter in the land promissed to the people of Israell And Moys also testified no mā to be innocent before god but by fauour and imputation of grace through faith And howbeit Moys repēted sore the said offence prayed feruently that he might enter into the lād of promis he was not hard for god would not alter his sentence as yee may collect of the saying of Moyses Deut. 3. Chap. where god saith to him speak no more to me of that matter thou shalt not passe ouer the water of Iordane Here ye may see that man can finde no iustice in the lawe which is of value before God Iob who was cōmended by the mouth of god the most iust in earth could finde no iustice in the law for howbeit he was innocent in the sight of man hee might not enter in iudgement with god becaus the iustice of man is nothing before god as ye may reade in his booke alledges the starres of Heauen not to bee pure in the sight of god muchlesse are men to stande in iudgement with his law to bee pronounced iust Therefore the holy mā Iob concluded his booke with confession and repentance graunting him to be a foolish sinner And so by faith in the promised seed was receaued in the fauour of God accepted as righteous the which is the iustice that is of value before god Dauid the figure of Christ of whome god speaketh saying I haue found a mā according to my hartes desire sayth enter not in iudgement with thy Seruant O Lorde for in thy sight no man liuing shalbee made iust or righteous that is asmuch to say after the mind of the prophete If ye wilbe iustified by the law ye must enter in iudgement with God who is he that liueth so godly and holy in the earth which may or cā defend his cause being called to the iustice seate of God to giue accompt and reakoninge of all thinges which hee aught to God and by his lawe iustly hee may require there is not one as the Prophete saith Therefore O lord if thou shalt call vs to iudgement and aske question of oure life and maners according to the rigour of thy lawe there shalbee to vs no hope of saluation S. August expounding the said verse saith There is no man liuing vpon earth excepted in this cause no not the Apost and concluded with these words let the Apostles say and praye O father of heauen forgiue vs our debtes as wee forgiue our debtours and if any would say vnto them why saye yee so what is your debt They would aunsweare saying because no liuing creature shalbee founde iust in thy sight And in another place expounding the said wordes Enter not in iudgement with thy Seruant O Lorde that is stande not in iudgement with mee asking from mee all thinges which thou hast commanded and giuen me charge to doo and leaue vndone for thou shalt finde me giltie if thou enter in iudgement with me Therefore saith hee I haue neede of thy mercy rather then to enter with thee in iudgement And S. Bernard in the sermō which he maketh writs in the day of all Saintes speaketh after this maner but what may all our iustice be before god shal it not be reputed or esteemed like vnto the menstrous cloth of a womā according to the saying of the prophete and if it be sharply accused all our iustice shalbe foūd vnrighteousnes what then shalbe our sins when our iustice may not answere for the selfe Therefore let vs cry with the prophete enter not in iudgement with thy seruant O lord and with all humility run to the mercy of God which onely may saue our soules Here ye may clearely vnderstand by the holy fathers saying that they vnderstoode the scriptures and article of iustification as we do finding no righteousnes in the law but only through faith in the mercy of god The saide Prophete saith if thou O lord shall keepe our iniquities and laye vp our sins in store O Lord who shall sustaine or abide S. Aug. expounding these words saith the prophete said not I shall not susteine But who may susteine or abyde thy iudgement if thou wilt accuse He saw the whole life of man circumuolued with sinnes all consciences to be accused with their owne thoughts And no cleane pure chast hart to be foūd presuming in his own righteousnes Therefore if a cleane or chaste hart cannot bee foūd presuming in his owne iustice let all mē with the hart in faith vnfainedly presume in the mercy of god say vnto him If thou O Lord shall keepe or laye vp in store our iniquities O Lord who shall or may abyde it where then is the hope of our saluation with thee O Lord for the helpe and satisfaction or sacrifice for our sinnes is with thee as it followeth in the next verse of the same Psal. What is this sacrifice but the innocent bloud of christ shedd which hath deleted and put away our sinnes the onely price giuen to redeeme all Prisoners and captiues forth of the Enemies handes Herefore help satisfaction is with thee O lorde for if it were not with thee but that thou woldst bee a iust iudge and not merciefull and wouldest obserue and keepe all
our iniquities and seeke them of vs who might abyde it Who should stand in thy iudgement and say I am innocent Therefore our onely hope is that helpe mercy and fauour is with thee O ye which are aduersaries to faith prent these wordes in your hartes which yee reade with your mouthes but take no care of them and then yee shall not impung this Article of iustification but saye with vs the wordes of the prophete enter not into iudgemēt with thy seruant O Lorde for in thy sight no liuing creature shalbe found iust THE XIII CHAP. 1 The iustice of a Christian. 2 The questions of the wicked against the manifest will of God taught in the scriptures 3 Tokens declaring the serpentes seede NOw sithēs our forefathers which liued most iust could not be made iust in the deedes of the lawe or in no law could finde this iustice by the which a wicked man is made iust of necessitie we are compelled to seeke the iustice of a christian man without all lawe or workes of the lawe And of another then our self which is iust and innocent that no law may or cā accuse through his iustice we must be maid iust for of our selfes we are not iust Nor no man as the prophet saith the 13. Psalme And the Apost Ro. 3. cha All mē haue left god and altogether are becom vnprofitable none of them is found good except one which is the man Christ Iesu the only begotten sonne of god by whom and by his merits through faith in his bloud we are all receaued into the fauour grace and mercy of God the father accepted as righteous and iust without all our merites or deseruinges to the euerlasting life This is the iustice of a christian which at length shal be declared with gods grace hereafter Here the aduersaries will moue three questions to se if they may impung the trueth The first is wherfore gaue god the law to mā or what auailed the giuing of the same if man of his owne power and strength may not fulfill the lawe The second questiō is if man may not be made iust through the deedes and works of the law wherefore should man do any good works The third is how were the fathers made iust by what meanes To the first question concerning the giuing of the lawe the cause wherefore it was giuen and why we fulfill not the same I will answere vnto it presently And the other two questions shalbee discussed with the Article of iustification That is with the discussing of the iustice pertaining to a Christian man And in the forthsetting of good workes which followed faith as the true fruites thereof But first yee shall note and keepe well in memorie that the wicked euer obiects questions and causes vnto god on this maner when any thing occurres which transcendeth their fleshely wit and reason then say they wherefore did god this or that thing the which sayinges declareth thē to be the serpents seed of whom they learned that lesson For it was his first proposition made vnto our mother Eue in Paradise saying Wherefore hath god commanded you that ye should not eat of all the trees in the paradise thus he perswaded the woman to giue him answere of the cause not perteining her to know so brought her to cōfusion Euē so doth the vngodly sonns of the deuil inquiring at God the causes of his secret iudgements as wherefore hath god chosen one and reiected another with other such vnprofitable questions of the predestination and forescience of God But in all such matters which are aboue our capacitie and reason let vs saye with the Apost O highnes o deepenes o profoūdnes of the riches of the knowledge and of the wisedome of God How in comprehensible are the iudgements of him and vnsearchable are the wayes of him for who hath knowen the minde of the lord or who hath beene his Counsellour or who hath first giuen to him that hee should giue againe to them for of him and by him and in him are all thinges To whome be honour praise and glorie for euer Herefore my well beloued bretheren inquire ye nothing of the workes of god and of his secret iudgementes but as his worde teacheth you and seeke no cause of his workes more then of his diuinitie But be content to knowe those thinges which are in your capacitie and vnder iudgement of the reason of man For as Iob sayth in his booke if God hastely inquire vs who shall answeare vnto him or who may say vnto him wherefore doest thou so He is god whose Ire no mā may resist Read the whole 10. chap. for confirmatiō of this matter And I exhort you by the mercy of god to reade the Scriptures not as they were a prophane historie of Hector Alexander or other gentill histories Nor yet as the manly science of Plato Aristotle the bishop of Romes lawe or others which are but the science of men and may be iudged by the reason of man but with an humble hart submit you to god and his holy spirit who is Schoolemaister of his scriptures and will teache you all veritie necessarie for your saluation according to the promisse of Iesus Christ. For the vnderstanding of the scriptures is not of manly wisedome or knoweledge but the Godly men moued by the holy spirite haue spoken and forth showen the perfite knowledge of the scripture as Saint Peter saith in his second Epist. the 1. chap. Therefore think the scriptures not difficil but to the fleshly man which shal get no vnderstanding thereof They deceaue you which say the scriptures ar difficil no man cā vnderstād them but great clearkes Verily whome they call their clearkes knowe not what the scriptures meane feare nor dread not to reade the scriptures as yee are taught here before And seeke nothing in them but your own saluation and that which is necessarie for you to knowe And so the holy spirit your teacher shall not suffer you to erre nor go beside the right waye but lead you in all veritie And so will we passe forward to the question before rehearsed Wherefore god gaue the law as we are taught by his scriptures THE XIIII CHAP. 1 An introduction to answere the first question of the wicked 2 To what creatures god gaue law and why he gaue the law to man 3 Of Adams gifts before his fall hath no man experience 4 The law giuen to Moyses and why man may not fulfill the law THere can nothing be perfitly vnderstand without the groūd and foūdation be sought knowē So for the true knowledge of this question ye must begin at god and know him as he hath cōmanded in his scriptures and seeke him no other wayes and by him yee shall get knowledge of your selfe God being without beginning as he is without ending in the beginning made all creatures perfite right and good and last of all men to his owne
opinions iudgements but the perfite christian mā should looke first in his corruption of nature consider what the law requireth of him in the which he finding his imperfection and sinnes accused for that is the office of the law to vtter sinne to mā and giueth him no remedy then of necessitie is he cōpelled either to dspaire or seeke Christ by whome hee shall get the iustice that is of value before God which can not begotten by any law or works because by the deedes of the lawe no fleshe shalbe iustified before God Yee shall not meruell of the oft rehearsinge of these wordes that of the deedes of the law no fleshe shalbe made iust that is declared reputed foūd or pronounced iust before god for they are rehearsed before the forthsetting of the article of iustification that it may seeme the more cleare and to that effect the same wordes were spoken by the Apostle Rom. the third Chapter Of this maner we know what euer the lawe speaketh to them it speaketh whiche are in the lawe that all mouthes may bee stopped and all the worlde made subiect vnto god because by the deedes of the law no fleshe shalbee made iust before him And therefore I haue repeated them so oft because they lead all men to the perfite knowledge of their iustificatiō which is in Christ. This proposition of the holy spirite is so perfite that it excludeth if ye will vnderstande the same right all the vaine foolish arguments of sophistrie made by the iustifiers of them selfes which peruerte the wordes of S. Paule as they doo the other scriptures of god to their peruersed sence and mind saying that the Apostle excludeth by these wordes the workes of the law Ceremoniall and not the deeds of the law of nature morall law of Moyses The which shameles sayings are expresly euacuat by the wordes of the Apost Insomuch that no man of righteous iudgement can denye but shall feele the same as it were in their hands by this probatiō the law speaketh to all that is accuseth all men that are vnder the law All men are vnder the law of nature or the law of Moys Therefore the Apost speaketh of the law of nature Moy. and of all men which he comprehendeth vnder Iewe gentill as he proueth by his argumētes in the first and second Chap. to the Roma And concludeth in the third Cha. all men are sinners If all men bee sinners none is iust If none bee iust none fulfill the lawe If none fulfill the lawe the lawe can pronounce none iust Therefore concludeth he that of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbe founde iust before God The same is proued by Dauid in the 13. Psalme Here ye see by the words of the Apostle he intendes to proue and declare all men Sinners That is to stoppe all mens mouths and to dryue them to Christ by the accusation of the law No law may make or declare all men sinners and subdue the whole world to God but the law of nature and Moyses Therefore vnder that word law the Apost comprehēded the law morall and not the law Ceremonial only Becaus it followeth in the text The knowledge of sinne is by the lawe And also I knewe not sinne sayth S.P. but by the lawe Nor I had not knowen that lust or cōcupiscence had bene sinne were not the law said Thou shal not lust Therefore ye cānot eschew but confesse that the Apostle speaketh of the law morall yea and of all lawes and all men because hee excepts none Therefore let vs conclude with the Apost and the holy spirite that the iustice of god is without the law made patent and forthshowē by the lawe and prophetes And then shall we come to our Iustice which is Christ as S. P. saith the 1. Epist. the first chap. to the Corinth If yee will saye of your vaine conceate as ye which are aduersaries to faith euer obiects vanities that the Apostle in his conclusion comprehendeth not all men proceeding from Adam by naturall propagation but that some iust men are excepted Ye shall not finde that exception in scripture of any man except Christ. Who beeing both God and man is expresly excepted because hee neuer contracted sinne Fraude nor deceat was neuer found in his mouth by this exceptiō all other are excluded because there is no other who can be found iust but he For that cause he only fulfilled the law and satisfied the same By whome all which beleeue are accepted as iust without the deedes of the lawe through faith in the bloude of Iesu Christ. Let vs passe forward therefore in the scriptures for to finde the Iustice of a christian man which can not be founde in the lawe nor deedes thereof THE XVI CHAP. 1 The diuersitie of names of that iustice which is acceptable before God 2 Iustice is plainly reueled in the euangell 3 What is to liue in faith or by faith THe iustice whereof we haue made mentiō in the beginning and that is so cruelly and tyranously persecuted by our aduersarie Sathan is called the iustice of God the iustice of faith and the Iustice of a Christian man The whiche is all one thinge glued and ioyned together that by the same wee are in Christ and hee in vs by the mercy of god purchased by christ through faith in his bloude without all our deseruings either proceeding or following the same And it is so farre different from the other iustice of the law as darkenesse from light and heauen from earth becaus it wilbe alone and not participant with any other thing that Christ may haue his due honour Who obtained this iustice frō the father and is the price thereof And first it is called the iustice of god because it proceedeth only of the mercy of God Secondly the iustice of faith because faith is the instrument whereby in Christ we obteine the mercy of God freely giuen to vs for Christes sake And thirdly it is called ours because by faith in Christ without all our deseruinges wee receaue the same and are made reputed and compted iust and accepted in to the fauour of god And all three ar one Iustice deuided by sundrie names as is before saide which is this article of iustification As by example almes deede is but one name And yet after the common maner of speaking it is appropriat truely to three that is to the Giuer to God and to the Receauer In almes the poore and indigent haue no part but only to receaue and giue thankes The giuer freely giueth of his liberalitie substance and for gods sake So it is properly called the almes of the giuer and iustly attribute vnto god becaus for his sake it is giuē And also to the receauer becaus he is made rich therewith In the like maner this iustice of God proceedeth of his aboundant mercy and grace fauour and goodnes which hee beareth toward man kind that is poore
the disciples the which neither wee nor our Fathers might beare but by the mercy of Iesus Christ we beleeue to be made safe as they were And S. August in the 157. Epist. saith Therefore if the fathers being vnable to beare the yoke of the old lawe beleeued them to be made safe by the mercy of our lord Iesu Christ It is manifest that the same mercy or grace made the old fathers to liue iust by faith Now ye may see clearely that the old fathers were all made safe through the mercy of God without all the deedes of the law Then how will you make your selfe safe with workes which neuer did so good workes as the fathers So there can bee no better conclusion to exclude your workes in the article of iustificatiō then S. P. maketh saying that a man is made iust by faith without the deedes of the law Therefore faith onely iustifieth before god Ye shall vnderstand that it is all one thing to say faith onely iustifieth And to saye faith without workes iustifieth As by example if one saye the goodman is in the house alone or he is in the house without anybody with him This is all one maner of speaking The scripture saith mā is made iust by faith without the workes of the law Therefore we may well say that faith onely iustifieth For confirmation hereof yee shall reade the 2. Chapter to the Hebre. before rehearsed in the which yee shall finde the histories briefly repeated by the Apost testifiing the fathers to bee made safe by faith referring nothing to workes except onely that the workes beare a outwarde testimonie of the faith Abell by faith or in faith offered to god a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain did by the which hee obteined witnesse that hee was iust god bearing witnesse of the offerings and by the same hitherto speaketh being dead God looketh first to the hart of man before hee looke to his workes as testifieth the voyce of God saying I iudge not after the sight of man For hee seeth the thing whiche appeareth outwardly But I beholde the hart That is the man is first made iust by faith And accepted in the fauour of God as Abell was And then his workes are acceptable and please God because they are wrought in faith That it is the mind of the Apost S. P. to exclude all workes either going before or following faith to bee of the substance of the Article of iustification proued clearely the arguments and matters of his Epist. Specially to the Rom. Galath Hebre. In the which he laboureth so diligently that all the Sophistes and workers that are Iustifiers of themselfes may not get a corner to hyde them into from his conclusions without they deny Christ and his office At the least in effect as they doo after their maner But the wisedome of god and his holy spirite deceaueth them for when they wrest and throwe the scriptures to their minde in one place they are compelled in another place of the same Scripture to confesse them selfes Lyers In the Epistle to the Rom. from the beginning to the 12. chap. and in the Epistle to the Galath to the 5. Chap. with all laboure and diligence he setteth forth the iustice of god to bee through faith in Iesu Christ without all workes of the lawe And when he hath established the same Article of iustification Then setteth he forth the workes of righteousnes in the which a christian mā shal liue becaus the iust shal liue in faith This order ye may see in the saide Epistles and in the Epist. to the Hebre. hee declareth the office of Christ his priesthood and sacrifice and giueth faith her place the 11. Chap. All his laboure was to exclude the mixtion which now these fained workers would haue ioyned in with faith and the benefite of Christ which is no other thing but the worke of the deuil our aduersary to make the death of christ in vaine as the Apost sayth Therefore if iustice be of the law or by the law christs death is in vaine But thinke not that I intende through these assertions to exclude good works No god forbid for good workes are the gift of god and his good creatures And ought and should be done of a christian as shalbe showen hereafter at length in their place But in this article of iustification yee must either exclude all workes or els exclude Christ from you and make your selfes iust the which is impossible to do because we are wicked and can do no good at all which can be of value before God or pacifie his wrath except Christ first make our peace For that is his office for the which he came in the world and suffered death So if yee will not exclude Christ exclude your workes For in this case there is no concurrence more then there is betweene darknes light For what participation hath righteousnesse with iniquitie or what fellowship hath light with darknesse The definition of this Iustice is made plaine by S. P. Ro. the 3. Chap. which I exhort you to reade consider worde by worde conceaue and prent them well in your harts then shall ye be able to contend and fight valiātly against sathā and his sophistes of whom yee shall haue victorie by faith which is our victorie that ouercōmeth the world The iustice of god is by the faith of Iesu Christ In all and vpon all which beleeue in him there is no distinctiō or exception All haue sinned and haue need or are destitute of the glorie of god But they are made iust by his mercy freely without the workes by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whome god hath proponed or layd before a sacrifice or satisfactiō by faith in his bloud to the forthshowing of his iustice for remissiō of the sinnes by past the which god hath suffered to the forthshowing of his righteousnes at this time that hee may be iust and iustifie him which is of the faith of Iesu Christ. Where thē is thy glorie or vanting it is excluded by what law of works No but by the law of faith Therfore we beleeue surely a man to be made iust by faith without the deedes of the law Now I pray you tell me what plainer words may be spokē or termes inuēted to exclude all our works merites or power to be participant with god in this article of iustification They are as plaine and cleare as the sonne in midday Neuerthelesse because the wordes are so pretious and necessarie aboue all things to be imprented and continually keeped in the hart of man I will make some declaration of euery part and particle of this definition And proue by authoritie of scripture this iustice of god by the which a man is made iust to be without all works or power of mā only by faith in the mercy of god Of this Iustice Dau. speaketh saying lead me in thy iustice O lord because
of my enemies direct my way in thy sight That is O Lorde my god for thy greate goodnes singuler kindnes and naturall loue thou wast euer wont to show vnto sinners and mankind bee to me a gouernour guider and conuoyer in all perilles and daungers suffer neuer my minde to decline from the right waye for any maner of strength or feare of my enimies And also in thy iustice O Lorde deliuer me that is for thy goodnesse and mercy And after iudge thou me O Lorde and discusse my cause that is take my defēce vpon thee for I am not able of my self to resist Therfore in thy iustice deliuer me and be vnto me a strength inuincible So shall ye finde in diuers and sundrye Psal. other places of scripture as Daniell 9. Chap. Iustice and righteousnes vnto thee O lord but vnto vs confusiō and shame of face In the which Chap. ye may read what iustice or holynesse that holy Prophete ascriueth vnto him or to the most holy of the people Amongest whome assuredly there was many good punished with the wicked but none which might ascribe righteousnes to themself Sometime yee shall finde in Scripture this worde iustice ascribed vnto man as Dau. saith heare me who called on thee O Lorde of my iustice c. That is god the Author Giuer and keeper of my innocēcie hath looked vpō me And iudge me lord after my iustice and according to my innocency which is in me Here he forthshoweth not his vertues or his righeousnes whiche are in him with these words because he saith in another place Enter not in iudgement with thy seruant O lorde for in thy sight no liuing thing shalbe found iust And the holy ghoste is neuer cōtrarie to himself But here he called the iustice of God his by imputation And also hee was innocent of the thinge which was layde to his charge by King Saule who euer accused him of treason and vsurping of the crowne of Israell in the 16. Psal. hee saith Heare my iustice O Lorde and giue attendance to my desire and prayers Here hee calleth his iustice his petition And in innumerable places of scripture yee shall finde this word iustice sometime ascribed to god sometime to man because of the receauing of the same from god but euer the scripture makes the selfe plaine by the sentence that goeth before or els followeth or in some other place Therefore take good heede vpon the reading of the scriptures that ye deceaue not your selfes ascribing any deede or power of yours to the Article of iustificatiō for it may suffer none but only Christs merits because the merites of man are impure and imperfite may not abyde the iustice of God nor stand in his sight It followeth in the definition of this iustice By the faith of Iesu Christ in all and vpon all which beleeueth in him Here ye may see our faith that we beleue in Iesu Christ called his faith as it is in deede And the faith also of god and by the same reasō as the iustice is called before because it is the gift of God as S. P. saith Ephe. the 2. Chap. and is the instrument by the which we obteine the mercy of god remission of our sinnes the gift of the holy spirite and euerlasting life all for Christes sake without our deseruings by the which wee are ioyned in Christ and Christ in vs as the pretious stone is ioyned in the gold ring So let all our delite and pleasure bee to imbrace Christ in our hart by faith in his bloude For faith is the thing which Christ desireth of a sinner Beleeue sonne thy sinnes are forgiuē thee And also all which beleeue in mee saith Christ shall not dye eternally And to the woman in the 7. Chapter of S. Luc. thy faith hath made thee safe It followeth in the definition there is no distinction nor exception all hath sinned and hath neede of the glorie of god that is all wanteth that iustice which god approued or iudged to be glorie And so all mē are sinners and reiected from god and can not be made iust by the lawe because the same accused sinne and is like a mirrour in thy hād to cōsider the forme of thy face which can do no other thing but show thee thy deformitie God hath concluded all vnder sin that he may haue mercy vpon all The scripture hath concluded all vnder sin that the promis may be giuen through the faith of Iesus christ to all which beleeue It followeth in the definition but they are made iust freely by the grace of god through the redemption which is in Iesu Christ. Here ye see the Apost purposeth to exclude all your merites in deseruing of this iustice To the effect he may as in all his Epist. and labours he intended set foorth the glorie of god and the benefite of christ the which cā no wise be highlier setforth then in the making of a wicked man iust and freely that is for nothing and without deseruing For that cause Christ is made to vs from god wisdome iustice holynes and redemption that he which reioyseth may reioyse in the lord And that meaneth the Apo. Pau. and the prophet Ieremie which will haue all out vertues giuen vnto God as wisedome strength riches which are in our power to vse and exercise as the gifts of God much more iustice which is not in our power For we are made make not our selues the which we do if we deserue it either for workes preceeding or following the iustification to haue any part of the substance thereof And so would ye drawe the glorie of God to you in one part the which God will not suffer as the Prophete Esay saith My glorie will I giue to no other either must yee make your selues iust or els bee made iust by god if yee make your selues iust ye are not allowed of god So the glorie redoundeth to your selfe of your owne worke This the holy spirite will neuer approue nor consent vnto as ye read the second Epist. to the Corinth the 10. chap. Coloss. 3. Phillip 3. Galath 6. That wee are made iust freely by the mercy of god declareth S.P. for cōfirmation of this his assertiō by grace saith he ye are made safe through faith and that not of your selfes It is the gift of god not of workes that none haue matter to glorie or reioyse This same he affirmeth in his Epistle to Titus the third Chap. and Rom. the 11. Chap. where hee saith if it bee of grace then it is not of workes Otherwise grace were no grace Here ye may see this iustice is of mercy freely without all oure merites or deseruinges Yee are made iust by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu and not in your selues For Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe and is made for vs accursed That is hee suffered
thankefull vnto god whome we knowe to be fauorable gentle kinde and mercyfull to the godly and to the wicked wrathfull and angrie This is the solutiō to the argumēt made in the beginning which proueth wherefore should we doo good if we be free from the law and freely iustified by the mercy of God through faith without our deseruinges Therefore choose you now if ye wilbe seruants to sinne or seruantes to righteousnesse Subiectes of the kingdome of Christ or of the kingdome of the deuill for wee are made free and iust by grace through faith that we shuld liue in righteousnes to Christ who hath dyed for all that they which liue liue not now to thē selues but to him which hath suffered death for them and hath risen againe from the same Keeping this order yee shall neuer cease to doo good works as occasion requireth THE XX. CHAP. 1 An answere to all scriptures which our aduersaries alledge for them against the iustification of faith 2 Wherfore works are commended in scriptures 3 An argument prouing that no workes iustifie NOw because there is some Scripturs which our aduersaries wold cause to bee seene either contrarie to the scriptures before rehearsed for probation of this article of iustification or els with them they would mixt this article so that faith not only iustifieth without works Therefore I will rehears some of the most principal of them And cause you vnderstand by the same scriptures they are neither contrarie to his article nor yet haue any entresse with faith in the making of a wicked man iust but followe faith as the due fruites thereof In the which the Christian man should liue as said is before In the Epistle of S. Iames the second Chap. It is said Bretheren what profite is it if a man say hee hath faith but hath no works may his faith saue him And again ye see saith hee that a man is iustified of workes and not of faith only Here the aduersaries of faith make a a great feast but they vnderstande this saying of the holy Apostle as they doo the other scriptures euer working with the Deuill to make the holy spirite contrarie to himselfe which is impossible But will yee vnderstand take heede and read the text ye shal see clearely that the Apostle speaketh of the historicall or idle faith that is dead without workes to the confusion of the wicked christians which haue no faith but in the mouth and not of the faith which maketh a man iust before God and obteineth remission of sinnes By the same examples and wordes that he rehearseth for he saith the deuill troweth beleeueth and dreadeth but the deuill can neuer beleeue that christ hath redeamed him and purchaste to him the mercy of god remissiō of sinnes and eternall life whiche is the faith to whome S. Paul ascriueth iustification only And also he reproued the euill Christian which sayeth hee hath faith and neglecteth the deedes of charitie in cloathing of the naked and feeding of the hungrie whiche deedes are the fruits of faith of the which S. P. speaketh Therefore there is no contrarietie in the Scriptures before rehearsed but concurrence And also the offering of Isaac as mention is made before was done aboue thirtie yeares after the iustification of Abraham to the forthshowing of his obediēce as the text proueth Gene. the 15. Chap. 22. Chap. In the which offring the scripture was fulfilled as saith S. Iames Abraham beleeued God and it was compted to him for righteousnes Here ye may see clearely S. Iames speaketh nothing of the iustification before god but of the iustificatiō before thy neighbour becaus of the examples authorities of the scriptures alledged by him which ar of works done in faith by the faithful long after their iustification For faith onely iustifieth before God as S. P. saieth without works And workes iustifie before man outwardly and declare a man iust before his neighbour in exercising the deedes of charitie which are approued before God and acceptable to him in them whiche are reconciliate by faith in the mercy of God and beareth witnesse that a man is iust Therefore yee who would alledge this authoritie of S. Iames to impung the articlcle of iustification which we confesse vnderstand not the Scripturs nor haue no foundatiō for you but ignorance babling of words They alledge an other text the 10. of the Actes of Cornelius whose prayers almes deedes past vp in the sight memory of god By the which words they would inferre his works made him iust or at the least prouoked God to call him to the faith which is all one thing For if we by our deedes may prouoke god to loue vs or to haue mercy vpon vs through our merits by the same reason we may make our selues iust And so we need no other sauiour but let Christs death be in vaine But my welbeloued bretheren yee shall vnderstād that God first loued vs prouoked vs to loue him wee being sinners vnworthie of loue yea enemies also as the Scriptures of god teach you Io. 1. ep and 4. Chapter and in his euangell the 3. Chap. and Rom. the 5. Chap. And therefore god first preueened vs with loue all goodnes and we not him And so shal ye vnderstād this text following of Corn. The text saith there was a man named Cornelius a captaine c. a deuout man one that feared god withall his houshold which gaue great almes to the people prayed god continually c. To whome the angell sent from god said thy almes and prayers are past vp in the sight of God c. Here yee see this mā was faithfull and iust by the first two proprieties by the which hee is commended which can not stand without faith That is deuout and fearing god Deuout is to say a true worshipper of god No mā truely cā worship God or please him but in faith becaus it is impossible to please god with out faith Cornelius worshipped God truelie and so pleased him therefore he was faithfull he feared and dread god by loue for that is the feare whereof the text speaketh Therefore Cornelius was faithfull because that loue can not be without faith The works which Cornelius wroght wer the fruites of faith and pleased god because god approued the same which hee had neuer allowed except they had bene done in faith For all which is not of faith is sinne Therefore yee must confesse that Cornelius was faithfull and iust before god or els ye must deny the scriptures which good forbid And then will yee say to what effect was Peter sent for to instruct him in the faith and teach him what he should doo if he was faithfull what faith was it he had To that I shall answer Cornelius had the same faith that Adam Noe and the fathers had for he beleeued the promised seede which was Christ knew not that he was come
But beleeued in one god and that the same god had promised a Saueour to redeame the world So god looking vpon the faithfull hūble and simple hart of Cornelius and the feruent desire of his prayers which desire doubtles was conforme to the sayinges of the Proph. Esay O if thou wouldest break a sunder the heauens that thou might come doune would not haue him deceaued to looke for him which was already come Therefore he caused him send for Peter to instruct him in the present faith And to certifie him that Christ was come whome he looked for so ardentlie Yee may read the text thē shall yee perceaue the sermon Peter made vnto him which was only of the opening of the Scripturs testifieing the comming of Christ in the fleshe and fulfilling of all the promises and Prophets sayings spoken of him before and that he was risen from deathe and had giuen Peter and the rest of his Disciples Apostles cōmād to preache repentance and remission of sinnes to all which would beleeue in his name c. To the which words and preaching of S. Peter Cornelius his whole housholde gaue firme faith and receaued by a visible signe the holy spirit The which is no other thing but this article of iustification For hee beleeued the word of god and by faith in Christ through the mercy of God receaued the holy spirit without all working of any deede of the lawe of Moyses but onely being vnder the Law of nature and so was baptised c. Therefore yee can not proue by this authority of scripture that either the works preceeding or following the gift of the holie spirite was the cause of his iustification or yet any parte thereof But first being iust through the faith which the fathers had who had also the holy spirit truely worshipped god and feared him of loue so he was iust And in that righteousnes wrought the fruites of faith in prayers and almes deeds And secondly being taught by Peter beleeued that Christ was comme the sure Sauiour of the world and had fulfilled all which was spoken of him by the prophetes By this faith was hee by the mercy of God made iust and receaued the holy spirite visiblie without all works or deseruings And then in the kingdome of Christ and righteousnesse wrought the fruites of faith vnto life as all perfite Christians should doo They alledge another text Galath the 5. Chap. Faith which worketh by loue c. by these wordes they would inferre of their corrupted maner that faith onely iustifieth not before god but faith which worketh by loue By this maner of vnderstanding they not only make the Apost false but also cast all downe destroye the same thing which hee hath builded for in the fourth Chap. of the same Epist. preceeding with great laboures and inuincible arguments hee setteth forth the article of iustification prouing faith only to iustifie without all deedes or workes of the law And then in the 5. chap. he beginneth to set foorth the fruites of faith saying ye are abolished frō christ which would be made iust by the lawe Ye haue left grace for we by thee spirite of faith beholde or looke for the hope of righteousnes for into Christ Iesus neither is circumcision nor vncircumcision any thing worth but faith which worketh by loue In these words shortly in briefe termes the Apost excludeth all workes and lawes sacrifices worshippings both of Iew and gentill to haue any mixtiō with Christ in the iustificatiō of a christian for if there had bene any more excellēt work or greater in estimation among the Iewes which were the chosen people of god thē circūcisiō no doubt but the Ap. would haue excluded the same so the principall work cōmanded by god and giuē by him as the seale of his promis couenāt made to Abrahā being excluded forth of of this article how can any other worke of lesse or equall estimation haue parte thereinto Therfore the Apost cōcluding shortly cōprehēding the whole estate of a Christian mā saith neither is circumcision nor vncircūcision any thing worth in christ but faith which worketh by loue he saith not loue which worketh by faith but faith whiche worketh by loue that is faith inwardly maketh a mā iust before God who hath no neede of our workes for the whole worlde and all that is therein is his and loue outwardly testifieth of thy inwarde faith towarde thy neighbour who hath need of thy works for whose vtilitie and profite thou art cōmanded to do good workes To whome thy faith auaileth nothing And so this text impungeth not the article of iustification but fortifieth the same Ye read loue greatly extolled by S.P. the 1. to the Corinth the 13. chap. as it is worthy but ye find neuer iustificatiō before god attribute to loue for that is not the office therof But loue followeth faith in the third degree whose office the Ap. setteth forth in the said ch Specially how that loue suffereth all thinges beleeueth all thinges hopeth all thinges and endureth all thinges Yea verily some thinges which faith may not suffer nor wil on no wayes suffer as a light superstitiō repūgning to the word of god loue will or may suffer the same to be in it for the weakenes of the infirme brother But faith may in no maner suffer the same because it may be preiudiciall to the article of iustificatiō and induce the mixtion of works Also Faith Hope and Charitie being reakoned the Apost exalteth Charity to be the most excellent of the thre but giueth her none of their offices But if ye wil vnderstand the text well ye shall know the Apostles mind by the cōclusion saying now we see through a glas darkly but thē we shall see face to face Now I know in part but then shall I knowe euen as I am knowen and nowe abydeth Faith Hope and Charitie but the chiefest of these is Charitie as he would say Now we ar imperfite but then we shalbe perfite Faith and Hope shall both perish and vanishe awaye but Charitie shall remaine in her perfection for then she is in her perfectiō when the other two haue takē effect and are vanished away for in the heauē there is neither faith nor hope but Charitie is in her most excellēt degree there which neuer hath an ende The cause wherefore the Apo. extolleth Charitie yee shall consider in the first to the Corinth the 12. ch the which I pray you reade For in that whole Epist. there is no question of the Article of iustification nor of the office of faith but an instruction how the Christian man should liue reprouing hatred enuy dissentions and opinions amōgst the Corinth which became not to be amōgst christiās therefore he exhorted them aboue all thinges to Charitie which is the band of peace the most excellēt vertue to be had euer kept among the Christians for by that
nor quietnes in their conscience with God because they reiect the mercy grace and peace of god the which ar the substāce of the estate of a christiā wherein the iust liueth by faith ar so necessary that they should euer be blowen in at the eares of the faithful by the ministers of the word Therefore where euer the Apost S. P. writed or preached howbeit there was no question of the law nor workes thereof hee neuer pretermitted in the beginning of his Ep. as the other Apost in like maner vsed to certifie the Christian congregation of the substance of this article saluting thē with grace and peace which is asmuch to say as the mercy of god by the which ye are made iust and accepted as righteous in the fauour of god the Father through faith in Iesus Christ our only Lord and Sauiour Rest quietnesse in your cōscience I desire to be with you and remaine with you continually that thereby ye may worke the fruites of faith by charitie or loue in righteousnes to the glorie of god and profite of your neighbour through Iesus Christ by whome we haue this mercy and grace and entres to the father and the same grace the which grace is giuē to vs by god in Iesus Christ that no fleshe should reioyce in his sight who hath giuen him selfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs out of this presēt wicked worlde according to the will of god the father according to the riches of his mercy the which hee hath aboundantly shed forth vpon vs by whose mercy we are made safe He hath called vs by his holy vocation not according to oure workes but according to his purpose and mercy the which hee hath giuen to vs by Iesus Christ. And S. Peter saith blessed bee god the father of our lord Iesus christ who according to his great mercy hath begotten vs of newe into a liuely hope by the rysing of our Lorde Iesus Christ from the death Therefore if wee bee borne and gotten of new by mercy It is not of workes nor of our deseruinges but freely giuen vs by the grace and mercy of God through faith in Iesu Christ. Nor we haue no righteousnesse of the law nor workes as is before clearely proued by the scriptures at length And the same S. P. testifieth in his owne body to bee true who wrought many excellét works of the law Neuertheles he reputeth all but filthines that he may winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne iustice or righteousnes which is of the law but that iustice which is of the faith of Iesu christ And seing the holy Ap. the chosen vessell of god might not obteine righteousnes in the law nor works but in the mercy of God through faith in the pretious bloud of Iesu Christ Alace what blindnes is in vs wicked and miserable sinners which will euer glory cry good works which we neuer do and will haue them mixt with this article of iustificatiō In so much that Christ after our iudgement is not sufficient to saue vs and make vs iust howbeit it be the cause wherfore he was made man for vs only Therefore let vs cōclude with the Ap. and the holy scripturs that by faith only in christ we ar made iust without the law workes thereof And after mā be made iust by faith and possesseth Christ in his hart knowing perfitely him to be his iustice and his life thē shall he not be idle but euē as the good tree shal bring forth good fruite because a man truely beleeuing hath the holy spirite and where he is hee suffereth not man to bee idle but doth moue and prouoke him to all godly exercises of good workes as the loue of god patience in troubles and afflictions calling vpō the name of god thankesgiuing to the forthshowing of charity and loue vnto all This is the order of a Christians life and the substance of good workes as hereafter followeth and as we haue also touched some thing in the beginning concerning the trouble and patience thereof THE XXII CHAP. 1 What workes should Christians doe 2 The life of man is a perpetuall battell 3 What is the law of the members and what the law of the spirite 4 What sacrifice we should offer to god what is required that our sacrifice be acceptable 5 Who followeth Christ who goeth before him who is equall with him BEcause good workes are the fruites of faith and necessarie must follow the same and proceede of the iustified man as the good fruits of the good tree without the whiche no Christian man may gette witnessing of his faith Therefore after the forthsetting of the article of iustification should euer mention be made of good workes and all faithfull taught to doe the same The which methode S. P. vseth in all his ep but specially in the Epist. to the Romans and Galath For being iustified by faith we are at peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ. But then hastely riseth the battel and strife with the world and persecution because all which wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution Then shalt thou begin to reioyce of thy trouble knowing surely that thou art the sonne of God because he chasteneth all sonnes whom he loueth This affliction whether it be in spirit or body bringeth pacience to thee which is the proufe of thy faith Then conceaue thou hope whose office is to confort thee that thou bee not ouercomme in thy affliction so then faith and hope being ioyned together the loue fauour and grace of god are by his holy spirite shed abroade in our hartes by the which we as valiant knightes passe to a new battell against the deuill the world and the fleshe of whome wee obteine victorie by faith and suffer not sinne to rule ouer vs. This methode to good workes teacheth the Apost Rom. the .5 and 6. Chapter exhorting vs that as wee of before gaue oure members to bee weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne to the death that now wee being iustified by faith giue to god our members weapons and armour of righteousnesse vnto life For the rewarde of sinne is death but the grace of god is eternall life by our lord Iesu christ Then let vs surely beleeue hee who hath begunne the good worke in vs which is god shall performe the same to the daye of our Lord Iesus Christ. And so to begin good works is not to suffer sinne to rule in this mortall body that we obeye not the lustes concupiscence of the same The whole life of man is but a battell vpon the earth And who soeuer will pas fordward in the seruice of god hee must prepare him for tentation and trouble This battell S. P. had and as a knight of great experience taught vs the same how he fand a law in his mēbers repungning
by man Therefore we let the specialities of them passe and referre the same to thy iudgement good reader Thankes be to god these abuses and groundes are not vnknowen we will passe forward to the knowledge of the workes commanded vs to doe and work by the scriptures of god as the fruites of faith THE XXIIII CHAP. 1 What workes Pastors should teache vnto their flocke 2 Wherefore the yoke of Christ is sweete and his burden light to Christians 3 Vocation mediate and immediate 4 Vocation in generall by the which all true Christians are equall made Kinges and Preists in Christ bloude IF any will aske or inquyre what workes should the faithfull doe I can finde no perfiter answear to make thereto then the Euangell teacheth vs. As S. Luke sayeth the 3. chapter Iohn the baptist preaching repentance in remission of sinnes the people inquired at him what they should doe to whom he answeared saying He that hath two coates giue to him that hath not one And he that hath meate let him doe in like maner This is no other thing but to exercise the deedes of mercy and charitie toward thy neighbour as the Prophet Esay sayeth breake thy breade to the hungry needie and the poore who ar cast out bring into thy house when thou seest the naked clothe him contemne or despise not thy owne flesh This is the forth-showing of thy faith which S. Iames desireth of thee in his epistle Thou art taught the same with the other works of charity to thy neighbour Ezech. the 15. The Publicanes and open sinners inquired in like maner what they should doe to whom he answeared saying yee shall doe no further then that which is commaunded you to doe as he would say decline and cease to doe euill and learne to doe good as yee ar teached by the Propete Esay the 1. Chapter And Dauid teacheth you the perfecton of religione saying Come to me my sonnes and heare mee and I shall teach you the feare of of the Lord. Who is he who liueth and loueth to see good dayes let him refraine his toung from euill and his lippes that they speake no fraude decline from euill doe good seeke peace and followe the same Therefore passe your waye and sinne no more for I will not send you to the lawe to get remeady of your sinnes But looke in the law and behold what is ordeined you to do The which will declare you to be sinners transgressours And then ye shall seeke Christ for remeady whose forerunner I am It is he in whome ye shall finde remeady Therefore I say vnto you beholde the lambe of god which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And being inquired of the souldiers what they should doe He answered saying yee shall strike nor hurt no man nor yet do wrong or iniurie to any personne but bee content of your wages which is asmuch to say as oppresse none take no persons geare violently yee are publicke officers depute by princes magistrats for keeping of good rule and order amongst the people for rest and quietnes of the commō weale for the which cause ye haue your wages Your office is honest and the good worke of god Therefore looke on your own vocation and do that iustly which is commanded you and exceede not your bounds Here is a good order taught you which are ministers of the worde to learne the auditour in generall or speciall to doe good works That is to show them the works cōmanded by god the right fruits of repentance and faith to the which ye should send them and not to vaine workes inuented by man which is no other thing but to heape sinne vpon sinne And Christ being asked by the Iewes What shall we doe say they that we might work the workes of god answered saying This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whome hee hath sent Here hee sent them not to the law howbeit the law be the worke of god but to faith which is not the work of mā but the work of god which hee worketh in man Therefore Christ saith to vs Beleeue and yee shalbee safe And so let vs say with S. Peter Lord to whome shall we passe thou hast the words of life wee will seeke no other but beleeue in thee Yee shal consider that Christ after hee had refreshed the people with their corporall foode Then he taught them the perfection of a Christian man And fed them with the spirituall foode And they which receaue the same did follow him the rest left him which had no faith but tooke his doctrine carnally of externall and outwarde workes as did the young man to whome Christ made the answere as is before rehearsed Math. the 19. Chap. By the which scriptures we are taught to follow christ becaus there is no perfection but in the following of him Therefore as wee haue receaued our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs walke in him being rooted and builded in him and cōfirmed in the faith as we haue learned aboūding in the same with giuing thanks as the Apost saith Coloss. the 2. Chap. for hee is the fountaine of all goodnes and the head of our felicitie and let vs haue respect to no other thing nor laye no other foundation For as the Apost saith No man may lay another foundation nor that which is already layde the which is Iesus Christ. Let vs build vpon this foundatiō gold siluer and pretious stones which are the workes of God commanded in the holy scripture to bee wrought into faith euery one according to his vocatiō in the which we should walke worthely as wee are called with all humilitie and meeknesse and patience supporting one another in loue and charitie carefull to keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the band of peace as we are taught by the Apost Ephes. the 4. Chapter And Christ saith Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in harte and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules For my yoke is easie and my burden light The which wordes Christ would neuer haue spoken if hee had laden vs with the law For that burdē is so weightie that neither we nor our fathers might beare it as S. Pet. saith in the Actes of the Apost the 15. Chapter But verily the yoke of Christe is easie and his burden is light to the faithfull chosen for they lay all vpon Christs back and follow him through faith confiding nothing in their owne workes nor merites but euer working all good according to their vocation giuing all glorie and honor vnto God not exceeding the boundes of their vocation which is the best rule that the faithfull can haue to doe good workes to the knowledge thereof we will make some short declaration and then make an ende Yee shall vnderstande that there is two kindes of godly vocatiōs The one is immediate by
god as the prophetes were called in the old testamēt yea and as Dauid to be a King and Moys a gouernour to the people And as the Apostles in the new testament The other is mediate by mā immediate by god as Iosue in the old testament was called by Moys to bee Gouernour to the people at the commandement of god And as Timoth. and Titus were called by S.P. to bee bishops and as all they which nowe are called to be bishops which are lawfully made according to the word of god and authoritie of the magistrates Therefore to the knowledge of euery mans vocation I remit him to the word of god and his own conscience which are his inward most sure iudges There is a generall vocation by the which we ar called by Christ his word to a christian religion through the which wee are made one body and one spirite Euen as we are called in one hope of our vocatiō for that charitie is required of vs by the word of God which maketh and bringeth vs together in one body thrugh mutuall coniunction of faith working by charity therfore Charity is called the bād of Peace There is but one fellowship of all the faithfull one body That is one church whose only head is Christ. In this church is nor should bee no diuision for there is in this vocatiō christiā religion but one body one faith one baptisme which is the seale of our religion marked by god with the bloud of his only begotten sonne Christ Iesus our lord in whose bloud we are baptised one god and one father of all which is vpon all and by all and in vs all And therefore the Apostle testifieth vs all to be but one body that is one church in Christ. For in to one spirit and by one spirite the whole vniuersall congregation of the faithful is gouerned ruled strengthned and kept There is but one marke or ende to the which all the faithfull cōtend or shoote at that is eternall life Wee are all the Sonnes of one Father and participant of one heritage as we are called in one hope of our vocation And seing we haue but one lord which is Iesus Christ. It is conuenient that his seruantes bee of one minde and not deuided through discord and enuie There is but one profession of faith in all this Christian religion vocation for howbeit wee see in these our dayes many sundry professions and opinions of faith There is but one true faith which is that faith which the Apost of our Lorde Iesus Christ together with the patriarches and prophets haue professed and giuen to all nations through their teaching and preaching as testifie the holy scriptures Vpon the which foundation the whole church of Christ is builded Therefore by one baptisme we ar al made clean purified and by the which we ar ingrafted in Christ and made the people of God purified from our sinnes and altogether buried with Christ. There is amongest vs all but one power or strenght of baptisme and in one name of the father sonne and the holy spirite we are baptised And so ar we made one body into Christ being many members cōpacted and ioyned together into him For the more perfite vnderstanding of this body yee shal reade the whole 12. chap. of the 1. epistle to the Corinth The 4. and 5. to the Ephes. In the which yee shall finde this mater declared by the Apostle at lenght In this generall vocatione their is no distinction of personnes for all men are equall before god of one estate by one generall promis al are called to the faith vnder one Lord and King Iesus Christ who hath shedd his bloud for all which beleeue in him Therefore all Scriptures which make mention that there is no exception of persons before god are referred to this general vocatiō in the Christian religion as Romans the 2. chapter where the Apostle intēding vnder Iewe and gentill comprehending all men to proue them sinners sayeth before God there is no acception of persons And Peter sayeth In veritie I haue found that God is not an accepter of persones but in all nations and people hee is accepted vnto him which feareth him and worketh righteousnesse And S. Iames sayeth My brethren haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons And S.P. saith to the cōfoūding of the fals apost which seduced the Gal. through great authoritie and also to show him selfe equal in power with Iames Peter and Iohn That God is not a respecter of the person of man but in this vocation of Christiā religion by baptism through faith in the bloude of Christ all mē ar equall both Iewe gētill seruād free man woman all are one in Christ Iesus the sonnes of Abraham by faith according to the promis heirs that is to say all which beleeue ar the sonns of god therfore ar they fre heirs of eternal life To this generall vocatiō perteineth the sayings of S. Pet. in these words Yee are a chosen generation a royall priesthoode a holy natiō a people set at liberty that ye should forthshowe the vertues of him that hath called you forth of darknesse into a meruelous light c. The same is said by Moyses Ex. the 19. Chapter Here yee see in this vocation there is no acception of persons We ar all the holy people of God which beleeue vnfainedly yea kinges oincted in Baptisme by the holie Spirit priests making sacrifice to god dayly of this our sinful body mortified from sinne offer a holie and acceptable sacrifice after the maner aboue writtin conforme to the teaching of the Apost Rom. the 12. cha But be ware ye call not your selues kings in office and dignitie nor priests in administration of the word holy sacramentes for that perteineth to a speciall vocation or office by the selfe Therefore I exhort you which reade the scriptures take heede that yee confound not the works of god for if yee doe yee shal not escape error These speciall vocations shall follow in their owne places If we will looke dayly to this christian vocatiō we shal haue perfite knowledge what works we shuld doe what works we should leaue vndone The neglecting hereof is the cause of al the enormities abuses now ruling in the church of christ through the whole world For considering wee ar all members of one body all mēbers haue not one office but euery one serueth other in their owne place as when the eares heare any thing the eyis casteth the sight what it shuld be thē the feete hands prepare them to pursue or defēd to stād or flee And al these mēbers whole body obey the head awaite vpon the direction of the same Euen so we being all mēbers of one body which is the Church whose heade is Christe
of him being gouerned by his word Beginne at him and set forth the true and perfite worshipping of god in thy Kingdome Restore the true pure and syncere Christian religion abolish destroye and put downe all false worshippinges and superstitions contrarie to the worde of god and not commanded therein according to the example of the noble Kinges of Iuda Ezechias and Iosias as thou mayest reade the fourth booke of the kinges the 18. and 23. Chapter This is thy vocation in the which thou shouldest walke and orderly proceed in guiding of thy people as thou art taught by the worde of god and decline not therefrom neither to the right hand nor to the left but the kingly way teached thee in the holie scriptures To you which are princes Iudges and superiour powers vpon earth perteine wisedome knowledge vnderstāding learning that ye may iustly truely exercise the office and charge cōmitted to your care by God Therefore Dauid exhorteth you saying vnderstand know o ye kings and be learned O yee which iudge the earth And serue the lord in feare and reuerēce and reioyce in him with trimbling This is your wisedome and vnderstanding taught you in the law of god For the godly man needeth not to seeke wisedome but in the scriptures of God where hee shall finde how he shall behaue him both to god man in prosperitie aduersitie in peace and warre Therefore to seeke wisdome any other waye it is nothing but foolishnes before god Sithens yee are the ministers of God vnto good created and ordeined by him as the Apost saith Rom. the 13. Chap. It becommeth you of your office to guide and rule your subiectes in all goodnesse and sweetnes not seeking from them their landes or goodes but seeke righteous iudgement help the oppressed iudge righteously the people and widowes cause Iustifie the needfull hūble poore as teacheth you the scriptures of god Defend them from the iniuries and oppressions of the wicked And being vniustly pursued in iudgement absolue them Take from them your duety and no more haue no respect of persons nor take no bribes or rewardes the which blinde the eyes of the wise and peruerte the wordes of the iust These two thinges that is to say respect of persons rewards peruerte all righteous iudgements The first comprehendeth in it the feare reuerence of great mighty rich mē loue of frends fauour of kinne or affinitie contempt of the poore humble sober persons mercy of the wicked gilty perill of thy own life tinsell or losse of fame and losse of goodes or worldly honours The second that is rewards comprehendeth in it lucre profite hope and all that infinite and insatiable goulfe of auarice Therefore Iethro coūselled Moyses to prouide for administration of Iustice and good order in the Ciuill policie wise men which feared god were true hated detested auarice the which is the roote and beginning of all euill And so learne yea aboue all thinges to detest auarice vaine glorie and particular affection of persons if yee will walke right in the Christiā religion according to your vocation Your estate and office is great not to bee contemned but of all men to bee praised and commended of your subiectes feared reuerenced and also loued because yee are as it were gods and so called in the scripture by reasō of participation of the power of god committed vnto you whose iudgements ye exercise and called the sonnes of God as Dauid saith I haue saide yee are gods and sonnes of the most highest that is for the excellent dignity of your office I haue called you my sonns Neuertheles know your selues to be but men and for to suffer death as other men doth and in like maner as princes of earthly kingdomes or tyrants which haue the ruling of commō weales as ye haue Therefore be iust righteous exercising your selfe in all godlynes according to your vocation being sure yee shall shortly die and giue accompt and reakoning of your administration For ye are but flesh and all flesh is but grasse and all the glory of the same as it were the floure of the field the grasse is withered and the floure falleth but the word of god remaineth for euer Therefore know Christ to be your king ruler guider gouernour who shall rule you with an Iron rod and breake you asunder as it were a clay pot or vessell of fragill earth If ye wil not vnderstand the will and cōmandement of god his Ire wrath shall rule aboue your heade at all times These sharpe threatninges are showen you in the scriptures Esaye the first Ieremie the fifth Chap Dauid in the 2. and 81. Psal. And Zacharie the 7. chap. where yee are taught the chiefe pointes of your office and workes which yee are bound to do for neglecting of the which vndoone yee shalbee accused before god But neuer for neglecting of pilgrimages offering to Images praying to Saintes founding of masses and abbayes of monkes and friers making of Images belles Copes and other such vaine superstitions because the same are not cōmanded you to do but rather the contrarie This dare I affirme becaus gods word affirmeth the same Yee should be pure and cleane of life without crime because ye are depute by god and ordeined to the punishment of crimes Howe can yee iudge iustly being corrupted A theef shall neuer punish theft An oppressour māslayer adulterer a false Lyer a dishonourer of father and mother a disobeyer of his superiour a couetous or auaritious man a blasphemer of the name of God shall neuer punish these crimes in others Therfore the scriptures of God teache you to absteine from all such vices and crimes For in you which ar great mē haue the care of others your crimes and sinnes are not so much to be lamented in you as the euill example your subiects take thereof And therethrough follow you in the same and other crimes heaping sin vpō sinne euer till god of his righteous iudgement take vengeance yea and cause another as wicked as yee are punish you as yee may reade of the punishment of the people of Israell by the opē ennemies of god and manifest Idolaters because they neglected the lawe of God as testifie the whole histories of the kings Iudges of Israell and Iuda And the greatest punishmēt is sent by god for doing of the most excellēt work after the iudgement of mā becaus it was not commanded by god for no thing frō the beginning of the worlde hath euer bene so displeasant in the sight of god as to inuent any maner of worshipping of him which he hath not commanded For this cause king Saull was eiected and all his posteritie lost and fell from the kingdome In the which example yee shall consider that the workes wrought by King Saull were right excellent in the
care vpon his direction as thy head and transgresse not his commandement for that is the will of God I meane not of euill but of all goodnesse because I speake of the fruites of faith and workes of righteousnesse yee are all bound to doo the workes whiche God hath commanded you to do in his holy scripture of mercy loue and charitie by reason of your vocation in the christian religion And these other workes in your speciall vocation In doing of the which thinke that ye do the good work of god and please him if yee worke them in faith albeit Hypocrites commend not the same Beeing occupied on this maner daylie there shall bee no place to vice for your minde is occupied vpon other busines It is but Idlenes to you to passe in pilgrimage to this or that Sainte to sit the halfe of the daye in the Church babling vpon a pare of beades speaking to stocks or stones the thing which neither thou nor they knowe And neglecteth the good worke of God the which thou art bound to doe If thou wilt praye right learne the Lordes prayer in the toung thou vnderstandeth Thy Creede that is the articles of thy beleeue the ten Commandements of god And dayly at thy rysing and downlying at night haue some space to thy contemplatiō thereinto and teache thy housholde the same maner And occupie the rest as is before saide according to thy vocation not exceeding the bounds there of nor seeking no other workes but them which are commanded in the holy scriptures And are necessarie to be done as is written to Titus the 3. Chap. Let the faithfull which are of our nomber bee euer ready and learne to doe good workes to all necessary vses that they bee not vnfruitefull For the faithfull can neuer bee idle because vnfained faith worketh euer by Charitie But they which knowe not their owne vocation can neuer bee faithfull Therefore they can neuer worke good workes but all is euill whatsoeuer thing they do or worke without faith becaus all which is not of faith is sinne Therefore if thou wilt worke well be faithfull and looke euer to thy vocation And thou shalt finde thy conscience teaching thee both to do good and eschew euill at all times Ye should be pure and cleane in your conuersation for good example giuing to your Children and familie For as they see you doe so shall they learne And are euer rather inclined to do euill thē good by reason of this corrupted nature of mā Therefore teach them to loue and feare God to know his lawe being euer your selues an example to them And as it were a mirrour to looke into in all godly life and conuersation For if they behold you liuing together in great loue and charitie chastitie and temperance being mercifull to the poore supporting the indigent after the quantitie of your riches at loue charitie with your neighbour euer speaking good of all creaturs detracting none they shall followe the same doings by the which ye shalbe called the the faithfull fellowship of Iesus Christ true subiects of his realme Your vocatiō is good holy and it becommeth you to know the scriptures For in the primatiue church * the bishops were chosē cōmonly forth of your nōber A godly honest housholder who liued in chast matrimonie ruled and guided his houshold well brought vp his children in subiection reuerēce in all maner of godly teachings Hee hauing this outward witnessing is commanded by the Apost to be chosen to the office of a bishop When this order was kept in the church of Christ the worde of god flourished Therefore woe be to you which saye that laickes or secular men and housholders should not know the scripturs read them or teach their houshold the same yee impung the holy spirite and dishonour the olde Fathers of the Church which taught the contrarie as by example of Chrisostome before rehearsed it is euen alike to you to say temporall or secular men should not heare the worde of god read teach their families the same as to say they haue not a soule for the word of god is the foode of the soule if yee will abstract the foode without the which the soule must perish yee shall make man as a brutishe beaste And if yee will admit them to heare the word yee should admit them to read the same and talke therevpon for what auaileth the hearing if a man should not conceaue and keepe in memorie that thing which he heareth and liue thereafter For Christ sayeth Blessed are they which heare the word of god and keepe the same * The oft reading of the word and cōmunication thereof keepeth the same euer recent in memorie and digesteth in thy hart by continuall meditation some confort and consolation and abstracteth thee from vice and sinne leadeth and conuoyeth thee to all godlie liuing Therefore Dauid calleth that man blessed which deliteth in the lawe of God and hath his meditation therein day and night Wo wo be vnto you therefore which would abstract this blessing from any man or woman the which God pronounceth with his mouth These doings of yours beare witnesse of you that ye ar not the ministers of the word of God or true successors of the Apostles but false teachers fubuerters of the word and very Antichrists Wherfore I exhort you whiche are the faithfull whatsoeuer estate or vocation yee be called to that yee both gladly heare the word of God reade it teache your children family subiects the same confor me your life thereto euer working the deedes of charitie and mercy in all godlinesse according to your vocation and giue no credit to them which teacheth you the contrarie for they are false teachers and members of the Deuil which withdraw you from that thing which is your saluation THE XXVIII CHAP. 1 The duetie of the maister vnto the seruant and contrary 2 Of the subiect to the prince 3 Of the sonne to the father 4 The honour which the sonnes ought to the parents 5 The diuelish doctrine of pestilent papisticall preists in the contrarie thereof If thou be a subiect seruaunt sonne or daughter be obediēt to thy superiour first vnto thy prince as the supreame power and to euery one hauing power from him for they are the ministers of God whom thou shouldest obey not resist ordeined by god to the reuenge of euill doers and louing of the good doers which is the will of god as yee ar taught Romanes the 13. chapter And the first of Peter the 2. chapter Your duetie is to honour al men loue brotherly fellowship feare god honour the king be obedient to him not onely for feare and dreadour of his ire but also for hurting of your conscience because it is the will of God in all thinges not repungning to his command Giue to thy prince and superiour his duetie or what euer he chargeth thee with concerning temporall
riches inquire not the cause for that perteineth not to thy vocation Hee is thy head whom thou shouldst obey Trangresse not his Lawes Be not a reuenger of thy owne cause For that is asmuch as to vsurpe his office So thou walkest not aright in thy vocation Looke not to his faultes or vices but to thy owne disobey him not howbeit he bee euill and doe the wrong which becōmeth him not of his office grudge not thereat but pray for him and commit thy cause to god Be not a perturber of the common weale but liue with thy neighbour at rest and quietnesse euery one supporting others as members of one body forgiuing gladly and freely one an other If there be any complaint amongest you euen as the Lorde hath forgiuen you Be sweete meeke bening humble and patient one with another as it becommeth the saintes and welbeloued of god hauing compassion one of another Aboue all these haue loue and charitie which is the bond of perfection For charitie coupleth togegether many members in one body This are yee taught by the Apostle Coloss. the 3. chap. and in other places before rehearsed Here yee finde aboundance of works commanded you to doe by God neede to seeke no others There is none which can work these good workes but the faithfull From doing of the which the faithfull and iustified man can not cease but euer worketh as he findeth occasion according to his vocation hee looketh euer to his owne faults and sinns not to his neighbours But if he perceaue any fault or vice in his neighbour hee lamenteth the same and considered greater vices to be in him selfe And therefore hath compassion of his neighbour and neither blasphemeth bak biteth or dishonoreth him but counselleth and conforteth him as his owne body of brotherly loue and affection Yee children obey your parents with great humilitie loue feare and honour them for that is the command of God the first which hath promis as concerning thy neighbour that it may be well to the that thou liue long vpon earth This obediēce honour consisteth not in wordes onely nor in salutations but also in ministring all thinges necessarie vnto them Remembring as they ministred vnto you in your tender feeble and poore youthheade Euen so do yee to them in their feeble impotent poore age * Neglecting this good work vndone yee can doe no good worke that can please God There is no colour of godlines may excuse you frō this good worke Howbeit your wicked and vngodly pastors haue taught you to found a soule masse with your substance and suffer father and mother to begge their breade This is a deuilish doctrine to conuert the good worke of god into Idolatry The Scribes and Pharisies their forefathers taught the same as testifie the wordes of Christ. Yee seruauntes obey your carnall Lords and maisters with feare and trimbling with simplenesse of hart as it were vnto Christ not in eyes seruice as it wer to please men but as seruants of Christ doing the will of God not onely to them which are good and well instructed in maners but also to the wicked and euill What euer yee doe worke the same with your harte as it were to the lord and not to man knowing surely ye shall receaue from the lord the reward of the heritage Therefore serue the Lord Iesus Christ. Be not flatterers nor lyers backbiters nor detracters serue not your maisters onely in their presence but also in their absence without deceat or dissimulatiō Take thought of the thinges giuen you in charge and obey their will euen as to God who looketh vpon your inward mindes Pretend not to be equall with your Lord or maister because yee are both of one Christian religion but serue him the better haue loue and charitie with your equall fellowe seruantes as all members of one body exercising you in all good workes according to your vocation in the Christian religion Now yee see that we which professe the true faith of Iesus Christ and ascribeth the iustification of man before god onely to faith without all workes merits or deseruinges on our parte that we are not the destroyeres of good workes but the mainteiners defenders and foorthsetters of the same as the fruites of faith as I haue before at lenght showed Therefore I exhort you which blaspheme vs saying we would destroy all good workes because we affirme with the scriptures of god faith onely to iustifie before god to remord your conscience and reade the Scriptures with an humble hart and spirit which shall teach you the right way by the grace of the holy spirit who will lead you in all veritie And then I doubt not but yee shall aggrie with vs and contemne and despise the vaine superstitious workes not commaunded in the Scripture but inuented of mans vaine cōceate as we doe And altogether as it becommeth the faithfull members of Iesus Christ worke the workes of God which are commanded vs in his holy scriptures Euery one according to his vocation proceeding of loue furth of a cleane pure hart of a good conscience and of faith vnfained which worketh by charitie to the profite of thy neighbour and glorie of god To whom be all praise honour and glory for euer and euer Amen TO THE READER IF it please thee good reader of these plesant floures amongst the which thou hast walked at large again to take a taste or smelling Thou shalt read these short abbreuiations subsequent Exhorting thee that where any obscuritie appeareth that thou make recourse vnto the preceeding places where euery thing is manifestly expressed Thou shalt doe well if earnestlie thou shalt pray that Lord onely to whom the haruest perteineth that it would please him send true workemen thereto To the manifestation of his owne glorie before his congregation by Iesus Christ whose omnipotent spirite satiate the harts of them which thirst ryghteousnesse Amen THE SOMMARIE OF the first Chap. OVr whole study should be to adhear vnto god rūning to him in the time of tribulation as doeth the wild hart in the birning heate to the could riuer with sure hope of deliuerance by him allone Not inquiring his name That is the maner how hee shall deliuer vs. The sommarie of the second Chapter BY faith haue we knowledge of god whom we should seeke in his scriptures and receaue him as he is offered to vs thereinto that is a defēder protector refuge and father inquiring no further speculation of him For Philip desiring to see the Father Answeared Christ Who hath seene mee hath seene the Father Meaning that the loue goodnes and mercy which God the Father beareth vnto mankinde hee had expressed in doctrine and workes And also should show a most singular token of loue giuing his owne life for his Ennemies And therefore would all men come to him to whome the Father hath giuen all power The sommarie of the third Chapter TRibulations are profitable to the faithfull for
and much more abomination proceedeth frō that zeale which wee call good But how good that euer it appeare in our sight the adhearers thereto shall receaue the malediction of God The sommary of the 24. chapter NO better works can be then Iohn the baptist taught to the people which are the workes of mercy and to desist from fraude iniurie and oppression And these workes and not the vaine inuentions of man pastours should teach their flocks instructing thē first in perfite faith For Iesus christ being asked by the Iewes what they shuld do that they might worke the workes of god that is that they might please god answered This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whome he hath sent By the which words our maister vnderstandeth that without faith whiche is the worke of god and not of man no worke pleaseth god The yoke of Christ is easie and his burden is light to the faithfull because they lay all their sinns vpō Christs backe and follow him euery man in his owne vocatiō There is two maner of vocatiōs one immediate by god as the prophetes and Apostles were called to be preachers without authoritie of mā Another is mediate as when one mā called another As Paull called Timoth. Tit. to be bishops There is a generall vocatiō by which all the chosen are called to a Christian religion Hauing one lorde one faith one baptisme In this vocation there is no difference of persons but all are equally loued by god becaus we ar all the sonns of one father al boght with one price all seruaunts to one lord all guided with one spirite all tending to one end and shall all be participant of one heritage that is the life eternall by Iesus Christ by whom we are all made priests and kings but let no mā herefore vsurpe the authoritie of a king in dignitie nor the office of a priest in administratiō of gods word sacraments for that perteinteh to a speciall vocation The sommary of the 25. Chap. All estate of man is conteined within one of these four special vocations either is he prince or subiect pastor or one of the flocke father or sonne lord or seruaunt In the prince is conteined all magistrats hauing Iurisdiction in a cōmounweall Whose duety is first to know god and his lawe which hath placed them in that authoritie Secondly to guide feed and defend their subiects knowing them selues to be no better of their nature then is the poorest in their realme Thirdly to defend the iust and punish the wicked but respect of persons Hauing their harts and eyes cleane and pure from all auarice They are called the sonnes of God and should be obeyed in all things not repungning to the cōmand of god because they ar ordeined placed by god to punish vice mainteine vertue and therefore their owne life should be pure and cleane first because otherwise they can not punish sinne and secondly because the wickednesse of princes prouoketh their subiects to the Imitation thereof And therefore the life of princes shuld be pure cleane as a mirrour to their subiects and should admitte into their kingdomes no worshipping of god except that which is commanded in the scripturs for god being commoned by Idolatry and strange worshipping hath destroyed many kingdomes as all prophecyings witnesse The sommarie of the twenty sixt Chapter THE principall office of a Bishop is to preache the true Euangell of Iesus Christ knowing that if the flocke perishe the bloud shalbe required at his hands And that hee neglecting the preaching of the Euangell is no bishop nor can doe no worke pleasant before god And therefore no bishop should mixt him selfe with temporall or seculer busines for that is contrarie his vocatiō but continually should preache reade exhort his flocke to seeke their spirituall foode in the Scriptures And so the tyrantes in these dayes forbidding men to reade the Scriptures declare them selues wolues and no pastors whom god shall shortly punish because they haue contemned his command attending altogether vpon their own vaine supertitions as he did Hely and his two sonnes vnder law and the whole priesthood after Iesus Christ. The sommary of the twentie ewint chap. THE office of the Father vnder whom is comprehended all housholders is to rule and guide his children family and seruaunts in all godlinesse and honestie instructing them in the Law and word of God For honest housholders who liued in chaste matrimonie ruled guided their housholdes well nurished their children in the feare and reuerence of God were chosen to be Bishoppes in the Primitiue church And therefore they are blasphemous to the holy spirit which inhibit the Laickes so style they the chosen of God learning reading teaching of the holy Scriptures wherin is conteined the foode of the soule wherof Antichristes willing to depriue them would also kill the soule For the soule without gods worde hath nor may haue no life The office of the husband is to loue and defend his wife giuing to her onely his body The office of the wife is likewise to loue and obey her husband vsurping no dominion ouer him And the office of them both is to instruct their children in gods Law euer giuing to them example of good life and holdding them at godly occupations labouring also them selues faithfully for sustentation of their families The sommarie of the 28 Chap. THE office and duetie of the Lord is to pay vnto his seruaunts the rewarde promised And the office of the seruaunt is faithfully to worke and labour to the profite and vtilitie of his lord but fraude or simulation as hee would serue Iesus Christ. The office of the subiect is to obey his prince and rulers placed by him giuing vnto them honour custome and tribute not requiring the cause why they receaue the same for that perteineth not to the vocation of a subiect The office of the sonne is to loue feare and honour his parents Which honour standeth not in words only but in ministring of all thinges necessary vnto them which if the sonne doe not to the father and mother hee can doe no good worke before god And therefore deuilish doctors are they which teach men to found soule masses of their substance suffering father and mother to labour in indigence and pouertie FINIS The workes before written are they in the which euery christian should be exercised to the glory of god and vtilitie of his neighbour M. Henry Balnaues Richard Bannantine Richard Bannātine Iohn knox Gen. 37. Gen. 41. Psal. 104. Gene. 15. Iosue 11. 3. Reg. 12. 3. Reg. 13. 16. Esa. 1 Ier. 3. 4. Reg. 17. vltimo Act. 7. Apo. 7. Scotland Psal. 2. Io. 3. Esa. 59. psal 41. 42. Psal. 76. Psal. 21. 104. * That is the maner how he will deliuer * That is he which of him self hath power and being by whome all had their beginning life and mouing Psal. 32. Io. 1. Ro. 4.