of the threatnings which S. Paule vseth to the Galathians who hauing béene deceiued by false Preachers beleeued not that the Iustification by fayth was sufficient of it selfe but went about stil to be made righteous by thelaw Unto whom S. Paule saith Iesus Christ shall nothing profite you that iustifie your selues by the law for you bee falne from grace because that we through the spirit of sayth wayt for the hope of righteousnesse Now if the seeking of righteousnesse forgiuenesse of sinnes by the keeping of the law which GOD gaue vpon mount Sinai with so greate glorie and maiestie bée the denying of Christe and of his Grace what shall wée say to those that will néeds iustifie themselues afore God by theyr owne lawes and obseruances I woulde wishe that suche folkes shoulde a little compare the one with the other and afterwarde geue Iudgement themselues God myndeth not too doe that honour nor to geue that glory to his owne lawe yet they will haue him too geue it too mens lawes and ordinances But that honour is geuen onely to his onely begotten sonne who alone by the sacrifice of his death and passion hath made full amendes for al our sinnes past present and to come as Saint Paule and Saint Iohn declare Wherfore as often as we apply this satisfaction of Iesus Christs vnto our soules by fayth out of all doubt we obteine forgeuenesse of our sinnes and become good and righteous before God through his righteousnesse And therfore after that Saint Paule hath said that as touching the righteousnesse of the law he had liued vnblameable he addeth and yet whatsoeuer I haue gained by it I haue accompted in all respectes too bée but losse for the loue of Christe And specially I esteeme all thinges to bée losse for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christe my Lord for whom I haue compted all things too bée losse and déeme them but as doung so may I winne Christ and be founde in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the lawe but the righteousnes which is by the fayth of Iesus Christe w t righteousnes is giuen by God I meane the righteousnes of faith that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ. O most notable words which al Christians ought to haue engrauen in their hearts praying God to make them to fast it perfectly Lâ—e howe Saint Paule sheweth plainely that whosoeuer knoweth Christe aright estéemeth al the woorks of the lawe to be hurtfull for somuch as they make vs too swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ too whom euery man ought to impute his saluation and too trust onely vnto him alone And to inforce this sentence the more he addeth further that he estéemeth all things but as doung so he may gayne Christ he found incorporated in him declaring therby that whosoeuer trusteth in his owne workes pretendeth not iustifie himselfe by them getteth not Iesus Christ nother is engraffed into him And forasmuch as the whole mystery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof to the end we might the better vnderstand what he meant to say he addeth and repeteth oftentunes that he had nothing to do with all the outward iustification all y â— righteousnes that is grounded vpon the keping of the law but y â— he would cloth himself with the righteousnes which God geueth by sayth to all them that beléeue that all our sinnes are fully chastised and punished in Iesu Christ and that Iesus Christ as Saint Paule saith is made our wisedom righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end as it is writteÌ„ that he which wil glory should glory in y â— Lord and not in his owne woorks Uery true it is that in the holy Scriptures there are some textes to be found which beyng misvnderstood séeme to gainesay this holy doctrine of Saint Paules to attribute iustification remission of sinnes vnto works and to charity But those authorities haue already byn well expounded by some who haue shewed plainly that such as haue vnderstood them in the sense aforesaid vnderstood them not aright Wherefore my déere beloued brethren let vs not folow the fond opinions of the bewitched Galathians but rather let vs followe the trueth which S. Paule teacheth vs and let vs geue the whole glory of our iustification vnto Gods mercie and to the merites of his Sonne who by his owne bloodshed hath set vs frée from the soueraintie of the law and from 〈…〉 geue vs life and endlesse felicitie I say yet further that he hath deliuered vs from the dominion of the lawe insomuch as he hath geuen vs his holy spirit who teacheth vs al truth that he hath satisfied the law to the ful giuen the same satisfactioÌ„ vnto al his members that is to wit to al true Christians so as they may safely appeare at Gods throne because they be clothed w t the righteousnes of his Christ by him deliuered from the curse of the lawe Then can not the law any more accuse vs or coÌ„ndenm vs nor moue our affections or appetites nor increase sinne in vs. And therefore S. Paule saith that the obligation which was against vs is cancelled by Iesus Christ discharged vpon the trée of the crosse insomuch as he hath set vs frée froÌ„ the subiectioÌ„ of the law consequently from the tyranny of sinne and death which can no more holde vs oppressed because it is ouercome by Iesus Christ in his resurrection so coÌ„sequently by vs which are his members in such maner that we may say with Saynte Paule and with the Prophet Osée Death is quite vanquished and destroied O death where is thy sting O Hel where is thy 〈…〉 strength of sinne is the law But God bée praised who hath granted vs victory by our Lorde Iesus Christ. He is the blessed séede that hath crushed the head of the venomous Serpent that is to wit of the Diuel insomuche that al those which beleue in Iesus Christe reposing their whole trust in his grace doe ouercome sinne death the diuel hel as Christ hath done He is that blessed séed of Abraham in the which God hath promised blessednesse to al nations It behooueth euery particular person too fighte with the sayd horrible serpent to deliuer himselfe froÌ„ that curse But that enterprise was so great that all the force of the whole world knit together was not able too goe through with it Wherfore our God the father of mercy being moued with compassion of our miseries hath geuen vs his onely begotten sonne who hath deliuered vs froÌ„ the venim of the serpent and is himself become our blessednesse and righteousnesse condicionally that we accept the same renouncing all our owne outwarde iustifications Then my déere brethren let vs imbrace the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ and let vs make it ours by meanes of fayth let vs assure our selues that we be righteous not for our own workâ— but
the members of his eldest sonne whose perâ—ection and righteousnesse doeth supply all our vncleannesse and imperfection which arenot layde to our charge forsomuche as they be couered vnder the purenes and innocencie of Iesus Christe and come not to iudgement before God And héereupon it coâ—neth too passe that all our woorkes which proceede of a true faith notwithstanding that they be wholy sinful and corrupt of themselues shall neuerthelesse bée praysed and allowed by Iesus Christe in the generall iudgement because they bee the fruites and Testimonies of our faith whereby wee bée saued For insomuche as we haue loued y â— brethren of Iesus Christ wée shall shew euidently that wée haue also béene faithfull and brethren of Christe and therefore by faith wée shall bee put in full possession of the euerlasting kingdome which our soueraigne Lord God hath prepared for vs before y â— creating of the world not for our merites sakes but through his mercy whereby he hath chosen vs and called vs to the grace of his Gospel and made vs righteous to the intent to glorifie vs euerlastingly with his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe who is the holinesse and righteousnesse of vs but not of them which wyll not confesse that faith is sufficient of it selfe too make a man righteous and acceptable to the Lord GOD who through his fatherly goodnes and louing kindnes offereth and giueth vs Iesus Christe with his righteousnesse without any desert of our owne works What thing can work or cause a man too deserue so great a gyfte and Ireasure as Iesus Christe is This treasure is geuen only through the grace fauour and mercyfulnesse of GOD and only faith is the thing that receiueth suche a gift as too make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therfore when S. Paul other Doctors say that only faith maketh men righteous without workes they meane y â— it maketh vs so inioy y â— general forgeuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our heartes by faith and ouercomming and pacifiyng the troubles of our consciâ—nces satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly mooued against vs quenetheth the fyre of Hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and chéerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the Deuil togeather with al his power and tyranny Which things all y â— works that al y â— men in the worlde can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued alonly to the sonne of God that is to wit too the blessed Iesus Christe who hath power aboue all the the powers that are in heauen in earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merites to al such as distrusting in theÌ„selues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merites And therefore let no man beguile him selfe when hée heareth it saide that onely fayth iustifieth without workes and think as false christians doe who drawe all thinges to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beléeuing the bare sâ—rory of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beléeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Suche manner of beliefe is but an historicall belief grounded méerely vpon the report of men vpon their writinges lightly imprinted in our conceite by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turkes who for the like reasons beléeue the fables of their Alcaron And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the harâ— of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neyther doe any good woorkes insue or any change of life which faith shoulde bring foorth And therfore they falsty hold opinioÌ„ against y â— holy scripture and agaynst the holy Doctors of the church y â— only faith maketh not maÌ„e righteous but y â— they must also haue works vnto whoÌ„ I answere that this historical and fond beléefe and all the workes that insue therof are not only vnable to make a man righteous but also doo cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hel like vnto those y â— haue no oyle in their larpes that is to say no liecly â—aith in their harts The fayth that maketh men righteous is a work of God in vs wherby out old man is crucified wee being transformed in Iesus Christe become newe creatures the déere beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ consequently mortifieth our flesh with the affects lustes therof For when we by the operation of fayth do knowe our selues to be dead with Iesus Christe wee are at a full point with our selues with the world are throughly resolued how it is méete that they which are dead with Iesus Christe shoulde mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of they mind and the lusts of the flesh forasmuch as we know we bee raysed againe in Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall holy life like vnto that which we shal liue in heaueÌ„ after the last resurrection This holy fayth making vs to inioy the general pardâ—n that is published by the Gospel bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our coÌ„sciences mainteining vs in coÌ„tinual ioy holy spiritual sweetnes This self-same faith knitteth vs vnto God maketh him to dwell in our heartes clotheth our soule with himself so as theÌ„ceforth the holy Ghost moueth vs to doe the same things wherunto he moued Iesus Christ while he was in the world was coÌ„uersant among men that is to wit vnto lo wlines meekenes obedientnes vnto God louingnes other perfections wherthrough we recouer y â— image of God For these selfsame causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednes vnto this inspired faith which blessednes cannot be v â—out good works holines of life And how can it bée that a Christian should not beocme holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holines through â—aith Therfore by faith we be iustified saued and therfore S. Paul doth in a maner alwaies call those Saints whom we call nowe Christians who if they haue not Christs spirit are none of Christes consequeÌ„tly no ChristiaÌ„s at al. But if they have the spirit of Iesus Christe to rule and gouerne them we must not doubte but that although they knowe well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for al that they will become neuer the more slouthfull to do good workes For Christes spirite is the spirit of loue and loue cannot bee idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if we will say the truth a maÌ„ can do no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his dooing of good woorkes is rather too make himselfe righteous
we should not shake it off nor make light of our trust which hath great recompence and rewarde But this so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our heartes by the working of the holy Ghost who is communicated vnto vs by faith which neuer goeth without the loue of God And héere of it commeth that wâ—e are prouoked too doe good workes with a certaine liuelinesse and effectual chéerefulnesse whereby wée gather such a strength inclination to do them as we be throughly ready and forwarde to doe and to suffer all intollerable thinges for the loue and glory of our most gracious and mercifull father who hath inriched vs with so abundant grace through Iesus Christe of his enimies made vs his most déere children This true faith is no sooner giuen a man but he is by and by indued and imprinted with a certain violent loue of good works to yeelde right sweete and amiable fruites both vnto God likewise vnto his neighbour as a very good and fruitfull trée And it is no more possible that he should bée otherwise than it is possible that a Faggot should be set on fire and not cast light immediately This is the holy Faith without the which it is vnpossible y t any man shuld please God and whereby all the holy men as well of the olde Testament as of the new haue byn saued according as S. Paul witnesseth of Abraham concerning whoÌ„ the Scripture saieth that Abraham beléeued God and it was reckoned to hym for righteousnes And therefore he saith a litle before We beléeue that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the law And in an other place he saith So then in that time shall the remnant be saued according to the election of grace and if they be saued by grace then is it not by workes for then were grace no grace And to the GalathiaÌ„s hée sayth it is a manyfest matter that no man becommeth righteous before GOD by the Lawe because the righteous lyueth by Faith And the Lawe consisteth not in beliefe but hée that perfourmeth the things that the law commandeth shal liue by that performance And further be saith that a man caÌ„not become righteous by the déedes of the law but only by beléeuing in Iesus Christe Againe a litle after he saith that if a man can become righteous by the law Iesus Christe dyed in vaine Moreouer to the Romans making comparisoÌ„ betwéene the righteousnesse of the law the righteousnes of the Gospel hee saith that the one consisteth in the doing of workes and the other in beléeuing For if thou confesse our Lord Iesus Christ wnâ— thy mouth and beléue in thy hart that God hath raysed him vp from death thou shalt be saued For the beliefe of the heart maketh a man righteous the confession of y â— mouth maketh him safe Loe how this good Teacher S. Paul sheweth euidently that faith maketh a man righteous without any works And not only S. Paul but also â— holy doctors that came after him haue confirmed and allowed this most holy truth of Iustification by faith among whom S. Augustin is the chiefe who in his booke of faith and workes and in his booke of the Spirit and the Letter and in his booke of fourescore thrée questions and in his booke which hée did write to Bouiface and in his treatise vpon the xxxi Psalme and in many other places defendeth this article shewing that we become righteous by faith without any helpe of good workes Howebeit that good workes are the effectes of righteousnesse not the cause of it And he sheweth that the wordes of S. Iames being soundly vnderstoode are nothing contrary to this article Which thing Origen doth also affirme in his 4. booke vpon the Epistle to the RomaÌ„s saying that S. Paules meaning is that faith only is sufficient to make men righteous in somuche that a man becommeth righteous only by beléeuing although hée haue not doone any good worke at all For so it is that y â— Théef became righteous w t out the works of the law forasmuch as the Lord sought not what good workes he had doone in times past nor waited vntil he had done any after he had beléeued but hauing accepted him for righteous vpon his onely confession tooke him for his companion euen he shoulde enter into Paradise Likewise that so renowmed woman in the Gospell of S. Luke while shée was at the féete of Iesus Christ heard it said vnto her thy sinnes are forgiâ—en thée And a litle after he saith vnto her thy faith hath saued thée goe thy way in peace Afterward Origen saith In many places of the Gospell a man may sée how our Lorde Iesus Christe hath spoken in suche wise as hee sheweth that faith is the cause of the saluation of the beteeuers Then is a man maâ—e righteous by faith the works of the law further him nothing at al. On the contrary where Faith is not which Faith maketh the beléeuer righteous although a man do the workes which the Law commandeth yet notwithstanding forasmuch as they be not builded vpon the foundation of faith albe it that to outward appearance they séeme good yet can they not iustifie him that doth them because he wanteth faith which is the marke of them that are become righteous before God And who is he that can boast himself to be righteous when he heareth God say by his Prophet Esay that all our righteousnesse is as a defiled cloath of a menstruous woman Then can wée not iustly glory in our selues but in the onely faith of the crosse of Iesus Christ. S. Basâ—l in his Homilie of humilitie sayth that the Christian ought to holde him selfe for righteous through beléefe in Iesus Christ and his wordes are these The Apostle sayth that he which gloryeth should glory in the Lord in that God hath made Iesus Christ to be our wisdome righteousnesse holynes and redemption to the end that hée which would glory should glory in the Lord because that â—he perâ—ite aud sounde gloriyng is to glory in the Lorde For in so doing a man presumeth not vpon his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth his want or â—he true righteousnesse that he is made righteous only by beléeuing in Iesus Christe And S. Paul glorieth of the despiting of his owne righteousnesse and of his séeking of Christes righteousnesse by faith which commeth of God S. Hyllary in his nienth Canon vppon the exposition of S. Matthewe sayth these woordes The Scribes considering Iesus Christe but only as man were troubled that a man shoulde forgeue sinnes and pardon that thing which the Lawe coulde not doe becauss that only faith iustifieth Saint Ambrose in expounding these wordâ—s of S. Paul Vnto hym that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse according to the purpose of Gods grace Like as Dauid also saith that
wee prepare our selues to this holy sacrament quickening vp our spirites with a feruent loue to our neighbourward For what greater spurre caÌ„ we haue to prick vs to loue one another thaÌ„ to sée that Iesus Christ by giuing himself vn too vs not onely allureth vs too geue our selues one to another but also by making himselfe common to vs all maketh vs also to be al one selfesame thing in him In respect wherof we ought to couet procure that in al of vs there may be but one mind one heart one touÌ„g accorded vnited together in thought words déeds And wée must mark wel that as oft as we receiue this holy and woorthy sacrament we binde our selues to all the dueties of charity as not to offende any of our brethren nor too leaue any thing vndone that may be profitable and helpfull in their necessity But if ther come any to this heauenly table of the Lord y â— are diuided at variaÌ„ce w t their brethreÌ„ the same must assure themselues that they eat vnworthily are guilty of the body blood of the Lorde that they eate and drinke their own damnation for that there wanted nothing on their behalfe but y â— the body of Iesus Christ was rent plucked in péeces again whilest they by hatred are diuided froÌ„ their brethren y â— vs to wit froÌ„ the members of Iesus Christ haue not any part w t him and yet neuertheles in receyuing this holy communion pretended to be Iéeuâ— that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Iesus Christ. Then let vs goe my brethreÌ„ to the receiuing of this heauenly bread to celebrate the remembrance of our Lords passion and to strengthen and fortify the belief and assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes with the remembraÌ„ce therof and to quicken vp our minds toungs to praise exalt the infinit goodnes of our God and finally to cherish brotherly loue and to witnes y â— same one to another by â— streight vnioÌ„ w t al of vs haue in the body of our Lord Iesus Christ. Besides prayer and the remembring of Baptisme and the often resorting to the most holy communion there is one other very good remedy against di strust fearfulnes which is no lesse friend to Christian charity namely the remembrance of our predestination and election to eternal life grounded vpoÌ„ the word of God which is the sword of the holy Ghost wherwith we may beate back our enimies Reioyce ye in this saith the Lorde that your names are written in heauen There is no greater ioy in this life nor any thing that more comforteth the ChristiaÌ„ that is afflicted tempted or falne into any sinne than the remembraÌ„ce of predestinatioÌ„ the assuring of our selues that we be of the number of them whose names are written in the book of life w t are chosen to be fashioned like vnto the image of Iesus Christ O how unspeakeable is the comfort of him y â— hath this fayth museth coÌ„tinually in his heare vppon this excéeding swéet predestination wherby he knoweth y â— although he fall often yet notw tstanding God his father who hath foreordeined him too euerlasting life holdeth him vp reacheth out his hand vnto him coÌ„tinually And he saith continually in himselfe if God haue chosen me and predestinated me to the glory of his children who can hinder me If God bee with vs sayth S. Paule who can be against vs Nay rather to the end that the predestination may be accoÌ„plished in vs he hath sent his déere beloued sonne who is a most sure earnest penny pledge vnto vs that wee which haue receiued the grace of the Gospel are Gods children chosen to eternall life This holy PredestinatioÌ„ mainteineth the true christiaÌ„ in a continual spiritual ioy increaseth in him the indeuour of good works and inflameth him with the loue of God and maketh him enimy tothe worlde and to sinne Who is so fierce and hardharted which knowing that God of his mercy hath made him his child from euerlasting will not by by be inflamed to loue God Who is of so vile base courage y â— he will not estéeme al the pleasures al the honors al the riches of the world as filthy myre when he knowes that he hath made him a â—itizen of heauen yea these are they that worship God rightly in spirit truthe receiuing al thinges as well in prosperity as in aduersity at the haÌ„d of God their father â—nd euermore praising and thanking him or all as their good father who is righteâ—us and holy in al his woorks These being inflamed with the loue of God and armed with the knowledge of their Predestinatiâ—n feare neither death nor sinne nor the diuel nor hel neither know they what the wrath of God is for they sée none other thing in God but loue and fatherly kindenesse towardes them And if they fall into any troubles they accept them as tokens of Gods fauour crying out with S. Paule Who is it that shal separate vs from Gods loue shal tribulations shall anguish shall persecution or hunger or nakednes or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and counted as shèep appoynted to the slaughter But in al these things we get y â— vpper haÌ„d through him that hath loued vs. Wherfore it is not for nought that Saint Iohn saith how the true Christians know right wel that they must be saued and glorified that by reasoÌ„ of the same affiance they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy And when S. Paul exhorteth his disciples too a good and holy life he is wont to put them in remembrance of their election and predestination as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the mindes of the true Christians to the louing of God and too the perfourmance of good woorkes And for the same cause our good Lord Iesus Christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination as one that knew of how great importaunce the knowledge therof is to the edifiyng of his electe But perchaÌ„ce thou wilt say to me I know well that they whose names are written in heauen haue cause to liue in continuall ioy glorifie God both in woord and déede but I know not whether I am of that nuÌ„ber or no therfore I liue in continual feare specially because I know my selfe to be an excéeding weake and frayle sinner from the violence whereof I am not able to defende my selfe but that I am ouercome of it daily And furthermore forasmuche as I sée my selfe continually afflicted and troubled with diuerse temptations mée thinks I do as it were behold with mine eyes y â— wrath of God scourging me To answere to these doubts of thine I say my right déere brother that thou must assure thy selfe that al these are but temptations of the diuel
he dwelleth Then let them begin to become god Christians and put away their Iewish mindes and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospel in good earnest then shal they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost also acknowledg ethēselues to haue him But some one may say to me that the Christiā 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 he may specially alledge these wordes of Solomon A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these wordes of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians I féel not my selfe guilty of any thing and yet féele I not my selfe iustified for all that It séemeth to be sufficiently declared by the textes of holy scripture that the sayde opinion is false and now remayneth onely to bee shewed briefly that these two textes wherevpon the same opinion is chiefly grounded ought not too bee taken in that sense As touching Solomons sentence although it be scarce wel faithfully translated in the commontranslation yet is there not any man so dull who in reading Solomōs whole discourse may not plainely perceiue that by saying so he ment 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 Hée laboureth in vain◠considering that the selfesame chaunces which light vppon the righteous light also vpon the vnrighteous vpon him that sacrifizeth aswell as vpon him that sacrifizeth not and as soone vppon the good man as vppon the sinner Whereof it may be gathered that GOD doeth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whome hée indueth with outwarde prosperities and contrariwise that hée sheweth not his displeasure towards those whome hée punisheth Then my ryght deare brethren in Christe Iesus our Lorde doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot bee sure of Gods fauour because the same surenesse cannot bée perceiued by the sundry chaunces that happen euery day in these transitory and temporall thinges A little afore Solomon saith that a man cannot discerne any difference betwéene the soule of man and the life of a Beast for it is séene that both man and Beast dye after one manner Shall wée then conclude by this outwarde accident that the perswasiō which we haue conceaued of the immortality of y ◠soule is grounded but only vpon coniecture so surely and it were a great folly to stande vppon a thing so notably knowne And as for S. Paules wordes I say that forasmuche as he was speaking of the administration of the Gospell hee ment that his hearte misgiues him not of any misdealing therein and yet for all that that hée is not sure hee hath doone his whole dutie to the full and therein obteined the prayse of righteousnes to Godward as if he had done all that perteyned and was conuenient to be done by a faithful Steward and therefore in speaking of his office like a iust and discrete person he durst not iustifie himselfe nor auow that he had discharged his dutie to the uttermost and satisfied his Lords wil but referred all thinges to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily whosoeuer readeth these wordes of the Apostle S. Paul and considereth the wordes going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the wordes that folow wil not doubt but this is the true sense of them I know well that some men in expounding these woordes of the Apostle S. Paul say that although hée knew himselfe to be without sinne yet hée 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 perceiued not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnes vppon woorkes but vppon faith and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnes to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath geuen vs through our Lord Iesus Christ. Also they cōsider not y ◠he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous in mainteining the soundnesse purenes of the Christian faith and that hee knewe well how the crowne of that righteousnes was laide vp for him in heauen and also that he was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hel was able to separate him from the loue of God and that he longed to die because he knew for a trueth that after his death he should bée with Iesus Christ. All which things should be false if he had not béen well assured that he was righteous I meane by faith and not by works therefore my dearely beloued brethren let vs ceasse to speake y ◠thing of the Apostle S. Paul w t he neuer once thought of himself but fircely fought against it continually in answering suche as measured righteousnesse by workes and not by faith in our Lorde Iesus Christe But beside◠these two authorities of Solomon and S. Paul a man myght alledge some other places of Holy Scripture which wheras they warne and encourage men to feare GOD séeme too bée contrary too the assurance of this our Predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I shoulde be ouerlong But I say generally that the feare of punishment was proper to the old Testament and childly loue too the newe Testamente according as Saint Paul witnesseth when hée saith to the Romans yée haue not receiued the spirite of bondage too feare but yée haue receiued the spirite of adoption whereby wée crie father father And likewise vnto Timothie he saith that GOD hath not geuen vs the spirite of fearefullnes but rather of power and loue which spirite Iesus Christe hath geuen vs according too the promise made by the mouth of the Holy Prophetes and brought to passe that wèe being deliuered out of our enimies handes may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holynesse righteousnesse all the dayes of our life By these and many other places of the holy Scripture a man may playnly gather that the paineful and slauish fearefulnesse agréeth not with a Christian and this is already confirmed by this that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contrary to the spirituall chéerefulnesse and ioy which is peculiar to the Christian as the Apostle Saint 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 afterwarde addeth peace of conscience which consequently bréedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnes in respect wherof the same Saint Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Christians to liue meryly And Saint Peter sayth that all they which beléeue in Iesus Christe doe continually reioyce with an unspeakeable and glorious ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted