Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	know_v	6,721	5	4.2859	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

me To answer to these doubts of thine I say my right deare brother that thou must assure thy selfe that all these are but temptations of the diuell who by all meanes seeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faith and assureth vs of Gods good will towards vs. He laboureth to strip our soules out of this precious garment for he knoweth that none is a true Christian except he beleeue Gods Word which promiseth forgiuenesse of all sinnes and peace to all them which accept the grace of the Gospel Verily I say that he which vpon these promises of God perswadeth not himselfe assuredly that God is a mercifull and louing Father vnto him nor with stedfast confidence looketh to receiue the inheritance of the heauenly Kingdome at his hand is not faithfull in deed and maketh himselfe vtterly vnworthy of Gods Grace In respect whereof S. Paul saith that we be the Temple of God so far forth as we firmely maintaine the confidence and glory of our hope vnto the end And in another place he exhorteth that we should not giue ouer our trust which hath great reward of recompence And therefore my brethren let vs giue our whole endeauour to do the Will of God as it becommeth good children and beware that we sin not as neere as we can And although we fall oftentimes into sin through our owne frailty yet let vs not by and by surmize that we bee vessels of wrath or that we be vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghost for we haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before Gud the Father and he is the atonement-maker for our sinnes Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of S. Austin who saith that none of the Saints is righteous and without sinne and yet notwithstanding that he ceaseth not to be righteous and holy so farreforth as he retaines his holinesse with affection And therefore if we haue afflictions and tribulations let vs not thinke that God sends them because he is our enemy but because he is our most louing Father The Lord saith Salomon chastiseth him whom he loueth and scourgeth euery child of his whom he receiueth Wherefore if we haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell whereby man is receiued of God for his Child we must not doubt of Gods grace and good will towards vs. And when wee perceiue our selues to delight in Gods Word and to haue a desire to follow the life of Iesus Christ we must stedfastly beleeue that we be the children of God and the Temple of the holy Ghost for those things cannot be done by the power of mans wisedome but are the gifts of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in vs by faith and is as it were a seale of authority which sealeth vp Gods promises in our hearts the certainety whereof is printed aforehand in our minds and is giuen vs as a pledge to stablish and confirme the same As soone as you beleeue saith the Apostle S. Paul ye be sealed by the holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest peny of our inheritance Behold how he sheweth vs hereby that the hearts of the faithfull are marked with the holy Ghost as it were with a seale in respect whereof he calleth the holy Ghost The Spirit of promise forsomuch as he confirmeth the promise of the Gospell the which as I haue oftentimes told you is a happy tydings that promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life to all such as beleeue that all their misdoings are blotted out in Iesus Christ All we that beleeue in Iesus Christ saith Saint Paul are become the children of God and because we be his children he hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our heart which cryeth Father Father And to the Romanes Those saith hee that are guided by the Spirit of God are the children of God for yee haue not receiued againe the spirit of bondage in feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father For certainely the same Spirit beareth our spirit record that we be the children of God Now then if we be children we be also heires And we must marke well that in these two places the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely not of any speciall reuelation but of a certaine record which the holy Ghost doth commonly yeeld to all such as receiue the grace of the Gospell Then if the holy Ghost assure vs that we be Gods children and heires why should we doubt of our predestination The same man saith in the same Epistle Whom he hath predestinated them hath he also called and whom he hath called them hath he also made righteous and whom he hath made righteous them also hath he glorified What shall we then say to all these things If God be on our side who can be against vs And therefore if I plainely perceiue that God hath called me by giuing me faith and the fruits of faith that is to wit Peace of conscience mortification of the flesh and quickning of the spirit whether it be in whole or in part why should I doubt that I am not predestinated And moreouer we say with S. Paul that all true Christians that is to wit all such as beleeue the Gospell receiue not the spirit of this world but the Spirit that commeth from God by the inspiration whereof they discerne the things that God hath giuen them What maruell then is it if wee know that God hath certainly giuen vs euerlasting life But there are some which say that no man ought to presume so farre as to boast himselfe to haue the Spirit of God They speake in such wise as if the Christian should glory of the hauing of it for his owne deserts and not by the onely and meere mercy of God and as though it were a presumptuousnesse to professe himselfe a Christian or as though a man could bee a Christian without the hauing of Christs Spirit or as though we could without flat hypocrisie say that Iesus Christ is our Lord or call God our Father if the holy Ghost mooued not our hearts and tongues to vtter so sweet words And yet notwithstanding euen they that count vs presumptuous for saying that God hath giuen vs his holy Spirit with faith forbid vs not to say euery day Our Father but rather command vs. But I would haue them to tell mee how it is possible to separate faith and the holy Ghost asunder seeing that faith is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost If it be presumption to beleeue that the holy Ghost is in vs why doth Saint Paul bid the Corinthians try themselues whether they haue faith or no affirming them to bee reprobates if they know not that Iesus Christ is in them But in very deed it is a great blindnesse to accuse the Christians of presumptuousnesse for taking vpon them to glory of the presence of the holy Ghost without which glorying there cannot bee any Christianity at all But Iesus Christ

righteousnesse and euerlasting life are come by Iesus Christ and by him death is slaine whereof Saint Paul maketh a very godly discourse which I purpose to set downe here following Wherefore saith he like as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne euen so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned For vntill the Law sinne was in the world but sinne was not regarded as long as there was no Law Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam who was a figure of him that was to come But yet the gift is not so as is the offence for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many Neither is the gift so as that which entred in by one that sinned For the fault came of one offence vnto condemnation but the gift is of many offences to iustification For if by the offence of one death reigned through one much more shall they which receiue the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Likewise then as by the offence of one that fault came on all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be also made righteous Moreouer the Law entred thereupon that the offence should abound neuerthelesse where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had reigned vnto death so might grace also reigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. By these words of St. Paul we manifestly perceiue the thing to be true which we haue said heretofore that is to wit that the Law was giuen to make sinne knowne which sin we doe also know not to be of greater force then Christs righteousnesse where-through we be iustified before God For euen as Iesus Christ is stronger then Adam was so is his righteousnesse more mightie then the sinne of Adam And if the sinne of Adam was sufficient inough to make all men sinners and children of wrath without any misdeed of our owne much more shall Christs righteousnesse be of greater force to make vs all righteous and the children of grace without any of our owne good works which cannot be good vnlesse that before we doe them wee our selues be made good as Augustine also affirmeth Hereby a man may know in what errour they be who by reason of some great offence despaire of Gods good will imagining that he is not willing to forgiue couer and pardon all sinne hauing already punished and chastised all our sinnes and iniquities in his owne onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne and consequently granted a generall pardon to all mankinde which euery body enioyeth that beleeueth the Gospell that is to say which beleeueth the happy tydings that the Apostles haue published through the whole world saying We beseech you for Iesus Christs sake Be ye reconciled vnto God for he that neuer knew sinne was made a sacrifice for our sinne that we might become righteous in him The Prophet Esay foreseeing this great goodnesse of God writeth these heauenly words which doe so well paint out the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and the cause thereof as it is not to be found better described euen in the writings of the Apostles Who saith he will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed But he shall grow vp before him as a branch and as a root out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shall be no forme that wee should desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and wee esteemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled but he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all he was oppressed and hee was afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth He is brought as a sheep to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumme so hee openeth not his mouth O great vnkindnesse O thing abominable that wee which professe our selues Christians and heare that the Sonne of God hath taken all our sins vpon him and washed them out with his precious blood suffering himselfe to be fastened to the Crosse for our sakes should neuerthelesse make as though we would iustifie our selues and purchase forgiuenesse of our sins by our owne works as who would say that the deserts righteousnesse and bloodshed of Iesus Christ were not enough to doe it vnlesse we came to put to our workes and righteousnesse which are altogether defiled and spotted with self-loue selfe-liking selfe-profit and a thousand other vanities for which we haue neede to craue pardon at Gods hand rather than reward Neither doe we thinke of the threatnings which S. Paul vseth to the Galatians who hauing beene deceiued by false Preachers beleeued not that the Iustification by Faith was sufficient of it selfe but went about still to be made righteous by the Law Vnto whom Saint Paul saith Iesus Christ shall nothing profit you that iustifie your selues by the Law for you be falne from Grace because that wee through the Spirit of faith waite for the hope of righteousnesse Now if the seeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the keeping of the Law which God gaue vpon Mount Sinai with so great glory and maiesty be the denying of Christ and of his Grace what shall wee say to those that will needes iustifie themselues afore God by their owne lawes and obseruances I would wish that such folkes should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue Iudgement themselues God mindeth not to doe that honour not to giue that glory to his owne Law and yet they will haue him to giue it to mens lawes and ordinances But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten Sonne who alone by the sacrifice of his death and passion hath made full amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as S. Paul and S. Iohn declare Wherefore as often as wee apply this satisfaction of Iesus Christ vnto our soules by faith out of all doubt we obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes and become good and righteous before God through his righteousnesse

man to deserue so great a gift and treasure as Iesus Christ is This treasure is giuen only through the grace fauour and mercifulnesse of God and onely faith is the thing that receiueth such a gift as to make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therefore when S. Paul and other Doctors say that onely faith maketh men righteous without works they meane that it maketh vs to enioy the generall forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our hearts by faith and ouercomming and pacifying the troubles of our consciences satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly moued against vs quencheth the fire of hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and cheerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the diuell together with all his power and tyranny Which things all the workes that all the men in the world can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued all onely to the Sonne of God that is to wit to the blessed Iesus Christ who hath power aboue all the powers that are in Heauen in Earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merits to all such as distrusting in themselues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merits And therefore let no man beguile himselfe when he heareth it said that onely faith iustifieth without workes and thinke as false Christians doe who draw all things to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beleeuing the bare story of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beleeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Such manner of beleefe is but an historicall beleefe grounded meerely vpon the report of men and vpon their writings and lightly imprinted in our conceit by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turks who for the like reasons beleeue the fables of their Alcoran And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the heart of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neither do any good workes insue or any change of life which faith should bring forth And therefore they falsly hold opinion against the holy Scripture and against the holy Doctors of the Church that onely faith maketh not men righteous but that they must also haue workes Vnto whom I answer That this historicall and fond beliefe and all the workes that insue thereof are not onely vnable to make a man righteous but also doe cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hell like vnto those that haue no oyle in their lamps that is to say no liuely faith in their hearts The faith that maketh men righteous is a worke of God in vs whereby our old man is crucified and we being transformed in Iesus Christ become new creatures and the deare beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ and consequently mortifieth our flesh with the effects and lusts thereof For when we by the operation of faith doe know our selues to be dead with Iesus Christ wee are at a full point with our selues and with the world and are throughly resolued how it is meet that they which are dead with Iesus Christ should mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of their minde and the lusts of the flesh and forasmuch as wee know wee bee raised againe with Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall and holy life like vnto that which we shall liue in heauen after the last resurrection This holy faith making vs to inioy the generall pardon that is published by the Gospell bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our consciences maintaining vs in continuall ioy and holy and spirituall sweetnesse This selfe-same faith knitteth vs vnto God and maketh him to dwell in our hearts and clotheth our soule with himselfe so as thenceforth the holy Ghost mooueth vs to doe the same things whereunto hee mooued Iesus Christ while he was in the world and was conuersant among men that is to wit vnto lowlinesse meekenesse obedientnesse vnto God louingnesse and other perfections where-through wee recouer the image of God For these selfe-same causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednesse vnto this inspired faith which blessednesse cannot bee without good workes and holinesse of life And how can it be that a Christian should not become holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holinesse through faith Therefore by faith we be iustified and saued and therefore S. Paul doth in a manner alwaies call those Saints whom we call now Christians who if they haue not Christs Spirit are none of Christs and consequently no Christians at all But if they haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ to rule and gouerne them we must not doubt but that although they know well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for all that they will become neuer the more slothfull to do good works For Christs Spirit is the Spirit of loue and loue cannot be idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if wee will say the truth a man can doe no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his doing of good works is rather to make himselfe righteous then for the loue and glory of God and so he defileth all his works with selfe-loue for the loue of himselfe and for his owne profit But hee that knoweth himselfe to be become righteous by the merits and righteousnesse of Christ which hee maketh his owne by faith laboureth happily and doth good works all only for the loue and glory of Christ and not for loue of himselfe nor to make himselfe righteous And thereupon it commeth that the true Christian that is to wit he that accounteth himselfe righteous by reason of Christs righteousnesse asketh not whether good works be commanded or not but being wholly moued and prouoked with a certaine violence of godly loue he offereth himselfe willingly to doe all the works that are holy and Christian-like and neuer ceaseth to doe well Hee therefore which feeleth not the marueilous effects by his faith which we haue heretofore declared that the inspired faith works in the heart of the Christian Let him assure himselfe that he hath not the Christian faith and let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it him saying Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe And when he heareth it said that only faith maketh men righteous let him not deceiue himselfe and say What need I to weary my selfe in doing good works faith is inough to send mee to Paradise To such an one I answer that only faith sendeth vs to Paradise but yet let him take good heed for the diuels doe also beleeue and tremble as saith Saint Iames O miserable man wilt thou goe with them

of purpose to iustifie them and to glorifie them and to giue them euerlasting life according as our Lord Iesus Christ witnesseth saying This is the will of him that sent mee euen that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp againe at the latter day And like as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the Sonne of man bee lifted vp to the end that euery one which beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Also he saith to Martha He that beleeueth in me shall liue although he were dead and euery one that liueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer And to a company of the Iewes he saith I am come a light into the world to the end that euery man which beleeueth in me should not abide in darkenesse And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Herein appeared the loue of God towards vs for that God is loue and sent his onely begotten Son into this world that we might liue through him And herein is loue knowne not in that we loued God but in that he loued vs and sent his Son to make atonement for our sinnes And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enemies For the bringing whereof to passe he made him partaker of our flesh and of our blood as saith Saint Paul to the end that by his death hee might destroy him that had the dominion of death that is to wit the diuell and set all such at liberty as were subiect to bondage all their life long for feare of death Seeing then that we haue records of the holy Scripture concerning the promises whereof we haue spoken heretofore and concerning many other promises that are dispersed in diuers places of the same wee cannot doubt of it And forsomuch as the holy Scripture speaketh to all in generall none of vs ought to distrust in himselfe that the selfe-same thing which the Scripture saith should not belong particularly to himselfe And to the end that this point wherein lyeth and consisteth the whole mistery of our holy faith may be vnderstood the better let vs put the case that some good and holy King cause the Proclamation to be made thorow his whole Realme by the sound of a Trumpet that all Rebels and banished men shall safely returne home to their houses because that at the suite and desert of some deare friend of theirs it hath pleased him to pardon them certainly none of those Rebels ought to doubt of the obtaining of true pardon of his rebellion but rather ought assuredly to returne home to his house to liue vnder the shadow of that holy King And if he will not returne he shall beare the penaltie of it because that through his owne vnbeleefe hee dyeth in exile and in the displeasure of his Prince But this good King is the Lord of Heauen and Earth who for the obedience and desert of our good brother Iesus Christ hath pardoned vs all our sins and as we haue said afore hath made open Proclamation thorow the whold world that all of vs may safely returne into his kingdome Wherefore he that beleeueth this proclamation doth straight-wayes returne into Gods kingdome whereout we were driuen by the offence of our first parents and blessedly gouerned by Gods holy Spirit And he that giueth no credit to the said proclamation shall neuer inioy the said generall pardon but for his vnbeliefes fake shall abide in banishment vnder the tyranny of the diuell and liue and dye in extreme misery liuing and dying in the displeasure of the King of heauen and earth and that iustly For we cannot commit a greater offence against this good God then to account him as a lyer and deceiuer which verily wee doe in not giuing credit to his promises O how passing heauy is this deadly sinne of vnbeliefe which so farre forth as is possible bereaueth God of his glory and perfection besides the great harme that it doth to a mans selfe which is his owne damnation and the endlesse torment of his soule which the miserable conscience feeleth euen in this life But on the contrary hee that commeth vnto GOD with assurednesse of this faith beleeuing him without any mistrust or doubt of his promises and warranting himselfe for a certaintie that God will performe all that euer hee hath promised him giueth all the glory vnto God and liueth continually in rest and endlesse ioy euermore praising and thanking the Lord God for choosing him to the glory of the eternall life And hereof they haue an assured earnest penny and gage that is to wit the Sonne of God whom they take for their most louing Bridegroome the blood of whom hath made their hearts so drunken that through this passing holy beliefe there is in the Christian heart ingendred so liuely a hope and so certaine a trust of Gods mercy towards vs and such an operation is wrought in vs as we rest our selues wholly vpon God leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in such wise that being throughly assured of Gods good will wee are not afraid neither of the diuell nor of his ministers nor of death Which holy and stedfast trust of Gods mercy inlargeth our heart cheereth it vp and with certaine marueilous sweet affections directeth it vnto GOD filling it and setting it on fire with an exceeding feruent loue And therefore Paul incourageth vs to go with all boldnesse to the Throne of grace and hee counselleth vs that wee should not shake it off nor make light of our trust which hath great recompence reward But this so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our hearts by the working of the H. Ghost who is cōmunicated vnto vs by faith which neuer goeth without the loue of God And hereof it cōmeth that we be prouoked to do good works with a certaine liuelinesse effectuall cheerefulnesse whereby we gather such a strength inclination to do them as we be throughly ready forward to do suffer all intolerable things for the loue glory of our most gracious mercifull Father who hath inriched vs with so abundant grace through Iesus Christ and of his enemies made vs his most deare children This true faith is no sooner giuen a man but hee is by and by indued and imprinted with a certaine violent loue of good works to yeeld right sweet and amiable fruits both vnto God likewise to his neighbour as a very good and fruitfull tree And it is no more possible that he should be otherwise then it is possible that a fagot should be set on fire not cast light immediatly This is the holy faith without the which it is vnpossible that any man should please God whereby all the holy men as well of the old Testament as of the New haue bin saued according as S. Paul witnesseth of Abraham concerning whom the Scripture saith That

who cannot lye saith that his Spirit is vnknowne to the world and that they onely doe know him within whom hee dwelleth Then let them begin to become good Christians and put away their Iewish minds and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospell in good earnest and then shall they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost and also acknowledge themselues to haue him But some may say to mee That the Christian cannot by any meanes know that he is in Gods fauour without some speciall reuelation and so consequently that he cannot know whether he be predestinated or no. And hee may specially alleadge these words of Salomon A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these words of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians I feele not my selfe guilty of any thing and yet feele I not my selfe iustified for all that It seemeth to bee sufficiently declared by the texts of holy Scripture that the said opinion is false and now remaineth onely to be shewed briefely that these two texts whereupon the same opinion is chiefely grounded ought not to bee taken in that sense As touching Salomons sentence although it bee scarse well and faithfully translated in the common translation yet is there not any man so dull who in reading Salomons whole discourse may not plainely perceiue that by saying so hee meant that if any man will take vpon him to iudge by the casualties that happen in this life who is loued or hated of God hee laboureth in vaine considering that the selfe-same chances which light vpon the righteous light also vpon the vnrighteous vpon him that sacrificeth as well as vpon him that sacrificeth not and as soone vpon the good man as vpon the sinner Whereof it may bee gathered that God doth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whom hee indueth with outward prosperities and contrariwise that hee sheweth not his displeasure towards those whom hee punisheth Then my right deare brethren in Christ Iesus our Lord doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot be sure of Gods fauour because the same surenesse cannot bee perceiued by the sundry chances that happen euery day in these transitory and temporall things A little afore Salomon saith That a man cannot discerne any difference betweene the soule of man and the life of a beast for it is seene that both man and beast dye after one manner Shall we then conclude by this outward accident that the perswasion which wee haue conceiued of the immortalitie of the soule is grounded but onely vpon coniecture No surely and it were a great folly to stand vpon a thing so notably knowne And as for S. Pauls words I say that forasmuch as hee was speaking of the administration of the Gospell hee meant that his heart mis-giues him not of any mis-dealing therein and yet for all that that hee is not sure hee hath done his whole duty to the full and therein obtained the praise of righteousnesse to Godward as if hee had done all that pertained and was conuenient to be done by a faithfull Steward and therefore in speaking of his office like a iust and discreet person hee durst not iustifie himselfe nor auow that hee had discharged his duty to the vttermost and satisfied his Lords will but referred all things to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily whosoeuer readeth these words of the Apostle Saint Paul and considereth the words going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the words that follow will not doubt but this is the true sense of them I know well that some men in expounding these words of the Apostle S. Paul say that although he knew himselfe to bee without sinne yet he knew not whether hee were righteous to Godward or no according as Dauid affirmeth that no man can perfectly know his owne sinnes But these men perceiue not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnesse vpon workes but vpon faith and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnesse to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath giuen vs through our Lord Iesus Christ Also they consider not that he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous in maintaining the soundnesse and purenesse of the Christian faith and that he knew well how the Crowne of that righteousnesse was laid vp for him in Heauen and also that he was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hell was able to separate him from the Loue of God and that he longed to dye because he knew for a truth that after his death he should be with Iesus Christ All which things should be false if he had not beene well assured that he was righteous I meane by faith and not by workes Therefore my deare beloued brethren let vs cease to speake that thing of the Apostle S. Paul which he neuer once thought of himselfe but fiercely fought against it continually in answering such as measured righteousnesse by workes and not by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ But besides these two authorities of Salomon and S. Paul a man might alledge some other places of holy Scripture which whereas they warne and encourage men to feare God seeme to be contrary to the assurance of this our predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I should be ouer-long But I say generally that the feare of punishment was proper to the Old Testament and childly loue to the New Testament according as S. Paul witnesseth when he saith to the Romanes Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but yee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father And likewise vnto Timothy he saith that God hath not giuen vs the spirit of fearefulnesse but rather of power and loue which spirit Iesus Christ hath giuen vs according to the promise made by the mouth of the holy Prophets and brought to passe that we being deliuered out of our enemies hands may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life By these and many other places of the holy Scripture a man may plainely gather that the painefull and slauish fearefulnesse agreeth not with a Christian and this is already confirmed by this that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contrary to the spirituall cheerefulnesse and ioy which is peculiar to the Christian as the Apostle S. Paul sheweth openly to the Romanes saying that the Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost that is to say that euery man which entereth into the Kingdome of the grace of the Gospell is become righteous through faith and afterward addeth peace of conscience which consequently breedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnesse in respect whereof the same S. Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Christians to liue merrily And S. Peter saith that all they which beleeue in

Iesus Christ doe continually reioyce with an vnspeakeable and glorious ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted with diuers temptations And therefore when the holy Scripture threatneth and frayeth the Christians they must vnderstand that it speaketh to such as are so licentious that forsomuch as they keepe not the thankefulnesse and honesty that belong to Gods children they must bee handled as seruants and held in awe vntill they come to taste and feele how sweet and pleasant the Lord is and vntill such time as faith worke his effects in them and that they haue so much childly loue as may suffice to keepe and maintaine them in honesty of Christian conuersation and in following the example of our Lord Iesus Christ And when the selfe-same Scripture exhorteth Christians to the true feare it meaneth not that they should feare the iudgement and wrath of God as though it were presently ready to condemne them for as I haue said already by the record which the holy Ghost giueth to their spirit they know that God hath chosen them and called them of his owne meere mercy and not for their deserts By reason whereof they doubt not at all but that by the self-same goodnesse and mercy he will maintaine them in the happy state wherein he hath placed them And after such manner the Scripture exhorteth them not to slauish feare but to childish feare that is to wit that like good children they should bee loth to offend against the Christian Religion or to commit any thing against the dutie and honesty of Gods true children and likewise to grieue the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them to the end that knowing the corruptednesse of our nature we should alwayes be heedfull and diligent and neuer haue any trust in our selues for in our flesh and in our minds doe the appetites and affections continually dwell which as deadly enemies of the soule lay a thousand snares and baites for vs incessantly labouring to make vs proud ambitious lecherous and couetous This is the feare whereunto the whole Scripture exhorteth the Christians that haue once tasted how sweet the Lord is and which bestow all their endeauour in following Christs foot-steps who cast not from them this holy feare because they labour to put off the old man And the good Christians must neuer bereaue themselues quite and cleane of this childly feare which is the singular friend of Christian charitie like as the slauish feare is such an enemy vnto it as they can by no meanes dwell together And by the foresaid things a man may plainly perceiue that the good Christian ought neuer to doubt of the forgiuenesse of his sins nor of Gods fauour Neuerthelesse for the better satisfying of the Reader I purpose to set downe herevnder certaine authorities of the holy Doctors which confirme this foresaid truth St. Hilary in his fifth Canon vpon Matthew saith It is Gods will that we should hope without any doubting of his vnknowne will For if the beleefe be doubtfull there can be no righteousnesse obtained by beleeuing And thus we see that according to S. Hilary a man obtaineth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand except he beleeue vndoubtedly to obtaine it And good right it is that it should be so For he that doubteth is like a waue of the Sea which is tossed and turmoyled with the wind And therefore let not such a one thinke to obtaine any thing at Gods hand But let vs heare S. Austin who in his Manuell counselleth vs to driue away the said foolish imagination which intendeth to dispossesse vs of the foresaid good and sage assurednesse Let such foolish imagination saith he murmure as much as it listeth saying Who are thou how great is that glory by what deserts hopest thou to obtaine it I answer assuredly I know in whom I haue beleeued and I know that hee of his great loue hath made me his sonne I know he is true of his promise and able to performe his word for he can doe what he will And when I thinke vpon the Lords death the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismay me for in his death doe I put all my trust His death is my whole desert it is my refuge it is my saluation my life and resurrection and the mercy of the Lord is my desert I am not poore of desert so long as the Lord of mercy faileth me not And sith the mercies of the Lord are many many also are my deseruings The more that he is of power to saue the more am I sure to be saued The same S. Austin talking with God in another place saith that he had despaired by reason of his great sinnes and infinite negligences if the Word of God had not become flesh And anon after he saith these words All my hope all the assurance of my trust is settled in his precious bloud which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him my poore heart taketh breath and putting my whole trust in him I long to come vnto thee O Father not hauing mine owne righteousnesse but that righteousnesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ In these two places St. Austin sheweth plainely that the Christian must not be afraid but assure himselfe of righteousnesse by grounding himselfe not vpon his owne workes but vpon the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and maketh our peace with God Saint Bernard in his first Sermon vpon the Annunciation saith most euidently that it is not ynough to beleeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of his sinnes but by Gods mercy nor any one good desire or ability to doe so much as one good worke except God giue it him no nor that a man cannot deserue eternall life by his workes but if God giue him the gift so to beleeue But besides all these things saith Saint Bernard which ought rather to be counted a certaine entrance and foundation of our faith it is needfull that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for the Loue of Iesus Christ See how this holy man confesseth that it is not ynough to beleeue generally the forgiuenesse of sinnes but he must also beleeue particularly that his owne sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ and the reason is ready at hand namely that forasmuch as God hath promised thee to accept thee for righteous through the merits of Iesus Christ if thou beleeue not that thou art become righteous through him thou makest God a lyer and consequently thou makest thy selfe vnworthy of his grace and liberality But thou wilt say to me I beleeue well the forgiuenesse of sinnes and I know that God is true but I am afraid that I am not worthy to haue so great a gift I answer that the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes shall not be a gift or free grace but a wages if God should giue it thee for the worthynesse of thy workes But I reply vpon thee that God accepteth thee