sanctification when he giueth vs the holy ghost which doth after a sort turne our nature and make it that the olde man being by little and little mortified we maye liue after the spirite that is we may giue our myndes to godlynesse towarde God charitie towarde our neyghbour to holynesse of lyfe and diligence in our vocation briefly that we maye submit our selues wholy to the rule of the spirit In what man soeuer the force and vertue of this regeneration or of this sanctification is not felt there of necessitie fayth cannot be For a true and a right fayth is feruent in spirite and endeuoureth to bring forth it true fruites and desireth nothing more than to serue God in spirit and to abounde in all knowledge and vnderstanding Seing that this is in very deede the propertie of a iustifying fayth and of regeneration who can beare or abyde the saying of them which with all their might in words and writings do impugne the necessitie of good workes which truly we say are necessary not as merits and causes of saluation For y e saying of Paul is firme and vnmoueable Ephe. 2. By grace are ye saued through fayth and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least any man shoulde boast himselfe but as necessarilye accompanying a iustifying fayth and as the effectes of the spirite which doth regenerate vs. Furthermore that the reason and maner of good workes may be the better vnderstande I will declare in order sixe questions concerning good works The questions are these The first what workes are to be taught and to be done The seconde howe they maye be done The thirde howe they doe please The fourth what are the causes of good works The fift why promises are added to good works The sixt bicause all men haue sinne it is not without cause demaunded whose obedience doth please and whose doth not please When it is enquired what workes are to be taught and done two thinges are to be weyed of vs whoe we be and whome he is vnto whom obedience is to be giuen by workes When we beholde our selues considering our owne corruption we are admonished that we our selues doe not imagine workes by which we thinke to worship God For by our selues we do not vnderstand what eyther pleaseth or displeaseth God and the Lorde pronounceth that he is worshipped in vayne with the commaundements of men Let vs therfore certaynly thinke that workes albeit fayre and goodly which haue bene inuented of men are in no wise good But if we consider God we are admonished of reuerence toward him whereby it commeth to passe that we thinke that that onely pleaseth him which he prescribeth in his word For he onely is our law giuer Ezechiel comprehendeth both in chap. 20. walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers neyther obserue their maners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Also 33. I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israell therefore thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and admonish them from me Hereof therefore it manifestly followeth that no other workes are to be taught and done but those which are commended vnto vs by the word of God After that the mind of the godly man knoweth what workes are to be done forth with it inquireth how they may be done The dissoluing of this question is to be taken out of two sayinges of the Scripture The Apostle sayth to the Hebr. without fayth it is vnposible to please God And Christ sayth without me can ye doe nothing Wherefore these thinges are required in order First the knowledge of Christ Secondly trust and confidence in Christ Thirdly viuification whereby Christ doth quicken vs by the Gospell and poureth his holy spirite vpon vs. Herevnto maketh y e saying of Esay chap. 40. But they that wayt vpon the Lord shall renue their strength they shall lift vp the wings as the Egles they shall runne and not be wearie and they shall walke and not faint For there can be no loue no obedience except mercy and reconcilation for the mediatours sake be first apprehended In this consolation the diuinitie doth dwell in the heart For the eternall father is effectuall in deede by his sonne which comforteth by the voyce of the Gospell and the holye Ghost is giuen of the father and the Sonne which stirreth vp in vs ioye and calling vpon God according to these sayings I will poure vpon them the spirite of grace and compassion c. And in Iohn We will come vnto him and dwel with him 2. Cor. 3. We beholding the glory of the Lord with open face are changed into the same image that is we beholding the word which is the image of the eternall father and in consolatiō doth shew the presence and goodnes of God are made like vnto his image the holy Ghost inflaming our hearts After that the mind is taught how good workes may be done it inquireth furthermore how they please for they are done in vayne except they please Scipio fighteth for his countrey Dauid also fighteth but the workes of both of them doe not please God It is fitly therefore demaunded how good workes may please To the which question we aunswere in generall that they please in the regenerate The workes of Scipio did not please bicause he was not regenerate But the warfare of Dauid did please bicause Dauid was accepted by fayth But here are three thinges to be considered in order First we must certainly thinke concerning the person that he is reconciled by fayth and iust for Christes sake freely Then we must confesse that the person iustified by fayth cannot as yet satisfie the lawe For many inward sinnes doe abide and sticke euen in the Godly This vncleannesse is to be lamented and doubts and euil affections are to be resisted and striuen against and also we ought to pray with true sighes of the heart that God will not impute vnto vs this filthines wherein we are wrapped Thirdly although we acknowledge this our filthines notwithstanding we must certaynly thinke that God doth require a certayne vnperfect obedience in vs that this vnperfect obedience doth please for Christs sake For so Peter doth playnly teach Offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ which is our reconciliation and now maketh intercession for vs. Our obedience therefore doth not please God for the worthines or perfection thereof For by it selfe it is vnworthy to come into the sight of God neyther doth it fulfill the law as it is sayd but it pleaseth bicause of the person reconciled which for Christs sake is counted righteous so also doth he please although he carie about in the flesh sinne and great infirmitie Seing it is euident that a man is in no wise iustified by workes it may fitly also may be
the righteousnes of God For Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerye one that beleeueth Here Paule maketh this to be the cause of the casting of of the Iewes for that they woulde ioyne their owne righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of God which is by fayth and of both ioyned togither make one forme of righteousnesse Also Rom. 11. he reasoneth thus If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Paule here first setteth downe two contrarie propositions without any meane betwene them If election and saluation be of workes it is not of grace If it be of grace it is not of workes bicause that debt and gift are so contrarie that neither of them may rightly be sayde one of the other or both of them of any thirde Eyther therefore we are iustified and saued by fayth alone or by workes but the testimonies before alledged doe proue that no man is iustified by workes Agayne if christian righteousnesse did consist of fayth and works togither the reasoning of Paule were fonde and vayne Rom. 4. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnesse Here Paule maketh two sortes of righteousnesse which differ the one from the other For they haue contrarie causes For the righteousnesse of fayth by which he that beleeueth is iustified is imputed and giuen freely but the righteousnesse of works is not free Furthermore if one part is to be attributed to fayth the other part to workes in the iustification of man two absurdities should followe thereof one that the promise shoulde be made vncertaine which ought to be certaine Another that the satisfaction of Christ coulde not suffice except it were stablished by our workes Wherefore we embrace the saying of Augustine which sayth It is grace in no poynt except it be free in all poyntes But the occasion of the errour of the Papistes was a Philosophicall imagination which knoweth no righteousnesse except it be a certayne qualitie in vs. For it vnderstandeth not that a man may be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnesse of another Nowe let vs come to essentiall righteousnesse concerning which first it is to be vnderstand y t we are in no wise righteous before God by y e essential righteousnes of God but in respect of the principall efficient cause For the formall righteousnesse by which we are righteous before God is no other than the obedience of Christ as Paule plainly teacheth Rom. 5. By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous But the obedience of Christ is of two sortes of the crosse and of the lawe By the obedience of the crosse whereby he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Philip. 3. the Lorde doth make a full satisfaction for our sinne The obedience of the lawe he imputeth vnto vs that beleeue that by it we maye appeare righteous in the sight of God Paule sayth that this righteousnesse or obedience of Christ is imputed to them that beleeue therfore it is neyther substance nor qualitie abyding in them whereby a man is made righteous formally Wherefore this affirmance is surely to be helde that christian righteousnes is the obedience of the sonne of God imputed to him that beleeueth But in the meane season we must also vnderstande this that the Scripture maketh mention of three kindes of righteousnesse of man whereof one is of fayth by which we stande before God and this is perfect as the obedience of Christ is perfect neyther is it diminished or increased by the diminishing or increasing of fayth For the Publicane had this full and perfect as well as Peter although the fayth of Peter was much more manifest and knowne Another is the beginning of obedience which is also called the righteousnesse of a good conscience This is not set agaynst the wrath of God bicause it is not perfect obedience of the lawe yet it is necessary in as much as it is the proper fruite of fayth An other there is which is as yet looked for whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 5. For we through the spirite wayte for the hope of righteousnesse through fayth And 1. Iohn 3. Dearly beloued nowe are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure This righteousnesse therefore is a making of vs lyke vnto God a dwelling of God in vs a full fruition of God an absolute and perfect loue And although we must confesse that the heartes of them that beleeue are the temples of the holy ghost and Christ sayth Iohn 14. If any man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and wil dwell with him yet it doth not followe that this dwelling of God in vs is the righteousnesse whereby we stande before God but it is a diuine presence in vs by which we are renued doe feele comfort and begyn to approch to eternall life Furthermore if men were iustified here by essentiall righteousnesse there shoulde be no difference betweene the righteousnesse by which we are righteous in this lyfe and that by which we shall be like vnto God in all eternitie But Paule putteth a manifest difference betweene these two For he sayth that we haue the righteousnesse of fayth nowe here in this lyfe but that we doe looke for another righteousnesse which Iohn defineth to be a framing or fashioning whereby we shall be fashioned lyke vnto God which fashioning shall proceede from hence in that we shall see him as he is Newe obedience is necessarily ioyned with fayth For regeneration which cannot be absent from a iustifying fayth doth necessarily bring forth it fruites which are seene in newe obedience For after that a man through the grace of regeneration is made a newe tree he ought to bring forth newe that is good fruites which Paule in his Epistle to the Philip. calleth the frutes of y e righteousnes of fayth Iames pronounceth in his own peculiar and proper phrase that men are iustified by the same that is acknowledged and declared iust This newe obedience is sometime called sanctification which consisteth of the mortifying of the fleshe and of the quickening of the spirit For Paule sayth thus Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption He is made our wisedome in the preaching of the Gospell He is made our righteousnesse by the attonement for sinne and imputation of righteousnesse He is made our
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