nature But they that are not occupyed in this following doe falsly attribute to themselues a christian name Furthermore they are not counted the lawfull sonnes of God but bastardes rather For God acknowledgeth none among his sonnes but whom he seeth at the least to endeauour to imitate his fathers vertues To this pertayneth that saying of the Lord in the Prophet If I be a father where is mine honour But the cheefest parte of honour which children can doe to their parents is to imitate their vertues Whosoeuer earnestly looketh for the glorye of christianitie let him set before himselfe this cause of shewing mercy to his neighbour and let him not suffer himselfe to be led away with euil examples from this necessary and due worship of God The second cause is the commaundement of God vnto which all creatures ought to obey Of this cause Iesus the sonne of Sirach maketh mention chap. 29 Helpe the poore for the commandements sake and turne him not away because of his pouertie And a little after Bestow thy treasure after the commaundement of the most high and it shal bring thee more profite then Gold Our treasure that doth neuer fayle we must lay vp and keepe in heauen but yet it is in this life bestowed vpon the poore vpon whom the benefites that be bestowed the Lord so accepteth as if we had bestowed them vpon himselfe All the testimonies of the Scripture which doe commend vnto vs the loue of our neighbour doe require especially liberalitie towarde the nedie For this is the chiefe part of true loue Hereunto belongeth that saying of the Lorde Deut. 15. I commaund thee saying thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother that is needy He that contemneth this precept of the Lord how can he loue God how can he feare him for thus sayth Iohn Whosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And Iob 6. He that taketh away mercie from his neighbour hath forsaken the feare of the Lord. Whosoeuer therefore determineth to loue God and to feare him from his heart let him thinke that he doth owe obedience to God commaunding Of which thing Micheas speaketh after this sort I will shew thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The thirde cause is the imitation of examples of Christ our Lord first and then of his members Christ was made poore for vs that he might enrich vs. What therefore do we agayne owe to the members of Christ especially seing he witnesseth that that is done to himselfe whatsoeuer we doe to the least of his members Matth. 25. The holy fathers desired nothing more than to relieue the poore Saints Abraham doth reuerence strangers and biddeth them to eate with him that he may shewe liberalitie vnto them Lot desired the Angels to come into his house whom he thought to be poore straungers Cornelius the courtier is written to haue giuen himselfe to continuall prayer and almes which the scripture witnesseth to haue come vp into remembrance before God The fourth cause is the dignitie and estimation of almes godly bestowed before God Prouerb 21. To do mercie and iudgement is more acceptable to the Lorde then sacrifice Christ sayth Matth. 9. I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Heb. 13. To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased So great dignitie so great estimation is there before God of the almes godly bestowed It is preferred before sacrifice God is sayd to be singularly moued and delighted therewith This dignitie ought worthily to admonishe them which abounde in this worldes good that they indeuour according to the counsell of Paule to be rich in good workes The fift cause is our neighbour himselfe But that euery man is neighbour one to another the Parable of the Samaritane doth teach although this neighbourhode is greater with some than with other some Euery man both godly and also vngodly is neighbour vnto me and that first by reason of our creation Secondly for likenes sake Thirdly in respect of our common life and humane societie And although this triple bonde wherewith men are bounde among themselues is a great cause wherefore men ought to doe good vnto men neuerthelesse there is yet a farre greater bonde wherewith Christians are knit togither with Christians For first one vocation is common to all Christians whereby we are called to the vnitie of spirit in the bonde of peace Agayne by the same spirit we are begotten agayne to be the sonnes of God whereby it commeth to passe that both we haue one father which is God and also we are brethren among our selues Moreouer we are members of the same mysticall bodye the heade whereof is Christ Finally we haue the same hope of the glorie to come for we are heyres of eternall lyfe in Christ Iesus our Lorde If we doe earnestly thinke vppon this fift cause of mercie towarde our neighbour there is none that doth not acknowledge howe necessarily liberalitie is to be shewed to them that be in neede I do not make mention of that bond by which al men in this world are debters one to another Who wil seme to be a contemner of the vnitie of the spirite whereunto the Gospell calleth vs Who can abide to heare that he is a denier of spirituall brotherhoode Who dare so despyse the members of Christ that he will suffer them to be tormented wyth colde hunger and nakednesse Who will not worthilye suffer him to be partaker with him of the things of this worlde which soone fade awaye whom he assuredly thinketh shall be heyre with him of the heauenly treasures If this cause of liberalitie and mercie were esteemed of many according to the worthinesse thereof they woulde not set their mindes so much vpon deceyte and vniust gayne they woulde not so much spoyle and rob the needie members of Christ and they would thinke more of cherishing and making much of their owne fleshe As often as we see any that is in miserie crauing our helpe and succour let vs I pray you remember the saying of Esay Hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh The sixt cause is the punishment yea and that manifold of them which are hard toward the poore The first is the wrath of God Ecclesiasticus 4. Turne not thine eyes aside from the poore because of anger The second is the curse In the same place it is sayd For if the curse thee in the bitternes of his soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him The third is the refusing of thy prayer which thou makest in thy necessitie Prouerb 21. He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crye and not be heard A horrible punishment truly then which none
be a iust Iudge which is angrye with sinnes and is determined seuerelye to punishe the vnrepentant Tentation of triall is whereby the fayth of man toward God is tried to wit eyther when any worke is committed to a man heauie and grieuous to the flesh or any affliction commeth to him from God for his trials sake or when any heresie agaynst the articles of our fayth is suffred to arise Abraham receiueth a commaundement from God wherein he is commaunded to kill for a burnt offering his sonne Isaac his onely heire which Sara a free and noble matron brought foorth vnto him This commaundement without all doubt was heauie and grieuous to the flesh but what doth Abraham here He preferreth obedience toward God before this his most tender sonne then whom nothing was more precious vnto him in this world and prepareth himselfe to execute the commaundement of God Genes 22. Iob is oppressed with affliction in his body and with many other miseries but in patience he preferreth obedience toward God before his owne life and all other thinges whatsoeuer I am sure sayth he that my redeemer liueth that I shall rise out of the earth in the latter day Also shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not receiue euel The primitiue Church was tempted with many and diuers heresies as we are at this day but as they did so let vs set the fountaine of our sauiour agaynst all the cesterns of Heretikes full of deuelish stinch and filthines Of this kinde of tentation Moses speaketh Deut. 13. The Lorde your God proueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule Agaynst this kind of tentation let vs strengthen our selues with two thinges with holding fast the puritie of the Gospell and with constant obedience toward God both in prosperitie and also in aduersitie 15. Then vvhen lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne vvhen it is finished bringeth forth death In the former verse the Apostle compareth concupiscence to a bayt wherewith the fisher couereth his hooke that he may deceiue and catch the fishes here he compareth the same to a woman that bringeth forth children that he may thereby signifie that it is the mother and fountayne of all sinnes yea and of all euel Concupiscence is then sayd to haue conceiued when it possesseth the affection and will which when it is done forthwith it bringeth forth actuall sinne whereof as it were a certayne issue commeth death and damnation Here therefore is mention made of two kindes of sinne to wit originall and actuall Originall sinne is signified by the name of concupiscence the proper and next effect thereof This although by it selfe and of it owne nature it is a mortall sinne yet in the regenerate it is pardoned so that it bringeth not death except first it begin to reigne through the euel desires thereof Whereupon Paule Rom. 6. sayth Let not sinne reigne therefore in your mortall body that ye should obey it in the lusts therof Actuall sinne is when we doe voluntarily submit our selues to concupiscence to obey it and suffer it to haue the whole rule in vs. 16 Erre not my deare brethren Bicause that many had perswaded themselues that men are tempted of God to doe that which is euel he doth agayne admonish and exhort them that they suffer not themselues to be entangled with this errour signifying that many absurd thinges and vnworthy of God doe follow this opinion But that they may more attentiuelye and gently here the most strong reason thereof he doth as it were prepare them by calling them by the name of brethren and by a signification of his loue wherwith he embraceth them For we doe more willingly heare them whose goodwill we perceiue toward vs when as contrariwise we feare the deceites of them whose minds we vnderstand to be estraunged from vs. 17 Euerie good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth dovvne from the Father of lights vvith vvhome is no variablenes neyther shadovv of turning 18 Of his ovvne vvill begat he vs vvith the vvord of truth that vve should be as the first fruites of his creatures This is a most strong reason wherin the Apostle doth confute the errour of them which did contend that God doth tempt men to doe euel yea and that he is the author of sinne But that the partes of this reason may be the better perceiued and the benefits of God toward vs may be more manifestly acknowledged I will make a resolution of the wordes and will diuide them into sixe partes in euery of which I will bring in the proposition of the Apostle that it may be vnderstand of what great force this reason is to confute the errour of the aduersaries First therefore he saith Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift that is nothing at all counterfait is frō aboue By which saying he signifieth that solliciting or mouing to doe euell is in no wise from aboue for how should it agree that good thinges and euell shoulde flowe out of the same fountayne But if any man doe except that the euell of punishment is from aboue let him againe knowe that the cause that is the euel of offence is in man which God being iust doth iustly punish Wherefore if thou considerest the iustice of God the punishment is not to be called euell but good Secondly he sayth Comming dovvne from the Father of lightes As Father here signifieth the author and fountayne so by the word lights is ment all good things euen as by the word darkenesse calamities of euerye sorte are to be vnderstand Whereof is made this reason God is the father of lightes that is the author of all good thinges therefore he is not the author of darknesse that tentation to euell should be attributed to him Let this testification of the prayse of God be marked which belongeth onely vnto him to wit that he is the fountayne and author of all good thinges which ought to admonish vs of prayer wherein we maye aske those thinges which are good of him who is the fountayne of all goodnes We ought hereby also to be admonished of thankefulnes that we may shewe our selues thankefull towards him Thirdly he addeth vvith vvhom is no variablenesse These wordes seeme to be a preuenting of an obiection For least anye man should saye that he is the authour both of good thinges and of euell he setteth against that his constancie whereby he is immutable in his doings Seing therfore variablenes hath not place with God and that he is manifestly proued to be the author of all goodnes who can without blasphemie attribute vnto him those thinges that be euel Fourthly he addeth or shadovv of turning These wordes also seeme to be a preuenting of an obiection We see that the turning and chaunge of the heauenly lights is diuers
Psalme place him amōg the dwellers in y e tabernanacle of y e Lord that is among the heires of eternall life which contemneth a vile person and honoureth them that feare the Lorde Whether is this accepting of persons or no Accepting of persons is properly when as the true cause by the which wee ought to pronounce of the person being neglected we doe consider in the persons some other thing without the cause for which eyther we pronounce false sentence agaynst the person or otherwise doe accept and fauour the person Wherefore this precept of the Apostle doth not subuert and ouerthrowe the order of God established in the fourth commaundement concerning the honor of superiours But if any mā should despise a poore man that is godly and preferre a rich man that is wicked he leauing the true cause shoulde iudge amisse as Iames sheweth when he sayth 2 For if there come into your company a man vvith a gold ring and in goodly apparel and there come in also a poore man in vile rayment 3 And ye haue respect to him that vveareth the gaye clothing and say vnto him sit thou here in a goodly place and say vnto the poore stande thou there or sit here vnder my footestoole 4 Are ye not partiall in your selues and are become iudges of euill thoughtes By this example he declareth what maner of accepting of persons he condemneth to wit that which followeth a false iudgement for a true in iudging men For he which doth that is not onely condemned by the iudgement of his owne conscience but also his iudgement is peruerse and naughtie which taketh riches for a rule of difference He doth not therfore simply forbid to honor the rich but he speaketh by the way of comparison and condemneth him which honoureth wicked rich men with the contempt of godly poore men Wherefore that accepting of persons is here condemned which followeth a false difference for a true which keepeth not a right maner which erreth from the right ende If any man therfore preferreth a rich man before a poore bicause he is rich his iudgement is peruerse and corrupt Agayne if thou doest so preferre a rich man before a poore that thou handle the poore man reprochfully there is sinne in the maner thereof Finally if thou preferre a rich man before a poore to winne fauor thereby thou hast erred from the right ende For what thing is more vnworthie than to despise the poore man which is godly and learned and honourably to receyue and entertayne the rich man which is vngodly and vnlearned He which maketh such a difference with himselfe betweene the poore man and the riche is become a iudge of euill thoughtes that is is not rightly affected but iudgeth peruersly agaynst the rule of godlynesse and charitie 5 Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this vvorlde that they shoulde be rich in fayth and heires of the kingdome vvhich he promised to them that loue him He doth in a short entrance or preface stirre vp the hearers to be attentiue to the argument which he afterwarde annexeth God hath chosen the poore of this world which are rich in fayth that they should be heyres of the kingdome which he hath promised to them that loue him Therefore the poore of this world are not to be contemned In this argument note the order of our restoring againe In the first place is set election which is noe where els to be sought but in Christ Ephes 1. In the second is set fayth whereby generall election is applyed to the hearers of the Gospel For God hath chosen on this condition if men be engraffed by fayth in his sonne without whom is no election but mere reprobation In the third is put inheritance whereby is signified adoption by which the beleeuers receiue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God In the fourth is added loue for that is the true fruite of fayth and an affection proper to the sonnes of God It is no maruayle therefore if God hath promised a kingdome to them that loue him For they by fayth haue obtayned power to be the sonnes of God yea and to be called heires of the heauenly kingdome For it is manifest out of Paule that loue is not the cause of reigning when he sayth The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Of Election THis place doth admonish that I speake something concerning election For I see not a fewe to erre from the true cause thereof Paule sayth 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world c. And here Iames saith God hath chosen the poore of this vvorld Hereupon some do not rightly gather y t wise mighty noble and rich men are reprobates on the contrary the ignorant weake vnnoble and poore are chosen For if wisedome power noblenes and riches which all are the giftes of God were the cause of reprobation and contrariwise foolishnes weakenes vnnoblenesse and pouertie were the cause of election it should follow that all rich men are reprobates and all poore men chosen but both is false For not a few rich and noble men are godly chosen and saued and many poore men are vngodly reprobates and condemned Why therfore doth Paule say Not many wise men not many mighty not many noble Paule doth not speake of the counsel of God who will that al men shall be saued and come vnto the acknowledging of the truth 1. Timoth. 2. Which would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentaunce 2. Pet. 3. But he accuseth the naughtines of men which abuse the giftes of God to their owne destruction The Gospell calleth all but some pretend one thing some an other wherby they doe not come Many being entised and as it were made druncken with wisedome many with might many with noblenes many with riches many also with other thinges cannot abide the sweete sauour of the Gospell Whereby it commeth to passe that not by the counsell of God which hath created no man to certayne damnation but by their owne fault they are not elect For God will haue all at length to be saued if so be that they doe embrace by fayth the author of their saluation They which contemne him doe worthely fall away from saluation For God will cast awaye those and condemne them no otherwise then an earthly father doth cast of and disherit an obstinate and disobedient sonne which he woulde not haue done if he had obeyed his father If therefore we consider the counsell or purpose of our creation and restoring againe by Christ God in deede will haue all men to be saued but yet by saluation and life that is by Christ the mediatour But if thou marke the euent or ende he will condemne all
pardon as appeareth in the prodigall sonne For a knowledge of mercy must of necessitie goe before true repentance according to the saying of Ambrose No man can repent except first he hopeth for pardon and that of Augustine The mercye of God is necessary not onely when we doe repent but also that we may repent Fayth is a knowledge consent and desire of the promised mercy and a sure confidence in Christ the mediatour Although the former examples and the fourth chap. to the Rom. doe confirme this definition yet let vs adde more reasons concerning the properties of fayth Christ pronounceth them saued that beleeue therfore it must needes be that fayth doth signifie a trust in the promise seeing that no man is saued by knowledge alone Agayne Paule doth sometime call this fayth a sure trust or confidence sometime a perswasion whereby a man doth certaynely perswade himselfe that God both will and also is able to performe that which he hath promised This therfore is that fayth by which alone without the workes of the law the Apostle affirmeth that a man is iustified before God For such a fayth onely as we haue described doth apprehende Christ and possesse him with all his benefites I will therfore set forth a playne and manifest doctrine concerning this iustification which commeth by fayth in Christ and will briefly confute the errours with the which this doctrine both in time past and also in our age is darkned and made obscure Iustification is a deliuerance from sinne of the man that doth beleeue in Christ an imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and an accepting of him being iustified to life euerlasting freely for Christes sake In this definition fiue principall poynts are to be considered First fayth by which the grace which is offred is receyued wherevpon Paule sayth we are iustified by fayth For fayth is as it were a certayne hande wherewith we receyue Christ offered vnto vs with his obedience that it may be our righteousnesse The seconde is a clensing or deliuerance from sinne through the satisfaction made by Iesus Christ according to that saying of Iohn The bloude of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne To this also belongeth that saying of Dauid Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen Also Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lorde imputeth not iniquitie What deliuerance is it is to be gathered by y e definition of sinne For as sinne is a defect or reuolting from the lawe and will of God with a bonde vnto eternall death and condemnation so deliuerance is the discharging or setting free of a man from the bonde of death and condemnation But that this deliuerance doth come vnto him that beleeueth in Christ many testimonies doe witnes He that beleeueth in the son hath euerlasting life The third is the imputation of y e righteousnes of Christ For his obedience death passion and resurrection are the matter foundation of our iustification 2. Cor. 5. He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we shoulde be made the righteousnesse of God in him This righteousnes which he sayth that we are made in him the Apostle defineth Rom. 5. when he sayth As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous Christian righteousnesse therefore is the obedience of Christ imputed to the beleeuer For fayth is imputed to hym for righteousnesse which beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked Of these this also followeth that the qualitie of righteousnes is in Christ but is imputed vnto vs which is proper vnto him For we are so iust before God as Christ was a sinner As he after a sort tooke vpon him our person whereby he might be made guiltie in our name and might be iudged as a sinner not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of other seing that he himselfe was pure and cleane frō all sinne and might suffer punishment due vnto vs and not vnto him So we nowe are iust in him not bicause we do satisfie the iudgement of God with our workes but bicause we are accounted righteous with the righteousnesse of Christ which by fayth alone we doe put on that it might be made ours The fourth is an accepting of the person vnto eternall life For Paule setteth this degree after iustification Rom. 8. Whom he iustified them be also glorified To this belongeth the saying of the Lorde He that beleeueth in me shall not perish but shall haue euerlasting lyfe The fift freely for Christes sake freely that all the merites of men maye be excluded for Christes sake that the redemption of the onely begotten sonne of God may be acknowledged to be the merit of so great a treasure Although this doctrine of our Churches is grounded vpon the iust sounde and perfite worde of God yet there be diuerse and sundrie errors spred abrode agaynst it For there be some which place this iustification of man in the workes done of men other some will needes haue it to consist of fayth and workes togither some go about to establishe a certayne essentiall righteousnesse Although these things which we haue spoken doe confute the errours of these yet we will speake somewhat seuerally of them They which affirme that mā is iustified by works are more easily confuted seeing that the most manifest oracles of God doe crie out agaynst this errour Dauid cryeth out openly Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And Paule Rom. 3. Therefore by the workes of the lawe shal no fleshe be iustified And to the Galath As manye as are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the curse Agayne If righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Their opinion therefore is manifestly false which affirme that a man is iustified that is made iust by workes But we acknowledge with Iames that good workes are required to the declaring of this iustification that the good tree may be knowne by it fruites neyther is there any disagreeing betweene Paule and Iames. For when Paul sayth that a mā is not iustified by works he signifieth that he is not made iust and without fault before God by workes When Iames sayth that men are iustified by workes he meaneth that men are by workes declared to be iust But the saying of them hath somewhat a fayrer shewe which affirme that the righteousnesse whereby the wicked man is iustified before God doth consist of fayth and works togither For they saye that fayth is the beginning of righteousnesse and workes the perfection thereof whose errour S. Paule confuteth by these reasons Rom. 10. I beare them recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For they being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and going about to stablishe their owne righteousnes haue not submitted themselues to